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It was after the whole Osiris thing that Sam brought it up. “Y’know,” He said. “It’s weird. We’ve dealt with the whole Christian thing, Chinese, Roman, Norse… pretty much most of the Pantheons. But we haven’t dealt with Greek.”
Dean shot him a dirty look before turning back to the road. “Oh, shut up,” He snapped. “We don’t need you to fucking jinx us, okay? And who says we haven’t dealt with Greek? Lamia’s pretty Greek.”
Sam waved a hand. “No, no, I meant gods. Like seriously, we met a lot of ’em with the whole Gabriel thing, and Osiris now.”
“We met Mercury.”
“He’s Roman.”
Dean groaned. “I do not wanna deal with Greek gods, Sammy. You see one, your problem.”
Sam grinned. “Like you’d leave me to fight them alone. Face it, Dean, you have a saving people thing.”
“Ha! You’re saying it like you don’t. Truth is, little brother, everyone hunting crap as we do does.” Dean shook his head, but Sam could see a hint of a smile on his lips. “Now stop jinxing us, will ya? I’m trying to drive here.”
Sam snorted fondly - if a little sadly - and knelt his head against the window.
It was funny, really. They’d come across a lot but not the Greek gods yet. Sure, they hadn’t even known gods were a thing (monstrous thing, that is) until the whole apocalypse debacle (specifically from every religion ever), but the Greek gods were pretty much the best-known out there. So why hadn’t they?
Then again, Dean was right. They definitely didn’t need this shit in their lives right now. With Cas dead and the Leviathans out doing who knew what - unkillable, of course - there was literally no room for Greek gods. Hell, there’d been no room for Osiris, especially since the guy had most definitely known something about Dean. Something Dean wouldn’t tell him.
Yeah. No thanks.
He shifted in the seat, trying to make himself comfortable. He couldn’t.
And then the car skidded, Dean shouting, “Woah! That stupid ass-” and Sam was gripping the side of the seat, his eyes landing on two battered people crumpling right in the middle of the road-
“What the heck?” Sam demanded as soon as the car stopped.
“I don’t know, but it sure as hell ain’t normal,” Dean replied, grabbing his gun and hightailing it out. “Hey!” He shouted, pointing the weapon at the guys on the road. Sam did the same. “Hands up!”
One of the guys (kids, really, now that he thought about it) stayed down, but the other looked up, and Sam saw piercing green eyes. “Stay away!” He growled and pulled out… wait, was that a sword? What kind of kid carried around a sword these days?
He ignored the niggling thought in his head, pointing to his own childhood.
Dean scoffed. “You think a blade’s gonna work when we have guns? Get real, kid. Put the sword down.”
The sword didn’t even tremble.
Sam frowned. That shouldn’t be normal kid behavior. “Hey, look,” He tried for a soothing tone. “We won’t hurt you-”
“Unless you’re monsters,” Dean added.
Sam wanted to throw a glare his brother’s way, but the teenager flinched, so there was something to that statement, at least.
“You know about-” He hesitated and swallowed. "Are you halfbloods?"
Sam and Dean exchanged baffled looks. What the hell was a half-blood?
“Guess not,” He said, sounding briefly disappointed. “Look, this has nothing to do with you. I’m not hurting you, so you might as well leave.”
Sam raised his eyebrows. “Even if you are just normal human kids,” He said slowly. “Doesn’t mean we can just leave you in the middle of the road out here. You see any other cars?”
The boy glanced around.
“‘Course,” Dean felt the need to add. “That also just gives us the space to gank you if you step one toe outta the line, okay?”
The teenager turned to look at the other boy on the ground, then at his sword, and finally at their guns, and he dropped the blade, putting it back into… yeah, Sam would get back on that end later. The kid, however, just sighed and grumbled about damn guns. “Not a monster,” He muttered. “Just taking care of my cousin.”
“Mind if we check?” Dean asked, then, without waiting for an answer, went over and dumped a vial of holy water on him.
The boy blinked, then stared up at Dean and began to laugh. “Wow, okay,” He said. “You definitely don’t know who I am.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
The kid shrugged. “Anything else?”
There were, of course, other things. The guy came up clean on all of them, and so did the unconscious kid - well, except the silver knife, which Dean did not try on the sleeping boy because of a certain glare pointed his way.
“You done?” The kid asked.
“Just a second,” Sam interrupted. “Were you running from a monster?”
He gave a short nod. “It’s a long story, but basically. I killed it for now, but it wasn’t anything I’ve seen before.”
‘Killed’ it. Sam shared another glance with his brother. “You’re a hunter?”
“A what?”
Or not. “Uh, you hunt these monsters?”
He furrowed his brow. “Well, yeah,” He agreed. “But that’s only because they keep coming after me.” He shrugged. “Apparently, I smell delicious.”
Dean snorted and began to laugh.
Sam couldn’t help a smile either, especially when he caught the kid’s smirk.
But then the boy sighed, and the atmosphere sobered. “Look, I don’t want to have to do anything to you, so can you please go away? We’ll leave soon, and you won’t even have to see us again.”
Dean frowned. “What about the kid? He needs a hospital.”
The guy’s eyes flared. “No hospital!” He exclaimed. “No- they, uh, they can find us easily there. No, we have to go home.” He swallowed and muttered something under his breath.
“And home is…?”
The teen hesitated. “New York,” He said, but there was a weird hitch in his voice.
Dean narrowed his eyes. “Sure. And you ended up thousands of miles away accidentally, didn’t you.”
The boy pursed his lips.
Sam sighed. “Look,” He said, knowing his brother would kill him later but uncaring for now. “How about we give you a ride to the next town over? We’ve established we both kill monsters, so we’re kinda in the same line of business. And hunters help each other.”
Dean huffed. “Tell that to the douchebags who killed us,” He mumbled just low enough that only Sam could hear them.
The boy looked at his cousin, then back at them, and seemed to weigh his options. “... Okay,” He said. “If you’ll tell me what you meant by hunters and monsters.”
Dean shook his head and headed back to the driver’s seat. “Hunting without any idea what those things are? Damn, kid, you’re gonna get yourself killed.”
“Some day,” The kid agreed, then got up on wobbling knees, pulling at his companion.
Sam went and took the kid from him, eliciting only a token protest.
As they settled into the car and Dean revved it up to put it back on the road, Sam turned to the kid, who was still awake. “So, what’s your story?”
The boy cleared his throat. “Percy,” He said. “It’s my name.”
“And the comatose kid on your side who’s drooling all over my seats?” Dean asked, shooting him a look in the rearview mirror.
Percy grimaced. “Nico,” He said. “He hates being called a kid.”
Dean laughed. “Kinda the oldest here, so technically, I can say what I want.”
Sam scoffed. “I bet you’re counting your age plus forty.”
“I lived those years fair and square!”
Sam held back the So did I.
“Wait, what?”
Right. There were two kids in the car.
“It doesn’t matter,” Dean said, waving his hand. “Answer Sammy.”
Sam shifted in his seat. “Uh, yeah. I was just asking if you grew up in this life.”
Percy frowned. “... Monsters, you mean?”
“Obviously. What else?” Dean asked.
Percy shrugged. “I didn’t know they existed until I was twelve.”
Sam frowned. “Huh. It wasn’t your parents who brought you into hunting?”
Percy’s smile was strained. “No. My mom wanted to keep me safe.” He glanced out the window and gripped his pen, which was- wait. Was that…? How did he…? Hoodoo?
“Where did your sword go?” Sam blurted out.
Dean raised an eyebrow but kept driving.
Percy flinched. “Why are you asking?”
“You seem like you know your way around swords,” Dean said grudgingly.
Percy rubbed the back of his neck, spared another worried look for his companion, then looked up straight at Sam. “Yeah, that happens when you have to fight monsters for nearly seven years.”
Sam grinned. “Yeah, I can imagine. Though my tenure’s been for a few decades.”
“Right,” Dean drawled. “You’re forgetting your sabbatical.”
“I went to Stanford, not the end of the world.”
“Technically-”
Sam punched him lightly.
Percy chuckled from the back. “You guys aren’t so bad,” He admitted.
“Enough for you to tell us what you’re hiding?” Dean tried.
Percy didn’t reply.
They spent the next hour driving in silence, only stopping after that to get something to eat. Percy took a burger and got one for Nico - his cousin - too, for when he’d wake up, but that stayed the extent of their interaction except for Sam trying to refuse what was most definitely a gold coin in return for the food. Who did that? In fact, what did the kid even mean it was useless here anyway?
In any case, Sam thanked his lucky stars that the town they ended up in had a safehouse they’d used a little while back. Sam had called Bobby back at the stopover, and he was on his way over, too.
As soon as they entered the place, Percy walked through the door after Dean, not even sparing a glance at the salt lining the door or the devil’s trap under the placemat.
Double sure, then, Sam decided as he lugged in Nico and laid him down on the bed in the room to the left. Not a typical monster, if one at all.
“I’m only here till Nico wakes up,” Percy warned.
“Sure you are,” Dean said.
Percy didn’t waver. “You’re acting like you can stop me.”
“And you’re acting like something that needs to be ganked.”
Percy grimaced. “Look, man, I really don’t want to hurt you guys. You helped us, and I’m really grateful-”
“But you still won’t tell us your story.”
He laughed dryly. “It’s dam long and definitely not something you’d believe.”
Sam raised his eyebrows. “We believe in monsters. Don’t you think you should give us the benefit of the doubt?”
He could see Percy hesitate.
Then the door flung open, and Bobby was met with a face full of two guns and a sword hanging around the back. “Idjits,” He growled, swinging past. “If I were a stupid ass monster, I wouldn’t’ve burst in through your front door.”
Dean made a considering face. “Technically, a few have done that.”
Bobby just glared.
“Who are you?” Percy asked, sword still up.
Bobby pointed to Sam and Dean. “The brains these two lack.”
“Hey!” The Winchesters protested.
Percy snickered. “Okay, fair,” He agreed.
“Now,” The older man said, sitting down at the table. “What was so important you had to drag me all the way here ?”
They pointed at Percy.
Percy scowled. “Funny,” He muttered but didn’t argue, slumping down onto the sofa. “Look, Nico and I were Sha- uh, traveling when we ended up in this world.”
“You’re saying you’re aliens.” Sam clarified.
“No,” Percy corrected. “I’m saying we’re from another dimension.”
Dean breathed a sigh of relief. “Way more plausible than aliens, dude.”
Percy was wide-eyed. “You believe me?”
Sam grimaced. “We’ve been to a different dimension ourselves,” He admitted. “Not the best experience, but it happened.”
“Wait, does that mean you can help us get back?”
Sam shook his head. “The one who zapped us there… well, suffice to say we’re fresh out of angels.”
Percy’s eyes widened. “Angels as in… angels?”
Dean grinned. “As opposed to what?”
“Cupid,” Nico growled from the door. “Heard he’s an angel in Christain mythology.” He made a face. “Hate that guy.”
“Yeah,” Dean winced. “Can relate.”
“You’re up!” Sam said. “You okay?”
“No,” He grumbled. “But I did just jump us a whole damn state-”
“Neeks,” Percy cleared his throat. “These are Sam, Dean, and Bobby. They helped us when we ended up in the middle of the road.”
Nico spared them a curious glance. “We should go,” He announced.
“Now, wait a damn minute-” Dean protested.
“You haven’t recovered,” Percy pointed out, though he did get up.
“I’ve gone to China on dregs,” The boy retorted. “Pretty sure I can make New York.”
“Yeah, well, doesn’t mean you won’t crash the second we arrive-”
“What the hell are you talking about?!” Dean roared, and the two fell silent, exchanging wary looks.
Bobby narrowed his eyes. “You’re psychics, aren’t ya?”
Sam’s eyes flared, and his fists clenched.
Nico and Percy frowned, though it was Percy who spoke. “What in Hades are psychics?”
Nico shot him an annoyed look, prompting a ‘sorry’.
Sam was taken aback. “You’re not?” He asked. “But you just talked about going from here to New York in moments. China. That’s teleportation.”
Nico scowled. “And what does that have to do with being a psychic, whatever that is?” He asked, crossing his arms while Percy tightened his hold on his sword.
Dean rubbed his temple. “Goddammit,” He muttered. “What the hell is going on?”
Sam and Bobby looked at the kids pointedly.
After making an annoyed face, Nico looked at Percy in askance.
Percy grimaced. “You won’t believe me,” He repeated.
Dean snorted. “We already went over this shit, kid. If we believe in demons and angels, we’ll believe you.”
Percy tilted his head. “Wait, you never did tell me what you meant by hunters and monsters,” He realized.
Sam huffed a laugh, though it was a bit strained since his eyes kept flickering to the sword in Percy’s hands. “You never reminded us.”
“Hey, I’ve got ADHD. What’s your excuse?”
Sam shrugged.
Bobby groaned. “There are monsters in this world on which mythology’s based,” He said stiffly. “Vampires, werewolves, demons, you name it. And then you’ve got hunters, who kill those sons of-” He coughed. “The monsters who are harming the world.”
Percy’s eyes were wide. “Oh, shit,” He breathed. “I should’ve guessed.” He turned to Nico, his face troubled. “You think…?”
Nico didn’t look much better. “Probably,” He said. “We’d have to get Annabeth and the rest on board before confirming. It’s not like the gods like inter-pantheon mingling.”
“Tell me about it,” Percy muttered.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Sam said. “‘Gods’?”
Dean began to groan. “Fuck!” He shouted. “Sammy, you effing jinxed us!”
Sam winced.
Bobby snorted.
Percy narrowed his eyes. “How so?”
Dean kept scowling. “Just… Please tell us you ain’t Greek?”
Percy and Nico hesitated.
“Of course you are.” He sighed. “Well, you’re not as crazy as the other bastards we’ve met. Which gods are you? Haven’t ever heard of a Nico or a Percy.”
Percy sputtered. Nico raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Sam had his thoughtful face on. “Maybe Percy’s short for Perseus. He was a pretty prominent figure in Greek mythology.”
Percy kept gaping.
“You’re sayin’ mythological demigods are gods now?” Bobby asked. “Great. Just what we need on top of those blasted Leviathans.”
“We’re not gods!” Nico burst out. “You leap to conclusions too easily.”
“Then what are you?” Sam asked, his eyes narrowed. “... Demigods?”
Dean looked at him in horror.
Percy nodded. “Percy Jackson,” He introduced again. “Halfblood son of Poseidon.”
“Nico,” The other boy said. “Son of Hades.” He smirked. “Technically, Percy’s name is Perseus,” He pointed out.
Percy scowled. “Don’t call me Percy,” He said.
Sam raised his eyebrows but nodded.
“It’s a mouthful anyway,” Dean muttered. “But seriously? Demigods? What the hell, man? We got gods having kids now?”
“Monsters’ve always had kids,” Bobby pointed out. “We just go after the adults.”
“Monsters–” Dean shuttered, a dark look passing over his eyes as they flickered to Sam before he stopped talking.
“What?” Sam asked.
Dean turned away. “So, if you’re from a different universe,” He said to the two teenagers. “Does that mean gods aren’t evil over there?”
Percy made a face. “... It’s complicated,” He said. “They’re like humans - good and bad.”
“Except for some douchebags who are always evil,” Nico mumbled.
“And monsters,” Percy added. “They tend to mostly just want to eat us, with one or two exceptions.”
Nico tilted his head. “Other than Mrs. O’Leary…?”
“Bob,” Percy said. “Damasen, too.” There was a grimace on his face.
“Yeah, but Bob tried to kill you first. The friendliness was because of the Lethe.”
“Still counts. And Tyson and Ella, if you want to be technical. The Hippocampus.”
Nico made a face. “Only because you’re the son of Poseidon.”
Percy huffed. “Fair enough.”
“What sort of monsters are Bob and Ella?” Sam asked curiously.
Nico flinched as if he’d forgotten they were there at all, and then his expression hardened to hide the relaxed amusement.
Percy scratched the side of his neck. “Bob was… he was a Titan,” He said, voice just the slightest bit hoarse before clearing up. “Ella’s a harpy.”
“You’re friends with monsters?” Dean asked, voice controlled but dark.
Percy straightened, hand drifting to his pocket, where he’d put in the sword-slash-pen again. “Yes,” He said clearly. “What’s it to you?”
Sam decided he needed to interfere again. “I’ve never heard of a Titan called Bob,” He said. “You’re talking about the precursor to the gods, right? Kronos and Theia and the rest?”
Percy nodded. “Bob was– well, he used to be Iapetus, actually. He, uh…” He trailed off.
Nico huffed. “He changed his name.” He said sarcastically. “If humans are allowed to, why not titans? Now, any other stupid questions, or are we getting out of here?”
Dean narrowed his eyes.
Bobby snorted. “How’re you planning to do that? My kids just mentioned they can’t very well go to angels right now, and they’re the only ones with powers like that.”
Nico and Percy exchanged a desperate look.
“What about your end?” Dean asked suspiciously. “How did you end up here?”
“A portal,” Percy said. “A series of portals, actually.”
“And you can’t return through them because…?”
Nico flinched. It was surprising, really, seeing him do so. Despite basically them being children, Sam had been getting the feeling they had experienced far too much for them to have remained children.
This, then?
This was nothing good.
“It’s–” Percy hesitated. “We can’t go back.”
“Why not?” Dean pushed, and Sam frowned, unable to stop him even as his instincts roared. Because they needed to know, especially since he had a bad feeling about whatever monsters the two had mentioned.
Nico fisted his hands. “It’s not important,” He said gruffly.
“Sure it is,” Bobby said, looking just as intent as Dean. “If the portal’s still open–”
“Even if it is, what does it matter? We’re not going through them!”
“Why?” Dean asked again.
“BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO GO TO TARTARUS AGAIN!” Nico roared, and the room fells silent.
Tartarus. Primordial. Hell.
Sam paled.
Percy stepped forward entirely in front of Nico, his eyes narrowed into a severe glare. “We don’t want to go there,” He said. “And we can’t because we have no way back, anyway. So forget it.”
Bobby stepped back, brows furrowed. “Tartarus… he’s some kinda god?”
Sam swallowed. “Also a place,” He said, wincing at how the teens froze in what was obviously fear, and Bobby inhaled sharply in realization. “Isn’t it?”
It wasn’t really a question.
Percy didn’t meet his eyes. “Yes. The portals between our worlds originate there and…” He frowned. “Somewhere in this dimension.”
“Where?” Dean asked, still hard but maybe not as harsh as he had been before. “New York?”
Nevermind.
Percy scoffed. “Sure,” He said. “Let’s go with that.”
Sam bit the inside of his cheek, then spoke, “We do need to know,” He said, trying for a softer tone. “If it’s somewhere around here, where monsters from your world might get through and attack civilians, it’s too dangerous to leave alone.”
“They won’t,” Nico said quietly, surely.
Dean pursed his lips. “How can you be sure?”
But it wasn’t either of the boys who replied; it was Bobby. “’Cause they said portals,” He breathed. “And if Tartarus is the place I’m thinking of, it connected you to our world’s Purgatory.”
Dean’s mouth fell open. “What?”
Percy huffed bitterly. “If you mean the home ground for those monsters who came after us, then yeah. Pretty much.”
Sam felt his heart sink. “Fuck.”
No one seemed surprised at the language.
“Purgatory,” Bobby finished. “The lore doesn’t tell how it connects to the real world, but if you found a portal…”
“It took us through the underworld first,” Nico said casually. “So, three portals in total.”
Dean shuddered, fear flashing across his expression. “Excuse me?” He demanded. “You came through hell?”
Sam wasn’t much better, his mind trembling as Lucifer’s laugh rang loudly through his head.
Nico frowned. “Yeah. It’s connected to both your monster hell and Earth. That’s the basics of every world’s composition of the planes of existence.”
Percy nodded in agreement.
Sam swallowed. “How– how did you get out?” He asked, raw and vulnerable. “The demons–” He stopped, throat constricting.
Nico tilted his head in confusion. “Demons?”
Dean gave a sharp jerk of his head. “The bastards running hell,” He snarled. “They’d never let living souls go.”
Understanding dawned. “Oh,” Nico said. “Them.”
Percy, for the first time in a while, smiled, albeit wryly. “Nico’s the son of Hades, remember? What would denizens of hell be able to do to the Prince?”
Dean and Sam gaped, and Bobby was only slightly better.
Nico snorted. “‘Denizens of hell?’” He repeated. “Annabeth’s certainly getting you trained.
Percy sent him a wide grin. “You know it,” He agreed. “We’re going to rock the SATs.” Then his smile slipped. “When we get back.”
Nico’s amusement vanished.
“Okay,” Bobby said, probably trying to bring calm to the chaos of these apparently monstrously strong half-human children who Sam suddenly wanted to protect - they had seen too much, faced so much pain… the thought of letting them go face that much more was almost incomprehensible. “Portals aren’t an option. We’ll find one, though. For the time being, why don’t you kids come with us?” His eyes narrowed. “It’d be better than fooling ’round alone. Who knows what idiot hunters will do to you.” To half-human hybrids, his eyes said.
Sam nodded. “Yeah,” He agreed. “We can help you out.”
“Sammy…” Dean began lowly.
Dean swallowed, something truly desperate in his eyes as they flickered from Percy to Nico and then back again.
“They’re kids,” Sam said. “They need our help.” They’re not monsters, he added silently.
Dean flinched.
Percy pulled back, one hand in his pocket, his expression carefully smooth. “It’s okay,” He said. “We’ll survive.”
“Yeah,” Nico mutter behind him, dark and annoyed. “Don’t force yourselves on our account.”
This time, Dean’s flinch was a full-body shudder, and the very fact that Dean hadn’t been able to control his reaction was troubling. And yet, this was no time or place to discuss Dean’s erratic behavior from the past few days. So Sam just sent him a pleading look.
Bobby cleared his throat. “Y’know,” He said. “You boys ain’t the only hunters around. I can take the kids back to my lodge. Got a lot of books there to go through anyway.”
Percy and Nico didn’t budge.
Dean sighed. “No,” He said, finally. “We can take them.”
Percy glared. “We didn’t accept.”
Sam stepped closer. “We can’t force you,” He admitted. “But Bobby’s right. Running around half-cocked will only get other hunters noticing you’re not fully human, and some of them–”
“Most of them,” Dean corrected.
“Will try to kill you if they catch sight of you.”
“We can take care of ourselves,” Nico said.
“Probably,” Bobby agreed. “But you’d be idjits if you didn’t count the fact that fightin’ fool hunters would mean you spend half the time running’ stead of looking for your way home.”
Percy’s shoulders drooped.
“Plus,” Sam added, trying to go in for the metaphorical kill. “If we manage to get in touch with our angel contacts, maybe we can use their help to get you home. They’re the ones we know for sure can manipulate multiversal travel.” He just neglected to mention the fact that Heaven hated them. Well, mostly him.
Right now, they just needed the kids to trust them.
Dean shot him an impressed look.
Percy and Nico turned to look at each other, hands twitching even as they seemed to hold an entire conversation silently.
After a full two minutes of deliberation, Nico seemed to nod grudgingly. Percy turned to Sam. “Okay,” He said, finally. “We’ll come with you. But if we see even the slightest thing out of place, you’ll find out just how easy we are as opponents.”
Nico smirked. “Hades and Poseidon aren’t pushovers,” He agreed, and there was a hint of bloodthirst in his voice. “And I do wonder - maybe I can control those ‘denizens of hell’ that you’re so afraid of.”
Dean whistled. “Well,” He said, looking more amused and interested than angry, suddenly. “Suddenly, I’m way more up to helping you out.”