The Demigod in the Hall of Justice

The Zeta Tube flared as Superboy, Miss Martian, and Kid Flash tumbled out onto the floor of the Hall of Justice, their costumes singed and smoking. "Okay, that was not a normal metahuman trafficking ring," Wally groaned, clutching his head. "They had some kind of... mystical artifact thingy."

"It was magic," M'gann confirmed, rubbing her temples. "Really old magic. I couldn't get a read on it."

The team had barely caught their breath when a massive explosion rocked the building. Alarms blared as the ceiling above them erupted in a shower of marble and steel. Through the gaping hole, a whirlpool of green energy swirled, crackling with ancient power. From its center, a figure plummeted—a teenage boy with sea-green eyes, tattered jeans, and a glowing bronze sword that vanished as he hit the ground with a grunt.

Percy Jackson groaned, sitting up amidst the rubble. "Note to self: next time, let the goddess of magic send you home the normal way. Ow."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Kid Flash skidded to a halt in front of him, arms spread. "Identify yourself! Are you with the magic traffickers?"

Percy blinked at the red-clad speedster. "Depends. Are they the ones in robes screaming about 'the blood of Olympus'? Because if so, I just sent them into a portal to Tartarus. So... friend?"

Superboy stepped forward, fists clenched. "We need to detain him until we know what's going on."

"Detain?" Percy scrambled to his feet, brushing dust off his shirt. "Look, I don't know where I am, but I've had a really long day. I fought a giant, talked to a snake lady, and got zapped by a magic ceiling. So how about we skip the detention and you point me to the nearest beach?"

"Beach?" Miss Martian tilted her head. "We're in Washington, D.C. The nearest beach is hours away."

"Wait, what?" Percy's eyes widened. "I'm in... America? Like, the country?"

Before anyone could answer, the Zeta Tube announced, "Incoming: Batman."

The Dark Knight strode in, cape billowing. His gaze swept over the destruction, then settled on Percy. "Explain."

"Uh, I'm Percy Jackson. Son of Poseidon. Demigod. I was in a fight with some followers of Gaia, they opened a chaos portal, and boom—here I am. My mom is going to kill me."

Batman's jaw twitched. "Son of Poseidon. Like the Greek god."

"Yeah, that's the one. He's got a thing for blue food and creating hurricanes. Real fun dad."

Kid Flash snorted. "Greek gods? Like, Zeus, Hera, the whole pantheon? They're real?"

"As real as that flaming car outside," Percy said, pointing. "Oh, wait, that's actually on fire. Should we do something about that?"

Black Canary, who had just arrived with the rest of the League, raised an eyebrow. "Batman, the boy's energy signature matches the readings from the artifact. He's telling the truth."

"Great," Wally said, "so we have a demigod in our midst. Does this mean we get to fight a hydra? Because I've always wanted to."

"Hydras are overrated," Percy said. "Trick is to cauterize the necks before they regrow. Or just stab them a lot."

The tension broke as Aquaman stepped forward, a bemused expression on his face. "Son of Poseidon, you say? I've met your father. He's... something."

"Tell me about it," Percy sighed. "He once turned me into a goldfish for a week because I called his seaweed smoothie gross."

Aquaman laughed—actually laughed. "I might like this kid."

Suddenly, the building shook again. A booming voice echoed from outside: "DEMIGOD! RETURN THE HEART OF THE OCEAN OR THIS CITY WILL BE CRUSHED!"

Percy paled. "Oh no. Not him."

"Who's 'him'?" Kaldur asked, stepping forward.

"A sea monster I pissed off last summer. I kind of used his pearl collection as bait to lure a cyclops. He's been holding a grudge."

"A pearl-collecting sea monster," Artemis repeated slowly. "Of course."

"Look, I'll handle it," Percy said, already moving toward the exit. "Just point me to the nearest body of water."

"The Atlantic Ocean is about a hundred miles east," Batman stated.

Percy stopped. "Seriously? That's it? I can't—ugh, fine. Is there at least a river? A pond? A really big puddle?"

"There's the Reflecting Pool," M'gann offered.

"Perfect!" Percy sprinted outside, the team hot on his heels. The creature—a colossal serpent with scales like emeralds—rose from the Potomac, its head scraping the clouds. It roared, shaking windows for miles.

"Cetus!" Percy shouted, vaulting onto a parked car. "You want your pearls back? Take 'em!" He hurled a glowing satchel at the monster. It snatched it mid-air, but as it opened its mouth to gloat, Percy grinned. "Just kidding. Those are firecrackers Annabeth made."

The satchel exploded in a shower of sparks and smoke, blinding the creature. Percy turned to the stunned heroes. "Now! While it can't see. Miss Martian, can you hit it with a telepathic whammy? Kid Flash, you're with me—we need to get it back in the water so I can control it."

The team snapped into action. Wally zipped around Cetus's head, confusing it further. Superboy grabbed its tail, straining to hold it still. Kaldur summoned a water sphere to cushion its fall. But the creature was too powerful—it shook off the attack and spat a torrent of acidic water at the heroes.

"Watch out!" Percy dove in front of M'gann, raising his hand. The acid halted mid-air, curving around him and splashing harmlessly aside. "I've got this. Water's my thing, remember?"

He clenched his fist, and the Potomac River rose like a tidal wave, enveloping Cetus. "Hey, ugly! Miss me?" Percy taunted, riding the wave. "You want a rematch? Fine, but we do it my way."

With a surge of power, Percy forced the monster down, deeper into the river, then into the bay, and finally out to sea. The water churned, then calmed. Percy emerged, drenched but grinning, as the team watched from the shore.

"Show-off," Wally muttered, but he was smiling.

Back at the Hall of Justice, Batman debriefed them. "The artifact has been contained. Mr. Jackson, we'd like to offer you a temporary membership with the team until we can find a way to send you home."

Percy shrugged. "Sure, as long as there's snacks. And no more magic portals. I've had enough of those for a lifetime."

"Deal," Batman said, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "Welcome to the team, Aquaboy."

"It's Percy. And I'll take that as a compliment."

Later, as the team bonded over pizza, Wally leaned in. "So, you really fought a hydra?"

"And a minotaur, a titan, and a giant shrimp that shot lasers," Percy said between bites.

"Giant shrimp?" Artemis asked skeptically.

"Long story. You don't have giant shrimp here?"

"No," Kaldur said slowly, "we do not."

"Huh. You're missing out."

And so, the demigod with a penchant for blue candy and sarcasm became an unlikely ally of the Team—much to the exasperation of the Justice League and the delight of its younger members. For Percy, it was just another Tuesday.