Run Down to the Riptide

Rating: K+

Summary: Percy is invited to spend a weekend at the compound, and he agrees. He meets the Avengers, sits in on one of their meetings and helps them out, and his fear of suffocation catches up with him. Luckily, Peter is there to help.

End of June

Percy blinked as he stared at the pool, frozen in place. He swallowed nervously, before forcing himself to continue moving, making his way to the chairs at the edge of the pool. Once he was sitting, breathing came easier.

He hated that he couldn't go in the water without panicking, even if it was only a little, like he used to be able to. He was getting better, and had been able to bring Peter underwater at Camp Half-Blood over spring break. But he hadn't been alone, which helped keep the fear down. He used to love the water, and never had any hesitations to dive in. However, after he almost drowned in Alaska, he hated being under the water, even though he knew he could breathe underwater. Percy had been underwater since then, but the panic he felt wasn't usually worth it, especially if he was alone. He had learned that having someone with him, like Peter had been that one time, made it easier.

Percy hadn't been able to outwardly show his fear during the time they were at war, because there was too much at stake.

Now, however, the world wasn't in danger.

Peter had invited him over to the compound for the weekend.

Percy had been in awe when he had seen the building, and all the superheroes that had been around when he arrived, since they had a meeting. Peter had been invited, since he was an honorary member of the team. They weren't the Avengers anymore— too many things had changed. But those who survived the fight against Thanos were working past their issues with each other, because when they worked together, it was easier to defeat the enemy. They knew how each other fought. Sure, there were new powered people helping out, but they were trying to make it work.

And because Percy had helped out and save Peter's life, the demigod was allowed to sit in on the meeting. It had been argued, Peter, Tony, Bruce and Rhodes wanting Percy there. Natasha was neutral, though she was interested in his powers, especially after knowing he had saved Peter and Tony during the mission at the Met. Bucky didn't have enough pull yet, so while he was allowed to voice his opinion, it didn't sway the decision. The rest of Team Cap had been hesitant. They didn't know much about Percy, and wanted to be cautious. But when Pepper came to check on them, and realized they were still trying to decide if Percy could sit in during their meeting or not, she had had enough.

She didn't know Percy as well as some of the others, but she could tell he had experience, and it might be good for the group to have an outsider's view.

No one wanted to argue with her, for even though she wasn't a superhero, she could be scary when she needed to.

So that's how Percy ended up sitting next to Peter at a conference table, hand resting on Andi as everyone who didn't know him stared.

Natasha had raised an eyebrow upon spotting the service dog, but didn't say anything. It had been Steve who had cautiously broached the topic.

Trying to be accepting, he focused on the teen. Even though he didn't know Peter super well yet, he was still more used to the spiderling being around than Percy. The Rogue Avengers had learned of Peter's identity during Infinity War, getting to know him better after moving into the compound. It had been part of a compromise: Peter didn't have to reveal his identity to the public by signing the revised Accords, as long as the other heroes knew who he was. Now Percy was the mysterious one.

"What's your dog's name?" Steve questioned.

"Andi. Short for Andromeda," Percy responded, discreetly ensuring Riptide was in his pocket. He knew logically, that Pepper would make sure there was no violence, since she could oversee the meeting through a computer, thanks to FRIDAY, but Percy had been trained to always be prepared in case a monster appeared. And while the heroes had their fair share of experience, they couldn't fight monsters they couldn't see. He would only have Peter at his side, and if worst came to worst, he would have to reveal his identity and the existence of Greek and Roman gods.

"Greek mythology?" Clint asked, propping his feet up on the table. "Like your name?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah. Same myth."

"How long have you had her?" Steve asked, curious.

"A few months," Percy shrugged. "Thanks to Mr. Stark, actually. Got her the same time Peter got Lola."

Steve looked surprised as he glanced at said hero.

Tony rolled his eyes, sighing. "I can be nice when I want to, Rogers."

"I'm guessing you've been through a lot kid, huh?" Clint asked as he threw a pen in the air, catching it.

"The past five, almost six, years have been… rough, to say the least. And the seven years before that weren't perfect, either," Percy responded.

"And how old are you?" Natasha asked.

"Seventeen. I turn eighteen next month. I'll be off at college."

"Wow," Steve muttered. "That's really young to have gone through that many years of… whatever you went through. At least you're able to go to college, right? Do you like school?"

"Eh," Percy responded. "I mean, learning isn't bad, but I'm not a fan of school. It was hard for me when I was younger. The combination of ADHD and dyslexia was not great. But the school I'm going to be attending is great at helping students with both of those. My friends who are going to be attending as well deal with the same stuff, just on different scales."

"That's good to hear," Steve nodded. "Schooling has come far since I attended."

"Okay, that's enough of the interrogation," Tony held up his hand. "We're here for a meeting, not to play "get to know the new kid." You can ask him questions, but only as long as it pertains to the topic at hand. Got it?"

Everyone else nodded.

"Good. Now, does anyone want to start?"

Clint raised a hand, before speaking. "Question for Percy. Your powers? How long have you had them? How'd you get them?"

Percy glanced at Peter, having a quick nonverbal conversation with his friend, before turning to look at the archer. "I was born with them, but didn't know until I was twelve."

"Was one of your parents a super?" Steve asked.

"Don't even bother trying to figure out," Tony rolled his eyes. "Trust me, I've tried. Neither of them," he pointed at the teenagers, "will tell me anything. I still can't figure it out with all my technology, even with Banner and Rhodes' help."

Percy shrugged, a small smile on his face. "And it will stay a secret as long as possible. People who aren't a part of it aren't supposed to know."

"You do realize we're superheroes who have fought aliens, right?" Natasha raised an eyebrow. "And Asgardian weapons aren't new to us. We've fought with Thor, and against Loki. There isn't much SHEILD hasn't seen over the years."

"This is different, trust me. Aliens… that's become somewhat normal here on Earth nowadays. But what I know, what I'm a part of… people wouldn't believe it. You guys might have actually been in the vicinity of something that I deal with, might have looked right at where it happened, but didn't see it. What I'm a part of… it's been around a lot longer than you'd believe. It's been a driving force between a lot of 'civilian,'" Percy used the word the heroes used for normal people, not wanting to give even a little bit away by saying 'mortal,' "events. If I told you some names, you'd probably recognize them."

"Percy, I don't think anything you tell us could be surprising anymore," Steve pointed out.

"Sorry, but I can't tell you," Percy shook his head. "You guys knowing… could draw more trouble. I'm something of a trouble magnet, you could call it. It's something those like me have to deal with. Even with your training, you could get hurt."

"Okay, then, how many of "your kind" are there?" Clint asked looking curious.

Percy shrugged. "Now, or ever? Ever, I'm not sure. Now, I could probably figure out an estimate. But we've suffered losses over the past couple years, even though we've also gained a lot of allies. And there are two, subsets, you could say, of what I am, and another group that's similar in some ways, but completely different in other ways. And then the other group… It depends who you're counting," the demigod trailed off.

"Are you all this young?" Bucky spoke for the first time.

"It varies? I mean, I was thrown into it when I was twelve. My girlfriend entered our world when she was seven, after running away from home. A couple of my friends didn't find out until they were fifteen. Our descendants may never know. But on average, in my group, those of us who are active in our world are between twelve and eighteen, though there are some older and some younger. Some of us don't live past that. Personally, it's a surprise I made it to sixteen, let alone almost eighteen. Others will live long lives. It depends."

Steve looked horrified to hear that children were getting involved in things that left Percy with enough trauma to warrant an emotional support dog.

"It's just a part of our life. As long as people like me and my friends are around, it won't stop. It isn't great, but we've all come to accept it. And trust me, it hurts like hell when one of us dies, because we all have our lives ahead of us, but… it's not uncommon. I mean, the amount of times I've almost died, or people thought I was dead? Most of us get training before facing any real danger. I didn't. We have safe places where we can live without too much fear, where we're safe from extreme danger, where we can learn to protect ourselves. I just wish all of us could reach the place alive."

The mood was solemn, heavy as his words sunk in.

Most were frowning, only Natasha and Bucky keeping their faces still, though you could tell they had their opinions on the matter.

"I guess in summary: no, I won't tell you about who I am or about my world. I've seen more than my fair share of violence and death, having been a major part in two wars and countless battles, and yes, I know how to fight. Now, can we move on?" Percy asked, fidgeting with Riptide. "I've had enough of walking down memory lane for now."

"Of course," Tony nodded. As he moved the topic along, he watched Peter and Percy have a quick conversation, both relaxing when they settled again.

They discussed battle strategy, and how to use their individual skills to the group's advantage. They hadn't all fought together since Infinity War, so there was a lot to get used to. Bucky, now free of the Hydra brainwashing thanks to Shuri and T'Challa, was going to be fighting alongside them. It was awkward at first, between him and Tony. The billionaire knew, rationally, that it had been the Winter Soldier who killed his parents, and that Bucky was just as much of a victim. But it had still been hard.

T'Challa and Shuri weren't in town, splitting their time between California and Wakanda. Though they had promised if their help was needed, they would be there.

Infinity War was the first time that some of the heroes fought alongside Spider-Man, rather than against, and after getting over the initial shock that he was a teenager, learned to trust him. They needed to trust each other, to trust that in battle, they would be there for each other.

After Civil War, things had been rocky, and during their battle against Thanos, had to learn to fight alongside each other again. They were spread out, some in Wakanda, some in New York, but being on the same side again took some adjustment. They were working on it, however.

Tony had created a room for each hero in the compound. He knew it was important for them to learn to work with each other again. Not all stayed there often, but they always knew they could come back.

The heroes had been surprised to see that there were three rooms that obviously belonged to teenagers, as there were notebooks and highlighters scattered across the desks, or shelves full of school books. These were more personalized than the ones they had, looked more lived in. Once they found out about Peter, they could guess that one of the rooms was his, the one with the nerdy posters and lego sets.

That still left the other two rooms, and after dancing around the topic, Natasha had had enough, and asked Tony.

He had simply shrugged, explaining that things had changed in the past months. He was the most open about Peter, as the rest of the heroes knew of his existence, and who he was, though he didn't tell them how important Peter had become to him.

MJ's room had raised the most questions, as though in most respects it didn't look all that different, it was clear it belonged to a girl. It hadn't been used in a few weeks, but it still looked lived in. There were pictures and posters from protests on the walls, and an open book, a pen resting on it, still on the desk.

Tony gave out the fewest amount of details as he could about MJ, waving off all the questions he knew his companions had to have.

The third room became known to the heroes as Percy's, evident by the photos and swim medals scattered around the room. A sweatshirt with Percy's school's logo on the front, last name on the back, lay over the back of a chair, and color coded flashcards in neat handwriting (Annabeth) lay on the desk.

All personal questions about the teens were waved off, as well as how Tony had come to know them all. He didn't want to drag them further into the world of heroes, government and politics more than they already were.

The other heroes were curious, wondering how these teens had come into Iron Man's life, and seemingly changed it for the better. The man listened more, didn't try to play the part he felt like had to as much, and was willing to work with other more. He didn't disregard the worries of others as much anymore, and seemed to be more willing to show true emotion, at least with the teens.

So yes, the heroes were curious and wanted to know more, but they knew not to push. They would just have to see how things played out.

Percy stayed quiet through most of the conversation the heroes were having about battle strategy and possible upgrades for each of them, throwing out ideas occasionally when Peter glanced at him.

Upon hearing Percy's ideas to help different groups work together, they had to admit they were good. Despite just finishing high school, the experience Percy had seemed invaluable when it came to helping the heroes out.

Natasha was impressed, but her face remained impassive. She had been taught to read people, and could tell what Percy was thinking.

He had obviously been affected by the wars he had been in, but had learned much from mentors and through experience. He doubted his intelligence when it came to most things, likely from how people treated him when he was younger, due to his ADJD and dyslexia. However, his mind moved quick enough to come up with battle strategies, and considering he was still alive and breathing, he had to be a good warrior and battle strategist, but he still had his humanity and compassion.

They could use someone like him around.

The meeting came to an end thirty minutes later, and Peter and Percy were the first two out of the room, heading towards Peter's room.

Peter closed and locked the door behind him, before asking Karen to ensure their privacy. Andi and Lola were standing guard outside the room.

"You okay?" Peter asked as he sat on his bed, back up against the wall.

Percy sighed, crossing his arms behind his head from where he was laying on the bed, feet hanging off the edge. "Eh, could be worse. I mean, I've been better, but this isn't too bad."

"Sorry about them getting all personal. They did the same to me when they first found out. They mean well, but they could go about it in a better way."

"I'm just glad Natasha and Bucky stayed quiet for the most part," Percy responded. "It would've been worse with more people asking me questions."

"I don't think you're off the hook from Steve or Clint. Clint will want to know more about your powers, and maybe ask you to help plan pranks on others. Fun fact, he likes the air vents. But Steve… he'll be trying to find ways to help you. He was horrified to hear how young all of you are when you face battle. He'll try and help you cope, if he can. They're all trying to rebuild their trust with each other, and I think Steve hopes if he helps out those on Mr. Stark's side, like me, and I guess now you, that that will show he's making an effort."

Percy raised an eyebrow as he turned over to rest on his stomach, propping his head up with his hand. "He seems to be trying the hardest, huh? At least when it comes back to winning over Iron-Man."

Peter nodded. "Yeah. He knows what he did hurt Mr. Stark the most. He wants to make up for it. Also, I think there's something else between them, something holding back the healing that Mr. Stark's been managing to do with the others. Don't know what it is, but I can tell."

"I don't know them as well as you do, obviously, but yeah, I can see that. But how about we just put this to the side for a bit? This was supposed to be a fun weekend."

"You're right," Peter agreed, smiling. "Let's head out to the pool. We can swim, or we can just hangout. But it's a nice place to be."

Percy bit his lip, but nodded. "Sure, I'll go get my things. Meet you there?"

Peter was already there when Percy opened the sliding doors that led to the pool deck, Natasha and Bruce each on a chair off to the side. Percy waved at them, before looking over to where Peter was. His friend had chosen to sit on the other end of the pool, out where there was the most sun.

Percy blinked as he stared at the pool, frozen in place. He swallowed nervously, before forcing himself to continue moving, making his way to the chairs at the edge of the pool where Peter was. Once he was sitting, breathing came easier.

Peter didn't seem to notice, as he started chattering away about a new movie he wanted to see the moment Percy was close enough to hear. Percy simply nodded his head as Peter continued to talk, taking in deep breaths.

He flinched as water splashed on him as Clint cannonballed into the pool, but then laughed at the look on Steve's face, who got the majority of water on him.

Steve was drenched, blond hair falling into his face as he glared at Clint, a smirk on his face, before he made his way to the edge of the pool. Tilting his head, he watched the archer, analyzing something, before taking a step back, jumping into the pool, almost on top of Clint, who started sputtering as he got a mouthful of water.

"FRIDAY, save that recording," Tony called out from the doorway where he was standing.

Certainly, sir, the AI responded pleasantly.

By that time, all the other residents of the compound were out on the pool deck, watching Clint and Steve with amusement.

"C'mon, let's go," Peter stood up, looking at his friend. "I wanna get in on the fun."

Percy took in a deep breath, blinked, then agreed. He felt it was about time to start working on getting over his fear. It wouldn't be of any help in battle.

Everything was okay for awhile, twenty minutes flying by quickly. Percy used his powers to mess with the other heroes, causing everyone else to laugh. He joined in, almost forgetting his fear of suffocating that Alaska had left with him. Despite enjoying being in the water, Percy kept his head above water just to be safe.

And then his head was underwater, though he wasn't sure who had dunked him. He was too panicked, drawing in short, quick breaths, to care about exactly what had happened. All of a sudden, he was back in Alaska.

They'd already lost a lot of time, and Percy didn't like how fast the sun was rising. The road curved around the hillside, but it looked like they could get to town faster going straight across the meadows.

Percy stepped off the road. "Come on."

The ground was squishy, but he didn't think much about it until Hazel shouted, "Percy, no!"

His next step went straight through the ground. He sank like a stone until the earth closed over his head—and the earth swallowed him.

He remembered only being able to feel the cool, squishy mud around him, his eyes squeezed shut as the feeling of helplessness washed over him. He remembered feeling like he was going to die, die without recovering his memories, or seeing his friends or family again.

"Percy?" Peter's worried voice sounded echo-y and far away.

Percy gasped, water flooding his mouth as he forgot how to breath underwater. He started choking on the water, and he squeezed his eyes closed. His limbs started flailing, and he started to mutter something under his breath, something that all the heroes strained to hear, shocked when they heard it.

"Not again, not again. I'm gonna die."

They all rushed towards him, hesitating when approaching, unsure how to approach the panicking teen. But Peter had no hesitations, wrapping his arms around Percy's waist, before laying back in the water, kicking his feet until they got to the edge of the pool. The younger teen made sure not to let go as he started talking to his friend, shooting a look at the others, wanting them to leave.

They obeyed, clearing the area quickly, seeing that Peter appeared to have everything under control.

"You're okay, you're not going to die. We're at the compound. Right now it's just me and you. Nothing bad is going to happen to you."

As soon as Percy had calmed down enough, Peter was able to get him out of the pool. Once Percy was seated on the pool deck, Peter grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his friend.

"Look at me Percy, right at me. I'm not going to leave you. You're out of the water. The sky is clear and blue, there's no war on the horizon. You're safe, your family is safe, your friends are safe." Peter shoved his nerves to the side, knowing Percy needed him at the moment. He hadn't thought his friend would feel so out of place in his element, but he knew what to do. Mr. Stark had helped him out enough, and after finding out Percy was a demigod, things were easier. Peter knew what would help, and what might make Percy's flashbacks worse.

Percy took in deep, shuddering breaths, eyes focusing on Peter's face, and the bright blue sky behind him. "Alaska. Last year. Almost suffocated in a bog. Thought I was going to drown. Couldn't breathe. Prophecy said "son of Neptune will drown." Don't like the feeling of anything over my head, not even water. It was different at camp in the spring. That was my choice, but here… I wasn't expecting it."

"You're okay. We're in New York, no bogs around. It's okay. Your fear is nothing to be ashamed by."

"Have other friends who are afraid of their powers. Guess it's a demigod curse," Percy laughed weakly. "We fear ourselves, what we can do. Fear that our powers will be our downfall. I can't use my earthquake powers because of that.'

Peter nodded, remembering the story Percy had told him and Reyna when they had been at Camp Jupiter the past month.

"I don't want you to be like that. There're too many of us who fear ourselves, what we can do. You don't have to be. You can learn to control your strength. That's why— that's why I insisted you try when were at camp in the spring. To let you learn to control yourself in a safe environment. Maybe get Steve to help you, when you're both here. He's a super soldier. He can take it. He'll want to help. You should never have to be afraid of yourself. Yeah, your strength is a serious power, and shouldn't be misused. But it doesn't have to be feared. You don't have to fear yourself, hate what you've been given like some of us have."

Peter looked touched, but let his friend to continue to talk, knowing it was helping him ground himself.

He didn't know how long they sat there until Percy's breathing was under control, and he seemed okay. But it didn't matter. What mattered that his friend was okay.

"Can't he breathe underwater?" Clint asked as they watched the two teens through the glass door. They didn't listen in, though they could've asked FRIDAY. They wanted to respect them, but watched them in case either needed help.

Tony nodded. "He has full control over water. Can't even get wet if he doesn't want to."

"Then why did being submerged in water send him into a panic attack? I get if you had a traumatic experience with it, but how could he have, with his abilities?" Steve watched the two, relieved to see Percy talking to Peter.

"I don't know," Tony shook his head, eyes glued on the two boys. "But something had to have happened, to cause this."

"Peter's a good kid," Steve whispered, aiming his statement directly at Tony, ignoring the others who were engaged in a conversation. "It's good he's out there with Percy."

"He is. They both are," Tony smiled proudly. "Pete's still young, still has a year of high school left. I wish he never had to see the world we live in, live the lives that we," he gestured at everyone nearby, "live. But he stays positive, still sees the good in everyone. Somehow he manages to balance it with school, and still keep his compassion for everyone."

Steve smiled, a warm feeling blooming in his chest at the proud look on the other man's face. "He seems good for you." Steve noticed how much Tony did for the teen, how even though he teased, he genuinely cared about the young hero. Steve had known Howard Stark, had originally thought Tony would be the same. He had been wrong in some ways, but not every way. Now, in the aftermath of the Civil War and Infinity War, he was seeing a side of the man he had never seen before, one Peter had brought out in him. One that Percy was also starting to draw out, and if he had heard right, MJ was as well.

It made the World War hero want to get to know his former close confident and teammate better, to rebuild the bridge between them. Things could never be the same, but maybe, if they worked on it, it could be better.

After he was sure his friend was okay, Peter asked a question he had been holding back since the meeting earlier that morning. "You said, earlier, at the meeting, that we'd know some of the names of demigods?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah, a lot are well known by mortals, though to them, they were simply human."

"Why have you been saying 'civilian,' not mortal? And who are some of these famous demigods?"

Percy shrugged. "I feel like mortal would give more away. Implies that I'm not. Don't want to get into that. You guys say civilian, so it seemed fitting. And for the Greeks?"

Peter nodded.

"Um, those that aren't from classic myths that you'd know… Uh," he paused, thinking back to what Annabeth had told him, "Amelia Earhart, Blackbeard, George Washington, Harriet Tubman, Harry Houdini, William Seward, Shakespeare, Hitler. To name a few."

"Wow," was all Peter managed to say. "That's actually really cool. Except for that last one, I guess."

"Yeah, children of the Big Three… There's a reason the oath was made, why we're not supposed to be alive. It was made after World War II. Their children could be too powerful, and their powers and arguments with each other were affecting mortal events too much. There was too much death in their wake. Y'know, World War II was pretty much a fight between them. Children of Hades on one side, Poseidon and Zeus on the other. Both my dad, and Zeus, broke this pact. Dad with me, Zeus with Thalia. Jason is Roman, so we don't know if it was different, if the Roman aspects had the same pact. Hades was the only one who followed it. His Greek kids, Bianca and Nico, were born before the pact and hidden away to be kept safe. Same thing goes with Hazel. Born before the pact, and the fact that she's Roman."

"Was there more to the pact than just the damage they were causing?"

"The Great Prophecy. It stated that a 'half-blood of the eldest gods,' meaning them, would, at age sixteen, would make a choice that decided the fate of the gods and Olympus. They were afraid it would end their rule, afraid that a child they sired would grow to be more powerful than them, try and overthrow the gods. Each of them tried to control the prophecy. Thalia was the oldest, should've been the one with the choice. But she bowed out, became a Hunter, stopped aging right before her sixteenth birthday. She'll be fifteen forever. Then came me, followed by Nico. In the end, it was my choice. The prophecy that had been given over seventy years ago fell to me. Though it was my choice, I wasn't the hero of the prophecy. That was Luke." Percy was adamant, knowing that it was Luke's death, and therefore defeat of Kronos, that saved them all. All he had done was handed him the blade.

Peter hesitated. "If you don't mind me asking, what was the prophecy?"

Percy sighed, before reciting it. He had long since memorized all the prophecies he had been a part of. "A half-blood of the eldest gods / Shall reach sixteen against all odds / And see the world in endless sleep / The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap / A single choice shall end his days / Olympus to preserve or raze."

Peter just stared at his friend. "You were how old when you first heard this prophecy?"

"Fifteen. Well, when I heard it word for word. But I've known about it since I was twelve."

"When I was twelve, the biggest thing I had to worry about was doing chores," Peter mumbled.

"Yeah, well. The life of a demigod, huh?" Percy stood up, offering a hand to his friend.

Peter let the older teen help him up, both of them gathering their stuff up before heading back inside, Percy pushing his hair out of his face. They walked past the other heroes, smiling at them, before making it to Peter's room.

"Hi, Karen!" Peter called out as he moved to put his stuff away.

Hello, Peter, Karen's pleasant voice echoed through the room. And hello to you as well, Percy. Do either of you need assistance?

"Can you just let us know when it's time to eat?" Peter asked.

Certainly, Peter.

"Thanks Karen!"

The two boys each took a quick shower, pulling on a clean set of clothes, before sitting next to each other on Peter's bed.

"Movie?" Peter asked.

"Sounds good," Percy responded.

They curled up with their dogs as the movie started, Peter grabbing a few cans of soda from the mini-fridge recently installed in his room.

Halfway through the movie, they were informed dinner was ready, and made their way to the common room where Karen had told them the other residents of the compound were eating.

Natasha raised an eyebrow as she made eye contact with Percy, before looking away, going back to her conversation with Clint. The archer waved at them, looking like he wanted to say something, but didn't. Tony, Rhodes and Steve were sitting next to each other on the couch, each holding a plate of food, greeting the boys when they arrived.

They all settled in as FRIDAY dimmed the lights before pulling up the Mario Kart menu, the familiar bright colors illuminating the room.

The heroes finished quickly, discarding their trash before getting comfortable with Natasha distributing the controllers.

Peter, Percy, Tony and Steve played the first game, with Clint, Bucky, Rhodes and Natasha cheering them on, waiting to play the next round.

Bucky was more subdued than the rest, but he was rooting for Steve to win, while Rhodes wanted Tony to win. Clint was cheering for Peter and Natasha was murmuring hints to Percy to help him.

Steve came in tenth, not having the same experience of playing video games as the rest of them had. Tony faired better, placing sixth, while the two teens placed in the top three. Peter had the most experience, but with Natasha's help, Percy had been able to pull ahead and claim second place at the last minute, leaving Peter in third.

Natasha smiled proudly at Percy, ruffling his hair as she grabbed his controller, ready to crush her opponents. She settled in, glaring at the three men she was going to play against.

The tables were turned, and the first group of heroes cheered for the second, watching as Natasha effortlessly completed Rainbow Road, coming in first without any issue, knocking all the others off the course with shells. She smirked at the other heroes, before placing the controller on the coffee table.

"And yet again, Nat is the undisputed champion of Mario Kart," Tony mumbled, gesturing at her. "That makes it… How many wins?"

"Uh, 72," Steve responded, glancing at a notepad that was stored in one of the table's drawers. "And that's in a row, within the past year."

"Should I get the crowns?" Rhodes asked.

"Yeah, they're in the usual spot," Tony replied as his friend walked over to a nearby set of draws, opening one to grab a box.

Rhodes pulled out a gold crown, placing it on Natasha's head, before placing the silver one on Percy's head. The bronze went to Peter.

Clint had come in fourth, Rhodes as seventh, and Bucky as eleventh, so they didn't have to re-compete to see who got a crown.

"Picture time," Steve convinced everyone to stand up as they posed in front of the window, the sunset in the background as FRIDAY took a picture.

Tony was standing behind Steve, arm slung around the super soldier's shoulder. Clint was laying down across Steve and Rhodes' laps, flashing a peace sign. Peter was hanging from a web, upside down from the ceiling, head tilted so the crown wouldn't fall off. Natasha was on Percy's back, and the demigod was standing next to Tony. Bucky was just standing near Steve, but there was a small smile on his face.

FRIDAY snapped the photo, saving it to the database before sending it to each hero present, their phones chiming with the alert.

"Alright, let's call it a night," Tony clapped his hands together as Peter dropped down from the ceiling. "You guys can keep the crowns until next time."

As Percy and Peter lay in the dark that night, Percy pulled up his "IrisConnect" account, a social media site especially for demigods, and made the group photo his background. He smiled as he looked at it, thinking about how his life had went to lead up to that moment.

Both boys fell asleep peacefully that night, happy with the evening's events.

A/N: So I'm still trying to decide if this series will have Tony/Pepper or Tony/Steve as endgame. At the very least, as is hinted in this story, there is some one sided Steve/Tony, with Steve doing the slight pining. If you have opinions, feel free to let me know. Though, in the end, it'll like be which ever couple flows better with my ideas. (There will be more Pepper later on in the series.)

There's going to be two more oneshots before a new multi-chapter in this series will be started, with the appearance of some new characters.

In the next installment of this series, Percy's demigod secret becomes known to Earth's Mightiest Heroes, as well as MJ and Ned.

I hope you enjoyed this part!

~NewtsSuitcase