Chapter 7: Widow

Natasha Romanoff tilted her shades slightly to peer at the house in front of them.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" she asked skeptically.

Clint waved the slip of paper in front of her. "It's the one he gave me."

When Clint had told Natasha that Percy was moving, she'd been intrigued. She was trained to notice little things and, while Percy seemed mature on most occasions, he was definitely not the legal age to own a house.

Naturally, she accompanied Clint when he went to visit. She wanted to check on the teen after his long absence from the city. Natasha would never admit it, but the whole disappearing act had shaken her. She was a master at finding people, but even she hadn't been able to find him. She hadn't even known he was back in the city until Clint had told her.

The moment she'd laid eyes on Percy, she'd known something was off. His bright attitude was dampened, his smile a fraction smaller. There had been dark shadows under his eyes when he'd invited them inside. When she'd commented about his abrupt disappearance, he'd given her a tight smile and a vague explanation about going to see family.

Natasha and Clint had exchanged a glance and dropped the topic. When it came to his father's family, Percy was a master at avoiding the topic. It didn't take a genius to see that something terrible had happened during those months, and whatever it was, Percy had refused to talk about it. In the time that Natasha had known him, she knew that once he made up his mind about something, nothing short of a miracle could sway him.

Since then, he'd managed to mask whatever was bothering him with uncanny ease. Almost too well for the two Avengers' liking. An untrained eye might have dismissed his newfound guarded nature as uncertainty, but Natasha had encountered enough soldiers to recognize the wariness that flickered across his face when she'd inquired about where he'd been. That was precisely what Percy had resembled that night: a soldier returning from war.

She also knew that it wasn't her place to pry. Everyone had their secrets, and she trusted that Percy would ask for help if he needed it.

They'd pulled up to the address Percy had given them in one of Stark's less flashy cars that the genius had so kindly let them borrow. Clint rolled down the window. Natasha hadn't been expecting much, maybe another apartment or a townhouse. She definitely wasn't expecting the large two-story house in front of them. The architecture was masterfully done, appealing to the eye, but not so obtrusive that it stood out among the other houses on the street. Whoever had designed it had good taste.

Her partner whistled. "So, you want to find a window or knock?"

She'd shot him a glare and got out.

"You suck the fun out of everything," Clint muttered behind her.

Ignoring him, Natasha knocked four times like she did on the frame of Percy's window when she came to visit in the past.

Percy had opened the door with a grin and ushered them inside. "You made it! And you didn't even come through the window. That's progress."

"Yeah, well," Clint glared at Natasha, "some people don't know how to have fun."

The living room was spacious and nicely furnished. It had an ageless feel to it, different the modern look that Stark had designed for the Tower, and something about it made her feel at home almost instantly.

The aroma of something cooking filled the air. Annabeth and Nico waved at them from the island in the kitchen. Natasha had been introduced to the latter a few weeks ago before Percy had sprung the surprise that he was moving. They were in the middle of a card game, and from the Nico's smirk, it was clear that he was winning.

"You didn't rob a bank to afford this, did you?" Clint asked. "I'm not going to get back to the Tower only to find that a bunch of kids have lifted everything off an outlet mall, right?"

Percy laughed nervously and shook his head. "Nico's dad can do pretty much anything money-wise. My dad's family heard about what I was doing and thought that it'd be easier to do it from a house and not an apartment."

The two agents shared a look. The fact that his relatives didn't bat an eye at Percy's extracurricular activities was strange in itself, but for them to offer to buy a house was a bit excessive. Still, they didn't comment on it.

"My mom reluctantly agreed since, well, it gets little unconventional for her after a while," Percy carried on. "But it's only a few blocks down from the apartment, so she's content with that. She's adamant about coming around to have a look when she can."

Natasha did a wide circle around the room again. "They sure didn't spare any expense." Her eyes settled on the far wall. "And the fake wall?"

"You picked up on that, huh?" Percy strode over to the wall and pulled a small lever hidden flush against a bookcase. The wall slid back, and Natasha's eyebrows rose at the sight of another hallway that branched off to the left. At the end, she could just make out another staircase heading down into what she supposed was a basement.

Percy leaned against the bookcase. "We haven't even got around to exploring all the rooms. My friends came yesterday to check it out. Annabeth helped me finish unpacking this morning."

"And the training room?" Natasha strode into the hall, casting a critical eye over the equipment in one of the rooms.

Annabeth entered, her and Nico having abandoned their game for the moment. "That was my mother's idea. She thought it'd be strategic to have one here for heroes. And when I get annoyed with Percy."

"Please don't judo flip me again."

Natasha was impressed. She hadn't been aware that Annabeth could fight. Maybe she'd ask to spar some time.

Clint let out a low whistle and poked his head into the training room. "Is that an archery range?"

They followed him in. The training room was about the size of one of Stark's spare rec rooms. There was indeed a small archery range. Clint unhooked a bow from the wall and drew it.

"Recurve. Heavy draw weight." He turned to Percy. "Which one of you shoots?"

It was Annabeth who replied. "We go to the same summer camp and they teach us there, so we all do to some extent. Except for Percy."

"Hey!" Percy crossed his arms. "Neither can Nico."

"Actually," the pale teen said with a wicked smile, "Will's giving me lessons."

Percy huffed. "Of course he is."

"Will's from the cabin that holds the record for best archery. They're undefeatable," Annabeth explained as Clint, nocked an arrow onto the bow. He drew the it back and shot without looking. The arrow hit the bullseye.

"Well, I'll have to challenge them, then. I am the best archer around. It's all about the reflexes."

Natasha narrowed her eyes and him and crossed her arms. "Stark hit you in the head with a flying wrench this morning."

The teenagers snickered, and Clint scowled at her. "I hadn't had my coffee yet," he replied lamely.

"Yes," Natasha said dryly. "That was why. Keep telling yourself that."

From the kitchen, the oven beeped. "Food's ready," Percy said. He nodded to the Avengers. "Nico pulled up a recipe for Italian pizza so we thought we'd try it out. Have you guys eaten?"

"I could go for pizza," Clint said. They'd eaten before coming, but Clint was a bottomless pit when it came to food.

"I can't promise it tastes any good," Nico shrugged.

"Nothing can be worse than Stark's cooking, trust me," the archer said, already making a beeline to the kitchen.

Natasha took a moment to look around the main room again while the others piled into the kitchen. She wasn't too hungry, but from the aroma of the pizza, she decided it wouldn't hurt to try some.

Her eyes lighted on a book on the table near the door. She picked the book up and leafed through it. A few names were listed with dates and times. Someone had written messages in Greek and Latin. The last page was covered in sketches done in colourful pens. Her lip twitched when she saw a cartoon blue and red spider and a signature amongst the names. Picking up a red pen, she signed her name under a SUPER-SIZED MCSHIZZLE.

The pizza was surprisingly good, despite its lopsided appearance. They chatted amongst each other as they ate, Natasha engaging Annabeth in a conversation about the new classes she was enrolling in the next year and the internship she was looking into.

After they'd eaten, Annabeth and Nico continued their game while Clint and Percy washed up, the latter shooing them away when they came to help. He tried shooing Clint away as well, but the archer ignored him.

With nothing to do, Natasha checked her phone. There was a message from Stark, updating her on the progress of the upgrades he was doing to her Stingers. Another was from Fury, demanding the report on the data collected from their last mission that Stark had neglected to finish. Her lips twitched. She forwarded the message to Steve and moved to the next one.

Annabeth let out an exclamation and threw her hands in the air. "That wouldn't work in real life! The Manticore wouldn't have the same attack power as Athena!"

"I didn't write the rules," Nico said patiently.

"But Athena's a goddess!"

Interested, Natasha slipped her phone into her pocket and glanced at the cards and figurines set up between the two teenagers.

"Mythomagic?" she asked. She'd seen the strategy game in a few stores, and she knew it was notorious for its complicated rules, but she never seen anyone play it before.

"Nico's teaching me the ropes," Annabeth said. She looked down and sighed in frustration. "Was teaching me the ropes."

The pale teenager smirked.

Natasha cast an eye over the cards again, intrigued. "Teach me."

His expression brightened.

An hour later, both Natasha and Nico were tied at three wins. Percy and Clint had joined to watch while Annabeth had started keeping score and making note of the strategies the two players used.

Nico reshuffled the cards. "Do you have time for a tie-breaker?"

Natasha shook her head, checking the time on her phone. "We should be heading back," she said. "It's getting late. The others will be wondering where we are by now."

She stood. "I'll have to come again to beat you."

The teenager threw her a wicked grin. "I look forward to it."

"Thanks for the food," Clint said.

"No problem," Percy said. He grinned, leaning back in the reclining chair he'd dragged over from the living room. "Drop by any time. I'll leave the window open for you—"

There was frantic knocking on the door and a couple teenagers burst in. They all wore bright orange shirts and were carrying another boy between them. The kid's shirt was stained red.

Percy was on his feet in an instant, all traces of humour vanishing. "Annabeth, get the med kit. Nico, check the perimeter." Nico disappeared out the door without a word, and Percy rounded on the newcomers.

"What happened?"

One of the teenagers glanced at Clint and Natasha before answering, "Hounds. Three of them. Came after us in the alley."

Natasha narrowed her eyes at the wound on his arm, rivets of blood dripping on the floor from rows of deep punctures. Those were no dog bites she'd ever seen.

Percy didn't waste a second. "Put him on the couch. Conner, grab some towels from the bathroom. Annabeth—"

"Here," Annabeth was at his side, a first-aid kit in hand.

He nodded tersely. "Clovis, I need water to wash the blood. Travis," He shook the kid on the couch firmly, and pressed his hand over the wound. "Stay awake. Focus on me. Don't close your eyes."

Percy seemed to have forgotten they were there. He knew these teenagers directly, and, now that one of them was injured, he was an entirely different person.

His stance was strikingly different from the laidback attitude minutes before, shoulders tense and body coiled as if ready for action. His sea-green eyes were steely as he focused on keeping Travis conscious, and he spoke with a calm, steady voice. From the way the others responded, they had followed his orders before. His presence took up the room, no longer able to be dismissed, and it commanded obedience. He reminded Natasha of the Captain, but somehow, Percy's demeanour sent shivers down her spine.

Nico reappeared out of nowhere, covered in a fine layer of golden dust. His onyx eyes were narrowed and his hand held his side. The ring on his finger gleamed.

One of them—Conner— had returned with towels, setting them down near the couch. A leather necklace hung from around his neck, identical to the one that Percy wore. He eyed the two Avengers warily.

They'd overstayed their welcome, Natasha realized. She glanced at Clint, understanding passing through them both. They knew their business. And this wasn't theirs.

With a nod to Nico, the two of them slipped out the door.

I am so sorry about the wait!

I put this chapter off for so long, mostly because I have no experience writing Natasha's character (I hope I got it right) and because my Spring semester was coming to a close. The good news is that I handed in my last assignment on Monday so I'm pretty much free until September :)

Anyway, I meant to finish and upload this yesterday, but I didn't get around to it. Instead, I had this idea that I needed to write down that somehow ended up going over 20 pages of handwritten work. I was playing around with another Percy Jackson/Avengers fic idea (because I have zero restraint) and I might have grown attached. I'm not sure whether I'll actually type it out and upload it since I've got a whole bunch of other writing to do including the other two fics and my original stories, but it's an idea for the future (maybe).

I shall repay you for the long wait! Aside from some minimal tweaking, the next chapter is done and should be uploaded in the next few days. I'm really excited because it's my favourite one so far.

Thanks for all the amazing reviews! Let me know what you think about this latest chapter!