BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP Steve Rogers sat up, instantly alert to any and all dangers. However, the only danger was his alarm clock, which had somehow malfunctioned and was going off. He looked at the time, Two Thirty. He hit the off button on the back of the analog clock and rolled over to go back to sleep.
RIIINNNGGGG RINNNGGGGG RIIINNGGGG Steve shot up again, but this time his clock was silent. It read two thirty am. He looked around for the source of the noise, and soon found another alarm on the opposite side of the room. It was a digital one, one of the new ones Steve wasn't sure how to use. He unplugged the chord and tossed the alarm into the trash.
BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP Three AM. This time, Steve turned on his light and saw five more alarms sitting around the room. He unplugged every one and set them in a pile in the corner. With boiling frustration, he noticed the STARK logo was on every one of the clocks.
BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ. Steve groaned and again turned on the light. He couldn't see any more alarms in his room, and soon discovered this one was in the bathroom, where he found three more. He piled those with the rest, vowing to kill Tony Stark as soon as possible. By the time he finally went back to sleep, it was four o'clock.
DING DING DING DING. This time, Steve grabbed his blanket and pillow and, ignoring the odd looks from the night-guards, went to the rec room and fell asleep on the couch.
"Rogers?" Steve rolled over and saw Percy Jackson peering down at him. A quick glance at his watch told Steve it was seven thirty in the morning. He groaned and stood up, stretching his aching back. "Are you ok?" Percy asked.
"Yeah…" he had to stop and yawn, "Someone rigged a whole heap of alarm clocks to go off at random times last night in my room. I found ten of them, but they kept going off. So I slept out here." He picked up his blanket and pillow and slowly trudged back to his room to shower and get dressed.
"That sucks…who did it?" Percy asked, following him.
"I don't know…I have a hunch though." Steve said, noticing Tony Stark walking towards the lab with a cup of coffee. He stopped when he saw Steve and Percy.
"Good morning boys…did you have a slumber party and not invite me?" He looked at Steve's pillow, "I must admit I would expect something like that from Steve, but Percy? I am offended."
"Well, I wouldn't have had to, but my alarm went off awful early." Steve said. Stark looked sympathetic.
"Oh, does it have too many buttons for you to work? Tell you what, since you are just a swell guy, I will, out of the goodness of my heart, teach you how to use an alarm clock." Stark said.
"Oh good, I have a few actually, they were in my room." Steve said, "funny you should offer to help, I have a feeling you will understand these very much."
"I understand Technology very well. It runs in my family." Stark shrugged, "you know, my dad is god of the forges and tech and stuff, well ancient Greek's didn't really have tech, but he was god of all things awesome or something like that, I don't quite remember."
Steve nodded sarcastically, "Oh, I get it. Just because you are a demigod you think that gives you the right to pick on us mortals?" Stark looked around confused.
"Did I say that?" He asked Percy. "No no no Steve…I pick on you because you have the funniest reactions."
"You know Stark, where I come from we call people like you bullies." Steve said. Stark tried really hard not to roll his eyes, "And people like you get served justice!"
"Oh…I'm so scared. You know I am a part of "The Earth's Mightiest Heroes" Right? Anywhoo…I've got science to do, you wouldn't understand." Stark walked past Steve.
"Hero? Is that what you call yourself?" Steve yelled. Stark stopped,
"Hey, I didn't get asked if I wanted to be here anymore then you did." He said without looking back, "In fact, I would rather not be here, but I am trying to make light of a difficult situation by pulling pranks. It is what I do best, so if you have a problem with that, then you can take it somewhere else." He continued walking without a second glance. Steve looked at Percy, who shrugged.
"Tony has been like that for as long as I have known him." He said, "But when it comes down to it, he knows what matters."
"I certainly hope so." Steve said, staring hatefully at where Stark had been standing.