"I don't like this," Tony stated stubbornly. "I'm totally against this plan."
Natasha sighed. "Your opinion has been noted, Tony. Multiple times."
Tony huffed and crossed his arms. "Just for the record."
"The record that no one's keeping?" Thalia snorted. "And it's not like you'll get to gloat if you're right since we'll all be, y'know, dead."
"Dude, I miss our war meetings in the Rec Room," Conner muttered to Travis.
"I know," Travis bemoaned dramatically. "I want some nacho cheese."
Bruce leaned over, a little weary of the two—with good reason. "What do nachos have to do with war meetings?"
The two brothers stared at Bruce like the man had grown two heads. "Nachos are a necessity for counselor meetings!"
"...they are?"
Conner huffed. "Yeah, the proper way to discuss war is at a ping-pong table while having a nacho cheese battle."
"And seeing how many pencils you can stuff up Clovis's nose," Travis added helpful.
They simultaneously turned to the sleeping demigod and exchanged looks of mischief.
"No," Percy interjected, listening in on the conversation.
Conner pouted, spinning on the wheeled chair that he'd called dibs on. "Fine. But this room is sooooooo boring!" He pointed at the parts of the space respectively. "Gray wall, gray wall, gray wall, gray wall, gray door, gray floor, gray chairs, and—oh, guess what! —a dark gray table. They really know how to mix it up here at the... Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division?" Connor finished uncertainty, squinting at the black insignia etched on the wall. He frowned. "Man, that's a real mouthful."
Clint spoke up. "Wait, you had war meetings at a ping-pong table?"
Travis nodded. "Don't forget the nacho cheese machine."
"Okay, let's stay on track," Steve interrupted, raising a hand tiredly to steer the motley crew back on topic. Thalia and Tony had been butting heads all day. The Stolls hadn't exactly been angels either. "Everyone has their coms?"
They had decided to use the coms to keep in touch with the mortals and each other on the battlefield because there were so many different groups present. The demigods weren't all that worried about the technology attracting monsters, considering that soon all the monsters in the country would be heading to their location.
At the chorus of affirmatives, Steve nodded. "Good. Let's do a quick com test."
Steve quickly learned why giving Hermes kids technology was a bad idea.
"Merlin's beard!"
"Heavens to Betsy!"
"Son of a—" Tony swore up and down, yanking the com out of his ear. "You're not supposed to yell in it!"
Travis and Conner paused in the Christmas song they had been singing into the tiny mic. "We're not?" they asked at the same time, expressions of pure confusion on their face.
Percy sighed. "Don't let their innocent looks fool you. They knew exactly what they were doing." Percy gave them a scolding look. The brothers had enough sense to look ashamed. Percy was glad he didn't have a com, or he had a feeling he wouldn't be able to hear out of his left ear right now. They had decided that he and Loki didn't need coms—they'd just be a distraction.
The raven-haired god raised an eyebrow. "Why "Jingle Bells" anyway? It's March."
They both shrugged. "It's "Jingle Bells"," Travis replied, as if that was answer enough.
A knock on the steel door interrupted the increasingly off-topic conversation. Benjamin, an Apollo kid, poked his head in. Percy forced images away of the healer standing above Annabeth's unmoving body.
"We've got incoming."
"Already?" Natasha asked.
Benjamin shrugged. "We've been fending off a few monsters here and there—with this many demigods gathered in one place, I'd be more surprised if there weren't any monster attacks—but this is the first large group we've seen."
"He knows."
Percy's declaration brought troubled looks to the faces of everyone present.
A grim silence settled over the room.
"Well then, let's get this party started, shall we?" Tony shattered the stillness.
And just like that everyone broke into motion.
"Everyone knows their roles, right?" Steve asked.
Heads nodded all around the meeting room. The Avengers were there, as well as the head counselors of both camps, a few Hunters, Nico, and some of the older, experienced campers. Loki sat near Percy.
"Survive till Sleeping Beauty and Rock of Ages get Tartar sauce out of Sleeping Beauty's head," Tony confirmed. "It's really not a complicated plan. If you can even call it a plan."
Steve nodded. "Okay, then. Everyone to their positions."
At his words, everyone started moving. People filed out slowly, patting Percy's shoulder or tilting their heads at the god.
A hand landed on Percy's shoulder. "Good luck, Percy."
Percy smiled at the veteran. "Thanks, Steve. You too."
With a nod, the star-spangled man walked outside. Natasha swept past, her arm brushing Percy's. She nodded at Percy. Clint quickly followed the assassin, ruffling Percy's hair in a big brother move. "Be safe, kid. After we win, we'll have a prank war, yeah?"
Clint forced a smile to his lips. Percy reminded him of his own kids. His heart hurt just thinking about the boy getting hurt, god or not.
Percy huffed and swatted Clint's hand away. "You're gonna get creamed, old man."
"Sure I will," came the amused reply as the agent walked out the door.
"Percy..." Loki's voice came from his left and sounded a little strained.
"I know." Percy's voice was soft and pained. He didn't even bother to look at the Asgardian.
A slap on both their backs interrupted whatever Loki had been about to say. Thor gripped Loki's wrists and removed the silver bracelets. Loki exhaled as he felt the glorious rush of his magic returning. Thor turned to Percy. "May the Norns be with you, young Perseus." He turned to Loki. "And you brother."
Loki just grunted, too engrossed in the rush of his magic to reply with his usual 'I am not your brother' spill.
Percy smiled tiredly at the retreated Thor. "I'd say the same to you, but with my luck with the Fates, I'd end up cursing you instead."
Thor's throaty chuckle floated from the hallway.
"Hey kid." Percy turned and, to his surprise, was immediately pulled into a hug. He stiffened but slowly relaxed into Tony's warm embrace. "You'll be fine, Percy. We'll all be fine. In fact, we'll celebrate at that shawarma place, okay?"
Percy chuckled softly. "Okay, Tony." He patted the billionaire's back as he pulled away. Tony grinned at him, a glimmer of unshed tears in his brown eyes.
Tony smirked and spun around. "Time to activate Plan ARMPITS," he announced loudly as he walked out, his carefree façade reemerging.
Nico leaned over to Bruce with a raised eyebrow. "Plan... ARMPITS?"
The doctor sighed. "Yeah, he was very proud of that name. According to him it means 'Attack Random Monsters and Protect Idiot from Tartar Sauce.'"
Nico scrunched his nose. "Isn't he a genius or something? He couldn't have thought of a better acronym?"
"It's Tony," Bruce replied, as if that one statement answered all questions in regards to the eccentric billionaire. Which Nico guessed it did.
"Smell ya later, Kelp Head." Thalia waved at Percy. Phoebe nodded her head behind the lieutenant Hunter.
"Beat you later, Pinecone Face," Percy replied. He gripped Reyna's forearm. "Fortis fortuna adiuvat," (Fortune favors the bold) Reyna muttered.
"Audentis Fortuna itaque favente domine. Vivat Romanorum," (And the bold favor Lady Luck. Long live the Romans) Percy replied, squeezing the Praetor's arm once more before releasing it. Reyna nodded once, steel in her eyes, before sweeping out of the room.
Thalia let Reyna pass and paused at the doorway. She called over her shoulder, "Don't die on me, Water Boy."
Percy forced a smile and pushed away the sick feeling in his gut. "Wouldn't dream of it, Tree Girl."
"Come on, Di Angelo," Thalia hollered. "You're with us girls."
Percy grimaced sympathetically at Nico. "I think you're gonna need more luck than me today." Nico grunted and wrapped Percy in a hug. Percy exhaled in surprise. "Wow, Neeks. A hug. You actually know how to hug people. I'm a little surprised." Percy chuckled. "But I thought I wasn't your type."
Nico huffed and patted Percy's back a little harder than necessary. Just when Percy thought the boy was going to pull away, Nico tightened his grip. Percy snorted. "Nico—"
Nico murmured something in his ear. Percy stilled and then smiled sadly. "No, I guess not. It was a little foolish of me, I suppose."
"Yes, it was," Nico replied gruffly. The demigod pulled away, wiping at his eyes. "Allergies," he muttered, annoyed.
Percy nodded, even though he knew the boy didn't have any allergy problems. Without another word, Nico walked off.
"Bye, Death Breath," Percy called cheekily to the son of Hades' back.
Nico flipped him off.
Percy chuckled again.
He turned and immediately groaned. "Seriously? What did I just tell you?"
The Stolls paused in their mischief, looking for all the world like kids caught sneaking candy by their parents.
Percy pinched the bridge of his nose. "Where did you even get pencils?"
"Hermes kids never reveal their secrets," Conner answered mysteriously.
"Uh huh," Percy muttered. He shook his head. "Just get out. And take Clovis with you," Percy added when the two tried to sneak out.
They pouted but shook the son of Hypnos awake—who wasn't all that surprised to find pencils up his nose—and began to exit the room. They shooed Clovis out and turned back around. The brothers made the 'I'm watching you' motion. "Watch your back, Perseus," Travis hissed, as the two backed out of the room backwards.
Of course, the mood was ruined when they both tried to back out through the door at the same time and realized they both didn't fit. They immediately launched into an argument and forgot about Percy entirely.
Percy shook his head, crossed the room, and shut the door on the bickering brothers.
He glanced around the now-empty room. The only people left were him, Loki, and Bruce. Bruce was going to stay in the room and monitor them. He was the last line of defense... unless Code Green was called, of course.
Which hopefully wouldn't happen.
Bruce turned to the two gods and pushed up his glasses. "I'll run a quick scan to make sure everything's in place and get the last-minute things ready." He gestured to the pod. "If you wouldn't mind getting in?"
Tony had transported the tank from the Tower over to the base. He'd modified it a little, but it basically functioned the same.
At least, Percy assumed it did.
Percy hadn't really understood all the big words and technical jargon Tony had used. Percy had just tuned out the genius and 'oohed and ahhed' at the right times; Tony had been so animated he hadn't even noticed the god's lack of enthusiasm. Tony could have said he'd added a flamethrower and wings, and Percy wouldn't have noticed.
Honestly, Percy wouldn't put it past the man.
Percy stepped into the tank. Loki mumbled a few spells under his breath. Percy assumed they were spells; Loki could've just been cussing Percy out, and Percy would never have known.
Noticing Percy's look, the Asgardian prince sighed. "To let me breath underwater and to keep me from getting wet."
Percy nodded. He'd just have to take Loki at his word. He stood in the center of the tank nervously.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Percy asked. "It's not too late to back out. No one would think worse of you."
Loki raised an eyebrow. "I believe it is a little too late to back out, and I'm fairly certain everyone here would think worse of me."
Percy licked his lips. "Oh, well right." He chuckled awkwardly. "I guess so. But that's not the point. I'm asking you to risk your life for me, Loki. Your life. It's not like I'm just asking you to go to Starbucks and grab me a coffee. You could die, Loki." Percy's eyes clouded, and his voice lowered. "They all could."
Loki sighed. "Blood will be spilt, Perseus. Death is a likely prospect. 'Tis the perils of war. Only the Norns know the outcomes—who will live and who will die. Though you have already experienced that firsthand, Perseus."
Percy nodded and blew out a shaky breath. He ran a hand through his hair. "You suck at pep talks; you know that?" He'd also noticed that both Thor and Loki slipped into formal wording when their emotions were high, or they were anxious.
Loki cocked his head. "I was not aware I was doing a 'pep talk.' But I will guarantee you one thing: just like everyone else who showed up to help you, I am here of my own volition—well, mostly—and if I die, then it is on no one but myself for making the choice to risk my own life."
Percy blinked. "For not knowing what pep talks are, you're surprisingly good at them."
Loki inclined his head, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Though make no mistake, Percy. I have no intention of dying today, or any day, soon."
"Of course not." Percy turned away to fiddle with his pen for a minute.
"Loki—"
Loki interrupted him with an exasperated look. "Stop worrying over things outside your control. Everything has already been set in motion; we are simply along for the ride now."
"...right." Percy nodded and turned back around.
Percy barely lasted two seconds before he couldn't help it and spun back around. He'd barely opened his mouth—
"—Perseus."
"Right, right. Hakuna Matata and all that." Percy turned back around.
Loki watched the boy with a confused look. He never understood any of their pesky Midgardian references.
Percy noticed Loki's confused gaze. "It's a famous line from a movie. I think it means 'no worries,' or something like that."
Loki just shook his head. "You mortals and your entertainment."
Percy snorted. "I think Steve's right there with you." He lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. "What can I say? Us Midgardians really like our movie references. At least this one actually makes sense. Would you rather I channel my inner Mister Miyagi and say, 'wax on, wax off'? I don't think that really applies here."
Loki stared as Percy turned away and started muttering something about flies and chopsticks.
Midgardians were certainly weird creatures.
A knock on the glass knocked them both out of their reveries. Bruce stood on the other side. "Ready to go?"
They both nodded.
Bruce smiled. "Good luck, Percy. I'll be here when you wake back up."
When... not if.
"Right." Percy nodded absentmindedly. They sat in the middle of the tank, crisscross applesauce, and faced each other. Percy finished hooking wires under his shirt, so Bruce could monitor his health.
The Greek glanced at Loki, and at the prince's nod, he gave Bruce a thumbs up. Bruce nodded and flipped a button. Water slowly started seeping into the tank.
Loki clasped his hands. "Are you ready, Perseus?"
Percy rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants and coughed nervously. "Ready as I'll ever be. Let's get this show on the road, shall we?"
Loki tilted his head and, reaching out, touched Percy's temples before the son of Poseidon could regret his decision.
Everything went black.