Hey Guys! Soooo, I'm sensing a pattern here. You enjoy PJO crew more than Avengers, and to be honest that's a fair point. I'm trying really hard to not mess their POV's up because I respect the characters and don't want them to be super OOC. I just want to let you know that I've decided that we're going to be seeing a bit more from the Avengers, followed by almost all PJO crew. Of course, the Avengers won't just disappear, so understand when we switch to them from time to time to get their take on the situation.

Yes, I'm going to start working on incorporating Hope into the story! Play nice comment section! And Annabeth is getting ready to make her debut, so be ready for that...

I'm going to try and take a reasonable, Marvel-esque approach on the situation, what with Percy being in the public's eye now, so get ready to face my worst subject in school: Politics.

Enjoy! I'll update sooner, hopefully! Depends on the comments, really. The more of an ego boost I get, the more I post!


James:

He was standing in the kitchen, head in the fridge. There was something about the fridge that was always comforting to James. Maybe it was the coolness coming off the fridge, or that little lightbulb that he could just make out in the back, drawing him to keep the fridge open just a little longer.

Or maybe it was just his indecision on what to eat tonight. Sleep wasn't going to be an option, but his appetite was always intact.

"You waste electricity doing that."

James reached in and pulled out a few sandwich things. It was never too late for a sandwich. "It's your arch reactor."

Tony stepped forward, grabbing his own sandwich things. Then, he took out the cheese cutter and a knife for the mayo. "Doesn't mean it'll last forever."

James heard a little bit of a heavier meaning in that comment, but chose to ignore it for a later day. Him and Tony began making their respective sandwiches.

"I walked past his room on the way down, and he was asleep. How could he be asleep?" James asked Tony, not looking away from his sandwich. Tony remained silent. "Everything is going to change. Everything."

"We aren't telling anyone." Tony said. "We promised the kid we wouldn't tell anyone." Tony slathered some mayo onto the bread, then handed the knife to James.

"It's not that, even though I think we should get the military to take this." He admitted. "It's just… He was my friend, Tony. He's saved my life so many times over the years, and we had each other's backs-"

"When I came out as Iron Man, what was your first thought?" Tony asked.

"Besides what an idiot you were?" James asked. Tony smeared a glob of mustard onto James cheek, and James cursed. "Okay, I thought that it was brave, knowing the crap that everyone was going to give you for it."

"How's is this any different?" Tony asked.

"It isn't the same-"

"It really is. Just replace the fact he was hiding a whole race of people from all of us." Tony said. "The kid didn't want us to know, which isn't something I'm usually okay with, but this time…" He trailed off, putting the ham and lettuce on.

"It's cruel to think he's been lying to us for all these years, isn't it?" James asked. "Isn't it?"

"I'm not saying that he's a saint, 'cause he isn't. I'm only saying that a secret like that is like an atomic bomb. I mean, we only learned that we weren't alone in the universe a few years ago. What happens when the world sees that gods are more than religiously based?" Tony argued.

"I get that the world isn't ready, either. We're a team, though. I thought he had more trust in us than that." James said. He thought of all the times that fought terrorist cells, or all the times the two of them had gone out to get food for the others? All the movie nights, sparring matches, and just talks they'd had. They weren't just a team. They were a family. And in this family, Percy was the baby brother that they all wanted to keep protected. To keep safe. He'd been lying to them this whole time.

"You know, there's a reason my family doesn't know who I am."

James had to do a doubletake from the counter he was cleaning up. Tony didn't so much as flinch when they both looked towards the ceiling.

The red and blue arachnid was hanging by what certainly looked like spider silk, but after a lot of investigating, James knew that it was some sort of biocable. They couldn't even get a good look at him, with the lights so dim. He wasn't even looking at them when he spoke again. "I mean, imagine them worrying, day in and out, that the kid they've been looking after all these years is swinging between skyscrapers and beating up criminals."

"You got a point to this, web head?"

"Oh, so original. Yes, I do. Ever stop and think that Percy had a reason for hiding it? I mean, family worries. What if Percy was worried that by giving you that knowledge, you'd get pulled into the trouble?" Spider Man said.

"I'd have taken that any day of the week." Tony said. He took a big bite of his sandwich, speaking while eating. James wrinkled his nose. "The kids' family now. We don't let him fight his own battles."

"Yeah." James agreed. "I wouldn't mind fighting monsters, either. Just something to beef up the resume with." James took a bite of his own sandwich as well, excusing himself from speaking.

"But- what did Percy say? 'Once you know, they know, and they won't let you get off easy'? I mean, I had a plan after this hero stuff has run it's course. Didn't sound like Percy got much of a say in the matter." He said.

James was about to speak, but then stopped himself. Percy had said that. It had been one of the first things he'd said, actually. A kid like him deserved a good life, but…

Had he ever been given the chance?

"He didn't."

Clint stood at the top of the balcony, where Fury had appeared from earlier. He was in some of the plain silk pajamas Tony had customized for everyone. (James had the original War Machine on the front of his) Clint's purple arrow was standing out in the darkness.

"I suppose he told you right off the bat, when he first got into your house, huh?" Tony said, sitting down in (Fury's) recliner. "Or was that the first you heard of this?"

Clint shook his head. "He was still a scared little kid when I met him, Tony. Just a boy looking out for his little sister. After Fury invited him into the Avengers, Percy told me what Demigods were, but he never explained who he was. Not then, at least."

James, having finished wiping down the counter, leaned up against the bar stool. He took a half hearted bite of his sandwich. "So, you knew?"

Clint shrugged. "He told me the rest after he got back from his… Absence." Oh. James shifted uncomfortably. "What he's telling us though… Percy isn't even explaining the worst of it. The Tartarus stuff? Percy still gets flashbacks, you know. I was told into his twelfth week of training he woke up screaming?" Clint looked to James for confirmation.

James felt a chill go up his spine. That horrible, horrible night… Those haunted screams… "Yeah." James voice was barely above a whisper. "That was when he started mentioning that girl again. Annabeth."

Clint nodded. "Percy doesn't talk about his past because the gods- his own family -tried to kill him. That's the big secret. When I met him, it was because he was running from them."

James heard Tony swear under his breath and Spider Man swing over to a wall, resting his head against it. "The car crash that killed his parents-" Tony began.

"It was an assassination attempt." Clint said. "Percy cut ties after that, with all his past friends. Annabeth, from what little I actually gathered from him, was more than a girlfriend. Her betrayal set him over the edge."

The room was as quiet as a tomb, and James set the rest of his sandwich down. Clint made eye contact with Tony and James, his confidence unwavering. "Percy does regret his past, and I'd bet my right arm he regrets not telling us sooner, but he had his reasons. The same reasons Tony hid his blood work, or why Thor never said anything no matter how often we asked."

His tone softened. "Guys, we're his second chance. He hates seeing us fight because it reminds him of them. The last thing I want to hear is that you lost faith in him because he was trying to protect you."

James frowned, looking down at his hands like a scolded child. Tony spoke up. "We could've handled it, Clint. He's our family, too."

Clint nodded. "Which was why he was trying to keep us out of it. What if a monster kills one of us to get to him, huh?"

James sighed. "I just wish he'd told us. That kind of secret can't be healthy. And from what I remember from high school mythology, meaning not much, demigods rarely got a happy ending."

Clint looked down solemnly. "Percy once told me the life expectancy for demigods is twenty years."

Tony shook his head. "Kid probably lost a lot of people he knew. Friends."

"He mentioned a Beckendorf during the briefing." Spider Man said.

Clint nodded again. "Ask him about Leo, if you want proof. But… Just don't judge family too harshly." Clint turned on his heel, his footsteps receding to his room. They didn't even hear the door close.

James left his sandwich on the counter. He didn't have an appetite anymore.

The next morning was dead silence.

Everyone had already been awake, too conflicted to sleep, with the exception of Thor, Vision, and Percy himself. James wondered if Fury had, but the bags under his eyes gave him away.

They'd all filtered out of their rooms near nine, moving slowly towards the kitchen. Breakfast was a solemn affair, with next to no interaction besides requests to pass something. James, after returning to his room, had tossed and turned until light had begun to filter in through the window.

He watched each Avenger closely, wondering what they were thinking right now, or how they were reacting to this sudden earth shattering revelation. Because James didn't have a clue how to react himself.

Thor had the biggest grin on his face, by far. He seemed completely at ease with where he was, and he even greeted everyone with a hearty 'Good Morning!' He would often grin at Percy, who he sat beside.

Clint and Natasha gave nothing away besides the furtive glances they would sneak at Percy while they sat across from him. They were all close, sometimes closer than Percy was with B team. James understood that Percy thought of Clint and Natasha as family. An older sister and brother who had taken him and his sister in.

Tony, Vision, and Wanda were almost passive sitting beside James, but James knew something itched at Tony. He had said the night before he hadn't minded Percy lying to them before, but… James wasn't so sure. Vision and Wanda would look at each other, almost like having a silent conversation. They had always been close.

Steve was frowning at his food beside Clint, and James could tell he was conflicted. He would set his fork down just to pick it back up, then drop it again. At one point he scowled, but covered it quickly.

James looked at Sam, sitting next to Nat. He thought that Sam was closest to what he himself was thinking. They were both military men, through and through, even if Sam had a wild streak in him. They knew that the full picture was always out of reach. James knew that Percy had been doing it to protect them.

Fury sat across from James, barely eating, giving nothing away.

Spider Man had left when breakfast began, claiming he needed to make sure his family was okay. James guessed their conflicted emotions had intimidated the kid.

"Anyone want seconds?" Percy asked, stacking another pancake onto his plate. A few muttered 'no' while others just continued to eat what they had. James didn't bother looking up, knowing that Percy would take that as his answer.

It was nearly silent again when Percy spoke up, addressing the elephant in the room. "It gets easier, I swear. I can't promise everything will be the same-"

"It won't." Steve said, this time letting his fork rest on the table. He paused for a minute, everyone continuing they they hadn't heard him. "Why didn't you ever tell us?"

This got everyone's attention. Even James glanced at everyone, looking up from his plate. Steve looked more than a bit distressed. Percy spoke, his voice strained. "I didn't want you involved."

"We were already involved." Tony said. "You're a part of this team. We stick beside one another."

"It was never about if I trusted you to keep a secret like that. I- I don't want to be part of that family again. I was out, and I was hoping I was out for good." Percy said. James kept his head down.

Steve spoke up again. "We all figured, with the scars and everything, it was just a sensitive topic. The secret you kept from us, though-"

"It is a sensitive topic, Steve." Percy said, his voice even. "But that wasn't the issue, either. You all gave me your background, but mine is… It's…" James looked up, catching Percy's hands go up into the air. "I can't even explain the pain I feel when I think about them. Steve, they all moved on. They pretended I never existed-"

"But we care, Percy." Wanda said. "We love you. How could you keep this from us? What could you possibly think you'd lose?"

Percy was silent. James kept his gaze focused on his obscured view of Percy. All he could see were his hands, tapping nervously on the table. Steve's expression was full of hurt. "You think they never cared?" Percy whispered. "I know they cared, as certain as I am that my father cared for my mother. But things change. Times change. Imagine if I died, and then you have to shoulder this alone? No, I was doing the right thing."

Wanda's hand curled into a fist. "We would never do that to you."

"You can't know that." Percy said. "They couldn't know that, either. I- I didn't tell you because… Because I don't want you to know who they are. I'm worried… I'm worried you'll become them."

"That's not a good enough reason. Percy, we're not like them-" Steve began.

"Bianca and Nico Di Angelo, Hazel Levesque. All three are from the forties." He said to Steve. "Frank Zhang and Thalia Grace, two of the best archers I know. Sound familiar? Charles Beckendorf and Leo Valdez. If you ever saw how they acted, it's exactly like Tony, and both of them are dead. Steve, if you knew Jason you'd be best buds. You guys don't even know… Even the way Wanda does magic reminds me of Hazel." He said. He put his head in his hands.

"You're trying to connect us, Percy. It's all in your head." Tony said.

All in your head…

James could see the realization dawning on Wanda's face at the exact moment the thought hit him like a ton of bricks.

James knew, to Wanda, the answers were accessible.

He put his hand up, trying to stop Wanda. "Wait!"

Too late, Wanda began to weave her fingers toward Percy. He stiffened, and his face reflected horror. In a last ditch attempt, James grabbed Wanda's shirt sleeve.

He was pulled in…

"I am Calypso."

"Bianca Di Angelo."

"Beckendorf. Not Charles."

"My name is Tyson!"

"Grover. Grover Underwood."

"Selina Beauregard."

"Who you looking at, punk?"

"Peter Johnson, is it?"

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Nico Di Angelo."

"Yo, boss!"

Hundreds of greetings, and dozens of unsaid goodbyes. Pain filtered in and out of James- No, Percy's body. His vision was a cloud of faces. Experiences. He was fighting one hundred monsters, a thousand, a million creatures that wouldn't leave him alone.

He was sitting on a beach, and a woman sat beside him. The water was too cold to swim in, if the surf lapping at his heels was any indication. The wind was whistling past his ears, and the sky was a dull, overcast grey color. Still, these two seemed to be having a good time. James/Percy looked closer at the woman he was beside. Her kindly smile was familiar, and James recognized her.

This was Mrs. Jackson.

Before he could even speak, the image was replaced. Not the woman, but everything else. The background shifted rapidly and was blurred, and James realized they were in a car now. Everything was muddled, as if they were underwater. The only thing that was clear was his emotions: Fear. Pain. Percy's entire focus and devotion was on the woman in front of him.

James didn't sense the change, but Percy did. It was some sort of animalistic instinct, and it came a moment too late. His scream echoed in his own mind. "MOM!"

There was a blinding flash of light and a boom that shattered James' eardrums. He felt weightless, but not like he was in the War Machine suit. This was violent, like being torn from the car and thrown into the air.

Then he hit the water.

...

"PERSEUS JACKSON! You're the Avenger they all talk about nowadays?" James felt like his skin was being melted off and his flesh flayed alive, and a scream erupted from his throat. It was like radiation was washing over his mind and killing him slowly. It was a long, painful, lingering death that only lasted a millisecond. This voice was of Hell himself.

'Tartarus' James thought through his scream.

"I'm coming for you, hero. And when I do, you will have wished I'd killed you the first time we met." The voice whispered evilly.

James mind suddenly went blank. His last thought wasn't his own, merely a whisper from a past voice.

"You drool when you sleep."

James sat up fast.

This vision was blurred and the harsh lighting around him made it worse. Something was shining directly in his face, so he swatted it aside. Judging by the way it gave, it was some sort of lamp.

He felt a hand being placed gently on his bicep and almost jerked it away when Tony spoke. "Take it easy, heavy hitter. You've been out of it for a few hours." A cup was placed in his hand, and James drank from it gratefully. "What did you see?" Tony asked gently.

James shook his head because he could never explain the rush of emotion he felt. He could never describe the experience that he'd just had. He could never understand what it was like to go through that and stay sane.

But now James knew someone who had.

"Where is Percy?" He asked urgently.

Tony frowned and James realized how pale his friend was. Now here he was, talking about the guy they had all treated like an enemy at the breakfast table? It wasn't right.

Unless you saw what he'd seen. Felt what he'd felt. Understood what even he couldn't begin to understand.

"Tony, I'm dropping it. Now where is Percy Jackson?"

Tony shook his head. "Not yet, okay? He's not awake, and neither is Wanda. We already decided that Percy gets to make the next speech, so wait your turn, okay?"

James shook his head, though his eyelids were already trying to close. Those… Those images were not rest, but he had to go and ask what those visions meant. "Tony, I need to…"

"Shut up and sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."

This times, James slept soundly.


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LHG :)