Hey Guys!

So, I know that I was on break. I know that I also set some goals for myself over the break, and I don't really know if any of you care or not. Skip to the end if you don't care. Anyways, just as expected, I only managed one goal against the other three I set for myself. Sadly, no girlfriend, but I gave it my best shot. No good grades, no progress in my own book, but I did finish three new book series, of which I will update my Bio with. I worked a lot, went to school, wrote a bit, etc. Again, as previously stated I have a new story that is in the works, PJO of course. I'll be posting that soon.

Okay, read now if you wanted to skip before.

Been working hard on this story, but some of the perspective fell flat. At least, to me it did. I started going a little harder on myself a few weeks ago, simply because I know I can do better. I'm throwing myself into these stories with everything I've got, and I'm so glad that I have so much accomplished already. Of course, this all goes out to you guys. After all, without anyone to read the story, how do I get any better? Seriously, I strive to get better as a writer, and as a person, because of you guys. Thank you so much for all the support and love you give this story, and I really want to figure out a way to show how much it means to me. Hence, this early update.

I will not be updating this regularly, mostly because I want to fix any mistakes in grammar that I make. That has shown to be a serious problem for me, and I want to thank everyone in the reviews for telling me. Seriously, thank you.

If any of you haven't started reading Fall of the Nine Realms on the PJO/Avengers page, do it. I haven't come across a good fanfic in a while, and 100th Century is a long time follower and reviewer of this story. Mind you, if we're going to hit that record of 1k reviews, we're gonna have to kick it up a notch. Tell me what you like and don't like. Tell me what you'd like to see, because you all have such great ideas! Every last one of you can contribute, and in doing so this story takes on a new layer of meaning. Cooperation between followers and writers.

And guys...

We just hit 100,000 words.

This is officially longer than anything else I've ever written. That's really important to me. I'm so thankful you could all be here to see this.

Anyways, I can't really think of anything else to write here, so plz, enjoy this early chapter!

Disclaimer: I am not Rick or Marvel.


Steve:

Steve had a past when it came to girlfriends.

… Namely one. Okay, really just Peggy. Even then, he couldn't say they were what anyone would call exclusive. They rarely saw one another outside of the war rooms that MI6 had in London, and they really only ever kissed once. No… Fondue. Nothing like that.

But he liked to think he knew a thing about love, because that's what they had. No question in his mind, she was the type of gal he would've wanted to settle down with. They had that running promise about going dancing, but they knew that was just a code word. A phrase for something much, much bigger. Bigger than that little guy in Brooklyn could've dreamed from a dame like her.

They were a match, true as Bucky would've been his best man. Steve had felt something special from her, and although they would've been perfect, they weren't made to be.

When he'd figured out she was alive and well, living up in DC, he'd been adamant on avoiding her. Not due to some high school-esque drama, but because he'd only be hurt worse. She'd consume him, drive him crazy with worry and feelings of inadequacy.

He'd left her in the 40's. No if's, and's or but's about it, he'd had to put the Hydra bomber into the water if they were to survive. He'd given up on them, not her. When he learned she had married and had kids… he'd let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. She'd moved on. She'd found love and lived a long, fulfilling life. It hurt that he wasn't a part of it, but he was overjoyed to know it'd happened.

He loved her. He loved her enough to let her go. When he'd finally given in and visited her, he'd felt a piece of him break away. He felt his heart plummet into his stomach and wanted to give up. No more Avengers, no more SHIELD, no more confusing past loves. But he made a commitment to Bucky now. He was going to save his best friend.

Steve didn't have as much experience with getting women, like Stark was know for before Pepper, but he had found true love. It was the same reason he moved on; she would've wanted him to. She'd just always have a piece of his heart.

Steve understood Percy was the same way, if not more so.

You don't fall into Hell for just anybody, and even Steve knew that. You don't just give up on a girl if you love her. You don't just stop dating after any old breakup.

Steve understood.

Steve understood Percy was irreparably in love with Annabeth Chase. As sure as he was still in love with Peggy Carter.

Steve had heard the name in passing. Clint let it slip she was an ex when he'd had one too many drinks, but Steve had respected Percy's privacy. He figured if Percy wanted to discuss ex's, he'd do it on his time.

The way he spoke about her when Percy had first discussed demigods was very fond, and the sense of sadness he possessed was understandable, coming from him. Percy had a way of loyalty about him, and it tended to get him into trouble. Even, apparently, enough trouble to be banished by gods.

Then, it was the way that he avoided talking about her. Steve had half a mind to think that Annabeth was dead, but Percy had said she was alive. Steve assumed that Percy didn't want anything to do with her, and that was fine by him, too.

Now, Steve knew better. Steve had seen them in the same room and felt the tension that his friend possessed. He'd spotted the shame on her face, and the embarrassment on his. The confusion, the anger, the void that stuck out of Percy and started sucking different things in around him. Steve wondered what might happen if that void, that emptiness Percy seemed to possess, had found Annabeth? If it had latched on?

Steve had seen Percy endure some nasty interrogations before, and not once had Percy broken. Now? Steve was sure, as he watched Jarvis's security feed over and over again, that Annabeth Chase had coaxed information out of him that no one had ever heard outside of the close knit Avenger family.

He was in his own room sitting at his desk, sifting through each holographic, HD detail, trying to find anything that might give him an edge against this girl. A pattern, a weakness, a flaw… he wanted to find something wrong with her. He wanted to know if what she was saying was true.

He'd visited Rhodes with Tony before coming back to his room, keeping the guy up to date. He had been getting better, but he seemed to relapse every few days, going back to his bed and picking up where he left off in whatever book he was reading. Steve had seen how the layout of the book's printing had changed, and still the fact the man was now dyslexic was hard to believe. He seemed so calm… even when they explained Annabeth to him. He'd simply grunted, but didn't ask too many questions.

Steve had passed by Percy's room and heard the interrogation on the other side. His curiosity was instantly raised beyond the point of restlessness. He needed answers to questions Percy might not fully be able to understand, and unprepared to answer.

He searched the videos relentlessly, but eventually threw his head back in defeat as the screens flickered out. It's not that he hadn't found a weakness, the problem was much more complicated.

They shared a weakness.

His name was Perseus Jackson.

If Steve tried to use that against her, he'd just as easily be turned around. He wasn't going to let this dictate his next decision. He needed a playbook that this girl hadn't read.

He reviewed the interrogation, but again came up blank. If anything, his hopes of finding a weakness were slowly fading to nothing. All he had was the Jackson Hail Mary.

But was it right?

Steve stood from his chair and started making his way to the door. Towards Percy's room.

If anything was right, it was finding a way to reverse the process Percy claims she'd started. Steve wasn't losing another friend. Steve needed Percy on his side.

Tony:

He'd debated longer than twenty minutes, so he figured his methods would be sound.

He'd watched this Annabeth chick charm Percy like a snake, getting close enough to touch him. Tony had seen Percy take out enemies ten times his size at that range, but this girl… Oh, this girl was special. Percy, the guy that had given Cap a run for his money when it came to not dating, was smitten by this one.

He'd watched the interrogation, and when that was over he managed to find all sorts of information through National Security Databases. She was an overachieving, work-driven, obsessive-compulsive know-it-all, and really Tony couldn't see why he might've fallen for someone like her.

But hey, he was with Pepper Potts. He didn't have much room to talk.

"Jarvis, bring up the live feed from Percy's room." He asked, flicking all the other screens away. His workshop was grey and dull, the overhead lighting turned off. Ever since Banner had gone AWOL, his tinkering had gone back to being a therapy. He didn't have his science bro to help him with (potentially emotional resulting) experiments and designs. Pepper had to pull him out of the shop some days just to get him to eat something. Now, The only way he could see was the screen before him, displaying what he'd asked for. Jarvis was silent, as if understanding the anticipation building.

He told everyone about these cameras, but he never really looked through them. It's not like he wanted to see Vision staring blankly towards the ceiling as he 'recharged' or Sam watching more reruns of How I Met Your Mother. Recently, he'd find himself looking into Rhodey's room to check up on him, but mostly he shied away from those cameras. Him. Tony Stark. They even had honor rules: they could see who was looking into whose rooms.

Unless you designed the system, of course.

He hadn't even gotten a good look of the room before he saw the name in the bottom left corner appear. Tony had to raise an eyebrow at this one, because really, he hadn't seen this one coming. ROGERS_CAPSICLE.

Tony checked the time of entry, and his brow raised further. Twenty whole minutes going through footage. Tony wondered what they guy was looking for.

He went through the interview himself, trying to find anything but only understood this girl was as boss as Percy was, but scary. Even without assassin training she looked like she could give Fury a run for his money.

"Live feed." He requested in a whisper, not wanting to break the silence. She was still in the room, standing over by the corner, browsing through the extensive pictures Percy had put up on the wall. Her back was to him, but Tony could tell she was looking for something. Something in particular.

Tony was stuck staring at her, analyzing her. Trying out of sheer will to extract whatever information he could get from her. Percy liked this one- probably even loved her. It was a side of Percy Tony never saw: the romantic side. He almost, almost wanted to see how it could possibly play out if Percy was the next one to go see her while he watched.

But the name in the lower left of the screen flickered away, indicating that Steve had gotten off. Tony didn't have to be a mind reader to know where the guy was going.

He left his shop in the dark, sprinting towards the door. If he was lucky, he could catch up to Steve.

Steve:

He was outside the door, but couldn't decide what to do.

His fist hovered over the surface, not dating to make contact until his own head was in the game. He needed to know what he could be getting into, and his knowledge on this girl was limited. He didn't have files on her, didn't have access- he was going in blind.

To think, he'd been just as indecisive a few weeks ago, trying to knock on this same door. He chuckled at the thought.

Finally, Steve decided that it was a bad sign that he couldn't stand still. He forced himself to sit down in the chair beside the door, until a better plan could be conceived.

The elevator at the end of the hall opened, and Steve had to hold back a sigh.

Stark was in another band shirt and jeans, moving closer towards Steve. When their eyes connected, Tony gave a little half wave of acknowledgement, but offered no other greeting. His eyes seemed fixated on what vexed Steve: that stupid door.

As if it was any guess what Tony was doing. Steve knew Stark was smart, more than Howard was, really. If anything, Steve knew that if Tony was going to interrogate Annabeth directly, then he had had the right idea as well.

Tony stopped in front of the door, then switched his gaze to Steve, then back to the door. He pointed at it, eyeing Steve again.

"So, what's the gameplan, Rogers?"

Steve blinked, unsure what to say. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I don't have one." He admitted, looking down at his feet.

Tony just grunted, stepping closer until Steve could see his sneakers in front of him. He felt a light tapping on his shoulder, and took that as his cue to stand. Tony was easy to read, that way. When they were eye level, Tony looked Steve in the eye. "Neither do I." He said, as if it were the most simplistic answer he could give. Expected, even. Coming from Tony, Steve wasn't all that surprised. "But I have a few questions I want answered, and supposedly she can give them to us." He said.

Steve took a moment to think this through. Percy might never forgive them for this…

But Steve had been building this kid up for too long just to see him come crashing down now. He nodded, going along with Tony. "Ten minutes. Ten minutes to find a solution and if we don't, we walk out and make a new game plan."

It actually made him shiver, when Tony agreed. After all, when they did work together, they were nearly unstoppable. Tony put his hands on the doorknob, opening it wide and gesturing to Steve. "Age before beauty, Captain."

Steve rolled his eyes, but entered first anyways. Grey eyes met his blue ones, and Steve nearly paused in his step. 'This is going to be tough.'


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