CHAPT 11 - STORIES AND ROMANTICS EXPOSED
Fun Fact: The last week of school term is the most stressful thing anyone will ever go through.
On with tha story!
Percy Jackson POV
I walked back to my floor and entered my room. From there, I just took one big breathe and flopped on my bed. "Hey cuz"
"Oh my gods-" I jumped looking at Hermes who just randomly appeared lying next to me on the bed. "Dude! Seriously!"
He just chuckled and sat up. "What? I thought I'd talk a bit with you and Loki before leaving."
I rubbed my eyes, "Fine. But tell Hypnos to stop trying to pull me under."
"Done," he smirked. His eyes turned to the door before widening in delight. Following his gaze I jumped. Riptide was out in a manner of seconds, pointed at the green snake from the conference room earlier. "Wow wow! Cuz it's my favourite god of mischief,"
"Wait- that's you?" I exclaimed.
He blinked. "Every heard of the rule 'can't vote for yourself'? It's Loki."
I lowered my sword as the snake shifted into a familiar green eyes, black haired god. "My apologies Perseus," He tried for a smile. I realised then that we hadn't exactly cleared things up earlier, that was business we'd have to get to after Hermes left.
Until then ...
There were currently two fanboys trying and failing to hide their excitement for each other. I snorted, walking out of the room. "Did they just kick you out of your own room?"
"Yes Apollo. Yes they did."
Tony Stark POV
I yawned as I re read Percy's files. I had to admit, the way he got rid of those HYDRA agents was pretty amazing. I mean, he blew up his school bus, took his class for a swim, jumped from the St Louis Arc.
"Tony." I sighed as I heard Steve's voice. I was too tired for this.
"Hey Capsicle." I grinned. He just sighed.
"When was the last time you slept?"
The question caught me off guard. Last time that I- How did he know? I was certainly quiet when I worked. And I always told J to activate to double paneled glass whenever I was going to make something explode. "Um? Last night. Sleeping. Like everyone else."
"JARVIS tells me otherwise." He crossed his arms like a parent and raised his eyebrow. I did not need to be mothered by a fossil.
"Well JARVIS, is a traitor." I said as I picked up a toolbox and walked over to one of my cars. Steve followed me as I sat on a creeper and slid under the car.
"Apologies Sir but I really do care about your mental and physical well being." JARVIS tried.
"Tony you need to sleep." Steve pleaded.
"Hey hey!" I pulled out from under the car, "It's an experiment! I wanted to see how long it takes before you start hallucinating!"
"Why?" Steve's brows drew together in concern.
I shrugged. "Why not? I'm currently running on seventy hours and I think i'm starting to see imaginary movements in the corner of my eyes."
"Seventy hours?!" Steve exclaimed.
"Hey guys." Percy sat on a car, head tilted in interest.
"Steve, I'm hallucinating a Percy." I tapped his leg.
He sighed. "You're not hallucinating, he just seems to be really good at sneaking passed people."
"He is right here y'know." Percy had an annoyed look on his face.
I pulled myself up from under the car and rubbed the grease on my pants. "Actually, It'd be really awesome if you could tell me what it is you can do."
He slid down from the car and nodded. Steve intervened, "Stark you need sleep. You can worry about this later."
"Oh yeah, seventy hours right?" Percy asked. "Not too bad. Nine days is my high score, running on adrenaline and near death experiences alone."
"Nice, kid." I grinned. Steve looked like he was going to faint. "Damn Gramps, are you sure you're not the one who needs to lay down for a second?" I teased.
He ignored me. "That white streak of hair isn't from school is it?"
The grin fell from his face. "Nope." He said, popping the 'P'. "But we're getting off track." He walked towards the desk, his file was up in a hologram and he stared at it, head tilted again. I was surprised when he started swiping through it, like he had his very own at home.
He tapped something:
Perseus Jackson - Mutant
Abilities:
- Hydrokinesis (Salt water preferred)
- Earthquakes (Mild)
- Understands Equestrian animals
- Creating hurricanes
"Anything else to add?" I asked. It was already impressive, but his connection with the water ... it seemed like there was more to it.
He shifted on his feet. "Well, I can talk with marine animals as well."
"No freaking way." Clint hopped down from the vents and grinned. "You can talk to the Giant Squid?"
He blinked. "Well yes. I have had a conversation with one-"
"Wait wait. Is the Kraken real?" Clint had his hands on the boys shoulders at this point.
"Um. I haven't met him ..."
"That would've been so cool." Clint let him go and sat at the desk, typing in the added detail. "Anything else?"
"Anyone else notice that sudden mood swing?" I pointed out, Barton just grinned at me. "Fine, please continue Fish Whisperer."
"Fish-?"
"We all got a ridiculous name don't worry. I'm Katniss." I grinned at that.
"Yeah just means your apart of the team." I smiled innocently.
"Whatever you say Goatee-locks." he shrugged. Steve chuckled as I touched my goatee.
Percy grabbed a cup of water and a knife. "What're you doing?" I asked him as he held the knife.
He stared me right in the eyes and simply said "Cutting my palm." then proceeded to do exactly that.
"Kid!-"
He waved his hand at me like it was nothing and then poured the cup of water on it. All three of us watched as the wound stopped bleeding and sealed. It looked like the knife never even touched the skin.
I gapped with Steve as Barton added it to the list.
"I've also walked on water, created air bubbles under the water, controlled boats that need at least several people and sprouted coordinates in the middle of the ocean without knowing what they even mean."
I paused on the last two. "When you control the boats is it, you tell it what to do and it listens or your able to just know what to do?"
He thought for a moment. "Well... both actually, it's like muscle memory even though I've never done anything, and I don't even have to speak, I can just will it to happen."
I nodded. "And with the coordinates? How do you just speak it?"
"The first time it happened I was on a boat with my - friend," I watched the spy's eyes narrow slightly at the space in the sentence. "She asked where we were. It was rhetorical but I just word vomited the coordinates. I was never taught how to work them out I just knew it. I guess I just need to concentrate."
"Remind me to never go on a boat without you." Clint laughed.
"Same with me. You being able to do that is just awesome." Percy just grinned at me.
"Can you breathe underwater?" Steve asked.
"I swear I've already said that." Percy frowned. Clint snorted and put it down. "No i'm serious. Didn't I already say that?"
"You have now." Rogers smiled. "Is that all?"
"Pretty sure, yeah." Was all he said. "I'm hungry. Anyone else hungry? I'm gonna go make us some food."
"Sir. The lawyer is still here." JARVIS informed me.
"What? Why is he-"
"Don't worry he's not snooping the place out he's just in my room, fangirling with Loki." Was all Percy said before disappearing through the door.
We all exchanged looks before scrambling after him. "What do you mean?" Steve asked.
"H is like Loki's number one fan. Absolutely adores mischief." He said.
"What does the H in his name stand for?" I asked.
He looked over his shoulder and stared at me for a second before answering. "Hermes."
"Like the greek god of mischief?" I laughed. "loves mischief, Loki's his idol and he shares the same name as him. Can it get anymore accurate."
Percy just snorted. "He doesn't idolize Loki. He just fanboys over him. Maybe slightly loves him, i don't know."
Steve spluttered at the love part and I just patted his back at his red face.
We continued our conversation in the kitchen. Percy grabbed a variety of ingredients i didn't even know existed from the fridge and wasted no time cooking.
"So." Steve started. "Can I ask about the white streak yet?"
Percy visibly cringed. "Well, you know a bit about the life I live, can you imagine the stress levels involved?" I would think Banner would share the same feelings.
My voice was soft when I said "You look like you've been holding a lot of responsibilities and trauma on those shoulders kid. I just want you to know that everyone here has their own trauma. I'm not saying that you need to tell us. Some have and others haven't, but we all take comfort in knowing that we're not alone in this."
Clint looked down and Steve's eyes seemed to match his age, I didn't know what I looked like but a wild guess told me it wasn't great. Percy paused for a second before continuing his movements. He turned around with a thin lipped smile and nodded.
Clint cleared his throat and grinned. "So. This ... friend, that went sailing with you? Is she really a friend?"
Percy gave him an exasperated look and turned back around with a bottle of blue food dye. "She's my fiance and her name is Annabeth."
"I regret not asking before but how did you guys get engaged?" I asked. "I need this story."
Percy laughed. "Okay. Well we've known eachother since we were twelve but got together on my sixteenth birthday. Our friends threw us into a lake." He laughed.
"Tell me you guys kissed underwater." Clint sat forwards. Percy nodded. "Oh that's amazing."
"So anyways, we'd been together for a year -holding fast- Hell itself trying to drive us apart and failing. Because we're" He paused. "mutants. Sorry, I forgot you guys knew. Anyways, because we're mutants we don't exactly expect to live long, people experimenting on us, hunting us, etcetera. So I thought, why not take this relationship to the next level. The only problem was, I couldn't get her mother's blessing and I didn't want to do anything until I got it.
"Turns out I didn't even need to. Annabeth had gotten both my parents blessings and took me on a walk through an apple orchid. From which she plucked an apple down from one of the trees and threw it at me. I caught it and when I looked back, Annabeth had the ring out." He laughed again, you hugest smile on his face. "It was one of the greatest days of my life."
"That's so romantic." Clint sighed.
"Didn't take you as a romance lover." I smirked.
He glared at me. "Turning my hearing aids down."
"Hey. Don't back out of this. I want to know exactly what you've watched Mr. Romantic." I jumped at him.
He said a bit too loudly, "I'm seeing this." He made a chatting gesture with his hands. "But I'm hearing this." His hands stilled.
I rolled my eyes and turned back to the table where Percy was putting the blue? food into the oven. "We'll have it in an hour." He said.
"What exactly are we having in an hour?" Steve asked.
"Shepherd's Pie." He smiled.
"Never had it." Clint shrugged, obviously having turned his hearing aids back up.
Percy's mouth dropped open. "You have no idea what you've missed all your life. It's amazing!"
This line break is reminding you not to mess with anyone carrying a blue hairbrush.
An hour later everyone else (minus Hermes who Loki told Percy, left) had joined the conversation - lured in from the delicious smell.
"Natasha can you get the plates out?" Percy asked. "Tony can get the glasses and Bruce cutlery. Oh and do we have placemats?" Clint nodded. "Cool. Can you get those out too?"
Everyone continued talking and after doing their part sat down at the table. The last one there was Percy, who placed a blue shepherds pie in a casserole dish on the table.
"Mind telling us why everything you eat has to be blue?" I asked.
"Nope." He smirked.
"He looks so tired." Apollo remarked.
Everyone laughed as Hermes appeared.
"Stab Loki." Ares grinned.
"Don't stab Loki." Athena frowned
"You can't vote for yourself?!" Apollo exclaimed. "Who else am I supposed to vote for?"
Aphrodite gasped. "Those two are perfect for each other!"
Artemis angled her head. "I don't see it ..."
"Of course you don't. Your a maiden goddess." The goddess rolled her eyes.
"Did they just kick you out of your own room?" Apollo blinked.
"Yes Apollo. Yes they did."
"So where exactly are you going then?" Poseidon asked.
"JARVIS, where is everyone?"
"Bruce and Natasha are in the lab, Thor is in the kitchen eating poptarts, Clint is in the vents, no doubt setting up tricks for the rest of the team, Tony and Steve are arguing in the garage and have, unfortunately brought me into it, and Loki and Hermes are in your room, as you already know.
"Thanks J." He said.
"Oh! Go to the garage. I want to see more of my favourite mechanic!" Hephaestus grinned.
Percy laughed. "Sounds cool with me."
This line break is telling you to help any Guinea Pig you find ... You never know.
The Olympians watched as Percy quietly slunk behind the distressed Super Soldier. And chuckled when he caught them off guard.
"Um excuse me." Apollo looked distraught. "How many days did you say you went without sleep young man?"
"Oh did you hear nine? I meant none."
"No you didn't when was this?"
"...Tartarus..." Everyone went silent.
"How dare he not let you sleep. Sleep is a very important part of health and he dares to take it away from you!?" He was getting worked up, he knew that, but it was health.
Artemis stared at her brother in plane amusement.
As Percy walked up to the hologram, Hephaestus guided him in what to do.
"Anything else to add?"
"Heaps." Poseidon smiled. "And heaps that he doesn't know about."
They watched in amusement as the list grew bigger.
"'Goatee-locks' Really?" Hades snorted.
"I saw a goatee and that was the first thing that entered my mind. You know how it is."
"Excuses excuses nephew."
"Must you slice your palm to prove your point?" Athena sighed.
"Yes." Ares smiled giddily. "Yes he does."
"The inventor has quite the interrogation going on there." Hephaestus smirked.
"I know a bright mind when I see one." Athena smiled.
"I thought he said the whole breathing underwater thing as well." Dionysus frowned.
"No he didn't." Aphrodite waved him off.
"Did someone say food?" Demeter perked up.
"The computer just dobbed on Hermes." Apollo laughed. "I wonder if that guys being turned to stone as well."
"Look at them go!" Artemis laughed as they scrambled after Percy "She's a runner shes a trackstar!"
"So do I tell him his name is Hermes or..?"
"Your a horrid liar anyways." Apollo smiled. "The truth is always easier." He hesitated. "Name only though, please."
Artemis snorted.
"He held up the sky, it started fading but then he decided to jump into Tartarus." Ares rolled his eyes.
"For love!" Aphrodite exclaimed giggling.
"What are you planning on making?" Demeter asked.
"Shepherd's pie."
Her eyes grew wide. "That fridge won't have the ingredients dear boy, let me help with that."
"Thanks Dem."
They were quiet as they listened to Stark. Poseidon smiled, they may not be demigods but they were able to understand to a point.
"We get to hear the engagement story again." Aphrodite leaned forward causing a waft of perfume to fling into the opposite person's face, which happened to be Dionysus.
"I can't smell anything but that disgusting perfume." He wrinkled his nose.
Athena's face grew more agitated during the story. She refused to admit that she was even slightly happy that the demigod wanted her 'okay' before asking the big question.
"The archer seems to be the most glued to the story." Hera watched in amusement.
"I wish I could avoid conversations by just, not hearing anything." Hades sighed as Demeter glared at him, ready for another full blown argument about her daughter. He smiled, "Oh wait, I'm a god."
"He's never had shepherds pie?!" Demeter shouted. "Who were his parents to be so cruel?"
"If it helps, he's getting it now." Hera remarked.
Hestia smiled at the way everyone set the table.
Like a family.
I'm just gonna say it.
I'm lazy.
And I've also had a social life.
And a school dominated life.
But Covid put us in lockdown for two weeks (ON THE FIRST DAY OF HOLIDAYS). So I now have the time.
And I gave you guys an extra long chapter. SO you have to forgive me.
Votes would be appreciated.
- Addi :))))))
