Chapter 8: Sassy Stark vs. Sword Girl and Dragon Boy
"Sir, Hazel Levesque was just spotted walking near Columbus Park heading South East." The announcement from F.R.I.D.A.Y. woke Tony up from his trance as he worked over a new design on improving the Stark Reactor. He stretched, cracking his back, and checked his watch. 1:30 in the morning. Jeez this kid must be a night owl. "She is accompanied by an unknown teenaged boy. Would you like me to commence a facial scan?"
"Go for it Fri. Though if he's with our little mystery girl, I doubt anything will show up." Tony whipped out his phone and typed out a message to Steve. 'Wake up old man. Your sword wielder is making her way towards the North end of the Manhattan Bridge. I'll go and stall for you before she can pull another disappearing act.' Tucking his phone into his pocket, he made his way through the tower, all while still speaking to F.R.I.D.A.Y.. "Get the suit ready for me on the landing pad. It's time to fly."
In a matter of minutes he was in his Iron Man suit, flying over Manhattan looking for two teenagers.
He received a confirmation text from Steve that he was speeding over in that direction. F.R.I.D.A.Y. also confirmed his suspicions about the other kid. He wasn't in any system. Of course that just meant he hadn't gotten into any previous trouble. Or caught for that matter.
For a while he thought that he had missed them, that she had yet again vanished. Then he was able to make out their forms through his interface. Time for some answers.
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Hazel blushed as Frank reached down to take her hand. They had been dating for awhile now, and yet it still made her flustered whenever he showed his love. The butterflies in her stomach would start to flutter, her cheeks would flush, and she would sometimes stammer her words. Honestly Frank wasn't much better. Their friends always teased them and joked about their 'innocence and purity.' They had gotten much more comfortable around each other since, but old habits die hard and it doesn't help that they both found the other just so darn cute.
"I'm glad we decided to walk," Frank said with a small smile. "It's been awhile since we just had the time to do nothing but talk and spend quality time together." The second the words were out of his mouth, both Hazel and he winced. "Crap, did I just…"
"Yup," she interrupted. "You totally just jinxed us. Expect a monster attack sometime soon," she deadpanned.
Frank smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head with the hand that was not currently holding on to Hazel's. "Maybe it won't…"
She cut him off again, this time standing on her tiptoes in order to reach up and clamp a hand over his mouth. "Stop Frank, you're just making it worse." He blushed from behind her hand and shrugged helplessly. She sighed but took her hand away. She new he was just trying to help, but the damage was already done. The wound was already made and Frank was just irritating it by trying to fix it.
She gripped his hand tighter and checked their surroundings. Frank did the same. They studied each and every shadow and corner. After a moment they both relaxed. Neither saw anything so they believed they were safe for now.
"Come on," she tugged him forward. "We should probably make tracks for Camp Halfblood. No need to tempt the Fates anymore than we already have. Let's find a big, open space for you to change."
"What about the mortals?" Frank cocked his head, looking very much like a big, confused puppy.
Hazel loved that look. She grinned and held up her hand as if she was about to snap. "You have your talents and I have mine, remember?"
Frank groaned and rested his forehead on her shoulder. "It's like two in the morning and I've been flying all day. Then we partied at Percy's for hours. Cut me some slack will ya?"
She just giggled and patted his head adoringly. "There there. Think you can handle a quick flight to camp?" He nodded sleepily and stood back up straight. "Great. I think I see a place up ahead."
They crossed the street, all the while checking for signs of monsters. They ended up at in front of a huge, abstract fountain. The thing looked like a black monolith, yet somehow it was beautiful. A few night owls and party goers mingled around. Several couples were embracing and gazing into the fountain. A sign announced that they were at a place called Foley Square. It was beautiful at night and a bit, dare she say, romantic.
"This is probably as good as we can get." It wasn't quite as large a space as she was hoping, but Hazel didn't want to be on the streets any later than they had to. She turned to her tired boyfriend and couldn't help but lean up to place a quick peck on his lips, blushing while doing so.
Frank blinked Owlishly, looking dazed but a bit more present. "What was that for?"
She giggled. "You looked like you needed to wake up and what better way than a kiss?" Then she looked down in mild guilt. "Plus it was to thank you for carrying me around on your back all day."
Frank grinned, tiredness momentarily forgotten, and stared adoringly into her eyes. The surrounding tall buildings cast a warm and romantic light onto her dark skin from their windows. In their light she glowed like the jewels and gold she controlled. His heart skipped a beat or two and he decided to return the favor. Bending down, he kissed her sweetly, wrapping his arms around her. Embracing, they felt safe and warm. Of course, in proper demigod fashion, that was when the jinx kicked in.
It started as a distant and barely noticable hum, steadily growing until it was almost directly above them. That was when Frank and Hazel realized their mistake. They had been looking at the ground for threats and had forgotten to look to the sky. A rookie mistake that could get them killed.
They sprung apart, each crouching into a ready stance. Hazel's hand hovered over her trusty Spatha that hung at her waist, the mist clung to it in order to make it unnoticeable. Frank's spear was still in his backpack that held all of the stuff they needed for the night. Hazel would have to take point until he could get an opportunity to take his weapon out. The start of a plan formulated (she was sure Frank was on the same page, they had fought so many times together that they could read each other well) she took in her attacker and stopped, stunned. It wasn't a monster, or at least she didn't think it was, but a robot. This one was much more human shaped than the last ones she had dealt with. It wasn't until it spoke that she realized it wasn't a robot at all.
"Well aren't you two kids just adorable." Stark smirked from behind his mask. He was hovering fifteen feet above the two lovebirds. Their reaction time had been quite impressive and the girl had her right hand hovering over her left side, as if to reach for a, oh I don't know, maybe a magical sword? "No really don't let me interrupt you. By all means continue."
The boy, who in Tony's opinion was far too buff for his age, straightened up into a parade position and smiled kindly, yet suspiciously, at Tony. He had a false air of calm around him. "Sorry, but may we help you sir?"
Tony decided to give his thrusters a break and landed directly in front of them, taking note of the way they tensed up, as if expecting an attack. That would only be a last resort. For now Tony was just going to do what he does best: talk. "Actually there is. You see I, Tony Stark, though you obviously already know who I am, am promoting some new products for my company and wanted to ask some teenagers, such as yourselves, for your opinions." As he spoke, he had F.R.I.D.A.Y. update Steve on their position.
Frank gave a large grin, pretending to believe this strange man named Tony as he began to ask nonsensical questions about something called a Stark phone and whether or not it was 'just the right amount of cool, or if it needed some extra awesomeness thrown in.' For now he would wait for the man to make his move. Something about him tickled Frank's memory. He could've sworn leo had shown him a video of this man in armour a couple of months ago. However, Frank had completely zoned out during Leo's rant about technology and how it was made. He was feeling like he was going to regret that.
Seeing that it was just a mortal in a metal suit, Hazel too, relaxed a bit. Not completely though. Mortals can be highly unpredictable, and this one was lying through his teeth. There was no way he was just here to ask about his business. As Frank made up fake opinions and pretended to care, distracting the metal man, Hazel scanned their surroundings, determined not to be caught unawares again. It appeared that they were causing a scene. All of the mortals that had been in the park, and some who were just walking by, were watching, several even taking out their phones. That wasn't good. The last thing they needed were monsters being attracted by the signals and adding to the chaos.
Before Hazel could think of anything, Tony noticed her checking her surroundings. Smart, he thought. She was letting her buff boytoy focus on him, while she made sure no one was sneaking up on them. It made him frown though. Someone her age, he was guessing around 14 or 15, shouldn't be so aware of their surroundings. "What about you, kid?"
She turned her head quickly to focus on him. Her cute face scrunched in confusion. "I'm sorry what was your question?"
"Oh I was just wondering what you thought about the new Stark phone. Don't worry, we value everyone's opinion, even if they aren't complimentary." To his shock she actually blushed. Oh gosh she was so cute. Like a little kitten. No wonder Cap remembered her.
"I uh, actually have never used a cell phone before, Sir."
Tony Stark could not believe it. A teenager, in this day and age of technology, didn't have a cell phone. Was the world ending? Surely this was a sign of the apocalypse. He lifted up his face mask just so Hazel could see the shock and disbelief on his face. "You're kidding right?"
If anything her blush grew. "Afraid not Mr. Stark, Sir." Her New Orlean's accent coming through strong.
Tony readjusted his face back into one of perfect aloofness. "Well I guess it only makes sense." He stared deep into her golden eyes. "After all, you're not from this time, are you Hazel Levesque?"
Hazel's eyes shot open wide with shock, confirming his suspicion. The already strained atmosphere suddenly became downright deadly. Frank moved protectively in front of his girlfriend. "How do you know who she is," he snarled, letting out an animalistic growl. No mortal was supposed to know who she was. There were no current records of her to be found.
Tony held up his hands in a sign of surrender. "Woah there, down boy. Relax, I'm not here to fight. Take a breath, in and out, all that jazz."
The bystanders who had pretty much been forgotten up till now started murmuring. They had seemed to sense the tension rising and were looking on in extreme interest. Many of them were now filming the encounter as Iron Man seemed to be confronting these teenagers. That's not good, thought Hazel. If they needed to fight they couldn't do it in front of mortals. That was probably why this Tony Stark had picked to approach them here. Too many witnesses to afford to make a scene.
Making up her mind she made eye contact with Frank and nodded. He stepped fully in front of her, shielding her from Tony's eyes, and allowing her to work her magic. She focused on the surrounding mortals and snapped her fingers. She couldn't do anything too flashy, but she could weave the Mist and shadows to unsettle the Mortals. While nothing changed visual, a sense of fear swept through the mortals, weaving into their thoughts. Nico had been teaching her how to induce fear. It came with being a child of the Underworld. Working alongside the Mist, her abilities were potent enough to chase away all of the unwanted onlookers. The mortals didn't stick around, their guts telling them to leave immediately, that nothing but death and danger awaited them here. She might have made it a bit too strong however. Several cars almost crashed as their drivers swerved to turn onto different streets. Now all of the surrounding streets and sidewalks were cleared, including where they stood by the fountain.
"What did you just do?" snapped Tony. He hadn't missed the suddenness of the civilians leaving. He had also felt the fear wash over him. He had stayed though. He had felt worse. It didn't mean he liked the feeling though. Quite the opposite. It made his hair stand on edge and his instincts screamed at him to flee or fight.
Hazel stepped out from behind Frank, back into Tony's line of sight. "I got rid of the civilians. Now we can talk without fear of interruptions. Besides, the last thing I want is anyone getting hurt should a fight break out," she finished grimly. Frank let his backpack slide off of his back, freeing himself some more incase just that should happen.
Tony looked on stoney faced. She hadn't been lying when she said she didn't want anyone to be hurt, he observed. They were preparing themselves for a fight. He really didn't want to fight a little girl, but it seemed to be heading that way. Tony was never good at being diplomatic.
Hazel stripped her Spatha of the Mist, unsheathed it, and pointed it straight at Tony. Frank just folded his arms and stood to the side, strategizing. He would let Hazel take charge and only intervene if he was needed. This was her fight. Besides, he doubted this Tony Stark would stand much chance against the small daughter of Pluto. "Now tell me, how do you know my name and that I am not from this time?"
"Jeez kid, didn't anyone ever tell you not to play with sharp objects?"
She didn't find that amusing at all. Hazel gripped her sword tighter to stop it from shaking and gold coins started to pop out of the ground around her, a sign that she was trully losing her control over her emotions and powers. "Answer my question, before I drive my sword right through the metal covering your chest." She chose not to mention that her sword wouldn't actually hurt him.
"Alright, alright. No need for violence here. By the way the whole thing with the gold coming from the ground is way cool. An epic show of power in order to intimidate others. Luckily I'm not very easily intimidated. Anyways, to answer your question, a certain Captain who also happens to be out of time told me about you." Hazel stood, shocked, and not just from how fast the man had spoken, seeming to ramble when nervous. She couldn't believe that that fight with the robot was already coming back to bite her. Hazel had thought she would have had more time than this. Frank just frowned in confusion. Someone else from her past? He had never heard her mention any Captain before.
"In fact, truth be told, I've just been stalling until he got here." The sound of a motorcycle engine that had previously gone unnoticed cut through the night and empty streets. It grew louder as it rounded the street corner. Tony had gotten an alert from F.R.I.D.A.Y. moments before that Steve was almost there, so he had timed it just right to throw the youngsters off. All eyes were on Captain Rogers as he came into view, riding in on a dark motorcycle. He pulled it over and launched himself off of the bike. It appeared Tony's strategy had worked because both seemed a little bit off balance with a second arrival. "And oh would you look at that, here he is."
Frank hastily reached for his bag, deciding now was the time to intervene, but Tony fired up his repulsors and pointed one straight at him. "I wouldn't do that kid." He just got another growl in response. This one sounding even more animalistic than the last.
Much to his surprise, Hazel placed a calming hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. "It's all right Frank. Captain Rogers is a good man." She glared at Tony. "He won't do anything to hurt us unless we attack first." Frank trusted her logic, even if he didn't exactly trust this new comer yet.
Steve easily hurdled a barrier before reaching the fountain and coming to a standstill next to Stark, gazing at Hazel in a mixture of shock and curiosity. It was obvious he had gotten here in a hurry. His clothes were in complete disarray, his hair a wild mess, and he was panting despite the super serum that flowed through his veins. Tony realised he had probably been asleep when he had messaged him.
Silence reigned as everyone seemed to study one another, waiting for someone to make the first move, Hazel's sword still pointed at Tony's chest. Steve finally spoke first. He gave a slightly embarrassed and forced smile as he addressed the one he had been searching for. "Hazel, nice to see you again."
Tony snorted. "Nice to see you again? You had me track down this sword-toting girl just so you could say that?!"
Steve rolled his eyes. "Shut it Stark."
Frank admitted he was beginning to like this Captain Rogers. That name sounded so familiar too. He was sure he had heard it being discussed in New Rome. Something about a hero and World War II. That would explain why Mr. Stark had mentioned him being out of time, though it didn't explain how. This encounter was just confusing him more and more. The whole thing seemed to be centered around his girlfriend, that much he knew. He glanced over at Hazel to see her still frozen, her sword still pointed at Tony. He nudged her softly, bringing her back into the present, her eyes blinking rapidly. She smiled her thanks at him. The smile made his heart pound happily in his chest despite the circumstances they were currently in. Man, he was so in love.
Hazel gathered herself. She had froze seeing Captain America yet again so soon after their last encounter. She finally lowered her sword, something Tony found himself appreciating, despite his confidence that his armour could hold up under a sword blow. She shuffled from foot to foot and sheathed her spatha, suddenly feeling overly self conscious. "Hello again Captain, Sir. I'm sorry I disappeared the other day. I just wasn't quite expecting you to recognize me." She blushed before admitting, "I sort've panicked."
Frank couldn't take being in the dark anymore. He didn't like being clueless, especially not in a situation like this one. "Ok, what is going on?"
"That's the question isn't it," cut in Stark. "We have One Soldier out of time, a girl he met once several decades ago who is still alive while seeming to have hardly aged and made gold appear out of the ground, her buff boyfriend who somehow fits into all of this, and yours truly, a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist. All we need next is a punchline and a bar to walk into and we are all set."
Steve leaned in a bit closer to Hazel. "He's always like this," he stage whispered.
She giggled, trying to muffle it with her hand, and replied in kind. "I'm so sorry." This Tony Stark was starting to remind her of Leo.
"Hey!" Cried Stark. But he hadn't really been offended. The tension had somewhat diffused with the joke, no longer was everyone ready for a fight.
"I apologize for anything that Tony has said or done. He's not much of a people person."
"Listen, as much as I love being the butt of a joke, I came here for answers. Need I remind you you did as well?"
Hazel dropped her eyes to the ground. Taking note of the gold coins Tony had previously mentioned. Steve seemed to be taking note of them as well. Luckily none of them had tried to pick one up yet. She hadn't meant to lose control like that. It was just that, it had scared her that this stranger had seemed to know so much about her when it should've been impossible. Still she shouldn't have lost control like that.
Steve watched as Hazel seemed to be kicking herself. "Listen, Hazel. I know you and I don't really know each other all that well. This is only our third time ever meeting after all. It's probably none of my business, but I need to know," he hesitated, "how are you here? And don't bother pretending something unnatural isn't going on here. I've seen how that sword of yours changes, and now it seems you can make gold appear?"
He gestured to the gold poking up from the ground before bending down as if to pick one up. Hazel lunged forward, snatching up the one he was aiming for while shouting, "STOP!" He stepped away quickly not sure why she had just reacted that way. Hazel sighed in relief, letting her panic settle now that the crisis had been averted. "They're cursed. If you take them, something awful will happen. So please, just, keep your distance." Frank wrapped his left arm around her, pulling her close in comfort.
"I'm sorry, did you say cursed?" Tony bent down, suit creaking, in order to get a better look. Much to Hazel's relief, he didn't try to pick one up.
"Yes, sorry. I lost control of my temper a bit back there. Here, I'll get rid of them." She didn't want to show them her power, but she couldn't just risk leaving all this cursed gold lying around. Much like that one time with Nico at Camp Jupiter with the gold bar, Hazel made all of the gold coins float above the ground before pounding them back into the earth. Everyone, even Frank, jumped at the loud thuds they made upon impact. Some of them took a few tries before Hazel was satisfied with how deep the coins were.
Steve and Tony looked at her with wide eyes. That's not something you see everyday.
"Well that was a bit freaky," Tony said, cutting through the silence.
Steve would've elbowed him in the ribs had he not been wearing the suit. "Stark, cut it out. You're not helping." He looked back Hazel. She was schooling her features to appear blank, but he knew she was struggling to keep a lid on her emotions. "These powers wouldn't by any chance happen to do with how you are still here, does it?"
Hazel sighed, there was no more avoiding this. She could run, but she knew they would just hunt her down again. Besides, there weren't exactly rules against telling mortals. It was strongly discouraged, most mortals would either think you were crazy or try to take advantage of you. She decided an abridged version would do best.
She gathered herself and spoke, "Yes, it does."
"Hazel! What are you doing?!" Frank shouted.
Hazel looked up at her boyfriend. "Trust me ok?" He nodded, though still hesitant, he would always trust her.
Hazel began again as Tony and Steve waited for their answers. "I guess you could say I'm not completely human." Tony tried interrupting but she just plowed on. "My father is someone with a lot of power. When he met my mother, he fell for her. He told her he would grant any wish she had. Her wish, was to have all the riches of the earth. He cautioned her that such gift would have repercussions, but she failed to heed his warning."
A look of understanding flashed across Steve's face. "So that's why…"
She nodded. "Yes. I was conceived with the ability to call upon any precious materials that comes from the ground."
Tony whistled. "That sounds nice."
Hazel just grimaced. "You'd think so huh?" Frank moved his arm that was around her and used it to rub her back, giving her the support she needed to continue. She couldn't have asked for a better boyfriend. "My mother and I thought so too for awhile. However, every time we used the money and gold I summoned, something awful would happen to whoever took it. More often than not, it would result in their death."
Steve could hear the deep remorse in her voice. He felt sorry for her. So young and yet she had to deal with the responsibility for several deaths. "I'm sorry you had to go through that." He hoped she could hear the sincerity in his voice.
She gave a sad smile in thanks at his attempt at comfort. "Anyways, it made my mother very bitter. So bitter, that she allowed one of my father's enemies to influence her. I won't go into details, but it resulted in both of our deaths."
Both men started as if electrocuted. "Uh kid, considering you are still here, I'm gonna go with that you didn't actually die. Suspended animation maybe?" Tony leaned forward, as if studying a strange piece of mechanics. Steve nodded in numb agreement to Tony's words. Sure, he had sort've come back from the dead, but Steve had actually just been in a suspended state, frozen in that ice.
Hazel shook her head. "No, I was dead for many years. Believe me, I know the difference." She wanted to chuckle at their shocked faces. Priceless. "I mentioned earlier my father wasn't human and was very powerful. Well he also has a lot of say in the whole death process. He's not supposed to, but he turned a blind eye when I came back to life in order to live the life I should have gotten."
Frank smiled lovingly at her. He was so happy he was apart of her life. Judging from her blush and meek smile, so was she.
The cuteness of those two nearly distracted Tony from all of the questions rising up in his head. Almost. "Hold up. You died?! And then just came back?! How does that work?"
"Well obviously it wasn't that easy," she teased. "I had some help. My half brother found me while he was wandering around the underworld. He guided me out."
"Ok let's just skip over that part for now," Steve said. Tony snorted and muttered something about the life long question of life after death. Steve just ignored it. "What about you disappearing and your sword changing? That doesn't fit with the power over precious metals." She almost corrected him that she could also summon gems too, but decided it was unimportant and besides the point.
"Yeah, well the reason my mother even caught the eye of my father was the fact that she was...," she hesitated. Sure the times had changed, but would they be so accepting of her other heritage?
Steve spoke softly, as of trying not to spoil the girl. "It's alright. You can tell us."
She decided to toughen up. She had to answer all of their questions or they would just pester her nonstop. "She was a witch." it was strange saying and admitting it outloud.
Tony Stark snorted hard. "What like Harry Potter? Do you ride on a broomstick?"
Hazel didn't know what he was talking about. Thankfully Frank stepped in.
"Shut up. Those books are nothing like real magic." He looked at her proudly. "Hazel is one of the best Mist manipulators there ever was."
Steve was puzzled. "What's the Mist?"
"Making things a little misty isn't something to really brag about." Tony just couldn't resist could he?
"It's not that type of mist!" Hazel was upset with Tony Stark. He had no idea what he was talking about. "It's the veil that separates what you call normal with the supernatural. It disguises things that would fry a mortal's brain. It makes the monsters and terrible things look like nothing out of the ordinary so people like you aren't left cowering in fear." She panted a little after her rant. Then promptly blushed in embarrassment. She was doing that a lot.
Seeing Steves face flooded with worry, she chose her next words carefully. She wiped some of her tears away. "I went through some pretty horrible stuff not long after our first meeting." Steve winced a little, not liking the thought of an innocent little girl suffering when he might have been able to help. If only he had known "Much like you, I sacrificed myself to save others. Through a special set of circumstances, I was able to come back and live the life I was supposed to have. I'm afraid I can't say much more on the subject."
Frank hugged her tighter, expressing his gladness of her being there, with him. Steve saw this, realizing they must be a couple. They seemed a bit young, but their eyes said a different story. They told of pain and suffering, but mostly love. Anyone could see it. These two were very much in love. A love that wouldn't end anytime soon. But what was with that whole 'sacrificing herself' bit?
"In that case, I'm glad you're back. I'm sorry you had to suffer. And I want you to know that I am willing to help anyway I can. If you ever need my," he nudged his companions side, "Or Tony's help, we'll will be more than happy to help.
Hazel gave him a dazzling smile. He couldn't help but feel blessed to have seen it. It touched him to his core. "Thank you Mister Rogers. I'm glad you came back as well. I was already gone when your plane went down, but when I came back, it comforted me to know that you had come back as well. It made it just a bit easier to adjust." Her smile turned a bit sad. Steve wanted nothing else but to bring back the happy one. "However, I'm afraid you won't be much help when it comes to the threats posed towards us."
"Don't underestimate us kid. We are the Avengers! Earth's mightiest heros and all that jazz." He noticed their blank expressions. "Wait, tell me you haven't heard of us."
Hazel looked at Frank questioningly. He shook his head. It seemed he had no idea who they were either. It made her feel a bit better that it wasn't just her. "I'm sorry Mister Stark. We've been very busy and living in remote places. Neither of us are quite in the know as you would say."
"Well there goes my ego," said Tony. He ignored Steve's less than quite, 'good,' and decided to explain just why the Avengers were so spectacular. "The Avengers are a group of powered and talented people who protect the world. I'm Iron Man, and Steve here is Captain America. Not to brag or anything but W\we've saved the world."
Frank held Hazel tighter, remembering their own battle to save the world. Then his brain did a double take. "Hold on did you say Captain America?"
Steve nodded in affirmation. Frank thought he was about to have a heart attack. Despite being Canadian, Frank's mom was a HUGE Captain America fan. She had told stories about his exploits in WWII. While she had never told him the man's real name, Frank knew all about Captain America.
He all but shoved Hazel aside in his rush forward to shake the man's hand. "It's such an honor, Sir. I'm Frank Zhang. I've heard all about you. My mother was a huge fan. You were one of her inspirations to join the Military." Steve shook his hand numbly, noticing just how strong Frank's hand was. He hadn't expected to be jumped by the large teenager.
"Frank honey," Hazel tugged on the arm that was still pumping Captain America's. "Calm down. He's a person just like you and I. Let him be."
Frank immediately stammered out an apology. Tony cackled, the sound echoing through his suit. "Looks like you've got yourself a fanboy, Cap." Both blushed furiously at his words. Hazel joined in laughing.
Her boyfriend sulked to her side. He leaned in close to her ear. "Why didn't you tell me you knew Captain America," he whined.
Her laughter grew louder. "Because before a few weeks ago I had only met him once and we had barely spoken."
Her laughter slowly died down and she became a bit more serious. She spoke to Tony. "Back to the previous topic, While we certainly commend you on saving the planet, our enemies are numerous and very good at hiding. Much like how my sword appears as something else to you, the ones we fight can appear as normal mor… people. Plus they are rather hard to kill."
"By the way you are speaking, it sounds like they aren't human and you mentioned monsters before," Steve commented. Hazel and Frank both quickly averted their eyes. They had said too much. It didn't go unnoticed by Stark.
"Hold up. Are you saying you kids are fighting monsters?" Again no response. "Well I don't care what you say. We are helping."
"Mr. Stark, you don't...," She was cut off by Tony.
"You kids are too young to be fighting monsters! You should be worrying about homework and friends, not monsters and fighting!"
Frank chuckled darkly. "Yeah, well the Fates have a different idea of how our lives are supposed to go. I know you have good intentions, but believe me, you do not want to get involved with our fight." His eyes told the story of a hardened veteran. A hero who has been through war. Eyes that shouldn't belong to a teenager. "There is nothing you can do."
Steve pressed. "I know it doesn't concern us, but I cannot stand by while kids battle monsters. Let us help."
It irked them both that their abilities were being doubted. Hazel stood tall and spoke with authority that surprised the two adults. "We are in no way weak or inexperienced Captain. Young or not, we have been trained for years. You think you are above us because you have saved the world, well I am regretful to inform you that you are not alone in that. Both Frank and I have faced forces you cannot begin to imagine. We have battled for the fate of the Earth against foes that the myths and legends do no justice to. Forces that would look at you and scoff at your weakness."
Steve at least had the decency to look chastised although the expression that shown through the most was unbelief. Tony was mirroring his expression. It was Steve who spoke first. "I am sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like you were weak. I have seen you in action Hazel, I know better than to think that. You are strong and powerful. I have no doubt of that. What I was trying to say is that, I wish to make things easier on you. While I have no doubt you two can handle anything the world throws at you, wouldn't it be better if you had allies to assist you?"
Tony spoke next. "Is it true?" Seeing their confusion he reiterated. "Have you done the things you've said you have?" They nodded gravely, not bragging, for it was something they didn't feel deserved to be bragged about. Tony studied them under a new light. "In that case I am sorry too. Let me ask a different question. Will you let us help you in exchange for your help with supernatural problems?"
This confused Hazel. "You have problems with monsters?"
Steve nodded. "We've had some problems with magic and monsters in the past. It would be nice to have some experts on call instead of just hoping my shield will take out whatever we are fighting."
Frank caught Hazel's eye. A silent conversation passed between them. Coming to an agreement. It was Frank who spoke up. "We would be honored to ally ourselves with you. However I need to discuss this with a few people before we share any way to contact us." He was talking about Rena and Chiron. They would have to be told of this alliance and gain their approval.
"You are not alone?" Steve's question was hesitant, leaving them with a choice. Hazel made it for them.
"There are a few more of people like us," she admitted without revealing too much information. "We can't say much more than that at this moment."
Tony huffed in annoyance. He didn't like not knowing things. While their questions had been answered for the most part, it had only brought forth a whole new mass of questions. "All right when you get your answers you can find us at Avengers tower. You can't miss it."
"Thank you for understanding. I'm sorry if we got off on the wrong foot, Sir."
Tony waved dismissively. "None of that 'Sir' nonsense. Call me Tony."
That made Hazel grin. "Thank you Tony."
Frank chose that minute to speak up, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend while doing so. "Sorry, but Hazel and I can't stay any longer," he yawned. The adrenaline was gone now and his tiredness was coming back with a vengeance.
Hazel suddenly remembered herself. "I'm so sorry Frank! I forgot how tired you were." She turned to the two adults and apologised. "I'm afraid Frank is right. We need to get going." Her eyes scanned their surroundings, looking for threats. "We've stayed here far too long."
Steve frowned at the action. He still thought that teenagers shouldn't be acting like trained soldiers in enemy territory. Plus he still had so many questions to ask. "Do you two need a place to stay for the night?" he asked hopefully.
However Hazel was already shaking her head before he had finished his question. "We have a safe place to stay tonight. Then hopefully we'll be headed home."
"And home is…?" Tony pressed, hoping for another answer to one of numerous questions in his mind.
Frank glared at him. There was no way in Inferis* he would give up the location of Camp Jupiter. He'd be a failure of a Legionnaire if he did. "Somewhere far from here. Don't bother trying to find us. Many have tried, none have succeeded and made it out alive."
Tony opened his mouth the retort, but Steve stopped him. "I understand, sorry. I can't say I like it, but I respect your need for secrecy." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tattered, old coupon for a shawarma restaurant he had been saving and a pen. He hurriedly scribbled something down and handed it to Hazel. "If you ever decide you do need help, or just need to talk, this is my number. I'm willing to talk anytime of the day."
He had hoped that by giving the control over to Hazel she would feel much more willing to talk. It seemed to work. Hazel nodded shyly and tucked the defaced coupon into her pocket. "Thank you Captain Rogers. You don't know how much that means to me."
She glanced around. No other Mortals had come to this area since she had scared the first ones off. It seemed her magic was still warded them off. She hid a slightly evil smirk. Maybe she and Frank would put on a little show to their new allies. "You're up Frank."
He gave her an incredulous stare and motioned to the two Avengers standing just a few feet away. "I can't exactly, you know, change with present company, Hazel." Said Avengers furrowed their brows, trying to decipher what they were talking about.
Now she let her smirk break the surface. "Why not? No one's around. Plus, they already know you and I aren't exactly normal. They've seen what I can do, might as well prove yourself. Call it a show of trust."
Frank weighed his options in is tired head, then nodded, deciding to yet again trust his girlfriend. He shouldered his bag and then turned to the others. "I'd stand back a bit if I was you." They stepped back a good distance, or in Tony's case flew back, giving the boy some space. The next thing they knew, the buff Asian was gone, and in his place was a freaking DRAGON that made the large fountain seem small. Seriously, you couldn't make this crap up.
Both stared in shock as Hazel easily scaled the back of the boy turned beast. Her humour evident on her face as she sat comfortably between his wings. "Thanks for the offer for a ride, but I think Frank and I have that covered."
She winked and Stark began to splutter. "Wh-what?! How?!" Steve couldn't say anything. He was still far too shocked.
"If we ever need a hand, I'll be sure to let you know! See ya!" And with that the two took off into the sky. After a moment, they seemed to shimmer and, instead of seeing a dragon, they appeared as nothing more than a flock of birds.
"I guess that would be the Mist she told us about," Steve commented, finally breaking out of his stupor.
Tony flipped down his face mask. "Well, if you need me, I'll be at the tower having an existential crisis. Tell me if she or Dragon-boy ever call. I'll tell you if they show up at the Tower. Later." His repulsors fired, launching himself into the air. He hovered a few minutes, looking at the 'flock of birds' disappear into the night, before flying off into the direction of Avengers Tower.
Steve shook his head and made his way over to his hazardly parked motorcycle. Just when he thought he had answers, she made a slew of new ones flood through his brain. One thing was certain though: the future was going to become far more interesting with Hazel Levesque around.
*Inferis is Latin for the Underworld
So I broke my promise on updating. I've been horribly sick off and on for the last two months. Plus this chapter was just a nightmare to write. I must've wrote, scrapped, and rewrote this chapter at least twelve times, so if something doesn't make sense it's probably because a part got deleted. This is the end of this fic, but rest assured there is a sequel or two currently in the making ;) In it, Hazel's true heritage will be revealed and many other demigods will be introduced. I just need a small break from writing hehe. Review if you want to see anything specific or if you have any constructive criticism.
The Best Guesst: Thanks but I still feel bad lol
EmJelenKoala: All the Jinxing. You would think demigods would know better!
.rebirth: Sorry I didn't really talk about the birthday party. It wasn't really relevant to the plot except to get them back to New York. The chapter was already too long.
Dan Convery: Thank you! It makes me feel good when you guys like my work XD