AN: Hey guys, guess who's back? Me! I'm still alive. Barely. As promised, I have taken down the Authors Note and replaced it with a chapter. For all those who commented that they needed/wanted/were waiting on an update, here it is. For those that said "We know life is tough. It's not your fault." "Just relax and don't push yourself." or "No matter how long it takes, I will watch for an update." You guys made my day every time I read your reviews. I'm not even going to try to explain why I was gone for so long. You guys would just roll your eyes and be mad at me. My few words on why I was gone? High school, homework, writers block, life, family, funeral, BUSY! Get what you need from that. Again, no beta, just me. I wrote this when I should have been doing homework (that's over due, because of the funeral...) so shhhh! This chapter is really confusing with time lines, so I've done my best to explain, but if not, PM me or drop me a review and I'll explain.
This chappie is for all those reviews who were so supportive!
Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or the Avengers.
Earlier that day
Natasha groaned in frustration. She sat on a chair amidst anything anyone could ever want to examine something. Several computers sat around the room, along with microscopes and anything else she could want.
"Found anything yet?" Clint called over to her from his spot at the computer.
"NO!" she growled. "It shouldn't be this hard! It doesn't match any bird feathers I've ever seen, and it looks real. No mechanical aspects to it or anything!"
"Guess we'll just have to wait for Banner's tests to come back and tell us what it is. Wanna go find out what Tony's up to?" Clint asked, getting ready to dodge the hand that would try to slap him up side the head for that suggestion.
Just as Natasha reached out her hand, Hill's voice blared over their comm links.
"Agent Barton, Agent Romanov, the Director wants to see you in his office immediately."
Both sighed. "On my way," Natasha replied.
"Be there soon," Clint told the comm link. With another sigh, they stood and headed out the lab door towards Fury's office. Time to see what the Director needed.
That Night
Nico lay there with as sigh as he stared up at the ceiling. He knew they had to get Percy back, but he wasn't so sure this was what he wanted. He just wanted the cousin that had come to mean so much to him over the past few years back, not a war. He rolled over in his bed. But the man had been very clear, Percy was in danger. The intensity of the stares that man gave, the visions he showed of the torture they were putting his precious cousin through. Yet Percy wouldn't give. He wasn't telling them anything. They beat him, maimed him, the list went on with things Nico never wanted to see again. They were terrifying. Everyone agreed; they had to get Percy away from there.
But the Hermes, Ares and Mars kids had heard about it and practically demanded war. A few campers from every other group had agreed. They all remembered Percy; they all loved him as much anyone, even though they didn't always show it.
Slowly, Nico drifted off to sleep upon the bed in his cabin.
When he opened his eyes, the son of Hades was surrounded by darkness.
"What are you doing?" a voice taunted. It seemed to roll around the darkness, as smooth and silky as a cat's purr.
"We're trying to get him," Nico told the darkness.
"He could be dying and what are you doing?" the voice whispered in his ear.
He whirled around, but no one was there.
"Do I need to show you what's happening to him now?"
Nico steeled himself. "Show me," he commanded.
"I will not," the voice replied, "It would break you. You could not handle seeing your beloved cousin forced to endure something like that."
"Show me!" Nico shouted angrily.
"Not yet." A hand touched down on the boy's shoulder. "You would never be able to handle what's happening at the moment."
Nico jumped when the hand lit on his shoulder. "I can deal with it!" he growled. "Show me."
The man beside him shook his head, not answering. He had long black hair slicked back with hair gel. His green eyes seemed to shift color too often do decide which shade they were. He vaguely reminded Nico o something someone once said, but every time he tried to remember, the memory skipped away from his grasp.
"Well?!" he snapped impatiently.
The man didn't reply.
Nico glared, before his eyes widened angrily. "You're stalling!" he accused. "Show me now!"
The man smirked down at him. "Now I suppose I can. You'll be able to bare this," he whispered, before the floor vanished and Nico was falling through the air.
"Reyna," Jason called as he jogged after her.
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes?" she replied.
"About last night, with the meeting in the woods," he stated, "Are we sure it is such a good idea to go to war? I mean, what if there is something we're missing. I mean, Nico couldn't find Percy, so maybe he just got away."
"Then why can't we I.M. him?" Reyna asked.
"I... I'm not sure," he admitted, "But can mortals really block an I.M.?"
"Fine, go talk to Chiron and Lupa. See if they know anyone in S.H.I.E.L.D. Maybe they would know."
"Will you keep the Legion from going to war before I get the results?" he asked. She pursed her lips as she thought.
"You have three days," she answered finally.
"Thank you," he replied, turning to leave. The praetor gave a short nod as she began to walk away.
"Don't thank me yet," she advised, walking away, "I only promised to keep them from waging war, not planning or prepping for it."
"I understand," Jason replied, clenching his fist. "And Reyna..."
The daughter of Bellona turned, raising an eyebrow.
"Just cause I'm not jumping at the chance of war, doesn't mean I don't miss Percy just as much as the rest of you."
Jason frowned as he walked through camp. He clenched and unclenched his left hand, staring at the metal that made up nearly half his arm. He'd lost his hand and lower forearm during the Giant War, so Leo had built him the prosthetic one. He kicked a pebble as he thought. His mind wandered back to his conversation with the S.H.I.E.L.D agent. A son of Apollo.
~Beginning~Of~Flashback~
"I know someone who might be able to tell you something," Chiron told him with a thoughtful look. "Follow me." He led the son of Jupiter into a backroom. A small fountain sat in the corner of the room. The light hit the water at just the right angle, forming a rainbow. Chiron tossed a golden drachma into the rainbow.
"Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me Clint Barton, the S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier," he requested.
An image appeared of a man in a suit. He was putting something into a pocket on the inside of his suite.
"Clint," the centaur called.
The man looked up instantly. The son of Jupiter recognized him as Hawkeye, from the Avengers. Will Solace wouldn't shut up about him. He relaxed when he saw the iris message.
"Chiron," he greeted.
"Jason, this Clint Barton, the son of Apollo. He's an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Yeah,the guy Will won't shut up about," Jason said, before grunting, obviously embarrassed. "Err, sorry. I'm Jason Grace, son of Jupiter."
"I'd heard that Romans existed, but you're the first I've met. Listen, ask quickly. I gotta get going soon."
"Right," the blonde replied, gulping, "Do you know what happened to Percy Jackson?"
"Last I knew, he and his cousin, Nico di Angelo, were targets of S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Fury went to see them, but they both got away. The only thing left was a black Pegasus feather. You might want to call whatever black steed Percy often uses. Something really, really fast. Any thing else?"
"If we went to war with S.H.I.E.L.D, who would win?" he asked.
"That's hard to answer. The only thing I'm sure of is that it would be bloody and lots of people would die." Clint looked him straight in the eyes. "Jason, do not let the camps go to war with S.H.I.E.L.D," he spoke clearly, firmly and ominously.
A knock sounded from Clint's side of the message. He gave Jason a meaningful look before slashing his hand through the mist.
"You're just lucky I was alone," was the last thing they heard.
~End~Of~Flashback~
Jason kicked a rock as he thought about Clint's words. "Do not let the camps go to war with S.H.I.E.L.D." How was he supposed to he stop them? Everyone was acting all strange. They wouldn't think about anything but fighting to get Percy back.
"Wow, never thought anyone but an Athena camper would think that hard," a voice chuckled.
Jason glanced over. Clarisse sat on a bench, watching the campers fight theirs partners.
"Something you need to talk about?" she asked.
"Will you listen and give feedback?" he replied.
"Probably not," she admitted. "But it usually helps to vent."
Jason sat down next to her. "I was just thinking about something a friend said. He told me not to let the camps go to war with S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Good luck with that," she scoffed. "I'm all pumped for a good fight."
"Yeah, that makes sense. After all, you're an Ares camper. But why are the others so set on getting Percy back by fighting?"
"Princess goes haywire whenever Prissy disappears, so it's not that surprising. I'm actually more surprised that people like di Angelo and McLean are willing to fight, Valdez too. They seem more like the 'Let's send them a note saying let Percy go and be settled. I'd rather not fight' kinda people."
Jason grinned. "Clarisse, that's it. That just might work." He jumped up and ran off.
The buff girl raised an eyebrow at his antics. "He better not think it will actually work," she grumbled.
Percy slowly opened his eyes. He stood beside the ping-pong table, several half-bloods gathered around the table beside him. He smiled at them.
"Hey guys, when did I get here?" he asked. No one so much glanced at him. He frowned.
"I promised Jason three days," Annabeth was saying.
"What?!" Hazel shouted, "We have to go find him now! They could be killing him!"
The blonde cleared her throat. "I was saying, I promised Jason three days until we attacked. I never promised that we wouldn't plan or prepare."
"Did you have something in mind, princess?" Clarisse snarked.
"Actually, yes I did," Annabeth replied, "I suggest we send a small group to the center of their head quarters with Nico and Mrs. O'Leary. Then, a large portion of us should head in from the front and back doors."
"What do we do about weapons?" Piper asked, "I'm sure they have plenty of guns and what not, but we just have celestial bronze and imperial gold."
"What?!" Percy asked, "Weapons? Why do you need weapons other than what we have?" He tried to grab the daughter of Aphrodite's shoulder, but his hand went right through her shoulder.
"That's true" the daughter of Athena admitted. She turned to the counselor of the Hephaestus cabin. "Leo, if I get you and your siblings enough metal, could you guys make weapons with them in just a few days?" she asked.
"Leave it to us," the Latino promised.
"How do we defend from bullets though?" Will asked with a frown.
Annabeth chewed her lip, frowning. "I'd ask the Hephaestus kids, but they're working on weapons-"
"I'll talk to Nyssa," Leo cut in, "We'll come up with something."
"And I'll call Tyson," Hazel added, "Percy mentioned that he was an amazing mechanic."
"Hazel, can you summon some regular metal for Leo to use?"
"I should be able to," she replied.
"Will," the strategist turned to the master archer, "Keep your siblings drilling with archery. Anyone who is even decent at archery, get them as sharp as you can. Clarisse, take over the hand to hand combat training. Everyone needs to drill that. Piper and I'll work with knife fighting. Connor and Travis, keep your siblings from stealing and pranking for the next four days. Also, train your cabin with swords. Make sure none of them skip any of the classes. Grover, have your satyrs collecting info on anything S.H.I.E.L.D related. If you need help, just let me know. Anyone who has nothing to do, have them sharpening the weapons Leo and his siblings make. I'll make an announcement at dinner about people who want to participate. Clarise, do not pressure anyone into coming if they don't want to." Annabeth met everyone's eyes. She took a shaky breath, before nodding. "Alright."
Piper gave her a smile before turning to the others. "Let's get Annie's boyfriend back!"
Percy watched all his friends file out of basement.
"Why can't they hear me?" he wondered.
"Cause your not here," a silky voice answered.
Percy sighed, already knowing who it belonged to. "I'm dreaming again aren't I?"
"It's true. You are only seeing what is happening. But make no mistake, this is truly happening. It happened exactly as you saw it," the man promised as he stood from a seat in the corner.
"Why though? Why am I here?"
The man shrugged. "I figured you would want to see your friends. Perhaps I was wrong. I shouldn't have shown you your friends. I'll just leave and you can go back to your torment-" he said as he turned and began to walk away.
"NO!" Percy cried, dashing forward and catching him by the back of his sleeve.
"No what?" the man asked.
"No,I didn't mean to sound ungrateful or anything," the boy assured him, "Just asking a question, you know?"
"Indeed, I do know."
"Out of curiosity, what's your name?"
"That's something I won't tell you until we meet in person," the man answered, "But don't worry. We will meet. Question though, why weren't you there last night?"
"What?"
"I waited all night last night at the fountain. Where were you?"
"I... I don't know. The last thing I remember was... You attacked Blackjack! I can't believe you! Why would you do that?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Percy frowned. "You, at the pond. I was about to come back up from the bottom when he neighed. There was a fight..."
"Between who?"
"You... and someone else. Some... robot or something."
"Ah, you saw that. I was indeed fighting a robot. It was built by my rival. He longs to conquer earth. I won't let him. Thus he sends his followers to kill me."
"Man, I know those types. They're just plain annoying. They're all like, 'We will conquer earth!' and you're like, 'Not quite.' so they're like, 'DIE!' and you're like, 'Not happening.' Who's your rival?"
"A man named Nick Fury."
Clint sighed as he walked onto the roof. Natasha walked right behind him.
"I'm exhausted," he grumbled, "What about you?"
"I'm fine," she replied.
He groaned. "You're a robot," he complained teasingly.
She rolled her eyes at him.
"It's always nice to see friends getting along," a voice behind them said. Both whirled, pulling out weapons. Clint had an arrow notched and aimed while Natasha held two knives. The man behind them raised his hands. He held a letter in one hand and a caduceus in the other. Two snakes curled up and down the staff.
"Careful, don't shoot the messenger," he complained with a wide smile. Natasha glanced at Clint, who nodded. Slowly, she lowered her knives and accepted the letter. The wax seal on the front had an imprint of the empire state building. Natasha frowned, opening her mouth to comment, but the man was gone. She turned to Clint, who was looking around with furrowed eyebrows.
"Where did he go?" she demanded.
"I don't know," he admitted, "I glanced at the letter in your hand and he was gone when I looked back."
Natasha growled in frustration.
"What does it say?" the archer asked.
The red headshrugged as she opened the letter.
"Nick Fury,
I cannot be held accountable for anything that happens if you do not listen to this warning. A piece of advice, from one commander to anther, release Perseus Jackson and tell Stark to stop digging. Dangerous waters await those who cross the Sea of Monsters.
The Half-Blood"
Clint frowned. "Whose 'The Half-Blood'?" he asked.
Natasha frowned. "What does it mean the 'Sea of Monsters'?"
"Bermuda Triangle?" he suggested.
The redhead rolled her eyes. "I'm going to show this to Fury. You coming?" she asked.
The archer shook his head. "Naw, I'm good. I've dealt with grumpy men enough for one night."
She nodded before walking off.
"It's been a long time," Clint said to thin air.
"You were always good at guessing what came next," the 'messenger' replied.
"It's what my father does, isn't it?" he asked as he turned around., "Hello Hermes."
"Good to see ya, Clint," the messenger god smiled.
Clint flashed a short smile, before frowning angrily. "Tell that idiot son of Jupiter," thunder rolled through the sky, but the archer ignored it. "That his stunt with the letter was foolish and stupid! They never guessed about Stark digging, and they sure weren't digging! Plus, he just got Jackson in even more trouble! They'll be trying even harder to find him now!"
"Ouch, that had quite the bite to it," Martha grumbled as she slid down the staff in her master's hand.
"Hey," Hermes complained, "What did I say about shooting the messenger god?"
"The only thing to fix something like that is a rat! Do you have one for me?" George asked.
"Then shoot that stupid son of Jupiter for me," the man growled. "Hello, Martha. No, George, I don't have a rat for you. I'm going to bed." He stomped off towards the door. He stopped and pulled a gold coin from his pocket.
"Oh, and Hermes," he called back.
The god raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his lips.
"Tell Chiron to keep up his side of the bargain," the archer said, "I keep them up to date and off of the S.H.I.E.L.D radar, the least he could do is only I.M. me during the appointed hours." He flicked the coin through the air.
The messenger caught it and winked. "Will do, little cousin," he said as he vanished. Clint opened his eyes, just as rain began to fall. He turned and walked inside, a small smile on his lips.
"It's good to see you too, Hermes," he mumbled, smiling.
From her hiding place just inside the door, a redhead listened to everything, her eyes widening. She watched her partner walk down the hallway, flipping a gold coin in his hand. It gleamed with an imprint of the face of a man on one side. There was an imprint of the Empire State Building on the other side. She quietly slipped down the hall and made her way to Fury's office. She would just keep that little encounter to herself. For Clint's sake.
"The black eye patch guy?" Percy asked, frowning. He rubbed at his right arm subconsciously.
"They very same," the man agreed, "I'm assuming you watched the human news?"
"Not really," the teen admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, "I've been really busy."
"You don't know of the attack on New York?" he asked with a slight frown.
"I've heard a little," Percy replied, "Didn't someone attack New York with aliens or something?"
"Indeed, Fury attacked New York. He summoned aliens from another dimension to do his evil deeds for him. Hundreds were killed, many more injured. The city was destroyed."
"What does this have to do with me?" the son of Poseidon asked, dread churning in his stomach. He certainly had a guess.
"I must ask your help in defeating him," the man admitted, "I have tried for years, but he always escapes. I need your assistance defeating him once and for all."
"Look," Percy replied, "I know not being able to win is frustrating, but it's usually best to beat your rivals on your own. I've fought too many wars. I can't help you with yours. I owe my friends and family a break."
"You would let innocents die so you can kiss your girlfriend and hug your cousins?!" the man asked incredulously.
"I- I didn't say I'd let innocent people die!" the teen denied.
"Fury destroys everyone who could possibly oppose him. You think your kind will escape? Once he defeats me, he will come for you. He will slaughter you all, regardless of your age! He would enlist every enemy of yours he could find, promising them anything if they will simply eradicate you," he stated, gazing into Percy's eyes with a fierce determination.
"What would you have me do about it?" the boy demanded, "I'm only one person! I can't make that big a difference! And I refuse to drag my friends into their third war in three years!"
A light sparked in the man's eyes. "Become my champion," he answered, "Help me defeat Fury and his followers, once and for all! Think of what you could gain. Think of the power, the glory. If you don't want that, I can keep your friends out of harms way for the rest of their lives. Annabeth would never cry. Your cousins could hunt monsters to their hearts content, without every getting injured worse than a few scratches. Hazel would never find another cursed gem. Frank would never die due to his stick." He circled the boy, running his fingers along his shoulders. "I could bring them all back," he whispered, his breath tickling Percy's ear, "Bianca, Zoe, Selena, Beckendorf. All of them. Your mother. I could bring them back. You could have your family back. Your mother could continue writing without worry about your safety. Paul could continue to be a teacher."
"Y- You could do that?" Percy asked, his eyes shining with doubtful desire.
"And more," he promised, "Anything my champion asks for, I grant."
"I- I don't… Know," the boy stuttered.
"Think about it," the man advised, "I'll give you two days." With that, the man vanished and Percy fell into a calming, peaceful darkness.
Leo wiped sweat from his face, glancing around. His siblings were crowded in the forge, hammering at iron, steel, silver and gold. He sat on a work bench, a stack of items next to him. He looked back down at the calculations in his hands.
"Maybe if I..." he mumbled, trailing off as his thoughts began to whirl.
His sister, Nyssa, glanced over at his calculations, frowning thoughtfully. "Maybe if we reinforced the shields with steel," she suggested.
Leo nodded, grinning. "Iron shields reinforced with steel and silver. I like the way you think."
"Shouldn't we save the silver for weapons?" his little brother, Harley, asked, "I mean, it affects monsters too."
"You're brilliant!" he agreed, "Man, I love this cabin!"
Harley beamed as their nearby siblings rolled their eyes affectionately.
"What?" Leo asked, glancing up from his calculations.
"Nothing," they replied with smiles.
He shrugged, hunching back over the work bench. He scribbled something else onto the calculations.
"There!" he cried happily, "Done." He handed the stack of blue prints over to Nyssa, who glanced through them.
"Nice," she praised, flipping through the ideas.
Leo picked up another item from the nearby stack. "If I remove that, and recalibrate this..." he mumbled, tinkering with the gun in his hands.
Percy groaned as his eyelids fluttered. Slowly, he opened his eyes. A woman stood nearby, wringing out a cloth. She had long black hair and pale skin. She wore a white Roman toga and sandals. With her back turned to him, he couldn't see her eyes. She turned and smiled at him. Her brown eyes twinkled in the moonlight.
"Careful," she advised, "You're not fully healed."
"Healed?" he asked in confusion.
"From when Fury came to get you," she reminded him, "He shot you and you jumped out the window. Then during the fight, the robot hit you."
"I... It's all a blur. I can't remember much after arguing with Tony and Pepper," he admitted, rubbing his head. He tried to sit up, but winced when a sharp pain cut through his back, chest and left arm.
"You did get his pretty hard," the woman replied, "Perhaps you will recover your memory with time."
"Who are you?" he asked.
"My name is Apate," she replied, "I'm a minor goddess. Unlike the other gods, me and my sister are allowed to 'interfere' with human lives."
"What are you the goddess of?" he wondered, laying his head back.
"I'm the minor goddess of healing," she replied with a smile. Percy couldn't help but think there was something off about her. Something just seemed strange. The sound of leaves rustling disturbed his thoughts.
"Sister," a woman's voice called.
"Eris," Apate beckoned, "Come, he has awoken, my sister."
Another woman walked over. Percy assumed she was Eris. She had hip length stark white hair and bright blue eyes. Her skin was lightly tanned. She too wore a white toga. A white cape covered her shoulders. She wore no shoes. A clay bowl sat in her hands, steam curling off the top.
"Good morning," Eris told him. She grabbed a chair from somewhere out of his vision and sat down next to his bed.
"Eat this, and you'll feel better."
As her sister spoke, Apate gently helped him sit up slightly, putting soft pillows behind his back to keep him from laying back down. Eris brought the bowl to his lips. He sipped cautiously, eying them distrustfully.
"You don't trust us," the woman noted as she moved the empty bowl away from his mouth.
"Being a demigod does that," he replied, "Why are you helping me?"
"Eris is the goddess of assistance. We couldn't not help you."
"Also, we were told to," her sister added.
"And blunt speaking," Apate chuckled softly.
"Told to?" he wondered, "By who?"
"Our master," she answered, "Speaking of which, he says he wishes for our assistance."
"Another job," Eris replied, standing, "We will let him know you are awake."
"Just relax and try to recover," her sister advised. The two smiled gently at him as they left.
Once they had left, Percy looked around. He was in a large cave with an opening on the side of it. Vines hung over the entrance. Several braziers hung along the cave wall. They all flickered with fire. A few furs sat on the floor, while several more made a bed on the other side of the cave.
"I thought gods didn't need beds," he mumbled to himself.
"Guess you learn something new everyday," a familiar voice answered him. Percy snapped his head to look at the entrance of the cave. A familiar black haired, green eyed man stood there, smiling at him.
"Hello Percy."
Jason smiled as he slipped his letter into a white envelope. He stuck a small wad of gold wax on and stamped it. The emblem was the Empire State Building. He frowned.
"I just hope they start listening to these," he grumbled.
"You're an idiot, you know?" a female voice said behind him. He whirled, his eyes widening. Clarisse stood in the doorway to the Zeus cabin.
"Clarisse," he replied.
"I never thought you'd actually send them letters," she admitted, "It's a dumb idea."
"But," Jason frowned, "It was your idea."
"I meant that's what cowards do!" she growled, "Valdez and McLean are brave enough, but they aren't so bold as to plan for a war if they don't have to. I said this was more like something they would do!"
"I just thought-" he started.
"Well, don't! Do you really think an organization that kills demigods is gonna listen to your little threats?" she demanded.
"What?" he asked, "Kills?"
"Yes, Grace, kills," she snapped, "They abduct or kill us. Go ask Princess if you want to know why. All I know is that you are not going to take away my one chance to pound some sense into Nick Fury's skull! Do you have any idea how many of us they've killed?"
He shook his head, eyes wide with shock and horror.
"Hundreds," she told him, "I have four brothers and a sister I'll never see again because of them. And that's just in the past three years. They abducted an Athena camper just last year. About three weeks before you showed up."
"I- I didn't know," he stuttered.
"Well, now ya do," she replied, "They don't listen to threats, unless you back them up." A grin spread across her face.
"Did you have an idea?" he asked warily.
"Yeah, one that might just make Fury think twice about messing with us in the future. What have you been putting on your letters?"
"Who are you?" Percy demanded.
"My name is Loki," he replied, "Have you thought about my offer?"
"Has it been two days?" the teen asked, shocked.
"No, it's only been one."
"I... I have thought about it," he replied.
"And?"
"I'll do it. I'll help you take down Fury."
"That's wonderful news," Loki said with a smile, "I was worried you'd say no. There's no doubt that without assistance, he would beat me."
"But how did you get Eris and Apate to help you? Don't you know who they are?"
"Greek goddess, I know," he replied.
"Then, how?"
"My boy, it's simple, really. I'm Loki, there is little I cannot do. It certainly helps to be a god though."
"You- You're a god?!"
"Of course! How else could I stop Fury from sending you the dreams?"
"Wait, Fury was sending those dreams?! I thought they were just demigod dreams! Or maybe you, I wasn't sure," he added as an afterthought.
"All I did was stop the dreams from coming in. Not give you them."
"But what god are you? I've never even heard of a 'Loki' in Greek mythology."
"Who said I was Greek?"
"You're not Greek? Wait, now I'm seriously confused. Are you Roman?"
"No, now sleep. You'll need to in order to recover."
"Wait! But if you're not Roman... Or Greek..." he voice kept trailing off as he forced his eyes to stay open.
"I'm Norse, young Percy. Now sleep."
Finally, Percy's eyes slid shut and he slipped into the realm of unconsciousness.
Fury groaned as he opened the door to his office and entered. He walked over to his seat, about to sit down. He froze when he saw a familiar white envelope with a golden wax seal. The Empire State Building was the imprint on the seal. He growled loudly in anger and frustration. He sat down and set his head in his hands. Two days since Natasha had received the first letter on the roof. Since then they had been sent another letter, warning them to return Jackson or suffer the consequences. According to the letter, said consequences would most likely involve much bloodshed.
He opened the letter, guessing what it would contain. He was right.
"Nick Fury,
As a commander and a person, I do not wish to see death, either on your side or on mine. I wish for your soldiers and my soldiers to continue to live their lives, never coming in contact. However, you have refused to listen to both my previous warnings. This will be your final warning. Release Percy Jackson and quit your search.
The Half-Blood"
Every time someone brought him one of these messages he just wanted to bang his head against a wall. He couldn't have released Jackson if he wanted to! He didn't even know where the hell the boy was. The threats ticked him off. He, Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D, was getting threatened and he didn't even know who was sending the threats. He pulled out the other two. He reread the letter from the previous day.
"Nick Fury,
This is your second warning. Release Perseus Jackson and quit your search. I cannot guarantee your protection should you ignore these warnings. Remember Pandora's box. There is wisdom in heading others experiences.
The Half-Blood."
The first letter had been delivered by a mysterious messenger to the Black Widow. The second one had been found on Maria Hill's bedside table. Then the third in Fury's office. Whoever was sending these knew S.H.I.E.L.D better than most. That was worrisome.
The sun had already began to rise as two quietly slipped through the alley. The man walked on, seeming unaware of his two followers. As he moved deeper into the alley, one of the two smacked him on the back of the head with her spear, hard. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious. The girl moved closer, beginning to wail on him with her spear. He didn't even twitch. Setting down the spear, she grabbed his left arm. Setting a hand on his upper arm, she pulled his forearm back.
Her companion grabbed her hand, stopping her.
"What are you doing, Clarisse?" he demanded.
"I'm sending a message, Grace!" she snapped, continuing to pull on the man's arm.
"You'll break it!" he hissed, knocking her hand away.
Clarisse grabbed him by the collar, shoving him up against a wall.
"This is war, Grace! Your stupid letters will never get the point across! Don't you get that? I'm sending a message they'll understand!"
"He's just the grunt! He doesn't the decisions!" Grace argued. Jason Grace glared at Clarisse LaRusse.
"Would Percy really let you do that?" he growled.
She glared at him. "It's what needs to be done!" she hissed back.
"NO! You've already made your point by beating him! What will breaking his arm do?"
"Bruises heal quickly, Grace! Limbs don't. You should know that better than any of us."
"That's why I'm telling you, you can't do this! What if you accidentally injure it beyond repair?"
"Then Fury will finally understand we mean business!"
"How do you even know this is a S.H.I.E.L.D agent?"
Clarisse reached back into the man's coat and pulled out his wallet. Flipping it open, she pointed at a card inside.
"See? A S.H.I.E.L.D agent!"
"Why are you so bitter towards S.H.I.E.L.D? Monsters have killed thousands of our kind, yet you aren't so savage towards them!"
"I hate monsters, Grace. I hate Titans. I especially hate Gaia and her giants. But I loath S.H.I.E.L.D! I've already told you what they did!"
"But the wars have killed hundreds of us in the past few years! Think about the Half-Blood civil war a while back! At the same time that the humans had their civil war, so did we. It destroyed both camps. Our parents were sickened, that's why they kept the camps apart!"
"But they didn't kill in cold blood!" Clarisse shouted back, "They didn't abduct innocent fourteen year olds who'd never done anything! Samantha Wallz, who disappeared so mysteriously. Remember her?"
"I hear about it in the news," he replied, "But what does that-"
"She was the Athena camper I told you about! They abducted her because an cyclops killed a boy from her school, then tried to kill her. She killed it, but the police arrived seconds later. They blamed her and she vanished after a S.H.I.E.L.D agent came to visit! They're killers, Grace!"
"Listen, I'm all for getting our comrade back, but I won't let you ruin another humans life so you can send a stupid message!" He raised his prosthetic arm. "Do you understand how hard it was before Leo built this for me? I spent a week trying to help, yet being unable. I can't imagine having to use only one hand for the rest of my life!"
"Fine! You keep sending your stupid letters through Hermes!" she shouted angrily, "As soon as it hits midnight tonight, your three days are over. Don't think for a moment that Reyna or Annabeth will give you any extensions!"
She turned and stomped on the man's leg. It snapped under her foot. She grabbed a letter from her jacket pocket and tucked it into the man's hand. The word 'S.H.I.E.L.D' was on the back of it. Then she turned and walked away.
Jason looked at the man on the alley floor. He had short brown hair and tan skin. Gently, he picked the man up, grunting slightly. He carried him through a series of alley ways, before setting him down and leaning him against a wall.
He moved down to the man's leg, running his fingers over the break. With a deep breath and a look of determination, he quickly set the man's bone.
"Glad you're unconscious, man," he said.
He ran from the alley and towards a nearby store. He ran inside and up to the restaurants front desk.
"Can I borrow your phone?" he asked. The waitress frowned.
"I'll pay for it," he promised, stuffing a hand into his pocket and grabbing a twenty dollar bill. The woman nodded hesitantly.
"It's in the back. I'll take you. Follow me."
It was only eight in the morning when Hill answered the phone with a frown.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Hill? It's Barton. I got a call from a strange number earlier about one of our agents being injured in an alley about an hour ago. Turns out it was reliable. Agent Tacker is unconscious. I'm heading back to the helicarrier now. You'll definitely want to see what he was holding though."
"Is it something I'll want to see?" she asked.
"Probably not. Our Half-Blood made another delivery."
Fury was just about to sit in a chair in the conference room that held the Avengers when lightning flashed through the sky. Thunder announced the arrival of the final Avenger. Fury took his seat as the door opened once more.
"Hey Goldilocks," Tony joked as the blonde god walked into the room. Thor didn't reply as he marched up to Fury. His face was stern and almost worried.
"You made it," the director grunted, "Good. Now take a seat, there's somethings we must discuss."
"I was on my way before Heimdall ever told me of your desire to see me," the thunder god boomed. "I have been sent by the Allfather to deliver a message and a warning. Word has come to Asgard that you have abducted the one called Perseus. Odin demands his release." Thor's eyebrows furrowed with worry. "I pray it is untrue. If you truly have taken him, it would be wise to turn return him immediately. They do not handle the loss of their own very well. They would wage war against you for the abduction of one so mighty."
"Did you just say 'mighty'?" Tony asked, "You're calling my seventeen year old foster son, who, by the way, is currently an emotional mess, mighty?!"
Thor frowned. "Surely you cannot be his father. You are not the Earthshaker."
Everyone frowned, glancing at each other.
"None the less," the god continued, "Release him! They would kill you all to regain him."
"We can handle alien invasions," Fury replied.
"Nay, the threat would not be of another realm. Rather, the whole of Midguard would tear itself apart in the war that would ensue. I fear that if you do not return him at once to people, they will attack and destroy you all. They are fearless warriors, having beaten stronger opponents than you multiple times in the last few years. You would be but a nuisance compared to their enemies. They infest your ranks already."
"What?!" Fury barked. "Who are they?!" Clint clenched his jaw slightly, which did not go unnoticed.
"Surely," Thor frowned, "You know of the gods of Midguard."
"No, I don't," Fury growled.
"The fathers-" the god was cut off by a roll of thunder. He grimaced.
"The parents," he corrected himself, "Of thousands of your great heroes. The rulers of the elements."
The avengers frowned, confusion showing on their faces.
"The Olympians," he announced.
Suddenly, as if on cue, the wind began to howl. Lightning crashed outside. Rain began to patter against the roof.
"They are the gods of Midguard, and you have angered them. The half-blood armies have teamed up. They will come."
A loud roar, much too loud to be thunder, sounded through the air.
"It appears we are out of time," the god of thunder told them, "Come, meet your foes."
AN: And that's a wrap. What did you guys think? Was it too confusing? At some point I'm going to have to come back to this story and rewrite it... -_- I would respond to all of your reviews, but part of me is wondering if I should just stick to doing generic answers. The reviews took up like three pages double spaced on my computer. That's a lot! So, yeah. Send me reviews and tell me what I did wrong, what I did right, and whether or not I should continue replying to reviews, then it's your fault if the ANs get longer than the chappies ;) Just kidding. I wouldn't blame you guys for that. I love anyone and everyone who reviewed! You have no idea how much it helps me keep going with my writing!
-RADyo