Percy had never worn a suit before, and he quickly decided that he fucking hated it. Tony had put in as much leeway as he could – Percy was allowed to wear it with the jacket hanging open, the cufflinks were set with iridescent abalone, and the whole thing was a gentle denim blue – but it only barely helped. It was too stuffy; Percy felt like he'd been shrink-wrapped. The ocean doesn't like to be restrained.

It didn't matter. Apparently you couldn't walk into the Ritz wearing a stained hoodie.

"Relax," Tony said under his breath, subtly steering Percy by the shoulder. "You're not in trouble, this isn't a court appearance. You're just meeting the President for lunch so you can talk about the prophecy."

Percy, whose face was already pale, swallowed with difficulty. "Right. That's all."

He followed Tony past security and up a stairway. Everything about the building told Percy that he shouldn't be there – the ornate wooden walls, the furniture that cost more than a car, the paintings on the walls. He felt like people were eying him, annoyed and judgmental. He took a deep breath once they were in the elevator.

"Hey," he said, without looking at Tony. "If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?"

"Course I will."

"Is this another meeting to decide whether or not to kill me?"

There was a pregnant pause.

"I don't know," Tony admitted at last. Then, firmly, "But it doesn't matter. I might not be the president, but I'm smarter and richer than he is, with a better reputation. He can't touch you as long as I'm on your side."

Percy wasn't sure about that. "I feel sick."

"Don't throw up," Tony advised him, and then they got off the elevator.

There were men on either side of the elevator, and more down the hallway and through the next set of doors. There were even more around the edges of the room, watching, and three men seated at the dining table.

"Percy, meet President Ellis, General Talbot, and Agent Covey, head of the Secret Service," Tony introduced, apparently perfectly comfortable in the company. "Mr. President, Percy Jackson, high school student."

"A pleasure, Mr. Jackson," the president said, examining Percy with a critical eye. Throat too tight to speak, Percy nodded stiffly. Ellis didn't seem to take offense. "Take a seat, both of you. We have a lot to discuss."

President Ellis, General Talbot, and Agent Covey were on one side of the long table. Tony and Percy sat on the other.

"I received a dossier on you this morning, Mr. Jackson," Ellis said mildly, picking up a folder to flip through it. "You're not the youngest person I've ever been briefed on, but you're certainly close."

"What happened to the last one?" Percy asked before he could stop himself. Ellis raised an eyebrow.

"Perfectly fine," Ellis said. "Still living happily with her mother, I believe. Now, I've been led to believe that you are the son of a god. Poseidon, correct?" Percy nodded. "A demigod... at once the newest and the oldest form of metahuman in existence. Where have you been during the turmoil of the last few years?"

Percy picked at his cufflinks. "Um, trying not to get eaten by monsters."

"Is that so?" Ellis glanced at Tony.

"It's the usual pastime of most demigods," Tony informed him.

"Hm." Ellis glanced at one of the men beside him. "Covey?"

Covey didn't even glance at Percy's file, just fixed him with an unwavering gaze. "Your file is not what I would call auspicious, Mr. Jackson. Over half a dozen expulsions, a GPA of 2.1, a national manhunt, several arson allegations, and an extensive record of violent and erratic behavior at school."

It probably wasn't a good time to ask what 'auspicious' meant.

"...Sorry?" Percy suggested, glancing at Tony for help.

"Hey, cut the kid some slack," Tony said, leaning on the table with intent. "Aggression at school is linked to abuse at home, and he and his mom have been open enough about that. He's grown out of it."

"Yes, the stepfather." Covey gave Talbot a meaningful and grim look. "He disappeared a few years ago under mysterious circumstances, did he not?"

Percy swallowed thickly. "Um, yeah."

"You don't seem especially upset about it."

He cleared his throat. "Well, he was hurting me and my mom, so no."

"And I'm sure that you have a perfectly reasonable explanation," Covey said, "for the statue your mother sold the summer of his disappearance, which, my agents noticed, bears a remarkable resemblance to your missing abuser."

The blood drained from Percy's face. Tony took one look at him and understood.

"Should I be bringing a lawyer into this, Agent?" he asked, leaning against the table with steely eyes. "Gods know I have plenty to choose from."

"That won't be necessary," Ellis said. "Investigations indicate this was no great loss. But it raises interesting questions about the temperament of our young friend here."

"I dunno what you want from me," Percy mumbled, hunching close to the table. "I mean... yeah. I'm dumb and violent. I'm good with a sword, and not much else." He shrugged. "If I could pass off this prophecy to someone less likely to screw it up, I would. But I can't."

"Then give him a psych eval," Tony said, not even acknowledging Percy's self-deprecation. "He's a good kid. Compassionate, loyal, good leadership skills. Give him a chance to prove it and he will."

"Why should we?" Talbot asked, and he was looking at Percy, challenging but, to his surprise, not dismissive. "We've heard enough from Stark. Let's hear it from the one we'd supposedly be depending on."

Percy started, glancing anxiously at the other two. Covey nodded slightly, expression unreadable, and Ellis gave Talbot an approving nod before looking back at Percy.

Uncertainty and shame transformed into determination, and Percy sat up.

"Because I'm loyal to Camp Half-Blood," he said, focus narrowing down to a point. "Luke made it so that no matter what we do, it's Camp Half-Blood against the titans, and Camp Half-Blood was the first place I ever felt safe." He took a deep breath, forcing his nerves to settle. "I know how to listen to people. My best friend is Annabeth Chase, the smartest person I've ever met, and I know when to trust her and when to stand my ground." It was no use; his heart beat like a rabbit's. He bounced his leg. "My demigod instincts are some of the best at camp. I have more prophetic dreams than the Apollo kids and better reflexes than demigod adults. And I have experience. I've been on four quests. That's more than most demigods ever go on."

He ran out of reasons and shut his mouth, bouncing his leg faster. He hoped that was enough.

Covey nodded thoughtfully, and when Ellis looked at him, he said, "A better case than anything else I've heard so far. I don't know if it's enough, but it's compelling."

"I don't like it," Talbot said bluntly. "All this magic, prophecy mumbo-jumbo, it's not right. But..." Percy held his breath. "It's what we're stuck with. We're better off preparing for what's coming than fighting the inevitable. Only thing that would help us do is fail."

"The Avengers have been doing that for the last year," Tony said. "He's been training with us at least twice a month, and we've been keeping an eye on him. His skills are brilliant for his age, and no red flags."

"You don't consider the mysterious death of his stepfather a red flag?" Covey inquired, tone even. Percy looked away sharply, trying to hide the way his chest went cold again.

"Circumstantial," Tony said without flinching. "Since the death of his abuser, Percy has been a goddamn beacon of integrity and courage. I see no reason to believe he'll do anything except what's right."

"We should put him through at least basic training," Talbot said to Ellis, apparently ignoring the byplay. "Maybe see if he has the talent for something specialized."

Tony snorted, earning him an irritated glare from Talbot.

"That's not a good idea," Tony informed him, amusement creeping into his voice. "Percy plays well with others, but children of Poseidon are notoriously difficult to control. Blackmail, trickery, magic – it usually doesn't work out. Him and a drill sergeant would be... well, oil and water."

Talbot smirked. "We'll see how that rebellion holds up. I've not met a boy yet that can't be broken by a good drill sergeant."

"You've never seen one try and break a son of Poseidon," Tony countered. "Percy? What do you think?"

Percy wrinkled his nose. "You mean, what do I think about spending two months away from home, getting yelled at all day about my attention to detail, during the most stressful year of my life? Um, no." He caught Talbot's look and clarified, "I've thought about it before, but this is like, the worst possible time for it."

"I didn't know you'd thought about it," Tony said. Percy shrugged, rubbing his cheek self-consciously.

"It'd probably be good for me," he muttered. "The discipline and cooperation and stuff. And it's definitely my best chance at a scholarship. But I dunno if it would work out with all the demigod stuff."

"Think of it this way," Ellis said dryly. "Do well here, and you'll get the best reference you could wish for."

Startled, Percy let out a short laugh. "No kidding," he said.

As if they'd been waiting for the tension to break, and maybe they had, a few waiters chose that moment to come in. They must have sent ahead for the food, because they were bringing it in, which turned out to be kind of unfortunate for Percy. He nudged the plate of salmon away as soon as the waiter set it down.

"I don't eat seafood," he said. "Sorry. Are you allowed to bring me something else?"

The man looked a little incredulous, which was fair – if it had been anything else, Percy wouldn't have dared to be picky in the company he was in. Fish were special, though, and President Ellis looked thoughtful, not offended.

"My apologies, I should have considered that," Ellis said. "Mr. Stark, I believe you've shared a few meals with Mr. Jackson?"

Tony grinned and said to the waiter, "Bring the kid a burger. It'll be the fanciest he's ever had."

A smile flashed across Percy's face, and he relaxed as the man nodded and took the plate away. General Talbot raised an eyebrow at Percy.

"Respect for the sea god?" he asked. It took Percy a moment to untangle the full question.

"For the fish," he admitted, scratching his head sheepishly. "I can talk to them, and they ask me for help sometimes. I wouldn't want to betray their trust like that."

"What could a fish possibly need help with?" Ellis asked. It was such a normal question that it made Percy feel better, and he returned to fidgeting with his cufflink.

"Pollution, usually," he said. "A fishing net mixed up in the seaweed, broken glass stuck in gills. Once it was a whale with a stomachache – I think she got caught in an oil spill. I couldn't do a whole lot for her."

A few minutes passed in relative quiet while everyone started eating. Percy's food arrived shortly after, and he did his best to not be messy with it.

"What are you doing to prepare for what's coming?" Ellis asked Percy.

"Um." He put down his burger to fidget with the napkin. "Well, I've been heading down to camp to help the less experienced kids with their sword work. The Hephaestus cabin has been stockpiling traps and fitting armor for everyone. The nature spirits have been keeping an eye out for the Princess Andromeda, um, their flagship, I guess. Me and Beckendorf are gonna firebomb it once it gets close to Long Island."

"Sorry, you and Beckendorf are what?" Tony interrupted, startling Percy. Percy shrugged, shifting in place.

"You haven't been around for that?" he asked, bemused. "Yeah, Beckendorf prepared a Greek fire detonator, and we've been practicing. If we can destroy the Princess Andromeda, that'll sink like a quarter of their army."

"You and Beckendorf are not going to sneak aboard an enemy ship," Tony snapped, jabbing a fork at him. "I'll talk to Clint and Natasha, they can do it."

Percy wrinkled his nose, kind of hurt. "I thought it was a good plan," he said. "I can get us in and out, and Beckendorf can rig up the detonator so it destroys the engine."

"I don't care how good it is, you're fifteen," Tony said, "and Beckendorf is barely any older. You shouldn't be risking yourselves like that."

"It's either now or later," Percy pointed out.

"Children are not generally front line fighters," Covey said.

"Yeah, well, no one told the monsters that," Percy said tersely, and then took a bite of his food to try and get out of the conversation.

"This is what I've been saying," Tony added, speaking to the three government men. "Camp Half-Blood is preparing to go to war against titans and monsters, because no one has been giving them any support. These are children and nature spirits, not soldiers. They shouldn't be expecting to have to face these monsters alone."

"Where are the adult demigods?" Talbot demanded.

"There aren't any," Tony said. "Or near enough. Me, Barton, and Barnes. A couple more that Barton's been trying to track down and get in contact with. Most demigods don't live long enough to grow up."

Percy's stomach turned. "Gee, thanks," he muttered.

"Where are the gods?"

"Now you're getting at the core of the issue," Tony said. "And the answer is, I guarantee you, it is always 'not looking after their children.' They need protection, or nothing's ever going to change."

"What?" Percy lifted his head to stare at Tony.

"Yes, your proposal," Ellis said, slow and reluctant. "Repeat it for us."

"Protection and social support," Tony said, more intent than Percy had ever seen him. "Demigods and their families need access to information and schooling, and they need protection from monsters so that kids stop getting eaten. Safe passage to and from Camp Half-Blood, too. Set up a military base for the purpose, or outposts. Something to keep these kids from getting screwed."

"Evidence seems to indicate that plenty of families manage without," Covey pointed out, tilting his head to Percy.

"Um." Percy figured it was now or never. "Mom married Smelly Gabe because she couldn't find any other way to hide my scent from monsters. I definitely wouldn't have lived to twelve otherwise."

"Interesting expression of gratitude," Covey noted. Rage slammed into Percy hard enough to bowl him over, and it was only Tony's hand on his wrist that kept him in his chair.

"That bastard made me walk thirty blocks, in Manhattan, by myself, when I was six," Percy snapped. "The only gratitude he deserves is my foot in his face."

Covey hummed, unsurprised, and said to Ellis, "We'll have to cover that up. It's not a connection we want anyone else to make."

Ellis nodded. "Buy the statue and have it destroyed," he said. Covey pulled out his phone and started to type. "See about taking down any articles containing photos of it. Did Ugliano have any friends, family?" He directed the last question to Percy, who was slowly catching up.

Percy gave Tony an anxious, unsure glance, but Tony was looking borderline smug. "Um, his mom called on Christmas, but he usually didn't pick up. My mom did it for him. He had a couple friends that played poker with him once a week, but I only know their first names." Covey snapped his fingers. Percy tried to clamp down his irritation, because he was pretty sure they were actually doing him a favor. "Edgar, Jack, and Victor. Edgar was the building supervisor, Jack lived down the hall, and Victor worked at the same Walmart. Do you need the building address?"

"No," Covey said. "Did they see anything?"

Percy bit his cheek and gave Tony another uncertain look.

"I've got your back," Tony reminded him under his breath. Percy nodded stiffly.

"...I don't know," he admitted, without looking at anyone. "By the time I went home that summer, Mom had already moved our stuff into a new apartment. I never saw those guys again." Then, unable to resist, "What are you going to do?"

"I'll send an agent over to ask them some questions," Covey said, still typing with a frown of concentration. "Depending on what they know or suspect, I'll decide what to do with them. Somehow, though, I don't think you have reason to be concerned."

Percy relaxed a little, allowing himself to be relieved. Tony nudged him.

"If you're expecting anything else to come up, now's the time," he said. Percy crossed his arms and squirmed. "Yeah?"

"Athena thinks that Kronos is going to use someone as leverage to make me cooperate," he said at last. "And, um, I don't know if anyone on his side knows how much my mom means to me, but..." He trailed off.

Tony gave Talbot a nod. "Some protection on Sally," he prompted. Talbot sighed, but he nodded back. "All good, then? Can we actually eat our food now?"

Percy started and looked down at his forgotten burger, which he hadn't even eaten half of. On cue, his stomach grumbled. Ellis chuckled.

"Yes, I suppose we've talked business for long enough," Ellis said, and while they tucked back into their food, Percy tried to think of how he'd explain this to his mom and Foggy.

Oh, hell.

For the first time in months, Percy's stomach twisted as he thought of talking to Foggy. He was not going to be cool about this.