Chapter Two
Third Person POV
"This is out of line, Director." Said an elderly man with a serious face, projected one of four massive screens. In front of the screens stood a man in a black trench coat, a faded patch covering one of his eyes. The other people on the screen looked at him with stoic and slightly concerned expressions. Not for his well being, of course.
"You're dealing with forces you can't control." The same man said, leaning forward, his hands clasped.
"You ever been in a war, Councilmen?" Nick Fury asked, his hands behind his back as he stood firmly in front of the Council. "In a firefight? Did you ever feel an overabundance of control?"
"You're saying that this "Asgard" is declaring war on our planet?" The councilman asked.
"Not Asgard," The director said. "Loki."
"He can't be working alone." The female councilman to the right of the director said. "What about the other one? His brother."
"Our intelligence says that Thor is not a hostile." Nick Fury said loudly. "He's worlds away. We can't depend on him for help either. It's up to us." He finished, raising his eyebrows.
"Which is why we should be focusing on Phase 2," the councilman from earlier spoke staring at the director. "It's designed for exactly-"
"Phase 2 isn't ready." Nick Fury interrupted, trying to hide his impatience. "Our enemy is. We need a response team."
"The Avengers Initiative was shut down." A third councilman said forcefully.
"This isn't about the Avengers."
"We have the comforts of the world's best security and you're going to leave the fate of this world to a handful of freaks." The first man said coldly.
"I'm not leaving anything to anyone." Nick Fury argued. "We need a response team."
"These people may be isolated," He said. "Unbalanced even. But I believe that with the right push, they can be exactly what we need."
"You believe?" The woman asked, her voice and face emotionless.
"War isn't won by sentiment, Director." The elderly man said.
"No," Nick Fury said in a low voice. "It's won by soldiers."
In a small isolated warehouse, a man in a white shirt and baggy light brown khakis pounded away at the punching bag in front of him. Sweat dripped down his front, sticking to his powerful torso. He stepped back from the bag for a second, breathing heavily, before he ferociously started attacking it again. Images of his life flashed before him as he punched the sandbag.
World War II.
He gave the bag a low uppercut, bringing his hand back for the next throw.
Fighting, killing people as havok raged around him.
He punches the bag twice, drawing in a deep breath as he does.
"There's not enough time." A HYDRA jet, flying down to the ocean. "I gotta put 'er in the water!"
He ferociously smacks the bag, sending it rocking backwards. The second it comes back, he quickly punches it twice more.
The ethereal blue cube of pure energy.
He leans forward, throwing his whole weight behind the next punch.
"You won't be alone." Peggy's face in the compass as he stares at it, one last time just before he hits the water.
He gritted his teeth, landing a barrage of heavy blows on the bag.
"Oh my god. This guy's still alive!"
The bag was torn off the hook, skidding onto the floor until it hit the wall 20 feet away.
Steve Rogers stood in the middle of the room, breathing hard before he grabbed another bag from the row on the floor behind him. He dragged it over and locked it onto the hook before taking a deep breath and continuing to pound away at the sandbag.
He failed to notice the director of SHIELD standing by the door with a manila folder in his hands.
Over a hundred feet under sea level, where barely any light from the sun shone through, a large generator was being operated on single-handedly by a multi-billionaire.
Tony Stark carefully used the repulsor lasers on his suit to cut away a portion of the steel covering the generator. He then fitted it with his own hydraulic generator, activating it before shooting to the surface past a touring ferry and towards the city.
"All's good on this end; the rest is up to you." He said through his com.
"You've disconnected the transmission?" His CEO and love interest, Pepper Potts, asked. "Are we off the grid?"
"Yep." He replied casually underneath the mask. "Stark Towers is about to become a beacon of self-sustaining, clean energy."
"Well," Pepper said dryly. "Assuming the Arc Reactor takes over and actually works?"
"I assume." Tony said briskly. "Light 'er up."
From the bottom to the top, the outside lights of the building lit up, revealing a brilliantly structured tower that lit up like a beacon, taller than any other around it. Emblazoned on the top balcony, large capital letters form the word STARK in bright white.
"How does it look?" Pepper whispered.
"Like Christmas," Tony critiqued. "But with more... me."
"We've gotta go wider on the public awareness campaign, you need to do some press." She said. "I'm in DC tomorrow, I'll be working on the zoning of the next two buildings-"
"Pepper, you're killing me." Tony interjected. "The moment, remember? Enjoy the moment?"
"Get in here and I will." She said softly.
Tony landed on a platform diagonal to the balcony. As he turned off his thrusters and touched the steel floor, a circular metallic circle opened up behind him, following him as he walked towards the building. The circle surrounded him, removing his suit piece by piece, from top to bottom.
"Sir, Agent Couslon from SHIELD is on the line." Tony's electronic AI/butler, JARVIS said.
"Tell him I'm not in." Tony said as the mask and chest plate of the suit were removed. "I'm actually out."
"Sir, I'm afraid he's insisting." Jarvis said with a clipped British accent.
"Close the line JARVIS," Tony said. "I've got a date."
As he walked into the room, removing his foot thrusters, he saw Pepper staring at the blue screens in front of her, observing the results of their work.
"Energy levels are holding steady," She said, biting her lip. "I think."
"Of course they are, I was directly involved." Tony said walking into the room. "Which brings me to my next question: How does it feel to be a genius?"
"Well now, I really wouldn't know the answer to that, would I?" She asked, leaning against the table.
Tony frowned. "What do you mean? All this," He said, gesturing to the tower around them. "Came from you."
"No," Pepper said softly. "All this, came from that." She said, poking the arc reactor that was in the billionaire's chest.
Tony grabbed her elbows, staring at her directly in the eyes. "Give yourself some credit, please." He said. "Stark Tower, is your baby. Give yourself... twelve percent credit."
Pepper stared at him incredulously for a second before walking past him. "Twelve percent? Twelve percent?"
"An argument can be made for fifteen," Tony said gesturing openly, walking behind her.
"Twelve percent?" Pepper asked incredulously, pouring herself a glass of champagne. "For my baby?"
"Well, I did do all the heavy lifting." Tony said as he poured himself a drink as well. "Literally, I lifted the heavy things. And that security snafu?" He asked, gesturing with his hands. "That was on you."
"Mmm-hmm." Pepper said, taking a sip.
"My private elevator-"
"-you mean our elevator?"
"was teeming with sweaty workmen." Tony finished. "I'm gonna pay for that comment about percentages in some subtle way later, aren't I?"
"Not so subtle," She said, taking a sip.
"Tell you what," The billionaire said. "Next building's gonna say "Potts" on the tower."
"On the lease," Pepper said, raising her eyebrows.
"Call your mom, can you bunk over?"
"Sir," Jarvis started. "I am afraid my protocols are being overwritten." Before he could say anything else, Coulson's voice came over the phone.
"Stark, we need to talk."
Tony picked up the phone lying on the table and picked it up, looking at it in exasperation. "You have reached the real-life model of Tony Stark, please leave a message."
"This is urgent."
"Then leave it urgently." Tony retorted, staring at Coulson.
Before he could say anything, the elevator opened with a ding, revealing the agent in question, dressed in an immaculate black suit, with the phone still pressed to his ear. He stared at the billionaire pointedly.
"Security breach."
"Are you sure this is safe?" Percy asked warily, staring at the quinjet in front of him.
He was safe from the gods now. They said that they would now classify him as just a human instead of a demigod after Poseidon had disowned him. That still didn't make him comfortable with flying though.
He could almost see the Russian agent's wry smirk as she answered him without turning around. "Having second thoughts?"
He played off his fears as old habits. That was no longer his life. Plastering a smile on his face, he spoke. "Never."
"Good." She said simply.
A ramp opened at the back of the gray aircraft, revealing a rather roomy interior with seats on the sides. There were a large number of safety precautions such as overly excessive parachutes, oxygen masks, and life vests that didn't help with Percy's nerves.
He hesitantly walked in after Bruce and Agent Romanoff, belting himself right beside the man who hosted the Hulk. The Russian Assassin sat right in front of him, elegantly slipping into the straps and subtly observing him, obviously wondering who the heck he was. Percy really didn't care. If she wanted to interrogate the Doc she could. He was tired.
"Mind if I take a short nap?" He asked Bruce.
He nodded. "Yeah, it's probably best if you go to sleep. Your acrophobia is making me nervous too."
Yep, probably best to go to sleep.
"Yes, sir." Percy saluted jokingly.
Bruce smiled wanly at Percy before tilting his head upward, listening to the roar of the engine.
Percy closed his eyes, trying to ignore the sounds of the engines and roaring winds as they lifted off. Within a few seconds, he was out like a light. Of course, nothing was ever that simple. Demigod dreams suck.
He was lying on his bed in the Poseidon cabin, forlornly staring up at the ceiling and listening to the soothing sound of running water coming from his fountain.
"Percy?" Somebody asked from outside. Nico.
When there was no answer, he walked in to find the son of Poseidon gazing vacantly at the ceiling, clearly brooding. The son of Hades walked over to the other bed, sitting on it and staring at the son of Poseidon, whose cheeks were gaunt and hollow, his usually sparkling sea-green eyes dull. He waited, knowing that it was best to be silent for now.
After a while, Nico cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the silence. Percy was the most ADHD demigod he knew, and if he was fine with laying down in bed for such a long time, then there was something wrong with him. Not that Nico didn't know that.
"Percy... I know how you feel-"
"No." Percy interrupted, his voice deathly calm as he stared upwards. "No, you don't know how I feel. Poseidon disowned me out of fear for his rule, Annabeth can't stand the sight of me, and everyone at camp thinks of me as a lunatic. You and Thalia and the Olympians are all I have left, and half the council already hates me. You don't know how I feel."
Nico sighed. "Maybe you should take a break." He suggested. "Stay with your parents for a bit."
The former son of Poseidon shook his head sadly as he sat up on the edge of his bed. "No, I know they love me, but I don't want to be a burden on them. They already have another kid coming, and since I won't be able to hold a proper job for long, I'll only be a weight."
"Look, Annabeth will come around eventually-" And then Percy exploded.
"No!" He yelled, bolting up. "No, she won't! Look at her! She can't even look at me without seeing what I did down there! And then she remembers all the horrors of Tartarus! I remind her of the worst place in existence, Nico! And she won't ever be able to get over it with me around! I know that she goes to that son of Hermes just so she can remember the days when she was with Luke!"
"And me staying near her while she's like that... it's killing me too!" He ended, breathing heavily, tears threatening to fall from his watery eyes.
Nico just stayed silent, staring at Percy stoically as he took deep breaths trying to calm himself down.
Suddenly, without warning, the former son of Poseidon turned sharply and stalked out the door. Nico caught up to him as he briskly walked past the climbing wall and mess hall, not looking back as he neared Thalia's tree. "What are you doing?" The son of Hades asked.
Percy replied without looking back. "Something I should have done long ago."
He passed the border and headed towards the city before noticing that Nico was no longer walking behind him. Turning, he saw him standing beside Thalia's tree, staring at him sympathetically.
His last sight of Camp Half-Blood was the Son of Hades standing beside the tree that hosted the spirit of the only living daughter of Zeus. His cousins, the only two people he had left.
The Hero of Olympus walked into the Throne Room of Olympus where only two Olympians were sitting: Hera and Poseidon. Each were glaring at each other fiercely. It was clear that they both had nothing better to do at the current moment.
Ignoring the sea god, Percy walked up to the Queen of Olympus, who stopped burning a hole in Poseidon's forehead and turned to stare at him quizzically. She may have hated Perseus, but his trip through Tartarus had made the Queen of the Heavens sympathetic towards him. She still didn't like him, but she didn't exactly hate him either.
He bowed, shocking both Olympians. "Lady Hera, if I may request something?" He asked.
"What is it, Perseus?" She asked, leaning forward slightly in interest.
"Could you please summon the Olympic council?" He requested politely.
The Queen of the Heavens nodded, raising her hand. A peacock feather flew out of it, sparkling in the air before it disappeared into particles of light.
One by one, each one of the Olympians flashed in, Zeus appearing last as a thundercloud formed over his throne before settling over the chair and dissipating, revealing the King of Olympus. Every Olympian rolled their eyes discreetly.
"Wife, why have you summoned us?" He asked in a deep voice.
The Queen of Olympus simply pointed to the Hero of Olympus, who stood in front of them.
Zeus turned to him and tilted his head questioningly, looking slightly confused as to why the whole council was there.
"Lord Zeus, I have a request." Percy said, surprising everyone with the amount of respect he showed.
"What is it Perseus?" The King of Olympus asked, his eyebrows furrowed.
Percy took a deep breath, and then exhaled.
"I want you all to leave me alone." Percy said loudly, his voice cutting through the throne room. "My life has been ruined by me being a demigod, and thankfully that's gone. My powers are all gone, and I am no longer a threat to any of you. You all obviously have no need for me now. Nearly the whole camp thinks I'm a lunatic, and it's best if new campers don't have their opinion of the camp ruined by me being there."
"Therefore, I ask that you forget about me, classify me as a mortal, and never intrude upon my life ever again. Let me live, and let me do what I wish with what remains of my life." He finished, looking at Zeus.
The King of the Gods sighed, as if expecting this, before he looked around the room. "All in favor?"
Every Olympian in the room raised their hands, each for their own reasons. Each and every one of them however, knew one thing: Perseus Jackson had saved them all. The least he deserved was a little peace.
"Very well, Perseus." The king of the gods said, locking eyes with the greatest demigod of all time. "We, the council, agree to grant your wish. We will never bother you again."
Slowly, the dream faded to nothing as Percy's mind took him somewhere else, away from what he was reliving.
He was lying in a vast emptiness of white and black swirls, a Dream World to be more exact. Turning, he saw the man to whom he owed his life to, observing him.
"Lord Chaos."
"Perseus."
The raven-haired boy winced slightly. "Just Percy. Perseus reminds me of... them."
Chaos tilted his head slightly. "Then I insist that you call me Chaos or father. If I am to adopt you someday officially, should we not address each other as father and son by now at least?
Percy shrugged, a slight smile playing playing on his lips. "Fair enough. Why'd you call me here?"
Chaos smiled. "First, about my offer."
Percy sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Chaos, not yet." He said. "I said that I'd let you adopt me officially in the future, when I believe is right. Maybe when I die, I don't know. At the moment, I really don't feel like becoming Prince of the Universe."
Chaos nodded in slight disappointment, expecting the answer. Still he had to try.
"As for my next question, what do you think of the blessings I gave you? I forgot to ask a few months ago." He asked.
Percy frowned. "You blessed me?"
Chaos mentally facepalmed. "How do you think you got your water powers after Poseidon disowned you?"
Percy's mouth formed a small 'o' shape. "Oh, ok. So, do I have any other powers?"
Chaos shrugged. "It was the blessings of Hydros and Pontus." He said vaguely. "You have powers over any type of water, be it solid, liquid, or gas. You can now use the water vapor around you to do many things, such as what common mortals would call telekinesis. If you practice enough, you may even be able to fly. Unfortunately, though, you have now lost your powers over the earth. Sorry about that."
Percy smiled. "It's fine Chaos," He said. "I don't want more power."
"I know you don't," Chaos said chuckling. "That's why you deserve it. The Greeks don't know what they've lost."
Percy smiled slightly, bowing his head before changing the subject.
"By the way," He said. "Can you tell me where I'm going right now? Over a year of peace, and then suddenly people are asking for the Hulk. Not to mention the expensive battle jet that I'm sleeping in right now. Are these people government?"
Chaos nodded, suddenly serious. "There is a mortal agency that works in the shadows. They are known as SHIELD, or Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division."
Percy blinked. "Um, what?"
Chaos sighed, running a hand through his dark black hair.
"Let's just say that they specialize in the unusual and extraordinary." He said. "Whenever somebody appears whom they think is a threat, they take care of them in some way or another. They've been going for almost a century now."
Percy nodded. "So, something unusual is coming to attack and try to take over Earth?" He asked.
A pause. Then...
"Yes." Chaos said seriously.
Percy just sighed. "I thought so."
"One last thing." Chaos said. "Technically, you are now fully human, although the Greeks will probably want you back soon. They never seem to realize what it means to leave their heroes alone. However, your days with mythology are not over yet."
"Another pantheon has entered your life Perseus." He continued. "However, this one is quite literally out of this world. They will be from planets beyond this one, and I urge you to get on their good side. After all, a prince must be on good terms with his subjects."
"Dad!" Percy groaned. "None of the prince stuff. I just want to live my life, not do any of that other stuff. I want to get married, have kids, and settle down."
"Yes," Chaos mused. "And then your twentieth child will be named after me, I presume?"
Percy blushed beet red, blood flooding into his face.
"That's it, I'm done. Wake me up."
The Primordial of the Void chuckled before snapping his fingers. Percy's vision warped in and out of focus, swirling and shifting dizzily. The last thing he saw was the Cheshire cat grin on his father's face, pearly white teeth gleaming before he could feel someone shaking him awake.
"-dump water on him?" A voice was saying. Feminine, so probably that assassin.
"That only makes him sleep longer," Bruce said in exasperation.
"I'm up," Percy grunted taking off the belt. "Where are we?"
As he got up, the ramp of the quinjet opened up, revealing a runway that was bustling with activity. Cargo was being shipped from place to place, and some people were going down stairways beneath the runway, where there was undoubtedly just as much hustle and bustle.
That wasn't what mattered to Percy though. The only thing that mattered was the smell of the salty sea breeze, the wind blowing his hair back in a refreshing manner. He subconsciously straightened, thoroughly rejuvenated by the sheer expanse of water around him.
They were over the sea. Strength and comfort rolled over Percy in waves. He grinned, relishing the new feeling of the water in the air all around him.
"Welcome to the Helicarrier, kid." Agent Romanoff said as she walked past him, hiding a smirk.