Percy Jackson and the Forgotten Heroes

13 - MJ takes a dive

Peter's P.O.V

I had been momentarily distracted by the appearance of Owen Nakamura, but when the purple force field appeared separating us from him and Percy, I realised what this was - it wasn't an attack, or an ambush. It was an act of revenge. This was something personal.

Annabeth was lying unconscious on the ground. Anya and Lucas had run to her side and Anya already had her first aid kit in hand. Pippa took a few steps away from her and towards me, her face ghostly pale and looking like she was about to faint.

"You okay?"

She shuddered "I can't stand it when people are injured - it reminds me of my mum."

A sudden chill ran down my spine and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

I whirled around to see a hulking, hairy green beast grab MJ from behind, one hand wrapped around her torso to pin her arms down, the other covering her mouth to stop her from screaming. Beside him were 2 figures, dressed from head to toe in a sort of black uniform, with masks covering their faces. The one on the left was slight, and blanched when she saw me. I couldn't see her face, but somehow I just knew that it was my old friend Lauren. The other guard was tall and stocky, built like a bear. Beast dragged MJ backwards, out of the wide open balcony door.

I froze. In that split second of hesitation, the other guard swung at me and hit me right in the gut. I tried to shoot a web at him but he dodged it with ease, all while Beast and Lauren slowly backed away towards the edge of the balcony. I flipped the guard onto his back and called out a warning to Beast "Wait, don't - " but it was too late. They had already toppled over the side.

I scrambled to the edge and desperately tried to shoot a web at MJ to catch her, but the guard pushed my arm down and the web flew uselessly into the empty air. A purple mist surrounded the three of them as they fell and by the time it has cleared, they were gone.

I grabbed at the guard, but not fast enough. I just managed to snag their sleeve but they pulled away hard and it tore off. They glared at me as they stood at the edge, then simply nodded and deliberately leaped off the side of the building. Before they'd even gone 5 feet, the same purple mist enveloped them and they disappeared.

The others had come to see what was going on, but they were too late. They had got away, and MJ had been taken, again.

"I'll find you." I whispered, hoping that somehow she would hear me "I promise you MJ, I will find you, and I will rescue you. I will always find you."

"What happened?" Pippa asked, looking around, alert, as if expecting a fight.

I stammered out "Th-they took her. MJ, they took her."

"Who?"

I shook my head in answer.

Amy-Rose pointed at a small object gleaming on the ground, "Hey, what's that?"

Ned knelt to pick it up, but as he held it, it disappeared from his hand. "One of the people who took MJ must have dropped it." I could tell he was trying to keep his voice even for my sake, but I was barely paying attention.

I stared down at the piece of material clenched in my fist, the sleeve of a top with a logoed badge on it. Then I looked up at Ned, Lucas and Pippa.

"We need to call the Avengers."

"Why?" Ned asked, wondering what has caused my change of heart. He'd suggested going to the Avengers before, and I'd said no.

In answer, I looked down at the badge in my hands. I had known instantly what it was. It depicted a red skull with 6 tentacles coming off of it.

Hydra.