Percabeth at Stark Tower

8. Meeting Will

Clint's POV

When Tony asks us to come to his lab again I'm a bit worried.  Considering that someone just got hired who claims to know someone we've been searching for for years and the fact that Peter doesn't trust her is pretty suspicious.  And Tony never lets us into his lab unless it's something big, so for all I know I'll walk in and find her threatening him with a knife or something.  JARVIS also said that it was urgent.  "What happened?" I ask as I double check my bow's okay.

"Nico's here!" Tony shouts like a child on christmas morning.

"What?" I say before my mouth drops open and I fall out of the vents, barely managing to catch myself before I hit the ground.  He's older, more mature, weathered and somehow looks like his life got harder but it's definitely Nico.

"Hello," he says awkwardly and I see Annabeth elbow him.

"Where have you been?" Natasha shouts as she runs in the door.

"How many injuries do you have?" Bruce says as he comes in right behind her.  Nico's about to answer I think when Bucky tumbles in with Steve and their questions.  Everyone's voices pile up and even though I know we should be taking turns I find myself joining in the pile of questions.

Finally everyone calms down.  Nico stepped back and started talking to Annabeth while we did so but now he looks over again.  "How's everyone been?"

"You vanished for years and are asking how we are?!  How many times have you almost died?"

"They've got your number for sure," Annabeth says with a smile. 

"I was never that close." Nico says instead of a number, raising eyebrows around the room.  He might be telling the truth, but his idea of close is different from ours.  "I mean it!  I wasn't really in danger of dying and I'm fine now so it doesn't matter."

"Is that what Will would say?" Annabeth asks with a smirk, "considering they want to know your medical history he should probably be here."

"No!" Nico yelps.  "He is not getting involved!"

"Who's Will?" Bruce asks, "your doctor?"

"Yeah." Nico sighs.

"Not just a doctor," Annabeth says and Nico's eyes widen slightly as though he's panicked by her words.

"What do you mean?" Bucky asks, smirking slightly.

"He's my...friend I guess." Nico says.

"Yeah, friend," Annabeth says sarcastically.  "Anyways, should I call him?"

"Sure, but I want you to explain why you disappeared and what happened now." Tony says sternly.  Annabeth grabs her phone which looks slightly odd and texts someone, I assume Will.

"Ugh.  I'm leaving." Nico says and tries to walk away.

"JARVIS, lock the doors," Tony says as Annabeth grabs his arm, preventing him from moving.

"No.  you can't keep running."

"Why not?  It's worked up till now."

"Maybe, but was it the best way?"

"It was the only way, you should know that." Nico spat out angrily.

"No it wasn't." she says before taking a breath.  "Neither of us can convince the other right now so how about we table this discussion."

"Deal."

"Why did you leave?" Natasha asks softly after a moment of silence.

Nico looks down and I can see Annabeth fidgeting.  "I...needed to figure some things out.  I wasn't in the best place mentally at the time."