Tower of Secrets

Percy Jackson

Ah yes, the joys of providing free labor. You just gotta love being an intern.

Peter apparently did. Or didn't. It was really hard to tell considering he might as well have gone slack-jawed the moment his sneakers touched the pavement after exiting the vehicle responsible for our transportation. I waved my hand in front of his eyes and snapped near his ear in an attempt to get him out of his uncalled for stupor.

"Sheesh, and I thought that I would be more nervous," I scoffed playfully. "At least you're a science genius. I just u a little math and an ungodly amount of marine biology."

Peter huffed out a nervous laugh. "Y'know, I was so excited until we got here. I think it's just now setting in."

The bit about the nerves stemming from the pressure of actually being on a proper undercover mission was tactfully left unsaid. I snorted playfully and draped an arm on his shoulders in order to steer the borderline shaking teenager inside. "Yeah, well, you're growing up. Congrats, man. Finally moving on from pull-ups."

Peter let out an amused huff, subtly leaning into the comfort. I didn't know all the specifics of Peter's childhood, but it made sense that he could have been a little bit deprived of physical affection. And, don't get me wrong, I'm not claiming that he needs to achieve any sort of intimacy with anyone in order to placate this (because some people seem to think that? Which is so wrong on so many levels), but a hug could go a long way when given to the sort of kid who's legal guardians were caught up trying to pay bills. (Not that the Parker's were bad guardians! I'm sure they did wonderful, especially since Peter's been a good friend. But, still, there had to have been a bit of a financial panic when they suddenly had to take on the expenses of a kid they definitely weren't expecting nor prepared for.)

Long story short, Peter seemed to appreciate the half-hug, even if I did release him as we walked up to the blond receptionist. Her hair was pulled back into one of the tightest ponytails I'd ever seen (and those Aphrodite girls got them pretty tight), and her top was a simple white blouse. She smiled up at us, her blue irises shining as she eyed Peter.

I glanced at her nameplate. "Hi, Ms. Stacy."

"Hello," she hummed. "And, just Gwen is fine. I'm only hear part-time, and I think we're about the same age, so I'd feel a little weird if you were formal with me. Unless you need to be, that is. I'm not totally sure what the protocol is right now; I only started last week." She blushed a little and moved to push a strand of hair behind her ear, even though there weren't any lose ones available to be fiddled with. "I'm sorry, what can I do for you?" Gwen bit her lip, as if forcing herself to stop talking.

"My name is Percy Jackson," I said, easily handling the conversation and letting Peter avoid the chaos that would ensue the moment he attempted to interact while undercover, "and this is my friend, Peter Parker. We're supposed to start interning today, but we don't know much about what we'll be doing or who we're with yet."

Gwen nodded. "Right, we've had a few people come in over the past few days. The assignments have varied, so I can't say I know where you'll end up right now, or even if you're working together. Um, you can take a seat on a bench over there, and I'll see about the details. Thank you for your patience."

I gave her a pleasant nod and led Peter over the the benches. Gwen shot another look in our direction before typing a little bit on her computer and making a quick call. A few minutes later, an elevator opened, and a lab coat walked out, her outfit on the bizarre side compared to expectations. Her white coat was scorched in a few places, but her bunned hair definitely didn't give off mad-scientist vibes. She sported a sweatshirt under the white, and her jeans wear patched up with various odd fabrics. The dark-haired woman approached Gwen, who pointed to us in turn.

Peter stood to greet her first, surprising me a little bit. "Gosh, hi," he squeaked out. "I think I've read a couple of your papers back from the spider experiments your performed a couple years ago. Dr, Cox, right? It's a huge honor to meet you, though I'm a bit surprised you're not with Oscorp anymore. I try to keep up with that stuff, but I must have missed it. I'm Peter Parker, by the way."

Dr. Cox's chocolate eyes glimmered at the recognition. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Parker. I'm pleased to tell you that you'll be assisting in my lab while you're here. I assume your companion is Mr. Perseus Jackson?"

"I don't go by Perseus," I explained softly. Maybe it was Peter's reaction, but something about this woman had my respect, which usually wasn't so easy to gain. "I prefer Percy."

"I hope Mr. Jackson while suffice? We tend to keep names formal, even if our attire slips."

I nodded. "Yeah, sure. Do you, ah, know who I'll be working with?"

Dr. Cox beamed as she began to lead us to the elevator she'd stepped out of. Distantly, I registered that Gwen waved goodbye. "Yes, you'll actually be bouncing around between my lab and our business partner's lab."

"Really?"

"Yes. Your file caught an eye over there, and they wanted a chance to meet you, so we're setting up a rotation. For now though, you'll just be with me."

"Do you have many other interns?" Peter asked while we were ascending.

"There are a few," Dr. Cox admitted. "I like having the extra hands, and teaching can be very fun with willing pupils."