And you know heroes aren't meant to survive

Chapter 3

So I need you guys to know that I'm making this up as I go. I have a general idea of where I want this story to go but I don't write ahead and to be honest I start out at point A and my hand takes me to point H. I really hope you like where this leads cos I definitely do. Oh well read enjoy and review.

Clint got into the nearest vent and started making his way to Coulson's office, thoughts still on Percy. He liked going through the vents. They were faster and he wouldn't have to deal with annoying agents. Also, they made it easier to pull pranks and terrify newbies.

He actually wasn't sure who he was more worried for, Percy who was receiving all of Fury's attention at once, or Fury himself. Clint may not have been we'll connected to the mythological world that much over these past few years, but anyone who held any sort of affiliation with that world knew of Percy Jackson. The demigod that made it his personal goal to piss off practically every being more powerful than himself. Or he would befriend said powerful being and have them indebted to him or willing to help his cause whatever it may be. The kid made powerful enemies and equally, if not more powerful allies.

According to Apollo who visited him a year back, the kid pissed off Zeus and got Hades and Hestia placed on the Council in the same meeting. As part of his post Giant war requests he had the ancient law of godly parents not being able to meet with and help their children abolished. If the kid could do so much that the gods - even Artemis! - respected him... Well, there was a reason he was the best demigod in history and why SHIELD wanted him.

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As Clint exited the room, the door shut with a finality Percy really didn't like. Fury was looking at him as if searching for something in his face. He apparently found it because he nodded before speaking. Percy assumed it was a spy thing.

"SHIELD is compromised. As the events of last summer with the Captain proved, we cannot trust our own agents. As Agent Romanov informed the world, we had been infiltrated by Hydra, an organisation thought finished during World War Two. An organisation that is resurfacing with some very powerful assets."

Percy didn't like the way Fury said 'assets'. He knew enough about war to know that 'assets' generally meant people. Some of whom were tortured to do terrible acts in the name of the 'greater good'.

"But I don't understand what you want me for. You still have the Avengers, still have some agents you can trust... Where's my role in this?"

"Right now taking down Hydra isn't my top priority. I have people rooting out rogue agents and there is evidence of an ex-Hydra agent waging a one-man war against them. No. I need allies to help me fight a war. Allies such as you Mr. Jackson. We also need you to track down a rogue agent. One of Hydra's best in fact. From what we know of him, he was the perfect asset. Followed orders to a fault and never failed a mission save one and he never misses. A perfect record really. Which makes for an interesting question when evidence is found of him saving your life numerous times over the past seventeen years. After all, the Winter Soldier is known for taking life, not saving it. Especially not the life of a future target."

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Fury was getting a little annoyed. After telling Jackson that little piece of information which he still wanted answers for, he had taken to impersonating a goldfish. Discreetly checking his watch, he figured this had gone on long enough. Luckily for Percy, he snapped out of it before Fury was forced to take any drastic measures, like calling in Coulson.

"First of all, why the Hades would I be on a list of future targets and second, what on earth would someone like the Winter Soldier want with me?"

Fury turned a page of the file he had been holding but had left on the table while talking to Percy it had some grainy pictures and some handwritten notes on the next page which Fury proceeded to read out.

"Mission completed. Asset may be compromised. Deliberately left position to move a two year old child out of traffic. This is dated to about 17 years ago.

"Soldier went off radar for approx twelve minutes. Agents on field give a window of 1347 hours to 1400 hours. Had been waiting for target outside kindergarten before incident. Asset claimed necessity of scouting the area. False alarm? This was about 14 years ago. The next day the school changed its security because a child had almost been kidnapped. The kidnapping was stopped by a man with an 'unusual' prosthetic. About nine years ago he was sighted entering an alley to stop a gang beating up a child.

"Hydra also knew about the Greek world and it is confirmed that the Soldier can see through the mist, even before when it was fully functional. Not only would he normally kill any monster he encountered, but whenever he has had a mission around your vicinity, Mr. Jackson, he has gone out of his way to destroy them.

"This child, Mr. Jackson, has always been you. The Soldier has been wiped at least 4 times over these past 17 years, yet his behaviour has changed from a perfect asset to a guardian angel of sorts around you. The only other known instance of his going against orders was when it concerned Rogers. So tell me, Mr Jackson, what is so special about you that would push the Soldier to change?"

Percy who had been stunned into silence, his mind working at a speed even a child of Athena would be surprised at, picking through everything Fury had said, spoke haltingly, still trying to process everything. "I... don't know. I've never had any affiliation with SHIELD and by default, Hydra before today... But I do know who you're talking about. I first actually met him when I was... 10? Yeah, 10. But I remember seeing him way before that. He was always in the shadows... Just... watching. He spoke to me a little after he pulled those boys off me. It was a mixture of... Russian and English. I know it was Russian because one of my friends was a transfer and taught me some. He asked me if I was alright, critiqued my non existent fighting skills, showed me how to throw a proper punch and left.

"I saw him after that, always watching. He didn't approach me much, not after that first time... Just watched from afar. A couple of times he would come to me after I got my ass kicked and showed me how to hold them off until someone helped me or I could get away. The last time was when I was twelve, sometime before I found out about my heritage. I had just gotten my ass kicked again. He hadn't interfered. He never did, not after that first time. But he came to me and helped me up. He just said I still couldn't fight to save my life but since I may have to one day, he might as well teach me the basics. He showed me a couple things and said they would do for now. But then he said he wouldn't be around forever so I would need to know some things 'in case' - he didn't specify, but he was serious. That's when he showed me how to use a gun. He left right after but not before saying that monsters don't just hide under beds. I never saw him again and I never told anyone about him or showed anyone what he taught me. When I asked him for a name he just told me to call him Winter."

"So the Soldier knew of Hydra's plans for you?" Fury asked.

Percy just shrugged, he honestly had no idea what or who the Soldier thought he needed protection from, but if Fury was right, it did hint towards Hydra. And here he had been hoping for some peace. Damn.

So that's a wrap people! I really hope you like it and please do tell me your thoughts in the reviews. Also I'm sorry about oocness.