The Fallen Hero (Percy Jackson x Avengers Crossover)

25: Flame On, Baby!

"Tony,"

"What now, Happy?" He let all his exasperation in his current project lace into his words.

"The kid's gone."

Tony looked up into his forehead-of-security's unusually pale and sweaty face, and he shot to his feet, dropping his tools on the floor.

Tony could tell that this time he wasn't talking about Peter.

"Crap."

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"...but then I was just like, boom! Flame on, baby! And that monster was all, ah! I'm being roasted into a dead-monster-dust-marsh mellow! And Calypso was like, haha! Take that--"

"I did not say any such thing!" Calypso folded her arms, and tried to frown at him. 

She failed miserably.

"Whatever Callie." Leo winked at her playfully and launched into the conclusion of his story, "And then it was all, stab-stab the fire-boy and I think I said ouch...well, I didn't exactly say ouch...but then Festus was like wheee and he flew us up to the roof and there you were and here we are!"

"Man, we all thought you were dead, and that's all you have to say?" Percy wasn't sure how to feel...part of him felt giddy with joy. At last, something that had gone right with his life! The other part of him felt sluggish and cranky and ready to take another nap. 

It seemed like all he did was sleep these days, but he never felt well-rested.

For once Leo actually looked mildly serious. "No, sorry man...I just...dude, you have no idea how good it is to see you. Seriously."

Percy flinched involuntarily. "Thanks...I'm glad you're alive,"

"Me too," Leo admitted, winking, "Because let me tell you, hermano, being dead? Not as fun as it's made out to be!"

After his trip to the underworld and his chats with Hazel (not to mention all those psychopaths who made their way out of the underworld thanks to old mother Gaea) Percy had no trouble believing Leo. 

Calypso eyed the boys disapprovingly, then leaned over and whispered something in Leo's ear, and he grinned at her weakly. He was lounging in a chair in the puppy-operating room, his arm heavily bandaged and normally tan complexion an unhealthy pale. He was putting on a brave face, but it wasn't hard for Percy to figure out just how much pain the smaller boy was actually in. 

Percy stood and peered around the half-open door to see how Scott was coming along. He was trying to convince the people at the animal clinic not to report them to the police, and probably promising them great rewards in the form of Tony Stark's money. So far the guy had had to shrink and re-grow three times in his convincing attempts. 

Percy sighed and walked back to his seat. Leo was now leaning back with his head against the wall and his eyes closed, a ghostly grin plastered on his face. It was starting to look more like a grimace of pain than a grin. 

"How ya doin', Leo?" Percy asked softly. 

"Sunshine and rainbows, amigo..." he murmured dryly.

Calypso glared at Percy, as if all this was his fault. He raised his  hands in a Who, me? gesture, and sent a silent prayer of thanks to his father when Scott walked in, looking exhausted but triumphant. 

"Good news, boys! And lady," he winked kindly at Calypso.

For some reason she seemed to relax with him there, no matter how incompetent he seemed at times.