The Warrior of the Hunt

I Don't Like Quiet

There will be no explanation for this chapter.

Things were quiet in the Avenger's Tower. And since it was past midnight, that should make sense. The kids weren't sleeping over besides Peter, and normal people don't stay up that late. Especially if they have either school or work the next morning. All the lights were out, everyone was asleep—except for me of course—and there were messes all over the common living area that no one ever bothers to clean up.

Of course, this would all make sense if none of the inhabitants of said tower weren't Tony Stark and Clint Barton. Normally, I would hear Clint snoring like a freight train in the next room over and Tony, the insomniac, working on something in his lab.

They were up to something and I am going to figure out what it is.

Leaving my room at two in the morning—because I just couldn't take the silence any longer—I snuck my way to Tony's lab. He's almost always there; it was a sure fire way of finding him at any time.

I peeked around the corner through the glass doors and walls to Tony's lab. Nothing. The lights were out, there was nothing moving around inside, not even the small noises some of his machines make on a daily basis. I could not even sense a living being in the room.

Well, now what? If Tony isn't in his lab, I am at a loss as to where he would really be. Definitely not sleeping in his room. That's a no for the training room too...the kitchen? Maybe he's getting a drink.

I had to change floors for that one, so I decided to vapor travel there. I haven't done that in a while.

Upon arriving in the kitchen doorway, I sagged in relief to see both Tony and Clint at the stove, working on something. Then I realized how bad of a cook they both are and tensed up again.

"What are you two doing?" I asked in a voice that was too loud even for daylight hours.

Both culprits jumped about a foot in the air. Tony remembered to stay quiet but Clint did not. He let loose a shriek that could wake the dead and stretched one hand (holding a spatula) in my direction and the other close to his body with a closed fist.

"Percy!" Tony put a hand on his chest. "We were just minding our own business making—never mind what we were doing! What are you doing?"

I rose an eyebrow. "I wasn't the one suspiciously up in the kitchen at two in the morning doing Chaos knows what."

"He's got a point, there Tony." Clint said, glancing over at his co-conspirator.

"Shut up, Barton." Tony said out of the corner of his mouth before smiling at me.

I hadn't moved from the doorway so I just leaned on the side of it and crossed my arms. Waiting.

Tony sagged. "We were working on a slime arrow."

"For what?" I didn't think making slime required the stove, but I don't know anything about making slime and maybe there's an added effect they're trying for.

"For a tower wide—grf!" Clint crouched to the floor over his ribs, where Tony jabbed him non-too-gently with the first thing he could get his hands one. Which happened to be a fork.

"Were you going to say 'prank'?" I asked, deadpanned.

"Nnnooooo?" Clint said, still on the floor.

Tony rolled his eyes. "How convincing, Bird Brain."

"Thanks." Clint croaked.

"What are you going to do with this information?" Tony asked now.

I shrugged. "What is it going to take to be left out of it?"