Aquaman? Whoops, Wrong Universe: A Percy Jackson Marvel Crossover

Chapter 19: Steve

Was it his fault? Was Steve the reason Percy was currently on the run, brainwashed, with no memories? That was what Steve feared. He knew he certainly hadn't helped Percy's situation at the tower, but he was genuinely starting to wonder if all the blame fell on him. It didn't, right? At the end of the day, all of them had failed at protecting the kid. It wasn't just Steve.

Then again, he was probably the only one who could beat Bucky in a fight. At least while Tony's suit was shorting out and Hulk deciding to be difficult. They were both enhanced in the same way, so it would theoretically be fair. But Bucky did have that deadly metal arm too, greatly decreasing Steve's odds.

Thoughts of his best friend and the young man he had failed swirled through Steve's head as he jogged through the streets of New York. He saw trash littered everywhere. A cigarette here, a bottle there. Smog clouded his vision slightly, but he didn't really mind. He was used to it by now, and who was he to complain? So many people had it ten times worse than he did. At least he got to live, unlike so many of his comrades.

Unlike Bucky.

Steve wasn't sure if what his friend had turned into constituted as living anymore. He wasn't in control of his own mind. He had no recollection of any experience they had shared in the 40s. He didn't even know his own name. 

Now that fate had been burdened upon Percy.

Was it his fault?

Steve wasn't sure how long he had been running for, nor what he was running from. Was it his guilt? His team? His worry? Steve didn't know. He just knew that he felt like he was drowning in problems, and he didn't know how to help himself. 

Running cleared his head, something he was extremely grateful for at the moment. He ran harder.

People he ran past gave him strange looks, and not just because he was Captain America. They could probably sense the distress coming off of him in waves. 

Steve only wished he could do more to help with... everything. The suffering in the world, the death, but most importantly, his loved ones. He didn't know what he could do for either Percy or  Bucky. Barnes had been so empty when Steve last saw him. All of that emotion—the life that had overflowed from him in every moment was just... gone. And from Tony's briefing, Percy hadn't been much better.

Tony had come up to him and apologized. Can you believe it? The Tony Stark, apologizing. Truly a once in a lifetime experience. 

"Rogers, you're back on," he had said, surprising Steve. "We need all the help we can get. I hate to admit it, but you might be the only one who can defeat another super soldier. Well, Hulk too, but he's been grumpy lately. And I don't want Peter anywhere near this thing."

Steve had immediately agreed. He needed to help, somehow and some way. Tony was even letting Peter help too, showing how truly desperate their situation was. Stark was like an overprotective mother hen to the kid. That was one endearing thing about Stark, at least.

Clint and Tony were heading to a camp in Long Island that Percy had mentioned where other demigods were. They wanted them to help the case too, seeing as it was one of their own who was on a rampage. Tony was going because, well, he wanted to. Clint was going at request of Natasha. Apparently he was good with kids or something? Steve had no idea why Nat thought that and on what authority she had gotten said information, but he let it go. He was waiting for the moment where he would be able to try to knock sense back into Bucky—make him remember his life.

Would it even work? Or was his friend gone forever?

Unfortunately for Steve, he had no idea when or even if they would see Bucky again. The guy was a ghost—no one, not even Nat, knew where he went in between assassinations. Steve shuddered at the word. He was still trying to get it into his head that Bucky had murdered people. Not just killed in war, which was something entirely different. Actively murdering random, possibly innocent, people just because HYDRA wanted them gone was a devastating fact to get through his head. His best friend, an assassin. It made Steve sick to his stomach.