Always The Prey (PART 3)

Chapter 9: This Is Why I Don't Like To Be Handed Things

Tony Stark POV

When Fury called for a meeting at 6:30 in the morning, I initially didn't want to go. Who wakes up that early in the morning anyway? But it was for the demigod situation, so I had to come.

I set an alarm for every single minute leading up to 6:30. I think I even overlapped a few minutes, which I don't even understand how that's possible.

I still missed all the alarms.

In my defense, I was working late until 5:27 according to Jarvis, which is when I promptly knocked out in the lab. The only person who woke up to the alarms was Pepper, who was not pleased.

I repeat: not pleased.

"Tony Stark! You better get your ass out of that lab bench and make your way to that meeting or so help me!" she screamed after stopping the sixth alarm.

I quickly scrambled upward and started to messily make my way towards the meeting room, making myself look presentable on the walk there.

I grabbed one of my suits that was hanging off of the rolly chair and quickly put it on, running my fingers through my hair as I walked towards the board room. I was actually not even that late, pretty good according to my past history actually.

One of the guys there tried to hand me his sheet of paper, but I didn't take it. I hate being handed things. Everyone else, meaning the other Avengers, were seated around the table, with Fury at the head. They were all skipping through the packet and frowning.

"Kind of you to join us Stark," Fury said, in his usual sarcastic tone.

"Oh no problem. It seemed like the right time to drop in. Anyone care to fill me in?"

"Fury has a plan for the demigods," Steve said, his voice sounding aghast. He was the last of us to find out how the demigods were being treated and, to put it lightly, he did not take the news very well. He was good friends with Percy and Annabeth, far before any of us were introduced to them. He cared for them like family — brothers and sisters in arms. He understood the importance of us acting like an inside man, however.

I rolled my hands over each other, trying to tell them to extrapolate more.

"They each have powers that are too dangerous to keep them all together, so keeping them in the detainment camp is most likely not safe, especially when we don't even know if they're powerful enough to break out. The plan is to make use of the powers," Fury told me.

What? Make use of their powers how?

"The government will revoke them of their citizenship and their powers will be sold out to the highest bidder, according to what they need from their powers. Example being that the Athena and the Ares kids, demigods of war and strategy, will be bought by the military and intelligence services."

"Excuse me," I said, my voice soft yet horrified. "Basically you want to make them into slaves."

"They're technically not citizens anymore Stark," Fury barked out. "The government will release the issue later this week. The demigods in the camp will have to add their name to a registry so that they can be recorded and each will have a number associated with them. Starting off with the leader, Perseus Jackson, being 001, Annabeth Chase being 002, and so on."

"This is barbaric," Steve called out, finally speaking up about the situation. "Yes, we need to get control over this, but we're not monsters."

We're not the monsters that these kids spent their entire lives running and hiding from.

Dying from.

"This is the best solution we have that's been proposed," Fury said. "They have to wear a shock collar and power dimming cuffs at all times to ensure that nothing goes haywire. Their powers can finally be used for good. Random check ups will be assured so that any uprisings don't start up. Other than that, the people that purchased the set of powers will have complete ownership and ability to do whatever they want."

"Again, essentially slavery," I muttered, glaring at our director. Our government is supposed to help people, not enslave them. "Can we talk amongst ourselves for a little bit first?"

Fury sharply nodded, and the rest of the Avengers got up to a private room to discuss. It took us ten to fifteen minutes of arguing to finally return.

"Fine, we agree on your conditions as long as you meet one of ours," Steve said, standing up as our spokesperson. "We, the Avengers, get to purchase the most powerful demigods and their leader, Percy and Annabeth. If they are the strongest, then they should stay with the Avengers who have the ability to properly subdue and detain them as necessary. Other smaller companies wouldn't have that capability."

Fury clenched his jaw as he thought about our answer. This is what we needed to make sure we can help them out.

"Fine, they can stay with you. I'll be sending over additional SHIELD guards to station themselves around the building shortly."

None of us said anything in return, but I could feel a cold fire being lit inside of me.

We had just lost control of the situation again.