The Black Serpent (Pjo/Avengers Crossover)

Chapter 2

Percy's POV:

I watched as a young girl ran out from the ally, a seven foot Cyclops charging after her. She was about 8 or 9 and weaponless. I vapor traveled behind her, stabbed the monster who was about to kill her and grabbed her shoulder. Spinning around she looked ready to fight but stopped when she saw that I was not the Cyclops.
"Who are you? What was that thing? Things keep attacking me! Why? Why is this happening?!? ANSWER ME!!!" She was hysterical and I could feel my heart going out to her. I remembered when monsters began discovering me and started attacking. It's terrifying. She is too young to go through that hardship but the only thing I could do was send her to camp. I had no choice.
"That was a Cyclops
It was attacking you because you are... special. Come on, I'll clean you up and a friend of mine can get you to a safe place. " I replied pouring kindness and just a touch of charmspeak into my voice. She immediately followed and I took her to my old apartment. When there, I pointed her to the bathroom where she could take a shower. As she left to clean off I began packing a backpack for her with enough food to last a few days and $1,000 of mortal money. Finally I placed 10 golden drachma and 10 silver denarii in the bag. After placing the smallest clothes I could find from my closet into the bathroom (I used my awesome powers to zap them into there) I decided now was a good time to call Grover. After I left camp I only kept in contact with five people, Grover, Nico, Thalia, Mom and Paul. Due to my line of work I decided my parents would be in danger because of me so I faked their deaths with the help of my friends and we moved them to Australia under a different name. Not even the gods knew they were alive, except death breath himself and he promised not to tell. Those of us (that aren't the god of death) who know the truth (Grover, Thalia, Nico and I) take turns checking up on them when we can. They are living happily and have had a baby girl named Annie. I used my powers to make a rainbow, throw a drachma in and say quietly "Fleecy, do me a solid show me Grover Underwood" Fleecy's annoyed face appeared in the rainbow, "no payment kelp head." and the coin flew back out hitting me in the forehead. Before I could protest an image of Grover took her place in the rainbow. He appeared to be deep in thought, sitting on what appeared to be a park bench.
"Grover!"
He looked up in surprise but lit up when he saw me.
"Percy!!! How are you? What do ya need? Your not in trouble are you?"
"I'm fine G-man but I picked up a young girl, apparently demigod, being chased by a Cyclops. You need to come by and bring her to camp. Can you come?
" Yea I'll be by in ten min, I'm at central park, is she injured?"
"Not that I know of, she's taking a shower right now. I haven't even gotten a chance to ask her name. You should come asap though because the less time I spend with that side of my past the better. No offense."
"While normally I would tell you that phrase only serves to make a person offended, I understand the circumstances. Honestly, in your place I would leave also. And as long as you check up with me, Thals, and Nico once in a while we will give you as much space as you need. Remember we are always here for you, no matter what. No questions asked."
"I Know. Your a great friend dude, but now you need to get here pronto ok?"
"Ok Perce, I'm coming. Hold your horses."
I smiled at the irony and waved my hand through the mist. Just then the girl walked out in clothes that were about 5 sizes to big. She was drowning in the large blue T-shirt and the shorts were quite baggy and long on her, going way past her knees. The only thing holding them up was a large black belt that the girl had been wearing before. I smiled and handed her the backpack.
"So what's your name anyway?" I asked.
"Rosie. And you?"
"Percy. But please don't tell anyone that, they can't know I'm here. It's a secret. Please"
"Ok..." I could see in her face that she thought I was a lunatic and was deciding whether or not she should bolt.
"Sorry I just haven't had company in a while, especially of your lineage. But no worries, a very good friend of mine, Grover, is coming to pick you up."
"My what? Pick me up? Where is he taking me? I won't go back into the foster system! I'll run away again!"
"I'm not putting you in the system, RELAX. Let's just say you are very, very special and there is a place that will protect you from the monsters that have been attacking you. I'm not gonna go into the details because the less you know the safer you are. They will fill you in completely at camp."
"I'm not special. I'm all alone. My dad left my mom when she told him she was pregnant and after a couple years 'raising me' social services found me and dumped me in foster care as a fourth birthday present. Mom didn't care because she hated me anyway and was glad to be rid of me. I was glad to be gone as well, she was a worthless drunk. That is, until I realized how much worse if was being in the foster system. Sometimes I wish I had never been born."
So her father was the god. And her mom was a drunk. Sounds like Mr. - well it hardly matters anyway. (A/N Dionysus)
"Rosie, trust me, you ARE important. And your family is much bigger than you think it is. Your Father didn't leave your mom because he didn't love you... He had to. It hard to explain but one day you will understand. "
Right then the door swung open and there was Grover, a giant smile on his face.
"Percy!!" He enveloped me in a large goat hug (a/n get it? Instead of bear hug? Sorry for the corny jokes, I'm full of them. read on). Stepping back he examines me with a hint of worry, checking that his best friend was safe and unharmed. He knew that I was far less alright then I let on due to our empathy link and I worried he knew the full extent of my emotional and mental state. But my worry's vanished and his expression once again cleared and he turned to Rosie.
"Hello, my names Grover Underwood and I'm here to take you to camp. What's your name?"
"Rosie." She replied shyly
Grover glanced at me, a questioning look on his face and I ever so slightly shook my head. No I had not told her anything. He looked satisfied and asked Rosie her age.
"I just turned nine but I can pack a punch." She said defensively. It was clear she was still suspicious of us (for good reason). I had to stop myself from laughing though because although I believed her, she was so small and wiry that the idea of her in a fistfight was hilarious. Because I knew Grover so well I could tell he was internally laughing hysterically but on the outside he remained serious and said, "noted. Now this is important, do you have any family or friends you would like to call before we leave? Technically you can come and go from camp as you please but you need permission and the director may not let you for fear of more monster attacks."
"No." Her face was stony and her voice cold. "I'm all alone." Grover frowned and kindly said, " Well you'll soon see your fellow campers will be like family to you in no time. We better get back, tonight were having a campfire and we don't want to miss dinner. Enchiladas night!"
"OK. Oh and Percy? Watch out. I have a skill of knowing when someone's going crazy and well... You should be sitting in a padded room with a 24 hour watch. Your not and you seem fine but... obviously looks can be deceiving. Be careful and maybe get some help or something."
Panic spread through me but I managed to keep a straight face.
"Your absolutely right. Remember to not mention that you met me, or that you know my name, or that I saved you. Forget me. Tell them Grover found you after getting a tip off from a wind spirit." I used a really high amount of charmspeak and Rosie seemed confused and dazed for the moment. I turned my attention to Grover who appeared disturbed by what Rosie had said.
"G-man I'm fine. Take care of yourself and congratulations about the baby! Tell Juniper I said hi and was sorry I missed your wedding. A/N Grover and Juniper got married and are having a baby.
I considered ending here but decided to keep writing. Your welcome.
____________line break________________

The door closed behind Grover and Rosie and I sank into a nearby chair sobs threatening to overtake me. She was right. I was a heartless murderer with voices in my head and nightmares the moment I close my eyes. I'm a monster. My friends deaths are my fault. I should have been the one to die. Not them. They wouldn't have gone crazy, they would live on, doing good instead of killing for money and hurting myself and those around me in an attempt to make it stop. To make the pain stop. I wish I would die but I know I could never do it. Annabeth would kill me. So I lived recklessly hoping someone would do it for me. My hands shook and I was having trouble breathing. I could feel a flashback coming so I slipped into my black leather suit. A seagreen snakeskin belt was strapped around my waist holding two guns. I had three knives strapped to my legs and arms with similar snakeskin straps. A half Stygian iron, half steel sword Reaper was sheathed at my waist (Uncle Hades gave it to me soon after hiding my parents three years ago along with my other weapons which are all similarly half mortal metals and half Olympian) and Riptide was in my pocket as usual. I wore black and green snakeskin and leather gloves as well as a skull mask that covered the lower half of my face. I jumped into the nearest shadow and appeared at my next targets home. Normally I would hack into the governments database and find those on their kill list but today was different. I went on instinct to a place the voices in my head told me to go. I didn't know why, I didn't even know who I was planning to kill. It was like I was in a trance. I have to move fast, otherwise the flashback will take over and throw me into the darkness that is my past. Killing was the only thing that stops it, well that and pain. I would hurt myself in any way imaginable, cutting, breaking bones, running into walls, take pills, burning my flesh, you name it. I would allow myself to relish the emotional release that followed then I would wave my hand and heal myself using the healing powers I got from Apollo (which also amplified my healing in water). I stepped out of the shadow into a dark hallway. I appeared to be in a tall building if the view from the window was accurate. I followed my instincts to a room at the end of a hall. It had door that was open a crack and I could see what appeared to be a medical bay. A group of people stood in a semicircle around and unconscious man. The voices got louder causing me to clutch my head in agony. That man must die. Maybe then the voices will stop. I need to kill him. All the people but one left, but I hardly noticed I was having trouble thinking. Despite my common sense telling me to not listen to crazy voices in my head and to leave, I strolled through the doors into the nearly empty room. The bright white color made my head ache but I kept walking with a confident calmness that comes with being a soldier. The man who stayed behind, a gentle looking guy with glasses and curly brown hair whipped around and looked at me in shock. My appearance could strike fear into even the most seasoned warriors and he appeared ready to have a nervous breakdown (a/n as if). He took deep breaths and clutched the edge of the table tightly. Panic flashed across his face and suddenly his skin began turning green. He started growing in size and bulk. Soon enough a Giant Green Rage Monster towered above me and let out an awe inspiring roar. I smirked. Finally a challenge. Maybe I will be joining my love tonight. I charged at my foe with reckless abandon, ready to go down fighting. Water swirled around me as I pounced on its back enjoying the feeling of the power surging through me. We both went toppling to the ground and big green let out another deafening roar. It tried to grab me and smash me flat but it's hand closed upon empty space. I took out Reaper and slashed the monster across the shoulder and it began bleeding profusely. It's blood was a green red mixture. It was then I realized that he wasn't a monster by design but rather a human who had been made monster. Whether or not it was intentional I did not know but I refused to kill him. It was too close to home. Instead, I sent a powerful blow to the side of his head, successfully knocking him out. I stood wiping the blood of my sword and turned ready to slice the slumbering man's throat and leave. It was only then that I realized I had an audience. Schist.
_______________________________________

Thank you to all the people who have read this story your all great! I don't know how I feel about this chapter but I wanted to stay true to my promise and post every Sunday. Please review I appreciate all suggestions. I hope you all have had a better week then me (I got sick and missed a bunch of school which means I have been swamped with hw this weekend.) Have a fantastic day!
-E.R. Ruff