The Last Part

Becoming One With the Team

Steve Rogers POV.

   Apparently, Percy literally meant back seat. When Percy got in the car, he climbed over the three rows of seat and was about to get in the trunk when Steve called out, "Uh, Percy. You can't sit back there."
   He turned at me looking confused. "Why not?"
   "It's not safe and illegal."
   Percy raised an eyebrow and looked like he wanted to argue, but he reluctantly sat in the back row and looked out the window.
   Steve resisted the urge to tell him to put in a seatbelt. He didn't even know the kid and he didn't want to be giving him orders. Besides, no one else would be wearing a seatbelt, except Tony who would be driving.
   Thor sat in the back with Percy while Steve sat in the middle row while Clint and Natasha had the front. Banner and Stark had already called shock gun.
   Thor and Percy were quietly talking, but Steve could still hear bits and pieces. He didn't really want to eavesdrop, but either way he couldn't understand the bits he could hear.
   "She's gone..."
   "Why would they..."
   "I'm not welcome there..."
   "Mother's place..."
   "Don't want to disappoint her."
   Steve tried to tune them out. Anything. He tried humming, but got a dirty look from Hawkeye and stopped. He tried singing lyrics in his head, but he didn't know that many. He tried thinking of his favorite book, riding his motorcycle. But Steve's mind kept going back to the conversation.  
   In his opinion, the bits and pieces Steve had heard made no sense. But he wanted to understand Percy. If you are going to work in a team and fight in a battle, you should know your teammates. In the Avengers, Steve felt like his teammates were more family then friends. Sure at times, like Tony, they bugged him a lot, but the team been through a lot. Steve would trust anyone in the car with his life.
   Even the newcomer; Percy.
   Steve knew that he was upset that a kid was going to join, even worse a teenager. He thought no one that young should go through this. Live a nice life and stuff. But the second Steve saw Percy's sea green eyes, he knew that Percy had been through a lot and seen horrible things and felt great sorrow.
   At the moment, Percy's eyes were hollow and dimmed, like he had just experienced great sadness. But there was something about his look, like he was used to random adults appearing and talking to him. Percy seemed comfortable. Experienced.
   He certainly didn't have any trouble talking to the thunder Norse god.
   From Steve's point of view, it sounded like Percy had practice talking to people that had a dangerous weapon with him that could easily blow Percy up in a notice flat. He didn't sound worried or scared about offending Thor. Percy just sounded depressed.
   Steve thought back about knowing his teammates. He had a feeling it would take a while to know Percy. At the moment the phrase, 'open book,' didn't apply to Percy.
  Finally, Stark pulled into the Star Towers garage and everyone got out and went in the elevator. Steve noticed that Percy was positioned farther away from the Avengers. When they reached the floor Fury would be waiting and everyone got out, Percy hung in the back. While the rest of Steve's teammates talked, Steve went behind next to Percy.
   "You okay?" Steve started carefully.
   Percy's head hung down. He didn't look up to respond. "Fine. Just fine."
   Somehow, Steve had a hard time believing that. "You seem pretty calm for someone who was just asked to go somewhere by six strangers."
   Percy shrugged. "Nothing much surprises me, or scares me much these days."
   "Meaning...?"
   Percy made eye contact with Steve. And Steve could see how sad his green eyes were. His raven hair hung on his forehead, damp, why it was damp Steve didn't know, and he really didn't want to ask. "It means I'm used to it by now."
   "Excuse my ignorance, but define 'it,'" Steve responded casually.
   "Touché." And Percy grinned, the first time Steve had seen the guy smile since he first saw him at the beach. "I guess I'll define 'it' once I'm ready to define it, and everyone's here to hear it. I don't want to repeat it twice."
   "Fair enough."
   Percy looked at Steve up and down. "So you're Captain America?"
   "Yeah."
   "Cool." Steve noticed how he didn't jump up or be surprised or anything. Right now, Percy was with six superheroes, and he hadn't asked one single question that fans ask the minute they see them. Steve recalled Percy not knowing who they were. Steve decided to be helpful and inform Percy who they all were ahead of time.
   "I'm Captain America. Tony's Iron Man. Thor is... Well Thor. Natasha is Black Widow. Clint's Hawkeye. And Bruce is the Hulk," Steve said, going through all of the Avengers.
   Percy nodded. "You guys sound familiar. You got a serum thing or something. Bruce had this accident with Gamma stuff. Clint and Natasha are agents of some sort or whatever. Tony made his armor. And Thor, well. He's a god. What else is there needed to say about him? Did I get all of it?"
   Steve bobbed his head. "Just about. Ready to see Nick Fury?"
   "Who's he? Avenger or...?"
   "Director of SHIELD," Steve corrected.
   "Sounds important."
   "Well, SHIELD's all about sounding important."
   Percy laughed, and Steve couldn't help but grin along too. Maybe he would be able to know who Percy Jackson was. He still didn't know a thing about him, besides he blew up some stuff, but seeing him now he didn't seem like the guy the file described him as. Maybe the file didn't have all the details. But how could SHIELD not have all the details? Even though Steve wanted to find out, he didn't press it. He had a feeling Percy would shut him out, and he was having a good time.
   "Do my ears deceive me yet again?" Tony cried out with mock surprise. "Or did Rogers just say something funny?" Tony turned to Percy. "Or was it torture?"
   "I don't know what you're talking about," Percy said. "Steve's pretty cool."
   "Lock your doors and check your drawers. The world is ending, Captain America has made a joke that people laughed at."
   Steve was used to Tony's endless banter, but sometimes it could be funny. Percy laughed and Steve joined in. Soon the hallway was roaring with laughter. Steve sometimes wished he could stay in moments like this.
   But the of course, the meeting had to ruin it.