The Reluctant Hero

What dreams are made of.

Percy lay on the bed, his legs propped against the wall, wearing loose jogging bottoms and his clay bead necklace, rhythmically bouncing a ball one of Stark's poor interns had delivered to him as he tried not to think about what happened. Physical activity had always been a release for him. Whether it was sword play or a simple game of catch.

The routine thudding of the ball drowned out his treacherous thoughts, the team of 'heroes' hadn't done anything except send him the ball since he lost it.

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"I didn't mean to." It was rare for Stark to show any guilt, but his confession was laced with it nevertheless. The memory of the fractured teen's horrific scars and broken words was haunting everyone. Aching like an open wound: not even the narcissistic billionaire could take the burden silently.

"And the Joker didn't mean to torture Batman." Snarked the archer, an automatic response; he was feeling as guilty as his co-worker.
"Not the time Barton." Romanov was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to deal with Stark and Barton.

"We have to do something, at least apologise." Bruce was ever the voice of reason.
"We can't let him go though, he may not be a terrorist, but he's still powerful enough to be a potential threat." Thor interjected at that. He'd returned in time to catch the end of Percy's rant and to rip into his team mates about it afterwards.

"Hero Perseus will not attack Midgard, he has done too much to protect it to go back on his quests now." This earned some curious looks.

"What do you mean Thor." The red haired assassin carefully calculated her words.

"Hero Perseus is not a terrorist. As I stated before you confronted him in combat!" Fury cut off  the argument.

"It doesn't matter, he needs to become an agent or he needs to be detained or watched. Those are the only options! He's too powerful to be left alone!"

"You sound like those he chose to get away from." Thor muttered darkly.

Romanov snapped to attention.

"What would you have us do, Sir?"
"Question him more, try to find out more about him. Determine whether he can be trusted, then report back."
So the agents did, and the rest of the team went to watch. Thor left; saying he wanted no part in this.

The Avengers were not prepared for what they saw.

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Percy was on catch 3,256, the ceiling may have been slightly scuffed.

The systematic thudding of the rubber ball against the roof dulling his thoughts.

He should've know it wouldn't last.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Slowly, the soft thudding of the ball became the harsh cracking of bones.

Thud.

The stomping of giants faded over reality.

Thud.

The fall of bodies.

Thud.

The crack of the whip.

Thud.

The beatings from monsters.

Thud.

The cavern caving in.