Percy Jackson and the Avengers

Part 28

Tony P.O.V

I sat with my arms on my knees, Clint had taken a second before running after him. I almost stopped him, but I didn't and I don't know why. Oh well. I watched closely to Bruce as his skin flickered green then back to normal, his eyes trained on the floor as were Steve's. Steve's face was screwed up into little wrinkles making him seem 1,000 years older than he really was. I knew what he was thinking, that kid. The way he held himself, the way he spoke, he had defiantly seen war.

I started thinking about the boy and wondering if he had PTSD. Probably, I mean he's like what 16 at the most. He seems to have known war and pain for longer than a year so maybe it started a while back. Poor kid, I have been in war, war is not fun, it hurts both physically and mentally. You have to stand and watch your friends die infront of you and you get blown to pieces. I took my eyes off Steve and over to Natasha. She stood by the bar gently drinking an amber colored drink her structure stood steady. I watched Bruce walk off and Steve soon followed. Thor just stared readily at the window then shook his head and walked off, I watched as Natasha set her empty glass down on the table and turned to me.

"He's an okay kid." She said sternly. "He just lost his parents and is a little shocked, no one needed you to point out his charity." I only glanced down at the ground not responding any other way. This was MY tower, it didn't matter that the A now stood on the top floor instead of STARK. I sighed and leaned back as Natasha finally stopped out. I followed her with my eyes then sighed.

I thought of how the tower was laid out, floors after floors of offices then bedrooms and living spaces, a garage on in the basement and one on the roof. The kid only knew of the floor he has seen, nothing more. I thought of his eyes, how broken they looked. How lost they seemed to be.

His voice when he spoke those words, his breath that excited like a cloud out of the breath of god, those few simple words that gave him the chance to run. I wondered how real the words were how defining they could be. My mind drifted towards other things, other people whom I wished not to think about. Who am I to tell this boy how he should grieve but who aren't I to help. I cursed my brain for my conversing thoughts and stood, stalking off to the garage, one of them, any of them.

I found a thin file on the table of my desk and picked it up. I flipped through it scanning it briefly. Name:Percy Jackson; 17 years of age

Mother: Sally Jackson (Deceased)

Father: unknowns

Step Father(s): Paul Blofis and Gabe Ugliano

Education Records: 10 schools in 11 years. Kicked out for violation of school property and attitude towards staff and students.

On and on the list went speaking of burnt holes in buildings, where in the US he was spotted over the past 5 years and again this summer. HE was, around the world, a terrorist. I rubbed my face and sighed. Why must we always find ourselves in these situations. I fought the urge to round of the team and take him down, he was only a kid a kid who had just gone thru a tragic loss. I started looking thru the file of someone named Annabeth, just like Percy her file was thin and small so much unlike all the other files. She and Percy were seen so many places together, I started to wonder if she was the girl he had fallen for and died tragically.

I slammed the table in my frustration. "Stop it!" I screamed at no one. I tugged my hair then let my head slide to the table and stay there. "God help him." I whispered as I rose to find the young man. I may not interrogate him just yet but I still wanted answers. I walked to his door and knocked, when I received no answer, I barged in fearing the worst breaking the lock that was on the door and splintering the wood frame of the door. I found Percy on his knees staring wide eyed and drooling at empty air in front of him. I raced forward and caught the poor delusional boy in my arms as he fell forward. 

Something wet conected with my fingers, it felt sappy and the smell washed over me. The smell was metallic and dirty. I released my firm hand from his abdomen to find the red liquid of his blood covering my hand. I screamed, I shouted desperately for assistance as I pressed my hand again firmer this time to the poor boy's abdomen trying to stop the bleeding, he may be evil he may be a terrorist but he was a BOY! "BRUCE, NATASHA, SOMEONE anyone." My screams were silenced by the peering eyes of the boy who bled in my lap, he stared confused at me  then blinked.

"Why...why would they help?" His voice raspy and broken. "I'm already shattered." He stares at me expecting an answer and when he receives none he speaks again. "I see them...they smile...I want to go...but I can't see....her." He no longer spoke to me, he spoke to something beyond me, beyond anyone. Past this world he spoke, past this hope he spoke. "She's...gone." He gasped. I search frantically for something ANYTHING to save him. I find a bag of golden squares. It feels right and as desperate as I am I shove one of the golden squares into his quivering mouth, forcing him to chew and swallow.

He looks at me as if I am an enemy not yet found and closes his eyes, breathing in the darkness that consumes him. I watch helpless as he falls into a deadly slumber that he may not awake from. I can't help wonder what had happened beyond the locked door. "Who are you Percy?"

PERCY"S P.O.V

I saw them standing there all in a line. My mother flickered in and out beside Paul, her kind eyes shifting to the shadows where the man had disappeared. I knew it was only a dream but lately my dreams have inflicted MORTAL pain upon me. I'll awake with a cut or whip wounds that would have been inflicted by my dream. Just as I reached out for my forgotten friends the door flies off its hinges clammering to the floor. Tony stands there watching as I start to fall. He catches me just in time. I hear him calling for someone, I didn't know what was happening but I could hear desperality pouring from his voice and flooding into the air transforming the cool and calm atmosphere into a hot and pitiful one. I look at the face of the man who holds me warmly, protectfuly

"Why...why would they help?" I ask pure hatred spilling from my words. "I'm already shattered." No-one wants a shattered person in your home. Tonys protective arms tighten around me, I want to lean into his presence and drink up his warmth, but Frank and Hazel simultaneously hold out a welcoming hand whispering 'come with us'. " I see them...they smile...I want to go with them....but I can't see...her.......She's GONE!" Pain claws at my chest, I want to scream to gasp in pain but I can't, if I do I'd lose them. Tony searches for something, I can't be bothers what. I watch his face as it transforms and he stuffs something in my mouth.

Darkness tries to grasp me, I refuse. Tony works my jaw until I'm tempted to swallow, he gently strokes my neck inviting me to give in. He's trying to save me, I can taste the Ambrosia. Darkness finally triumph's pulling me into its grasp. I fall, I fall down, down, down, she's gone, they all are. A final tear slips down my cheek and I drown.