Stark Towers, three a.m.
Tony was awoken by JARVIS quietly informing him that Dragon had left her room and was in the gym. He slid out of bed and snuck to the training room, only to freeze in horror and awe. She was firing a bow, each shot dead in the heart, from over a hundred paces.
She moved on, first knife throwing with unnerving accuracy, then rifle shooting, and then she turned, looking directly at Tony in the shadows of the doorway. “I saw you when you first arrived. Impressed, Mr Stark?”
He nodded, still gazing at the targets. She shook her head in disgust at herself and her weakness.
“I’m a killer. I was created to end lives. I am perhaps more of a monster than any person alive.” She rubbed the ugly scar that ran through her left eye.
“I did this to myself, you know. I was eleven; I had just killed a child. Those were my orders, and I did it, I killed a kid.”
“I took out my dagger”- here she pulled out a knife made of a silver metal, somehow reminiscent of Percy’s magic sword- “and cut myself, to remind myself every time I looked in the mirror to remind myself that I am a monster hiding inside a fragile human skin.” She flipped the knife, catching it by the blade and then sheathing it, ignoringvtye tiny cut it made on her palm. "I might have been pretty, or so they tell me. Monsters aren't pretty."
She walked past him, turning to face him at the door. With her face half in shadow, the scar concealed, she seemed almost beautiful. “I’m going to try and get some sleep, Mr Stark. I suggest you do the same.”
TIME SKIP OF BLUENESS
The group sat around the kitchen table, eating a quick breakfast. Dragon didn’t eat, merely nursed a cup of coffee that did nothing to dispel the dark shadows under her eyes that told of more sleepless nights than just this last one.
“The enemy you are searching for is a being from the world of Perseus, a creature named Nyx, lady of the night, whom I believe Perseus and Annabeth have encountered briefly. She is working with the group HYDRA, and their new leader, a violent psychopath known only as JM."
Percy nodded in understanding, as Dragon continued. “You should tell them, Percy, Annabeth. They are good people and will help you. But try to limit the knowledge of the world beyond our own to as few as possible.”
“What about you,” asked Bruce, “What are you going to do?”
Dragon smiled. “There are things I need to do, and besides, I didn’t warn my friend I would be away overnight. He’ll be worried.”
She left quickly and easily, pressing an address into her brother’s hand. “If you need help, come to this place. It's my home address. I have medical supplies and ambrosia.” Steve watched her leave, worry etched into his face.
Percy and Annabeth led the group into the main room. “There’s something you should know…” But before they could begin to tell their strange story, a loud voice shouted down from the roof, “I’m back!”
“Thor! How have you been? What’s up on Asgard?”
“Nothing good,” Thor replied. “Loki has escaped again, and we have reason to believe he is currently on Midgard, and has been for at least a month.”
Thor walked further into the room. “Perseus! How have you been, my friend?”
Percy grinned. “As well as can be expected. HYDRA has teamed up with Nyx, and now possibly Loki as well. And how many times must I tell you, Percy!”
Thor laughed. “Nothing you can’t handle, my young heroes. Give my regards to Chiron – how’s the old horse doing?”
Natasha stepped in between Percy and Thor. “I think the two of you owe us some kind of an explanation...”
TIME SKIP BROUGHT TO YOU BY DRAGON
“So to summarise, the Greek gods are real, and instead of doing normal holy things, they effectively sleep around with mortals to produce kids who spend their whole, very short lives fighting off attacking monsters?” Steve queried.
Annabeth nodded. “That’s about it.”
Natasha laughed. “As long as I can get myself some of that monstKooper-killing metal, I don’t have a problem with that.”
Tony frowned, “So hold up, that Dragon girl is a demigod? She had a dagger made of silver stuff that looked like Percy’s sword.”
Percy nodded. “Yes, Dragon’s blade is Olympian Silver, though gods know where she got it. Only the Hunters have access to that.”
“What?” said Steve. “No, she’s mortal. She would have told me…”
Percy frowned. “Is it possible that she could have more secrets from you than you expect? After all, you’ve only known her a short time.”
Steve shook his head. “I’ve known her a very, very long time. She wouldn’t have kept such a secret for any reason -”
“-except to protect you. She’s a Radical Pacifist. She told us.” Clint interrupted.
Percy raised an eyebrow. “What even is Radical Pacifism? I don’t understand.”
Steve laughed. “It’s a moral theory invented by Dragon. It’s quite complex, but the basic idea is to value the wellbeing of every other person above your own, even at the cost of your life.”
Clint frowned. “That’s not right. It was originated during or slightly after the Second World War. Dragon wasn’t even born back then… right?”
Steve flushed and rubbed the back of his neck, remaining silent. “Steve? How old is Dragon?”
“She’s about... eighty or ninety years old?”
YOU ARE READING
Heroes and Dragons - An Avengers/PJO crossover
FanficPercy Jackson x Avengers fanfic Steve Rogers hasn't had an easy run of it. But just when he thinks he might be able to settle down into his new life with the Avengers, a ghost from the past wanders into his life. Well, she's dragged in against her w...
