Something to Fight For (Percy Jackson and the Avengers Crossover)

Chapter 11 - The Heart and Mind

Um, I just re-read the last chapter and realised it's really crappy, so...sorry. I would edit it, but I can't be bothered lol. Well then, onto the next chapter (which isn't great either). 

Percy wandered around the large laboratory, looking at all the technical things that were just waiting to be broken. Fury was talking to a guy in a lab coat, who Percy presumed was Dr Selvig. He was looking animated and riled up, while Fury was looking as cool as ever, mostly bored to be honest. 

He caught the words, 'just some harmless gamma radiation', and continued to look around. There were some people working at the computers, a runway leading to a platform, the Tesseract inside a gigantic metal structure facing the runway. Hm, there were even some snacks on a table, that would be useful. Wait. Gamma radiation? 

"Isn't that the most harmful?" Percy asked, his head whipping back towards Selvig.

"Well, essentially, yes. But it's nothing to worry about," Selvig replied. "It's only low level." 

Fury caught Percy's eyes and they managed to agree on something. "That can be harmful," he said slowly, looking at Selvig with his one eye. Selvig chuckled nervously and shot a glance at the Tesseract, but he didn't reply. 

Sighing, Fury asked, "Where's Agent Barton?" It was only now that Percy remembered the other guy who came with them on the helicopter, the one who was also on his team. Selvig pointed to the ceiling.

Upon a platform, Clint was sitting there with a blank expression, his eyes scanning the entire room for danger. Percy waved at him cheerfully. "Agent Barton, report for duty," Fury said into a speaker, and Clint used a rope to rappel down to ground level. 

While Clint talked to Fury, Percy became bored again. He decided, not thinking this through, to go to the Tesseract and poke it. Some other scientist was also there, measuring the energy output using a small machine. 

"Hey," Percy greeted him, trying to act professionally.

The guy gave him a confused look and muttered a small, "Hi". Awkwardly, Percy stood there, occasionally tapping his foot and fidgeting with the pen in his pocket. The Tesseract sparked, blue light leaking out like a smokey liquid. The scientist jumped back and ran off in alarm. Percy watched him leave, the feeling of nervousness and anticipation growing in his chest. 

"This thing is a doorway to space right?" Clint asked Fury. The director nodded in confirmation. "Well, doors open both ways," he continued, just as Percy ran up to them. 

"Um, guys, not sure if this is meant to happen, but the Tesseract thingy is...leaking," Percy said hurriedly, using his hands to show the movement of the light. It looked like he was making waves or something. 

They all stumbled when the ground began to shake. Finding his balance, Percy bent down a little to lower his center of mass and turned back to look at the Tesseract. The cube was fizzing, beams of light shooting into the air like lightning, and the metal machinery was whirring loudly. 

"This isn't right," Selvig whispered from his spot at the computers. 

Without warning, the Tesseract gave one final spark and shot out a beam of light. The beam travelled along a runway, that seemed to be made for this occasion. When it reached a small platform, the beam slowly elongated out to an oval shape, creating a portal. 

Squinting through the bright light, Percy managed to see the darkness of space and the small stars twinkling out from beyond the doorway. "I think we found your door, Clint," he said wryly. 

As the noise emitted from the Tesseract increased in both volume and pitch, Percy braced himself for something to happen. A wave of light spread out from the portal, but when it hit them, it passed straight through, blowing upon them like a gust of wind.