For we once so loved the world by HowlingDarkness95

Chapter 4

"So... Let me get this straight." Bruce said, pushing his glasses up from where they slid down his nose. "You made the alien object change its form with a mere command, then placed that very same object on your wrist and now it's stuck there with no clear way of removal." Percy sighed, Bruce was beginning to sound a lot like Fury, and two Fury's were never a good thing. He opened his mouth to answer when Tony cut in, "Woah, wait up a sec. Are we just gonna forget how SHIELD lied to us? Again?"

Percy frowned, "There was no need for the avengers to know about the artifact. It isn't an enemy that the Avengers needed to fight, nor was the world in any danger.

"No danger? Oh really, tell me what that whole fiasco in Alaska was then!" Tony shouted, "We were told that we only had to deal with suspicious readings, there was nothing, absolutely nothing, about an alien artifact. And SHIELD really thought that it was a good idea to keep this a secret? Remember what happened the last time SHIELD kept an alien object in its basement?"

Percy fell silent. The five avengers, the four that were on the jet plus Steve who was in the tower, were gathered in the living room of the Avengers tower. He knew that Stark had decided to convert his tower to house the avengers, so that it was easier for them to assemble if they were needed. For obvious reasons, Thor was absent, and despite what he'd faced down before, the scrutiny of the five avengers was unsettling. Especially Steve's disappointed gaze. He had been on the end of so many of those that it drew up painful memories of the past. He pushed those dark thoughts away and said, "I was under direct orders not to tell anyone except the lab techs that were supposed to study the artifact."

Tony scoffed, drawing attention to him, "Oh right, orders. I always pegged you as the rebellious type Jackson, never knew you'd follow so faithfully." He sneered. Percy stiffened, "Just because you don't follow orders yourself Stark," he hissed, "doesn't mean that others don't. Orders are there for a reason; not following them sometimes may result in unnecessary death. Don't judge me for following them when you disobey orders so quickly." Percy's glare intensified, suppressed memories threatening to rise up again.

"Yeah?" Tony challenged, "Tell me kid, how many people died in Alaska?" Percy's eyes flashed, and Tony saw the hurt in it for a moment, before it was replaced by a cold mask. He felt a pang of guilt, but his pride wouldn't allow him to apologize.

"Thirty-four casualties." Percy reported monotonously, "But it doesn't change the fact that I was acting under Director Fury's specific orders."

"Oh, because Fury's orders have had such a good track record so far." Tony drawled, sarcasm dripping off every word.

Percy opened his mouth to reply when Natasha cut in, "Stark, just give him a floor to live on."

"Excuse me?" Tony exclaimed, turning to her in surprise, "This is technically my tower-"

"And what do you have to lose Stark?" Natasha said, pinning him in place with her steely gaze. "You get to do tests on this artifact and you get to use your new suit if the chitauri comes. New toys for you Stark, isn't that what you've been complaining about? All you have to do is let him stay here. It's a win-win situation."

"But-" Tony protested. "You want to let him stay in a lab elsewhere where the people there won't be able to defend themselves?" Clint said.

Tony scowled, knowing that he was fighting a losing battle, "Fine, he can have the 86th floor."

Percy rolled his eyes, anger rushing through him, I'm not some object to be carted around and it's not like I want to stay in close proximity with Stark anyway, he clamped down on his anger though, it wouldn't do anyone good if he released his infamous anger. He nodded gratefully to Romanov and Barton as he rose from his seat, following Stark into the elevator.