The Jackson Enigma

Who do you work for

Fury stared in near disbelief as the target walked in. Finally, he had Perseus Jackson. He wondered how they got him, Natasha only told him that they did, not how. He watched as the target took his seat, not even second glancing the two guards in the far corners. Was he used to guards? He knew he had to be careful, he knew next to nothing about this kid. SHIELD knew next to nothing. Fury decided to start simple, basic questions to see if he was lying. It would be harder to tell with complicated ones.

"What's your name?" The kid seemed amused and that unnerved Fury.

"Perseus Jackson, but I prefer Percy."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen." Fury nodded.

"Who are your parents?" The kid tensed, and Fury took that to mean he wasn't going to answer. Not that they didn't already know who they were, but it was worth looking into why he wouldn't answer. But, Fury was surprised when the target did in fact answer his question.

"Sally Blofis and my step-dad, Paul Blofis."

"Why did you hesitate, are you lying?"

"I know you have the answers to all these questions on file, I'm really only humoring you by answering them." The kid was smarter than he let on.

"Who do you work for?" Now time for the big questions.

"I don't have a job." The Director was once again surprised. One minute you think he's smart, the next you wonder...

"No, who do you work for. Who tells you to do all of those things you did." He nodded as if understanding.

"Nobody told me to do any of those things, they were all accidents." Fury narrowed his eyes. Really?

"How can I trust what you're saying is true?" The target shrugged.

"I swear, on the River Styx, that I, Perseus Jackson, am telling you the truth." Thunder boomed loudly outside, causing Fury to look towards the one way glass. He pressed his finger to his earpiece.

"Thor, was that you?"

"-I press my finger here? Are you sure? No, I was not the cause of the thunder, Director." Fury turned back to the target.

"What was that, what did it do, and why did thunder boom?" The target smirked.

"That was me reassuring you that I'm not lying, it basically proved I'm telling the truth. As for the thunder, I can't tell you."

"Why not? Did the people you work for tell you that?" The boy shook his head.

"Like I said, those were all accidents, nobody told me to do anything. I can't tell you why not either."

"Can't or won't?"

"Can't. But, even if I could, I wouldn't."

"Mr. Jackson, you do realize that we could lock you up? You could go to jail, I suggest you cooperate."

"You could do that, but then you'd have people come after you." Fury's eyebrows raised. Was that a threat?

"Who? The people you work for?"

"No," the target said irritatedly. "My family." He leaned back in his chair, letting his words linger in the air mysteriously.

"Why? What would they do?" No answer.

"Do they work for the same people you work for?" No answer

"What can they do? How would they come after us?" No answer. Fury was starting to get annoyed. He got up from his seat and exited the door and into the booth. "How did you get him here?"

"He agreed to come."

"He agreed to come?" Fury asked bewildered. "You mean there was no fighting, no running away? He just... agreed?" They nodded.

"Also, Director, there is something different about the Son of Jack, something powerful." Powerful?

"Powerful in a good way, of powerful in a bad way?"

"Neither, just... powerful. An aura he has, I cannot explain it well, but... it seems peaceful." Stark snorted.

"You can see a peaceful aura that nobody else can see? What, is that an Asgardian thing?" Natasha punched him in the arm and he whined, rubbing the spot. Fury nodded, he would take it. If he was powerful and peaceful, then he was just what the Director was looking for. He entered the room again, retaking his seat.

"How would you like to join the Avengers? You would get to save people and put your skills to good use." He waited for a response. The target rose an eyebrow.

"Oh? And what skills do you think I have?"

"I don't know, but it takes skill to fall 630 feet, unconscious, into churning water and survive without a scratch." Perseus hummed, nodding slightly.

"No. Can I go now?" Fury couldn't stop his surprise from showing.

"No? Why not, you don't want to do those things? Help people?" He shook his head.

"I'm cool with that, the saving people and helping out. I just don't want to be an Avenger." He was confused. In being an Avenger he got to do those things.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't trust you. Being an Avenger would mean that I answer to you, I don't want to take orders from you. I won't take orders from you. I don't trust SHIELD. Organizations like yours have secrets and you don't tell us everything. You have too much power for your own good and that's going to be your downfall. You're the weakest where you're the strongest, and that's not good. That's a reason why I don't want to be an Avenger." Fury was surprised by how much this kid knew, but he wasn't going to just let him go.

"What if you didn't become an Avenger, but you still worked with them. You would live in Avengers Tower, but none of my or SHIELD's orders would apply to you. No contract and the only person you have to listen to is you. Even Captain's orders are optional. You won't be registered or broadcasted as an Avenger, and your identity would be kept safe. Would you accept that?" He knew what he was doing was risky. But it was the only time he would ever do this, they needed Jackson. Said person seemed to be thinking, reviewing the proposition.

"I'm allowed to stop anytime I want?" Fury nodded, hoping it wouldn't be soon. "I need you to say it."

"You can stop anytime you want."

"Well then, I guess it's time for my end of the deal. As long as the Avengers stay true to what they represent, protecting the people and defending Earth, I'll be by their side every time I can. If they turn sides though, become evil, you can count me as an enemy. Trust me when I say you don't want to be my enemy. Got it?" He'd made the right decision. With conditions like that, Fury could tell Jackson wasn't evil.

"Deal."

"Swear it on the River Styx."

"I, Nicholas Fury, swear on the River Styx, that everything I have said regarding Perseus Jackson working with the Avengers is the truth. And that all of his conditions will be met." Thunder boomed again, and Fury knew this time, without checking, that it wasn't Thor.

"A fair warning, if you break that oath, you will suffer a fate worse than death. It's not a threat, not even a promise, but a fact." Fury was alarmed. It's not that he was thinking of breaking the oath- he wasn't- but he could suddenly understand why Jackson took it seriously. As Jackson turned to leave, something came back to Fury.

"What was the other reason? You said that was one reason why you wouldn't join the Avengers." Jackson smiled, surprising the Director.

"You're more attentive than I thought, Director. You wanna know the other reason, huh?" He was already out of the interrogation room and out the booth, standing next to the elevator, stepping in as it opened. "The other reason," Jackson paused and smirked, the elevator doors starting to close. "I work for my family." Fury stood there in shock, the words ringing in his ears, the smirk firmly implanted in his brain. 'I work for my family.' What did he just do?