Bucky and Percy

country roads

Once everone settled down, there was a streak of light across the sky, everone looked up lazily, too tired to yell about it, Aphrodite sighed in relief, "its just Artemis, she must be taking care of the sun situation", as she said this the sun mov3d across the sky until it set, and the moon was back in place.

It was now dark, and the fire was the only srove of light closest to them, Aphrodite cradled her babbling baby and bucky sighed hevily from his spot next to steve.

Thor took a seat next to Aphrodite, "we should explain the situation", bucky started, "what ahppened to thalias tree!", luke yelled angrily, eyes darting to thor, "was it-","-it was apollo hermes and ares, the three are currenlt in SHIELD custody until we figure things out, hermes is most likely due for release in two days", Bucky explained

"What happened?", silena said, running fibgers thriugh her hair worridly.

Bucky explained everything that happened, evwn explaing how and why Aphrodite was here, Percy and annabeth shared a look.

"Percy knows how to fix the shield!", Annabeth blurted, Bucky turned quickly, "how?", he demanded.

"The Golden Fleece," Percy said. "We know where it is."

The flames burned orange. Before Bucky could say anything, he blurted out the dream about Grover and Polyphemus's island, with Aphrodite confirming because he was connected as well. Annabeth stepped in and reminded everybody what the Fleece could do. It sounded more convincing coming from her.

"The Fleece can save the camp," she concluded. "I'm certain of it."

"No", Steve fumed, "you're not sending off three kids alone ",  he snapoed at bucky ,Everybody stared at him until steve started looking uncomfortable. "Man, are you high?" Travis asked with a raised eyebrow, getting some campers to snicker at his comment.

"Besides," steve added quickly, "the Sea of Monsters? That's hardly an exact location. You wouldn't even know where to look."

"Actually we do." Percy said, getting a smirk from Aphrodite.

"You do?" Annabeth asked.

"Yeah, you can thank the Grey Sisters for that.", Aphrodite offered, eyes darting to percy.

Percy smiled. It seemed that Aphrodite knew what he was talking about. He should have known. "30, 31, 75, 12,"

"Ooo-kay," Luke said. "Thank you for sharing those meaningless numbers."

"They're sailing coordinates," Percy said. "Latitude and longitude. I, uh, learned about it in... Hydra training." Annabeth looked impressed and so was Luke. Percy actually knew something smart? "30 degrees, 31 minutes north, 75 degrees, 12 minutes west. They're right! The Gray Sisters gave us those coordinates. That'd be somewhere in the Atlantic, off the coast of Florida. The Sea of Monsters. We need a quest!"

"Wait just a minute," Bucky said.

But the campers took up the chant. "We need a quest! We need a quest!"

The flames rose higher.

"It isn't necessary!" Steve insisted.

"WE NEED A QUEST! WE NEED A QUEST!"

"You can't escape this, Bucky." Aphrodite said with a smirk, which made Steve's eye twitch because she was right. Not to mention he had zero authority over these kids, it was all bucky, he couldn't tell bucky what to do.

"Fine!" Bucky shouted, his eyes blazing with anger and fear. "You want me to assign a quest?"

"YES!"

"Very well," he agreed. "I shall authorise three to undertake this journey, to retrieve the Golden Fleece and bring it back to camp."

Finally they were getting somewhere. Percy looked happy about that. Annabeth smiled. She didn't even care if he wasn't going on the quest. At least progress was made. Though she did wish that she was on the quest so she could save Grover.

"Im sending the avengers", a roar erupted from the campers, "you cant do that!", "percy os the one that got the prophecy!","mortals aming godly land is forbidden!".

"ENOUGH!", Bucky stood up, the fire lowered, all was silent, "I pulled you from a hydra base not even a year agi and im not just going to throw you to your death in the sea of monsters!", he reasoned, voice pained.

Steve reached uo and grabbed his hand soothingly, "I know you all want to help, i do to! But i cant send you! You're not... I'm not ready for that kind of action... Be have to send people who... Who are ready to kill, and the sea of monsters isnt a good place! And Grover needs help, i know, but we dont even know what he needs help from"

He glanced at percy and annabeth then closed his eyes briefly, "Aphrodite...?", he turned to her, she gave a weak smile, "of course ill stay, I'll help my children any way i can", bucky gave a relieved smile as she winked at him.

"I'll go too", Steve offered, Bucky tensed, "i don't think...","buck, I've fought wars, i think we can handle a couple sea monsters", percy swore steve Rogers could convince bucky to do anything.

"Of corse, percy has to go", bucky sighed, Annabeth tensed, "and... Annabeth, you'll go too","but only three can go", she said, eyes darting ti Aphrodite, "I know,  Steve and I will protect you", bucky knelt and sat down.

Annabeth and Percy moved to sit on either side of him, "I pray to the gods we'll be ok, we've never had a quest before... So, I trust  Steve to help us to get the fleece and bring it home".

Home.

Steve caught the words fast, home was not somthing he heard bucky call something, they were always on the move, apartments, tents, safe house, forest floor, it occurred to him that Bucky had never had the chance to settle down somewhere.

Bucky put his arms over Annabeth and Percy.

That night at the campfire, Apollo's cabin led the sing-along. They tried to get everybody' spirits up, but it wasn't easy after that afternoon's attack. They all sat around a semicircle of stone steps, singing halfheartedly and watching the bonfire blaze while the Apollo guys strummed their guitars and picked their lyres.

They did all the standard camp numbers: "Down by the Aegean," "I Am My Own Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandpa," "This Land is Minos's Land." The bonfire was enchanted, so the louder you sang, the higher it rose, changing colour and heat with the mood of the crowd.

Then it got to everyone's favorite song, and this time everyone actually sang.