Chapter 25

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Tony

Things are getting tense. 

We lost all three fugitives without a trace (the Percy one didn't count). Even worse, the new "helpers" are possessing people left, right and center. Fury's going mad. Thor's starting up arguments all the time. 

Last night, I had a weird dream. It only made our situation worse. 

I dreamed of something switching on, like one of those TVs from the 90s. A man entered my field of vision. Well, he looked better when he was out of focus. 

His face was barely visible under his beard. For some reason, it would light up on fire at random moments, and he had to pat it ferociously until it went out. One of his legs was shorter than the other, so he looked permanently slumped to one side. His brown eyes burned (literally), but it was a calming fire, like a forge. 

Saying that makes me seem crazy.

"Tony Stark." Hephaestus spoke my name softly. "You grew up wonderfully." 

"Hey Granddad." I replied with a small smile. "Your here, so I'm guessing that the world's ending soon. Am I right?"

I should probably explain.

While building the mind reading device for Hazel, the god flashed into my workshop and explained my heritage to me. My father had been a son of Hephaestus. My mother was a child of Athena. That's where I got my love for mechanics and intelligence from.

"Unfortunately, yes. Those helpers of yours, they're planning something. I think they're going to kill you all, if they haven't taken over you all yet."

"Cheery. Real happy, aren't you?"

The god answered, but I couldn't hear over the sound of static. "What's going on?" I shouted.

The static cleared. "An old device I rigged up a few years ago. Still a bit rusty, but it'll do." I opened my mouth to say something, but the god spoke again. "You'd better wake up now. The monster inhabiting Doctor Strange is staring an argument with Natasha Romanoff. I've only heard of the girl through stories, but I'm guessing that something like that would be catastrophic. Especially since they're in your little lab."

"What?" I yelped. The dream switched and I woke up with a gasp. I got dressed within 3 minutes, and stomped into my lab.

Doctor Strange was holding something in his fist and Natasha had her gun out. 

"Put it down, or Tony'll be after you're blood." She threatened, her gun hand steady. Scarily steady.

"She's right you little bastard." I growled.

Strange turned to me. He was calm, but then his eyes reached mine, and they glowed. Nothing happened. His face slackened with shock, and his eyes went back to their now-normal black. "Children of Fire. Can't touch without burning." He muttered.

"Now, put the reactor down."

Nat stared at me. "How did you know he stole that?" 

"He picked up and older one from a very dusty board. It left a clean circle on an otherwise dusty board. Not exactly smart." Strange opened his mouth to contradict, but I carried on talking. "Also, it doesn't even work. It's on my spare parts area. I use the parts inside it for other things. So he can keep it."

Strange threw it in the air and stormed off. "Real mature." I called back, a smirk on face.

Nat shivered. "I hate those."

"Don't we all. But Fury insists."

Someone coughed by the door. Cap stood there, a stern expression on his face.

"Two new helpers have arrived." He informed.

"Who did they possess?" Nat and I asked at the same time. 

"Loki and that emo kid from earlier today."

"Wonderful. Now we have two fugitives with us." Nat muttered.

"Two powerful fugitives. If they turn on us now, we're screwed."

"Guys." Steve said softly, walking closer to us. "I don't think we're on the right side. I mean, we're in constant danger, living with things that could take over us and use us. Remember that girl I was supposed to guard but I left with Thor? She was taken by Thor and then Hazel was taken after she touched the note. The note was in the exact place between where Thor and Azra where sitting. It can't be a coincidence."

I let out a loud sigh. "I've been thinking about the same thing. You know before I came here, I had a dream. Hephaestus was there, and he told me that they couldn't be trusted. That speaks for itself."

"I don't like how Fury's treating the demigods we find. He's leaving them in cells with barely any food, training them 'till they nearly pass out, and then let a creature take over them. That's scarily similar to what Hydra used to do with their subjects." Natasha added.

"You know, if you guys are planning a revolution, you might need more help." A voice said from the doorway. 

We all jumped and turned to face the newcomer. "Hey Mr Stark." Peter Parker said sheepishly. "School was cancelled today. Frozen pipes. Aunt May said that I could come here."

My day instantly got better. My eyes crinkled and my face brightened with a smile. "Hey Peter. Don't tell anyone about what's going on, OK?" He bobbed his head up and down with a nod.

"Can I join in?" he asked.

"No." The three of us replied. "It's too dangerous." I explained.

His head dropped with disappointment. He looked up at me, his puppy eyes wide. He stuck out his lower lip and stared at me. 

"Fine." I sighed. "You can join. But no telling. And your not doing much. If anyone hurts you, tell me and we'll beat the shit out of him together."

Steve put his hands over Peter's ears. "Tony!" He scolded. "You do that and-"

"I'll be the happiest person in the world." Peter breathed, a wide grin on his face. 

Steve's expression softened. He removed his hands from Peter's ears and ruffled his hair. Nat walked over and gave him a hug. A nice, motherly hug. I never knew she had it in her to do that.

"Hey squirt." She muttered to him with a smile. "I haven't seen you in ages. You keeping your grades up?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

Something bleeped above us. Something else bleeped in the hallway. I followed the sounds until they stopped just outside corridor 6-a. The corridor where the "important" rooms were. Fury's office. The conference rooms. The room for the possessed. My eyes widened.

I phoned Nat, who was following a different trail. "It stopped just before the cells." She copied.

Cap's trail stopped at the exit from our sector. "Guys!" I bellowed into my earpiece. "Get out of our sector. There are a bunch of mini-atomic bombs planted in them! The bleeping sound was them being activated!"

I grabbed Peter and ran. Just as we exited the are and joined the other Avengers, the are exploded. 

Exploded is an understatement. 

Huge balloons of fire exploded, one after the other. The sky rained with glass.  Flames threatened to lick the gravel and grass. All with a deafening BOOM after BOOM.

Peter looked shell shocked. I pulled him into a hug.

"Who could have done this?" Rhodey whispered.

"I have a very good idea." I snarled. "And they're gonna pay."

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Dam, second chapter in one day!

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