Percy, Jason and Nico meet the Avengers

Chapter 1: Christmas Shopping

It had been several months since the war with Gaia, and the demigods were enjoying their peace. So of course, something had to go wrong.

Percy had just got out of school for winter break and needed to do some last minute Christmas shopping. He had almost forgotten to get presents for everyone, and they were having a big get together at Camp Half-Blood to celebrate everyone being alive. He knew that Annabeth wouldn't be mad if he didn't get her anything, but he knew she had been wanting some of those Lego Architecture sets, and everyone else would laugh if he should up empty handed.

When he got to camp he mentioned this problem to Jason, who mentioned it to Nico, and long story short three of the most powerful demigods alive were going to the mall together. Not that they thought of that, of course.  They just needed to get some presents for their girlfriends and boyfriend.  But nothing ever goes right for those three.

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Nick Fury just wanted to know who the kid was.  Natasha and Clint, bored in the cold days leading up to Christmas, had been looking through old files and had brought the interesting ones on his desk.  Percy Jackson, 18.  Record included disappearing each summer, popping up in Rome and Greece, getting thrown out of the St Louis arch into the Mississippi and surviving. The strange situations the kid had ended up in were impressive, and those were just the ones on file.  He didn't want to immediately peg the kid as a terrorist, though the record suggested it.  He just wanted to know who he was and who he was affiliated with.

He decided to give Natasha and Clint the excitement they had been craving.  Bad things happen when two assassins get bored.  So, he did the reasonable thing and sent them to go stalk a teenager.

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When they got to the mall, Percy immediately dragged the trio to the Lego store and proceeded to spend way too much money for a kid without a job, since saving the world isn't a paying gig. When they were done with that, they roamed the mall looking for presents for Piper and Will. As Jason was looking through a jewelry store for hair items for Piper, Percy was bored and looking at the crowd. ADHD needed something to do, and apparently people-watching was an appropriate battle substitute. However, he noticed that this one woman kept walking by, a different wig and outfit each time. And a man on the second floor was obviously watching the store they were in.

"Guys," Percy noted as soon as Nico and Jason exited the store, "I think we are being watched." He nodded his head to the two people.

"But I still need to get Will a present," Nico said. They agreed that they could go find a gift for Will to make sure that the two people were looking for them and not somebody else in the store, so they walked off and sure enough, they still were followed.

They went looking around, Percy taking the time to study their stalkers.  The man obviously thought he was great at this, but ended up sticking out like a sore thumb.  The woman, however, was very good.  Sometimes when she walked past, Percy almost didn't notice her until she was gone. She acted like a cliche spy from the movies.  Percy and Jason talked about the two, pretending not to notice them, debating which of the three were the target.

Nico came out of the store in the middle of that discussion, and wisely pointed out that he was from the forties and Jason had probably been missing presumed dead since the age of two.  Percy sighed at the revelation that he was the one they were following with a look that said 'I hate my life'.  The teens headed toward the door of the mall, trying to figure out how to ditch the people watching them.

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Natasha was surprised when the dark haired, green eyed boy looked at her.  She brushed it off the first time, but after a couple of times, she knew that he knew she was watching him.  Her question was how. He had seen Clint, which wasn't normal but wasn't really hard, but her! She was a super spy. No one should be able to see her. Maybe he had been trained as an agent too. She wondered where. He and the blond kid stood outside a store while emo boy went in, but Nat couldn't hear what they were saying from her position.

"Clint, can you see what they're saying?"

"As much as I would like it to be, being deaf is not an actual super power and I cannot read lips from this far away Natasha," he replied.

She sighed, trying to figure out what to do next, when the group of boys started heading toward the exits. Alright then, jump them outside and bring them in it is. She didn't bother to be subtle, knowing their cover was already blown, and decided to ditch her disguise and go for intimidation. Clint grabbed his bow on the way out from where he had stored it. They followed the boys to a mostly empty park with a pond, where they stood around, waiting. It took Natasha a moment to realize they were waiting for her and Clint. They weren't scared, they didn't try to run, they just waited, barely looking worried when two assassins entered the clearing.

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Percy really did not want to fight these people. He wanted to go to camp, see Annabeth and the rest of his friends, and most importantly, not fight highly trained spies and dudes with bows Percy was certain he didn't have earlier. He didn't want to give himself up, because where's the fun in that, but didn't want to reveal the demigod world and knew using his sword or powers would bring about too many questions if they were captured.

He told Jason and Nico that, and they agreed that they might have to get captured to avoid the government or whoever these people worked for asking around too much. They didn't just want to give up, though. If spies wanted to mess with Percy, they would have to work for it. So, as the two stalkers walked into the clearing they had chosen, they geared up to fight.