Percy Jackson: Hardened

Chapter 6

I shake my head, quickly exiting the tension filled room.

Even locked away in a cell, Loki's mischief knows no boundaries. With only a few choice words the 'team' is turning against each other.

I almost laugh to myself at the word team.

During their chat in the containment room, Loki had called Director Fury desperate, and I can't help myself but to agree with him a little. I thought back to the Argo II, seven demigods from two different camps, thrown straight into a war.

I shivered at the similarities between then and now, not liking to think about the second war for longer than I had to.

Not paying attention to where I was walking, I found myself back at the very room I had left to escape the tense atmosphere. I stood at the door, really not wanting to be back in the middle of their arguments. I picked up bits and pieces from my place at the entrance, they were arguing over SHIELD's plans of weaponizing the tesseract.

Yeah, definitely not a conversation I wanted to be a part of.

I just sure hope Fury knows what he's doing. Loki's got big plans, none of them good. The world might be counting on this unlikely band of heroes, and I'm praying to the Fates they don't crack from the pressure.

I am thrown from my thoughts as the helicarrier lurches suddenly, slamming me into the wall.

I prop myself up against the now dented steel surface, trying to regain my focus among the ensuing chaos.

Somebody's taken out an engine.

"We lose one more engine, we won't be in the air much longer. Somebody's got to get inside and patch that engine." I hear Agent Hill addressing the director over all of the frenzy.

Barking out orders, Nick sends Stark and the Captain to repair engine three.

I heard a beastly roar that would have had me scared if I hadn't been fighting monsters since I was 12. That must be the hulk.

I overhear Fury yelling.

"Then put it on the left! Get us over water! One more turbine goes down and we drop."

Schist. I've got to buy us some time.

I take off down the hallway, more stumbling than running. I narrowly avoid becoming roadkill as a certain blond god is smashed through a wall in front of me, smashing clean through the next one too. Eventually, I make my way to an access, bursting through the panel and ever-so-gracefully onto the roof of the craft. I focus on the water molecules in the air surrounding the craft. Being so high up, I struggled as I pushed the scarce molecules to support the ship, feeling the weight transfer to me as the the vessel righted itself.

Come on Stark, we don't have all day.

Finally, I feel the weight get taken from me as they get the third engine up and running again.

I should put professional sky holder on my resume, cause I'm getting pretty good at it.

Unfortunately, the sudden start of the engine cause the ship to lurch from the angle I was holding it at, sending me tumbling over and off of the helicarrier.

Real smooth Percy.

As I'm falling, something catches my eye, and I notice I'm not alone. A little to my right, is Thor trapped in a glass container, also falling to his death.

I wave to him, to which he waves back before doing a double take.

I laugh to myself as he attempts to break his entrapment.

I think about summoning Blackjack when I hear the terrible laughter echo in my mind. I nearly stop falling out of pure fear.

No no no no no.

This can't be happening, not right now.

Little demigod. He taunted me.

I've missed our quality time together.

I can feel myself getting closer and closer to the water below. Just a little longer.

"Oh yeah, well I sure haven't" I yell out to no one in particular, not that anyone could hear me over the screaming wind.

He laughed. His terrible, torturous laugh sending tremors down my spine.

You thought yourself so clever, hiding yourself deep in your father's domain and in Alaska, where I couldn't reach you.

I could see the water now.

I bet your little Athena spawn is proud. Oh wait...

My eyes, already tearing up from the wind, brimmed with hot, boiling tears.

And just as I was about to hit the water, to feel release from everything, my mind faded to black as I felt myself get further and further from the water. Further and further from reality.

His laugh was everywhere.

Welcome back demigod.