LIGHTNING ✔P.M. ₁

chapter thirty-nine

ROBIN WASN'T CONFIDENT HE WANTED TO RETURN TO THE compound, but something compelled him to do so. An eviction notice. He knew he had payed rent, so he didn't understand why he was being evicted. Maybe it was those homophobic guys who lived in the building. He wouldn't be surprised if they had something do with it. They almost always did.

He grabbed his stuff - the stuff he bought, or brought to add to the apartment - and returned to the compound. His heart started pounding again, but he kept himself steady. Even though the guy who's been terrorizing the country - the world, maybe - was maybe going to be in the same building as him, as an ally, he would be fine. He'd be totally fine.

He put his stuff into the room the Avengers assigned to him. It was the same room he had been staying in before. He couldn't believe he decided, on his own free will, to go back to this place. That was something he never thought he'd actually do. Maybe he could use this opportunity to get close to Asteroid.

He groaned, laying down on the bed. He couldn't get close to the guy who almost killed his friends multiple times. It would feel like treason.

He got an Iris message from Jason. He shot up.

"Oh, thank Zeus! I thought you were dead," Robin said.

Jason laughed. "Sorry about that. I was busy. Just because your life is a never ending roller coaster of near deaths experiences doesn't mean mine is. I study, you know."

"Whatever. Got anything for me?"

"Nothing, other than the fact that there are attacks happening all over the world now, even Alaska."

Robin hummed, processing this. He grabbed his notebook and a pen and started scribbling down this new information. "Who's fighting them?"

"Demigods, mostly. Military too," The blonde replied.

Footsteps came from down the hall. Robin looked suddenly nervous. "Uh, I gotta go. Thanks!" He said quickly and cut the connection. He wouldn't risk the Avengers finding out about anything. He was sworn to secrecy of course, so he couldn't have them knowing anything about the gods. He had to hope that if Asteroid did come in to help, he would keep his mouth shut.

The Avengers were smart, weren't they? Robin thought so. Then why would they want to bring in some random guy who gave one dumbass speech?

A knock came at his door. Robin went to answer it, and found Pietro at his door. That was certainly strange.

"Hello there," The demigod greeted, acting as if he wasn't surprised.

"Hey, can I come in?" Pietro asked awkwardly, fidgeting with his hands.

Robin stepped aside, letting out a quiet 'sure'. He leaned against the wall. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to say thank you, for saving me and my sister," The blonde said, despite his pride.

Robin shrugged. "Just doing my civil duty as a citizen of the United States," He joked, not ready to actually face emotions.

Pietro frowned at the boy. Something seemed off with him. He may have had a limited amount of interactions with him, but Robin didn't normally act this way. His eyes kept darting to the door. He was slightly more on edge than usual.

"Are you okay?" Pietro inquired.

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine. I just almost died, no big deal," He said it so casually, as if it happened every day. Which, as a Greek demigod, it did. Monsters showed up all the time.

Pietro raised an eyebrow skeptically, but let it slide. "Are we good, then?"

"If you'll stop trying to attack me at every chance you get."

"Deal." They shook hands, then Robin pushed the taller boy out. He had to mentally prepare himself for what was about to come.

The Avengers got hold of Asteroid quicker than Robin could've ever fathomed. No even a day after Pietro and Robin's new friendship, if you could call it that, was formed, the demigod had been informed of the arrival of Asteroid. The man, still looking as creepy as ever with his stupid suit that made him look like a tree, came through the door, a warm (well, fake) smile on his face.

From his corner of the room, Robin narrowed his eyes. He was onto something. He vividly remembered the dream he had, and the sinister look Asteroid had was stuck in his mind. No matter how friendly he looked, he was the bad guy. Robin just hoped the Avengers weren't too dense to see it.

They hardly knew this guy, and they were letting him into their main base? That didn't seem too smart on their part, but what could Robin do about it now? Asteroid was already here, and everyone was welcoming him with warm smiles. Only Thor seemed to have the same impression as Robin.

Robin walked over to the god. "Guess Pirate-Man didn't approve of this, did he?"

Thor glanced over and shook his head. "I am pretty sure Fury wouldn't authorize this, no," He confirmed, looking back at Asteroid. "He doesn't seem to be someone trustworthy."

"I hear you, Thunderbolt."

Thor rolled his eyes at the nickname, but kept his eyes on the newcomer. "Do you know anything about this man?" He questioned the demigod.

Robin shrugged, also watching the cyborg. "I know more than you do, but it's not much." He lowered his voice. "His name is Archie Willis, but I don't know much else," He said, leaving out the whole demigod thing. He wasn't sure Thor was to be trusted yet.

Tony forced the two to come greet their guest. Thor tried to be civil, but Robin refused to even shake his hand and glared. He let Archie know that he didn't like him, nor trust him.

The Avengers gave Archie his own room, and said he could stay with them as long as he'd like, as long as he helped them defeat the threat - the Jendaks. They still didn't know the name of them, of course, but Robin wasn't going to tell them. It would make him look like the bad guy, when in fact, it was Asteroid who was the villain here.

Robin would've tried to get a hold of Nick Fury, but he had no idea how to. Instead, he talked to Thor, who said he'd go see what he could find out, and promptly left for Asgard, or maybe to visit his girlfriend first. Robin honestly didn't know. He just hoped he could find something and be back before anything bad happened.