Prisoner of Ice and Stone

Chapter 5

Percy's POV:

I stared up at the tower that rose high above me into the sky. I'd heard a lot of crazy things about this place over the last week and I honestly didn't know if I believed half of it. Still I had promised the people here I would come back so here I was. I took a deep breathe and walked in through the front doors.

Peter's POV:

It was Friday after school and I was waiting impatiently with Mr. Stark for Percy to arrive. I'd done some research on the kid, and then had Ed help me hack into Mr. Stark's server to do some more in depth research. I'd found some interesting stuff. The kid had never stayed in one school for more then a single year if that, and even in pre-school there were some strange files on his records. Water moving when he was in the kiddie pool in ways it wasn't supposed to, a snake in his bed during nap time that he somehow strangled. In kindergarten several kids had bullied him until one day mysteriously Percy was able to get in some hits with a stick he'd found on the playground. After that his records got even more sketchy, the most recent ones showed that he hadn't even gone to school for the last four years of schooling. Then there was the time thing. He was kidnapped at around age twelve and showed up all over the country and even destroyed a famous arch somehow. After that he reappeared for school only to vanish in the middle of the school year. In fact up until age 16 he'd been apparently kidnapped, and been declared dead at least twice possibly more the records were hard to follow. Then toward the end of his records he completely vanished till he showed up in Alaska and Rome of all places! Finally the final record I found was a missing person's report and an official notice declaring him dead. That record was from ten years ago. Meaning he had been trapped in the ice for the past decade. I wasn't going to lie I wanted to know more. Thor had mentioned him being a demigod, and the kid had mentioned Zeus and Hera. Which meant the Greek and Roman gods were real just like the Norse gods. Did that mean all the gods were real? That part honestly made my brain hurt. Finally the doors pinged and Percy walked into the building and toward the elevator after the receptionist told him to head on up. Mr. Stark and I turned away from the cameras and sat waiting. Moments later he walked through the door looking for all the world like a typical bored teen. He had his hands in his pockets, a bag slung over one shoulder and was dressed in jeans and a blue T-shirt with black converse. His manner may have seemed casual, but I could see the tense set of his shoulders and the sharp look in his eyes. This guy had seen combat and his scars said anything he'd seen a lot of it. Mr. Stark stood and pulled three glasses from his bar speaking as he walked.

"Welcome kid, care for some Tequila or maybe a Bloody Mary?"

He glanced at me and I smiled slightly.

"Beer for me please."

The boy looked taken off guard, but he shook his head.

"I'm underage, and besides I don't drink."

Tony rolled his eyes.

"Sure kid. Whatever you say."

Percy didn't say anything just stood there awkwardly as Mr. Stark set down a glass in front of me and sat down with a glass of something golden in his hand. Mr. Stark gestured for Percy to take a seat and he did. He sat leaning forward on his knees, he still looked calm, but his shoulders had become even more tense and I noticed that as he sat down his hand brushed his pocket before clasping his other hand in front of him. We sat in silence for a moment before Mr. Stark spoke again.

"So kid mind telling us how the heck you ended up under spider kids school?"

Percy's hand strayed toward his pocket again, but he stopped and nodded.

"To tell you the truth I don't know, I have a few theories as to who took me out, but I honestly don't know why or how I ended up under the school."

Tony nodded his face relaxed as he sipped his drink.

"So why exactly did someone take you out? You gotta have done something big, because some guys showed up after we got you out of the ice. Thor took care of them, but it was a bit strange. They disintegrated after being hit."

Percy's hands clenched each other so hard that his skin turned white, and he muttered something under his breathe. I couldn't really make it out but I could have sworn he said. "I don't know maybe its just cause I exist." Whatever it was he said I detected high levels of sarcasm. He spoke louder this time his tone emotionless.

"Could have been just about anyone really, demi-gods don't exactly make a lot of friends outside of other demi-gods. We're a bit weird for regular humans, and monsters would like to have us for dinner rather then invite us to dinner."

Mr. Stark swirled his glass and spoke again. His tone hard.

"So what exactly are you, both you and Thor have mentioned you being a demi-god, but would you mind telling me exactly what that entails."

He phrased it as a question, but his voice said it wasn't a request. Percy visibly stiffened further before responding.

"Its exactly like it sounds. Demi-god, part god. We're the children of the gods and a mortal. Sometimes we get powers, sometimes we don't, but there is no such thing as a regular demi-god. Ever heard of George Washington? Theodore Roosevelt?  Demi-gods."

He stated it simply, with a sort of half smirk on his face that just screamed insolence. Mr. Stark looked like he might hit the kid, but slowly he relaxed.

"Well thank you. Now would you mind telling us how the last week has been. I'm sure its been an interesting experience to find those close to you so much older."

He'd hit a nerve. Percy's face flickered with an emotion between excruciating pain, and red hot fury, before calming. He glared at Mr. Stark his gaze cool.

"It's been great, its just fantastic to find that you've been frozen for ten years and that you have two new siblings you know nothing about, and your girlfriend who was already out of your league is now a decade older then you. So yea I'm doing great how about you."

His words were overly cheerful, and I could tell Mr. Stark felt slightly unnerved by Percy's death glare. Percy had that look down. Mr. Stark opened his mouth to say something in response, and that was when the window exploded.