[Friend of a Friend] PJO x Marvel

[12. Cremation For Dummies]

"Yeah, I think crazy is an understatement. So what's your whole deal, spider superhero?"

"I was bitten by a radioactive spider when I was fourteen, I gained all these heightened senses and it just made sense to me that I use them for good. All I ever wanted was to be a hero, like the avengers." Peter chuckled, "But you're a whole magical being, you're a god! Why were you ever doing schoolwork when you could be out doing whatever gods do!"

"First of all, only half god. Second, I spent all of my teenage years flunking school and focusing on defeating monsters and staying alive, Annabeth and I just decided that maybe it was time for a simpler life. If demigods can retire, that's what we were aiming for. Which meant I needed to make up for years of failed classes, and that's not easy when your brain tries to turn English into greek, and then your brain is trying to figure out how to battle the math problems." Percy felt a lot better while talking to Peter, some part of him felt like he wasn't alone, he had another kid there who could understand how he felt.

"I really wish I wasn't scared right now, If you told me 24 hours ago I'd be on a whole other planet right now, all I'd be asking about is about how the planet is, what space is like, how I got here. Really makes me sad that I have to waste all this curiosity by fearing for my life."

"Enough of the gloom, Pete. We're gonna figure this all out." Stark didn't seem very confident in his words, his eyes never moving to look towards the two teenagers, it was almost as if he were only trying to reassure himself.

  It isn't easy to mentally prepare yourself for a sudden 50% decrease in the entire population of the universe. There is no warning as to who would be the unlucky ones, no way of knowing how painful it may end up being. Would he die? Would Annabeth? Nico? His mother? Peter? It was this great big unknown, and it was entirely unfair. He could just imagine Thanos making sure to specify that he wouldn't snap himself away, and likely not his goons either. That was also rather unfair, if you're going to kill so many people randomly, why save anyone at all?

   "I think when we get out of here, you and I should go get some dam ice cream or something. We deserve a reward for surviving space." Being hopeful was all Percy had, and he wasn't fully sure what his hope meant. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, ignoring how dirty it felt.

  Peter didn't respond, and suddenly Percy felt unsettled. The air didn't sit quite right, but no danger seemed to be present. While they weren't presently there, he could almost see the fates playing around with the red yarn, scissors in hand ready to cut. Percy stood up and gazed all around, staring at everyone around him. Peter and Stark looked at him confused, but he gave no explanation.

That's when it began. It started with Mantis, slowly her body turned into nothing but dust, Percy tried grasping on to the liquids in her body to try and stop whatever was happening, but to no avail. He gave another attempt with Drax, trying to get to him before too much of his body has disintegrated. It was useless, but he didn't know what else to do. He heard voices speaking, panic filling the air, but he couldn't make sense of the words, as if it were a different language. Quill's eyes filled with dread, a certain sadness that filled his last moments. A death like this was cruel, there is no fighting for your life, no trying to stop the inevitable. Quill's expression made Percy want to vomit.

The icing on the (terribly morbid) cake was when Percy turned towards Strange. They both looked towards each other knowingly, waiting for the moment when the wizard himself would be nothing but a memory. Percy expected some deathbed confession, a moment where Strange would decide to share the information he knew. Instead Strange turned to Stark, who kept a hardened expression set on his face. Percy wondered if Stark feared he were next, or even feared for Peter. Their numbers had diminished severely, and the hope of any of them surviving wasn't looking good.