Shards (A Percy Jackson and Avengers Crossover)

The Place Where It All Started-Blond Superman And Flying Bugs

Percy sat, hugging his knees, on the sandy beach of Montauk. Wind ruffled his already unruly black hair. Billowing clouds puttered across the evening sky, which was a gorgeous pink hue. Waves lapped slowly against the bank, the sluggish motions matching Percy's despondent state. Flashes of memories flickered through his mind. His mom splashing in the water with him at age three. His mom finding seashells with him at age five. His mom playing catch with him at age eight. His mom roasting marshmallows with him at age ten. And then that fateful night at age twelve before everything started.

"I wish he could see you, Percy. He would be so proud."

"You don't realize how important you are."

"I thought you'd finally be safe."

"You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes."

"I—I couldn't send you to that place. It might mean saying good-bye to you for good."

Percy held back a sob. His mom didn't know how right she was.

Except it would be her leaving him, without even saying good-bye.

If only Percy could find Zeus' master bolt and travel to the Underworld to get her back. Things were so much simpler back then.

Percy stared at the sky nostalgically. He blinked. One of the clouds shifted, looking almost like a horse bursting majestically through the white smoke. Percy felt a sudden pang of sadness when it reminded him of Blackjack. It'd been awhile since hed seen the playful, black pega—

Percy stiffened. Something was coming. Something powerful.

Something... godly.

The presence felt a little off from the other gods he'd met. But Percy didn't have much time to think about that. He was already up, wiping his tear-stained face with one hand and grabbing Riptide from his pocket with the other.

Something crashed into the ground in front of him. A sand cloud puffed up. Percy coughed, eyes watering. He waved his hand in front of his face to clear the air and pulled his shirt over his mouth.

The cloudy air dissipated. Percy realized it was someone, not something, and the person had landed on his feet, not crashed into the ground.

Percy stared at the blond-haired, cape-wearing, hammer-wielding god in front of him... at least, Percy assumed it was a hammer.

"Uh, mister flying hammer-cape dude. Wanna tell me why you crash-landed on the beach?"

In retrospect, Percy probably shouldn't have talked to a god that way. But he was over bowing to gods and their every whim. Plus, Percy couldn't help but admit that somewhere in his heart—somewhere very, very deep—he was hoping to make the god angry enough to smite him, so he could join his family and friends in the Underworld.

"Perseus Jackson!" The mysterious god boomed gleefully, dust settling around his knee-high boots.

Percy's face hardened in an instant. His carefree, happy-go-lucky attitude morphed into a serious, grim-faced mood. He leveled his sword in front of him. "If you wanna kill me, then get in line, buddy."

The god raised his hands in the universal 'I mean you no harm' gesture. He let his hammer drop to the ground with a loud thud and kicked up a considerable amount of sand. Percy quickly decided that he would not be trying to pick that weapon up in the considerable future. "Wait, Son of Jack. I am not here to harm you. I only wish to talk."

Percy blinked. "Okay, first off Blondie, my dad's name isn't Jack. Second off, in my vast experience with gods, if they want to talk, they want something from me. Or they want to kill me. And third off... okay, so I don't have a third off. But, like, what's up with your outfit? You look like a more muscular version of Superman. If Superman was blond. And wore armor. And carried a giant, two-sided hammer... that is a hammer, right?"