Family Habits ( Percy Jackson and the Avengers)

"It's Not LIke I Was Alone"

Everything turns out to be a good two hour long story in which to Nico's distress Percy seems to focus on the negative (not that there is as much as he believes). He looks weary by the end of it and the Avengers just stare at him in utter shock. Well except for Thor who looks so childish with his wide eyes and way-too-large grin. So the great God of Thunder and Savior of Earth has probably just found his own hero.

Steve's expression finally changes from the disbelief to one of sadness and concern. "You're so young. I can't believe that they have forced you to go through so much. " As an afterthought he nods at Nico. "All of you."

"So you created that giant freak storm in Greece last year?" Tony asks. He turns to the others. "You realize he inherited all his awesomeness from me right?"

Natasha rolls her eyes and Bruce simply shakes his head and says, "Didn't anyone ever tell you that creating natural disasters and blowing up volcanoes is bad?"

"They might have," Percy admits. 

"Hold on," Clint says, raising a hand in a 'stop everything now' motion. "Are we just going to ignore the part where you went to hell?!"

"Yes." Percy says with finality. If looks could kill Clint would've just died fifty times over.

"Such heroic tales!" Thor booms and Percy groans. So far for whatever reason the Asgardian has only served to annoy him. Perhaps it's because he's so honest and very much not reserved with his actions or speech. Not only that what but he never seems to understand when Percy just wants to be left along.

"More like life," Percy grumbles. At the stern looks he shrugs. "You adapt and move on."

"Oh come on Percy. You are making this way too difficult. Just take their compliments and for once admit that what you did saved everyone." Nico complains.

"It's not like I was alone. I would've failed before I got started if you guys weren't there," Percy argues and maybe he has a good point, but still Nico suspects that he would have managed. He always has.

"Yeah but we were replaceable. You weren't." Nico knows this isn't entirely true, however he can't help but believe it somewhat. Percy was everything in those fights and at the camps. Still is.

"No. You aren't." Percy's voice is low and dangerous, serious and unrelenting. Nico knows this is one of the few times Percy has been truly angry and he honestly has nothing to say in response. Percy's tone of voice now is final, as if he is without a doubt correct and if he isn't that he will make it so that he is.

Silence. No one knows what to say to the cousins' argument. Thor looks worriedly between them as if he wants to say something. It's good that he doesn't.

Finally Nico sighs and nods, giving in. "Okay so now that that's settled, I'll just being going."

He turns around and before anyone can stop him ducks back into the shadows, heading to who knows where. Percy rolls his eyes but says nothing. Nobody speaks. There's so much to say and at the same time no room to say it with heavy atmosphere. 

Surprisingly it's Thor who breaks the tension. He claps his hands making everyone besides Bruce jump ( even the carefully composed Natasha). " That was a good story! Time for some poptarts!"

Percy looks up at him and smiles. For once he agrees. Poptarts don't sound half bad.

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Annabeth lays in her empty cabin, tucked away in her bunk. She has her leather camp necklace in her hand and carefully twirls a small black bead from the summer five years ago. She can't count how many time her fingers have ran over the glassy surface, stroking lovingly the little green picture. Even now it holds such caring moments, but it bares something it didn't before. Confusion and doubt.