The Hidden Son (Percy Jackson / Marvel's Agents of SHIELD Crossover)

8. Stupid Curses, Always Messing Up Interrogations

          MAY DIDN'T LIKE the way things were going. The more she thought about it, the more she was sure these kids were bad news. She flicked the switch to autopilot, the course set for headquarters, and climbed out of the cockpit. Coulson was waiting for her to start the interrogation. He wanted to question both teenagers, one after the other, but separate from one another, so that they wouldn't have time to convene or anything. Smart move, of course. May couldn't be in two places at once, and she wanted to watch.

Coulson was to be behind the scenes, watching the interrogations as they took place. May knew it was his call to make, but she still would've felt more comfortable with him doing the questioning. She joined Daisy and Mack at the door to the hold. She and Daisy were to question the teens, however difficult it would be. Mack was there "just in case", but May suspected he wouldn't be needed.

          One of the kids had been taken out in cuffs for a moment, the divider was lowered and bam—suddenly there were two Hulk-proof cells aboard the Bus, each containing one pissed off teenager. At least, that's what the plan had been. May hadn't seen it, but she was here now.

          "Okay, we're all set in here," Coulson said through comms to the three of them. "Crystal clear footage. You can go in."

          Daisy took a breath and pushed the door open.

★

          Fitz typed a command into the computer, and the images on display shifted—now, one screen showed the girl sitting at the table, giving the camera the evil eye, while the other held a more interesting view.

          The boy was stretched out on the cot as if it were a towel on the beach. May and Skye had just closed the door behind them. Fitz's fingers flew across the keyboard, and the sound from the other room cut out, as the girl had began tapping her fingers on the table in an infuriating pattern. Next to him, Jemma shifted in her chair, waiting.

          They watched as May walked over to the dividing wall and pulled down. The section folded out until it was parallel to the floor, like a bench. She sat on it and glared at the kid, who hadn't moved. Nobody said a word. Daisy leaned against the wall, arms crossed. If she had gum, she looked like she would've popped it.

          The kid took something small and shiny out of his pocket—a knife? May visibly tensed. Fitz inhaled sharply, but—

          "Chill," Percy said to the ceiling. "It's just a pen." He wasn't loud, but the mikes in the room picked up his voice easily.

          "Didn't we take a pen from him?" Coulson speculated, apparently to no one in particular.

          May must have heard him. "How did you get that?"

          He looked up at her for the first time. "Get what?"

          "The pen. We took it." May crossed her arms.

          Percy shrugged and laid back down. "I had two."

          Anyone could tell that was a lie, but either way, they couldn't prove it to be wrong.

May wasn't facing the camera, but Fitz could tell she wasn't happy with his answer. Then again, she never really seemed all that happy about anything. Behind him, Coulson shifted and put his hand to his temple. It was likely he didn't want to get on the teens' bad side even more than he already was. "May," he warned, "Questions."