The Avengers: The Coming of Revenge ~ DISCONTINUED

Chapter Eight

"World War III," Clarisse commented, folding her arms as she looked at the 3-D model Tony had set up. "Almost happened once when Zeus's lightning bolt was stolen. Kronos had been manipulating us since then."

"The anger of the gods could destroy Earth," Percy continued. "What Typhon did was enough of a demonstration, and what the armies of Kronos and Camp Half-Blood did to Manhattan."

"What I'm confused about is why Loki would ally with someone to destroy Earth," Steve said, frowning. "He doesn't seem to be the type to share power."

"He is not," Thor agreed.

"And Kronos and Gaea definitely aren't," Jason put in. "So why are they working together?"

"Is it just because they hate us so much?" Piper asked.

"It's obvious they all want revenge," Reyna said. "Gaea wasn't too happy when we wiped out her armies."

"Kronos wasn't a happy camper when Typhon was destroyed," Annabeth agreed.

"And Loki was brooding about not winning Earth for months," Thor added. "And then he was sulking for the rest of the time."

"Yep," Tony commented. "Sounds like Reindeer Games."

"Reindeer Games?" Leo asked, sounding interested.

"His helmet," Clint explained. "He's got horns on them."

Leo grinned. "Sick!"

"Anyway," Grover said with a quick warning glance at Leo. "Chiron's going crazy trying to rally all of the demigods and satyrs back to Camp Half-Blood."

"As much as I hate him, I have Octavian preparing the Twelfth Legion for war," Reyna reported. "Frank, I'd like you to remain one of the praetors because of how skilled you are in command."

Frank nodded. "Sure thing."

"The Hunters are on their way as well," Thalia added. "They can take watch posts to see if anything . . . y'know, drops out of the sky on us."

"We know Loki will have the Chitauri," Fury said. "What others could try and attack us?"

"Could or will?" Percy asked.

"Will," Fury corrected.

Hazel folded her arms across her chest. "The Earthborn from Gaea definitely. Possibly Cyclopes."

"I'll Iris-message Tyson and Dad, see if the Cyclopes army can help us with that," Percy put in.

"Telekhines from Kronos, possibly," Clarisse added. "Laistrygonians - "

Tony snorted into his scotch. "What?"

"Canadians," Nico translated.

Frank furrowed his eyebrows. "I still take that as an insult."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Wind spirits. Anything on Khione's side. That icy b - "

"Basically," Annabeth said loudly so she covered up Piper. "Anyone that has a reason to oppose the gods. That could even be turned demigods."

"Hopefully there are none, because I would hate to go up against someone I know," Percy said. "However, with the Greeks, you never know."

"Same with the Romans," Jason agreed. "I've known a good deal of them since I was just a little kid."

"How many years have you been in the Legion, then?" Natasha asked.

Jason held out the inside of his arm to show the striped tattoos. "This makes my thirteenth year."

Natasha's jaw dropped, and Reyna rolled her eyes. "But we do have one small problem."

"What's that?" Steve asked.

Thor appeared to have gotten it. "Your mortal weapons will not kill monsters."

"Bingo bongo," Leo said, pointing at Thor. He made a face. "Bingo bongo . . . gah." He shook his head. "Anyway, the only things that work on monsters are Celestial bronze, Imperial Gold, the Hunters' silver arrows, or Greek fire."

"Can you make weapons like that for us?" Clint asked.

Leo got a creepy grin on his face. "Have you got a workshop?"

Tony snorted. "Kid, this is STARK Tower. I've got tons of floors of workshops."

The creepy grin on Leo's face got wider. "Give me a while, and I'll get them for you."

"So we've got a weapons smith," Annabeth said, making notes on her laptop. "Percy, Jason, you two are the obvious leaders of the demigods."

"What is it that we can do?" Fury asked.

"Surveillance is the easiest thing to do," Percy said, scratching his head. "Although with the Mist being a problem . . . "

"I can help with that," Rachel offered. "Hazel and I can both see through the Mist. If anything seems suspicious, we can keep an eye on it."

"That'll be the top of the Tower, then," Tony said. "If needed, JARVIS can hack every camera in the country. They'll all be up there."

Leo clapped his hands. "So, I'll just be in my smithy and start working on those weapons." He pointed at the Avengers. "I'm assuming the normal weapons, just advanced?" When he got five nods, he nodded as well. "Right. Peace!"

He ran for the elevator, and Jason shook his head. "And I wonder how he's my best friend."

"I was more surprised when I found out my best friend had donkey legs," Percy snorted.

"Goat!" Grover bleated angrily.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Seriously, man."

"So, about the Greek fire," Bruce said, leaning forward on the table. "What exactly is it?"

"It's green, and it's very explosive," Percy explained. "We used it to blow up the Princess Andromeda. It's one of the most dangerous things on Earth."

"No exaggeration," Clarisse agreed. "Why?"

"How easy is it to get or make?"

Percy and Clarisse looked at each other. "Not that easy," Clarisse admitted. "To replicate, maybe . . . that could be worth looking into."

"I'm more of a science doctor than a fighter," Bruce said. "If I was able to try and replicate it, I could be of some help."

"I'll contact Chiron when I get the chance to," Grover told him. "Get some over here so you can try."

"It also burns underwater, so if we get an underwater enemy, that's what we could use to take them out," Annabeth said. "Those telekhines could be one of the biggest issues for that main reason."

"I'll bring SHIELD forces in here as well, start getting them prepared," Fury added, straightening. "I may have doubted you before, Mr. Jackson, but you've been through this before."

"Fighting against an angry Titan Lord and Mother Earth?" Percy asked, nodding. "That I've been through. A possible World War? Director, I will tell you this: I'm pretty positive our chances of winning this are like when hell will freeze over."

"And trust me," Nico put in. "The Underworld definitely does not freeze over.

"But we will do everything in our power to make sure that the world remains safe," Percy finished with a glare at Nico.

Fury nodded. "And that's good enough for me."

Percy nodded, then clapped his hands. "So, now that we've got that figured out, what's for dinner?"