Can a Haunted Past bring a Brighter Future?

chapter 2- Flashback

Steve Rogers

Tony's nephew was... strange. Yeah, that's the right word. It's clear he's been through a lot, yet it seems like he's holding back. Not telling the whole truth.

"Jarvis, pull up Percy's file." Tony told his AI. A moment later he pulled out a tablet, and started looking through what I assume is the file.

"This is weird." Tony said.

"What is it?" Bruce asks, suddenly interested.

"All of this." Tony passed Bruce the tablet, and he reads through it.

"Dang!" Clint exclaimed, after he finished reading over Bruce's shoulder. "Tony, your nephew is awesome. I mean he blew up a school bus on a field trip!

Wow, that kid it getting weirder and weirder.

"That's not the strangest thing." Bruce says. "He has never even been in a doctor's office. No check ups, nothing! I need to see the kid." He demands.

Tony stood up, "No. Not yet. He has clearly been through a lot right now. Give him some time to get settled, then you can see him."

Bruce sighs, but nods. I look at the time.

"Um, Tony, it's been almost two hours. Where did the kid go?"

He rubs his face. "Probably the gym. He would always go there then he was upset. I know he won't listen to me right now, but someone else can try."

"I'll go." I tell them, then walk out of the room.

When I get to the gym, I see Percy attacking a dummy with a sword. (FYI that is not riptide, just a mortar sword.) "Hey," I say to him. He gives a grunt in response.

He says nothing as he puts the sword down and heads over to the punching bag. He quickly starts attacking the bag, ignoring me.

"You wanna talk man?" I ask finally, even though I had a good idea what his answer was gonna be.

"Not really." He says without stopping.

"What happened up there? You were good one minute, then you stormed off."

"Yeah, that's what happens when people start to pry in things like that. I wasn't over my girlfriend's death, or my friends deaths. I could of, should of, done more to save them. But I did nothing. They could be alive right now, but I was to slow. Then just days after they die, I find out my mom and step dad died too. It's just to much. And I'm sure you guys are great and all, but I don't know you. So you have no right to expect me to tell you everything about me." He finally stopped hitting the punching bag. Now he was squatting, and leaning against a wall. He had his head down.

"I know this is hard. And I know you don't know me. But Percy, we would like to help you, but we can't help unless you talk to us." I tell him in a quiet voice.

He shakes his head. "I've been through a lot Steve. My life has never been normal. I was always the stupid kid. The kid with to many problems to count. I only ever had two real friends in all of school. When I was twelve, my mom sent me to this summer camp. It was somewhere my dad wanted me to go. My life just got weirder from there. And recently, it's just been to much for me."

"I know how you feel" I tell him quietly.

"I doubt that."

"Really? I had a million and one medical problems. I was bullied, picked on, constantly. I had one friend. James Barnes. He was my rock, especially after my parents died. I entered world war two. I was given the super soldier serum. I joined Bucky in the war. During a mission, I lost Bucky. I thought he was dead. Soon after I went into the ice, and took a seventy year nap. I wake up and everyone I know is gone. Everyone I ever loved. I'm thrown into a new world, and I have no clue about anything. I think I have a pretty good idea of how you feel."