Before I Die (Split Souls part 1)

52: Tartarus

THIRD POV

Bruce slipped away during Tony's speech. Clint and Natasha made their token appearance near the bar, and watched the guests casually. They both kept an eye out for Annabeth, but she seemed to be holding her own pretty well.

Not long after the speech, the food was brought out and people ate their dinner. The spies noted that Tony was absent, but they figured he had called it a night, or that he was doing stuff for Pepper. It wasn't until Pepper herself came to them and asked about where Tony was that they started to worry.

"You mean he's not with you?" Clint frowned.

"No. He's not." Pepper said. "When did you last see him?"

"During the speech." Natasha replied.

"Great. So nobody has seen him since the speech, and he's not answering my calls." Pepper chewed the inside of her lip in worry.

Clint was about ready to respond that he was fine, just taking a break somewhere, when the screens glitched out. Everyone's eyes were on the faulty equipment. Then the screens cleared, and it became obvious that they had been hacked somehow.

In the infirmary, Steve and Percy were playing one of the games. "What? How is this guy even still alive?" Percy asked.

"He should be dead by now." Steve grumbled. 

"Very dead." Percy agreed. Then the screens glitched out, and both soldiers were left confused.

"Hello, hello." A voice said, words smooth like a poisonous honey. Only, coming from the man was not just one voice. It was a young man whose voice cracked, an old man who'd spent many years smoking, a woman who sung, a girl who giggled, and so many more- though all were in pain. "My apologies for interrupting your evening."

The guests whispered among themselves. What was going on? Who on Earth was that? That terrible voice... They had no idea who this was, but two people standing in different places recognized him with a chill that reached their bones.

"By now, you must've noticed someone is missing." At that, everyone began checking that they hadn't lost one of their own. 

"It's alright," The man smiled softly, as if reassuring a frightened child. "I have him." He stepped to the side, revealing Tony Stark bound to a chair, unconscious. The guests gasped.

Percy snarled. It was such a vicious and unexpected noise that it scared Steve until his attention was drawn back to the screen.

"Now, don't worry. I'll give him back," Tartarus cooed, before his voices gained a darker tone. "On one condition."

The guests of the gala watched on in fear of the demand about to be made. He had Tony Stark- what could be worth more than that man?

"I'll return him... For a trade." Tartarus had stepped closer to Tony, and gave the man's head a little shove, sending it lolling to the other side. Percy growled low in his throat.

"Perseus, my little Destroyer." Tartarus directed his words to one individual, who tensed even more. "It's been so long since we've last spoken. I miss our little... Talks."

The conscious Avengers were even more on guard than Tony being kidnapped. This freak knew Percy- and that meant that not only would Percy be a loose canon, Tony would have a much lower chance of escaping. The guests were freaking out- who was this Perseus, Destroyer?

"I've heard that you've grown quite attached to this... Mortal." He said the word with disgust. "If you ever want to see him again, you'll meet me at a... Privately discussed location. Your life for his."