We're Not Dead Yet (Split Souls part 2)

21: It's Mythical And Real

"Where did this come from?" Winter asked as he looked around at the ship.

"I summoned it." Percy replied.

"You... Summoned it." Winter repeated.

"Yeah. Um, let's get comfortable, we might be talking for a while." Percy said. 

He led them down below deck and into a sitting room. Once they had all taken a seat, Winter looked expectantly at Percy. Percy took a deep breath, and began recounting a tale. He told of primordials, titans, giants, gods, monsters, and demigods.

"Why did you tell me a bedtime story?" Winter asked when Percy finished.

"Because it's all real." Percy said.

"Of course it is." Winter deadpanned.

Percy grinned.

"So where do you stand in that mess?" Winter asked.

"That is a simple question with a complicated answer... Short story, I was born a demigod son of Poseidon, but was recently made a god." Percy replied.

"You're a god?" Winter blinked.

"Yep." Percy sighed.

Winter narrowed his eyes. "If you're a god, then how long ago was 'recently'?"

Percy laughed. "I'm seventeen. Total."

"Wait, you're still a kid?" Winter questioned, feeling slightly protective.

"Brother, I've been in just as many wars as you." Percy countered. "Childhood innocence is long gone in this one."

Winter tilted his head. There were so many things about that sentence that he wanted to ask about.

Percy shifted in his seat. "Steve should be the one to talk to you about your life before HYDRA... Anything you can tell us about them off the top of your head?"

Winter thought for a moment. "I was assigned to train a new agent. In the dream I had, they were going to use him to replace me. Whenever he got bled, his blood was... Flecked with gold. My superior called him a gold-blood."

Percy went stiff. "A gold-blood? What was his name?"

"Tarus."

Percy cursed. Like actual curses, not foul language. Winter was impressed with his imagination.

"Percy, I don't understand a word of what you're saying, but stop." Steve said. "It's not helping."

Winter frowned. Why wouldn't Steve understand? Was Percy speaking one of the languages Winter knew but Steve didn't? Winter tried to figure out which language it was, but couldn't find the answer.

Percy turned to him. "Did you understand what I was saying just now?"

Winter chuckled. "You are much more creative and violent than you look."

"I don't know if I should feel offended or complimented." Percy said. "{Shit}. This is bad. Anything else that's really important?"

Winter thought for a second. "HYDRA has spies in SHIELD."

"{For the love of-} How many?" Percy blurted.

"I don't know the exact number." Winter said.

"An estimate, Buck, anything will do. Ten, twenty, a hundred-" Steve said.

"Anyone." Winter replied, an odd feeling in his chest when Steve called him 'Buck'.

"What do you mean, anyone?" Steve asked.