A/N: Ok, I lied. This is my second author's note. I got impatient and bored, so I decided to publish this an entire 24 hours early because I feel like it. The epilogue will still have to wait for December 24th, 2020. I hope you enjoy the last two chapters of this story!
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After another hour of strategizing to combine the Avengers' plan with the demigods' plan, everyone was ready. The Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents would take down HYDRA operatives and secure the facility, the demigods would break through any lines of defense and handle any monsters that came their way, the Olympia Division would also take care of monsters and would handle any 'special' HYDRA soldiers, and the seven (except Hazel who had gone back to New Rome and Frank who had never left New Rome) plus Nico were tasked with finding Rachel and getting her out.
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For a while, everything went according to plan. The HYDRA base of operations was seized by S.H.I.E.L.D. and all the monsters around were vaporized to gold dust easily enough by demigods. Although the number of demigods attracted a bunch of monsters, there were also ample numbers to kill them with little difficulty. Looking back, the only part that didn't go as smoothly as expected was the 'rescue Rachel' part.
Some HYDRA soldiers were in the middle of transporting Rachael to a secondary location. You never want to go to a secondary location. Nico and the seven were hot on her tail but ran into two hydra monsters before they could reach her. That's when the most surprising and impressive thing happened.
Rachel was taken into the room where they stored some boxes. To be specific, they stored the boxes with the presents Rachel had just bought for her friends (more like the entire camp). They confiscated the boxes when she was kidnapped, but she was about to take them back. And what was Rachel reclaiming? The boxes were filled with none other than blue plastic hairbrushes.
She dashed for a box, tore it open, and started chucking the hairbrushes at the HYDRA soldiers. Her stay at Camp Half-Blood helped her improve her throwing arm (amongst other skills), so Rachel was able to hit them on the head hard enough to knock the soldiers unconscious. By the time the seven reached Rachel, she had knocked out 20 soldiers and was still going strong. The seven with Nico jumped in to help clear out the last dozen or so, but seeing that Rachael had her trusty hairbrushes, they knew she could've handled herself just fine. After all, a hairbrush is a mighty weapon to wield. It takes skill to hit the Titan of Time with one and live to tell the tale.
Once the warehouse was secured, everyone made their way outside. Percy dismissed the Olympia Division and the demigods piled back into the camp vans to return to Camp Half-Blood relieved that they had Rachel back. Only the Avengers and Peter remained.
"So what happens now?" asks Bruce.
Startlingly, a golden lyre appeared over Clint's head. Percy wasn't that surprised but wondered why Apollo never claimed him before. Not that he needed the protection camp offered. Clearly, he made it out well enough on his own.
"Hail Clint Barton, son of Apollo, god of prophecy, music, archery, medicine, and the sun," Percy said as he knelt on one knee as was customary when someone is claimed. He quickly rose and smiled at a shocked Clint. "Welcome to the family!"
Clint was speechless but happy to have found another family. "Thanks," is all he could manage.
Percy laughed and clapped Clint on the shoulder. "Clint. This might be hard, but we're going to have to erase everyone else's memories now."
Mutters of "what?" and "why?" were heard, but Percy ignored them all. "It's not good if mortals know too much. The mist will cover this up from everyone. It won't affect demigods, so you'll remember everything. It also won't affect clear-sighted mortals, but they're so far and few between that it shouldn't matter."
"So... do I have to go to your summer camp?"
"No, no. You've survived on your own to adulthood, you'll be fine. We'll fit you with some celestial bronze weapons and you'll be on your way. Although, Fury might want you in the Olympia Division now."
"Fury will remember this?" Natasha questioned.
"Yes. He's the son of Harpocrates, the Greek god of silence, secrets, and confidentiality, remember?"
"Right."
A blinding light unexpectedly appeared to their left. Percy managed to warn them to shield their eyes and luckily they all had. A dead/evaporated body would not have been as easy to conceal with the mist. It took all of 5 minutes for Hecate to cast a strong enough spell to fool all mortals about the situation.
The mortals thought that the Avengers and a special ops team went in and successfully rescued Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Peter and the Avengers (other than Thor, Clint, and Percy, for obvious reasons) believed they had done it with only the help of the mysterious Olympia Division.
Now that Percy was an Avenger and had fought by their side, Tony begrudgingly made him an offer when everyone was back on the helicarrier. "As most of you know, I'm renovating the Stark Tower into the Avengers Tower. So *cough* uhhh... Percy would you like *cough* like to... uh... live with us as an Avenger?" Tony coughed out.
"Wow. That wasn't painful at all," Natasha said sarcastically.
Percy smiled at her comment, "Thank you for the offer, but I'll pass."
Now Steve was confused, "Why don't you want to live with us? If we're to be a team we should stick together."
"I get that. I do. But I'd rather stay at my current residence."
Not that Tony was unhappy to hear Percy wouldn't be living with them, but he wanted to know why he'd pass up the chance to live in his tower. "What 17-year-old kid says 'no' to living in a state-of-the-art tower? My state-of-the-art tower?"
"This one. Look I still need to graduate high school. I like being there for my mom and Paul, my step-dad, and Estelle, my baby sister. I've had a crazy life and I'd like some normalcy. My plan is still to go to New Rome College in California with my girlfriend, Annabeth, and maybe even live there for the rest of my life in peace."
"If you really want peace, why still work for Fury?" Natasha asked, a little wistful at his ability to live a normal life, but knowing she could never give this job up.
"I don't have many skills that would help me get a job. If I can make a living from some of my abilities, I'm not going to pass up the opportunity. I may not want to keep fighting, but it's what I'm good at. It's what I was made for. If it helps people in the long run, why not keep working for Pirate?"
Natasha, for the first time in front of Percy, smiled. She understood what he was saying and admired him for it. She too was made to be an assassin, and she couldn't ignore that fact either, even if she just wanted a break from it all.
"Hold up," said Peter, the first thing he's said since they got on the helicarrier, "do your parents know about this Percy? Cause your mom, who's lasagna and cookies are amazing by the way, seems like the one to worry. And my aunt is also one to worry. And when she worries it's scary and painful to watch."
Percy sighed. "Yes, she knows. So does Paul. My life was just as crazy before I joined the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D., so this was nothing new. She always worries and I always feel bad for it, but she understands that I need to do it."
"Dang. Got any pointers to help me convince my Aunt May?"
Percy laughed and said, "Sorry, you're on your own for that one, but now I can cover for you at school, so long as you do the same for me."
Peter, happy at the new friendship with not only the school swim team captain but also the newest Avenger, Admiral, beamed with joy, "You got it! You can count on me! Wow, this is going to be awesome!" Everyone then laughed at Peter's enthusiasm and retired to their assigned rooms on the helicarrier to rest.
The Avengers returned home and a couple of days later received a letter in the mail (Leo's monster-proof technology was still being tested). They were all invited to have Christmas Eve dinner with Percy's family. Since most of them didn't have family to spend it with, they all agreed.
Aunt May let Peter go too saying, "It's good that you're branching out and making new friends! Why don't you invite him over too sometime! Does he have a girlfriend? When will you get a girlfriend? Or a boyfriend? Or significant other?" Peter was annoyed and embarrassed by the line of questioning, but was glad she had said yes.