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Chapter Text

Percy's POV

"Percy... I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!" Annabeth screamed in my face, "YOU'RE CHEATING ON ME?!"

"No! Annabeth, I'm bi! That doesn't mean I'm automatically cheating on you!"

"But what if later you leave me? Decide you miss dick?"

"Annabeth, I-" I'm helpless and fumbling for words. I fell into Tartarus for her. How could I cheat on her, and why would I come out to her if it automatically meant I was cheating on her?

"Don't you dare tell me you love me, Percy. I'm done." She turns on her heel, leaving me standing in the middle of camp, frozen.

Jason's POV

"Jason, I can't do this anymore," Piper announces as we finish our practice fight. While she immediately doubles over to catch her breath, I stand in rest position, hardly breathing hard. Working with Percy has paid off.

"Okay, Pipes. If you can't go anymore, we can take a break."

I'm about to go get her water when she speaks up."No, Jason... I can't do this anymore."

Huh? "What do you mean, Piper?"

Her next words rip out my heart and send it through a blender. "I want to break up."

I open my mouth to... protest? I don't know anymore. However, before I can say anything, she cuts me off."Our entire relationship was created by the mist, Jason. Our first kiss? Our first date? I remember different versions of them. Not to mention, I know."She knows...? Oh. Schist.

"How long did you think you were going to hide it forever? Huh? My mom's the goddess of love, dummy."

"Piper, I love y-"

"Yeah, but I don't like nonbinary people. And I can't deal with a pansexual person either. All I wanted was to have a happy relationship with someone who cares about me."

"Piper, I do care about you!"

"Not enough. It'll never be enough. So leave me alone, Jason. Just go away, and never come back into my life. You're unlovable."

I turn away, squaring my shoulders to make it look like I'm not breaking inside. As soon as I've made it out of the arena, I run to my cabin and collapse on the bed.

Nico's POV

I knock on Jason's door. There are only a few minutes 'til dinner, and he still hasn't exited his cabin.

There's no answer, so I put my ear to the door to determine if there's even someone inside. I hear quiet sniffling on the other side of the door.

"Jason, I'm coming in."

The blond boy is sitting on his bed, crying like his life depended on it. I sit down next to him, and rub comforting circles on his back."Hey, what's wrong?"

He looks up at me with red eyes. "Piper broke up with me."

So that's what this is about. "Oh, Jason... I'm s-"

He cuts me off. "No, Nico. Don't be sorry for me. I knew I was unlovable. I'm wrong, weird, unnatural."

Hold up, what? He's Jason Grace, the golden boy, son of Jupiter. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I'm nonbinary. Genderfluid, to be precise. Plus, I'm pan."

I hug him. "Jason, there's no problem with being nonbinary. Or pan."

He closes his eyes, and then looks at me again. "A daughter of Aphrodite-APHRODITE- told me I was unlovable."

I'm really tempted to kill that bitch right now. "Jason, you're perfect. There's no reason for you to hate yourself. You're Jason Grace, the funny, strong, and just plain brilliant."I give him a hug.

"C'mon. Let's go get food."Just as we stand up, there's another knock on the door.

"Jason, are you in there?"We exchange glances."Isn't that... Percy?" He asks, getting up.

"Yeah, and he sounded really sad. I guess one of us should get the door."Jason goes, since he's already up. I hear him greet Percy.

"Hey, Perce! Oh gods, you look awful!"

"So do you." Even when he's sad, Percy is always sassy, I guess.

"Come on in, Perce." I hear the door open farther.

"Thanks."

Percy's POV

Thank the Fates Jason was still in his cabin. I probably would have had a panic attack if I hadn't been able to find him.

Before I knock on the door, I realize that there's more than one voice emanating from the cabin. Sounds like Nico.

Dam. Heh. Dam.

I knock anyway, and Jason answers. "Hey, Perce!"

He always uses that stupid nickname...

"Oh gods, you look awful!"

I pull out a bit of my usual sass. "So do you."

It's true, though. Jason's eyes are bright red, and his hair looks like he's been running his fingers through it.

"Come on in, Perce."

"Thanks."

I see that I'm right as I walk in- Nico is sitting on Jason's bed.

"Hey, Percy. What happened?" He gets straight to the point. Same old Nico...

"I came out to Annabeth. She didn't take it too well, you could say."

They both look at me strangely, and Nico asks, "Is today National Break Up With Your LGBT Datemate Day, or something?"

I stare at him. "Nico, I know that you're practically an Iris kid, but JASON? Is that why you look like shit?"

He sighs, and nods. "Apparently, Piper get fed up with a romance that was starts by the mist. Not to mention, Aphrodite informed her of the fact that I'm nonbinary and pan. She couldn't get over the fact that her 'boyfriend' is sometimes her girlfriend or datemate, and also likes guys."

I hug him, and Nico does the same on the other side.

"I'm sorry, Jason." Nico mutters into the blonde's neck.

"It's okay. It was going to happen sooner or later..."

They both turn to me, and Jason speaks this time. "Percy... you really loved her, didn't you."

I look down. "Yeah, and I trusted her enough to come out to her. Instead, she automatically assumed I was cheating on her."

Nico gets up and moves to my other side. Then both boys wrap their arms around me, encasing me in a protective cocoon.I lean into the embrace. I feel so warm and safe... it's amazing.

Suddenly, the bell rings to signify the end of dinner, and we all jump.

We apparently cuddled for longer than I though. Nico stands up, and I frown. He chuckles.

"I'm just gonna shadowtravel to the nearest McDonald's and pick up food, guys. I'll be back in a jif."

He steps into a shadow on the wall, and returns not five minutes later, holding a bag.

"Burgers, fries, milkshakes, and a Happy Meal for me. Oh, and Percy? I got you a blue shake."

Chapter Text

Nico's POV

I'm falling, falling, falling. Wind whistles in my ears, getting progressively more toxic. Suddenly, I hit a beach made of jagged glass.

Then I'm chained to a wall. Tartarus stands in front of me as he drives the knife in for the hundredth time? Thousandth time? I've lost count.

Then I'm in the jar, slowly suffocating.

Then I'm on the battlefield, about to be stabbed, when Will jumps in front of me. The blade goes right through his chest, and he falls to the ground.

"NO!" I stab the dracanae, and create a wall of shadows around us for protection. Then I kneel beside him, ripping off my shirt and attempting to stop the bleeding.

He looks up at me with blood dribbling from the corners of his mouth. His blue eyes are filled with life and love, even now. He opens his mouth and forces out words, even as I tell him to save his breath.

"Nico... I love... yo-" The light leaves his eyes, and his hand goes slack in mine.

I scream, and everything within a ten yard radius dies. Including...

"HAZEL!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!" Frank turns to me, complete betrayal and disbelief on his face. It remains even as the eidolon possessed demigod behind him slices off his head.

I bolt up in bed, or as much as I can with Percy's arm wrapped around my waist. I start to hyperventilate, and can't take a deep breath. I run to the bathroom and vomit. When I'm done, I reach into the medicine cabinet and grab what I have hidden there.

Percy's POV

I wake up with a warm presense at my back. When I turn around, I discover that it's Jason. On the other hand, Nico is nowhere to be found.

My movement wakes Jason up somewhat, and he tightens his hold around my waist. Meh, I wasn't that interested in getting up anyway. I fall back asleep.

I wake up a few hours later in the same position, except this time, Nico is staring down at me. He smirks. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."

I free myself from Jason's arms and sit up. "Nico, you weren't here when I woke up this morning. Where were you?"

He blinks- once, twice. "I was at breakfast."

Bullshit. "Nico, you look starved. How can you lie about this?"

"Fine Percy. I don't eat. I don't get more than two hours of sleep every night. I have nightmares every night and every time I blink, I see my friend's dead bodies. My sister died, Percy. You and Annabeth were able to go back to your happy lives, but my sister left me. I went down to the Underworld to see her earlier, and you know what I found? Nothing. They chose rebirth- all three of them. I'm never going to see Hazel, or Frank, or Will, again. And I know their deaths hit you hard too, but she was my only family. Frank was getting closer every day. Will told me that he loved me the day before he died, told me that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. The rest of his life was a day. So if you're wondering why I look so pathetic all the time, that might be part of it."

Oh gods. "I'm... so, so sorry, Nico. I wish I had been able to save them."

He rounds on me, furious, and punches my chest. Why is he so angry? He begins to yell, forgetting Jason sleeping in the bed next to us. "DON'T YOU DARE SAY IT'S YOUR FAULT, PERCY!" He mutters something under his breath.

"What? I didn't catch that?"

He blinks twice again. "I didn't say anything." I guess that's his tell, then- he blinks twice when he lies.

"Nico, we both know you're lying, but I'll let it go. I hope you'll trust me enough to tell me sometime." I give him a hug.

Suddenly, a cough breaks the silence that's settled between us.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt anything," Jason says, winking.

Nico turns bright red. He looks adorable when he does that- wait what? I had a small crush on him before, but I'm over that, right?

I decide to be my regular Percy self, and let go of Nico to hug Jason. Then I pull Nico into the hug again.

Once all of us are done hugging, I pull away and look at both of them. They're both lovely in their own ways. Nico is just plain adorable, and Jason is... hot. Hold the phone. I shouldn't like either of them- it's only been a day since Annabeth dumped me.

Nico cocks his head. "Percy, are you okay? You spaced out and started to blush."

Oops. Busted.

Jason's POV

When the blush-fest is over, we all head to lunch.

I go over to join Thalia, who arrived last night with her Hunters. Tyson and Ella are both waiting for Percy at the Poseidon table, so Percy leaves us to go join them as I head for my sister.It was only until after the boisterous reunion that I realized that we had left Nico sitting all alone.

Chapter Text

Nico's POV

I don't know why I expected them to sit with me. There was just a tenderness in Percy and Jason's eyes that made me think that maybe, maybe they would stay with me. But I was fooling myself, as usual.

I wasn't really up to sitting alone at my table, and I wasn't really excited for the stares that came with it either. Instead, I slip off to my cabin to listen to music, and maybe draw a little while I'm at it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I turn on my mp3 player and begin to blast music by one of my favorite bands, Fall Out Boy. Before I know it, I'm singing at the top of my lungs.

She wants to dance like Umma Therman, bury me til I confess.

She wants to dance like Umma Therman, and I can't get you out of my head.

I can move mountains, I can work a miracle, work a miracle.

Oh, oh, I keep you like an oath.May nothing but death do us part.

Suddenly, I realize that another voice has joined in. This one, much more feminine. I turn around, switching off the music."Reyna!" While I'm not really the physical type, I can't help but run up and hug the Roman praetor.

She hugs me back. "Nico, I've missed you so much! How have you been? Have you eaten recently? How are you sleeping? Have you cut your hair, because if you have, you need to cut it again- it's way too long! Have you-""REYNA! I'm fine; stop your mothering." I grin at her.

She ruffles my hair. "Sorry, I'm just worried about you, little brother."

She took to calling me little brother after the quest. I have to admit, it's nice to have an older sister, even if it means that she'll probably leave me someday."Why are you here anyway, Reyna?""I left Dakota in charge. After he stopped drinking, he's a really reliable guy. I have to admit, he's a dang good praetor. Also, I need some advice..."

I wink at her, chuckling to myself. "Relationship advice?""Yeah..." She plops onto my bed, and rests her elbows on her knees.I have to admit, I'm not exactly sure how much I can help. But maybe we can help each other.

"Who is it?" I ask her, sitting down in the same position."Jason's sister- Thalia..."Oh my gods. "OH MY GODS!!!"

She jumps at my outburst. "What?""The Aphrodite cabin was right again! They've been shipping you two for ages, whatever that means."

She looks at me nervously. "Do you think she might like me back? Is this even allowed?""Yes, and yes. Remember, they swear off men, not women... or nonbinary people, for that matter. But she's getting reunited with Jason, so I'd ask after lunch.""So, do you like anyone?"

I blush, thinking about the two people who have captured my interest. "Umm, two people actually.""Who? If they hurt my little brother, I swear to the gods I will castrate them.""I highly doubt either of them will hurt me...""But seriously, Nico, who are they?"

I blush, again, and mutter their names under my breath. "Percy and Jason."After Reyna stops ranting about what she will do with them if they hurt me, she turns to face me again. "Now, let's do something about your hair."

Jason's POV

Thalia and I took longer than I thought we would to catch up. Once we were done, Reyna approached us, and asked if she could talk with Thalia alone. I hug them both, and leave.I smack myself internally when I realize that Nico isn't at his table. Percy and I, being our stupid selves, caught up in sibling reunions, had totally forgotten about him. Percy seems to realize it at the same time I do, and we both leave for the Hades cabin.I smack myself internally when I realize that Nico isn't at his table. Percy and I, being our stupid selves, caught up in sibling reunions, had totally forgotten about him. Percy seems to realize it at the same time I do, and we both leave for the Hades cabin.

Just let me be who I am, that's what you really need to understand.And I hope so hard for the pain to away.And it's torturing me, but I can't break free, so I cry and I cry but I just can't let it out.The silent scream.

The singer's voice was filled with so much pain and emotion, I wanted to cry. I looked at Percy, and it was clear he felt the same. Once the song ends, we wipe our eyes and enter the cabin.My only thought when I see Nico is: oh gods. In the time that we were at lunch, he somehow got a haircut. It's shaved on the sides, and left unruly on the top. And it looks... incredibly good.He smiles at both of us and asks, "So... did Reyna talk to Thalia yet?"

I nod, confused. "She came right after I was done talking, why?"He bolts from the cabin, and we follow him. He stops right behind the Apollo cabin, looking through the trees at the Roman praetor and my sister. Thalia is sitting on a log, and Reyna is next to her.I don't know what they're saying, but Nico is bouncing up and down, giggling a little.Suddenly, Thalia yells,"YES!" and kisses Reyna. On the lips.

Percy and I look at each other with the simple question of, "WTF?" on both of our faces. Nico on the other hand, grins so much I think his face might split.He grabs my hand and Percy's, and shadowtravels us back to the Hades cabin.Percy's POV

Gods, Nico looks so good when he smiles. And his haircut makes him look unimaginably attractive.He flips his hair out of his eyes, and looks back at both of us, grinning.Maybe it's a confidence booster from seeing Thalia kiss Reyna, maybe it's seeing how good Nico looks with his hair like that, maybe it's just how my emotions have been building up, but for whatever reason, I look over at Nico, take his face in my hands, and kiss him.

Chapter Text

Nico's POV

What. The actual. Fuck.

Percy is kissing me, and I literally feel fireworks exploding in my body. When did I start liking him this much? When did I fall this hard?

I kiss back, looping my arms around his neck. Suddenly, I'm aware of Jason in the room as well, and on instinct, I break out of the kiss with Percy, and walk over to him. I stand on my tiptoes and gently kiss his lips as well.

Jason's POV

I would say I was jealous watching Nico kiss Percy, but I really wasn't. All I wanted to know was if his lips were as soft as they looked, and if Percy tasted like the salt of the sea.

Suddenly, Nico walks up to me and kisses me. Fireworks erupt inside of me. His lips are cool, sweet, and as soft as I thought they would be, if not a bit more. I rest my hands on his hips, but then he pulls away. He looks at me and Percy in turn.

"Guys, I know this probably sounds strange and all, but I like both of you. And if you are willing to try, I'd like to be in a relationship with both of you, as well." He looks up at us with so much tenderness and love in his eyes, I think I might melt. Percy speaks up first.

"I'm willing to try. I really like you, Nico, and honestly, I like you too, Jason."

Nico likes me? And Percy likes me, too? What kind of heaven is this? I smile and nod. "I'm willing to try, too. I like both of you, and I hope we can make this work."

Nico kisses me again, and then kisses Percy. Then, just to spoil the moment, there's a knock on the cabin door. I grab one of Nico's hands, and Percy grabs the other. Percy opens the door to reveal Chiron standing outside.

Chiron's POV

None of the boys are going to like this, but it can't be helped.

I look at the three heroes. They've finally gotten their relationship figured out, if their interlocked hands have anything to do with anything. Dam, I owe the Aphrodite cabin 50 drachmas... COULDN'T THEY HAVE WAITED UNTIL HALLOWEEN?!

Percy looks at me. "Do you need anything, Chiron?"

"Yes," I sigh, "Rachel has issued a prophecy."

Chapter Text

Percy's POV

"Rachel's issued a prophecy."

I get angry almost immediately. "What do you mean, she's issued a fucking prophecy?! If you didn't notice, the War only ended a few weeks ago!"

Chiron scowls at my language, and continues. "It's about five demigods, and I think you three are some of them, along with Jason's sister and Reyna. Come on, you need to hear it."

______________

Rachel is still slumped on her stool in the middle of camp; she apparently hadn't seen the vision coming. She looks at us as we approach. "I guess you three are here to hear the prophecy?"

Chiron nods to her, but when she opens her mouth to recite it, he stops her. "Let's wait for Reyna and Thalia."

As if on cue, the two girls come up to us, hand in hand.

"What's so important, Chiron?" Thals asks, probably mad that the prophecy interrupted her and her new girlfriend.

He flounders a second under the death glare she sends him. Yup, she's definitely mad. Rachel cuts in.

"I spoke a prophecy, and now, if you're all done talking, I'll tell you what it was." She begins speaking in her oracle voice.

"Children of the sky, sea, war and dark,

Must help the heroes in a tower stark.

Identities are kept hidden,

An old enemy arrives, unbidden.

Foes shall be faced,

And secrets unwind,

But in the end,

You'll be wandering blind."

(A/N: THIS IS SO BAD LMAO.)

Nico looks adorably confused. "I get the first part, it's obviously about us, but what does that mean, a tower stark? Which heroes? We know a few."

Rachel suddenly jumps to her feet, and pulls out her cell phone. After a few minutes of typing and scrolling, she turns to us with a triumphant expression. "I thought I had it right! There's a group of heroes called the Avengers. Their headquarters is the technologically advanced Stark Tower, owned by one of the Avengers, Tony Stark. Now that that's cleared up, what about the rest?"

"Well, we can't reveal ourselves as demigods, that's for sure. And there are plenty of old enemies, foes, and secrets around here." Jason says, "But what does the wandering blind part mean?"

I look at my friends-and boyfriends- and smile. "Well, we aren't going to achieve anything waiting around here. Let's go meet the Avengers!"

Jason's POV

I guess that's one of the things I love about Percy: he's always ready to jump into action. While some people give him flack for being a seaweed brain, he's pretty smart, too.

We split up, and go to our individual cabins to pack. Thalia is staying in the Artemis cabin, and Reyna is staying in the Ares cabin until the construction on the Roman guesthouses is done. As I enter my cabin, I fly up and fist-bump Hippie Zeus, a habit I picked up a while ago.

I pack lightly. Seeing as this tower is "highly technologically advanced," I can probably do laundry there. On a whim, I also throw in a skirt and some makeup as well.

(A/N: Remember that Jason is genderfluid, and his gender expression and preferred pronouns will change throughout the story.)

I sling my bag over my shoulder and join my boyfriends outside. Thalia and Reyna are still packing, and Nico randomly smacks his forehead and runs back into his cabin to grab something. Percy and I stand in comfortable silence until Nico comes back, with Thalia and Reyna arriving slightly after.

I smile at them all. "As Percy said before, let's go meet the Avengers!"

As if to ruin the moment, Annabeth and Piper run up to us. Piper calls out to us. "Nico! We need to tell you something!"

"I'll hang back guys," Nico says, smiling reassuringly at us. "They're not going to hurt me." He gives me a kiss, kisses Percy, and walks back to the girls.

Nico's POV

Oh gods. Why didn't I say anything? Made up some excuse?

The second Percy and Jason turn away from me to head to the car, Annabeth and Piper begin smiling evilly at me.

Annabeth speaks first. "Well, look at you, Nico. Finally sank your claws into Percy, have you?Don't worry. It won't last. We both know your secret, Nico, and we're not going to be very tight lipped about it."

Piper continues what Anna left off. "We know what happened during the battle. Everyone else might have been caught up with fighting, but Annabeth and I both had a perfect view of what happened. We'll keep your secret... If you break up with our exes."

I look at them, keeping up my cool and calm facade. "So... you want them back."

The two girls laugh. "No! That's the beauty of it!" Piper giggles. "We don't want them back; we want to make them feel what it's like to discover something about someone they love that is so awful, so unbearable, your heart breaks in an instant. We both know you won't break up with the boys, so we'll just let your secret slip, and they'll break up with you themselves! Isn't it perfect?"

Annabitch continues from where Piper leaves off. "Either way, they get their hearts broken, and the creepy murderer who calls himself Nico Di Angelo is taken care of. A plan worthy of a child of Athena, which I am!" She grins with savage delight.

Percy suddenly calls to me from the car. "Come on, Nico! We have to go!"

Piper sneers at me one last time. "Go on, lover boy. Go on."

I leave towards the cars without a backwards glance.

Chapter Text

Clint's POV

I turn to Fury, bemused.

"We just got a new Avenger, and now they've decided that we need five more?"

The one eyed man nods, and explains. "They're very talented, so I wouldn't underestimate them. The five of them have been through a lot- they just finished fighting a war a few weeks ago. I trust you will treat Arrow, Aurum, Sea, Sky, and Shadow well. Don't press their backstory."

"When'll they be arriving?" Tony asks.

Fury checks his watch. "Now."

Thalia's POV

We get to go by code names, which is pretty cool. Not to mention, Chiron decided to pick them so the couples all had coordinated names. I grab Reyna's hand right before we get out of the car, saying bye to Argus.

"Ready to go, Arrow?" Reyna asks, smiling at me.

I nod. "Let's do this thing."

Natasha's POV

The strawberry delivery truck stops outside the Stark tower, and five teenagers step out. Teenagers. These are the new Avengers? But hey, I was younger than them when I started training.

We all size them up. A Spanish looking girl is holding the hand of a punk girl. A blond Superman and a cutout from a magazine are holding the hands of a pale boy with black hair, who could be the punk girl's brother. I take back the thought immediately when I see his eyes. His are pure black, while her's are electric blue. If I had to guess, I'd say that Superman and punk-incarnated-in-female-form are siblings.

The Spanish girl speaks first. "Hello. I'm Aurum. This is my girlfriend, Arrow."

'Arrow' speaks next. "The blond is my half-brother Sky, and that's-"

"Someone who can speak for himself." The black haired boy announces. "I'm Shadow, and these are my boyfriends, Sky," Superman waves, "And Sea." The magazine model waves his hand next.

"Boyfriend s ? Am I hearing right?" Tony asks. I can't believe that's the first thing he'd ask.

Sea scowls at him. "Polyamory exists, dumbass. Didn't your boss tell you to treat us well? We didn't come here to get shit from you- we came to help you."

Shadow takes his hand from Sea's and rubs his back. "Calm down, dude. It's fine; he wasn't trying to offend us, isn't that right, Tony Stark?" He sends Tony a death glare.

Tony steps back. "Chill out! I didn't mean anything."

"Well, it's nice to meet you guys. I guess you already know us, but I'm Bruce Banner, also known as the Hulk." Bruce breaks the tense atmosphere with a kind smile and a wave. After sending us all a look, we introduce ourselves. Well, all of us except...

Steve and Bucky have been standing stock still the entire time, pale and hidden at the back of the group.

Shadow looks coolly at both of them. "Hello Steve, Bucky."

Tony's POV

Well, after Shadow basically threatened my life with a glance, we find out he knows the two icicles. Wtf?

"Nic-" Shadow gives Steve a death glare.

"Not here. People could be watching; let's go inside."

The entire group of teenagers brush past me, flooding into the atrium of my tower, with the six of us (Nat, Bucky, Steve, Bruce, Clint, and me), behind them. Suddenly, Sea and Shadow stop dead in their tracks.

"Umm... are there stairs?" Sea asks apprehensively, glancing at the elevator that is a perfect copy of the elevator at the Empire State Building.

"Yes, but the Avengers space is at the top, about a hundred floors up. Stairs are for emergency evacs only." Why is he against the elevator, of all things?

Shadow looks pretty bad too; they're both visibly shaking. "We'll wait down here, might even get to the top faster than you guys," Shadow decides.

Aurum looks at him worriedly. "But... will you be okay, doing your thing...? It's only been a few weeks, and... he's not here to fix you."

Shadow rolls his eyes. "I'll be fine, sis. It's not going to be like Bufford. I've been practicing- haven't even accidentally ended up in China in weeks."

These kids are weird, but we can save the interrogations until we're at the Avengers loft. All of us, excluding Shadow and Sea, pile into the elevator. Sky gives Sea and Shadow kisses on the cheeks before getting in, and I hear him mutter, "Be safe."

__________

The elevator doors open, and we're greeted with the sight of Shadow and Sea already sitting on the couch. Shadow gets up, beckoning for Bucky and Steve to follow him as he leaves the room. They follow him, and the rest of us sit in awkward silence until the three of them return.

Nico's POV

I turn to Bucky and Steve, and smile a little. "Hey guys. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Nico, why are you here? Where's-" I cut Steve off- might as well get everything over with quickly.

"Remember when I disappeared that day? Bee and I were taken to a hotel that basically slowed time down, and were only taken out when our father needed us. A lot of shit happened to me, I met Sea and Sky, more shit happened, we got together, and now we're here. No, you're not getting the full story, and no, the others won't tell you either. Do me a favor and call me Shadow until we decide to tell you our real names and identities."

Bucky smiles at my reassuringly; he was always like a big brother to me. "Okay, Shadow, we will. By the way, Steve and I are together now," he says.

"Nice. Now, shall we go back in?"

Reyna's POV

I let out a sigh of relief once Nico comes back in. He looks a little worse for the wear after shadowtravelling, but not horrible. I feel awful, letting him shadowtravel like that was irresponsible.

He sits between Percy and Jason, who hug him from both sides. I'm glad he's found people that love him.

Speaking of people that love them... I wrap my arm around Thalia, and kiss her cheek.

Steve and Bucky sit next to each other, awkwardly squished onto the couch with the other Avengers. It looks comical, the six adults mushed together on a couch that probably would fit three or four of them.

"So, can we start with your names again, and maybe your ages and skills?"

Chapter Text

Natasha's POV

Finally. This is what I've been waiting for- the chance to find out something about these guys.

Sea begins calmly. "For now, my name is Sea. I'm seventeen, and I'm best at sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat- don't give me a bow if you want to live."

"My name is Arrow, I'm fifteen. My best weapon is the bow, and probably a gun, but I'm pretty good with daggers, too." She slumps back onto the couch.

"Name's Sky, I'm seventeen, I prefer the sword or my spear. I'm also pretty good at hand-to-hand combat."

"My name is Aurum, I'm good at all types of fighting, battle strategy, and I can tell when people are lying. Oh, and I'm seventeen."

(A/N: Aurum was destroyed during the war, and Argentum was so badly broken that Reyna turned him into a necklace that warns her when people are lying.)

"I'm Shadow... I'm about ninety..." The room blew up with shouts of disbelief.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, KID?!" Tony yells, "THERE'S NO WAY YOU COULD BE OLDER THAN SIXTEEN!"

Shadow groans, looking at the millionaire with irritation. "I knew Steve and Bucky when we were kids, I was in the same situation as the two of them. If you're done freaking out about my age, may I continue?"

Tony sits back down, and gestures for the boy to go ahead.

"I'm physically fifteen, and I'm good with my sword. I'm a decent archer, and hand-to-hand is also pretty fun."

Tony stands up suddenly. "I need a drink, this is too much freakiness for one day."

"Sorry about him," Clint says, "We have another member as well, but he's often not here. His name is Thor- he's a Norse god."

All of them seem to have internal panic attacks.

Percy's POV

Shit. SHIT. SHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIIIIIIITTTT. We're working with a god. A god who most likely doesn't like demigods, definitely not the children of other pantheons. Bruce interrupts my internal screaming with something that only causes more.

"I'm going to need to do check ups on you all."

--------------------

Bruce leads us all down to his in-house clinic. A nurse comes in, and smiles at us.

"Doctor Banner, I heard that you needed to give them all health checks, right?"

He nods, and says, "If you'll take the girls, I'll check over the boys."

Reyna and Thalia are lead away by the brown haired woman, the former looking at Nico over her shoulder, worry apparent in her eyes.

Bruce turns to us, smiling. "This is just a rudimentary checkup, so you don't all need to look so tense."

His attitude practically exudes calm, and I actually manage to loosen up a little.

Bruce wins more points towards being the nicest Avenger when he lets all three of us stay together.

I go first, and everything's going fine until he instructs me to take off my shirt. I refuse the second the words leave his mouth.

"Sea, I need to listen to your heart and lungs, and check your spinal alignment. It'll be over in a jif."

Nico pats my hand reassuringly while Jason rubs my back. "It'll be fine, Sea. We're right here." Jason murmurs to me, giving me a hug. Nico gives me a hug as well, and I smile. If Doctor Banner can't deal with my scars, that's his problem.

I lift my shirt over my head, revealing my scarred torso. Years of monster fighting have left quite the patchwork on my body; there's probably not a single place without a small scar on it. On top of it all are the scars from my time in... you know, and of course, I have a circular golden mark on the small of my back from the curse of Achilles.

Bruce stares for a bit, then seems to come to his senses, and completes the checkup.

Jason's checkup goes quite the same, with him exposing his scars, Bruce being slightly shocked, coming to his senses, and finishes the checkup.

Then it's Nico's turn.

He was fine for most of it, but when Bruce told him to take off his shirt, he freaks out.

Nico's POV

No. I can't do it; I can't let them see. They'll hate me forever. I can't. I CAN'T.

Percy and Jason wrap their arms around me, telling me that it'll be okay. I don't know how long we stand like that, but I calm down bit by bit. Finally, I pull away, and take off my jacket, with my shirt following it.

Jason's POV

I was expecting scars.

I was expecting to see the same scars that the rest of us had from our tough lives.

I wasn't expecting Nico's entire torso to look like it had been ravaged by a hellhound. I was not expecting for him to be so thin I could count all of his ribs.

Scars were layered on top of scars, and across it all, there was a massive slash, clumsily stitched, going from one shoulder to the opposite hip, from what I could tell at least.

Part of it was hidden by the last thing I expected.

Covering about half of my boyfriend's chest was a black binder.

Chapter Text

Nico's POV

They're disgusted, I know it. Who wouldn't be- I'm hideous. I can't even change clothes without feeling horrible about who I am.

Suddenly, two pairs of arms circle me, and I feel two warm bodies hold me close. The wound from the werewolf stings a little when they do, but I don't really care.

Bruce clears his throat. "Mind me asking what happened to you? And why didn't you get some sort of help for that wound?"

Jason glares at the doctor, and growls out, "That's what you're thinking about right now? You're a doctor, fix him!"

I shake my head, deciding to get this off my chest now. "He's on our team now, Jason. He might as well know, and you two deserve to know as well."

I sit down, and begin talking.

"You guys know how I went... there, right? Well, time works differently the closer you get to the real guy. I got captured, and he took pleasure in torturing me. The few weeks that I spent down there were more like years. The trance I put myself in when I was in the jar also gives me and my siblings quick healing, because we're hardly expending any energy. The slash is from the time Aurum and I were attacked by Lycaon. I was going to get some help from... him after the battle, but you know what happened. I was less important than the other wounded people, and I didn't want to make people waste medical supplies on me. Besides, I can't go into the clinic anymore- his ghost is always there. So I did the best I could."

Percy's POV

I can't believe Nico thinks that little of himself. Jason and I hug him again, and then I look deep into his eyes.

"Shad, you matter. And we all know that he wouldn't have wanted you to be depressed. Honestly, he probably wants to slap you for not taking care of yourself. He loved you, they all did."

Bruce clears his throat. "And Shadow, you are transgender, yes?"

He nods, and starts talking. "I started going by my actual name even before I met Steve and Bucky. The hotel my sister and I stayed at provided me with what I needed to pass. And since my father is pretty rich, I've been able to sneak away and buy new stuff when I need to."

"And Aurum is your sister, correct? I heard you call her sis earlier."

Nico shakes his head. "I call her sis because we're really close. My real sister died when I was ten."

I flinch. I'm sure he's never fully forgiven me for that, no matter how many times he tells me that he's forgiven me.

"Do you have any other family, Shadow?" Bruce asks. What is the point of all these dumb questions?! Nico shouldn't have to answer that.

Nice scowls at Bruce, and asks the exact question I was just thinking. Bruce raises his hands against the sudden animosity. "Sorry, Shadow, I didn't mean to offend you."

"Are you going to get on with the checkup now, Bruce?" Jason steps in, casually nudging both me and Nico to get us to stop glaring at the doctor.

A few minutes later, Bruce finishes the checkup and stands up, telling us to stay here. "Shadow needs to get his wound stitched, and I need to get the proper supplies."

He comes back into the room with his "doctor kit," and makes Jason and me leave the room. In record time, he's done stitching Nico's wound, and lets us back in.

"You okay, Shad?" Jason asks, kissing Neek's forehead. Our beautiful boyfriend gets up and hugs us both.

"Actually, I'm better than I've been in a while."

Reyna's POV

The checkup went fine, and Thalia are sitting on the couch when the boys come in, hand in hand. Jason sits next to me, but when Nico tries to sit down, the Son of Jupiter pulls him onto his lap instead. Nico struggles a little, but then settles down. Percy sits next to the two of them and wraps his arm around Jason's shoulder.

As if to spoil the mood, a voice rings through the room. "Sirs and madams, there has been a perimeter breach."

Fortunately, we were all warned about JARVIS, so we weren't too spooked. At Nico's indication, the five of us get up, and, checking our weapons, join hands. Disregarding the difficulty, Nico shadowtravels us to the foyer of Stark Tower. I lend him enough strength to fight the second we materialize.

A man in green is standing on unsteady feet in the foyer, covered in wounds. He looks up at us, and says three words before he crumples to the ground.

"Where's my brother?"

Chapter Text

Clint's POV

JARVIS informed us that the threat had been neutralized before we were even able to finish grabbing our weapons.

Tony turns on a video screen in the wall, and we watch the events downstairs unfold.

A man that I know quite well is lying on the floor, unconscious. Instead of paying any attention to him, Sea, Sky, Aurum, and Arrow are arguing with Shadow.

"Let me do it, I'll be fine. I can save his life!"

"Neeks, you've done this twice today, one with a big group! May I remind you, we've only been done with the war for a few weeks, and he's not here to keep you from dissolving? You almost died in Buford; are you seriously planning on trying again?!" Aurum is shouting at Shadow.

"That was a low blow, Rey, and you know it. Don't use his death as a reason for me to not do something. I can save an innocent man's life. He's done nothing wrong, and well.... I'm a murderer, Rey. What's my life in exchange for someone else's? Let me take him to the hospital."

Hold on, this kid's barely sixteen! A murderer?

Suddenly, Arrow smacks her head. "Why didn't we think of this before? Casper, can you take him to Bruce's clinic? Aurum, you already gave him enough strength to fight, it should be enough for him to shadowtravel."

I am officially completely and totally lost. But now we know something- Aurum's name is Rey or something similar, and Shadow's name is... Casper?

Aurum kisses her, and shrugs. "As long as he only takes the man, I'm fine with it."

Shadow immediately goes over and touches Loki's arm. Suddenly, the two aren't there anymore. Tony changes the security camera in the foyer to the one in Bruce's clinic, just in time to see Shadow lifting Loki onto the hospital bed. How?!

We watch from the doorway as he grabs something out of a small pouch hanging on his belt, and shoves it into Loki's mouth. The teen is muttering under his breath, and I can just barely make it out.

"Please don't burn up, please don't burn up..."

After about five minutes, the god sits up, rubbing his eyes. He blinks owlishly at Shadow, then looks down at his ragged appearance.

"Thank Odin... I actually escaped," he mutters. "I thought it was a dream..."

Shadow regards him coldly, and asks, "Who are you?"

"Loki Odinson, god of mischief and illusions, at your service." The evil god looks at Shadow. "I'm assuming I'm in the clinic at Stark Tower, but seeing as it's not very late, you've managed to heal some very large wounds in a short time. May I ask how, and who I have the pleasure of speaking to?"

Shadow gives him the bare minimum. "I have some skills, and my name is Shadow. What happened to you?"

Loki flinches, and begins to talk. "I woke up a few hours before I arrived here. Well, I didn't wake up, but rather threw of the extensive mind control that had held me prisoner for months. I was surrounded by... monsters. I fought my way out," he gestured to his ripped clothes, "But a few monsters got hits in, so I headed to the place of my last memory. New York, Stark Tower to be precise."

"What was your last memory?"

"Getting slung around by the Hulk." Loki flinches again, apparently remembering. "That was the first time I had control of my body since I had been possessed, and also the last time until today. I managed to throw off the control for a second, but it was back before I could even try to inform Bruce of what had happened."

Shadow nods, seeing truth in his words. "Well then, Loki, I guess I trust you. Your brother isn't here right now, but my team is here along with the other Avengers. Can you walk?"

Loki gets up on unsteady legs and follows Shadow out of the clinic, leaning on Shadow for support. Tony immediately turns off the screen and we run to the couch and sit down, pretending that we didn't see anything. The doors leading to the clinic open at the same time as the elevator dings, signalling the arrival of the other teens.

Sea is pale and shaking slightly, with the other three comforting him. Shadow leaves Loki's side and immediately runs over to his boyfriend, murmuring words like, 'I understand' and 'Sorry I couldn't bring both of you.' Why are the two of them so afraid of elevators? A traumatic experience?

Shadow settles Sea down on the couch, and he and Sky sit on both sides of him, hugging him. Aurum and Arrow sit next to the three of them, holding hands. We follow the teens' example, and settle down on the couch. Loki speaks up after we're all settled.

"Seeing I've been mind controlled for the past few months, could someone please fill me in?"

Chapter Text

Percy's POV

It's nice to know what we're dealing with here. However, we're still in the dark about what the prophecy is about.

Let's see...

I only realize that I've spaced out thinking when Nico taps me on the shoulder. "Earth to Sea, you in there?

"Sorry, I spaced out. What were we talking about?" I ask, sitting up straight.

Tony groans. "Since we have told you our story, you might as well tell us yours."

The rest of the Avengers glare at him, and he rolls his eyes. "You guys aren't the least bit interested?"

"Sea, how about you and Aurum explain, seeing as you had the longest time in the two camps." Nico says, shooting us a glance that says lie, but make it similar to our story.

Reyna and I nod, and I begin.

Natasha's POV

I'm almost glad Tony asked. Sure, Fury told us not to pry, but we're not prying if they agree to tell us, right?

Sea begins to talk.

"When I was twelve, I was sent to a camp that taught fighting. People like us are always in danger; most don't live to adulthood. The camp taught us how to fight, and gave most of us a family that we wouldn't have without it. However, the threat doesn't magically go away when we go to camp. I fought my first war when I was sixteen, and then another less than a year later."

Aurum takes over. "There are two camps, on opposite sides of the country. I'm the leader of one, and Sea is pretty much the leader of the other.

"Sky was the other leader of my camp, but then he was kidnapped and had his memories wiped. He ended up at the other camp, and the same thing happened to Sea, except he was placed in my camp.

"Arrow is the leader of a traveling group of hunters, but they stop at both of our camps occasionally. Shadow started at Sea's camp, but began to travel between camps without anyone knowing. I know that's pretty confusing, but you'll get used to it."

She's right, it is confusing. "When did you all start at the camps?"

" I started when I was 3, " Sky begins, "Arrow began at twelve, Aurum began at fifteen, and Shadow started at ten." (A/N: Thalia was twelve when she was turned into a tree, so I made that her starting age.)

Maybe Shadow and I have more in common than I thought. I wonder what Sea meant by "people like them," though- they seem pretty normal, other than the scars Bruce told us all about. Seeing as they're being so talkative, I ask another question.

"What about your families? Were they okay with you leaving for this camp? Do they know about your training?"

The teens immediately tense up. It's evidently a touchy subject, and I think back to what Sea said before. It gave most of us a family that we wouldn't have without it.

Sky breaks the silence. "My father is never around, and my mother was a drunk. She ended up dying in a car crash."

Arrow nods. "After Sky was taken to his camp, it was just me and my mom before I ran away with two other kids."

Sea flinches a little when she says that. When we all look at him strangely, he explains. "One of them ended up almost killing us all, and the other was my girlfriend for a while.

"My family is actually better than most," he continues. "My dad is never around, but my mom is one of the best women alive." The others nod in agreement with that.

"Well then, Aurum and Shadow, how about you?"

The two of them seem to curl in on themselves a little. The other three begin glaring daggers at Tony.

"Tony, stop," Steve turns to the inventor. "They don't want to go into it, don't push."

The silence that falls is soon broken by a knock on one of the windows. We all turn around, and Loki grins.

"Brother!"

Chapter Text

Clint's POV

JARVIS opens the window, and Thor steps into the room, immediately on guard when he sees the teens and Loki.

"Man of Iron, why is my brother here? And who are... OH MY ODIN!" The blond god suddenly squeals like a teenage girl.

I look over at Natasha confusedly as Thor catapults across the room to the five teens. Arrow slaps a hand over his mouth before he can say anything, and the five drag the two gods out of the room.

I exchange glances with the other Avengers, and Steve mouths, " Let's watch ."

Tony calls up the wall screen for the second time today. We begin to watch the scene playing out in one of the office rooms.

"-of my counterpart! It's a pleasure to finally meet you!" Thor is shaking Sky's hand, and the blond boy looks somewhat thrown.

Aurum steps forward, and addresses the two gods, oozing authority. "We are here undercover. The Oracle informed us that our identities must be kept hidden as long as possible."

"Of course, Daughter of Bellona," Loki assures her, "We will not interfere with your quest."

Bellona? Who's that?

"By the way, even though you know our real names, please refer to us by our code names for now. The time will come for us to reveal our identities, but it's not now." Sea decides.

I wonder what they haven't told us about themselves? Could it involve Shadow's apparent ability to teleport, and Aurum's ability to tell when people are lying?

Thor and Loki knew them, and then Aurums's mother, Bellona.

We have some work to do later.

Thalia's POV

Once our talk with the two gods is done, the seven of us enter the room again. The Avengers are sitting right where we left them, but there's something wrong...

Then it clicks. They're sitting exactly where they were earlier, when normal people would have moved around at least a little bit. Reyna notices the same thing, and speaks up.

"Were you guys watching us?"

When Bucky says no, her beautiful eyes narrow. She taps Morse Code on my hand.

He's lying.

I decide to play it cool, and sit down, with her next to me. Percy, Nico, and Jason follow our example, while Loki and Thor remain standing.

"So, guys, would you like for us to show you your rooms?" Steve asks from his position on the couch.

Jason smiles, and nods. "Sure, Steve."

"I'll take you to your room, Arrow," Natasha says, standing up, "You'll be wanting to share with Aurum, right?"

I grab Reyna's hand when the two of us stand up. "Yeah."

*************

Natasha leaves us at our door after informing us that the boys are down the hall. Reyna opens the door for me, and I peck her cheek as I walk in.

The room- or should I say suite- is pretty cool.

One wall of the bedroom is entirely glass, but one way, so no one can look inside. The entire room is done in a fun modern style- silver walls with black accents and a black carpet that my feet sink into. One door leads off to a massive bathroom, another leads off to a giant living room with a kitchenette. Everything has the same silver and black modern look.

Reyna immediately flops onto one of the queen sized beds, and kicks off her shoes.

"Wake me up when it's time for dinner," she groans into the pillow.

Instead of replying, I crawl onto the bed with her. She wraps her arms around me, and we fall asleep, enjoying each other's warmth.

Chapter Text

Jason's POV

Steve and Bucky lead us to our room, holding hands.

"This is your room, guys," Bucky says. "Be safe." He winks at us, and the three of us blush.

"BUCKY!" Steve exclaims at his boyfriend. "Really?"

"Whaaaaaaat?" Bucky grins goofily at Steve, before kissing his cheek and sauntering down the hallway.

Steve turns back to us, exasperated. "Sorry about that; the girls are down the hall. Bye!"

Percy opens the door like a gentleman, and we all walk into the room.

******************

I love the room- it's all done in a abstract-ish modern way, with a black and white color scheme. I would take the time to admire it more, but I'm really tired.

I collapse on the nearest bed, and feel two warm presences beside me before I fall asleep.

******************

I wake up to someone whimpering beside me. I open my eyes immediately, and see Percy, who's clearly having a nightmare. Nico is already awake and is trying to wake him up. Percy's whimpering turns to screams, and I run to the bathroom, grabbing a cup of water.

I run back into the room. Nico is trying to shake him awake, fruitlessly. I dump the water over Percy's head, and he shoots up in bed.

He wraps his arms around himself with tears still tracking down his face. Nico and I both hug him, and his shaking eventually subsides.

"A-Anna and I were- and th-then she said-" he dies out, and Nico presses a kiss to his forehead.

"You don't have to tell us, you know. It's fine, Perce," Nico decides.

Percy shakes his head. "I want to tell you guys."

I nod at him to go ahead, and start rubbing his back comfortingly.

"I w-was fighting him, and I st-stabbed him, but then he t-turned into Annabeth. She was dying, b-but refused my help and told me that she ha-hated me. Then she split in half into the two of you, and you w-were dead because of me..."

We both continue to hug him, hoping to make him feel safe. "It's okay Perce. You made it out; we're right here," I tell him.

Nico nods. "We'll never leave you, Percy."

Then it's just the three of us, sitting on the bed, cuddling. Suddenly, as if to ruin the moment, my stomach grumbles. So does Percy's.

Nico rolls out of bed, and begins to walk across the room to one of the doors.

"Neeks, where are you going?" Percy asks from beside me.

"There's a kitchenette in the next room; I'm going to make dinner."

Nico's POV

I haven't been in a decent kitchen since... I don't know. Fortunately, I still remember how everything works, and still know some of my favorite recipes.

**********************

I'm turning the temperature down for the alfredo sauce to cook when strong arms encircle my waist. I jump, and feel Jason press a small kiss to the top of my head. As soon as I'm able to take a break from cooking, I turn around and raise onto my tiptoes to give him a peck on the lips.

"Hey, Jace. Where's Percy?" I'm still worried about him; nightmares are a bitch.

"He fell back asleep, so I came in here to see what you were doing," he says, smiling down at me.

I hate being short...

I pull him down by the collar and smash my lips onto his. His hand goes up to tangle in the longer part of my hair, while the other begins exploring my back.

Suddenly, I hear a timer go off and I pull back. "Sorry Jace, that's the chicken."

He looks really good... cheeks pink, lips red from kissi- OH MY GODS NICO WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!

I take the chicken out of the oven with oven-mitts. I begin slicing it up; it'll go great with the Fettuccine Alfredo. Speaking of which...

I snatch the sauce off the burner, and stir the noodles. There was some icecream in the freezer, so I didn't bother with dessert. However, I did make a strawberry topping for it.

Jason watches me as I zip around the kitchen, having the time of my life.

"Should I put on some music, ballerina?" He's only half joking; I was turning off the stove with my foot while stirring the strawberries.

******************

About half an hour later, we're all sitting on the couch, watching tv while we eat. Well, Percy and Jason are eating, I'm pushing my food around my plate.

Percy is currently screaming at the tv. "ALEC WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU LOVE MAGNUS! YOU JUST BROKE HIS HEART! YOU CAN'T PROPOSE TO LILIA! THIS IS SHERLOCK ALL OVER AGAIN!"

Jason pats his back, holding in laughter. "Perce, I've seen this show before. They get together; don't worry about it. The wedding doesn't go through."

He settles down, and we watch the rest of the season until the wedding.

When Alec kisses Magnus, Percy doesn't look as happy as I was expecting. I cock an eyebrow at him. "You were screaming about how Alec couldn't marry Lilia, but no reaction when he leaves the freaking alter to go kiss Magnus?"

He smirks at me, pausing the episode. "No, I was just thinking that maybe... I should try this."

He grabs my face in his hands and kisses me passionately. I melt into the kiss, running my fingers through his hair, making it even messier than normal. Jason moves from his position beside Percy to sit next to me, and begins kissing my neck. Every thought flies out of my head.

Jason's hands are sneaking up my shirt when the phone rings.

Chapter Text

Jason's POV

"I-is this one of the Avengers?" A woman's voice whispers on the other end of the phone.

"No, but I work with them. What do you need, ma'am?" I ask, concerned.

"There are a group of men outside my house. I can see guns... I'm scared sir, please come help me. My husband got involved with them years ago, but he died in a car crash a few months ago. Why are they here now?" Her voice is rising gradually, and I can hear the cries of children in the background.

"I don't know, ma'am, but we'll be right there to help. Could you please give me your address?" Nico and Percy are looking at me strangely, so I shake my head and mouth "later."

The lady starts to speak again. "My name is Johanna Ross, and my address is 13472 Giarden Street. Please hurry!"

I hang up and look at Percy and Nico. "Guys, I think we have our first mission."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thalia's POV

I'm shaken out of a lovely dream involving Reyna, a beach, and a sunset, by my idiot brother. I blink a couple times to clear my blurry vision, and then snap, "What?!"

"We've got our first mission, sis. 13472 Giarden Street, woman and children, surrounded by gunmen. Her husband was connected to them somehow," Seaweed Brain explains. "Now, let's get a move on!"

Reyna and I slide out of bed, and start gathering our respective weapons. I look over just as she's slinging her cloak over her shoulder and DAMN, she looks hot. I shake my head and strap on my quiver.

"All set!"

We run down the stairs, and then as faced with a problem. Percy and Nico can't ride the elevator, and Nico can't drain his power right before a fight.

We stop for a second, and Nico starts to say, "We could just take the elevator I suppose... we'll be fine..."

Reyna shakes her head adamantly. "Nope. No, nien, onay, minime."

We stand around a second longer before Jason smacks his forehead in an expression of Why didn't I think of this before? "Air!"

We all look at him strangely; Nico cocks his head to the side.

"I can manipulate air so we can just jump out the window! We can also avoid traffic, making it to Giarden faster," my genius little brother explains.

Oh wait. Flying, heights, shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit.

Just as I start to hyperventilate, I feel a warm hand squeeze mine. Reyna looks encouragingly at me.

"It'll be fine, Thals, I won't let you fall," she says, holding out her pendant so I can see that that's the absolute truth.

"Okay."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jason opens one of the windows in the lounge, letting in fast wind and oh gods this is happenin g.

We join hands, with Jason in the lead, holding my hand. My other hand is in Reyna's, hers is in Nico's, and Percy is on the end of our chain.

"On one," Jason yells out. "3... 2... 1!"

We jump.

Chapter Text

Nico's POV

I would be terrified. Absolutely petrified. However, up here, it's hard to be scared.

We all assume a skydiver position, something we all learned on the Argo II. Don't ask me how Thals and Reyna know it.

The wind whistles in our ears as we quickly descend. Even though it seems though we're free falling, I know that Jason's going to kick in with the wind soon to get us on our way.

Just as I finish the thought, the wind shifts, and our group of five starts moving east at about the same speed. I jokingly assume a Superman form, laughing. For some reason, the rest of the group copies me.

"Wooohoooooo!" I hear a cry from my left, look over and see Reyna cheering at the top of her lungs.

Percy starts yelling as well. " WE'RE SUPERHEROES, BABY!"

Seaweed brain.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

The house is quite pretty, a perfectly cared for garden in the front, a small fountain, a few cute garden gnomes.

Sadly, the image is somewhat ruined by the door that had been forced open. Futut, we might be too late.

We land on the lawn, draw our weapons, and run into the house. Jason, Percy and Reyna's blades flash, Thalia has her bow drawn, and my Stygian iron sword seems to be soaking up all the light in the room.

The entry hall is one of those with a small landing, with stairs that go upstairs and down.

I take the downstairs with Percy and Jason, Reyna and Thalia head up.

The three of us are walking down the hallway (that is lined with little children's drawings and pictures- aww), when a muffled child's cry sounds from nearby. At least they're alive.

Jason nods to me and Percy, and we start walking slowly towards the door of the kitchen, where the sounds are emitting from.

Creeeak . Shit. Curse wooden floors and their occasional creaking noises.

"Somebody's out there!" Someone shouts from inside the room.

Tromping feet are heard coming to the door of the kitchen. As soon as a man's shaved head emerges, Percy clonks him over the head with the butt of his sword.

We burst into the room, weapons drawn. Of course, (because the author is terribly unoriginal) , we face the worst situation wannabe heroes face: a hostage situation.

The three men are standing with their forearms pressed to the necks of the mom and her two sons, and all have guns pointed to the victims heads.

The man in the middle, holding Ms. Ross, speaks. "Now, now, boys, put down your toys. We wouldn't want this nice lady and her kids to get hurt," with that word, he presses the gun further into her temple, eliciting a whimper. "Now would we, boys. I'll repeat myself. Put the toys down."

Jason puts down his sword, Percy and I follow suit. The man grins.

"Now, walk this way and-"

He stops, having suddenly come in possession of a cool new forehead piercing in the form of an arrow. The two men on either side get the same treatment almost immediately.

Thalia and Reyna stand in the doorway, smiling triumphantly. "As usual," the huntress declares, "we arrived just in time to save your sorry asses."

Chapter Text

Jason's POV

In the end, Johanna Ross and her sons were fine, if a little shaken. Our group leaves the house, and we join hands.

I summon the winds and we swoop into the sky. I take it more leisurely this time; no one's life depends on our arrival time.

I take us up, and we skim the bottoms of the lowest clouds. Noticing Thalia's terrified expression (probably from how high up we are), I take us lower.

Even though it's really not necessary, we all do the Superman pose to fly because WHY THE HECK NOT, WE'RE SUPERHEROES!

🌊🌪️💀🌊🌪️💀🌊🌪️💀🌊🌪️💀

When we get back to the Avengers tower, I take us up to a balcony sticking from one of the top floors. We land, and are immediately beset by our superhero compatriots.

"Where'd you guys go?" Steve asks. O h yeah, we didn't tell them where we were going. Whoops.

Percy shrugs. "Some lady called us for help, and we answered. Everything's fine."

I lace my fingers with his and grin at the blonde and his boyfriend.

Reyna kisses Thalia on the cheek before speaking. "Arrow here did most of the work."

"HEY!" exclaims Percy indignantly, "We tried our best! You took too much of a risk shooting them; what if one of them pulled the trigger before he died?!"

I shoot him a fond glance. "Chill out Sea, Arrow did what she does best."

Nico laughs (my gods, what a lovely sound), saying, "I'd say that what she does best is steal thunder, but we all know that's Sea!"

We all start laughing uproariously while the adults watch us confused. Inside, I'm incredibly happy for something else though. We've gotten to the point when we can laugh together again, and Nico can make jokes.

I think this superhero-ing thing could be good for us.

Tony's POV

Right now, Loki and I are the only ones in the room together. I admit, I'm a little suspicious of him still, you know, God of Mischief and all that. Scratch that, I'm a lo t suspicious.

Speaking of suspicious, my mind turns to the newest Avengers. They've only been around for a little while, but they seem nice enough. I'm really regretting my rudeness to the five teens. They're only trying to help us out, and it seems like they've had pretty hard lives. I have no reason to make said lives worse; I've had my share of problems!

I'm just deciding on how exactly to apologize to them when a voice breaks me out of my thoughts.

"So... Tony Stark, the great billionaire, genius, playboy philanthropist, what do you think of the new recruits."

I lean back on the sofa, deliberating Loki's question to make sure that he's not probing for weaknesses. It seems a benign enough question though, so I answer truthfully. "Honestly, I was just thinking about them. I was too rude at first, too untrusting. I'm planning on apologizing, but I don't know if they'll forgive me. I thought to myself, if I had a teenager, would I treat them like that?"

He nods. "Understandable. It's nice to see that the great Tony Stark has feelings."

I brush aside the sorry attempt at an insult, and stand up. "C'mon, O Great God of Lies, let me lead you to your room."

"I-I get a room?"

"Well yeah," I snort, "Did you think I would let you sleep on the couch? Wouldn't that ruin your hair, your Majesty?"

He laughs. "I never thought I would say this, Tony Stark, but you are quite nice to be around."

My heart skips a little, which of course gets me worried that my arc reactor is acting up. However, it's never done anything like this before, so it probably isn't anything bad...

I'll head down to my lab after I get Loki settled.

Chapter Text

Reyna's POV

We're lounging on the couch all together in the living room, watching Star Wars. Thalia's head is on my lap, and I'm carding my fingers through her soft hair. On the other couch, Percy and Jason are in a similar position, with Nico on the floor with his head resting on Jason's side.

Why are we watching Star Wars IV? Bruce had found out that none of us knew what it was, so he had plunked us down with some popcorn and told us to remain there until we were done. Not our faults, though, demigods aren't exactly great with technology.

I'm really getting into this, though. Han almost reminds me of Percy when he's feeling super sassy. Except Percy is too noble to shoot first…

Thalia whispers to me under the noise of blaster fire. “I'm gonna have that Cantina song stuck in my head for days.”

“Can you imagine how much easier life would be if we could do that Force-choke stuff?”

She snorts under her breath, and I fall in love just a bit more. “Yeah, imagine the possibilities!”

Nico glares at us from his spot on the floor. “Hey, shut up, I can't hear the movie!”

I smile apologetically at him, hoping we haven't irritated him enough to send any skeletons into our room as a prank. (Happened once before, was not fun.)

We continue to watch the movie in silence, only breaking the quiet when Obi-wan dies.

Percy screeches at the top of his lungs. “NOT OBI WAN!! NOOOO, NOT ALLOWED!”

Jason reaches over and pats his head; Percy leans into it. “You do realize that he isn't real, right?”

“Yeah… but still!”

Nico smiles a little and climbs up onto the couch to hug his boyfriend. “Love you, ya goof.”

Percy grins, and hugs Nico back. “Love you too, Casper!”

“Hey, I want in on this!” exclaims Jason, jumping on the two of them. “I love you both!”

Thalia clicks the remote, pauses it, and runs it back. “I couldn't hear anything over you three being cute! Didn't you just get mad at me about that, Nico?”

Nico’s voice comes out from under Jason and Percy. “Sorry, Thalia. You know you can't stop them when they get like this!”

A person clears their throat behind me, and all five of us are suddenly on high alert. Thalia and I are on our feet and in a fighting stance in less than a second. Jason and Percy leap up, and Nico rolls off the couch and into a standing position. Four swords and a bow come out immediately.

Tony holds up his hands. “Woah, I'm sorry!”

Percy scowls at him, re-sheathing Riptide. “What do you want, Stark?”

“I wanted to apologize to you guys. I really shouldn't have been so rude to you, and I shouldn't have been so suspicious or have pried. You all seem nice enough, and I have no reason to make your lives harder! So yeah, that's all I have to say. And Shadow, Bruce and I have a proposition for you, if you want to hear it later. You can bring Sea and Sky, of course.”

Nico nods. “Okay, Stark. New people in your tower must be a hard thing to accept. Steve and Bucky told me you were pretty decent at heart, so I have no reason not to trust you. Mind if I talk to you and Bruce later though? We're watching Star Wars.”

“I agree with Shadow,” Percy says. “He's got a good enough people-sense, for a death boy.”

Nico elbows Percy in the ribs.

“I can't speak for Arrow or Sky, but as a leader, I know that trust among soldiers is important. So yeah, Tony, I hope to work alongside you and become good friends in the future.” I sit back down, having said my peice.

Thalia sits down next to me again. “I trust Aurum with my life, so yeah, I'll forgive you, Stark.”

Jason, already back on the couch with his boyfriends, smiles. “I have nothing to say that hasn't been said, apart from this: these four are my family, and if you hurt them, my blade will be the first you feel.”

“I'm just glad that I don't need to worry about getting stabbed in my sleep,” Tony says, smiling just to make sure we know he's joking. “Now, can I join in on Star Wars?”

We nod, and he sits down. Before Thals can grab the remote again, he speaks.

“JARVIS, play the movie.”

A voice sounds from all around us, and weapons are pulled out again. “Of course, sir.”

Nico screams at him. “What, in the name of Heracles, is THAT?”

“That's just JARVIS, my AI,” says Tony smiling. “Don't worry, he won't hurt you. Took Steve and Bucky some getting used to as well.”

We all sit down, putting our weapons away yet again. Watching Star Wars with Tony, Thalia's head in my lap, I come to the same decision that Jason did.

This super hero thing might be good for us.

UNKNOWN POV:

They tricked me. Those damn demigods, the son of Poseidon and daughter of Athena.

I will make them pay, but she is beyond my reach.

However, he, the sea-prince, is close. So close…

In a tower he sits, lazy. I shall let him grow complacent, oh yes, and then strike!

Loki escaped my grasp, but he will not. If I must get to him through the death and sky princes, I will. I refuse to fail.

He. Will. Pay.