Chapter Text
Percy sighed, his head resting in his hands. He could feel his mother and his girlfriend looking at him, waiting for him to explain. He raised his head up, dragging his hands down his face. Annabeth raised an eyebrow, prompting him to speak.
“Well, Percy?” Sally gave him a reassuring but worried smile. “Ready to tell us how all this happened?” Annabeth nodded, her face far less welcoming than Sally’s. He could tell that she wasn’t going to let him get out of this without giving her every single detail about the situation.
He sighed again, and began to explain.
Percy liked the park. He was currently sitting on the bench next to the duck pond in the middle of the park across from one of his favourite bakeries, and having a very calm afternoon watching the ducks. Of course, nothing could ever go his way, because he was Percy Jackson and the gods hated him, so of course his lovely evening with the ducks was interrupted. He didn’t bother to turn around when a deep voice came from behind him.
“You know, you’re not an easy man to track down, Mr Jackson.”
“Please, Mr Jackson wasn’t my father but it still feels weird.”
“Alright, perseus–” “Percy.”
“ –Percy, I’d like to talk to you on behalf of my employers.”
“Actually, can we go back to Mr Jackson? Percy feels way too personal considering I don’t even know you.”
Percy heard the man behind him sigh and grinned. Hopefully he could annoy this guy enough that he left him alone. Besides, getting on people’s nerves was fun.
‘Listen,” the man behind him began, his tone serious. “I’m here on behalf of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, or SHIELD.”
“Oh?” Percy raised an eyebrow, making sure to keep a relaxed stance. These people sounded like the government, if the pretentious name was anything to go by, and if that was true he couldn’t risk giving anything away.
“When we first heard about you, we had a lot of concerns. With the record you have… a lot of people would assume you were some kind of terrorist. Expulsions at almost every school, disappearing to somewhere even we can’t trace every summer, destruction following you everywhere you go… it’s not an unreasonable assumption.”
Despite his best efforts, Percy felt himself tense. “I’m not a terrorist.”
“Oh, don’t worry, we know. Unfortunately, it’s not hard for rumours to get going,especially after the many, many incidents you’ve been a part of. That would certainly make things difficult for some people who were close to you. Your friends… your mother.”
“Are you threatening me?” Percy turned around, anger blossoming in his chest. Threats to his safety he could deal with. To his friends, sure they made him angry, but they could handle themselves. But his mother? No one threatened Sally Jackson.
He whipped his head around to face the…futuristic pirate? His anger was almost forgotten, replaced with bewilderment at this man’s appearance.
The man who he’d been talking to for the past five minutes was a space pirate. He had an eyepatch, three parallel scars peeking out from underneath it. He wore a long black coat with tall lapels and nope, Percy had decided, anger aside, this man would henceforth be known as Government Space Pirate.
Government Space Pirate raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Don’t worry Mr Jackson, we don’t intend to carry through with this threat. We just need something from you in return.”
Percy tensed up once again, anger returning full force.
“We would like to offer you a place in one of our foremost defence forces. We’ve seen what you can do, Mr Jackson, and we think that with your powers and skills you’d be a valuable asset.” Percy narrowed his eyes as Government Space Pirate continued to talk. “I have no doubt you’ve heard of the Avengers?”
Percy’s angry expression was replaced with confusion. “Who?”
“You don’t know the–? Never mind. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that I’ll be expecting you at the Avengers compound in three weeks for initiation. Do we have a deal, Mr Jackson?”
“You say that like you’re offering me any choice…” Percy grumbled, but nodded reluctantly. Government Space Pirate seemed satisfied, and handed Percy a white envelope.
“Everything you’ll need to know is in there. I look forward to seeing you soon, Mr Jackson.”
Sally and Annabeth stared at him from across the table. He smiled grimly, waving his hands in a ‘ta-da’ motion. “Surprise?”
This seemed to snap Annabeth out of her stupor. “Surprise?! Do you have any idea what this means, Percy? You’ve been recruited! By the government! If they know about Camp Half Blood, about us? Do you know how much of our world could be in danger?!”
“Yes, but I don’t think he knows! Sure, he knows some things, but nothing that wasn’t put on national news. I think he’s assumed I have powers, but not any Greek related ones! Besides, even if he did know, I don’t think there’s much I can do. He threatened to hurt you. He threatened to hurt Mom. ”
Annabeth thought for a moment, and Sally, although still looking worried, moved to place a comforting hand over Percy’s own. Annabeth nodded slowly, having come to what seemed to be a conclusion that satisfied her.
“Okay Percy,” she began. “I’m going to assume there isn’t a way out of this that lets us keep everyone safe and gets them off our backs, so I’ll accept it.”
Percy breathed a sigh of relief. Annabeth accepting this decision was a good sign. It meant there was a solution. Or, usually it did. Sometimes it just meant they were trapped and probably about to die and this train of thought really wasn’t going to help him calm down, was it?
He turned his attention back to his girlfriend, whose gaze had hardened into a steely glare of determination.
“However! I have conditions.” Annabeth held up three fingers.
“One! If you’re going away to join this secret government agency, I’m going with you. No arguments.
Two! We do not tell them anything about our powers, our origins, anything that could let them into the existence of our world unless presented with undeniable evidence.
And three! If it comes down to us having to reveal ourselves, let me do the talking . I know how you are, Seaweed Brain, and as much as I love you,” she reached over to grab his hand, intertwining their fingers. “I can’t have you spilling everything on accident.”
Percy nodded. All of these were things he agreed with. While he wasn’t thrilled to be leaving his Mom, this whole situation would definitely be easier with Annabeth by his side.
He smiled softly at his Mom, trying to convey everything he felt about the situation to her in a single look. And because Sally was The Best Mom, she understood.
“It’s not easy for me to let you disappear again, but I can’t stop this. Just remember to keep in contact! I don't want you to go running off on adventures without at least telling me, just so I know where you are. You can always message Iris and Paul if you need to.”
With one last smile towards his mother, Percy turned towards Annabeth, letting his signature troublemaker grin settle onto his face.
“Okay Wise Girl. Let’s go annoy the government.”