Catch Me If I Fall (PJO/Avengers Crossover)

40

Percy covered the team with the Mist, so the only people who would be able to see them was Percy and the Avengers themselves. He nodded at them silently, and Percy turned around, making his way to the base, teleporting inside.

He uncapped Riptide, looking around cautiously. He searched the room he'd ended up in, but it didn't seem that the sceptre was anywhere to be found. Room after room, it was the exact same. He was surprised by the lack of security. It was nothing compared to any of the other bases they'd infiltrated. That was when he felt a kick in his leg and he stumbled to his knees with a surprised gasp.

"Perseus Jackson," a voice said in his ear, and he was kicked in the stomach Percy groaned as he turned and fell on his back, hitting his head hard against the floor. His vision was fuzzy, but he made out a tall man with a gun in his hand, pointing it directly at Percy, who groaned. "It's a pleasure to meet you at last. Your attempts to conceal your friends were clever, and I must admit, most of my men, if not all, fell for it. But there is no fooling a cyclops."

"Ah, that explains the smell," Percy rasped as his vision cleared and he was able to see that the man in front of him had one singular eye.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, at first I thought, 'this is a HYDRA base, someone probably died here,'" Percy explained. "But you being a cyclops? Yeah, that explains it. Who's your dad? Poseidon?"

"Ha! No, I do not have my blood tainted with your kind!" The cyclops boasted.

"Oh, so Neptune, then? That's cool-" Percy said, but got a kick to the forehead and groaned.

"No, you exhausting fool!" The cyclops fumed. "I mean that I am a famed Hyperborean Cyclops! I do not have the dirty blood of the gods flowing in my veins!"

"Right," Percy rolled his eyes. "Look, dude. I'm all for a few kicks and punches here and there, but can you not use those freakishly big doctor martens? My birthday is in a few weeks, and I don't want to be in the med-" he cut himself off with a not-so-nice word as he got kicked in the temple again. "Fine, okay, you can do that, too, I guess."

In a split second, he jumped up from the floor, deflecting any hits from the cyclops. Eventually, after quite a few hits, he was able to kick the cyclops to the floor.

"I'm going to ask you once- if you answer truthfully, I'll give you a quick death. If not, I'll go down to Tartarus myself and kill you over and over again," he pointed his sword to the cyclops throat.

"I doubt you'll be able to stay sane down there, especially not so soon after your encounter with the Mad Titan," The Cyclops grinned. "Thanos has a message for you-"

Percy didn't want to hear it. The cyclops made a choking, strangled sound as Percy slit his throat and made him turn to dust. It took Percy a few seconds to recompose himself, and even then his hands were still shaking. He capped Riptide, hardly able to move. Why wasn't he moving? Why did it feel as though the walls were closing in on him? He was breathing at a considerably fast pace and had no idea how long he stood there, but eventually, the Avengers found him.

"Percy?" He heard Tony's voice, but it sounded distant. Like it was at the other end of a tunnel. "Percy?" It was clearer now. "Kid, look at me."

Tony took Percy by the shoulders, looking into his eyes. "What happened, kid?"

"Nothing," he shook himself off, taking Tony's hands away from his shoulders. "I- I'm fine."

The whole team looked unconvinced but didn't argue.

"Come on. The sceptre isn't here and they're calling for backup. We have to get out of here." Steve said, looking quite worried for Percy, who had gone unusually pale. Percy nodded.