Catch Me If I Fall (PJO/Avengers Crossover)

69

A few minutes passed, Percy and Peter were now clinging to the side of the ship. The air was getting thinner and, whilst Percy could handle it, Peter was losing his breath.

"Peter, grab Percy's arm again, you've gotta let go, I'm gonna catch you," Tony said through his suit into Peter's suit, which Percy could hear because of his enhanced, godly hearing.

"But you said save the wizard!" Peter yelled, pulling off his mask and taking Percy's arm anyway. "I can't breathe!"

"You're too high up, you're running out of air."

"Yeah, that makes sense!" He breathed. He proceeded to pass out, falling with Percy holding onto his arm. Percy shut his eyes, thinking of Tartarus and trying not to let it affect him. That didn't work. He wasn't an adult anymore- he was Peter's age, just a kid, now, and he wasn't falling from a ship, he was falling from a ledge- and it wasn't Earth he was falling to, it was Tartarus. He didn't know what happened, but, eventually, Peter was caught by a suit ad landed on another part of the ship, standing up, still holding Percy's arm, who was in a daze, hardly able to think clearly. "Mr Stark, it smells like new car in here!"

Then they were falling again, and Percy's mind went back to the pit. Then Peter slung a web and brought himself and Percy back onto the ship.

"Percy, you okay?" He asked, suddenly extremely concerned for his friend. He was in a new, much more robotic suit now that enabled him to breathe in Space, clearly. The helmet was off, indicating there was oxygen on this ship. Percy nodded, clarity returning to him slowly. He blinked a few times, nodding.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, don't worry," he said, running both hands through his hair and breathing deeply. He ran through the exercises Tony had taught him a few years back for scenarios like this, where he found himself slipping away. "Give me a second to get my head together, will you?"

"Yeah," Peter nodded, then looked out the hole he and Percy had entered through. Earth was getting smaller and smaller as they flew away. "Gods, I should've stayed on the bus..."

"I should've never vapourised my pre-algebra teacher at the age of twelve, but here we are," Percy rubbed his eyes, standing up and brushing himself off. "Come on. Let's explain to Tony why we're here and hope to the Fates he doesn't brutally murder us."

"That's an idea I can get behind."

*

Tony was crouched on the ground in a large room on the ship, watching as Strange squirmed and groaned in agony as sharp, magic objects pierced his skin. Behind him, the cloak of levitation also watched, and, as it neared, Tony got up, getting ready to blast it but, as he realised it was Strange's cloak, he stood down. "Wow, you are a seriously loyal piece of outerwear."

"Yeah, uh, speaking of loyalty..." Peter smiled nervously, glancing at Percy, who was smiling just as nervously. Tony and the cloak turned to face both of them, and Tony's face went from calm to panicked to angry to livid.

"What the-" Tony began.

"I know what you're gonna say-" Peter began as Percy waved awkwardly.

"You should not be here," he glared at them both.

"We were gonna go to Sally's-" Peter began, but Tony cut him off.

"I don't wanna hear it," he said.

"But it was such a long way down and I just thought about you on the way..." Peter fidgeted with his hands.

"And now I gotta hear it," Tony glanced at the cloak, which shook its collar sympathetically.