Percy Jackson and the Avengers

Chapter 16

POV: Steve

          He was surprised when the kid had unlocked the handcuffs. He'd been shocked when the kid a proceeded to lock them back on and repeat the process again. And again. He hadn't flinched under Natasha's glare and had answered every question, but most of the answers were near useless. The only reaction they'd gotten out of him was in the beginning when he'd flinched out of the blue before answering the first question about his name.

         Nat walked back into the observation room. Perseus, or Percy as he'd introduced himself, was leaning back in his chair now looking bored. Just an ordinary teenager. But he'd seen something in the cemetery, something dangerous. Something terribly sad and broken. Whoever the kid had felt obligated to visit at three o'clock in the morning had mattered to him.

        "I'll go in next." Steve offered. Natasha shrugged, a silent acceptance of his request. He went and got an unopened water bottle. When he opened to door to the interrogation room the kid barely blinked.

        "Can I ask a question?" Percy abruptly asked. Before Steve could even nod he plowed on. 'Who are you people? What do you want with me?" His tone matched Steve's when he demanded to know what Tony was thinking after he did something stupid. A tone that said he wouldn't accept anything but the truth. Nothing but the full truth. Then Steve registered the question.

         "I'm Steve Rogers. Captain America, from the Avengers." Steve said cautiously. He thought back to when they had first met the kid just that morning. He hadn't recognized them then either.

        "Sorry, but the who?" Percy asked, sitting up straight. He clearly had no clue who they were. Steve wasn't sure how to respond to that.

       "The Avengers. Earth's mightiest heroes, we saved the planet a few months ago?" Steve elaborated slowly, still shocked. He never considered himself particularly egotistical, but the Battle of New York was a big deal. It had been broadcast all around the world. Percy shrugged.

         "I've had a busy year." His expression was fairly neutral, but something in his eyes hardened, grew colder. Steve blinked even as he passed Percy the water bottle. Steve leaned back, folding his arms across his broad chest watching the teenager chug the water back.

         "Doing what? It was all over the news." Percy swallowed the last of the water. Wiping his mouth the bottle crinkled a little as he answered.

         "Family drama; wasn't really paying attention to outside news." He said vaguely. Steve sighed.

         "Look kid," Percy interrupted

         "Don't call me that." Steve plowed on.

         "... I can't help you until you start answering questions. Your record is impressively clean considering how often you are sighted near various, ah, accidents." Steve says slowly. The water bottle crunched under the kid's fist, Percy's eyes flashing.

         "What do you want." He asked shortly. Steve sat up, the kid looked angry and dangerous. And he didn't say anything about his innocence. Something is up with the kid then.

        "Nothing, we just want a few answers." Percy frowned at Steve calling him a kid again.

         "You don't need to kidnap someone to ask these kinds of questions. No matter what your files may say. You want something else." The kid was smarter than he looked. Steve looked at the mirror. He didn't need to see through the glass to know what they were going to do next. He stood up.

       "Follow me."