Percy Jackson and the Avengers

Chapter 84

POV: Percy

He stood stiffly in front of the entire Olympian Council. No matter that he'd been in that exact same position three times before, it didn't remove the overwhelming sense of divine power in the room. Or the utter terror he felt.

What had changed, was that for once, the Olympian's were not voting on whether or not they should kill him. Although what they were deciding on wasn't all that much better. His plans for the future didn't exactly include being their glorified messenger to the mortal world.

"Since when has Olympus needed a champion among mortals? Until now we've kept ourselves hidden and separate. From what I hear, you didn't even allow us to interfere when New York was attacked this past spring." Percy asked tiredly. Not that they ban had stopped the campers from interfering. Annabeth had lead a small group of demigods to fight the alien invasion, made up of a small group of seasoned demigods who weren't year rounders. People who theoretically might not have heard about the order against interference. Zeus glowered down at him, lightning snapping and crackling in his beard. The smell of ozone filled the air, but Percy refused to back down. If the Lord of the Sky killed him now, all that would accomplish would be to incite a civil war among the gods, and probably a revolt from both demigod factions. Percy was too involved in their world now for the King of Olympus to arbitrarily kill him now.

"Because it has been three millennia since we last had chaos such as this. Chaos on a level that Olympus cannot ignore. It's not like the usual petty mortal wars and squabbles. These are problems that could shake all of earth, in ways that are..." the god paused uncomfortably for a moment, 'outside of our divine reach. The Ancient Laws are clear. We must send a champion." Percy had a feeling that if it weren't for the Ancient Laws, Zeus would have been more than happy to ignore the issue until he couldn't anymore; just like Kronos and Gaea.

The council was nodding along, although a few of the gods and goddesses that liked Percy shot him sympathetic glances. He heaved a heavy sigh.

'So much for retirement.' Percy thought to himself.

"And I suppose this champion has to be me? Even though I'm supposed to be retired?" He asked sarcastically. This time Athena spoke up.

"For the sake of the Mist, and in the interest of protecting both the camps and Olympus; you are the wisest choice. You have already made these mortal heroes your allies, and have gained their trust. You are an experienced leader, a seasoned warrior. You have the greatest chance at success, the greatest chance to minimize any potential casualties. You are the greatest hero of this generation. Who better to send as champion?" The goddess of wisdom asked, her tone softer than Percy had ever heard her use when speaking to him. Ever.

He guessed saving Annabeth again, gained him a few more points in her eyes. Percy resisted the urge to smirk. One day Athena would decide she didn't want to blast him for loving her daughter. On the other hand, he also knew what the goddess of strategy was doing.

Percy pursed his lips before sighing in resignation. Athena knew exactly where to hit his fatal flaw where it counted the most. He would do anything to protect the camps, and if the goddess of wisdom and strategy thought he was the best choice to do so, then who was he to say no?

"Fine. I will be your champion. But I'm still not actually joining the Avengers. I'll be a uh.... a....  a.... consultant or something." A few of the gods chuckled and Athena inclined her head slightly, conceding to his terms. The rest of the council looked to Zeus for the final decision.

Zeus huffed, but said nothing. It was as close to acceptance of Athena's words as he was ever going to get. Percy took it as the win it was and beat a hasty retreat, bowing to his father then to the rest of the Olympians. Zeus muttered something about impudent demigods not respecting him first, before dismissing Percy with a lazy flick of his hand.

Exiting the throne room, Percy strolled slowly down the side of the mountain. There were some days he wondered what it would have been like had he accepted the original offer of godhood. He didn't regret his choice, but some days he wondered what would be different if he had become a god. What would his life be like if Olympus would have been made his home, or even his father's palace. Percy walked through the wide pathways, gazing across the half way completed projects in the distance, and the gleaning columns and arches and temples that dotted the main road. Annabeth had gone back to drawing up plans for the home of the gods while she recovered in bed. With Olympus finally reopened, it's official architect was going to be allowed back to work. Meaning, for the time being at least, the two of them would finish out their senior year in New York.

But after that, who knew what else?

Percy still dreamed of college in New Rome for them, but he also knew that he was a New Yorker, and that he wouldn't be able to give up his city. Not the one he'd sacrificed so much for, the city he fought and bled and nearly died in. The city that he'd lost friends and comrades to, the city he'd battled monsters from myths in. Where he'd grown up with his mom, the smell of blue cookies sometimes covering up Smelly Gabe's cigars, where Grand Central Station gleamed in the light, Sweet on America hidden inside the polished marble building. New York City was in his bones, and it was where his family is. As Hestia might say, it was where his hearth is.

Besides, his new friends were here. The Avengers were a weird, dysfunctional group, but something about them worked. They'd saved the world. And that was a pretty exclusive club to be a part of. A handful of demigods, a pair of magicians, and five of the weirdest mortals to have walked the planet since the golden age of Greece. Plus a Norse semi-god, and Percy had a good feeling about a couple of the einherji up in Boston.

They all had a ton of help, hundreds of people who had backed them all up, and without them, they undoubtedly would have failed. But at the end of the day, it had been him and Annabeth with Luke that day. It had been Leo and Festus alone, against Gaea. It had been Carter and Sadie in the demon place against Apophis. Six strangers, who barely even liked each other, against an alien army they never could have believed existed until they fought it in the streets of Manhattan. 

No, life was never going to be as boring as he wanted it to be. Percy knew he was going to be fighting until the day he died. In fact, he'd probably die fighting. And even if he could have it any other way, he wouldn't. Because it shouldn't have to be up to anyone else.

There were still two more parts to that prophecy, and until then; he and Annabeth would stick around New York. Check in with the Avengers, keep an eye out for monsters and an ear out for trouble. He had Nico to watch Tartarus, Thalia to watch out for the mortal world and Grover to watch the wild places. He had the mythological one in check, and he had Annabeth to keep him in check.

But who knows? Maybe for once he'd get lucky, and the rest of the prophecy wouldn't get fulfilled for another eighty years.

Aw, who is he kidding? With his luck, he's not going to last until next summer.

AN:

AHHH! It's finally here! The end of this story is almost here. There will be one last chapter and then this rollercoaster of a story will finally be over. This was my first fanfic story, and it's almost sad that I'm almost done with it. I might have finished other projects, but this is still my first one, so it's a little extra special to me.

Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck by this story, everyone whose voted and to everyone who had commented. I really do love hearing from you guys, so please don't stop commenting.

I'm in the process of moving to another country (again) so the final chapter might take a little while, but I hope what you've got here will be good enough in the meantime.

Cheers,

Hartley

PS:

OH MY GOD.

Endgame.

That movie completely wrecked me and Marvel/Disney owns my soul.