Bring Your Secrets, Bring Your Scars

The Water Blades Were Slowly Inching Toward Us

Percy’s POV

About half an hour later, I blew the last of the metal shavings off and inspected my work. Satisfied, I added the finishing touches and told Tony I was finished. He looked at the blade and shrugged.

Then we headed down to the training room where everyone was waiting. Tony led me through a side door. The door led to a large room with a 20-foot-deep pool. 

“We use this room for underwater training or as a deprivation chamber if needed.  It’s saltwater, I hope that's ok,” Tony said. 

I nodded and ran to the pool. I was going to jump in, fully clothed.  Right before I jumped, my foot slipped and I slid.  My head hit the side of the pool and I fell in.  I guess that’s why they always say not to run at the pool. 

The injury was minor, so the water healed it immediately. I realized that I was sinking and I decided that I could play off this.  I kept sinking.  I was 6.7 feet under the surface and I listened to the conversation going on above me. 

“He’s not coming up,” I heard Steve say. 

“He hit his head pretty hard,” Bucky replied. 

“Do you think we should get him?”  Tony asked. I was 10 feet beneath the surface and sinking. 

“I think so,” Natasha said. 

I heard a splash as someone jumped in.  It was Sam.  He was actually a pretty powerful swimmer.  He was at 6.1 feet and coming steadily deeper.  I made the water around him thicken.  My back hit the floor.  Sam had managed to fight his way down to nine feet. I could tell he was running out of air. I made the water put him back on the surface. I decided I had my fun. 

I swam back to the top. I could have a little more fun.  I was on the far side of the pool. I reached the top. I made the water harden beneath me. I walked across the surface of the water to them.

Tony’s POV

The kid ran to the pool.  He looked so happy, he was jumping in fully clothed, but whatever. But right before he jumped in, his foot slid.  His head smacked on the edge of the pool. Hard. He started to sink. We had a quick discussion about what we should do. Sam jumped in to get him, but a couple of seconds later, the water picked him up and set him back outside of the pool.  I looked for Percy. 

He was on the other side of the pool.  He swam effortlessly to the surface. Was he breathing? He broke through the surface, completely dry.  He stood on the water and started walking across the surface of the water to us.  My jaw dropped.  Whatever I was expecting, It wasn't this.  He reached us and dried Sam.

“So, ” Percy said, “What do you want me to do?” 

I stared at him and asked, “Were you breathing underwater?”

He nodded as Bruce said, “Is your head ok?  You hit it pretty hard.” 

Percy rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, it's fine.  It wasn’t that bad, the water healed it.” He glanced at us. “What do you want me to do now?” 

“You said you could make a hurricane, why don't you do that?” Natasha answered.

Percy nodded and asked if we had anything he could fight. I called in some water-proof bots for him. He grabbed Undertow and stood in the middle of the pool as half a dozen bots flew in. 

One of the bots fired at him.  He deflected the ray with his blade.  The water started to get slightly agitated. Another bot fired and he deflected it with his blade once more. One of the bots had snuck up behind him. It fired at his back. Percy couldn't turn fast enough to deflect it.  But a shield of water absorbed the ray.