The Bartender - A PJO & Avengers Crossover

Chapter 18

I placed the now polished glass on the shelf, and then grabbed another one and started to polish it. I was back in my element. I looked around in the small wooden tavern and smiled at the men and women sitting around the small wooden tables playing poker or drinking or whatever they were doing. I had missed it. Even though I had only been away for what? A week? I had still missed it. When I had gotten back two days ago, I had found Big Bear drunk on the couch in the corner, half asleep. There was vomit on the floor and five glasses or more were shattered against the wall over at the toilets. It was clear that something had happened, but Big Bear didn't want to tell me, no matter how hard I pushed or threatened him. I had later on learned that there had been a bet and Big Bear had lost it and had become angry and shattered the glasses against the wall.

Yesterday he came with a package to me. And when I had opened it there was a note saying 'sorry', which was unusual because Big Bear never apologizes, but when I removed the note I found six new glasses in the box. I had just smiled and told him he didn't owe me anything anymore. Which he was visibly happy for. He hated to owe people stuff.

"Bartender!" A man with a gray beard shouted and reached his hand up in the air. I nodded, and he took it down as I turned around and opened the fridge, finding four beers. I quickly opened them, and found my way over to the table.

"Ah, thank you Jack!" The man with the beer said as I placed the beer in front of him. I nodded and placed the rest of the beers in front of each person.

"Why don't I get a beer?" One of them whined. I laughed.

"Because, Carl, you're still a minor." I told him and messed up his hair.

"Hey!" He protested. I just laughed and walked back behind the bar, I grabbed a glass and a cloth and started to polish the glass, like you see bartenders do in movies. I was doing it to get the dust away from the glass, to clean it and also to look cool and have something to do, so I don't have to stand in the corner until someone needs me.

I watched as two muscular men arm wrestled, I grinned as the blond haired guy failed and lost. He laughed and threw some money over to the other guy. Gods, I loved this job.

***Two weeks later***

I placed the two shots in front of the two men and looked at them with my most serious face.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked gloomy, they both nodded. "Okay, when I count to three you may start." Again both men nodded, and prepared themselves to grab the shot. "One... Two.. T-" I got interrupted by a phone ringing. I cursed as I held up one finger to tell them to hold on, as I walked out to the back where the bar's phone was. I sighed as I picked it up.

"The bar Sea of Monsters, you're talking to Jack." I said professionnel into the receiver.

"Percy?" I heard my mom's voice ask.

"Mom?" I asked. "What? Why are you calling?"

"Percy the camp has been under an attack... They're in really bad shape." She started. I pinched the back of my nose as I closed my eyes.

"Mom, I've already told you, I'm not going to fight." I said.

"I know Percy, but Deimos had gathered his whole army, most of the campers are hurt and can't fight. And the Avengers didn't really make that much of a difference. Percy, they need you." She pleaded.

I sighed. "Mom, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to fight."

"Okay.. But think about it.. will you?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Okay, love you."

"I love you too, mom." Then the line went dead. I hung the phone back on the wall and closed my eyes, and stood there for a few minutes to gather my thoughts. I then took a deep breath and walked back inside to the crowd.