A Lofty Choice

Chapter 12

Annabeth and Percy were talking about camp, and the latest capture the flag game when there was knock on the door.

They automatically shut their mouths. "Can I come in," Natasha asked.

Percy shouted, "come in."

Natasha walked and saw them both sitting on the bed. "I hope nothing has been going on."

Percy shook his head. Annabeth glared. "No way would we do that here."

"Just so we are clear. There are rules in this house."

"That you haven't gone over," Percy said. 

"I was trying to make sure you settle in before telling you the rules, you brat."

Percy smiled. 

"So why are you here, Ms. Romanoff?   I assume you didn't come here for some rules," Annabeth said. 

"You are right, I came to ask you some questions."

"You do realize you will not like what you find.   Also they won't allow us to say everything.  We can only tell you stuff without details," Annabeth said.

"Kid, you sound too much like an adult," Nat said.

Annabeth shrugged. "Some would say that is a good thing."

Natasha stared away and started thinking of her own childhood, or lack thereof. "Act like a kid while you still can."

Annabeth sensing that there was more going on under the surface made a huffing sound, bringing Natasha out of her thoughts. She crossed her arms and put on a kidish attitude. "You realize this is you giving me permission to go big on pranking."

Percy looked at Annabeth because her movements and acting was out of character for her.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, and muttered, "seaweed brain."

Natasha watched this exchange and smiled. This was what she wanted to see. Kids acting like kids. She then realized she would have to ask her son questions that would probably stir memories. Natasha sobered up instantly. She did not want to ask her son. Not when she finally got him smiling again.

"Well I am going to let you kids have fun. We are ordering pizza for dinner."

Percy waved at her.

When she left in a click Percy turned to Annabeth. "Was it me or did she seem skittish?"

"It wasn't just you.  She was going to ask you about your father's side and how you know how fight, but she probably thought you were too weak mentally to handle it."

Percy shrugged.   "I am fine for the most part.   Apart from the nightmares and a few triggering things."

"Yeah we do have abnormal mental resilience due to them."

"It's not like we can explain to them.  They have seen how we are able to fight.  Imagine telling them it's genetic and that we are physically enhanced.   They would go nuts and have endless questions, but we can't tell them without revealing the parents.   The family has kept this secret for a long time.  The government can't know otherwise I don't know what type of consequences would happen."

"If that ever happened they would shake the foundations of the earth.   Just don't tell them about your powers okay.   They would not stop bugging you till you showed them.   If you were to tell them that you can get angry and topple this whole building to the ground...."

"I would not do that," Percy said, upset.   He had prided himself on excellent control.  If he were to do something on a large scale he would really have to want to do that.  His anger usually can with smaller things.   "The worst I would do is burst a pipe."

On cue the pipe from the bathroom exploded.   Percy pointed to the bathroom.   "See," Percy said. 

Annabeth sighed.   "Did you have to do that to make a point?"

"I did not do that to make a point," Percy said, frustrated.  He exploded more of the pipe.

"Okay you know what breathe, cause if you explode more of that pipe you are going to flood this place sooner."

Percy nodded turning around huffing. 

"Percy," Annabeth growled, as more water again. 

"You started it, just be glad your not Clarisse."

"Are you threatning your girlfriend to dump me and sewer water and send me away with the water from the bathroom?!"

"No, I wouldn't do that, maybe.  Clarisse was dumping my head in the toilet, so..."

Annabeth took her dagger out.  "I am just kidding.  You are the best girlfriend in the world!"

"I thought so.  Now sit there and hold the water back into the pipe until I get someone to come fix this."

Percy put a hand out and the water on the tiled floor edged away from the carpet.   He put it circulating in with the pipe.  

                          *                  *                  *

Tony was there watching Natasha squirm as she tried to ask Percy questions.  By squirming she was trying different personas from her assassin life, but Percy did not seem to budge with any of them.  He didn't even seem to realize she was doing them.  

Natasha left and started laughing when they started calling Natasha "skittish."   That was when the unexpected happened.   Natasha appeared.  

Tony looked surprised and looked to the monitoring.   "This is not what it looks like."

Natasha chuckled darkly.  "I am a spy.  I can catch a small camera.   That was a nice touch on those flowers when so many of the other rooms did not have flowers."

"So are you angry."

Natasha shook her head.  "No, I want to see what my son has to say."

Tony grinned and Natasha grinned. 

What they heard and saw on the camera was shocking.  When Percy burst the pipe Tony lost it.   "I want him!  I want to do tests!"

"Not on my son, but I guess I see why so many people are after him."

Natasha thought of this.  "Are you recording this cause I want to send this to Fury?"

"Wouldn't that be a bad thing?"

Natasha shook her head.  "I trust Fury with my life.   Plus I made Percy his Godson.   He wouldn't do anything to him Godson."

"How devious!"

"Do you want a devious punch or kick.  Or do you want me to truly show you how to be devious."

"Okay, I will stop."

They watched as Annabeth left.  Tony switched to a camera in the bathroom.

"Okay that is too far Tony," Natasha said.

Tony rolled his eyes.  "It came in handy cause look at how he is controlling the water."

Natasha looked and sighed loudly.  "He is going to be such a handful."

"Okay, well I am going to go meet Annabeth."

"Act like you didn't see anything.  If they want to play pretend then I see no problem in playing into their game," Natasha said.

She looked at the recording and started putting it onto a secure flash drive.  She needed to go to Fury immediately.  She was feeling frustrated and upset, but also determined.  

She was his son, and it was her duty to protect him.  Even if his h father's side was crazy.  She really wanted to punch his father.  What was my younger self thinking!  She was probably desperate for affection back then.  She wouldn't change it though.  She has a kid now.  A possibility she never thought possible.

Tony left shaking his head.  He left to accidentally bump into Annabeth.  Poor kid.   His mother was crazy.