[Friend of a Friend] PJO x Marvel

[14. When the World Shattered]

"Do you need me to give you a ride to your camp?"

Percy looked over at Tony and didn't respond, part of him wished to just stay in the little guest room offered to him. He craved isolation, because then he didn't have to go back home. He didn't have to know who survived and who didn't, and part of him loved the ignorance. To him, his mom and Paul were sitting at the kitchen table eating, waiting for his return. Annabeth and the others were all at camp laughing at the fire and wondering when Percy would arrive. Or maybe- maybe to all of them, he was dead. He hadn't received a single Iris message since he'd returned to Earth, and he hoped that was because they couldn't reach him during the time he was stuck in space. He was dead. He had no responsibilities anymore, no expectations. He could be free.

But he also missed Annabeth more than ever, he wanted to hug her so tight and never let go of her ever again. But what if she didn't make it? What if he could never hug her again, never bicker and laugh and smile with her. It was simply just easier to stuff himself away in a dark room.

Tony sighed, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. He stared at Percy, almost as if he were analyzing every thought in his head. Tony had already spread the news, that Thanos was dead, that there was no way to undo what happened. That only left a deeper pit in Percy's stomach.
"When you're ready to go back, that is. And there's no staying here forever, we have to move on. We don't have a choice."

Percy frowned, "Who knows, maybe there is."

"The stones are destroyed. Thanos is dead. We've avenged the lives that were lost, now we pick ourselves up and move on. You're young, no matter who you discover you've lost, there's nothing you can do but get your life together." Tony glanced over at the small locket Percy had in his hands, a picture of him and Annabeth stuffed inside. "Plus, we don't know if she's gone, that's what you need to go see for yourself. I can go with you, emotional support and all that, you know?"

Tony lost his witty charm after they returned to Earth, his eyes seemed stone cold, never really taking a moment to joke around or smile. He can't actually remember ever seeing Tony smile, but any life left in him was sucked away when Peter turned into dust right before his eyes. Percy figured Tony liked having him around for the sole purpose of filling the void Peter left behind, calling someone kid and trying to watch over him. Percy didn't need that, though, he'd never really done anything supervised all his life. Even before all the demigod stuff started happening, his mother was always working and Gabe didn't seem like an inviting presence to be around.

"I don't need emotional support. Plus I have blackjack who can give me a ride, it's no big deal."

"Blackjack?"

"My pegasus friend."

Tony almost laughed, part of him seemed like he felt as close to himself as he could be in that moment. "A pegasus? You've gotta be kidding me, the greeks have pegasi?"

Percy just let out a small laugh and nodded, "The greeks have many things, beautiful things, and things you'd rather die than see."

"You've piqued my interest, no pegasus. I think you should take me with you."

"Human's can't enter the camp, there's a force field surrounding it. I can enter just fine, like nothing is there. But you? It'd be like walking into a glass window that you didn't quite notice."

  Tony frowned, which made Percy feel bad. He'd grown a liking to the guy. Maybe it was trauma bonding, spending so long in space together under the idea that they both would be dead before ever seeing Earth again. Percy wasn't so sure, but he knew he didn't want to be alone when he found out who didn't make it. His own friends didn't bring him the sense of comfort he needed, and part of him realized they never had. He loved them, yes, but never to the amount that he loved Grover or Annabeth. They were there for him in ways the others couldn't.