(Fem.)Percy Meets Avengers

Arguments and Natasha has been Replaced by an Alien

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor which is one more than you have." Rhodes said.

   "So let's say we agree to this thing. How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?" Sam argued.

Stark was leaning back in a chair with a hand over his face.

   "A hundred and seventeen countries want to sign this. A hundred and seventeen, Sam, and you're just like, 'No, that's cool. We got it." Rhodes did do a pretty good impression of him.

  "How long are you going to play both sides?" Sam questioned.

This is giving me a headache.

   "I have an equation." Vision spoke up from his seat to the right of me.

"Oh, this will clear it up." Sam said sarcastically.

Steve looked like he wanted to throw them out a window so he could read the Accords.

   "In the eight years since Mr Stark announced himself as Iron Man the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially." He looked at me as he said that.

   "During the same period the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate."

    "Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve looked up.

Percy seemed like she wanted to say something but she remained quiet.

   "I'm saying there may be a causality." He paused. "Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict...breeds catastrophe. Oversight."

He paused again. "Oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand."

  "Boom." Rhodes turned to look at Sam.

"Guys." Percy finally spoke up. We turned to look at her.

    "Conflict is always there. Always lurking. But whether or not it destroys us...well, that's up to us."

   We thought about what she said. This past month she's been supporting me. And she seems like she's used to this kind of situation.

   "Tony." Natasha spoke. "You are being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal."

    "It's because he's already made up his mind." Steve said.

"Boy, you know me so well." He sat up and rubbed the back of his head before standing

   "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache."

He walked over to the kitchen. "That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort." He grabbed a coffee mug and looked down in the sink.

"Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal?" He grabbed the water pitcher before moving to the kitchen island. "Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?"

   He sat his phone in the fruit basket. And he pulled up a picture of a young man. Tony sighed.

"Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way. He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA had a floor-level gig at Intel planned for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul before he parked it behind a desk. See the world." I looked over at Percy.

   She had a knowing look on her face.

   "Maybe be of service. Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor."