The New Avenger

Dad

Peter's POV:

"Percy Jackson, I think you're a lot more than you claim to be." I say after a long moment of silence. No one but one who has they them self experienced this life would speak like he did. No one understands what being a hero does to you, the questions you ask yourself, the wishing that you weren't chosen. Or at least wishing you'd been given a choice. 

"I'm just a random teenager. There's not much more I could be." Percy says, bitterness. Bitterness in his voice, parroting thoughts that someone else is feeding him. 

"Age doesn't mean much, does it?" 

"Guess not." Percy looks away, silent for a long time. He doesn't think he can tell me who he is, he doesn't think I'll believe him. He doesn't think it's safe. Neither did I. I though nobody would believe me, believe me when I told them who I am. What I am.

I thought telling Percy the truth would prove that humanity is truly lost but it didn't. Maybe it proved the opposite. 

"My dad." Percy startles me by speaking. I don't dare speak, or move, or even breathe. If I do he might close up again, never to speak again. Not the truth anyway. "My dad isn't exactly, well, not exactly what you'd call normal. I guess you could say he has powers. Anyway, because of all that he's important and busy. Like, all the time." Percy pauses for a moment, steeling himself for what he's about to say. "I wasn't supposed to be born. My dad, well, he and his brothers, who were also powerful, they swore they wouldn't have any more children because they were to dangerous. Not great at keeping promises, my dad. Once I was born though nobody wanted to kill me encase dear ol' dad got mad. Course that didn't stop them from using me as their special little pawn. Not fun, by the way. Over the years, ever since I was 12, they've basically used me as their personal punching bag, or, when stuff went badly, their little war leader dude. Also a member of their exchange program. Once again, not fun." For a miniature eternity Percy stares at me, fighting himself, fighting his past, fighting his father and his fathers family. Whatever he says next will be the most important. That's what he's telling me. I can forget everything else I've heard today, everything else I've ever heard. Not this though. Forget this and I might as well already be dead. "My dad and family are dangerous. They have more power than you can dream of. Opposing them would mean certain death, no matter who you are. Heck, even knowing who they actually are is a death sentence. I trust you Peter. I don't trust many people, not anymore, but I trust you. So I need you to trust me. I need you to trust me that when I tell you not to explore this, not to look for them, not to try and do this, save me, however you want to justify it in your mind you can't. I don't need to be saved. And even if I did nobody could save me from then. It's to late for that."

Whoever Percy's father is he's dangerous. Which means Percy is dangerous, most likely. Or has the potential to be.

"What, exactly, can your dad do?" I finally manage to force out. 

"Well, if it's dangerous he can probably do it." Percy shrugs, as though he isn't saying that his dad is super-powerful being with not exactly nice powers. His description isn't exactly exact though.

"So, if he wanted to, oh I don't know, blow up the Empire State Building or something, could he?" I'm fishing for information now. To my surprise Percy actually laughs. 

"I'm pretty sure my dad wouldn't want to blow up the Empire State Building," Just the mention of it sends Percy into another fit of giggles, "But if he wanted to, well yeah, he could." The end is more sober. Percy knows exactly what he's saying, how this could blow up in a big way for him.

"Could you blow up the Empire State Building?" I ask, immediately regretting it. Note to self- just stop mentioning blowing up the Empire State Building. This time Percy snorts with the effort of containing his amusement.

"Nah." Percy sounds pretty sure, "Well," He amends, "If I really wanted to I could make it no longer exist I guess. But I mean if I wanted the Empire State Building gone it would've been gone long ago." He shrugs once again, pretending like the fact that he could destroy the Empire State Building is no big deal.

Anyone else would be afraid of Percy, of what he is capable of. Except if I wanted to I could destroy the Empire State Building. I could tear this city apart. What Percy said earlier though, about having to chose everyday whether you will be a hero or be a villain, well I think Percy makes that decision every morning. And I think he makes the right one, the one that saves lives. No matter what you're born you can grow to be anything. A kid with the kindest parents, happiest childhood, everything they could need, they could become a villain. But a kid who had a terrible childhood, with absentee parents or worse, they could become a hero. Just because your DNA makes up who you are on a molecular level doesn't mean it defines all you can be. 

Maybe science isn't on my side on this one. Maybe, with all the information we have, our DNA is all that we are. But I can't believe that. If I believed that I wouldn't be able to get out of bed in the morning. I wouldn't be able to keep doing this job because I wouldn't be able to look for the good in people. If we're carbon copies of our parents then what's the point in living at all? If we're doomed to repeat their mistakes then why even stick around? I  mean, if you already know how the story's going to end what's the point in continuing to read it. 

Even if I don't believe, can't believe, that our parents are all we are they are a part of. Sometimes a part of us we have to fight. To succeed you have to know you weakness and beat it. Nobody can do it for you, and nobody can make you do it. Still it has to be done.

"Percy, who is your father?" It's a question. It's a command. It's a plea. It's everything and nothing and whatever lurks in between. You cannot have lost everything until you have lost your urge to ask, to learn, to question. If you've lost that then, no matter what else you have, you have nothing. 

"Peter, I-" Percy begins. And then the war starts.

Not the external kind. Not the kind with weapons or blood, at least not that you can see. My sixth grade teacher always told me "if it's not bleeding then it's not hurt." She was wrong. Right now Percy isn't bleeding, none of his bones have been broken, he hasn't been hit extremely hard on the head. Still, he's fighting a war. Between speaking or holding it in. Between letting someone else in or reinforcing his walls. And maybe, just maybe, between life and death. 

"Look, Peter, I know this is going to sound crazy but-"

"Peter, we may have gotten some information on the guy who took your aunt." Captain Rogers bursts in, urgency in all of his features. 

A/N

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Anyway, happy last week of school for those of you who got out this week. If it seems like I've been avoiding getting to the climax my apologizes, I will get there. The big fight scene is coming, but will take a long time to write. As such I elected to wait until school was out and I could devote more time to my writing. Also, I had some ground work that needed laying. Hope you enjoy!