"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to today's addition of the Abe Rudder Show! As all of you well know, the hot topic at the moment is our newest Avenger! Admiral!" The news presenter flashed his million-dollar, Hollywood smile as the studio crowd cheered under the harsh stage lights. "Opinions are divided after the hostage situation downtown and the decision to let the so called 'hero' live has been called into play. Some say he's a good thing and he was willing to die to save lives! They say that we haven't seen such respectable military discipline since the Captain made his debut and we'd be fools to willingly murder him!" More cheers greeted his words, "Others shout that he's a teen plying an adults game and that it's a terrible example to set our children! They argue that this new 'hero' is the Avengers supporting using child soldiers and child labour!"
He looked straight into the camera.
"But who do you agree with!? Remember to get your vote in to decide his fate today and let us know by emailing 'mercy' or 'kill' to out inbox! Goodnight!"
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Clint switched the channel on the TV, muttering curses under his breathe.
"Even Ellen DeGeneres has been talking about it!" He complained.
"She was trying to get people to help," Natasha halfheartedly attempted to placate him, "Now shut up and listen." Stark's press conference appeared on the screen.
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"Hello everyone!" Tony greeted the reporters. "I'm here to do a press release on our most recent mission. Sadly, there will be no questions today, but I assure you that I will cover everything you need to know." He smiled, carefully not letting his anger and resentment show. He did not appreciate the media turning his friend's life into the latest hot topic. "Now, Admiral wouldn't let me just stand up here and state the obvious, he didn't want me to talk about it at all even, but you know what? I'm going to anyway. He's an amazing person, he saves lives, he's done so much and he's recovered from so much. He's a kind caring human who makes a great hero and saying yes to a psychopath trying to kill him is not only an idiotic thing to do, but murder." His expression turned unusually grim, "We have a justice system with trials and impartial juries for a reason and I like to think that we've progressed beyond stoning people as a mob. If killing Admiral is what you decide then this entire city, this entire nation, will be murderers."
Silence from the reporters.
"But my teammates spent a good hour or two explaining to me how just telling you that won't work. So I'm going to show you as well. You see, Admiral didn't want me saying anything to you because for some reason he trusts you complete strangers with his life! So I'm going to show you why you should treasure that."
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"I still say we should just find the guy and quietly kill him." Natasha threw a pillow at Clint's head for interrupting.
She agreed though.
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Tony turned to the presentation board behind him.
"This, ladies and gentlemen, is a live feed of our very own Admiral, don't worry it's being streamed to your cameras in real time as we speak. Admiral has no idea this is happening, so sit back and enjoy this indulgence of your endless need to know our personal information."
On the screen appeared a live feed of Percy. He was in the gym, shirtless holding his sword, his face obscurred. He dived and rolled as he fought with one of Stark's robots, his muscles rippling like the tools they were, his scars shining and bending with the work out. It was grotesque, but beautiful.
After he won his mock duel, Percy moved on to hand-to-hand then the punching bag. Demonstrating his range of skill. All the while completely unaware that his activities were being broadcast to the nation.
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"Percy's gonna kill Tony." Clint stated. He received another pillow to the head.
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Something seemed wrong though; with every impact of his unprotected fist on the reinforced bag he seemed to become more emotional, until he had tears streaming down his face and he was forced to lean against the bag, hands curled into fists by his face, forehead on the bag.
"I'm sorry, Annabeth." He whispered. It was the first time he's been able to truly say her name since he lost her. The hero sounded out the syllables and rolled them over his tongue, tasting them and feeling the name for the first time in what felt to him like an age.
And the entire nation heard.
Tony lowered his head.
"That was the name of the girl he was going to marry. He's been fighting in one army or another since he was twelve, before that, he was abused, and he was finally going to have a happy ending with his family and the girl he loved, but then one final battle killed them all. He was the only survivor. What you just saw is the product of that. That is the 'dangerous past' he so desperately didn't want to talk about so please, if you have more humanity than I do, just let him live. Let him prove to you the hero he is." Tony took a deep breath. "Goodnight."
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"Hey JARVIS?" Percy called to his empty room. He was lying on his bed, facing his ceiling, hands clasped, resting on his chest with his ankles crossed.
"Yes, Sir?" The AI replied.
"What should I do?" The seventeen year old asked.
"Regarding what, Sir?" Percy's gaze drifted to his arms, watching his veins as if they were suddenly going to change colour and attack him.
"These robots-microbes-whatever. If the mortals decide to kill me then either I'll be blown apart and have to reform, which would be painful and impossible to explain and I'd have to leave the Avengers for good. Or my ichor-blood will destroy them, meaning I won't die, which would also be impossible to explain, which would mean I'd be kicked out of the Avengers or we'll have to pretend I died and I won't be able to show my face anywhere on Earth for decades." He sighed, dragging a toughened hand across his scarred face. "Either way, I'll lose my fa-the people here and I'll die. And I won't even be able to see them again! I'll just reform after a few months or years of pain. I-" He swallowed, "I don't want to die JARVIS and I don't want to lose these people. I just got back to starting to be almost normal again JARVIS and I don't think I can take losing everything again. I don't want to die, JARVIS." The robot seemed to consider his argument for a minute.
"I don't believe the Sirs and Madams would force you to leave, Sir and you have not considered an important variable."
"What's that, JARVIS?" Another pause.
"The country will likely chose for you to live, Sir, meaning that this dilemma will not pose a problem to you at all, but to clearly state that the country is willing to accept you. I see no fault in that." The AI surmised. Percy ran his tongue over his lips, his fingers tapped his bed sheets.
"You really think so?" He hadn't sounded so meek or vulnerable in a long time; he hadn't been able to.
"I do, Sir." JARVIS affirmed confidently.
Percy smiled.
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The next morning, the Avengers laughed, smiled and celebrated as the country voted mercy.
YOU ARE READING
The Reluctant Hero
FanfictionHe stood on the balcony, watching the city below. His trained eyes flickered from one event to the next; the angry cabbie shouting for the traffic to move; the dog walking their owner along the streets; the father trying to keep his children in arm'...
