Shards (A Percy Jackson and Avengers Crossover)

Tastes Like Chicken

Percy frowned, a chill creeping through his body. Thalia stopped. Nico stiffened. They exchanged looks. "Speak of the devil." Thalia murmured.

All Hades broke loose.

The window exploded.

The glass shattered, shards flying everywhere as a Fury swooped in. Shouts echoed from the Avengers, their cries mingling in the chaos. Percy had to give them credit though. They reacted even before he did.

Natasha flipped the coffee table, hunkering behind it, her weapons already out. Steve grabbed Bruce and Tony, diving behind couch. Tony's armor pieces flew into the room, attaching themselves onto his body. In seconds he was hovering in the air. Clint had followed Natasha's lead. Thor simply stood up, slowly swinging his hammer with a dangerous look in his eye. In the blink of an eye, Percy and Nico both had their swords out. They crouched behind the sofa, assessing the situation. Thalia's instinct, however, was the exact opposite. And, if Percy was being honest, quite expected.

With an enraged cry, Thalia charged the Fury.

Percy cursed in Greek. Leaping over the sofa, he ran at the winged monstrosity, Nico right behind him. Steve yelled at the teens' recklessness and swore as he remembered Tony had taken his shield to the lab for some 'upgrades.' When Steve had argued that his shield was just fine, Tony had just smirked and ignored him.

Tony looked down at Steve. "Language," he said.

Steve could almost hear the smirk from behind his faceplate. Steve scowled at him. "Not really the time," he shouted over the din of Tony's blasters.

Tony ignored him and hollered, "I finished your shield."

Steve raised an eyebrow, focused on analyzing that . . . thing. "Again, not really the best time," he yelled back.

Tony shrugged, turning back to face monster. "Just figured you'd want your shield to fight."

Steve jolted. "What?!"

From beneath his mask, Tony grinned. When he had told Steve he finished the modifications, he wasn't lying . . . mostly. He had finished them, but he hadn't really had time to test them yet. But what better way to test them than in battle? And if it exploded, well, let's just hope it exploded on the monster. He glanced down again and tossed Steve a black object.

Steve easily caught the device. He looked up, his mouth open. Tony cut him off and shouted, "Put it on your arm and press the green button."

Steve slipped the device, which had a few different colored buttons, on his arm. It went over his hand and came almost to his elbow. With a deep breath and a quick prayer to God—this was Tony they were talking about after all—he pushed the green button. He yelped, his arm jerking toward the hall door. His eyes widened as he heard a crash from downstairs.

"Wha—" His shield crashed through the door, leaving a hole in the expensive wood. Steve took a step back, shouting in panic as he realized the shield was heading straight toward him.

And it wasn't slowing down.

The shield crashed into his arm, throwing him airborne.

And straight through the kitchen wall.

If you ever decided Hey, let's see if crashing through a wall is fun, Steve had one word of advice:

Don't.

It hurts like hell.

The wall broke, crashing down around him. Everyone glanced at the commotion. Natasha, Clint, and Bruce sat up. Natasha, who had heard the exchange between the super soldier and the genius inventor, raised an unamused eyebrow at Tony. The demigods and monster stopped fighting, staring at the debris. Percy glanced at the Fury with a questioning face. It shrugged, looking as confused as them. "Wasn't me," it defended itself, voice deep and scratchy.

Steve sat up with a groan, pieces of debris falling off him. He glared at Tony, spitting out the pale white dust that was also now coated his hair and uniform.

Tony coughed, glancing away nervously. "Okay, so maybe I was fibbing a little when I said it was ready. Might need a little more work."

Steve shot him a look that said You think?

A roar from the Fury drew their attention. "Don't mock me," its warbled voice dripped with rage. "Stop playing games, and let me eat you." It stretched its mouth wider, revealing sharp rows of teeth.

"Hard pass," Nico said to himself.

Percy cocked his head, resting the point of his sword on the ground. "I don't think we'd taste too good."

Nico grinned, catching on. "We'd probably be too dry."

Percy nodded gravely. "It'd be a shame if we got caught in your throat."

Thalia sighed. "And there's the Percy Jackson humor I've been waiting for." Under her breath she muttered, "Looks like Persassy's back."

Percy and Nico bantered back and forth a little while longer, Thalia occasionally throwing in her own two cents.

The Avengers exchanged bemused looks. Clint just shrugged at Nat's quizzical face. He decided he liked these teens and their way of fighting. Thor merely grinned, muttering about "finally getting to see the great hero in action," when Tony glanced back at him. With another dirty look at the hovering hunk of armor, Steve pushed himself off the cold ground. He hissed in pain as he managed to drag his aching body up.

Percy turned back to the Fury, who had been watching the exchange with suspicious, beady little eyes. Percy mimicked biting his arm and chewing. He took his time, slowly moving his mouth as if testing the flavor before swallowing dramatically, his Adam's apple bobbing. He nodded thoughtfully, and said, quite seriously, "Tastes like chicken."

The Fury cocked its head, confusion flickering across its furry face.

Percy leaned over to Nico. "I don't think its tiny brain is comprehending that we just made fun of it," he stage-whispered.

Percy straightened up and blinked innocently at the creature. Half a beat later, realization rippled across the Fury's face, quickly followed by anger. "I'll rip you to shreds," it snarled, teeth glistening.

Steve yelled a warning as he saw the monster tense. It leapt forward, sharp claws aimed directly for the relaxed teen.

The demigods were ready. Thalia dropped her knives and grabbed her bow. She pulled a Celestial Bronze arrow from her quiver. In one smooth movement, she had loaded, aimed, and fired. The silver arrow was a blur as it buried itself in the soft spot between the Fury's wings. Nico shifted out of the monster's path, sweeping upward as the Fury swooped by. The Stygian Iron sword cleaved through one of its outstretched arms as well as clipping the right wing. Percy held still and at the last second, much like he had done with the Minotaur, he spun to the side. His sword made an upward sweep, severing the head from the unbalanced Fury. It exploded, golden dust coating the surrounding areas as well as the three demigods.

Percy spat out the dust and glanced toward his fellow half bloods. "Well that was fun."

Clint leaned over to Natasha as Percy fist bumped Nico (much to the latter's dismay). "Was he being sarcastic?"

The spy shrugged in a beats me type of manner but seemed to change her mind as she murmured back, "Actually, I don't think so."