Wanted (A Percy Jackson/Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. crossover)

Explosive

I'm going to do something unprecedented here, guys... update within a month of the last update. I know. I'm shocked too. 

Real quick- real early on in this chapter there's a real subtle comment that could be interpreted as a form of self-harm. I wanted to put a trigger warning just in case, even if it is slight. Love you all!

This is also... kinda intense? So heads up for violence and major whump.

Let's get to it.

Percy had underestimated how effective drugs were. 

True to his word, the man named Ward had left him to suffer as all of the medication they had pumped into his system cycled out of him. He wasn't sure how long it had been, but with time the numbness he'd grown accustomed to slowly faded into a dull ache. That would've been fine, but that eased into a slow, throbbing pain that started in his shoulder where he'd been shot and subsequently operated on and arched out down to his fingertips. It didn't help either that every turn of his head made him feel like he was on one of those teapot rides at the State Fair.

Dam concussions. Will would be so disappointed in him. He could already hear him passionately ranting about permanent brain damage. Percy didn't even think he'd gotten another one, but having his world flipped upside down had certainly aggravated his injuries of the past.

Gods, he'd kill for a square of ambrosia right now.

He could deal with it, though. It all honesty, he'd had worse- a sad admission, but true none the less. What hurt the most, really, was the heaviness in his chest in worry for Annabeth.

Percy hadn't exactly understood what the brooding man had meant by "incentive" program. He wasn't entirely sure he knew what incentive meant (cut him some slack, he was too busy trying to save the world to do vocabulary flashcards). But given the general evil-overlord vibe Grant Ward had exhumed, he took a wild leap of reason and assumed it wasn't good. 

He rubbed at his eyes with his good hand. Annabeth had to be okay. From how his captor explained it, she'd have to be, if they wanted any chance of a hold against him. He couldn't handle it if anything happened to her. He wasn't sure he could live without her- no, he knew he couldn't.

So he tried not to think about the very real possibility that they could have her killed. Not that she couldn't hold her own, but... usually he could too. And he was currently wallowing in misery on a mattress. She was alone, defenseless... she could die while he was moping around in a stupid lumpy hospital bed doing nothing-

He swallowed against the rush of panic that flushed through him at the thought. His hands clenched, feeling every muscle tense as he pushed himself back into the bed frame. He welcomed the resulting rush of pain as a distraction. 

With time he successfully steadied out his breathing, counting ceiling tiles and windows and chairs and his toes peeking out from the stale covers. But it didn't take long before his mind wandered again. Back to his girlfriend, back to Ward's words. "No powers," he had said. Percy rolled his eyes. These people were idiots if they thought Annabeth's only potential was as bait for him. He was insulted for her. If anything, she should be the one they were interested in. She was an incredible fighter and analyst. The best.

He wouldn't complain, though. If it meant she wouldn't get hurt- which he could only hope was the agreement for his 'compliance'- he'd be fine with it. If it'd keep her from getting hurt, he'd do anything.

The demigod recognized that that line of thinking could be a problem. That this organization, whatever they were, wanted to use him and his powers for evil- and if he 'complied,' he'd most likely be risking the lives of countless other innocent people. He'd never forgotten his argument with his girlfriend's mother what felt like so many years ago. He wasn't sure he could.