Fall From Glory || A Percy Jackson story

Chapter 11: A Very Temporary Job

I remember that Stark Tower was built by Tony and finished during the beginning of the first Avengers movie, but I'm ignoring that little detail because I decided that the timeline should work like this. Just bear with me and deal with the inaccuracies.

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I sat in front of Stark Tower for hours after arrived, not quite sure how to go about an infiltration. I had to wonder exactly what was so special about Tony Stark, other than the fact that his father was Howard Stark. Howard was a living legend, one of Annabeth's personal heroes. He built Captain America's shield and offered hundreds of other military advancements during the war, and was regarded as one of the most brilliant scientists to have ever lived. 

Tony was only nineteen, one year older than I was. He'd just gotten his second master's degree from MIT, so he was obviously a genius that took after his father, but he hadn't done anything specific that earned him his personal spot as the top name on that list. I wondered if he was there because Howard wanted him to. I'd heard that he worked closely with espionage agencies like the Strategic Homeland Something-or-other.

I'd done some research, but Anthony hadn't managed to make a name for himself quite yet. I guess that was what all those government stalker weirdos were waiting for. Although, if what I'd read about him was accurate, the stalkers he had to worry about weren't from the government. He didn't have a lot of friends in his personal life, mostly just adoring fans or peers that he liked to show off to. 

On top of that, he was a sassy, egotistical brat who took everything he had for granted. He never seemed to recognize anyone's contributions to the world unless he could somehow take credit for it. That would earn him a lot of enemies, but they'd have a hard time getting the upper hand against the kid; he was seriously a genius.

I watched him walk out of the tower with a grin on his face that said, "Yeah, I know I'm the center of attention. If you make eye contact with me it'll be the highlight of your life." Reporters were clamoring all over him for answers about his latest degree or latest project. He ignored almost all of them, other than flirting with a couple of younger pretty ones. It was one of the most entertaining things I'd ever seen. 

The way in front of him was constantly getting cleared away by an entourage of bodyguards, which gave me an idea. If anyone targetted him, the bodyguards would be the most likely to be involved. Maybe I could get a job? If I approached the young Stark himself, I might be able to get him to accept purely to spite his father. I knew Howard and Tony didn't have the greatest relationship.

I strolled over to where he was walking towards his car, brushing through the crowd as only an experienced New Yorker could. I even managed to pass the news reporters, but I got held up by the guards right before I reached him.

"Mr. Stark," I said clearly, my voice carrying over the babbling reporters even though I wasn't yelling. The confidence in my voice made him pause before he got in, and he turned towards me. When we made eye contact he seemed even more intrigued, seeing something through my disarming grin. He walked closer.

"Yeah, that's me," he said still completely ignoring the reporters, now practically screaming. "The question is, who are you?"

"My name's Percy," I said. There was no way I'd get away without a background check, and this was the stupidest place to get caught lying I could think of. "I was interested in an application to be a bodyguard."

"Why ask me directly?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I scoffed.

"You think any secretary, or much less your father, would give an eighteen-year-old applicant their time of day?" I asked. "You're untraditional. My best shot."