Catch Me If I Fall (PJO/Avengers Crossover)

55

Many months passed, and Percy realised that he might possibly be getting better.

At first, it was odd. It had been so long- years- since he had been so at peace with himself and the people around him, that he almost wasn't actually sure what he was supposed to do during the day. He'd get up, eat breakfast, train with the team for a while, help Wanda with homework, and occasionally visit his mother, father or even Camp Half-Blood. The change wasn't just noticeable to himself, it was noticeable to those around him, too.

"You've changed a lot, recently, Percy," Sally had smiled at him one day. They'd both went to Central Park for a walk with Estelle, who had recently turned five, and Paul, who held the girl's hand and let her lead him to the playground a few metres away. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," he said, smiling back at her.

"Estelle's proud of you, too. She told me last night she was so happy he had her big brother back," Sally said softly. "For school, she had to write about the person who inspired her the most, and she chose you."

Percy and Sally sat down on the bench in the playground, watching Paul push Estelle on the swing a few feet away. "I swear right now, I'll never let anything happen to her."

Sally smiled again at that. "And she'll never let anything happen to you."

Percy said nothing, simply looked at his sister and stepfather, vowing inwardly to himself that whatever threat came his way, they could hurt him any way they wanted, but they would never- not even in a million years- hurt his family.

*

"No, you have to divide it-"

"That's not how I was taught!" Wanda argued, putting her pen back on the table and sitting back, sighing. "We were taught to take this away and then-"

"Okay, but I was taught-" Percy took his own pen and began to write something down, but Wanda used her telekinesis to send it flying halfway across the room. Percy raised both of his eyebrows at her. "Seriously, Wanda?"

"Both of you, stop arguing as if you're seven years old," Tony said, sitting down next to them both. "What seems to be the problem?"

Wanda and Percy began babbling excessively at the same time, telling equally ridiculous stories.

"Okay, okay, okay, back up a second. Percy, explain what's happening," Tony said, and pointed to Percy.

"That's favouritism!" Wanda complained.

"Oh, shut up," Percy told her, and she pressed a hand to her chest in mock-hurt. "Wanda asked for help with her homework, and so I'm trying to help her, but she won't listen to a word I say!"

"Because I was taught how to do it a different way!" She said. Tony rolled his eyes, took Wanda's pen from the table and did most of the problems in twenty seconds flat whilst Wanda and Percy watched in pure astonishment. He shrugged, giving the pen back to Wanda and walking away as if nothing happened.

"Did he just-?"

"I think he just did."

*

As time went on, Percy travelled between Asgard and Midgard frequently, making sure to visit Loki as much as possible. The only one who knew where he went on these visits was Tony, who didn't exactly approve, but wasn't exactly unapproving, either. The rest of the team were left guessing. He was getting ready to go back to Asgard when he heard a knock on his door.

"The door's open," he called out, and Wanda walked in to see him putting on a leather jacket.

"Percy," she said. "Do you have a minute?"