Hope

The screen then shows ‘Las Vegas, 36 hours earlier’ as a voice speaks in the background.

“And then you say only 3 years.” Percy smiled at Peter.

“That was 36 hours?” he squeaked.

“I mean, I blame good ol’ grandad.” Nico shrugged, making Thor and the demigods laugh while Loki and Frigga chuckled. The rest of the people just stared at Nico in confusion.

“Our grandad was the titan of time.” Thalia explained and then the realization hit everybody.

“Didn’t, like, that dude get chopped into a million pieces or something?” Rhodey asked, trying to piece everything together.

“Yeah but then he sort of possessed a dude to rule the world.” Percy summarized. Nico, Will and Jason snorted in amusement at the shortcut.

“I give up.” Rhodey shook his head.

“Already?” Nico chuckled. Rhodey nodded.

The voice over describes Tony as a visionary, genius and American patriot.

“The last part’s this guy.” Tony said, gesturing to Rhodey who face palmed but still looked smug.

It further talks about how even from an early age Tony who was the son of Howard Stark had stolen the spotlight with his brilliant and unique mind. It proceeds to talk about how he built his first circuit board at the age of 4 and his first engine at the age of 6 and how he graduated summa cum laude from MIT.

Everybody looked impressed as they listened to Tony’s introduction.

“And I’m pouring milk in cookies at the age of 18.” Percy sighed and then grinned at Tony in pride.

“Buddy, its not just you. Clint was trying to balance a lemon on his nose yesterday.” Natasha said with a chuckle.

“Hey! I was trying to explore the human abilities of balance in order to improve productivity.” Clint defended.

“You lost a bet, Mr. Barton.” Vision said and everybody could swear that they heard him hide the amusement in his voice.

“Snitch get stitches.” Clint told Vision.

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t need them.” Vision replied. Clint glared at him and then at Bruce and Tony who laughed.

Then, the passing of a titan. Howard Stark's lifelong friend and ally, Obadiah Stane, steps in to help fill the gap left by the legendary founder, until, at age 21, the prodigal son returns and is anointed the new CEO of Stark Industries. With the keys to the kingdom, Tony ushers in a new era for his father's legacy, creating smarter weapons, advanced robotics, satellite targeting.

“That sounds really interesting. I’m guessing your suit’s also equipped with most of it, right?” Annabeth asked Tony curiously. Tony nodded.

“It has much more as well. Take repulsor technology and energy conversion for instance.” Tony told her.

“AI as well?” Annabeth asked. The billionaire affirmed her question.

“That’s soo cool.” Peter muttered under his breath.

Today, Tony Stark has changed the face of the weapons industry by ensuring freedom and protecting America and her interests around the globe.

“Pleasant interests…” Nico said

James Rhodes now takes the podium as he talks about how he’s had the honor of serving with Tony who’s a real patriot and how Tony was his great friend and mentor.

“Aw, thanks Platypus.” Tony told Rhodey with a grin.

“Yeah, you’re not letting that go, are you?” Rhodey sighed and Tony shook his head cheerfully.

Rhodey then says that it is his honor to present this year’s Apogee Award to Mr. Tony Stark. He looks around, unable to spot Tony and calls out his name once more. He looks at Obadiah Stane who shakes his head, letting Rhodey know that Tony hadn’t come to the event.

“Were you…working?” Bruce asked.

“Yeah, yeah something like that.” Tony answered. Rhodey snorted in amusement and exchanged a look with Happy who was chuckling under his breath.

Obadiah Stane walks up to stage and thanks Rhodey as he takes the award. Rhodey thanks Stane for the save.

Rhodey muttered something under his breath which sounded suspiciously like a string of swear words to Pepper who was sitting right next to him and she nodded in agreement and added a few of her own.

Obadiah proceeds to say just how beautiful the award was and how amazing it was to receive it. He then says that he’s not Tony Stark, making the audience laugh.

“Yeah, you sure aren’t.” Percy said. Everybody looked at him in confusion especially the ones who knew what had happened with Obadiah.

“You don’t even know him?” Doctor Strange said but it came out more like a question. Percy shrugged.

“Something about him is unsettling. I have a feeling that I’m not going to be trusting him soon either.” Percy said. Tony shook his head. If only somebody had warned him before. He wished, not for the first time, that he’d known that he had a cousin like Percy before.

“Well, normally those instincts of yours are right, Seaweed brain. If you’re unnerved about him, I doubt its going to go away.” Annabeth smiled at her boyfriend.

Obadiah then says that if he were Tony then he’d tell them how honored he was and what a joy it was to receive this award. He talks about Tony and says that the best thing about Tony is also the worst thing which is that’s he was always working.

“I was right.” Bruce said happily. Rhodey and Happy muffled their snickers and managed to keep a straight face.

“All work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy.” Peter said in a sing song voice. The demigods burst out laughing while even a couple of the avengers chuckled. Tony looked at the kid in amusement.

“I like you, kid.” He said. Peter turned a bright shade of red and May chuckled.

The scene changes and shows Tony gambling at a casino and bumps his head against Happy’s shoulder has he wins by getting eight the hard way.

Happy and Tony chuckled.

“Eight and that too the hard way. Impressive, Stark.” Loki nodded.

“Why, thank you, reindeer games.” Tony grinned.

Tony is then shown flirting with a woman and talking about how they should just stay till morning.

“The awards might as well have been non-existent.” Pietro chuckled.

“What can I say? Priorities.” Tony answered with a smirk.

Rhodey’s voice cuts in from the back as he tells Tony that he is unbelievable and Tony asked him if they’d roped Rhodey into this to which Rhodey informs him that nobody roped him into anything.

Percy and Annabeth looked at each other and muffled their snickers at the whole ‘nobody’ thing. That word had just never been the same.

“You knew from the beginning that the awards were there, didn’t you?” May asked Tony amusedly who just grinned sheepishly.

Tony apologizes and Rhodey tells him, his voice full of amusement, that he was told that if he presented Tony with an award then Tony’d be deeply honored. Tony agrees and says that of course he’d be deeply honored because it was Rhodey and asked him when he was going to be giving the award.

Everybody snorted in amusement.

“Honestly, I just wanted to see your reaction and just how honored you’d be.” Rhodey chuckled at his best friend.

“Well, I was deeply honored. Obviously.” Tony answered.

“No doubt.”

“The fact that you’re just pretending that you don’t even know about the awards.” Will chuckled.

“Its easier to get out of it.” Happy supplied.

“Wait, did you even tell him?” Natasha grinned at Pepper.

“Of course. But only once seeing as I knew that he wasn’t going to go anyways.” Pepper answered, her voice filled with fondness. Tony smiled at her.  Percy looked at Annabeth and both of them shook their heads, remembering just how oblivious they used to be as well.

Rhodey pulls out the trophy and hands it to Tony. Tony says that that was easy and apologizes again to Rhodey for not being there and Rhodey tells him that it’s all right.

“Thanks, honeybear.” Tony tells Rhodey and the latter rolls his eyes jokingly.

“You know, this is what it is. I want to be at a point in life when I’m gambling and I’m getting awards.” Peter declared.

“You’re not gambling.” May said almost immediately and Peter nodded.

“Yeah, yeah, totally.” He said.

“Win those awards for something good, kid.” Tony told Peter and the kid looked at Tony with wide eyes and nodded.

Tony looks at the award and exclaims that the award was something else as he didn’t have any of those floating around.

“Seaweed Brain, I still cannot believe that you didn’t tell me that you were working for and were related to Tony Stark till like a week back.” Annabeth pouted at Percy who grinned sheepishly.

“I couldn’t have you raid the place, Wise Girl. I was a new guy.” Percy teased.

“Hey, at least I’d get saved from the water overloads.” Tony told the couple.

“Oh shut up. You drink coffee like water. Do you know the amount of dehydration that causes? Your body is supposed to be made up of 60% percent water but yours is literally made up of 80% espressos.” Percy chided and glared at Tony but there was no heat behind it. Tony threw his hands up in surrender.

“You see what I’ve been dealing with?” he complained jokingly to Annabeth.

“Get used to it, buddy. He and Will teamed up and now I have to drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day otherwise they ban McDonalds.” Nico told him glumly. Will and Percy grinned at each other.

“That’s how it should be.” Bruce nodded.

“Oh great. There’s another one.” Nico sighed and Will and Percy shook hands with Bruce at which the latter seemed surprised.

“I’m just thinking about how this conversation went from an award to McDonalds.” Sam chuckled.

“We’re in a room filled with teenagers. What do you expect?” Scott chuckled.

Tony gives the award to one of the girls he was earlier flirting with and asks her to give her a hand and a something-something as she blows on the dice and then asks Rhodey to do the same.

“Equality.” Percy nodded, making everybody laugh.

“It’s a must.” Peter nodded and the two high fived. Percy knew that the kid didn’t know anybody except him and May in the room and he didn’t want Peter to feel awkward. Clearly, the kid also looked up to most of the heroes in the room as well.

Rhodey tells him that he doesn’t blow on another man’s dice. Tony calls him honeybear and holds out the dice and Rhodey repeats that he doesn’t blow on another man’s dice and knocks Tony’s hand away causing the dice to roll.

“Its not going to be good, is it?” Clint laughed.

Tony says that Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes rolls. The dealer’s voice cuts in from the background and announces the result. Two craps. Line away. Rhodey shrugs and says that that’s exactly what happens.

All the people who understood the game burst out laughing.

“Hey, I warned him.” Rhodey said with a shrug. Tony sighed dramatically.

Tony says that worse things have happened and that he thinks they’re going to be fine.

“Yeah, that shit gives you trauma.” Thalia laughed.

“I agree.” Tony nodded sagely. “Luckily, we were able to get over it.” He said. Everybody who understood dark humor snickered.

Tony, Rhodes and Happy leave the casino and Rhodey says that this is where he exits and tells Tony to not be late the next day. Tony tells him that he won’t be and Rhodey tells him that he’s serious and Tony tells him that he knows and won’t be late.

“Yeah, I’m still mad about that.” Rhodey tells Tony.

“Come on now, sourpatch. I told you I’m sorry.” Tony told Rhodey who shook his head fondly.

On the way outside, Tony hands a man dressed as Caesar his award and says “Render unto Caesar, that which is Caesar's. There you go.”, confusing Caesar.

“Yeah, you do that to Caesar and he’d probably use it to break somebody’s head.” Nico snorted in amusement. Everybody stared at the demigod.

“You know Caesar?” Doctor Strange asked slowly.

“Had the displeasure of meeting him a while back. Not the chill dude you’d expect him to be.” Nico said, shaking his head.

“What the fuck?” Clint muttered under his breath. “I mean, we fight alongside a god, we’ve fought a god but genuinely, what the fuck?” he said out loud, gesturing to Thor and Loki.

“You think that that’s the most surprising fact about these demigods? That they’ve met Caesar. Oh, you should listen to the rest of their stories, my friend.” Thor told Clint in amusement who looked at Percy.

“Its uh pure crack shit. Upto you if you’re ready to deal with it.” He says.

“At the moment, I’m lacking the mental stability but yes, I will at some time.” Clint told him.

“Yeah, you want some mental stability or you’re going to be without any once you listen to this son of a bitch.” Thalia said, gesturing to Percy.

“You were a tree.” Percy deadpanned.

“You vaporized your pre-algebra teacher.” Thalia said in the same tone.

“I just lost my only brain cell. Brilliant.” Clint groaned.

“Welcome to the gang.” Percy told him dryly.

The scene then changes.