Of Water and Salt

The demigod of Poseidon looked about the lobby area. It was empty except for one of the agents that was supposed to be watching him and a receptionist, clicking away at a computer.

He glanced at the clock that was mounted on the wall and then at his watch for what probably the thirtieth time that hour.

His watch was frozen. Halted at exactly 8:13 PM.

He leaned further into the wall, the clacking of the keyboard turning into a dull beat, before it faded from his mind entirely.

Percy and the domain of Time did not get along.

At all.

Ever since his encounter against the Time Lord, when he was twelve, Time and Percy had a relationship that could be equated by the single primal emotion of mutual and absolute hatred.

Ever since then…he had always come up short of it or been robbed of it entirely. The years after the Second Titanomachy and Gigantomachy especially. His little…stint…in Tartarus…the Dekatheon...Annabeth…

Always too little too late. Arriving just in time to catch the aftermath but never there to help or save them.

A two year blank in his mind. Not just a gap where he was able to mull over as if it was just an afternoon nap to be thrown in the back of his mind. No, it was something else. Like he was conscious that entire time but wasn't.

The Titan and Giant Wars. That whole mess of a campaign of being too little, too late.

Too late to save Bianca and Zoe.

Too late to save Beckondorf and Silena.

Too late to save Grover and Clarisse.

Too late to save the Dekatheon.

Too late to save Annabeth.

Tartarus. His mind flared and burned at the mere thought of that torturous realm. That place was a burglary of his life more than anything else. More than that two year interlude between the Titanomachy and Gigantomachy.

And the hellish realm wasn't even trying.

Then the war on the steppes of Greece. Every single decision was made because time was running thinly. Every sacrifice and life lost being made to buy them more time.

When in the end, Percy was still too late.

And Gaea still rose.

All of it seemed for naught. Morgana had done some sort of time spell. A realm that was not so easily manipulated. One that even she must have known would've drawn the attention of not just monsters or minor immortals but also the attention of the Olympians.

If anyone else hated the realm of Time like he did, it was the six eldest of Kronos who they waged war against, not once but twice.

The sorceress was not stupid, however, she would not have attempted to do something like this without being exhausted of all her options. Even the Children of the Magic Goddess regardless if they were Roman or Greek knew that messing with Time could lead to severe consequences.

Simply because of Kronos. Being the enemy of Olympus had a tendency to cast that sort of shadow and fear onto the currents and passage of time.

But she had, whether knowingly or not, presented him a chance.

An opportunity that could simply not be passed up.

Percy could save everyone. All those times he had been too little, too late would not come to pass.

He could prepare the camps for war. It was 1995? That gave him thirteen years before the Battle of Manhattan and the end of the Great Prophecy.

That gave him fifteen years before the Battle of Greece. Fifteen years was a lot of time. He could travel to Rome right now, get the Parthenos and get a fifteen year headstart on mending the ties between the Greeks and Romans. Tartarus would never be an issue….

His mind froze at the thought.

Annabeth was alive right now.

I'm alive right now.

Out there in a little apartment in Queens was Sally Jackson and a little three year old Percy who was none the wiser of his powerful heritage.

What does that mean for me? Not little Percy but himself, the Sword of Olympus. Estelle didn't exist here nor did his mom. This…world's Annabeth was not the Annabeth he had known or grown up with. None of these people would be people he knew. Artemis would not be his ally here. The Romans would either try to kill him or alert the Council.

The Council would not believe him for the simple fact that he's from the future. The hatred they held for their father ran deep and they would sooner believe it to be a ploy from the Time Lord to sway events into his favor. He may be a child of Poseidon but right now that wouldn't guarantee him safety. It wasn't unknown for demigods to go rogue and for their parent to be forced to strike them down because of it.

They wouldn't take any risks. Especially because he was someone out of their Time.

Regardless, he would be stupid to believe there weren't already traitors among the ranks of Olympus already.

His friendship with Hecate didn't extend to here. Right now she was either on the verge of joining Kronos or already in league with him.

Morpheus could be there as well and other Titans could be on the path of quietly gathering more allies. He couldn't even go to Camp because he didn't know if there were any other traitors other than Luke and Ethan.

And if they brought information to Kronos that a time traveler was among them, with knowledge of events of the future, he would scrap everything leaving him back to square one. And then his chance would be ruined.

Not only that but he would paint a rather large target on his back because of it.

Percy was pulled from his thoughts when the…agent that he had killed or rather the shifter had shifted into and then he killed, approached him with what looked to be a leather wallet of some kind in his hand.

He looked nervous and slightly awkward but eager to please. He stuck his hand out to shake and Percy pushed off the wall he was leaning on to receive it. "Agent Phil Coulson." Despite his rather awkward demeaner, his voice was soft and held a weight to it. "I understand you're going to be brought on as a consultant for Agent Fury?"

Percy nodded. "That's the plan. Something about helping find the woman and whoever attacked them." The demigod shrugged slightly but said with a raised eyebrow and with a tone of disregard. He didn't want to become familiar with them.

Plus, he didn't want to Mist everyone he encountered, just so they would leave his 1995 self alone in the future.

Especially since Fury had said that, Vers had said that there were quite of few of the shifters out and about.

His mind slightly hurt thinking about it like that.

Percy may have killed one that took on the appearance of himself and the man before him but that didn't mean that one wouldn't also assume the appearance of a previously taken form.

If that was the case here then he didn't want to divulge any of his own plans.

The demigod was already working on trying to snuff them out of the ranks of this SHIELD branch but he couldn't make much headway unless he had some one on one time with each and every one of them and started some liberal application of Veil Magic.

Shifters were slippery like that. He would need a child of Hecate, Mnemosyne, Dionysus or even Apollo to make any steady ground to work from. Their abilities would make rooting out shifters an easy prospect and why shapeshifters often avoided shifting into demigods in general. Mostly because it was easy to use Veil Magic to flush them out but also because it pissed them off when others took their likeness.

Just as the Veil Magic made for a handy tool for hiding in plain sight, it was also a handy tool for pulling those that wanted to remain hidden out into the open.

"Here you go." The man handed him the black leather wallet, looking a little perturbed for some reason. "Your credentials for the time being. We don't exactly have a consultant badge at the moment so the boss just told me to give you a SHIELD one. If you could take the time to fill out your basic information and then give it to the receptionist when you are done." He handed him a clipboard and pen. Attached was a couple papers that was essentially just asking him for his identity.

Ah, it was because of that. It was because he quite literally walked up, killed someone and was handed a SHIELD badge. All in the span of a few hours.

Granted, that someone he killed was an alien.

Percy took it, opened it, noticed there was no picture as Fury's or even this Coulson's had. Instead there was the simple black SHIELD logo on a grey field where his face was supposed to be. The metal badge of an eagle with its wings outstretched was on the bottom half.

His did have the words 'Level 3 Consultant' instead of 'Agent' on the little ID card he had and it only had his first name on it but other than that it remained largely empty except for a bunch of identifying number codes.

He flicked it, subtly throwing a puff of the Veil Magic at it in front of this Coulson who looked like he had some of his own questions but left after a moment's hesitation. Hopefully, the Mist would provide an adequate picture on the badge and the rest of his name.

The demigod didn't think that having just 'Percy' emblazoned in bold print would be all that conducive to maintaining a substantial cover.

Percy tucked the badge into his leather jacket, having changed into more comfortable clothing since arriving at the SHIELD offices.

Coulson wouldn't have seen his little display of Veil Magic unless he was clear sighted, which he didn't appear to be given his lack of reaction.

If he was, then he would have been a decent ally in this whole alien shapeshifter debacle.

Regardless, as Percy leaned back onto the wall waiting for the arrival of Fury, he flicked his hand towards the agent's direction and a dart of white mist splashed against the back of Coulson's head. Better safe than sorry.

It wasn't like Percy thought he would be using the badge. The Mist would have covered that base for him if he actually needed it and would give him valid credentials if it was ever looked up now. Sort of. If he ever had to present it, he may need to subtly manipulate whoever was on the receiving end into not looking deeply into it.

It would be best if he was extremely careful in how he proceeded.

Not only because he was with an organization that was actively hunting him in his time but because he didn't know the extent of how much he could begin to let loose so to speak without drawing the attention of any immortals.

Right now, spawning storms and summoning bolts of lighting was out of the question.

They wouldn't be able to find him, as obscured from their vision and senses as he was. Even so, it would be good not to test the limits of his obscurity given he was in an entirely different time. For all Percy knew, whatever that entity did to him did not extend to here.

If they couldn't sense him directly, they would definitely be able to sense someone messing with their realms and domains. Zeus would be chief among them if he started flinging bolts around and so long as Percy stayed away from entering the ocean fully again, he should be able to stay out of Poseidon's sight.

He would also have to take extra care in how he referred to them as he further thought of his plans.

The demigod didn't know how much they were exactly active in this decade but he wouldn't chance it.

He may be able to contend with immortals but even he would be overwhelmed if the entire Council bore down on him.

And they would. He may not know how active they were, but they didn't have the haunting, eye-opening and demoralizing experience of seeing swathes of their children cut down. It was one thing when they fought each other in the Civil War where casualties between Roman and Greek were low, but it was another when they were before an enemy that held absolutely no regard for life.

The Roman and Greek divide was one washed in blood but they weren't monsters to each other on the battlefield, as both sides had at least attempted for prisoner exchanges when fighting did take place and before the divide was established.

Kronos' and Gaea's forces would have sooner eaten them rather than even attempt to capture demigods.

The Goddess of the Hunt, for example, was a near different goddess from when he had met her in Maine. While she still retained her pridefulness and disdain for the male population in general. It was muted and matured.

Her twin brother and the Messenger God were also the same. They had lost much of their childishness and gained a more mature and calculative personality. Though they still retained some of their playfulness.

The King of Olympus had also matured. Sure, he still held a semblance of that infamous paranoia but it was stifled and burned like an ember instead of the roaring fire it once was. His more violent tendencies were now reserved for the things that actually deserved them.

But again…here, in this time, they didn't have that. Percy wasn't the Sword of Olympus here. He didn't have the weighted influence that the title carried nor did he have leave to travel to and from Olympus as he pleased.

For all intents and purposes, much like the shapeshifters, Percy was an…alien to this world and time.

That ugly and malformed feeling of unbelonging began to engulf him once more at the thought. As if he needed to leave. As if he needed to get back home.

But the only ones, that he knew of that could send him back with the power and strength to back it up, were the six eldest of Kronos and perhaps Morgana. The demigoddess however was decidedly off the list simply because she was the one that sent him here in the first place.

She would sooner try and kill him, if he appeared before her.

The Olympians as well.

He was stuck in between a rock and a hard place if he decided to find a way to leave.

Consequently, he would be painting a massive target on his back and the Percy of this time, if he did decide to stay.

"Hey, guy." The demigod blinked. Fury was standing in front of him, pulling his suit coat on. "You alright?"

"Never better." His mind was straying far too often. Percy needed to focus on the task at hand. It wasn't like he needed to be aware of everything around him like when he was fighting but someone casually sneaking up on him like Fury was something that he could not allow to happen. It was even more important that he was aware of his surrounding now more than ever. "What's the play?" He tossed the empty forms onto the coffee table in front of him, having made no attempt at filling them out, other than drawing squiggles offhandedly in the margins.

Fury began leading the way, the demigod sticking close by him and eying whoever passed by as they made their way out of the SHIELD office. Percy did as well but given that he was now doing something other than standing around, it was much easier to extend his focus on a couple more things rather than being left to his thoughts.

It was the afternoon. The sun shining upon them and with only a small smattering of clouds in the distance. The storm clouds from earlier in the morning from his impromptu arrival having long faded by now.

"We got word of a motorcycle thief that matches the description of someone that could help us. We have Agent Coulson, you met him, keeping track of her movements. We're headed to Rosamond." Fury directed him over to a newly issued Chevy. "She knew about the threat, so we're hoping she can tell us how to show them the door."

Percy nodded, agreeing. If this morning was any clue, these shifters were also hunting her. So if they really needed to they could use her as bait. They would come for her sooner or later. "And my part in this?" It was kind of odd that he had been readily plucked off the street and all but pressed into the service of an organization that was hunting him down in his time.

In reality, this could be a whole new world and nothing like his. He wasn't that educated on the nuances of the concept of time given that it was quite possibly the only piece of knowledge that remained well out of reach of any demigods because of Kronos.

The only ones that would know for sure would be the Olympians. And only less than half of them would know the specifics.

Despite that he attempted to keep his thought on the task at hand.

"You're the muscle." Fury quipped as he slid into the driver's seat of the vehicle. Fury took one more look at him. "You dress like it too."

Percy paused at that and looked at his clothes. It was just his regular clothing that he wore while he was using his bike. He shrugged after he slid into the passenger seat. The car tilted and shifted slightly at his weight and Fury raised an eyebrow at him from the action.

The demigod pointedly stared forward. He may have weighed more than the average mortal but he wasn't about to tell Fury that he clocked in north of two hundred and still looked as if he was in the best shape of his life.

Something that was only found in dedicated athletes and bodybuilders and not some guy off the street.

After that little…interaction, they were off to wherever this mystery woman was, with Percy having guessed that it was probably the one that they had been questioning earlier.

They didn't make it very far until Percy spoke. While Fury seemed to be comfortable sitting in silence and normally Percy would be as well, he didn't exactly want to lose himself in his thoughts.

With the feeling of unbelonging and the consequences with potentially messing with the timeline, that was something he would put off until he decided on his next course of action in that regard.

"So…anything else you want to fill me in on?" Percy ventured as he drummed his fingers on the sill of the car window.

"I should be the one asking you that." Fury retorted instantly. It wasn't done in a rude manner but sarcastically, only it was tinged with an interrogative tone. "You mind telling me why you were able to kill an alien when a moving bus couldn't?"

Percy casted a sideways glance at the man who regarded him quickly with his own before turning his eyes back onto the road. He wasn't going to tell the agent that was the Director of the agency he currently worked for in his time that he was a demigod and had fought beings that could and would snap necks with a flick of their hands.

Beings with enhanced strength, alien or not, excluding Asgardians, weren't going to faze Percy unless they were children of deities or immortals themselves.

"You could say that I've had experience with dealing with aliens."

"You didn't seem all that fazed when the body transformed into a goblin so I'm not surprised." Fury said. "Frankly, I don't feel as freaked out as I should be."

"Its your nerves. Don't worry it'll hit you like that bus did." Percy said while looking out the window at the passing homes.

Fury barked a genuine laugh at that and Percy wondered what caused the man to become as grim as he did. Would. Whatever. Maybe it would be the loss of his eye. That would certainly put a damper on anyone's spirit, even war hardened demigods.

Percy didn't know if he would be able to cope with losing a limb much less half his vision.

And there were quite a few close calls where he should have lost much more than that.

"I reckon you're right." The SHIELD agent said with a smile. "Aliens. Honest to God, aliens. Didn't think all those movies would turn out to be true. So who you with? CIA? FBI? NASA?"

"SHIELD now." Percy responded as he shifted and reclined in his seat and got comfortable. The pleather seating feeling rather odd. "But something like that."

"Very evasive." Fury bobbed his head. "My money is on NASA."

Percy instinctively blinked as he looked at Fury with a raised eyebrow.

The pair made further small talk about nothing in particular as they drove out of the city of Los Angeles and into Rosamond. Fury attempted to prod further into who exactly Percy made it a point to be unnaturally attentive in how he phrased things.

Mostly because he didn't want to focus on the nagging feeling that he needed to find a way home as soon as possible nor did he want to lose himself in thoughts on how he could change the everything.

"Agent Fury, this is Agent Coulson. Followed up on the lead at the computer café. Witnesses say she was asking about directions to a Pancho's Bar at Rosamond. Took a couple maps of the area and stripped a mannequin before she stole the motorcycle."

Fury grabbed the radio. "Copy that. En route now."

It didn't take them long to find the bar. Given that it was in the late afternoon, it didn't look all that busy. In fact, it looked deserted save for an old pick-up on the side side of the building.

They were either early or too late.

Or the woman just got lost.

Percy put his money on her getting lost.

The two shared a glance. "How do you want to do this?"

"I'll go in and talk to whoever is on the clock. You stay out here and give a knock if space lady decides to show up otherwise I'll come get you and set up if she isn't here yet."

Percy shrugged and the two stepped from the vehicle and into the hot air of the Mojave.

If the demigod son of Poseidon felt like an alien already, being in the desert only heightened the feeling considerably and he almost equated the feeling to being on Nidavellir but at the very least the King Dwarf Eitri had welcomed him.

Being in this time did not sit well with him at all.

But he pushed the feeling aside as he leaned outside of the doorframe to the bar as Fury entered simply taking in the scenery of a whole lot of nothing.

It didn't take long for the agent to call him in. "Looks like we're ahead of her." The man spoke. "I'm going to hang out in the back until she turns up. I want you out here posing as a customer. Hopefully, she turns up today."

Percy nodded. It was as good as a plan as any considering they were trying to talk and not spook but the demigod still felt the need to point something out. "Its possible that she got lost." Fury leveled a neutral stare at him and and Percy felt the need to justify himself. "Just chipping my two cents in."

The agent grumbled something under his breath before walking away while Percy flagged down the bartender that was watching them carefully. "You got any Coke?"

Fury leaned on the kitchen wall as he listened intently for the arrival of his otherworldly suspect, Vers, and sipped on his own drink of soda. He would've liked something with a little more kick but considering he was on duty, it was rather apparent why he wouldn't be able to drink.

Plus, he wasn't much of a drinker in the first place but he could do with a glass of whiskey at the moment.

Consequently, he was rather bored. He never liked this part of the job. The waiting. Sure, he loved it on the slow days when there wasn't much going on but when on assignment, the waiting always grated on his nerves, which was why he got out of the CIA in the first place.

That and the operations that the organization had sunk its nasty claws into made the prospect of continuing there a bleak one at best. He was a soldier at heart so to him, he had to be fighting for the right thing and having a clear objective.

With the CIA it was always a toss-up and more often then not, it typically didn't matter in the grand scheme of things what he did. Fury didn't care about the murky waters. It was more about the fact that the Agency had a tendency to boosting its own agenda at best and clearly in the wrong at worst.

That's what landed him a job at SHIELD. Here, his job was the security of the United States across the world over. Protecting her interests against those that would see it crumble. Much of that involved espionage and counter-espionage.

And now, apparently, his job turned into the security of the entire world against extraterrestrial threats. If there was any moment in his career that he could make a difference in, it was this one.

He guess Percy was right. His nerves would hit him like a bus.

He took another drink of his soda as he folded his arms and tapped his foot in slight impatience, but mostly to calm himself, as he watched the news that was being played on the TV in front of him.

Fury perked up. Given the thin walls of the bar, the low hum of music in the main area and Percy quietly chatting with the sole bartender, it was not hard to hear the rumbling, rhythmic growling of a motorcycle pulling up to the bar.

Fury had to hand it to Percy as he simply continued to talk as if he didn't hear the motorcycle pull up to the bar.

Though it did lend credence to the fact that he was government of some kind. If for nothing else, that would force Fury to keep a close eye on the man. It wasn't like the older SHIELD agent had anything that didn't lend credence to the fact that something wasn't sitting right with Percy. He was able to kill a creature that a speeding bus couldn't with ease.

If that didn't catch the attention of the SHIELD agent then it was his rather flippant attitude towards the existence of extraterrestrial life.

Fury already had his suspicions that Percy was more than he let on. And that was most of the reason the the agent of SHIELD had kept him close. Whether he was a shapeshifter or not was up for debate. If he was, he just killed one of his own in an attempt to maintain his cover or rather cement it.

But Fury had been on the receiving end of that before and he wasn't about to be lulled into a false sense of security. Sure, Fury may have initially played the part of ignorance and the cliché of 'I'll take whatever help I can get' but now it was mostly because he wasn't about to let someone like him run rampant.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer and all that jazz.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the door to bar open and its little jingle play. Percy and the bartender didn't stop their conversation but Fury waited for the right moment to make himself known. It wouldn't do to just come barging out the moment he appeared. Fury needed answers and for them, he needed to play nice at least for the moment.

There was a solid couple seconds where the only noise in the bar was soft pop music being played before the bartender spoke. "Can I get you anything?"

"Where was this photograph taken?" She asked. Fury recognized the voice as Vers. Luckily, Percy was wrong and she didn't get lost. That would have been rather embarrassing if they had waited around for nothing.

"I don't know. An airport?"

"Where's Pegasus?" She didn't seem that amused. The name oddly rung a bell in Fury's mind but he couldn't place where he may have heard it before.

"You'd probably find him in the stables." Percy's voice was filled with a slight chuckle as he said the words as if he was telling a joke. Fury didn't see how antagonizing an alien with a mythological horse would be construed as funny.

Fury shook his head and took that as his queue to step out to an odd scene.

Vers was leveling a quizzical glare as if she couldn't determine whether to be confused or angry at his remark and Percy who had his head cocked in slight confusion and amusement at the woman.

She was dressed slightly weird as well. At least Coulson wasn't messing around when he reported that she had lifted some clothing. It looked like something more fitting for a rebellious teenager rather than a adult woman.

But he digressed as, looking towards the civilian bartender, gestured with his head to the exit. Taking his cue to leave, the man nodded slightly and left quickly, turning off his open sign and exit without further preamble.

Percy spun around to fully face Vers and leaned against the bar counter while Fury spoke but not until he heard the truck of the civilian leave. "Project Pegasus is classified. Not unlike the files I started on you and your friends from out of town."

"Sounds like you had a rough day, Agent Fury." She then glanced at Percy, narrowing her eyes at him. Fury offhandedly lightly touched the stitches above his eye. It would serve as a reminder that he couldn't even let his guard down for a moment unless he was absolutely sure of those around him. "Looks like you got a new partner. Care to introduce us?"

Fury nor Percy obliged as the agent of SHIELD continued. "It was cool. Had a space invasion. Big car chase. Watched an alien autopsy." He shrugged as he rounded the banister. "Typical nine to five."

"So you saw one." Vers seemed to get the hint but she remained skeptical and made to position herself between them and the door. She probably thought they were…Skrulls too.

Percy hadn't so much as moved a muscle and instead kept his eyes trained on her. He was relaxed. Eerily so. As if he was assured that no matter what happened he would be walking away unscathed.

"I was never one to believe in aliens but after seeing one get hit by a bus and walk away like it was just a light breeze…that's something I'm never forgetting."

Vers was between them and the door now and had seemingly braced herself for a fight, her eyes still narrowed looking between them both. "This is going to get awkward but I have to ask."

"You think we're one of those green things?" Fury couldn't but feel offended. Even Percy reacted as he shifted on his stool to face them fully.

"Can't be too careful." She cocked an eyebrow at them.

"You are looking at a one hundred percent red-blooded earth man." Fury sauntered up and leaned on the corner of the pool table, his hand resting on the felt and inches away from a resting cue stick. If she wanted to fight, Fury would use that as ample distraction to draw his sidearm and to move out of the way so his…consultant could do his thing.

"Yeah, I'm going to need a little more than that." She quipped as she stepped forward slightly, positioning herself so Fury was directly between her and Percy.

So either she knew what he was attempting to do or she was simply attempting to mimic his movement.

"I killed one if that helps." Percy remarked from behind him and Fury gestured to him.

"Talos and his teams have done much worse to maintain their covers." Vers explained, looking past Fury, she seemed to shake her head, in slight discomfort before returning her gaze back to him.

"You need a cheek swab? Blood sample?" Fury figured that would be the easiest way to determine if he was a goblin or not.

"No. The DNA would match."

Percy spoke up once again and this time Fury turned fully to regard the man behind him. "That's rather… convenient." He trailed off into a mumble but Fury didn't hear what he said to himself.

"How so?"

Percy didn't answer as he seemed to think about his next words before returning to his drink content to keep his...convenience to himself.

Fury turned back to Vers who was staring quizzically at the person that, for all intents and purposes, was taking this whole thing with an unhealthy amount of ease. As if he was entirely unconcerned with the fact that an alien invasion could be happening at this very moment.

"Skrulls can only sim recent memories of their host bodies." She explained after a moment, looking between them both.

"You want to get personal."

Vers nodded but Percy chose that moment to speak up once again as the two sat down across from each other at an empty table. "That's all well and good but how would you know if we're telling the truth? How do we know you're telling the truth?"

Vers looked at him and then Fury before she raised her arm.

Three things happened In seeming tandem.

The first was a burst of radiant light that wrapped around her arm and shot forth like a beam towards the jukebox behind him, causing it to explode in a shower of sparks and melt off the center. It didn't even give the music player a chance for it to come to a sputtering halt.

The next was Fury instinctually standing, drawing his sidearm and aiming it at Vers, eyes narrowed and fingers resting but ready to squeeze the trigger at a moment's notice.

However, even the woman's arm that shot light wasn't the most confusing thing that occurred in that second. What had Fury staring was Percy.

In his hand and leveled at Vers was a sword of all things. Something that seemingly appeared out of nowhere because Fury was damn sure that he would've noticed if the guy was carrying around a sword that was as long as his arm.

Vers seemed to realize her mistake and lowered her arm slowly. "Uh…Skrulls can't do that?" It was said in a slightly questioning voice as she eyed both the weapons, clearly regretting her rather abrupt action.

"How about you sit down?" Fury said, his voice edged. "And you put the sword away."

Percy's gaze left Vers for a moment and glanced at him and Fury leveled his weapon at the man. Right before Fury's eyes, he saw the sword cascade in a shower of water and mist and dissipate into nothing and fall away on an unseen wind.

Fury blinked.

Vers was the one to speak. "Did that just-"

Fury took a step back, readying his weapon. "Both of you sit down."

Percy and Vers looked like they wanted to do anything but that as they remained standing.

Fury cocked the hammer to his sidearm, hoping the message would get across. He was no longer going to play the nice guy. Not with an alien woman who can shoot beams of light from her hands or a man that could summon swords out of thin air.

With him at a clear disadvantage, the SHIELD agent decided to be the voice of hard and cold reason.

"I'm not going to ask again."

Percy's eyebrow raised at his words, as if he was amused at his threat.

Vers, however, did sit down. Albeit with marked reluctance and with narrowed eyes directed at both of them.

Percy after another moment, followed as well sitting on a bar stool that was his original seat and folded his arms across his chest watching him with an arched brow.

"Now, we are going to be a hundred percent truthful with each other." Fury never liked playing the mediator but right now the three needed to work together. At the moment, Fury could count the number of people he could trust on one hand and it just so happened that all but one was in the building with him. "Is that cool with you two?"

Though Percy did some decent points. How were they supposed to determine the truth or not? Fury knew he was not a Skrull. Vers was an alien regardless if she looked human. Whether she was a Skrull or not didn't really matter as Fury already didn't trust her.

Percy, on the other hand, was the rogue element. He was only there because he could kill the bastards where Fury couldn't.

Vers nodded her assent though Percy looked entirely uncomfortable with the situation. Vers turned to his consultant. "That sword…is that an ability you have? Skrulls can't be enhanced. Not that I know of and I've been fighting them for as long as I can remember."

Percy's eyes flicked to her before they glanced at him. He nodded sharply as if the action brought him internal pain at the admittance.

In hindsight, Fury shouldn't have been as surprised as he was now that he thought about it. He had forgotten that Percy also had a shield that had appeared from out of nowhere when he had blocked the bullets of Not Coulson.

He has a sword, shield and a knife. Fury mentally noted. The SHIELD agent determined that he would be stupid to believe Percy didn't have any other weapons that he could summon at a moment's notice. For now he would try to keep his distance if they ever came to blows.

Vers was still looking speculatively at Percy who for the first time was visibly uncomfortable with where he found himself, if his slight shifting was any indication.

A momentary awkward silence descended upon them for a short second before Fury spoke up again, his sidearm lowered but ready to be brought up at any moment. They both looked to him. "I'm going to ask a question and I want both of you to answer as truthfully as possible." He repeated his earlier statement for added effect.

Not that it seemed to be needed. It was more to get his consultant in line more than anything else.

Percy scoffed at that and the woman Vers shot him a slight glare. At the very least, she looked to be on Fury's side and more open to communication than Percy was despite his earlier conversations with him.

"First, we are going to introduce ourselves." Fury continued and then with one hand still grasping his sidearm, he gestured to himself. "I'm Fury. Level 3 Agent of SHIELD." He gestured to the woman, who cocked her brow at him.

Fury returned the gesture before she relented. "I'm Vers. A commando in the Kree Starforce." Her hands flared all the way up her arms with vibrant and translucent energy as if to emphasize her words. A pressure of energy that seemed alive emanated from her to fill the area around them before diminishing as the tendrils of energy dissipated from her.

Fury looked at her with an inquisitive and slightly awed stare. If she was adamant that her little light show meant that she wasn't a Skrull then Fury was inclined to believe her since at that point if she wanted to kill him then there was no point in beating around the proverbial bush.

Unless, she was after something that he could provide. That still meant that he would have to keep her around to find out what exactly she wanted so he could alert others.

Plus, the fact that Fury had no choice but to do so as the agent doubted that she would be all that inclined to go through all that trouble to convince them that she wasn't a Skrull.

Then again, Fury's own espionage instincts still told him that straight up trusting her was a bad idea. Until he had more concrete proof other than her hands, then he give her the benefit of the doubt but until then he would keep a wary eye on her.

They both looked to the man sitting on the bar stool.

"Percy." He bit out after another second. "New York. Born and raised."

Not exactly an answer Fury was looking for but it was still an introduction.

That was until Percy stood and looked to him. "How far away from the ocean are we from here?" Fury scrunched his eyes in confusion.

"About a hundred miles. Why?" He answered.

Vers had cocked her head quizzically and arched her brow at the weird question.

Instead of answering, he raised a hand beside his head and Fury's eye widened slightly as he spotted a tinge of wisping pale smoke dance around his forefinger and thumb before snapping abruptly and sharply.

A cascade of white mist seemed to fall around his body. Fury was about to speak until he felt a familiar welling of fear from within him only it wasn't as…primal as before and noticeably blunt. There was also the muted feeling of pressure beginning to permeate around them along with the distinct scent of the ocean seem to carry on an unseen and unfelt breeze.

Fury nor Vers seemed to be affected by the pressure or fear as it wasn't all that noticeable any more.

But the agent of SHIELD could still feel it well up within him every now and then even if he attempted to beat it down. As if he needed a constant reminder that Percy was a lot more dangerous than the casual front that he presented.

"The reason you didn't notice it before was because I had to focus a lot more to keep it under wraps. But since you," He gestured to Vers. "said that they can't be enhanced and you," Percy nodded to Fury, who lowered his sidearm fully. "wanted a measure of honesty…" He trailed of, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture, another cascade of white mist falling from it and around him.

That feeling of fear and pressure dissipating into a small tickle and reminder of what it once was before ceasing entirely. The scent of the ocean still lingered but it was not as strong as before.

"What is that?"

He smiled lightly as his next words were tinged in amusement. "Put simply. Its magic."

Fury barked a laugh as Vers snorted. Fury figured Percy was just pulling his leg now but at the very least the SHIELD agent knew he could also give his consultant and temporary partner a little bit of trust, considering he saved his life and all as well.

Because now Fury was sure that the two before him had no affiliation with each other unless they were extremely good actors.

With the tension eased with Percy's little remark, Fury continued looking at Vers who was tapping the top of the table she was still sitting at impatiently. Percy conveniently returned to his soda. "So with that out of the way. What are you doing on this humble little planet?"

The blonde woman glanced between the two and then looked over to a photograph on the wall and pointing at it. "Where is Pegasus?"

Fury glanced at it. The photo of an aircraft, and while he wasn't all that up to par on his more intimate knowledge of aeronautics, the strike fighter was recognizable enough since he had called it in on more than a few occasions to bomb the absolute hell out of guerillas. The F15 had a distinct navy blue logo emblazoned on the rear tail wing.

It clicked. She was looking for Project: PEGASUS. Not an actual horse from mythology as Percy had assumed. But the only reason he knew what it was because given where he was currently assigned, the Pegasus base was located nearby and SHIELD agents had to be keyed in, so to speak, into their security system if they ever needed anything from there.

That wasn't to say he wouldn't know about it regardless. Fury had a tendency to see and know about things he wasn't supposed to. It's what caught the eye of the CIA and subsequently SHIELD in the first place.

"What makes you think I know what that is?" Fury ventured, holstering his sidearm and leaning on another nearby table.

"You look like you're someone in the know." Vers retorted. "Unless I'm mistaken?" A small, almost playful smile played at her lips as she questioned him.

Fury narrowed his eyes as he felt his facial features tighten ever so slightly.

If there was one thing that Fury detested, it was when someone challenged his knowledge or his own observational skills. He may have lost some of his touch in the physical department with being in his forties but Fury liked to think that his mind was still as sharp as ever if not an edge that was continuously being honed.

How Vers was able to determine that he would know things that a typical agent of his level wouldn't was beyond him. She may be a bit too impulsive but she was observant.

Fury would give her that at least.

"Alright, color me intrigued." Fury folded his arms across his chest and spared a glance to Percy who was seemingly lost in his own thoughts, absentmindedly leaning against the bar counter. "Say I know where it is, what so special there?"

That small smile grew into a larger one. "Let's get going and I'll tell you."

He and Percy shared a glance, the latter shrugging as he did so. The SHIELD agent turned his attention back to Vers who simply sat there, her hands clasped in front of her and resting on the table as if she knew already that he was going to agree.

Fury scowled, already feeling the welling of regret within him.

Vers stood with a smile stretched across her face as she followed Fury out the door of the bar establishment.

Who would've thought that one of the universal languages that even the Terrans understood was alcohol?

Not that she drank. Her enhanced abilities quite literally burned away much of what was supposed to make alcohol fun. So spending her credits on liquor that was nothing more than glorified water to her was an expenditure that was best left to the wayside.

That is unless she spent what equated to a small fortune on really strong stuff then she wouldn't exactly be able to get drunk or even a decent buzz and she doubted whatever the Terrans drank was able to even get close to that.

Shaking herself from those thoughts, Vers followed Fury outdoors who in turn was followed by the odd man named Percy.

She still didn't know what to think of either of them. Sort of. She figured Fury to be somewhat of an adventurous type despite his older age and his stitched brow and slightly bruised temple only added to the image. Or rather, unnaturally curious. After all, It was not often that an alien, much less a Kree showed up on the doorstep of C-53. Not much seemed to get past the agent.

If Fury was the curious skeptic then his partner was the opposite. A tickle tugged at the back of her mind thinking about him but she squashed it once again. The unnatural but seemingly familiar feeling was grating on her nerves.

Percy was quiet, often lost in his own thoughts and rather distracted about something. He was more invested in his drink than the conversation.

Well, until she fired a photon blast.

Then his whole demeaner did a whole one-eighty. She was fast herself. Her Kree biology gave her a distinct edge when compared to ordinary Terrans or other species of the universe who were not cybernetically or biologically enhanced.

Combining her Kree biology with her abilities, then she liked to believe there was not much that could outmaneuver her when she put her mind to it unless she was surprised or otherwise distracted.

So the fact that he was able to draw a sword and level it at her in the near blink of an eye was something of a stunning experience.

Besides that, Percy turned out to be the one person she could probably trust implicitly on the simple fact that he wasn't a Skrull.

If the sudden summoning of the sword wasn't proof enough then that he wasn't part of Talos' kill teams then the… presence he had revealed was sufficient proof.

She hadn't noticed it before but he did say that he was keeping a handle on it as if it were something that he needed to actively or passively control it. She had never seen or felt anything like it before. That feeling of primal fear that suddenly clutched and constricted about her heart was something she didn't want to feel again.

Much less that feeling of pressure? Just being in his presence when he had seemingly dropped his control of it made her want to shirk away as if she were in the presence of Starforce Admiralty. It was, to put simply, an awkward and surprising thing he had and one that she would have never guessed if he hadn't revealed it.

But then again that was probably the point. If he didn't then it was a good chance that he wouldn't be able to go anywhere without drawing some sort of attention. He probably wanted to remain as anonymous as possible because of it.

The slight scent of the ocean was even more confusing. She guessed it had to do with the sword dissipating but that still didn't explain how it lingered. Still it had a pleasant tinge to it that reminded her of…of...what did it remind her of?

A flash of visions pervaded through her mind. Of when she was a little girl and on a…beach? She didn't ever remember going to a beach on Hala.

She internally shook away those memories.

Vers would do her best to get Percy on board with taking down the Skrull threat. While she did feel a sort of trust with Fury. The Kree commando couldn't place her absolute faith in him not being a Skrull just yet.

With Percy, she could, even if he didn't fully trust her. Which was entirely understandable. At the very least, she would be gaining an experienced fighter as an ally. If what Fury said was true and he had killed one of Talos' operators then he would be extremely helpful. His slightly scarred face only help add to the experience he may have in fighting hand-to-hand.

She began to take in her surroundings.

There was no one around with only some Terran traffic going about their business in the streets.

It was near evening with the sun beginning to reach the horizon and a small cloak of clouds were beginning to be drawn in. They didn't look to be storm clouds which was good.

She didn't favor her odds on the terran bike given she was still getting the hang of that open-aired mode of transportation.

Moving to get on her stolen terran transportation, she was stopped by Fury. "Uh-uh." He shook his head. "You're leaving that here."

"But-"

"No buts." He mumbled something under his breath and she was able to catch the tail end of it. Something about aiding and abetting an alien grand theft auto.

She narrowed her eyes and tossed the helmet that was in her hands back onto the bike.

Vers had rather liked that transport.

The Kree commando followed hurriedly after the two men and went to open the passenger side door to only come into contact with Percy as he also attempted to sit in the passenger seat.

They both narrowed their eyes at each other, that odd but distinctively muted serene and melodious whisper tickling the edge of her mind. She internally shook the feeling away. "I'm sitting here."

"Yeah right." He scoffed as he moved to open the door, lightly slapping her hand away and she scowled as he opened the door. "You're smaller than I am. That means you're in the back."

Vers quickly pushed the door close before he could enter.

If it was possible his eyes narrowed even further.

"Get in! Daylight is burning!" Fury shouted from across from them, his tone taking on a tinge of scolding. "Rock, paper, scissors if you have to!"

Percy sighed, clearly not in the mood but raised his hand regardless. "You do know how to play don't you?"

She nodded. Of course I know how to play a children's game. Vers also raised her fist. She wouldn't lose either. In all the times she had played it with Att-Lass and Minn-Erva, to see who would pilot the Helion, she had only lost a handful of times.

One

Two

Three

She had chosen paper.

Percy had chosen rock.

He muttered something unintelligible under his breath that not even her universal translator could decipher but she could easily guess that it was an expletive as he opened the door to the backseat. She internally smirked at the defeated and took her place as a passenger.

With all of them aboard, Fury began to drive.

It only took him a couple moments for the agent of SHIELD to begin asking more in-depth questions of the Kree people and their history.

And so she told them. Percy was entirely disinterested with her whole spiel despite her attempts to also engage him in conversation and to probe him about his own abilities as she had never met another enhanced with powers.

While biological and cybernetic enhancements were commonplace throughout the universe. Vers own abilities were something of an anathema. Being a volunteer in an experimental Kree program that had granted her the powers she now possessed had that effect. Consequently, she was also told that she was the only one to survive and that the program had been shut down because of it.

All he did was look out the window, ignoring the both of them. Soon it was near night time as the sun began getting lower and lower from the horizon.

"So the Kree are a race of noble warriors?" Fury asked, glancing at her from over the rim of his tinted glasses.

"Heroes. A race of noble warrior heroes." She corrected with a smile. It was entertaining to teach a Terran the nuances of her people. Though she could never see herself doing it full-time like maybe Minn-Erva or Bron-Char.

She heard a scoff from behind her. "Heroes? Is that an official description?"

Her eyes slightly narrowed at the mocking tone and she turned her head to look at Percy from the corner of her eye. He was still looking out the window and she felt that odd sensation in her mind once again but dismissed it easily this time.

"It is." Vers retorted. "The Kree have been fighting the Skrull Empire for thousands years, protecting races too weak to fight them."

Percy hummed but he didn't look convinced.

In fact, he still didn't even look that interested and only the bouncing of his leg gave her any clue of his impatience. "Why don't you tell us why you want this Pegasus thing?" Fury asked, bringing her attention away from him..

"I'd like to hear about that as well." Percy added in.

She sighed, hoping to avoid this line of conversation for as long as possible. It was probably for the best that they didn't know much about it unless she wanted to draw them fully into the crosshairs of the Skrull, specifically Talos.

But she would rather work with someone and take the path of least resistance until her team arrived.

Vers spoke, her voice tinged in slight fear as it was entirely possible that whatever she had been told by Talos was the truth. "There's a terran scientist by the name of Lawson. The Skrulls believe she developed weapons at Pegasus that have the potential to give them the edge needed to win the war and to dominate neighboring galaxies."

"Is there a full name we can work with?"

"Wendy Lawson." She said. Another wave of images began to assault her mind. Scenes of that older woman who Vers was now beginning to believe was Lawson walking her through aircraft similar to ones she had seen photographed at the bar and talking about ending and escaping wars.

"Why aren't the Asgardians doing anything about it?" Percy's words caught her off-guard, snapping her from her invasive thoughts and caused her to fully turn around in her seat and to look at Percy with a curious look.

Asgardians? How did a Terran know about them? He may be enhanced but even she, a veteran in the Kree Starforce, barely knew anything about them and her information came from Yon-Rogg and the few people she had a chance to meet in the upper echelons of Kree society like Ronan. She had heard stories about them as revered peacekeepers and unmatched, even by Kree standards, in martial prowess.

That was probably why he didn't think Kree to be heroes if he was comparing them to Asgardians.

Still, what she knew was veiled in a layer of disdain and arrogance. "Asgardians?" Fury asked though both ignored him much to his detriment.

"How do you know about the Asgardians?" Her eyes and voice questioning.

"I've had my fair share of interactions with them." He said offhandedly as if it was the most casual thing to say in the whole universe and not something that people often talked about for their entire lives as if it were something of a legend.

She didn't view them as such but the few people that she knew to have had past interactions with them viewed them as such with the distinct exceptions being Yon-Rogg and Ronan who didn't view them in that favorable of a light, thinking them to be nothing more than a glorified and arrogant society that hid behind a veneer of power.

Ronan had…less than nice things to say about them when compared to Yon-Rogg's words.

She scowled, figuring she wasn't going to get anything else from him but she still answered his question since it was one she asked herself many times. If the Asgardians were the famed peacekeepers and warriors that they were known for then why haven't they done anything about the Skrull threat?

"All I know is that they don't want to involve themselves in the affairs of other races."

He nodded a slight grimace on his features before it morphed into a look of understanding after a couple seconds. "That sounds about right." Vers internally scowled. Something with Percy was not adding up. He couldn't be Asgardian given his statement but how did he know about them but not about Xandar, Kree or the Skrulls?

"Anyone want to clue me in here?" Fury prodded.

"Don't worry about it. The Asgardians are a non-issue." Percy answered him as Vers readjusted herself in her seat.

"What he said." Vers added in. The Asgardians weren't going to get off their lazy asses to help Earth so it was no use worrying about them.

"Right." Fury didn't look all that convinced. They descended into a comfortable if slightly awkward silence as they drove further into the Terran desert and mountains.

It was about another hour and well into the night when they began to approach what she believed to be the Pegasus site. Though she didn't see any airfield nor structures but the hints of it were there as signs plastered with warnings of the area being restricted and that use of force would be used if caught trespassing.

"Where's the base?" Vers questioned in slight confusion as they continued to drive.

"Inside a mountain." Fury explained. "It's a research and weapons testing site developed by the US Air Force and NASA."

"This'll be fun." Percy remarked in a mocking lilt as he sat up and straight, popping the kinks in his body as he stretched. Vers began doing the same. The mode of transportation was rather cramped and sitting still for a couple hours was not something that she liked even aboard the Helion.

They approached a security checkpoint. All there was, instead of an actual person there manning it however was a chain-link fence with a rolling gate and a small scanning podium type device.

They rolled to a halt as a synthesized voice on an intercom from the podium spoke up. "This is a restricted area. Turn your vehicle around."

Fury let out an annoyed sigh. "Nicholas Joseph Fury. Agent of SHIELD." He revealed his badge and showed it to the podium. Vers had a light smirk playing on her lips as he withdrew his identification and placed his thumb on a scanner.

"You have three names?" Terrans are weird.

"Everybody calls me Fury or Agent Fury. Nothing more, nothing less."

"So if I started to call you Ni-"

He interrupted. "Just Fury." His voice was low and he looked down at her from over the rim of his tinted glasses. She smiled lightly in response.

She was definitely going to call him Nick.

"You are cleared for access." The podium cut in monotonously. "Have a nice day."

"Thank you." The gate began to open and they drove further in.

There was a moment of eerie silence as they continued onward.

Percy was the first to speak as Vers watched him from the mirror that was handing from the ceiling of the transport. He was constantly shifting in his seat as he stared out the window at the mountains that surrounded them. "I'm definitely not going to like this."

They were approaching a tunnel that was being flanked by four heavily armed security personnel with holding rifles across their chest. One of them waved them onward.

"Why not?"

"Let's just say mountains and I do not get along."

And with that ominous remark, the entered the Pegasus site under dim orange eerie lighting and the echoing hum of the transport's engine.

'Even if it turns out that time travel is impossible, it is important that we understand why it is impossible.'

-Stephen Hawking.

'There are no accidents.'

-Master Oogway, Kung Fu Panda

So a brief AN to close out the chapter! This chapter is mainly a characterization and plot development chapter just like Chapter XI was for the Dark World Arc. So it may seem a little slow. Consequently, I would like to point out that this Arc is not just Captain Marvel, otherwise it would be really short considering it is time travel.

Unfortunately, I will be ceasing updates for the rest of the year, as I have, as usual, become busy for the holidays. Next update is slated for 01/01/2022. If you'd like, catch me on the Emerald Library Discord to get real-time updates as to when I am updating! The link for that will be in my profile!

Also I would like to shout-out all the amazing authors on the Emerald Library for their support and feedback! Specifically I would like to shout-out Const3llations for their support! I highly recommend his PJO/Avenger AUs 'Pride in the Devil' and 'Death and Champagne'! They are amazing works of romance and adventure!