Of Water and Salt

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Percy appeared in his vault. The running falls along the walls bringing him a much-needed moment of calm and clarity.

He took a deep breath. This day…days rather… were leaving him rather drained. His debilitated and dead state notwithstanding, he couldn't remember the last time he slept.

Who would've thought that being struck by the Master Bolt, dying and then subsequently being brought back from the dead would've been so exhausting?

He doubted that there existed anyone else that could claim such a feat.

Not that he was keen to experience that series of events again. Nor meet the unfortunate soul that had the displeasure of experiencing what he did. He also didn't think that announcing it would do him any favors.

Percy yawned into a fist as he absently rubbed his leg, shaking his head to rid himself of his drowsy mind.

The Son of Poseidon looked around, scanning the vault for what he may need to temporarily use. If Sif and Jane were with the mortal then he didn't exactly have a desire to show up in his more normal clothing and being unarmed would be just plain stupid.

Only for his eyes to land on his own stand.

Adorned on it was a new armor similar to but also different to his previous one. The only noticeable differences were that the engraved delta on his helm had been replaced with a lambda. The previously distinctive seashell frill was adjusted to a simple but significantly shorter and wider vertical crest adorned with a shorter red horse hair plume instead of a blade. Besides that he could see were the rather apparent pteruges that were attached at the bottom and shoulders of the molded cuirass. He didn't dwell on it for too long, choosing instead to open and read the small envelope that was tucked into the nape of the breastplate.

There wasn't much written and it was done in rough, tight and small script of ancient greek. As if it were scribbled both quickly and with disregard.

Visit Mount St. Helens as soon as possible. Need to finish your armor.

- H

Percy grimaced. The thought of going there always left an unpleasant feeling in his stomach.

He had also very nearly forgotten that the Queen of Olympus had commissioned her son to forge his new armor.

In that knowledge, he would be safe that while not completed, the armor would still afford him a decent amount of protection.

At least, the Asgardian scale mail was still present, Percy rather hated the uncomfortable straps that his original armor had.

Percy placed a palm on the chest of the molded cuirass and focused on the feeling of the metal.

A small tug of his gut and the armor collapsed into a puddle of water on the floor, falling through the grates and joining the running and churning pool underneath.

Percy willed the armor to form on him, the water rushing from the pool and upwards onto his body, encasing him in a thick veil of water.

He felt a familiar and comforting weight settle upon him. His injured side began tightening and cramping, with his hand suddenly shaking violently in that brief moment before ceasing just as fast as it had begun. The Son of Poseidon looked at his scarred hand in concern as he massaged it.

Helios did say that there would be some lingering effects from the Master Bolt.

Percy hoped that it wouldn't become an issue but put it from his mind for now.

Now he had his own tasks to sort through. First on the list was bringing the Asgardians back. Hopefully, neither Sif nor Jane had attracted the attention of any of the Immortal Realm, monster or otherwise, but he doubted it. If it had happened, Percy figured that he would've heard about it by now.

He supposed that he should put the Asgardian and Theoi animosity on the top of his priority list so he didn't have to police their movements as much. After all, if Percy was going to get serious about his task, then he would need their help.

Percy wasn't worried about Sif. She could take care of herself and what she revealed of Asgard was up to her.

He was mostly concerned for Jane. In his personal experience, she had trouble with keeping things to herself and while she hadn't yet outed that she was Asgardian or hanging with one of the world's most wanted, it was only a matter of time before that got out.

Percy knew it would be hard for him to remain under the radar when he really did begin working.

Luckily, he had an in with the man that was apparently the head of the world's foremost intelligence organization.

Hopefully, he wouldn't be too pissed that Percy had been the one responsible for the loss of his eye.

Shouldn't have gotten in my way. Was his parting thought on Nick Fury.

Percy digressed as he turned to face his vault properly. What would he take?

Something simple, easy to use but effective and could be switched out when he got Thyella back.

It was an easy decision as he strode over and stood before where Clarisse's shrine lay. Her armor rested resolute and stalwart but eerily…vacant. He didn't quite know how to describe it.

Percy took a moment to pay his respects to the Daughter of Ares. His relationship with her hadn't really been the best since he arrived at camp, hostile at first, but after the whole Sea of Monsters debacle had cooled considerably. She came through in the Battle of Manhattan and if he remembered correctly from what Annabeth had told him, grew out of her more…childish tendencies and became a leader that the camp could look to.

Even during the Second Gigantomachy, Clarisse had been a pivotal bulwark in the campaign against Gaia and while her death had been a major blow to the morale of the general army, it had the unintended effect of galvanizing those sired by the War God further, something that Percy capitalized on.

He stood a moment more, regarding the hoplite armor with some remorse as he retrieved the sheathed kopis sword that was set beside it. The metal of the War God, Adamantine, while not as effective as Celestial Bronze or Imperial Gold in dispatching monsters, the enchanted silver was one of the few celestial metals that could affect mortals as well.

I will bring this back. He promised as he buckled it to his waist before making for the exit, a slight almost unnoticeable limp in his step. The smell of cookies in the air as he passed the waterfall barrier.

As much and as useful as misting without a thought to places, Sally had made it readily known that she wouldn't tolerate it at all while he was home unless it was an emergency.

Percy was sure that she wouldn't question him too much on what had him leaving so suddenly in the first place and if she did, he was sure that he'd be able to avoid the topic of his…demise easily and spare her a heart attack.

After exiting his vault, Percy continued up and onwards into the main foyer. "Mommy! Percy's home!" Was the first thing he heard and he almost had his own heart attack. He looked to the source, up on the second floor, was Estelle looking through and pressing her face against the spindles of the banister. "Wanna play?"

"Not right now!" He shouted up to her with a small, even relieved, smile at her. She smiled back.

Sally came in a moment later, an apron about her, but also a look of relief in her own eyes. "Look, mommy! Percy is wearing a skirt like me!" Estelle shouted once again, pointing at him. Percy's heart constricted once more.

Consigning himself to a life where he wouldn't be able to ever see either again, to see both…made it an almost impossible thing to try and avoid the pooling in his own eyes.

But he prevented any tears from falling, mainly through his subtle command over water. He blinked them back before they spilled.

Sally laughed, both forcefully and seemingly out of her own relief, but seemed to tire again. "I'm guessing you haven't seen the news?" She said as she wrung her hands on a dry hand towel.

His smile was torn between a frown of displeasure and relief. "I was rather…busy. What happened?" She doesn't know that I died.

He felt as if more weight was lifted from his shoulders. Going back to people that thought you were dead was never a good feeling. He had the unfortunate displeasure of knowing what that felt like on a number of occasions.

"You should probably see for yourself. It's all over the news right now."

"Wait for me! I want to see Ms. Jane fly again!" Estelle shouted as she ran and went down the steps as fast as she was able.

That told him all he needed to know. Sally directed him to the TV and switched it on. The banner was what caught his attention first. IRON MAN AND VALKYRIE SAVE LIVES! He didn't bother listening as he watched Jane fly through the air alongside Iron Man catching people out of the sky. Estelle mimicked with her arms spread wide as she ran around Percy and Sally.

"Where was this?"

"Miami," Sally said, in slight concern. "It was a couple hours ago."

Percy reached into his pouch, fishing out the phone he carried. Safe within his own home and land, Percy called Jane's phone.

Only for pop music to be faintly heard down the hallway. He shook his head in exasperation.

Pocketing his phone, he fished out a drachma and waved his hand, willing a veil of mist to appear, and a rainbow. He tossed the coin in. "Sif Haldorsdottir."

A moment passed and another.

"Sorry, the person you are trying to reach is unavailable at this time. Would you like to try another person?" Iris' automated voice sounded. Percy mentally bit out an expletive.

"Jane Foster."

A moment passed and another.

Only for that same message to be repeated.

He dissipated the veil as a coin popped out and his exasperation intensified. He hadn't tried to contact them via IM before as it was unneeded.

Just another thing for him to add to the list of things he needed to figure out.

"I'll be back. It shouldn't take long." He paused. "Save some cookies for me?"

"Cookies?" Estelle stopped swerving as she looked at Sally with wide eyes.

Under the eyes of both her children, she stood no chance. Sally sighed exaggeratedly and relented. "Cookies. But only one! We have to save some for Santa and Percy!" She told Estelle in a mockingly stern manner.

Watching Estelle fist pump was easily the highlight of his week.

Sally nodded to him, grabbing Estelle's hand as she led his little sister to the kitchen.

And with a clear thought of one of many Miami safehouses, Percy took a step and his form dispersed into a fine mist. He felt his mind pull and reform.

Before him was an alleyway and beside him, a chiseled engraving of a delta inscribed into a brick wall.

He mostly just used it as a place to crash on his seaboard patrols but that was neither here nor there.

He had to stop himself from stepping further into the public. He had nearly forgotten that he was still adorned in his armor.

After a brief moment to divest himself of his new armor and change into more mortal clothing, he stepped into downtown Miami.

Like most populous cities, it held quite a few high-rises and with the sunset, an almost orange fire glow was reflecting off the tall buildings. It was almost ethereal in a way.

But Percy wasn't there, unfortunately, to take in the sights. Upon exiting the alleyway, Percy immediately joined the pedestrian traffic. Cars continued to drive by and life continued as if nothing had ever happened. Though Percy did hear some conversations talking of whatever Iron Man and Valkyrie had done. His hand did spasm once, and his leg still ached, a near unnoticeable limp in his stiff leg making his trek a little longer than intended.

Still, he made his way to the closest beach which took him some time. Not because he didn't know where to go but because of the amount of foot traffic.

Reaching the beach, there were still some people there, doing light workouts mostly but given that it was almost night, there weren't as many people as he was expecting especially considering the number of people in the city.

He snapped his fingers and a wave of the Mist spilled from the point, like a wave, the people around him would continue about their business. A little more active control of the Veil Magic but considering the rather exposed nature this was and his own insights on how the Veil affected him he decided it was needed. He didn't want people to see him walk into the sea and get concerned.

Percy purposefully waded into the ocean, feeling his pains ease as he did so, once he was completely submerged. He took a moment to relax and enjoy the peace of being underwater and the relief that was brought with it before composing himself and then calling out. "I need your help!"

It was only a couple of seconds before he got a response. A sea nymph appeared, unlike the Undine who held a warlike but…serene appearance, the nymphs of the oceans of his realm were, while possessing features that could be considered soft, held themselves in a more…wild disposition. The nymph seemed on the younger side of things as if she were just a teen and her hair was splayed out as it was caught in the water.

Still, she spoke with a bright smile on her face and an eagerness in her posture. "My prince, I heed your call." And then curtseying hurriedly as if in embarrassment that she forgot.

Percy smiled lightly at the action but his voice was urgent and it told that nymph that delays were not an option. "I need information. There was a mortal disturbance today, sometime in the afternoon. Apparently people fell out of the sky and an Asgardian was involved. Where did it happen?"

"Yes, my lord." The nymph bobbed her head as she gestured and began swimming. "Right this way!" Percy easily followed. They were followed by a school of fish that tried to keep up but were left in their wake.

Considering their speed, it didn't take them long for them to arrive, and after getting the nymph's name, Thespia, and offering his thanks, slowly rose to observe the proceedings above. He saw a bunch of government vehicles, FBI and DHS the most prominent among them, he also spied the SHIELD logo on a couple of the vehicles. Local law enforcement was around as well, but most looked to be relegated to maintaining a perimeter.

He delved back into the surf thinking about how to do this. Using Veil Magic was an option and it was something that he did consider.

But all he really needed was information and Percy just saw that there were a couple vehicles that indicated that SHIELD was present. Then a thought occurred to him and a very rough plan began to form.

…Huh…maybe that badge will come in handy.

The Mist needed something to work with after all.

He peeked back above the surface again as he found an alleyway to mist to.

He misted there immediately to face a dead-end alleyway.

Percy turned, schooled his features, and took a moment to fish out the SHIELD badge from his pouch.

It took a moment longer than he was willing to admit, and to be sure that he didn't look like a complete rookie he readied himself to display the badge rather than fumble with it like what he had done back at the Pegasus Base.

Feeling slightly more confident, Percy strode over to the perimeter, taking in every detail, from the number of onlookers to the amount of law enforcements present and where they were and even peering into the adjacent shops like he had seen investigators in movies when he was younger. The former just in case he got into an unwanted fight and the latter was just for show, he wasn't actually looking for anything.

Well, except if there were any other people just in case.

He just needed access to whatever SHIELD knew and if anyone here knew where an Asgardian would be it was probably them.

He approached the officer that was busy fending off a couple of journalists, held his badge in the way that he had seen Fury hold it back at Pegasus, and after a cursory glance, he was allowed to pass.

Jasper Sitwell was someone that people liked. For someone that was so high up in SHIELD's ranks, he was surprisingly straightforward. That's the way he liked it. Comparatively to SHIELD's nature as an intelligence organization that is. He'd tell you straight up that he wasn't allowed to say anything.

Well, not in such blunt terms but he'd say it in such a way that even a fresh Level 1 could see that information was on a need-to-know basis.

So putting his relatively high level, a rather rare trait in a world that spun on networking with the right people, it wasn't hard to be assigned to investigate the Asgardians.

The other option was Coulson, but Fury didn't want to deploy him just yet. Which was fine by Sitwell, it meant he got closer to the Avengers.

That was why SHIELD was there, their mission that is. He made it clear to his team that there was to be no stepping on toes when it concerned the security and investigation of Air Force One and the subsequent abduction of the President of the United States, by the US Armed Forces, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service.

Enough of the big names were here doing their domestic affairs that they were already having disagreements regarding jurisdiction while SHIELD was there solely because of the fact that there was an Asgardian was present. Or rather Asgardians.

The problem with that was Tony Stark. SHIELD had countless talented and gifted minds but compared to Stark? It was a given that something as simple as trying to track his Quinjet would be practically impossible.

And in all honesty, Sitwell hoped that this would be another dead end, like in London.

It wasn't like SHIELD could do anything to them. They could, in theory, detain them but he wasn't aware of any method that could kill one that didn't involve the Destroyer's Laser.

But they weren't really after the lady Valkyrie.

No, they were after her friend. The Golden Warrior.

A quick interview with Pepper Potts, her friend and the four of the Baxter Foundation, suggested that he had actually been killed.

And Fury was hellbent on finding out if that was true and, if possible, who was responsible.

Personally, even Sitwell would like to meet the person. If only to see if they were amenable to fighting on…their side.

He doubted it but if for nothing else, it would help provide a clear picture of what exactly was going on. In Sitwell's humble opinion, the world could do with a lot fewer Avengers and heroes and it was… SHIELD's duty to be the world's…shield.

The SHIELD agent shook his head as his menagerie of subordinates interviewed federal agents and a crowd of detained civilians.

He was lucky that he did, or he wouldn't have seen the man that held up his SHIELD badge to get past the perimeter.

Sitwell immediately stood to confront the man. It wasn't a rarity for agents to try and join an operation but it did happen. Sitwell had done it numerous times.

But this was an operation straight from Director Fury and he'd be damned if he'd let some lowly field agent get in the way.

Sitwell took a moment to both compose himself and examine him as he approached. He liked to think he had a good eye for reading people and this time appeared no different. If Sitwell had to compare to others, he looked like a mixture of Ward, Garrett, Blake and oddly of Hand.

The man was dressed similarly to how Grant Ward would. Like a biker, but a particularly casual one. Not one of those rough-em-up club members, but where Ward had that Male Model look to him, this guy looked more like a military man, rugged if Sitwell had to describe him. Definitely been through a couple rough stints if the few scars he could see were any indication.

But he wasn't all grim and sullen, he mostly had a bored and exasperated demeanor that told Sitwell that he was looking to get this over with as quickly as possible. So maybe he wasn't here to satisfy his ambition but here because he was told to be here. Kind of like Blake.

And the most defining features, other than the scars, were that the man had an almost unnoticeable fleck of silver hair at the crown of his head and pale green eyes.

I can work with that. Sitwell had worked with people like that before. It was really easy working with people that would rather be somewhere else, especially if they were ex-military. They usually were the ones that wanted to get the job done and didn't particularly care for the bureaucratic nonsense that many of the other agents got up to.

Sitwell smiled as he extended his hand in greeting to the new arrival.

The man stopped before him. Looked at his hand and then around before flashing his badge as he did so.

Outwardly, Sitwell's face remained genial. Inwardly, a slight panic rose in him.

What the hell is a Level 8 doing out here? He mentally stammered. "Good to have you here, sir. Jasper Sitwell, Level 7." He hoped it didn't sound forced. If it did, Agent Peter Johnson didn't seem to notice or care. He hadn't ever heard of him, but considering the guy was Level 8, it was probably a given. Sitwell had, after all, only just heard of and met Victoria Hand when he was reassigned to the Hub. He was sure that there were other Level 8s out there, he just didn't think he'd meet another after Coulson and Hand.

"Any leads on the Asgardians?" Agent Johnson said, tucking his badge into his jacket.

"No, sir," Sitwell responded, uneasy with how smoothly he seemed to just take control of his operation. It wasn't like Sitwell could do anything about it either. He was silent for only a moment. "If I may ask, sir, why's a Level 8 here?"

Johnson regarded him with a disinterested yet curious look if that was even impossible. "Was in the area, figured I'd lend a helping hand, plus you're messing with my stuff. Guess I'd get your people moving so I can do my mission."

"So you're not here to take over the operation? Do you have any assets here that could of any help?"

"Not particularly." Sitwell didn't know which question that answered.

There was another silence. "So what do we know?"

"Valkyrie and Tony Stark rescued a dozen Air Force One staff from a fall of thirty thousand feet." Sitwell began. "Air Force One blew from the inside from what we're guessing to be an attack from the Mandarin with the President abducted."

Another silence as Johnson absorbed the information. "Stop looking for the Asgardians. You won't find them."

Sitwell tilted his head towards Johnson. "Excuse me, sir? That's the point of this entire operation."

Another pause. "Let's retrace your steps. Walk me through it."

"Okay. I based my investigation on the fact that Stark would want to go after the Mandarin. We didn't know Asgardians were with him until we got a report from Tennessee of one Lady Sif fighting. " And so Sitwell told him of what happened in New York, interviewing the Fantastic 4, Pepper Potts and Maya Hanson before heading to Rose Hill, Tennessee because the Asgardian, Lady Sif, had helped Stark with dealing with some of the Mandarin's henchmen. Then they were stonewalled until Air Force One was compromised to where they were now. "We've just been getting lucky. Usually, I have much more time when tracking someone." He felt the need to defend himself to his superior. Sitwell was known for his investigative skills.

Johnson hummed as he considered his words. Sitwell blinked as it suddenly clicked in his mind. Scowling, Sitwell turned away from the Level 8 Agent.

He hoped that Fury wasn't paying any particular attention to him. "Damn it. Evans! Downey! Get over here!" Two SHIELD agents looked over from their interviews. "Scrap the interviews. Get me Stark's phone records for the past 24 hours! He's probably been calling his friends this entire time." We find Stark, we find the Asgardians.

Johnson stood impassively as his team worked. Considering his clearance, getting access to those records was probably the easiest thing he had to do. To say nothing if they needed to use Johnson's clearance. "One call from Rose Hill, Tennessee to Reed Richards at approximately 0500. Another to a restricted number in Washington and the last just an hour ago, here in Miami to Reed as well." Said the one that was presumably Downey who was looking from his laptop.

"Evans, get me a secure line with Dr. Richards! I have some questions for him."

After a moment of the phone dialing, the SHIELD agent put it on speaker for Johnson to hear. "You've reached Doctor Richards." The man's voice was level and professional.

"Doctor Richards, this is SHIELD Agent Jasper Sitwell, would you mind telling me where I can find Tony Stark?"

There was dead silence on the other end of the line. "Doctor Richards?" Sitwell questioned after another moment.

Sitwell continued when there was no response. "Doctor Richards, I need you to understand that I am under orders to make contact with Stark and the Asgardians accompanying him. They need to be debriefed regarding the incident involving Air Force One."

Richards seemed to sigh on the other end of the phone, both one of exasperation and if he guessed correctly; as if someone had messed up. "From what I understand, the Mandarin is Aldrich Killian." Sitwell snapped and waved over some of the other federal officers that were there. "The one we see on TV is actually an actor named Trevor Slattery, he's at Killian's mansion and is very eager to talk."

"How do you know this and why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Stark and a Colonel Rhodes told me. I don't know why you don't know, but to my understanding, they had contacted the Vice President before the attack on Air Force One. My team's further involvement in the matter wasn't pertinent." Reeds said, though his voice was solid, there was a hint of unease in it.

Immediately the federal agents around them were on their own phones and making calls.

An FBI agent spoke. "I got the go-ahead to raid the mansion." Another agent spoke up, "I have teams meeting us at the target location."

"Now where are they?" Johnson seemed to lean forward as did Sitwell.

"To my understanding, they are somewhere off the coast of Miami. I don't have specifics." Sitwell shrugged figuring that was the best he could get. Hopefully, this Trevor Slattery person could give them more. Though Johnson's reaction was a voiced expletive. Johnson maneuvered beside Evans and began asking him questions in a quiet voice.

Sitwell didn't particularly mind.

"Thank you, Doctor Richards. We'll be in touch and I think it's safe to say that you can expect a debriefing of your own." Sitwell finished. "Again thank you for your time and cooperation."

The line on the other end clicked off before Sitwell could hang up. He shrugged again as he turned to Johnson, patting Evans on the back, said agent nodded and then blinked a couple times.

"Thank you, Agent Johnson. I owe you one, how about some drinks after we wrap this up?" Sitwell offered.

"Nah, thanks for the gesture, this is just part of the job." He waved his hand in a dismissing manner before clapping loudly, by far the loudest clap he ever heard, grabbing the attention of everyone around, startled as they were at the sudden and unexpected noise. "Actually-"

Sitwell blinked.

Blinked again.

And again.

And then remembered that he had volunteered SHIELD resources to lead the raid Killian's mansion. "Should get on that…besides, the Asgardians and Stark can take care of themselves…with…whatever they're doing," Sitwell muttered to himself.

Sitwell looked around, feeling as if a ghost had just blown through him. He shuddered and went to work. He was definitely going to grab some drinks after this.

Percy ducked back into the alleyway that he had originated from as the few mortal bystanders, journalist or otherwise, walked away from the closed-off area and as the convoy of vehicles pulled away with emergency lights blinking.

Then when he was sure the boardwalk was relatively empty, he fished out his phone and was about to dial the number to this Reed Richards that knew the whereabouts of Stark (Percy's eye twitched), and by extension, the Asgardians.

And then he paused.

How was he going to…reveal, for lack of a better term, himself to them?

Sif and Jane know that he died. Even he knows that he died.

From his personal experience, ripping off the band-aid was the best course of action. Consequently, it was also the only course of action that he had any experience with.

In this regard, it was Sif he was most worried about. Considering her allegiance to Odin, she would be obligated to inform him that he died.

And if word got out that he died and was subsequently back to life, then some very uncomfortable questions would be asked that Hera, Poseidon and Percy were banking on never having to answer.

Well…considering he would have to face it regardless of how he did it, the play of returning from the dead and acting like it never happened was a tried and true one.

But that didn't mean he was going to tell the truth to anyone and everyone.

Percy took a moment to consider what he was going to say, schooled his features and breathed once just as he did before entering the perimeter and then dialed the number.

It rang a couple of times before that crisp but level voice answered. "You've reached Doctor Richards."

"Doctor Richards, this is SHIELD Agent Johnson. Now I'm going to cut right to the chase. I'm aware that you have knowledge on the whereabouts of the Asgardians-"

"I already told your friends that I don't know." The man interrupted.

"Unlike Agent Sitwell, I am under the impression that you do know where they are." Percy continued a little annoyance in his voice at being interrupted. He smiled slightly though. "Now, here's what I have to say. I have information for the Asgardians regarding their golden friend. Now, since I owe him, I've been instructed to deliver a message concerning his current state."

Another silence. Some arguing could be heard in the background. Percy made it a point to face away from the phone when he let out a light chuckle. For some reason, he enjoyed toying with other people when it concerned…well him.

"We'll relay the message for you. I don't think you should be caught up in this." Richards said.

"I'm afraid that I can't do that." Was Percy's immediate response. "You see, it was made clear to me that it was for their ears only and as much as I would love to shunt this off to someone else, I'd like to remain in the land of the living." The demigod son of Poseidon actually smiled at that.

There was a pronounced silence at that. So long that Percy imitated Sitwell's own experience. "Doctor Richards?"

"Apologies, Agent Johnson." A feminine voice responded if a little animated, and decidedly not Richards. "My colleague doesn't trust SHIELD, and neither do I but I see no reason to not have some more help." She seemed to take a deep breath. "They're at Dodge Island."

"Thank you, that'll be all." Percy hung up immediately.

And then realized he had no idea where that was.

Well, if it's an island and off the coast of Miami, it can't be that hard to find. He mused. Especially since I have a whole network of nature spirits that will help.

And with that, he sent a glance about the area before nodding to himself and sliding into the surf.

He called into the expanse of water once he was completely submersed. "Thespia! Sorry but I need your help again!" He shouted.

The Son of Poseidon didn't have to wait long. He guessed that the nymph might have lingered. Though he didn't think much of it. "My prince, it is no issue! I am honored to serve!" She curtsied both awkwardly and quickly as her face flushed like she was embarrassed that she did. Despite her young appearance and mannerisms, she was surprisingly well-spoken.

"There's no need for that." He waved off her formality, though he doubted she'd stop since they never did. "Do you know of any islands nearby that go by Dodge Island?" He asked. She nodded excitedly.

"Yes, my lord! It is a mortal shipping district! It's this way!" Thespia swam away, Percy following easily. They settled into a comfortable silence until it was broken by the nature spirit. "My Lord Perseus, before you go, if I may…" She trailed off.

"What's on your mind?" Though Thespia had stopped a little ways away from him, not approaching too close to the mortal harbor. It appeared they had arrived a couple of meters below the surface of the water it was clear to Percy that they were beside a rather large oil tanker and shipping yard. Christmas lights, from what he could tell, were strung up along the gantries and what he guessed to be a rather large Christmas tree if the illuminated star was any indication.

But even there was something…murky…heavy and even poisonous about the waters here. Where his vision underwater was similar if not better than it is on land, it appeared slightly misty and clouded the closer he drifted to the port. It left enough of a foul taste as his face contorted in disgust like tasting a particularly bad lemon.

She immediately bowed her head, hands clasped in front of her as she spoke. "My Lord, while I have not offered anything in comparison to be granted this favor, I humbly ask for your help!" Percy's eyes furrowed in confusion. Barring Pan, Percy couldn't recall the last time a nature spirit had asked him for help. He gestured for her to continue. Thespia kept her head bowed and eyes lowered, in a manner that spoke of more humiliation. "The mortals…there was an oil spill not long ago, before the war in fact, on the other side of the peninsula and many of my kin were forced to flee here. This vessel was responsible, even now whatever remains of its cargo leaks into the bay."

Percy's eyes narrowed. "How come I'm just hearing of this now?" He would've cleaned it. It was probably because of the war.

"Because of the war, my prince." She said. Right in one. "When Olympus was called to arms, we were still migrating and we know that the campaigns afterwards were of too much importance to even think of petitioning for aid….and while we did petition your father for assistance, from what we were told the disaster was watched and dealt with too closely by mortals for any divine intervention."

He swallowed his anger. He would speak with Poseidon. It was likely that he would get the same answer, but perhaps his own intervention could spark a more direct response from Atlantis in the future. His voice was even when he responded. "I'll take care of it. It may not be right now, but it'll be done."

"Thank-" She was cut off as a dull rumble was heard and a weak shockwave was felt. Several explosions illuminated the murky water a couple dozen meters above the surface of the water as if they were fireworks.

Acting on instinct, Percy's new armor formed on his person as he placed himself between the spirit and the surface. His eyesight was engulfed by more explosions, a flaming metal oil barrel careened and crashed into the water right before them. Percy's eyes widened and just as it exploded underneath the water, Percy forcefully raised his hand. The ensuing shockwave washed against and around a shield of water.

The vessel beside them, tilted and he switched his attention to it, raising both his hands as if bracing against a wall, willing a wall of water to freeze and anchor it. He constantly reinforced and froze as the vessel cracked and broke the supporting ice.

Had this been a functional ship, it would have been easy to deal with. Unfortunately, the only thing that remained was the hull structure and that made it little more than a floating metal carcass.

With a non-siphoned tank within.

He could sense more oil spilling into the water from the tanker.

You've got to be fucking kidding me! "Thespia! Evacuate the area now!"

The nature spirit didn't need to be told twice as she faced the open bay and shouted. To anyone else, it would've sounded like a piercing scream. Probably would've ruptured any mortal eardrum if they could hear it, but insulated underneath the water and only discernable by those of the sea, the shout of Thespia, was like the loudest horn he had heard going off.

He willed the waves and currents of the bay to liven, as just about every marine animal stampeded to get as far as possible from where they were, and nymphs in their dozens hastening the currents and waves to propel themselves and the animals around them.

More barrels fell into the water and exploded, the wave of pressure washing over him but doing little to affect him. Thespia swam away, Percy willing his control of water to jettison her clear and away from him. Not a moment later when he was sure that Thespia had cleared the area did he relinquish his control on the ice. No point in trying to save a lost cause, he'd just clean it after and hope that it didn't cause too much damage.

The vessel groaned and fell into the harbor, that leak rupturing and bursting as it let loose its contents into the coast of the island, inky and black oil spilled out and began coating the surface of the water. He bit out a curse and swam upwards, oil it may be, but it was still a liquid and he pushed it away so he could surface and get out of the water. At least that was the plan. It didn't help that the artificial current he created spread the oil even further and faster.

Just as he was about to breach the surface of the water, the oil caught fire, igniting across the surface and extending as far as it had been spread. Percy was lucky that he stayed in the water, otherwise, the ensuing explosion of the tanker probably would've wounded him. Underwater, however, it had little to no effect on him, the shockwaves passing over him as if it was a mild breeze.

Bits and pieces of metal and slag started to rain into the water. Enough that Percy had summoned a shield of water into existence as he willed the bigger pieces to rain around him.

Something careened and crashed into the water beside them, a suit of armor eerily similar to the one that Stark used, entrapped in a metal embrace was a mortal that was glowing red as if he had molten lava beneath his skin. He struggled violently as he attempted to free himself and even locked eyes with him just as the suit of armor exploded, taking it and the mortal with it.

Time to get out of here. Percy propelled himself upwards, an afterthought of forcing the oil to part as he did so. With Sif and Jane being here it was likely they were involved in this mess somehow.

He didn't linger in the sea of flame, running across the surface to the dock.

While the scene was indeed chaotic, he took it in just a moment. Explosions continued to burst and erupt sporadically throughout the shipping yard. The staccato of gunfire roared over the sparking fires while what sounded like lasers being fired responded. Much of the shipping yard was in flames and what few gantries that were left standing were melting where they stood.

As Percy jogged through the flames, a mortal had fallen from one of the melting gantries being tossed by one of the flying armors, landing with a sickly and bone-breaking fall.

Percy thought the person was as good as dead. No mortal could have survived a fall like that.

And just as he passed and was about to continue into the fray in an attempt to find Sif and Jane, the mortal began to stand.

Percy stopped in his tracks and turned, drawing Clarisse's kopis as the man grunted in pain as bones snapped and fused back into place, his body glowing a bright orange as he seemed to heal.

The mortal faced him and then drew a sidearm.

Percy was already swinging his sword as the man fired off several shots, each one deflected away with the flat of the blade though a couple did impact across his armor, doing little more than scratching it as the few bullets plinked off and away, missing him. He still felt them though, if less so than before, he noted.

Before the man could reload, Percy was already on top of him. Cutting the offending hand off and then punching the man across the face with his freehand. While it staggered him and caused him to scream in pain, where Percy was expecting a bloody stump, the wound was immediately cauterized and was growing back.

Percy's eyes narrowed but he didn't allow whatever that was to continue. He had enough experience dealing with these kinds of enemies to know how to destroy them. A mental checklist as a matter of fact.

Is it a hydra? No? Cut off the head. If that doesn't work, blow it up.

So he defaulted to the third step in this type of situation. The kopis in his hand uniquely adept at such a task.

With a swift and unhesitant swing, while the man tried to recover and as his eyes widened at his advance, the man was relieved of his head.

It lopped off, glowing a reddish and orange hue as it erupted into flame and ash, even melting the concrete around it with how intense the heat was. The rest of the body stumbled and then fell backwards, burning up and then melting into the concrete floor.

The blade vibrated a red hue and Percy felt his mind scratch and scream. He ignored it though. The enchantments of Clarrise's sword were comparatively easy to ignore when compared to those serene and melodious whispers that bothered him.

Percy turned on his heel and jogged away. It didn't take long for his next encounter.

A pair of mortals with that same reddish glow that had just finished tearing apart a suit of armor with their bare hands turned towards him.

They glared and then rushed him.

Percy's stride didn't stall in the slightest. A single slash across the chest of the foremost combatant saw him staggered and fall to the floor on one knee as the wound sparked and burned, the demigod using him as a stool to roll over, swinging and leveraging his momentum to behead the second man and the first one in one fell swing. Both bodies slumped forward burning and then melting where they were.

He stopped in his tracks as a flare of pain shot up his scarred leg and his sword hand spasmed before ceasing. He took a deep breath, his body tiring already. The previous days and events were catching up to him.

Maybe if this was before Stark called upon him, or even before he was thrown back in time, and struck by the Master Bolt, he may have had it in him to play around and see what the fuss was about but as it was, he was no longer in the mood to dally. The waters around the port were a mess and he wanted that clean as soon as possible but he didn't want to be shot at while he purified them.

But he was still annoyed.

Yeah, I'm done here. Percy raised his free hand, grasping towards the clear dark sky. Pillars of black smoke rising, clogging up the air. Immediately and at his bidding, dark and heavy clouds began to form and coalesce above them and a moment later, a loud clap of thunder boomed.

Gunfire, the sound of those lasers and the shouting slowed. The suits of armor that were flying stopped and stood scanning the area before returning to their flight. He could hear the sporadic sparking and weak coughs of explosions that burst throughout the yard.

A light rain began to fall, slowly at first, before it was made persistent. Not enough to be heavy, but enough to be noticeable. His senses extended. Mindful of the oil slick in the port, Percy expressly forbade a wind from coming forth. The fires sizzled and sparked in the rain. The rain rejuvenated him and his previously stiff leg relaxed.

It only took Percy a split moment to process the added information as the fighting resumed. The son of Poseidon decided that walking around was not the way to go and instead formed a pillar of water to raise him up into the sky and over the entire shipping yard.

Annoyed and as tired as he was but having regained a measure of strength, Percy, as a son of the Stormbringer, made his presence known and felt.

Thunder rumbled and crackled as the sky lit up in an array and webs of lightning nearly making the sky appear as if it were day, even the rain seemed to grow just a little in its intensity.

A bit dramatic for his taste, but Percy knew that sometimes, displays of power and force were enough to stifle most resistance. A slight headache began but he shrugged it off. It worked on SHIELD and even on Asgard, he had no reason to think this was any different.

The fighting stopped just about instantaneously.

And with how lit the sky was and all the fires, Percy could see Sif and Jane beside each other, swords and shields in hand looking up at him in pure shock. There were three others in blue uniforms that were beside them, appearing on the backfoot, a mixture of fear, shock and relief on their faces. Surrounding them looked to be quite a few of those regenerative mortals who, despite their ability, looked up at him in fear.

His mind flared and even visibly recoiled when his eyes landed on the large orange...thing… he very briefly remembered seeing it…in New York. It wasn't like he was in any position to try to remember anything as he lay dying, but that…thing…if it stood maybe a couple of meters taller and had four more arms, Percy could swear that it was an Earthborn.

He had to consciously keep telling himself that it was not one of those…things…

Percy didn't have many fears that were so debilitating. He could certainly fight them but Earthborn struck fear whenever encountered.

And then there were all the suits of armor that were flying about, a pair flanking him but also facing him. Their illuminated eyes watched his every move. Percy didn't know exactly where Stark was. For all he knew, he was in one of the suits around him.

And because of that, Percy took a moment to pull a veil of Mist over his face.

He raised the kopis towards those on the ground and took a preparatory breath. Projecting his voice, he spoke. "Surrender. Now."

A crack of lightning accentuated his words.

And a moment later, the mortals on the ground slowly began to raise their hands in that universal sign.

Percy nodded, mostly to himself and in all honesty, in relief. While he didn't think that the mortals were much of a threat, it would've been annoying and tedious to have to fight them. Anticlimactic, but he was in no mood to be annoyed at the peaceful turn of events. The pillar of water he stood upon collapsed as he misted in between the two groups.

A silence reigned among them as he appeared, facing the regenerative mortals, kopis still ready in his hand, and rain still falling and sizzling off their skin as it connected. Sif stepped to his side, helmed and with Sylfang drawn, her shield dissipating in an amber mist. "Good to have you back, Apollyon." She said through a tight smile as if she was trying to mask her shock. He spied the handle of his sword strapped to her back but didn't say anything in regards to it just yet.

"It's good to be back," Percy muttered in return, his hair raising in slight annoyance at the name but it was better than his given name due to their present company. He had a feeling he was not going to enjoy the next conversation he had with her. Jane attempted to also step forward but Sif leveled her sword, not at her, but in a manner barring her further approach. "Hands on heads and get on your knees. Now." He pointed the kopis to them, daring them to resist.

None of them did.

"You know…" A guy's voice awkwardly trailed off behind them, "I expected a zombie to be more…you know…zombified." At that, Percy did look backwards with a blank expression. One of the blue-suited people spoke, his blonde hair standing and giving him a sort of California surfer look. The lady among them looked absolutely mortified and embarrassed at the man's words while the orange golem nudged his shoulder. Percy's eye twitched at the golem. The other older man, with grey hair flanking a mop of dark brown, scratched the back of his head in conflict as if he wasn't sure what to do, his eyes glancing between the three that shared the same uniform and at him.

"…Johnny, why don't you go put out the fires?" The older man said after a second while scratching the back of his head.

Seemingly now realizing the uncomfortable air, the now-identified Johnny, coughed into his hand. "Yeah, I'll go do that. Ben, you want to tag along?"

"Sure, kid. Looks like you still need babysitting. Besides, being a glorified firefighter suits you." The voice sounded like gravel and rock being crushed and Percy's eyes twitched again. The man scoffed indignantly at that even as he thrust his hands out at the fire closest to him, the flames immediately stifling and then extinguishing. Johnny looked at him with a grin that suggested he was looking for some sort of reaction.

Percy was not impressed at all. He may not have known Leo for long, but he had seen the kid wave a field of fire that was several square kilometers in size away like it was an afterthought. This whole yard would've been child's play for him.

Johnny frowned and coughed in minor embarrassment as he went back to work while muttering to himself and the orange golem that was apparently named Ben.

"Sorry about him." The woman said while shifting in her place slightly. "He has a bit of a mouth."

Percy didn't respond as he turned back towards the group of mortals.

"JARVIS, contact SHIELD and fill them in. We're going to need their help." A voice that sounded like Stark emanated from a gold and red suit off on the opposite side of them. Percy could vaguely remember it being the one that he had rescued Stark in though it looked considerably more damaged than before. "Tell them that the Mandarin is dead."

"Sir." Several of the suits spoke up at once.

At that, the clean-up seemed to begin in earnest, Percy, sheathing the kopis and even ceasing the storm that had begun, though he didn't remove the dark cloud cover.

Percy, Sif and Jane watched as Stark and his suits escorted the surrendered men and women, with the blue-suited man and woman following and speaking with Stark. The word 'cure' was heard and they occasionally sent looks to them but Percy, save for the passing once over, didn't pay much attention to them. A few of the suits of armor, cleared away debris for the one putting out fires.

Sif stayed by his side, a small frown on her face as her brows furrowed. Jane hung loosely behind the pair, unsure of whether or not to approach.

Percy watched as Johnny continued to stifle the fires around them, clearing large swathes of it in moments though still a little too slow for his liking. The oil was left, but Percy would deal with that when the blonde man was done.

Percy didn't face Sif as he spoke. "We'll talk about what happened when we're done here." The son of Poseidon finally answered their unasked question. "Just know there's not much I'm allowed to say."

"Are we to remain here?" Sif ventured, looking around, taking his short delay in stride. "There is not much in the way of assistance that we can provide."

"For now." He glanced about as Johnny began to stifle the remnants of the fire. "I have a couple things to clean up and then we'll leave."

Sif nodded, following his gaze. The blonde man finished his task as he put out the last embers with a thrust of his hands.

"Come. I think you'll want to see this." He said suddenly after a moment of silence, startling them both. Percy turned on his heel, followed by both Sif and Jane. He noted that Stark, who was still in his suit of armor and the rest of the blue-suited individuals followed them, those in the blue suits having worried looks on their faces. Johnny and…Ben remained in the yard, ensuring no fires stayed up,

"Where are we going?" Jane asked suddenly as she trailed behind.

"Like I said, I have a mess to clean." He said casually and aloud as they stopped at the edge of a dock, and before the metal carcass. Norco was painted on its side, and the hull itself was leaning on its side, grinding and groaning against the concrete pier and reef of rocks. He raised his hands, and in a stance that made it seem like he was bracing against a wall, Percy exerted his will on the vessel pushing it further until it was fully underwater. He could still sense oil spilling and bubbling to the surface and took extra care to ensure that it remained as close to the island as possible.

"Did you have to do that?" The older man in the blue suit asked with a frown. Percy didn't answer.

Tony whistled at the sight even as Johnny spoke. "That's going to be bitch to clean." The woman smacked his arm but there were murmurs of agreement and shared grimaces by all those present. With the exception of Sif who only looked on, probably already guessing where this was going when he fished out a familiar small leather pouch from his ever-present satchel.

Then Percy grunted, Sif helping as he eased himself onto the edge of the wharf, his stiff leg doing him no favors as he dropped onto the surface of the water, or rather oil in this case. Standing on it as if it were solid ground, Percy willed the crude oil away and sank into the water until the water was just below his sternum and then waded about a meter further.

The son of Poseidon was well aware that the eyes of the mortals were on him but he didn't have the patience to delay this any longer than necessary. He raised his hand and in a small sweeping motion as if he were gesturing for someone to pass, he willed whatever oil that remained on the pier to wash into the bay.

It was a quick affair, as the oil pooled and rushed to fall over the berth, evading around the spectators. When every last drop had fallen into the sea, did Percy unclasp the small pouch and shake out one of his few remaining sand dollars. The enchanted shells were not easy to come by, and he'd have to either go to camp or Atlantis to replenish his stock.

There was no fanfare nor any hesitance on his part as he held the shell beneath the surface of the water and broke it, a pure crystalline blue mist spilled from where it split and stretched out, over and in the water, for nearly as far as the eye could see. The mist even engulfing the metal carcass that was the Norco in its entirety.

A moment later the blue mist faded away into the waves, and even Percy's passive and easy control over the weather and bay broke as a fresh sea wind blew into them. The waves gently lapped at the island and he could feel a renewed vigor from the currents and water around him. The oil that had caked and layered over the water's surface completely vanished to be replaced by pure and clean seawater.

The Norco was gone, having dissolved into seawater since Percy, as the only being that could be considered a water spirit for several dozen kilometers, considered even that to be a pollution to the harbor. With his work here done, and making a mental note to IM Thespia when he got the chance, Percy released his afterthought hold over the overcast, allowing it to disperse into the clear night sky.

Satisfied with his…work, if he could even call it that, Percy turned back and materialized a set of stairs towards the dock that he ascended.

The faces of those watching were disbelieving, even Sif's eyes had widened slightly. Percy though, figured now would be the best time to get the last thing on his mind out of the way.

Tony began to speak as Percy stepped onto the yard, "Ho-"

Percy didn't give him a chance. Faster than even Sif could react, he had drawn an illuminated red kopis, grasped Tony by the nape of his armored neck, and pressed the edge of the blade to his neck, cutting into the metal and cabling that protected it as if it were muscle, not all the way but sparks were definitely flying. All it would take was some pressure and the man would die from shock and blood loss.

Tony grunted as he stumbled backwards onto the ground as Percy loomed over him. Sif had drawn Sylfang but looked conflicted on whether to defend him or level the blade towards him, it was only momentary though but she had instead readied herself to fight the suits of armor that had raised their arms towards them and the blue-suited individuals that had less than stellar reaction times, with the exception of the orange golem that had stepped to the forefront. Jane was the last to react, as she was completely horrified and conflicted about what to do.

Percy spoke. His voice low and dangerous. "Next time, dig yourself out of your own grave. You call upon me as you did before, and know that no one will save you." He bit out. "Do you understand, Stark?"

Tony could only nod, his hands raised in a surrendered manner, though with how close the kopis was to beheading him the act only cut into more of the metal. Percy stood straight and sheathed the sword with practiced ease. "Yeah, that's fair. Thor did warn me…" Stark swallowed thickly and then breathed slowly from his still prone position as Percy looked down at him.

The Son of Poseidon didn't respond to that but turned to walk instead. Sif approached his side as did Jane, grasping his arm to stop him. The valkyrie almost crashing into them at their sudden stop. He looked at her as she spoke in a low voice. "Your hand."

Percy's brows knitted but he gave her it. She examined it for a moment, the scar from the Master Bolt readily apparent, she didn't say anything but drew a dagger from behind her, and in a swift movement cut into his palm.

He wasn't expecting it and let out a small hiss at the sting. She examined the wound closely as it bled and he awkwardly looked around, Jane animatedly shrugged when his questioning and confused look landed on her. Seeming satisfied and even a little relieved but confused, she nodded to herself. Percy's eyes narrowed as he looked at his hand, absently willing a tendril of water to form beside him. The cut wasn't all that deep, just enough to break the skin and cause it to bleed. It looked like any other cut, with red blood pooling, but not profusely.

He shrugged as the tendril wrapped around his hand healing it and sewing the cut shut, leaving only pink and irritated skin in its wake. He rubbed it absently. "What was that about?" He asked the Asgardian as the tendril of water beside them collapsed.

She shrugged but didn't answer otherwise, her brows knitting and furrowing. Percy eyed her for a moment as he glanced down at this hand before deciding that it didn't matter.

"You two ready to go?" He asked after that.

A voice spoke up behind the trio. "Excuse me." The three looked to the source, and in all honesty it was quite comical, as their heights made the woman before them seem short in comparison. All of them standing near a head and shoulders taller than the dirty blonde-haired woman. "Lady Sif…Lady Valkyrie" She seemed unsure of whether to bow or not and instead awkwardly inclined her head. "Can I have a moment of privacy with the, uh, Golden Warrior?"

"Apollyon." Sif corrected swiftly and with narrowed eyes, shifting slightly in front of him. Percy shuffled in his place.

"Apollyon." The woman nodded but seemed uncomfortable with it.

"Whatever you may need to say, can be said before them." Percy intervened, the night wearing his nerves thin. At least it seemed that Sif was of the same mind if her posture was any indication.

She still seemed unsure as she looked between the trio before composing herself and speaking. "I wanted to thank you. For what you did for me in New York."

His mind blanked for a moment before recalling the Battle of Manhattan as that was really the only time he went out of his way to help mortals but how would she know? She would've been asleep during that. "This is the Chitauri, right?" He asked as he realized there was only one individual he had stopped for when he was fighting in New York. "You're the woman that was in the elevator."

"The name's Susan Storm." She introduced herself awkwardly and in no small amount of surprise as if him not knowing who she was, was some grand thing. "But, I just wanted to thank you, for saving my life and if you need anything-"

Percy interrupted her before she could continue. His response practiced and perfected from having said it too many times to grateful demigods and legacies over the years. They may hate him for what he did in the war but that didn't stop their relief whenever he arrived to a battlefield. "Don't mention it. I was in the area and figured a stopover wouldn't hurt. My apologies that I couldn't save everyone."

She began to speak before Percy raised his hand. A curious glance was shared by Sif and Jane between them. "Seriously, don't mention it." He stressed. He didn't need people feeling indebted to him when it was his own decision to help because then they just started to involve themselves in things that didn't concern him.

She nodded weakly as if she wanted to talk more. She glanced at the trio in slight awkwardness before walking away.

"You saved someone during that battle?" Sif asked after a moment. "I was under the impression that you simply killed everything in your path."

"Do you make a habit of saving damsels?" Jane attempted to tease as they began to walk away.

Percy scratched at his armored chest at the rather blatant way Sif said it but it wasn't untrue so it wasn't like he could deny it. "I think this is the first and only time, I," He raised his hands in air quotes. "saved a damsel,' as you put it."

"You did save me." Jane coughed into her hand. "In a roundabout way."

Percy didn't respond to that. In his opinion, saving someone that was bait didn't count since it was part of the plan.

There was a comfortable silence as the trio continued to walk through the shipping yard. It was dark, with a waning moon providing some light, the yard's lights winking on as they spied a convoy of emergency vehicles entering the island. The trio walked away from all of the chaos that it was sure to be.

When they were out of view, earshot and had stopped for Percy to mist them all back to his home, Sif spoke up, in a low voice, but also in a manner that showed her concern. "Perseus…how are you alive?" Jane's own mood soured at her words. "I…We saw you die."

Percy sighed but decided that it was best to get this out of the way. "What I say here will be all that I speak of what happened."

And so he told them of his fight with Morgana and…that was it. He didn't tell them of his little foray into the past and left it open-ended as to how he ended up in his rather debilitated state. While he trusted Sif not to talk, he didn't trust Jane not to accidently say something she wasn't supposed to.

"I should've killed the witch when I had the chance." Sif' growled as she clenched her hand around the handle of Sylfang.

"She's been dealt with accordingly." Percy placated albeit in a noncommittal tone. He didn't want to give the notion that keeping her alive was something that he wanted to do but something that could change at any moment.

"But how did you live?" Jane questioned her voice a whisper of disbelief. "Sif's right. We saw you die!"

Percy was silent for a moment. "I can't say, since even I don't know." Percy was sure that the Pale Woman from his mind was the one that brought him back to life but he wasn't about to tell them his suspicions that were all but confirmed.

They didn't seem satisfied with the answer but also seemed to realize that it was the best they could expect.

There was another momentary silence as the two digested the information. "Well, I think it's safe to say that we're both relieved that you're not dead." Jane smiled slightly. Sif nodded before she unstrapped the sheathed Thyella from her back and then fished his bracelet from a pocket.

Percy watched as she offered them back to him. "I believe these belong to you." Sif returned them, the black leather belt of the sheathe wrapped tightly around the sword while handing the bracelet back.

Percy didn't waste a moment in pointedly reclaiming them, taking extra care to re-adorn the bracelet, before grasping Thyella by the hilt and unsheathing it.

The blade sang in his mind as he held it up, the mirroring stone reflecting the vibrant green ribboned light that pulsed from the hilt

"Thank you." Were the simple words that left his mouth, but he hoped that his tone conveyed his sincerity.

And with that, after willing the sword to disappear back to his vault, the two grasped his proffered arms and disappeared in a mist of seawater.

'The supreme art of war is to subdue your enemy without fighting.'

-Sun Tzu

And that concludes this arc! I understand that many didn't like the time traveling and feel that it ruined the story, but oh well, can't please everyone :D

As a point of clarification, there were three alternate versions of this chapter, one where Percy fights Killian and the Extremis soldiers alongside Iron Man and the Fantastic 4 and another where he simply disregards going to Florida altogether and simply waits for Sif and Jane to come back. I felt that the former was a little too out of left field as well as not in line for the theme I'm going for, but also would've felt that their effort would have been for nothing if Percy just cleaned house. The latter being too tame for my tastes and so I settled for a sort of middle ground. A bit of showcasing of what Percy can do now that he has a SHIELD clearance combined with a bit of Mist, some dramatics, a bit of a fight if one-sided, and then some Disney flavored magic tossed in.

The third version of this chapter would've had removed Percy as a POV entirely and would've showcased the Air Force One mid-air rescue and the fight with the EXTREMIS soldiers but again I felt I had dragged it on too long for it to be of any use other than fluff, I expect that one to be included in A Calm in the Storm at some point. Still experimenting on juggling two concurrent lines of story so we'll see if it continues.

Not much else to say here, and on that note, (and as always), you can find me on the Emerald Library Discord! It's a fantastic place to interact with other writers and readers where we just chill and chat about ideas, future works and generally just have a good time! You can also find an update schedule for Of Water and Salt on there!

The link to that is on my profile!