Chapter 7
Natasha POV
I decide to look for the book he was reading earlier. Unsurprisingly I find it quickly and sit down on the bed to look through it.
The book is leather bound and emblazoned on it golden cursive writing is the word 'Percabeth'
What does that even mean? I decide to decipher that out later and open the book. The first page and by the looks of it every page contains pictures and below that there is something written but I can't make out what it is because it's written in some different language. So I settle for going through the pictures.
The first one has what looks like a younger Percy standing with a boy and a girl. They all look around 12 year old. In this photo Percy is actually smiling and looks happy. The boy is wearing a cap and the girl is really pretty with gorgeous curly blonde hair and stormy gray eyes. All of them are wearing orange shirts and jeans. In the back there's a big house and it's surrounded by fields. It could be a summer house probably. Or maybe a summer camp.
The next several photos are almost the same except the children grow older. In a few pictures I can see Percy and the girl both have grey streaks in their hair. I wonder why they did that.
As he gets older Percy seems to get sadder, his eyes carry pain though he hides it well but he also seems happier than he currently is. In some photos the kids are covered completely in dirt and is that blood? Also their clothes are pretty cut up and they are tired but they look happy.
Especially Percy who looks like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. He looks happier than I have ever seen him in the following picture. Near the end there is a picture of him and the blonde girl kissing underwater. I must say it's a beautiful picture. Next several pictures are of both of them they look so happy and so in love. So different to the way Percy is right now.
Once again the million dollar question crosses my mind. I'm shaken out of my musings as someone who turns out to be Percy asks, "It's not nice to snoop around other people's stuff, is it Natasha?"
I can see that he is furious but his voice is completely calm like we are having a conversation about weather, which scares me even more. I hurriedly get up and apologize, "Sorry for looking through your stuff Percy but you haven't really told us anything about yourself and I needed to find something so I could trust you."
He simply glares at me and lets out a humourless laugh saying, "I would've told you Natasha given time. Tell me when have you given me any reason to trust you? First of all you stalk me around, then fight me and then kidnap me bringing me to an unknown place for interrogation. Then snoop through my house, touching my stuff. Then forcing me to join you when I had no desire to. Forcing me to tell my secrets. Now once again going through my stuff. Give me one reason why I should trust you?"
I keep quiet knowing whatever he said is true. Why should he trust us after all that we've done? So I nod and reply, "Fair enough. Once again I'm sorry and I won't do it again. You can take your time. I'll also tell others to not push you until you are ready. Bye Percy."
He looks surprised he probably expected me to deny everything but nods muttering a quick thank you he goes back to his bed, fingering the album.
I quietly leave shutting the door behind me. The rest of them are all in the kitchen eating. They still seem shaken up after tonight's events. I don't blame them watching Percy thrash, whimper and scream was pretty disorienting for sure. I sit down grabbing some toast for myself.
Finally Clint asks Tony, "So where did Percy go after leaving the room yesterday."
Tony looks up answering, "The kid went to the pool. That's all I know."
Then a new voice answers, "You could've just asked me, you know. And for the last time I'm not a kid." Once again it's Percy
He is leaning casually on the doorframe and once he is done speaking strides inside grabbing a piece of toast for himself.
"What do you mean?" Steve asks carefully.
Percy nibbles on the toast for a bit eating just a tiny bite before setting it down and saying, "Look guys, I want to trust you, I really do but you aren't making this easier for me."
I understand immediately while the rest except Bruce look confused. Me and Bruce exchange a look and roll our eyes. Stupid idiots.
Upon seeing their confused expression Percy repeats the same thing he said to me and you can see the realization dawn on their faces and they look down guiltily.
After a moment of silence the three apologize at the same time and suddenly freeze glancing at each other meanwhile Percy, Bruce and I burst out laughing. Well Percy doesn't laugh but he is at least smiling a small smile and it looks genuine.
After that Percy starts warming up to us bit by bit. We ask him general questions like do you like to read, what's your favourite sport that kind of stuff.
He reveals that he loves sword fighting and swimming. He also tells us that he has dyslexia and ADHD. That explains the constant fidgeting then.
Then Bruce tells him that it is time for his check-up. At first Percy stiffens but eventually relents and allows us to do that. We all follow Bruce to the infirmary.
He has Percy sit on a sort of dentist's chair. He asks Percy some questions:
"Okay tell me what comes to your mind when you hear these words, okay?"
"Yes."
"Fine. Red?"
"Blood."
"Family?"
"Dead"
"Friends?"
"Gone."
"Sleep?"
"Nightmares."
"Hell?" He flinched at that, I had noticed it before too but why once again I did not know.
"Torture." The emotionless tone he used sent chills down our backs.
Bruce then started asking questions, "Have you broken any bones in your body?"
He thought for a moment before replying, "Yeah most of them once or twice."
We all looked at him shocked. He said that so casually as if this was a normal occurrence.
Bruce audibly gulped before asking, "Have you been poisoned before."
Once again Percy pulled up a mask while saying, "Yes. I lost count after 11 times though."
"WHAT?" We all yelled. Percy flinched back as he calmly replied, "Yes, but now I'm healed so leave it alone." Everyone shut up understanding the underlying The Hell was the onky thing running through my mind. Whatever had happened? I tried to reason with myself that he must have visited a doctor but seeing his hatred for hospitals I had trouble believing myself.
Bruce still looking worried told Percy to take off his shirt. At that Percy entirely froze before stiffening up and crossing his arms over his torso a determined expression on his face.
"No." Was all he said. Bruce sighed in exasperation before saying, "Percy please just do it."
"I said no." Percy replied in the same tone.
Bruce simply replied, "Fine then we'll make you." At that I swiftly pounced and pinned his arms down, Steve pinned down his legs and Clint and Tony simply watched him struggle against us amused but he had a lot of force and it was difficult keeping him down.
Just as Percy was about to send me flying off Bruce injected a sedative into his system. He gave a weak glare which still managed to scare us a little before collapsing.
Bruce quickly took off his shirt. As soon as his shirt was off all of us gasped, shocked. Bruce, Clint and Tony threw up in the nearest trashcan. Steve and I just stared at his torso horrified.
Scars of all shapes and sizes littered his torso. Long whip marks, spikes, knives and much more horrifying things made deep jagged cuts and scars across his torso. Not an inch was spared. There were burn marks too and brands were burned onto his skin.
On his heart was an A which looked like a tattoo, another one on his left shoulder had a T, next on his collarbone he ha near his waist.
Finally Steve broke the silence by saying, "Holy Shit what happened to this kid? Who could've done this to him?"
During this time he had apparently woken up and probably heard the last comment and he coolly replied, "No one you know or can fight. So leave it be." With that he pulled on his shirt and as I was glancing at his wrists I saw what looked like self-harm scars on them. Some looked fresh.
Oh God the poor boy has been through enough by the looks of it and he shouldn't have to suffer any more. I was determined to talk to him about it later. I just hope he'd tell whatever secret it was about him sooner. I really do want to help him and looking at the others' expression so do they.
Steve quickly said before anyone left, "No one mentions anything about this in front of Percy, clear?"
We nod in unison before heading our separate ways. I just want to punch the shit out of something. Whoever harmed Percy, how could they do this to a mere child? At least I know one thing about him, if it wasn't clear before, he was forced to grow up far too fast. And trust me I knew what that felt like.