Sometimes, Percy wondered how this was his life. When did the universe decide he needed to be in the know about giant, flying murder machines? Apparently, Steve and Director Pirate had gotten into a fight about something Nat did, which warranted a viewing of SHIELD's latest "protection measure".

Yeah... He made his disapproval of said murder machines know, quite harshly, and told Fury he wouldn't be helping him with any more requests unless Project Insight was scrapped. Besides, he had more important things to do. Like looking into the more recent history of HYDRA and this monster hybrid business of theirs.

"Are you Major Jackson?" a slightly accented voice broke him from his reverie. The man was tall and built like a soldier, but his suit and wire-frame glasses made him out to be more of a scholar or businessman.

"That's me. Please, have a seat, Victor." He waved to the empty chair across the table from him. They were outside a little coffee shop that was run by one of Hebe's daughters. The espresso was divine.

Victor nodded and sat, placing his briefcase against the chair and glancing over the drink menu. "I don't normally do house calls, but Sue said this was important."

Ah yes, the lovely Susan. Legacy of Hermes and Vulcan. Quite the taskmaster, but that was part of her charm.

"Oh, it is. Tell me, Professor, what do you know about HYDRA?"

It was a bit of a risky move to just come out and ask about the shady organization, but Percy was never one for subtlety. Point and case, fighting a god on the beach in California at age eleven.

"HYDRA..." The professor flashed his green eyes at him. "Surely you already know all there is to know. That was the organization you and the good Captain fought in the forties, isn't it?"

"Did you miss the part where I have spent the last seventy years frozen in Alaska?"

Sure, he knew all about the Germans screwing around with Norse sacred items, but it was hard to find any information on them after the death of the Red Skull. Obviously, they had gone underground. Now he needed to know what they had gotten their sticky little fingers on now.

Gale, the owner, brought him another nectar-spiked coffee while the professor ordered a tea with milk and centered his thoughts.

"HYDRA... hmmm. Quite the interesting organization. They combined the mundane and the arcane to make incredible improvements. As Sue no doubt told you, I wrote my dicertatcion on them— got in quite a few scraps while doing so. Anything in specific?"

"Bases? Numbers? Where they might keep important assets? And, oh, I don't know, maybe monster-human hybrid experiments?"

The professor watched him with an unreadable emotion. "This is about the Winter Soldier and the Ghost King, isn't it?" He sounded so soft and understanding, like this was a nightmare he, himself, had lived.

Percy swallowed thickly and nodded.

"Nice di Angelo and James... James Barnes." Victor sighed, taking off his glasses to massage the bridge of his nose. "Look, Major. HYDRA is not some beast you can slash with your sword and kill. You need to be quiet, careful, assess the situation and strike at the opportune moment. It is also not something you can take on by yourself. James Barnes is my grandmother's far younger brother that was bundled away to America when our country was no longer stable. I want my family back, and so do you. Give me two weeks to do some digging, and we shall find where you must now point your sword."

.

Percy snorted at the picture, and Steve had to agree that it was ridiculous. Out of all the pictures of the Howling Commandos they could have used at their new exhibit in the Smithsonian, they picked the only one where Dum-Dum wasn't smiling.

"How was that professor?"

"Fine. Victor is going to look into potential hideouts, as well as reach out to see if any of his colleagues know anything about the experimentation with the monsters like on the boat. How was Peggy?"

"Rough. She didn't remember who you were."

Percy nodded, staring absently at the ridiculous renditions of their costumes. "Probably for the best that I didn't go then. We wouldn't want to stress her out."

A little girl was yanking on her mother's hand, whisper-shouting and pointing at the two of them. Steve gave her a cheery smile and a small wave, which made her beam in happiness.

Percy's laugh drew his attention back to the displays they had come to pick apart. There, in a glass case, was that horrible monkey on a tight rope drawing he had made. He scowled, jabbing his friend in the side.

"At least you could always draw, Stevo. I used to make those pictures for my mom..."

God. Sally. He hadn't even thought about her since they'd been back. Sally, who made those wonderful cookies that he'd never get to taste again.

He grabbed Percy's arm and guided him deeper into the displays. Today was about reliving the good and seeing all the hope they'd inspired, not the ones they'd left behind. There were too many to count, and Peggy would be joining them before long.

They were laughing about the time Sweets had had his pants stolen and ran about in his underwear to find them when there was a tug on Steve's shirt. They glanced down and there was the little girl from before, shyly holding up an informational pamphlet and a pen. Her brother, probably only about two, was watching Percy with wide, grey eyes.

"'Scuse me! Mr. 'Merica and Mr. Major, will you sign this for me? My daddy says that you knew Great Grandma in the war!"

Percy laughed and ruffled her dark hair while Steve took the pamphlet. The hero worship was a little awkward, as he didn't feel they deserved so much recognition for just doing the right thing in a hard situation.

"Who am I addressing this to?" he asked, as he doodled a little shield onto the paper.

"Well, everyone calls us Andi and Theo, but Mama and Daddy named us Andromeda and Theseus."

Percy stilled, staring at the children with wide eyes, like they were from another planet. "Andromeda and Theseus?" he asked quietly.

"Yep! Andromeda and Theseus—"

"ANDI CHASE, YOU KNOW BETTER!" The woman from earlier, Andi and Theo's mother from the look of it, was briskly walking towards them.

"C-Chase?"

.

Oh my god, what have I done? I keep making this so dang complicated, will I ever actually tie everything together??

But, yeah. Um, have some grand babies, Percy. You need some family because I hate myself for killing off pretty much everyone you know. 

Questions! Who is our mysterious Professor Victor? How is HYDRA making monster people? Is it the monster mash? Does anyone else wants a milkshake?

Until next time! Excelsior!