MAY DIDN'T LIKE the way things were going. The more she thought about it, the more she was sure these kids were bad news. She flicked the switch to autopilot, the course set for headquarters, and climbed out of the cockpit. Coulson was waiting for her to start the interrogation. He wanted to question both teenagers, one after the other, but separate from one another, so that they wouldn't have time to convene or anything. Smart move, of course. May couldn't be in two places at once, and she wanted to watch.

Coulson was to be behind the scenes, watching the interrogations as they took place. May knew it was his call to make, but she still would've felt more comfortable with him doing the questioning. She joined Daisy and Mack at the door to the hold. She and Daisy were to question the teens, however difficult it would be. Mack was there "just in case", but May suspected he wouldn't be needed.

          One of the kids had been taken out in cuffs for a moment, the divider was lowered and bam—suddenly there were two Hulk-proof cells aboard the Bus, each containing one pissed off teenager. At least, that's what the plan had been. May hadn't seen it, but she was here now.

          "Okay, we're all set in here," Coulson said through comms to the three of them. "Crystal clear footage. You can go in."

          Daisy took a breath and pushed the door open.

★

          Fitz typed a command into the computer, and the images on display shifted—now, one screen showed the girl sitting at the table, giving the camera the evil eye, while the other held a more interesting view.

          The boy was stretched out on the cot as if it were a towel on the beach. May and Skye had just closed the door behind them. Fitz's fingers flew across the keyboard, and the sound from the other room cut out, as the girl had began tapping her fingers on the table in an infuriating pattern. Next to him, Jemma shifted in her chair, waiting.

          They watched as May walked over to the dividing wall and pulled down. The section folded out until it was parallel to the floor, like a bench. She sat on it and glared at the kid, who hadn't moved. Nobody said a word. Daisy leaned against the wall, arms crossed. If she had gum, she looked like she would've popped it.

          The kid took something small and shiny out of his pocket—a knife? May visibly tensed. Fitz inhaled sharply, but—

          "Chill," Percy said to the ceiling. "It's just a pen." He wasn't loud, but the mikes in the room picked up his voice easily.

          "Didn't we take a pen from him?" Coulson speculated, apparently to no one in particular.

          May must have heard him. "How did you get that?"

          He looked up at her for the first time. "Get what?"

          "The pen. We took it." May crossed her arms.

          Percy shrugged and laid back down. "I had two."

          Anyone could tell that was a lie, but either way, they couldn't prove it to be wrong.

May wasn't facing the camera, but Fitz could tell she wasn't happy with his answer. Then again, she never really seemed all that happy about anything. Behind him, Coulson shifted and put his hand to his temple. It was likely he didn't want to get on the teens' bad side even more than he already was. "May," he warned, "Questions."

          May gave no sign she had heard. Instead, she leaned forward onto her elbows, looking at the kid. The word shrink flitted through Fitz's train of thought, and he cursed Daisy's weird American slang for distracting him. He focused back on the screen, where May was brushing hair out of her face.

          "So," Percy said, twirling the 'second' pen around his fingers. "Is this what an interrogation is normally like? 'Cause it's awfully quiet in here."

          She didn't move. "Saint Louis. 2008."

          "What about it?"

          "It blew up. You were there."

          Percy closed his eyes, as if he were nodding off. "Coincidence."

          Fitz didn't have to look at the monitor to know how May's face looked right now: almost blank, one eyebrow raised slightly, lips pursed, like she was biting the inside. She made that face the last time she'd run across one of his old pranks. "The Greyhound. Water World. Merriweather Prep."

"Wrong place, wrong time."

Fitz sighed, feeling the whisper of an idea tickle the back of his brain. There was something, he was sure of it. . .but the thought wouldn't form. He cursed, clenching his fists methodically. He was sure he looked almost as confused as he felt—it was like he'd woken up from that coma all over again, sort of. Trying to fit the pieces of two different puzzles into a singular picture. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and Coulson's voice buzzed in his ear. "Fitz. You okay?"

          Fitz did not feel okay. "Earlier," he breathed, trying to say the words as soon as they came. "Earlier, they said that. . ." He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that he'd be able to see them on his eyelids like a teleprompter, but no luck. "They said something about. . .uh, demi—demigods." He looked back at Coulson, barely restraining himself from smushing the heels of his hands into his eyes. "But. . ."

Fitz could see the faint flicker of an idea behind Coulson's eyes. One that he didn't appear to like at all. He put a finger to his comms.

★

"Demigods," Daisy whispered, seemingly out of the blue.

This got Percy's attention. He sat up, squinting at her like she'd just said something along the lines of I eat rocks for breakfast. "What did you say?"

"Demigods," Daisy repeated.

The boy's expression darkened, and the air almost felt heavier. "I. . .I don't know what you're talking about." His voice was quiet, hushed.

May scoffed.

Daisy steeled herself. "The Legion."

Percy was trying very hard to look unbothered but failing miserably. If looks could kill, she'd be. . .well, dead. His knuckles were white, gripping the pen with such ferocity she was surprised it didn't snap in two.

Another word whispered in her ear. She'd never gone to one, but had always wanted to. "Camp."

"You leave them alone!" he shouted, eyes wild, brandishing the pen like a weapon. When had he stood up? Daisy stumbled for a moment, taken aback by the sudden outburst. "Don't touch them!"

May was standing now, too, unafraid. "Or what?"

He stepped towards her. Mack did, too, but May waved him off discreetly. Daisy's hands were up, ready.

His next words were low, deadly. "Or everything."

Mack decided to intervene. "Look, kid, we just want to help."

Percy turned to him, ever so slowly. "Help?" His teeth were bared. "Help? This is what you call—" He stopped mid-shout, gaping like a fish out of water. His eyes widened, hands up at his throat. His knees buckled.

"Kid," Mack said urgently, trying to steady him but failing miserably. "Kid!"

Daisy ran forward to intercept. Together, the three of them lowered him to the floor as he struggled to breathe.

"Simmons!" she yelled into her comms. "Get in here, now!"

"Give him room," May ordered. "We don't know what's going on just yet."

Percy gasped, his body contorting. "Help," he croaked. "Help!"

The door opened. The first person through was Jemma, Coulson right behind her. She was equipped with. . .Daisy couldn't even pretend to know, but it was probably helpful. Jemma knelt next to the boy and tried to check for a pulse.

Instead of complying, Percy arched his back and screamed.

The sound was horrible, tortured. Daisy's blood ran cold. She couldn't imagine an experience that could produce that sound, and she had been shot point-blank in the stomach. Twice.

"To the med bay," Simmons yelled over him. "Get him to the med bay, now!"

Mack lifted him off the floor with some difficulty, trying not to get hit with a flailing limb. Percy was saying something, over and over again, but Daisy was too busy helping Mack transport him to even try to figure it out. He wasn't screaming anymore, but he sounded desperate. They were almost there. . .

Fitz had opened the doors already. Jemma ushered them through, waving to the stretcher they'd put the girl on barely a few hours before. She ushered them away as soon as Percy was in place. Daisy watched as Simmons connected wires and monitors to different areas—one on the temple, the crook of the elbow, over the heart.

          The heart monitor was beeping erratically, way too fast. He was gasping for air even though there was plenty to go around.

          Simmons was practically a blur, rushing around the room. "It's as though he was injected with pure adrenaline," she called to nobody in particular as she readied an IV drip. "He's terrified. And close to cardiac arrest. I'll need the defibrillator paddles if his heart rate gets any faster."

          May went to grab them.

          Percy's forehead glistened with sweat. He'd been mumbling, but they hadn't been able to understand. When he spoke this time, though. . .Daisy had never heard anyone sound so afraid.

          "Tartarus."

          It was one word, but it was enough to send a chill through the whole team. The heart monitor didn't slow. Percy's fists were clenched, and one of his palms was bleeding. Simmons administered the IV, which looked difficult considering the situation, but she got it done.

          Percy's jaw tightened. "Don't. . .you know. . .go to any trouble."

          Daisy exchanged a glance with Mack, who looked just as confused as she felt. Was it a dream? Maybe. Maybe not. But—

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP

          The monitor spiked as Percy writhed, grimacing in pain. "Gah! Stupid curses," he spat through gritted teeth.

          "Defibrillators, May!" Almost immediately Simmons had them in her hands. She pressed a few buttons. "Charging!" Daisy could hear the hum of electricity surging through the instruments.

          Suddenly, the doors started to open, and the blonde girl crashed through them, Fitz on her heels. "Stop!" she cried. "Stop it, please!"

          Simmons looked at her in shock and paused for a moment. "But—"

          "No! Put them down!" Tear-stricken, the girl shoved herself between the doctor and her boyfriend. "Percy!"

          Coulson glanced at Fitz questioningly. "What—?"

          "I made an executive decision," he said with authority.

          Annabeth caressed Percy's face in her hands. "Percy, what's wrong? Percy!"

          He gave no sign that he heard her. His mouth opened and he screamed again, curdling Daisy's blood. He frothed at the mouth. "Got some kind of pain curse from that aurai."

          The plane rumbled.

          "Shit," Annabeth spat. "Not again." She rifled through Percy's pockets and pulled out a plastic baggie filled with something that looked like butterscotch squares. Daisy was dimly aware of the heart monitor's frantic noises slowing, but her eyes were glued on the scene as if she were paralyzed. Annabeth shoved one of the squares in his mouth and placed both hands on his chest. "Come on!"

          "Hurts, but it won't kill me," he mumbled. "Get in the elevator. I'll hold the button." With that, his head lolled to the side, and his body was still. The only noise in the room was the steady beep, beep, beep of the monitor.

          It was as if everyone collectively started to breathe again. Fitz let out a small, nervous chuckle. Annabeth, however, frowned uneasily. She was looking at Percy as if he was a bomb she'd failed to disarm.

          Mack rested his hands on his head, regarding Annabeth with respect. "Wow," he said breathlessly. "That was—"

          The plane shuddered, and Percy sat bolt upright. Daisy jumped at the sudden movement. He surveyed them with wide eyes, and they landed on Annabeth.

          "Percy," she said softly. "Thank the gods."

          He blinked slowly. "You're impossible."

          Then, the pipes exploded.

★

happy late indigenous people's day! i'm sure y'all are wondering what i've been doing while you've been waiting patiently. the answer is i rewatched the entirety of aos from the beginning to the present. then i read ship of the dead and a few other things. it was a good time.

what am i supposed to do now? oh, right, question. okay. i can do that. here goes:
q: your hogwarts/ilvermorny/[insert other magical school here] house?
i'm a hufflepuff/thunderbird. i think that is a dangerous mix, but whatever.
thanks for your patience, y'all. love ya.

peace out,
cajoling