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Tony thought he had seen everything, then he saw a kid sitting on the top of Avengers Tower and decided that the world was crazy.
Now you might ask, Tony, why is that a big deal?
And yes, he might agree with you if the kid was on the observation deck. But, no, the kid was on the very top of the tower. A small platform barely large enough to sit on with no way to get to except flying.
Only he and a few other superheroes had sat there before. Sitting down to admire the view of New York during a slow patrol. Spider-man especially liked it.
However, this in no way explained how a literal teenager who he had never seen before had made his way onto the ledge undetected and safely.
The kid also looked completely at ease despite being one inch away from a fall that would lead to his assured death.
The kid had jet black hair and wore a fraying zip-up hoodie. In his hands he was holding a book which he seemed to be engrossed in. Tony knew that kid’s these days grew up differently (with superheroes and aliens being real and on the news daily) but surely teenagers weren’t so different as to find reading spots on the top of skyscrapers.
(Though if teenage Tony had the opportunity, he absolutely would have done the exact same thing)
He flew closer, knowing that his repulsers would warn the kid of his arrival and hopefully not scare him enough to cause a premature skydive.
The kid looked up from his book and the first thing that stood out to him were the brightest green eyes Tony had ever seen. These eyes were not your normal green eyes but almost verging on toxic. They spoke of a history he’d only seen in soldier’s eyes. In his eyes. Even if Tony had met this kid under better circumstances (preferably closer to sea level) he would know that kid was anything bit normal.
“Heya, greenie, is there a reason you reading up here? Except from the awesome views of course.”
Greenie tilted his head as he considered the question.
“I’m having an argument with my dad and needed some space. Also, I told my girlfriend I’d read this,” he gestured to the book, “so I’m killing two minotaurs with one slash.” He said this as if it were completely normal.
What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck.
“Okay… you do know most people don’t climb skyscrapers when they’re pissed with their parent’s right?”
He smiled as if Tony had just said a joke only he was privy to, “Yeah, let’s just say we’re an unusual family.”
He turned back to his book.
So, the kid was a cryptid. Brilliant. Just what he needed on a Thursday afternoon.
Then Tony looked closer at the book and decided he really was too old for this.
It was in Greek. He’d notice that alphabet anywhere given how often he used the characters in equations. The kid could be Greek? It would make sense for the kid to speak it if he was Greek. But, no, that would be too simple. Something this kid was turning out to be everything but. Because Tony had been a very active child, not physically, but by the fifth nanny who struggled to keep him entertained it became obvious he was going to need some more interesting stuff.
His sixth nanny was a classics professor on the side. He used to read the Iliad in Ancient Greek to Tony before bed as a bedtime story.
And so, that’s how Tony knew that was not modern Greek the kid held. But a book in Ancient Greek. This kid was becoming increasingly odd.
Tony used JARVIS to translate the title from what he could see.
It was a book on the impacts of ancient architecture on modern civilisation.
So, not only was the book in Ancient Greek, but it had also been translated into Ancient Greek from English. This seemed particularly confusing given that translating the book would’ve taken quite some time and the kid seemed to speak English fluently.
Also, the kid had mentioned minotaurs.
He hadn’t brushed up on his Greek mythology recently, but Tony was pretty sure that was a monster from the labyrinth. Who was this kid and where did he come from?
Maybe he was obsessed with ancient Greece or maybe he was part of a cult but that still didn’t explain how he’s gotten on top of a highly secure skyscraper to get cosy and read.
“Kid, I need to know how you got up here. Private property and all that.”
“Oh, my friend gave me a lift.”
“Right.” How the hell would Tony keep talking to this kid?
“Sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to not read on this location, it’s pretty unsafe.” He continued, “Can I carry you back down the ground level? Maybe I can use my special privileges from owning the tower to get you a pass so you can read on the observation deck.”
“Okay, I think my dad will get my point now so I’m good but honestly don’t worry about my safety up here, I’m far safer than you in your machinery, metal man.”
“It’s Iron Man and for my sanity I’d like to help you get down to ground level.”
He shrugged. “I don’t really keep up with the news. Haven’t ever needed to. So, you what? Protect the people with the power of friendship?”
Tony raised an eyebrow even though the kid couldn’t see it. What kind of child hadn’t heard of the Avengers? I mean, literal superheroes existed, and this kid was oblivious. Maybe he’d be more excited if he knew about Thor, given his godhood, what with the kid’s fascination with ancient Greece.
“I’ve saved the world twice.”
He said bluntly.
“Wow,” Damn the kid was dripping in sarcasm, “I too have saved the world multiple times, so I guess that makes me a superhero.”
What.
Oh no, he was seriously going to get into a pissing contest with a teenager, curse his ego and all that comes with it.
“The Avengers, my team that is, stopped the invasion during the Battle of New York.”
“Wait, what?”
Hah, got you kid.
“I’m confused, I know about the Battle of Manhattan, even fought in it when I was sixteen, but you guys never showed up.”
Tony ignored that. Yes, you’re right. It was probably important. But seriously, it was becoming more and more likely that the kid was from a different dimension. Hopefully, one where it’s not common for sixteen year old to fight off invasions.
“We’ve stopped gods,”
“Oh my gods, me too. And titans and primordial gods. Daily occurrence really. They’re getting annoying at this point.”
Nope. Tony was not qualified to deal with this. His head was hurting, and he still had no idea who or what this kid was talking about. He’d feel much happier when the kid was about 93 stories lower.
“Sure, kid, now let’s get you down.”
He flew closer to grab the kid when he suddenly stood up. He saluted with a smirk.
“Thank you for your service, metal boy.” His toxic eyes flashed dangerously.
Then he jumped.
Tony turned angled his repulsers and moved to catch the obviously insane child before he pancaked on the New York sidewalk.
Floor 70
The kid twisted to face the quickly incoming floor.
Tony upped his repulsers power to try and get closer.
Floor 50
The calm countdown in floors from JARVIS was contrasting with Tony’s ashen face, showing his oncoming terror with if he failed.
Floor 35
From what Tony could tell from the kid’s back he looked relaxed. Tony still had so many questions he wanted to ask. Who can fly up to the top of the tower? Is there an ancient Greek cult in America? How have you not heard of the Avengers if you know about the Battle of New York? Why did you fucking jump off a skyscraper?
Floor 15
He wasn’t going to catch the kid. He was so close; a foot or less. But, if he didn’t start pulling up now both the kid and himself wouldn’t make it.
Floor 10
He pulled up. Heart heavy with the sick feeling of dread as he was going to be forced to watch the kid hit the sidewalk. He was going to have to tell the kids family how he had failed to catch him, failed to stop their son from jumping off the tallest building in New York.
Floor 5
Floor 4
Floor 3
Floor 2
Tony wanted to close his eyes.
He didn’t.
Someone ought to be there as witness.
Floor 1
Tony expected a crunch.
The crunch of failure never came.
The shadows beneath the kid suddenly became alive. They reach up as if they wanted to cradle the boy hurtling towards them.
He disappeared into the abyss. The mass of shadows swallowing the kid, seemingly saving his life.
Tony understood then, through his pounding heart, that the kid somehow knew this would happen.
Tony didn’t even know the kid’s name.
Three months later…
Thor arrived at Avengers Tower for the first time since the incident with the kid. He’d been pretty busy with New Asgard and ‘finding himself’. Tony would finally have a chance to tell him about the kid reading in Ancient Greek and making odd mythology references on the top of a skyscraper.
So, he told Thor and Thor’s smile just widened.
Tony felt so out of the loop it was maddening.
“Ah yes. He’s rather famous you know; most gods and demigod are big fans! I met him once and we sparred He even picked up Mjolnir! He’s just as brilliant as they say… young Perseus Jackson was definitely worthy of being asked to be a god, even if he did turn it down.”
What. The. Fuck.