The Avengers followed close behind Spiderman as they exited the Quinjet. 

When Peter had suggested they talk to a friend of his, they didn't really know what to think. In Peter's mind, this guy was skilled enough to take on the Atlantean threat that had been looming ever so closely. Another thing, the kid seemed to trust this contact with his life. That seemed like enough for the Avengers to at least meet up with this person. 

"So, who did you say we were meeting?" asked Hawkeye. 

"He's a friend of mine," answered Spiderman. 

"Is he another superhero?" asked Captain America. 

"In a way," Spidey replied. "He's been retired for a few years now." 

"How long has he been retired?" Cap questioned. 

"Three or four years," said Spidey. 

"How do we know his skills haven't gotten rusty over the years?" asked Iron Man. 

Spiderman smiled at him under the mask. He liked that the Avengers had actually agreed to meet his friend. Even if his friend would probably be put on edge at the mere sight of them. Though Spidey would explain the situation to him, and he'd hopefully calm down enough to let them talk to him. 

"Trust me when I say that his skills are top notch," said Spiderman. 

Black Widow eyed the pier they were heading towards. "Peter, why are we heading toward the domain of our enemy?" 

"Try not to think of it as the Atlanteans' territory," said Peter. "Plus, if they know what's good for them, they'll stay away." 

"Your friend's that scary, huh?" said Dr. Banner. 

Spiderman shrugged. "He can if he wants to." 

They reached the pier and there was no one there. 

"You sure your friend agreed to meet with us?" asked Tony. 

"I admit that I didn't exactly tell him that you guys were coming," said Peter sheepishly. 

"Oh, great," Hawkeye deadpanned. 

After a few minutes of waiting, Tony groaned in impatience. "Well, kid, looks like your friend isn't coming." 

"He'll be here," Peter promised. 

"Actually, I've been here the whole time." 

They all whipped around to face the speaker. They were all surprised by his youth. He couldn't have been older that 25. He was leaning casually against the railing behind them. He wore a simple outfit consisting of a t-shirt and jeans. He had tan skin, black hair with a single streak of grey, and swirling sea-green eyes. He made no effort to hide the various scars that littered his arms. There were even a few on his neck. They were in the process of trying to figure out if he was a threat or not when he spoke again. 

"I just wanted to see how long it took you to notice me," he said, pushing off the railing to walk over to them. "I got bored." 

Black Widow glared at him. How had he just been standing there, and she hadn't noticed? How long had he been there? 

"Perce!" Peter exclaimed, hugging his friend. 

The man laughed and hugged the teen back. "Hey, Pete." 

"You know Spiderman's identity?" asked Dr. Banner. 

The man pulled away from Peter and faced the doctor. "It wasn't that hard to figure out." 

"How old are you?" asked Black Widow. 

"22," he answered. 

"How can you be retired at 22?" asked Hawkeye. 

The man laughed. "Retired from the hero biz," he corrected. 

"What's your codename?" asked Tony. 

"Don't have one," the man answered, which surprised all of them. "But my name is Percy Jackson." 

"You're a terrorist," said Black Widow. 

Percy seemed to find this hilarious because he doubled over laughing. When he got control of himself, he said. "I was twelve!" he exclaimed. "And most of the explosions and stuff that happen around me are not my fault." 

Before Natasha could say anything else, Cap stepped in. "How can you be a superhero without a codename?" he asked. 

Percy looked at Peter. "You told them I was a superhero?" 

Peter ducked his head sheepishly under the force of Percy's gaze. "Maybe?" 

Percy wacked him upside the head. "I could call Annabeth, y'know." 

Peter eyes widened. "Please don't call Annabeth! She'd kill me!" 

At the confused looks from the rest of the Avengers, Percy explained. "Annabeth is my wife and she is completely terrified of spiders. And that includes spider-people." 

Tony tried to smother his laugh but failed miserably. 

Cap steered everyone back on track. "We need help," he said. "A group of Atlanteans lead by Attuma has been attempting to take over different areas around the world. Spiderman here claims that you have the skills to take on these Atlanteans." 

"Why can't you handle this by yourselves?" asked Percy. 

"Are you going to help or not?" asked Black Widow, impatiently. 

Percy studied each of the Avengers. "How many are there, where are they based, and how soon do you want this taken care of?"