"I don't know what you're talking about," Percy said quickly, too quickly to be believable even if Strange hadn't actually known about the stone. Strange just scoffed,

"I'm sure you don't," He said condescendingly, "Must be why you're getting so defensive. Look, we have a lot to talk about, so if wee could skip the whole denial back and forth routine and just get right to the business at hand, that would be great."

Percy glared at the man, he wasn't overly fond of being spoken to like that, but he was backed into a bit of a corner and he knew it. He didn't know this man, he didn't have access to his more powerful abilities, and somehow more worryingly, the man knew about something that only Percy and a handful of deities should have been privy to.

"Fine," Percy snarled, "What do you want to know,"

"How did you get the stone?" Strange asked, "It's meant to be on Asgard. Not acting as a cheap piece of jewelry around your neck."

"My father," Percy said coldly, "He worked with a couple of the others, and swapped out the stone for a fake. One they said nobody would be able to detect. They gave the stone to me to protect it."

"Protect it from what?" Strange said slowly, but there was a glint of anticipation in his eyes, as though he were expecting what Percy was going to say, but wanted Percy to confirm it.

"A being that's trying to collect the stones," Percy explained, "Big purple bastard, goes by the name Thanos or something."

Strange sucked in a sharp breath, and leaned back into his chair, "Damn," He hissed, rubbing at his temple with a gloved hand.

"My turn for a question," Percy said hotly, "How do you know about the stone?"

Strange looked up at him, and sighed. With a wave of his hand, the pendant around his neck shifted. There was a clicking sound, as though hundreds of minuscule gears were shifting, and the pendent opened up to reveal a brilliant great stone. Percy just stared at it,

"Is…is that?"

"The Time Stone?" Strange asked, "Yes."

"How did you-?"

"It is the duty of the Sorcerer Supreme to safeguard this stone at all costs," Strange said, as he waved his hand and closed the stone again. "More to the point, I have been receiving…troubling visions the past several months. Visions I should not be seeing. Visions of things to come, of events that should come to pass. At the center of all of these dreams, are these stones, and a being calling itself Thanos."

"What do you mean that you shouldn't be seeing these visions? They're not like…" Percy trailed off and pointed at himself, and Strange shook his head,

"No, they are not like demigod dreams," Strange clarified, "They are visions from the Time Stone itself,"

"What?" Percy asked, startled,

"The stones are not inanimate objects, Mr. Jackson," Strange explained calmly, like he were explaining a simple math problem to an obstinate child, "They are sentient in their own right. How else would explain the powers they possess?"

That was fair enough, Percy supposed,

"But it shouldn't be acting like this. I've poured over everything the previous holders of my title have written about the stone, and never has it done something like this. It has never willingly given visions like this."

"Sounds exclusively beneficial," Percy observed,

"Nothing comes without a price Mr. Jackson," Strange warned, "But I am…inclined to agree with in this instance. However, I must ask, have you ever experienced anything that indicate to you that things are being…influenced."

"You're going to need to be more specific," Percy grumbled, "I mean, you do know that literally my entire life has been influenced in some way or another,"

"You know that isn't what I mean," Strange said with a glare, and Percy sighed, and sat back in thought.

"No," He said after a moment, "No strange dreams, or anything of the like. Everything has just been as weird or abnormal as they've always been."

Strange hummed in thought, before nodding to himself, "We will…deal with that when we need to. We have more pressing matters to concern ourselves with. I take it you've told no one of the stone?"

"Of course not," Percy said hotly,

"Good," Strange nodded, "The fewer who know, the better." "I take it you have some idea of what's going to happen?" Percy asked, and Strange nodded in affirmation,

"I do." He confirmed, "Ever since I started receiving my visions, I have been looking into this Thanos being. Using the Time Stone to look into the future."

"And?" Percy asked impatiently,

"And he'll be here, in three years time." Strange said, "He's determined to get his hands on the Stones, to what end? I don't know."

"And?" Percy asked again.

"And," Strange stressed, just as impatiently, "I looked into the fight over ten million times." He grew suddenly rather remorseful, and Percy felt his stomach fall to the floor,

"And we lose," Percy finished, slumping into the back of the chair,

"In all but one instance" Strange said, lifting his finger into the air. He still looked painfully somber, but Percy was feeling far more alert,

"Then we just do that," Percy said simply, "If there's only one way we win, and you know what it is, then we just need to do that."

Strange hesitated for a moment, before nodding, "I am…inclined to agree,"

"Inclined?" Percy asked incredulously, "Wait…you're hesitating, why are you hesitating?"

Strange didn't seem too inclined to share, so Percy pressed him,

"Strange, this is not the time to be holding out on me. We are quite literally talking about the fate of the planet aren't we?"

"Perhaps more than just that, but yes," Strange conceded,

"They why are you holding out on me?" Percy demanded,

"Because you play a pivotal role in Thanos' downfall, and I don't want to risk things changing any more than they already have." Strange snapped.

Percy paused, before leaning back further into the back of the chair.

"All right," Percy said slowly, "I won't ask any more. Just tell me what I need to do to get us in position to win."

"Before we continue," Strange said slowly, "I need to know. What are you willing to do to save the world? What are you willing to sacrifice?"

Percy froze, and he felt the blood drain from his face,

"I don't think I like that question," He said carefully,

"I need an answer, Mr. Jackson," Strange said, and Percy just glared at him,

"If you're asking if I'm willing to die to save the world? Then yes, of course I am!" Percy snapped, "Is that it? Do I die?"

Strange was quiet for some time, and he didn't respond as he simply stared at Percy, which was answer enough to Percy. That was it then, wasn't it? He would die during the battle, and his death would somehow spark something that saved everything? Is that what it was? Percy sighed, and rubbed tiredly at his face.

"Stay on the course you're already on," Strange said, and Percy felt like throwing something at the obvious misdirect, but rolled with the punches and continued to listen.

"The-the way in which we arrive at the end of the story, it doesn't matter." The sorcerer shook his head, "By simply acting as you have, events play in favor of the direction we want them to move." Percy nodded, then frowned.

"Wait," He said slowly, leaning forward in the chair, "If we ultimately end up where we need to be to win, then why bother telling me anything at all?"

"So you know what to do when the time comes," Strange said and Percy groaned, "Can you quit with the fucking vagueness?" He pleaded as he rubbed his hands over his face in mounting aggravation,

"When the time is right, you will know what you have to do." Strange insisted,

"Then why tell me anything!" Percy said

"So that you're prepared when the time comes to act." Strange said,

"And how am I supposed to know what that is if you won't tell me!" Percy demanded hotly, "If it's my decision that is supposed to either doom or save the world then…holy shit," Percy said as he collapsed back into his seat, "It's all so fucking cyclical. I literally can't believe I'm dealing with this again."

He could not believe it. Refused to believe it. His luck could not possibly be this bad. Resting his arms on his knees, he put his face in his hands and tried to compose himself. After all these years, that stupid prophecy that had dominated his youth, had somehow resurfaced in the most obnoxious way possible. Was he cursed? Or did the fates truly just hate him? It didn't matter in the end, he supposed. He'd overcome the odds before, and he could do it again. At least, that was what he was going to keep telling himself.

"Do you really wish to know?" Strange asked, after giving Percy a few minutes to collect himself.

Begrudgingly, Percy nodded.

And so Strange told him.