Loki was thrown back by a huge force; slamming into the concrete, bits of debris flying against his face. He gasped, propping his hands beneath him as he pulled himself into a sitting position. He bathed heavily, watching with wide eyes as the flames enveloped the entire building. He stared at the building, dimly registering that the chitauri pouring out had appeared from nowhere at all. But he couldn't focus on that.

He didn't hear the captain's shouts for him to get up. He didn't hear the excited screams of the chitauri s they surrounded the avengers. He didn't hear the sound of blasts from Iron Man. He didn't hear the roar as the Hulk made its appearance.

His ears were ringing, and he couldn't hear anything. He could only stare, half lying and half sitting on the pavement, at the flames licking the building.

He did not care about the chitauri swarming around him.

He did not care about the captain's panicked shouts to get his team into a position that would increase their chances of safety.

He did not care that he was in a vulnerable position.

He could only stare in growing horror as his mind replayed the entire event continuously.

The building had exploded.

The building had exploded with his brother inside.

The building had exploded with his brother inside.

Something inside of him shattered as his mind recalled unbidden memories of their adventures- how many times do I have to tell you o stop being so reckless? One day you'll get in trouble and I will not be able to get you out-his hand snapped up instinctively and grabbed the blade that was aimed at his head.

He snarled at the chitauri, ignoring how his hand was sliced open by the blade and with a flurry of motions, he stood above the chitauri, its head severed from its neck by a dagger he had not known he had summoned.

He turned to survey the aliens surrounding him, green eyes hard as ice and glittering dangerously. With a roar that did not reach his ears, he leapt into the fray, a dagger flying into a chitauri's face as another was summoned immediately in its place.

He whirled like a tornado, dealing death instantaneously to any who crossed his path. Loki lashed out, ducking under swings and gutting the aliens. He swept his feet under them, following through with the movement and slamming his foot into the chitauri's face.

After a while of fighting, the chitauri backed away, forming a circle around him, wary of him now that they had tasted death by his blade. He didn't see the shocked looks that the avengers were giving him from behind. His eyes only focused on the chitauri separating him from his brother as he stood, daggers in an ice-pick grip in both of his hands, dripping green fire. He grinned, a grin that promised danger and death to all. Like in Jotunheim, the chitauri shifted uneasily, this was not the weak liesmith that they had been expecting.

He twisted his daggers, letting the green fire drip down the blade. He tensed, waiting to spring into action- impossible, he thought, his eyes widening in shock. He ignored the gathered chitauri, his vision narrowing to a specific one, standing a ways behind the group, directly in front of the building. His breath hitched, the chitauri, wearing a long robe that swept the ground with a hood that cast shadows over its face, raised its six fingered hand and with a whoosh, disappeared into the flames.

Loki stared at where the alien was standing, his grip on his daggers so tight until his knuckles turned white. The traitorous voice in his mind whispered, You think you know pain? He will make you long for that so sweet as pain.

Loki stiffened, and threw himself forward, slashing and stabbing at the chitauri blocking his way. He needed to get after The Other, the plan was clear as day now and Loki snarled, there was no way Thor was going to die. Not if he could help it.

He burst out from the chitauri and ran straight into the flames, for once glad of his Jotun heritage as it protected him from the weak flames of Midgard. He skidded around corners, remembering where he had last located Thor- Thor who was still alive. He slid to a stop, his senses were right, the energy signature that was uniquely Thor's was still there. Still pulsating. Weakly, but he was still alive. Loki gasped, taking a step forward.

Why should you save him? He stilled.

You hate him don't you? Loki gripped his daggers tighter, eyes darting around for any sign of who was speaking. You claimed it yourself, the voice hissed, you hate him. You hate that he took everything away from you. You hate that he was so much better than you.

"Silence!" Loki snarled, whirling around to find the origin of the voice.

You cannot silence me. I am a part of you.

"Be quiet." Loki said, his voice trembling, he swallowed, not hearing anything. He fought down the panic rising in him, he could not hear his own voice at all.

He does not deserve to be saved.

"Silence."

He took everything away from you! Your love, your credibility. Your children.

Loki hissed, clapping his hands over his head.

He threw you into an abyss! The voice roared in his head.

An image of the blond god grabbing him by the neck and tossing him carelessly into the void sprang up in his head. Almost immediately, another image of pushed the first one away, it was him, hanging onto a golden spear with Thor holding onto to the other end, begging him silently not to let go.

Loki cried out in pain as memories assaulted him. He felt an icy grip in his mind, pulling and tugging but he fought back against the feeling. He snarled and hissed and clawed and fought as hard as he could against the grip. He fell backwards as he pulled free of the icy grip, gasping for breath as he lay on the floor.

He remembered now, how Thor was dangling over the side of the Bifrost, pleading with him not to let go of Gungnir. He remembered Thor's look of desperation when he recognized that Loki had given up. He remembered Thor's agonized scream of denial as he let go and fell into the void. Loki gasped, his chest heaving even as he dragged himself upright and felt blindly for Thor's bright presence and reached out and grabbed on and pulled- and landed right beside the thunderer.

He got up, breathing heavily, ignoring the fact that he couldn't hear his own breath. He looked at Thor, and felt his heart stop at the side of a metal pipe sticking out of the god's side.

He didn't hear the other creep up behind him, when he turned around instinctively, he came face to face with the Other's weapon.

The Other smiled cruelly and fired point blank at the god of mischief.

Off the coast of Battery Park- New York

Percy appeared in the waters outside of Battery Park. He gasped, breathing heavily. He swam to the park, using the Mist to manipulate the mortal's perception of events. He'd look like a bird that had just gone for a swim now, instead of a boy who appeared in the water from the middle of nowhere.

He leaned against a tree, catching his breath for the moment. He hadn't tried that form of travel in so long, add to trying it in his current situation, it made for one very tired Percy Jackson. He dried himself off with a wave of his hand. The benefits outweigh the drawbacks, he thought, grinning to himself. He dug through his duffle, careful not to crush the moonlace that he placed in there, pulling out a black hoodie. He wanted to go incognito after all.

He flipped the hood up and slung the duffle over his back, glad that it made people write him off as either a depressed kid or a drug addict. It did well to prevent people from communicating with him.

As he slowly made his way back to the tower, cutting through back alleys and taking shortcuts, he ran the entire event in his mind. First of all, it didn't make sense for Hill to allow the Helicarrier to take off, at least, not in broad daylight when there were so many people around. Despite the public knowledge that SHIELD existed, Fury would have wanted as few civilians to see the Helicarrier as possible, it was a practical concern, one that the second-in-command of SHIELD should have known. Hence why it was parked so far away from the edge of Battery Park.

Percy was sure that something was off. There was something weird about Hill, and it wasn't just the fact that she didn't mind him calling her 'ma'am'. No, that was not a good indication that she wasn't herself, she could have been busy or frustrated enough that such a trivial thing would slip her mind.

He tried to picture her eyes, remembering Fury brief him on how Barton had fallen under Loki's spell and his eyes had turned pitch black before becoming a bright, unnatural shade of blue. He frowned, Hill's eyes were black, no sign of any blue anywhere. It didn't stop him from dismissing the nagging feeling at the back of his mind that there was something up.

Feeling eyes on him again, he looked up sharply, realizing with a jolt that he had already walked as far as Central Park in the time he had been quietly thinking. He surveyed the area, but there was no one around other than a few stray joggers-damn. He thought to himself, eying the salt-and-pepper haired jogger who had slowed to a stop and was checking his phone. The jogger looked up from his phone briefly, and then continued jogging further into Central Park. That was normal enough, a person would probably have stopped to wonder why there was a boy in a completely black outfit staring in their direction, and it wasn't unusual for people to jog with their phones. It was the perfect picture of normality. If said jogger's phone didn't have two snakes entwining around each other on the back cover of it*.

Sighing, Percy looked around for anyone who may have been looking. Finding none, he shouldered his duffel and followed after the jogger, keeping a certain distance away from the man.

When he eventually emerged in a clearing, he looked around, realizing that the jogger had disappeared.

"Well then, seems like you finally picked up a lesson on subtlety eh?" said a voice from behind him.

Percy just snorted, turning around, "More like I had that lesson forced into my brain one too many times until I got it." He came face to face with a man in a jogger's suit, with elfin features and sandy blond hair that looked ruffled. "Lord Hermes." He said, bowing slightly.

Hermes smiled tightly at him, "You know there's no need for formalities between us Percy."

Percy just looked at him, his face revealing nothing, "It's better to be safe than sorry. What do you need me for?"

"I didn't even say anything about needing you."

Percy just chuckled, looking away for a moment, "You all come knocking for a reason. And it's not just a social visit is it?"

Hermes sighed, looking at the battle-hardened boy in sadness. He missed the Percy who had been full of life and cheerfulness and was untainted by the scars of war.

"You're supposed to come with me to Olympus." Hermes said quietly, observing the boy's reaction.

He wasn't disappointed, Percy jerked back in shock, "What," he raised an eyebrow, "They're allowing me on Olympus? Since when did such things happen?"

"It's a special case Percy."

"No." he said, shaking his head, "I want no part in whatever shit you guys want to dump on me. I have had enough." He turned to walk away.

Hermes called out, "Its regarding the Mad Titan."

Percy stilled, feeling a well of hatred bubble inside him at the mention of that creature's name. "What?" he hissed.

Hermes met the angry gaze levelly, "I cannot say anymore than that. But if you come to Olympus with me, you'll know more."

Percy licked his lips, turning the thought in his head. On the one hand, he really needed to figure out what happened to the director and what was going on in SHIELD. On the other hand...any information regarding Thanos was bound to be important. The mad titan was well, mad.

He raised his dark oceanic eyes to Hermes' golden-brown ones, "Fine." He said simply, "I'll go. But I'm not promising anything."

The god nodded, smiling softly at the boy who had changed them all so much. He placed a hand on his shoulder, after a short instruction to Percy to close his eyes; they both disappeared in a flash of light.

Olympus

The both of them appeared outside the great doors that led to the throne room. Percy looked questioningly to the god, who only answered, "I didn't think you'd want to be paraded through the whole of Olympus."

Percy nodded, sending a look of gratitude to the god before he entered the throne room. Hermes grew to his usual height at fifteen feet and sat on his throne. Percy took a deep breath and walked in, and all conversations ceased immediately, the throne room falling into silence. He knelt at the foot of Zeus' throne, bowing respectfully to him and keeping his head down.

"Rise." The king of the gods thundered.

Percy rose fluidly, standing up and facing the fourteen Olympians** with his head held high. He nodded respectfully to Hestia, who had decided to stay by the hearth instead of sitting on her throne like the rest of the gods. His heart warmed when she gave him a bright smile, poking the coals in the hearth.

Percy inclined his head slightly to Hades, whose dark eyes shone with amusement and respect. He respectfully averted his eyes from Artemis, lest he be changed into a jackalope. He refused to meet his father-no, Lord Poseidon's- eyes. He looked up, slightly defiant in the face of Zeus. And from the look on the god's face, he had realized his defiance.

Point to me.

"What can I do for you Lord Zeus?" he asked in that perfectly neutral tone that always made a vein in Fury's forehead tick.

Zeus ignored the tone, choosing, for once, to get straight to the point. "It has come to our attention that the Mad Titan, also known as Thanos, has begun his war against the Nine Realms."

Percy blinked, Zeus knew about the Nine Realms? "What has that got to do with me?"

Athena took over, her gray eyes stern, "We need to prepare for another war. One worse than the previous two."

"There are too many lives at stake here, and we will need everyone we have, every power at our disposal to defeat the titan." Poseidon said, casting a sad look at his son.

Percy blinked, "Whoa wait. Wait up. What in Tartarus are you all talking about?"

Zeus frowned, turning to Hermes, who had slumped down in his throne. "Did you not tell the boy?"

Percy stared between Hermes and Zeus, "Tell me what?" he said lowly.

Hermes stared at Percy , desperately trying to convey his apologies.

"You were supposed to be brought here to regain your former status." Athena said stiffly, glaring at her brother.

Percy's eyes widened, the words registering in his head. He looked at Hermes, his eyes flashing angrily, "What the fuck?" he snarled, "You didn't tell me about this. You didn't say anything except that there was information about Thanos! You lied to me!"

"Percy calm down!" Poseidon barked.

"NO! I left all of this behind." He hissed, gesturing to the gods themselves, "I want no part in this. I made it clear. I have a life now-"

"Do you?" Artemis interrupted, "You are stuck in an organization that does not trust its own people. You cannot reveal who you are. You cannot fight back for fear of being discovered. What kind of a life is that?"

Percy stared at her silver eyes, "It's the only one I have."

"That's not true Percy." Hestia said softly. "You have a choice. You can come back to the hearth."

Percy bowed his head, clenching his fists, "I left, three years ago, because you all lied to me. Because you used me." He said, glaring at Poseidon, who flinched minutely. "I swore never to return and now you want me to just walk back in like nothing ever happened?"

"Come on Perce," Apollo tried, "Ya have to see it from our perspective-"

"Oh I see from your perspective alright, you all just want me to come back so that you can use me further. Right?"

"No-"

"ENOUGH!" Zeus thundered, raising his master bolt to gain attention. The king glared down at Percy, who stared back unflinchingly, "You will return. You will accept the powers we will give to you-"

"You were mentioned in a prophecy." Poseidon cut in, ignoring the furious glare his brother gave him.

Percy turned to him in shock, "What?"

Poseidon looked at him calmly, "A prophecy was issued recently, and it clearly included you. There is no other way. Only a demigod can be a part of such a prophecy."

"You have got to be kidding me. What the hell? Maybe the prophecy is referring to someone else! Why does it always naturally mean me?" Percy demanded.

"Percy, the prophecy says-"

"Enough!" Zeus bellowed, "You have said far more than you should brother!"

"He is my son!" Poseidon roared, slamming his trident on the ground. "He deserves to be told rather than kept in the dark!"

"The prophecy will only be revealed once the boy affirms his loyalty to Olympus!"

"Affirm his loyalty to Olympus?" Poseidon asked incredulously, "Were you blind, death and senseless during the last two wars?"

Zeus stormy gray eyes flashed, and Percy, while he really appreciated his father-Lord Poseidon damn it- defending him, didn't want to be caught up in a fight between two of the Big Three.

"Wait!" He yelled, getting both their attentions, "Is anyone even going to ask whether I even want to be part of this?"

Poseidon opened his mouth to answer, but was beaten to it by another. "You already are a part of this Perseus."

Percy turned to Athena, her steely gray eyes piercing through him, she gestured to the red band around his right wrist, "Is that not one of the Infinity Stones you hold?"

He blinked in surprise, looking at the gleaming red band on his wrist. In all the excitement that followed his return from that accursed planet, the gem had completely slipped his mind.

Athena, seeing his silence, took it as her cue to continued, "There is no way out of this for you Perseus. The prophecy can be referring to no other. Not only have you managed to activate the stone single-handedly without the help of the Gauntlet, something no individual has ever done before, you have also managed to utilize its powers with the lack of any external help and without feeling a strain on your own body." Her eyes softened a fraction, "Can you not see that you are already too deep in this? Why not accept the powers that would increase your chances of emerging alive?"

Percy clenched his fist, knowing that he had been caught and cornered by Athena. It was one of the reasons why he was always reluctant to meet the council. Any argument he might have was inevitably shot down by the goddess of wisdom and her cold logic.

The gods all watched as he stared unseeingly at his hand, slumping minutely. They all felt a pang of sympathy for the boy, who looked so exhausted at the prospect of having to fight in yet another war, but, as much as they wanted to deny it, they needed him.

"What if I don't accept this?" He asked softly. His tone suggesting that he wanted to know the consequences of such an action, but belying his resignation to his fate.

"The Mad Titan will rampage through all the realms, until each and every realm is destroyed." Hades said his voice even.

"I'm just one demigod, how can I change the tide of a war?" He asked desperately, looking for all intents and purposes like a lost child.

All the gods looked at each other, but only Hestia answered him, telling him gently, "You are not just a demigod Perseus." She smiled at him warmly, "You are the greatest demigod to ever live."

He pressed his lips together and straightened his back, eyes hardening as his mask fell into place. He looked up at Zeus, determination thrumming through him. He would not let his friends fight alone. Not just the ones he had left behind, but the ones that he had gained. Even if they rejected him for lying, he would help the avengers, who had helped him so much even when they didn't need to. He thought about how Tony had accepted him into the family almost immediately, even after he'd lied to the man. He thought of how Bruce cared about him, even when he didn't need to, standing up to the one person that brought out the worst in him just because he didn't want him to be in danger. He remembered how Steve had always allowed him to remain quietly by his side as he sketched on the roof of Stark Tower, offering him a quiet smile and comforting him silently when he stumbled out of bed in the middle of the night because of his nightmares. He thought of Clint and Natasha, both assassins who trained him personally. He thought of Thor, who sparred with him, joining in the lessons he had with Tony and who was loyal to a fault. Lastly, he thought of Loki, the green-eyed god who had saved his life, risking his own sanity in return, even if it was at the claim of a debt he owed. Percy closed his eyes and breathed in, "I accept your offer."

The king of the gods nodded, "Hermes, get Hecate here."

The messenger god nodded, studiously avoiding Percy's eyes and flashed out. A few minutes later, he flashed back into the throne room with the goddess of witchcraft. Percy looked at her with slight apprehension. The goddess looked regal in a different manner from the Olympian goddesses. Her dark ebony locks were let loose and they fell in waves down her back, the luscious strands the envy of many goddesses and demigods alike. Her red dress trailed behind her, demonstrating her well curved figure, a sash covering her arms below her shoulders. Her dark eyes gleamed with amusement, though she was quick to hex you if the need arose. Her beauty rivaled that of the goddess Aphrodite, much to the latter's annoyance and envy.

She curtsied before the king of the gods, coming to stand beside Percy, who looked at her curiously. Her mouth curved into a smirk, "What may I do for my king today?"

Zeus ignored her faux-polite tone, saying, "It is time. You shall restore Perseus Jackson's powers to him."

She looked up at Zeus, her eyes shining with mirth, "My Lord," she swept her hand out, "His powers were never taken away."

Zeus exploded, "WHAT?" He roared, Hera placing a hand on her husband.

Hecate merely turned away from the god, placing a well manicured finger under Percy's chin, "Ah, the hero." She said, smiling at him through her lashes, "Such a pretty boy. Powerful too." She crooned.

Percy jerked away from her, his oceanic green eyes darkening in anger. Hecate laughed, "Oh, this is a first!"

Percy frowned, "What?" his fingers twitching, yearning for his sword.

Hecate merely smiled at him, "No one has been able to resist my spell before. Fascinating."

Poseidon scowled, "You placed a spell on my son?"

Hecate turned to him, "Nothing of the sort I assure you Lord Poseidon."

She turned back to Zeus, who was still fuming in his throne. "Do not be angry my lord, even I cannot remove a blessing that has been given. I can only use a spell to suppress its influence within the individual."

"You can lift the spell then?" Artemis asked, disdain clearly evident in her voice.

"Of course." Hecate said, all but dismissive of the moon goddess. "Would you like me to?"

Zeus shared a look with his brothers, and nodded, "Remove the spell on Perseus. Let him regain his powers."

Hecate nodded and turned back to Percy. "Don't resist." She said, placing both hands on either side of his head. He resisted his first urge to throw the goddess off, instead keeping his hands clenched by his side, his mind comparing the feeling of her working her magic in his mind with that of another individual...

He felt her presence in his mind, fighting his natural instinct to resist against her magic. Where Loki felt like a soothing balm to a hot fever, Hecate felt like a wild whirlwind of magic and energy. He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth.

Stop resisting me.

He tried to relax as he felt her presence delve deeper and deeper into his mind. For a moment, he felt her power surge through him and all he could think was the amount of power burning within him, the pure unleashed energy that cut through his very being and it burned. He was trapped in that vortex of power and he couldn't get out, the power was to much, someonestopitstopthisenoughidon'twantanymorecan'ttakeanymore-

-he fell to the floor gasping, the cool marble beneath his hands acting as a focus for him. Distantly, he heard snippets of a conversation above him, but his lungs couldn't seem to get any of the precious air in. He heaved, gulping for air- "What did you do to my son you witch?"- but the oxygen didn't seem to be getting into his lungs at all- "Breathe Perce."- he looked up, straight into bright, kind blue eyes before the world went dark.

Afghanistan base

Several hundred miles away in the underground section of a SHIELD base, the trickster god was thrown against the wall, away from his brother who lay motionless on the floor.

He grunted in pain as his back was slammed against a solid surface for the second time that day. He didn't allow himself any time for reprieve as he rolled to a stand, a dagger in both hands and his brother at his feet. Loki forced himself to concentrate on the opponent before him.

The Other stood in all its hideous glory in front of him, a being that Loki had thought-hoped- that he would never have the misfortune of meeting ever again. Alas, it seemed that misfortune followed the trickster god as he came face to face with one of his tormentors. Having had a glimpse of the creature before him when he entered that world to pull Percy out was more than enough to bring back all those horrid memories. Now, with the being standing before him in the flesh, Loki pushed back against the memories that he felt rushing up. He gritted his teeth, sliding into a defensive stance, his left foot forward and daggers held in an ice-pick hold in front of his chest.

The Other chuckled, its mouth moving behind its mouth guard. Loki narrowed his eyes, he couldn't hear whatever the other was saying, the silence still encompassing his ears. He used his magic to subtly check on Thor, finding that the metal pipe was keeping most of the blood inside his body, but if they didn't get that wound fixed soon...

The Other had stopped talking and cocked his head to the side at the lack of expression on the god's face. Loki tensed when the chitauri chuckled, its shoulders shaking. A heartbeat later then- The poor godling.

Loki flinched back, his eyes widening in horror at the voice that was in his mind.

Did the explosion render you deaf?

Silence! Loki snarled, trying to banish the creature and its screeching voice from his brain.

The alien merely smirked, though it went unseen by the god. It glided closer, causing Loki to hiss in anger, his body tense.

I told you, there was no realm you could hide, no barren moon, no crevice where I would not be able to find you. The chitauri hissed, Yet you chose to hide on this pathetic realm after denying the master the Tesseract.

Loki sneered, It is not my fault that your army was so pathetically incompetent.

The Other snarled, vanishing and appearing behind Loki, who twisted around, facing two deep black pits, Do not take me for a fool godling! You rallied the mortals to fight back. You lost on purpose.

Loki laughed, the sound lost in the encompassing silence, I was their enemy, they would have rallied nonetheless. Your army, supposedly so glorious and powerful, was clearly below their level.

Six mortals, against a hoard of chitauri and it was contained within a single section? The Other glared at him, No. you led them with the purpose of losing.

Loki's arm came up just in time to deflect a blast from the Other, twisting and lashing out with his foot at the same time. The feeling of kicking something solid told him that his attack had found its mark, and following through with the movement, Loki let one of his daggers fly, relishing in the scream of pain that followed as it sank into the creature's arm.

But The Other was powerful, and did not go down easily. It yanked the dagger out and flung a spell at the god, causing him to duck and roll in order to avoid the attack. Glancing back, he cursed and erected a shield over his brother's prone form. He jumped back to avoid a stream of fire, but was not fast enough. It caught him from thigh down, and he gritted his teeth against the onslaught of pain that followed.

The Other twisted and turned and evaded his attacks with surprising dexterity. Loki, holding up a shield for his brother, slowing the time around his brother's wound, fortifying the base and fighting a mage with spell after spell, was starting to feel the strain of the battle. He was at a disadvantage here, having to hold up the building to ensure that it didn't collapse on his brother while having to make sure that his brother's wounds were not aggravated as well.

He couldn't hear but he knew instinctively that the Other was laughing at his predicament. Loki knelt on the ground, eyes darting around for signs of his opponent as his mind raced to formulate a plan. This might just work...

The Other laughed, unaffected by the lack of light and the smoke covering the area. It saw the trickster god kneeling on the floor, searching for any signs of it. The chitauri grinned, it would put the trickster out of his misery soon. It was a pity, the Other wanted to play with the godling for a while more, alas the Other had orders from Thanos to eliminate him. The Other brought out a wicked looking dagger from its own subspace. The dagger's blade was at least a foot long and was as black as the abyss that it seemed to suck out any light from the its surroundings. The blade itself was curved and serrated, meant to deal as much damage as it came out as possible. Not that the victim of such a blade would feel the damage, but it made the dagger look all the more sinister. It was called sálSkemmdarvargur, the soul-destroyer. On a mortal, a mere touch would result in immediate death, and the mortal's soul would be destroyed. On an immortal, it would take more than a touch, though a stab would do, regardless of it being a mortal wound or not. As an immortal, their soul would require a longer time to destroy, and the sálSkemmdarvargur would cause excruciating pain within the immortal until the being's soul was destroyed.

Calling its magic to it, the Other grinned and appeared behind the kneeling form of Loki, who had noticed its appearance and jerked and tried to turn around. The dagger slid smoothly between the god's ribs, his green eyes widening as the dagger pierced his heart. The Other grinned, twisting the blade in pleasure, before its own eyes widened as the figure in front of him began disintegrating. In an ironic reversal of roles, the Other tried to get up quickly, but even as he turned, he felt the god slam a dagger into his back and a powerful kick sent it flying backwards.

Right into an open portal.

The Other's last vision was that of a smirking trickster god, his double disappearing into green wisps of magic.

Loki closed the portal as soon as the Other vanished into the depths of the void, feeling the drain on his magic at opening a portal without the aid of any magical objects almost immediately. He dropped to his knees tiredly, breathing hard. He crawled towards his brother, resting his forehead against the cold metal of his brother's breastplate after removing the hastily erected shield. Steeling himself, he gripped the metal pipe and yanked it out. Almost immediately, blood began gushing out, and Loki pressed his palm against the wound, ignoring the growing slickness of his hands. His eyes glowing with power, he poured his energy into his brother, forcing tissue to knit together, bones to straighten out and the flesh to seal over. He had never been a healer, healing magic not suited to his tastes, but like so many times before, his desperation fueled his magic and his emotions bent the seidr to his will, fixing the wound in his brother's side.

Loki fell back with a gasp when the majority of the damage was fixed. All that was left of the original gaping wound was a shallow cut that would heal over in time. He barely had any more energy within him, having spent most of it on opening that portal and healing his brother's wound. Nevertheless, he heaved himself up with great effort, placing himself over his brother.

Drawing the magic that he had used to fortify the walls of the base, he dug deep within him, using up the last reserves of his magic and felt a tugging sensation in his gut, the two of them disappearing in a flash.

A second later, the entire base collapsed.

The avengers outside of the base were finishing off the last of the chitauri when the base collapsed. For some reason, the chitauri had fled some minutes ago, the remaining few being slaughtered one by one by the avengers.

The rumbling of the base caught all of their attentions and the five of them gaped at where the base had been. Tony flipped up his visor plate, staring at the base, "Fuck, Thor was in there. Cap!" He shouted, turning to Steve, "What do we do?"

Steve was grim-faced at the prospect of the thunder god lying somewhere at the bottom of all the rubble. He opened his mouth to respond when a bright flash cut him off. They all turned to see a disheveled god of mischief lying over an unconscious and bloodied god of thunder.

Loki breathed, feeling sharp pains every time he breathed in. He blinked sluggishly, unable to concentrate as the world spun. He didn't realize when he had fallen back, or pushed off by one of the avengers in their haste to get to their fellow members. Loki couldn't even summon the strength to feel annoyed or angry at their actions, instead, he half sat and half lay on the ground, looking but not seeing the avengers swarm over their comrade, the doctor frantically checking over his brother. He would have chuckled at their antics if he had the energy to-he would have made sure his brother was fine before teleporting. The stupid mortals- instead, he just remained where he was blankly looking at the group.

He blinked when he looked up and saw blue eyes as bright as his brother's, getting drawn into them for a moment. He blinked another time, and the face of the captain came into view, concern etched on his face. He blinked a third time, then collapsed onto the ground, the sounds of astonished yelps never reaching his ears.

"Why do I need to bring Loki to you?"

"Because he is a crucial part of the prophecy."

"And because the Mad Titan's influence over him is not completely gone yet."

"Bring him to us Percy Jackson, we cannot afford for him to deliver knowledge to the enemy, however unknowingly."