Thor swallowed nervously as Perseus closed the door behind him, leaving him alone in the room with his brother. Loki stood fluidly, brushing off invisible dirt from his shirt, though there was not even a speck of dust visible on it, giving him a frosty look, "State what you are here for then leave."

Thor exhaled nervously, "I came here to thank you bro – Loki."

Loki narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing him as though trying to spot the lie in his sentence. "Now that you have done that, the door is right behind you." Loki said, moving to open the door.

The moment he brushed past Thor, the thunder god blurted out, "How did you do it?"

Loki's hand stilled on the door knob, "Do what?" He said tersely.

Thor hesitated, steeling himself for the outrage he knew was to come, "How did you break out of the chitauri's spell?"

"I didn't."

Thor frowned, "Loki please, stop playing games with me, tell me how you did it."

Loki's eyes flashed angrily, "And I am telling you, I did not break out of their spell." He said tightly.

"Loki –" Thor rumbled warningly.

Loki snarled and punched the door, stepping closer to Thor, looking more dangerous than the elder god had ever seen him, "You come to me for answers but you refuse to believe my words. You pick and choose what you wish to listen to, as you have always done! You hear what pleases you, and not the answer that you are no doubt searching for! I did not break out of their spell! The Greeks brought me out of their thrall, what more do you want me to say?"

"I – You led the army to the Greek's stronghold on purpose. Yet you claim to be under their spell!"

Thor cringed inwardly at the words that came out of his mouth, watching the younger god go rigid.

"Just because I was able to tuck away a small piece of my mind to preserve my sanity whilst committing acts of insanity for a being who is cruel, malicious and loves death as a person," Loki hissed, "Does not mean I escaped their spell."

Thor frowned, "I do not get it, how were you able to do so? Why was I unable to remove a part of my mind –"

"Oh so this is what this is about!" Loki shouted sarcastically, throwing his hands in the air, "Does it physically pain you, the great Thor Odinson, to be unable to break out of a simple mind thrall?"

"Do not twist my words Silvertongue!" Thor barked, bristling with anger.

Loki sneered, "Resorting to name calling now are we? How juvenile brother. But expected nonetheless."

"Why do you never give a straight answer Loki?" Thor demanded, crowding his brother against the wall.

Loki sneered and shoved him backwards, "A straight answer? Come now, that would be unbecoming of the one who holds the title of Silvertongue." He hissed. "I have given you your answers, but it is no fault of mine if you choose not to accept them!" He spread his arms wide open, "What more do you ask of me?"

Thor growled, "I want a straight answer as to why I was not able to break out of the thrall! I should have been able to, I was trained!"

Loki scoffed, "Trained? Trained? You think that what your precious Allfather put you through was considered training? Bah! He would not bear to subject his precious golden son to the horrors of a mind thrall. Training? That was to give you a touch of what it is like to face a sorcerer, to deter you from the seduction of the arts. You were never trained in the arts of seidr! How were you supposed to know how to shield your mind from external forces? How were you supposed to know how to sense another's presence in your mind? Those are the basics of defending your mind, and you do not even know them! How were you supposed to protect your mind if you didn't even know it was being invaded?" Loki shouted, panting heavily from his rant.

He turned away from Thor, slamming one fist against the wall. "You would not have known how to defend yourself psychically. Let alone counter the attack. Be glad that your mind still remains in one piece." He said, letting his arm fall to his side.

Thor grew quiet at his brother's outburst. He stared at his brother's hunched back, the frame racked with tension. "What have I done wrong Loki? What have I done to make you so hateful of me?" Thor asked softly.

Loki stiffened at the patronizing tone, "Get out." He said lowly, not turning around.

Thor shook his head, even if Loki couldn't see it. "I will not move until you tell me."

Loki turned around slowly, his eyes akin to infernos. "I said, get. Out." He hissed.

Thor stood his ground stubbornly, "No. Loki, tell me, please, I do not know what I have done wrong, what I have done to make you this way –"

A low chuckle built up in Loki's chest, bubbling up until it exploded in the form of hysterical laughter. Loki laughed and laughed and laughed, bending over in two, clutching his abdomen.

"You don't know what you did wrong?" Loki said between laughs.

Thor frowned, frustrated with his brother's responses to his attempt at peace-making, "You never speak up, how am I supposed to know what wrongs I did by you?"

Loki stared at him incredulously, "I never spoke up?" He whispered. Loki lunged forward unexpectedly and slammed Thor into the wall, taking the thunder god by surprise with his show of strength, "You took them away from me," he snarled, "You took my family away from me and mocked me, laughed at me, belittled me, and you dare say you don't know what wrongs you did by me?" He demanded.

Thor pried his hands away from his shoulders, frowning disapprovingly, "We have gone through this before Loki, it was Father's orders, I had no choice in the matter, your child was a monstrosity, and you should have known better –"

"This! This is what I mean!" Loki yelled, his arms flung open, "You ask me what you have done to make me hate you, but when I give my answer you refuse to accept it. You choose not to listen, and you turn the blame on me!"

Thor leaned forward, an argument on his tongue, but he stopped short at the expression in Loki's face. The younger god was enraged, but Thor could pick out traces of expectancy, as though he was waiting for Thor to shoot him down. With an ashamed realization that came from the sudden clarity his mind held, Thor was struck by the memories of the times when he mocked Loki's opinions, when he jeered at his brother's words and belittled his prowess. He swallowed his words back, the bitter taste of regret lingering on his tongue.

"Then tell me," he said softly, relaxing his body out of its aggressive stance, "Tell me, and I swear that I will not interrupt. That I will listen."

Thor was rewarded with an utterly surprised look on Loki's face, which only served to fuel the guilt and regret pooling in his stomach. "I wish to know why we have ended up this way brother. I want us to be able to go back to the way we were when we were children."

Loki exhaled softly, the tension bleeding out of him. "We can never go back to what we were before." He said bitterly, "Too much has happened to cause such a rift between us."

A stretch of silence hung between them, before Loki looked to the side, his gaze faraway, "They were the world to me." He murmured, "They were borne of my flesh and blood, they came from a part of me." Loki turned to face Thor, and the thunder god was taken aback by the broken expression on his face. "I loved them so, so much." He whispered. "They were my pride and joy and no one had the right to take them away. Never mind that Sleipnir took the form of an eight legged horse, never mind that Jormungand was a serpent, Fenrir a wolf and Hela half alive and half dead. I took pride in them, my beloved children, and the Allfather took them away because of what they might do." Loki growled.

Thor was stunned into silence at the revelation, he had been told, as had the council, that the wolf and snake were creatures of abomination, sent to destroy Asgard and her stability, even all the nine realms, while the horse was an exquisite breed that Odin had found on one of his many trips. He had only known that Hela was of Loki's blood, but never had he expected that the others shared her heritage as well.

Thor said hesitantly, "But Sleipnir, it – he, he lives on Asgard, does he not?"

Loki glared at him, "You think seeing my son locked up in a stable as a steed a good thing? You think that just because he lives on Asgard that it makes it any better? You do not know what it means to wake up each morning and see your child chained up like a common animal!"

Thor flinched, but Loki was on a roll, "I had thought that it was perhaps it was because of their appearance, I appealed to the Allfather to allow me to teach them how to shape-shift, but he refused, saying that they were a danger to Asgard, an abomination." His mouth twisted in disgust, "They were children for Norns sake!" He howled, gripping his hair tightly.

"Vali, Narfi and Sigyn. They too did not deserve the fate that was dealt to them!" Loki whispered brokenly, "I do not understand, Vali and Narfi were humanoids. They were normal by Asgardian standards, so why did Odin murder them?"

Thor reached out a hand, placing it on Loki's shoulder, but the god slapped it away, his anger refueled, "Don't touch me!" He growled, "You killed my son. Don't. Touch. Me."

Thor stepped back in shock, "Brother – Loki, I would never – I did not – I did not even know you had a son! All along, I only knew that Hela was of your lineage!"

Loki snarled, "Don't lie to me! You were there! You watched as my son was torn apart by his brother, you watched as all of Asgard cheered them on, and you raised your hammer against my only remaining son when he finished off his brother."

Thor felt his heart plummet, for there was only one day in his memory that fit what Loki was describing. And he remembered it as clear as day.

All of Asgard seemed to gather in the ring, their excited chattering filling the air as they took their places and passed their bets, waiting for the challenger to step out. Thor himself sat at the best seat, next to his father. The queen had claimed to be feeling unwell, and did not attend, instead remaining in the main palace to get the rest she required. Thor looked to the empty seat next to his and frowned. Loki had been surprisingly outspoken about this particular fight, more so than Thor had ever seen him, even going so far as to disobey the Allfather and try to free the captive fighter.

Thor shook his head at his brother's antics, pushing away the seed of doubt that was niggling in his mind. He grimaced at the thought of Loki's punishment. It was no wonder he refused to show his face, not with the ugly stitches that held his lips shut. Thor fidgeted slightly in his seat, clenching and unclenching his fingers as he remembered the feeling of holding his brother down, his screams echoing in his mind.

"Are you well?"

Thor blinked, the memory vanishing in an instant, replaced by the visage of Odin's stern face. Thor detected the slightest of worry in the king's grey eyes and shook his head, "My thoughts caught me unawares father. Perhaps it is the waiting."

Odin nodded slowly, "Perhaps."

The king stood up slowly, banging Gungnir against the ground, the whole stand falling silent. "Bring out the fighters!"

The gate slowly drew open, the crowd roaring in excitement as the guards shoved a boy into the grounds, his skinny frame fragile against the bulk of the guard's. Thor frowned slightly, he was told that it would be an even fight, but this boy, he was barely of age!

He wanted to tell his father that, but he couldn't bear the look of disappointment that was sure to be sent his way, so he looked away, pretending that his gut wasn't churning uneasily. Thor tuned out the crowd, tuned out the fight – no, the slaughter that followed. The wolf that was to be the child's opponent ripped him apart easily, its powerful jaws snapping shut on his legs, the child's scream drowned out by the bloodthirsty howls of the Asgardians. Thor looked away, an unwilling spectator in this killing fest.

The child's screams was deafening in his ear, even though the crowd was roaring. His cries for help and his pleas for the fight to stop were cut off when the wolf lunged for him, its jaws closing around the child's throat, snapping his neck instantly.

Thor watched in barely veiled disgust at how the wolf dragged its claws across the corpse's body, burying its muzzle in the boy's gut, desecrating it even further. The wolf threw its head back and howled, a mournful sound that left Thor breathless. The guards tried to pry the wolf away, back into its cage, but they only managed to make it more enraged, the wolf nearly taking out the hand of one of the guards.

The crowd cheered the guards on, while Odin gave Thor a pointed look. The thunder god – despite claims by his brother that he was slow on the uptake – understood immediately what his father wanted him to do, and he bit his lip, grasping the handle of Mjolnir so tightly until his knuckles turned white.

He rose from his seat slowly, the crowd hushing when it was evident that the golden prince was to take part in the fight. Thor, steeling his heart and mind, leapt over the barricade and landed in the ring, the wolf's head turning to look at him. Thor paid the cheering crowd no attention, not hearing the way they chanted his name. The grey wolf was much bigger than he expected, the top of its head reaching his chest. He gripped the hammer and hefted it, pointing the weapon at the animal, an unspoken challenge. The wolf howled and bared its teeth at him, intelligent black eyes glowing with hate.

Thor looked to the child's body and breathed a silent apology, before he immersed himself in the battle lust.

He emerged victorious, of course. A mere animal was no match for the mighty son of Odin. But that didn't stop him from feeling disgusted with himself, as though he had taken part in a ritual killing. He shook his head, his hair falling in his face; it was an animal, a wolf, no more beast than the creatures he'd slain before. But Thor, even as he raised his hand and plastered a smile on his face, couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that something larger was at play here.

Something larger than just a fight to the death as a punishment for the child's thievery. He held his hammer aloft, soaking in the sounds of his people cheering his name.

Thor never saw the cold, calculative look on Odin's face.

Loki closed his eyes as he remembered the feeling of his sons' agony, their screams ripping through his head even though he wasn't anywhere near the kill ring. He had been too much of a coward, unwilling to be a witness to the horrifying event and hid in his room, his mother entering and holding him in her arms as he wept silently, his pain silenced by the black threads that bound his lips together.

Frigga remained a silent pillar of support, an anchor in the chaos of his life. Loki had gripped onto her and never let go. He felt it when Vali and Narfi entered Hela's realm, their presence in his mind vanishing, leaving a deep void within his heart as the last of his children were taken away from him.

From that day onwards, he steeled his being, donning a mask that was cold, collected, and impassive, using his words as one would a weapon, a barb to sting and hurt. He never forgot about how the whole of Asgard took part in the event, treating it as merriment to be enjoyed, a sport which slipped their minds once the excitement died down, and he never forgave them.

Now, even centuries after that incident, he felt the aching void in him, and he tried to clamp down on the hurt that tore through him, locking the memories away.

"I did not know."

Loki's eyes snapped open, fury coursing through his veins. He whirled on his brother, "What?" He hissed.

Thor's eyes widened in shock, "Brother I –"

"How dare you?" Loki snarled, "How dare you deny such a claim? You murdered my son in cold blood and you dare to deny it? You –"

"Listen to me!" Thor roared, grabbing Loki's shoulders, shaking him roughly, cutting him off. "You claim that I do not listen to your words, yet you repeat the errors I commit, I implore you, listen to mine."

When Thor was sure that Loki wouldn't say anything more, he said, "I did not know it was your son. None of us knew his relation to you. All we were told was that a man had been caught stealing from the main palace, and the punishment was to be death. The Allfather said that the man pleaded to be given a chance to fight for his life, and that that wish was to be granted." Thor took in a deep breath, memories of blood and sand filling his mind. He opened his eyes, looking into Loki's shocked ones, "I swear upon my honor as Asgard's warrior and upon the Norns that I truly did not know that it was your son in the ring." Thor gritted his teeth, "A man was supposed to enter the fight, but what I saw was a child, barely of age, and left to die in a ring for sport."

Loki looked into Thor's bright blue eyes, searching for any hint of a lie. Ever since he came to Midgard, the older god had grown and matured much, but despite all of that, he still retained his atrocious inability to lie. He felt as though he was punched in the gut when he found no trace of a lie. "You did not – you truly did not know?" He whispered.

Thor nodded solemnly, "I swear brother, if I had known it was your son in the ring, I would have stopped the fight at all cost."

Loki closed his eyes, his face scrunched up in pain, "Sons." He said, "My sons were in the ring."

Thor was taken aback, "What?"

Loki looked down, slumping, "My sons were in there. They were forced to fight each other."

Thor frowned, remembering that Loki had mentioned it earlier, "I saw only one boy, the other was a beast –" Thor broke off, looking at Loki in surprise, "No. It cannot be." He breathed.

Loki swallowed, nodding slowly, "Odin found them, and, for reasons I know not, he was displeased with my offspring and he cursed Vali to take the form of a beast, a wolf, to be precise. He wanted to pit the two of them against each other. That man's cruelty knows no bounds." He growled.

Thor could not find any words, he clamped down on his first instinct to defend his father and king, to tell Loki that Odin was not that cruel, but his heart stayed his tongue, for it knew the truth that he tried to deny. Thor knew that there was a streak of cruelty within the old king; it was to be expected from a ruler. After all, peace and security did not just come from diplomacy. But Thor had seen firsthand that day how cruel his father could be, to sit by impassively and watch the bloody murder of a child, to be able to know the identity of said child and still remain so untouched...

Thor remembered the way Loki's body had tensed as the thread was woven through his lips, the way Thor pleaded with Odin to let his brother off the hook this once, and the dispassionate look on Odin's face as the two brothers clung on to each other through the ordeal.

Thor, spurned by a moment of affection and regret, pulled his brother close and crushed him to his chest, the younger god seizing up immediately, his body stiff as a board. "I am so, so sorry brother." He said, burying his face into his brother's raven hair, "I did not know how much you suffered, I cannot imagine the slights that you must have suffered through the Allfather's actions." He moved back, holding a shocked Loki at arm's length, "I did not know that the World Serpent, Father's steed and the Wolf were of your blood, all Odin told me, told us, were that they were a part of the prophecy of Ragnarok, that their presence signified Asgard's downfall."

Loki looked away from the earnest look in his brother's eyes. He did not want to forgive Thor, he wanted to cling on to the anger and hate that had been boiling within him for so many centuries, he wanted to unleash his rage on the thunder god, but he knew, in his heart, that it wasn't the right thing to do. A voice in his head – sounding suspiciously like Percy – told him that it wasn't Thor's fault. He might have been the one to dirty his hands, but he was never the one who was behind the schemes of Asgard. Loki knew, deep in his heart, that Thor wasn't at fault, that the thunder god was as much a pawn of Odin as he was, a piece in the game. He could hear the honesty ringing through his brother's voice, the true confusion and regret lacing his tone as he spoke, and he knew, in that moment – even without the power he held as the god of lies, he knew, instinctively, that Thor was not lying.

His brother was many things, but he was not malicious. Thor was one of those people who didn't have a single cruel bone in his body. He might have hurt him many times before, mocked him and slighted him, but never had Thor purposefully done so. Ignorance was no excuse, but it was Thor's reason for his misguided attempts at helping his brother.

Loki knew that his cynicism and sharp tongue did not help matters either, the two of them were as different as night and day, and as close as they were, as much as they loved each other, they couldn't understand what made the other tick. The god of mischief sighed, this was one hell of a miscommunication.

Surprising even himself, he turned and wrapped his arms around his brother, surrounding himself with Thor's strength in a way that he had not done so since they were children.

Thor was equally shocked but recovered faster, and he returned the embrace quickly, before Loki could change his mind. "I am sorry brother." He said sadly, "I hope you will find it in you to forgive me for all the wrongs that I have done against you."

Loki remained silent, leaning his forehead against Thor's shoulder, "You big oaf," he muttered into Thor's armor, "I could never stay angry at you for long." He blinked, his vision blurring, "Odin is to be blamed for all of this." He hissed, pressing his lips together.

Thor frowned, he believed his brother, but he didn't want to acknowledge the fact that his father could be so cruel. He closed his eyes, praying to the Norns for guidance. The thunder god moved back and looked at Loki, "Brother, I want to believe you – no, I do believe you – but I cannot marry the image of the father I know with the one you portray."

Loki looked at him, pushing past the feeling of instinctive betrayal, "What are you saying?"

Thor said hesitantly, "Loki, as you know, I have never seen Fath – I have never seen the Allfather in the manner you have. I believe your words, and I have my doubts, but I have grown up seeing only one side of him." He paused, searching for the right words to continue, "Loki I plead with you that you give me time to think, to sort out what you have told me. I implore that you be patient with me."

Loki stared impassively at Thor, turning his words over in his mind. Past the bitter taste of betrayal, past the veil of hate and anger that covered his eyes and mind, he tore apart his brother's words with cold logic, able to think objectively now. While Loki had been shunned and put down by Odin, Thor had been spoiled and pampered by the same man, raised to a pedestal while the younger prince was never good enough for Odin. Not when he learned a new spell, not when he surpassed his tutors, not even when he had learned everything that Frigga had to teach him. Now that he could think objectively, without the chitauri's insidious influence, he knew that he was biased against Odin.

Just as how he viewed Odin cynically, Thor saw the best of the king, kindness and strength where Loki saw deviousness and schemes. He knew that Thor was naive in some ways, and while his ability to see the good in everyone was endearing, it was dangerous as well, which was where Loki came in. the two of them, despite their differences, have always made a good team because of that. Thor was the brutal front attack, Loki was the shadow who slit the throats of nay who dared to come near the golden prince. They balanced each other out, Thor with his optimism, and Loki with his realism. Thor gave the hope that pushed people to fight for survival, Loki gave the plans that ensured that their fight was not in vain. It was what made them such a good team. And just like how they fought together, their views on the normal things differed as well, including their opinions on the king.

He nodded mutely, not trusting himself to speak evenly about the king of Asgard. Thor smiled at his brother's maturity, "Loki, whatever has happened between us, whatever may happen in the future," he took a deep breath and looked Loki in the eye, "I am and forever will be thankful that you are my brother."

Loki blinked, feeling a burning sensation behind his eyes that he pushed away, "I – I am glad that we were – that we are brothers." He sighed, swallowing his pride even though it pained him so, "And I am sorry, for all the wrongs that I have committed against you, my betrayal most of all."

Thor blinked in surprise, a smile growing on his face, it seemed that his brother had matured significantly during his time on Midgard, much like he once did, and it seemed thatMidgard's mortals did hold some sort of power after all, to be able to change the two of them out of centuries of habits in the span of several days. Thor wondered idly if this meant that he had to thank Perseus, grinning slightly at the thought.

Loki narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Thor's goofy grin, "What is wrong with you? Why are you smiling like that?"

Thor raised an eyebrow, "Is it a crime to smile now brother?"

Loki scowled, "It is when that particular smile is on your face."

Thor shook his head amusedly, "You see things far too cynically Loki," he admonished, "Perhaps I am smiling because we have finally resolved our differences."

Loki scoffed, crossing his arms, "Hardly, I still cannot stand the sight of your bright and cheerful visage."

Thor grinned slyly, "But you would not mind the cheerful visage of Perseus?"

Loki spluttered incoherently, "What? I – what – where did you – why would you say that?" He shouted, stepping backwards, his cheeks flushing deep crimson.

A cunning smirk that was completely out of character for the elder god found its way on his lips, "Ah, brother, to think that any mention of Perseus has your silver tongue turned to lead!"

Loki slapped a hand against Thor's arm, "Shut up!" He hissed, the angry undertone ruined by the blotchy red on his face.

Thor boomed with laughter, ignoring Loki's indignant shouts and stammering, his heart lighter than it had been in years.

Percy swallowed harshly, gathering up the fallen papers into his arms, sorting them into a single, neat pile in his hands instinctively. The woes of paperwork as an agent, something he hated the most about SHIELD and which Coulson and Fury told him to suck it up when he complained to them. When everything was in a neat stack, he handed the papers over to the blond demigod, who took it silently, her eyes averted to the ground. It was such a far cry from her normal attitude that Percy was taken aback, even if he didn't show it.

He gave a curt nod at her and turned, intending to walk away and never look back, but her quiet voice echoed down the hallway, "Percy, can we talk?"

Percy exhaled softly, closing his eyes in a silent prayer to any god who would listen to him. Schooling his features into something more neutral, he turned around and nodded, gesturing, "Lead the way."

If the female demigod was shocked at his brusque attitude, she didn't show it, turning and leading him down the hallway and further into the maze of the underground base. One day, he was going to find out where the gods managed to find such a complex hideout. As it was, she led him through more twists and turns in a way that would have made him think that she was going to lead him somewhere and kill him and hide the body. That was, if he didn't know her like he did.

They came to a stop soon enough, Annabeth opening a door, gesturing for him to go in. the moment he stepped in, Percy knew that she had brought him to her own room, for what reasons, he didn't know. Sentimentality perhaps? Or maybe she thought that the sight of familiar items would crack his icy heart. The stacks of papers and books were piled neatly in one corner on the table, sketches and drawings of infrastructure lay strewn across the wooden table, pencils, pens and other writing materials kept neatly in a holder. The room itself was in a state of organized chaos as well, the bed neatly tidied up, but heaps of books were stacked against one another on the mattress.

He surveyed the room with a keen eye, his SHIELD instinct kicking in as he took in the whole room, cataloging each item and turning them over in his head, identifying potential weapons and discerning the harmless objects. All of this was done in the few seconds he took to step into the tiny room and turn back to face Annabeth, who closed the door behind her, edging past Percy to put her papers on the table. She curled a lock of hair behind her ear, arranging the items on her table hastily, her fingers shaking.

Percy leaned against the wall, an instinct drilled into him by his training to ensure that his back was protected against sneak attacks and still be able to see his surroundings clearly.

He cleared his throat, watching Annabeth's movement still. "What did you call me here for?" He asked quietly, scrutinizing her every movement.

Annabeth closed her eyes, letting his baritone voice wash over her for the first time in three years. She had forgotten how he sounded like, all of the memories they shared together tainted with the ugly taste of betrayal. She had had dreams about this day – normal dreams, not demigod ones – that one day, she would meet him again and she would play out the different possible scenarios in her head, analyzing each one carefully and planning her own answers and reaction. She thought that she had everything down to each specific detail, his reactions, his answers, hers and her own controlled reaction. Emphasis on controlled.

She wasn't counting on the fact that Percy would be Percy.

His greatest asset wasn't his undying loyalty, even though that had saved countless lives before and got him a substantial amount of allies. No, it was his unpredictability. Monsters and Titans and Giants all fell to Percy Jackson for the simple fact that he was as unpredictable as the sea he was born from. Percy might have been loyal to a fault, but it was his prowess on the battlefield that earned him his heroic title. Annabeth had fought beside Percy on the battlefield before, but even after years of fighting with him, she still didn't know what his style of fighting was, only that it was a mix of styles he learned from Chiron, from Clarisse, from Luke and then later on from the Romans. It was all lumped together in a way that worked splendidly and efficiently. A literal deadly hurricane on the field.

That unpredictability transferred over to his personality, he could be joking around and laid back in one moment, and in the next second he would fall into his warrior persona, hard edged and deadly. Having known him since they were twelve, Annabeth's hubris struck again when she thought that she knew how Percy worked, but she forgot to factor in one important thing: He was the son of Poseidon, the god of the oceans, and he was as wild as the waters themselves. Every one of the demigods inherited something from their parents, be it their powers, like the children of the Big Three, Demeter, Aphrodite and Apollo. Or like children of Athena who inherited the goddess' wisdom, and children of Ares who inherited his bloodlust.

Annabeth just forgot that Percy inherited more than the power to control water from his father. She had expected him to be the same, hadn't thought that he would be able to shut himself away so easily, falling into such a guarded stance that left her flinching from the coldness of it. It was expected, given how she had betrayed him, but it was so not Percy that she thought that it was a stranger she had bumped into. Annabeth hadn't factored in her own reflexes either. Seeing him again after three years... It was as though lightning had struck her. And didn't that bring back memories. Of Thalia screaming at her in rage and betrayal, leaving her crying on the beach where they had fought, her heart hurting with all the ways she had been bombarded. Her best friend flinging insults at her and leaving her without a way to defend herself, to even give her a chance to explain why she had to do it.

Annabeth swallowed, clasping her hands together, raising her stale grey eyes to hardened dark green ones. "Percy," she said, "I – I'm sorry, for everything."

Percy tilted his head silently, but made no comments. Encouraged by his silence, the architect of Olympus continued, "I know, I have no right to say anything but –" she broke off, licking her lips, slightly unnerved by the unblinking stare Percy as giving her, "I didn't mean it." She whispered, "I didn't, I didn't mean for everything to get so out of hand, for –"

"For your plan to backfire?" Percy interrupted, his eyes lighting with rage, "For your pawn to realize that he was being used?" He growled, taking a step for every word he said, until he towered over the other demigod, his face a smooth mask, the only indication of his anger was the tension wracking his frame and the murderous look in his dark green eyes. "Did you think that I wouldn't find out eventually? That you and everyone else were playing me like how the gods played us?"

Annabeth cringed then straightened, her pride forcing her to stand up for herself. "I've already said that I'm sorry Percy! What more do you want me to do?" she demanded angrily.

Percy clenched his fists at her lack of repentance, "Sorry doesn't cut it Annabeth! This is my life we're talking about, my entire life, spent thinking that I was a freak. You have no idea how glad I was to find a place where I fit in, to know that I wasn't the only weird one out there, that it wasn't me, it was my heritage and that it was perfectly normal in this world. To know all that only to realize that everything was a goddamned lie." He snarled, watching with vicious satisfaction as she flinched from his words, "You say you're sorry?" He scoffed, "Sorry for what? Lying to me? Tricking me? Did you even feel any regret for the years of lies? Was anything even real Wise Girl?"

Annabeth pressed her lips together, trying to contain the tears that threatened to fall at the mention of her nickname, "Of course it was! My problems, my family, everything I told you was real! I –"

"I know that your problems were real. But was anything that we had even real?" Percy asked softly, his voice laced with hurt and regret.

Annabeth licked her lips, closing her eyes against the maelstrom of emotions rocking through her. She opened her mouth to reply but Percy cut her off, her silence was enough of an answer for him, nodding his head as if her lack of answer had been expected. Disappointing, but expected nonetheless. "I thought so."

He moved towards the door, but Annabeth lunged forward and grabbed his arm, pulling him back, "You can't just leave me hanging like this Percy! It's not fair to me –"

"Well it wasn't fair to me either!" Percy shouted, yanking his hand away as though he had been burned, "You think that it was fair that I was lied to my whole life? That I was a freak even in the demigod world? I had a taste of that in camp half blood, and I never wanted to feel that way again. Imagine how I felt when I realized that I wasn't even supposed to be part of that world to begin with! If fate had its way I'd just be a normal mortal going to school and living life until I die!"

Annabeth felt tears gather in her eyes, but she stubbornly held them back, "Percy I'm sorry that I lied to you, I'm sorry for everything that you've been through, but my love for you was always real." She whispered brokenly.

Percy shook his head, his own eyes burning with unshed tears as he looked at the girl he once loved, "Were you in love with me, or the idea of me?"

Annabeth reeled back as though she'd been slapped, and Percy wrenched the door open saying, "Maybe you should have thought twice about it before you decided to jump onto the bandwagon." By the time Annabeth regained her senses, he had already disappeared into mist.

In the privacy of her room, she finally let her tears spill forth.

Percy, not wanting to walk past anyone else, vanished and appeared in his room, jumping a mile when booming laughter resonated in his ears. He fell back into a defensive stance, nearly calling up his powers before he recognized the sound as Thor's trademark laughter. He blinked, once, twice, then several more times to register the sight before him. Thor was laughing, and so was Loki, although not as boisterously, but the wide smile on his face was clear as day. Percy's breath hitched in his throat, absently realizing how young Loki looked when he smiled. His frown lines were gone, and Percy felt a pinch of jealousy towards Thor for his ability to make Loki smile so happily.

Said smile dropped off his face when the god caught sight of Percy though. "Percy? Are you alright?" Loki asked, quickly appearing by Percy's side, earning Thor's mischievous smirk and a slight look of concern.

"I – I'm fine, am I interrupting something? If I am then I'll just go –"

"No!" Loki practically shouted, giving Thor an evil eye, "My brother was just leaving. Right Thor?"

Thor looked from Percy to Loki to Percy again, nodding to himself, shooting Loki a smug look, who glared frostily at the thunder god. "It is nice to see you again Perseus, but I should be taking my leave now. I have not seen the Captain, Stark and my green friend since I woke up." Percy returned the smile that Thor shot him on the way out, keeping it on his face until the door closed.

Loki frowned at him, "Percy, what's wrong?" He asked softly.

Percy shook his head, clamping down on the waterworks, "Nothing's wrong, what makes you think anything's wrong?" He said, laughing slightly.

Loki just looked at him, "I saw your face when you appeared Percy, what happened?"

Percy's heart skipped a beat, and he blinked, the burning sensation behind his eyes returning three-fold. "I –" with shaky hands he gripped onto Loki's arms, anchoring himself, "I saw her – Annabeth. And I, I couldn't – she said that she was sorry, for all the lies and everything else, but how is that enough? What is a simple word against all the lies I've ever been told?" He whispered, looking down. Loki sighed, pulling Percy against his chest, the younger boy burying his face in the crook of Loki's shoulder, his arms entwining around the god. "I can't – I can't forgive her. Not now. I can't even think about all the lies she's told me –" he broke off, his body shaking.

Loki hugged him back equally tightly, it was his turn to give comfort to the one who had given comfort to him months before. "You don't need to forgive her now." He murmured, running his hand through the younger boy's hair, "You need to come to terms with all that she's done, all that they all did. Forgiveness comes after that."

"But if I don't forgive her – what if I can't forgive her? What if this becomes something that I hold for the rest of my life and it grows into something ugly?" Percy said, looking at Loki with bright green eyes, "I don't want to hate her or them, I just can't think about it now –"

"And you do not need to." Loki soothed, "You said it yourself, you can barely bring the memories to your mind, let alone face the one who you trusted more than anyone else. Nobody is expecting you to forgive and forget so soon Percy, you are not a saint," the god said, managing to restrain himself from growling at the thought of Percy's first love, "You need time to face the memories, to heal the hurts you've been dealt with," he said, thinking about his children and Thor, "you need to be able to face your past before you can move toward the future. Let nature take its course, let time heal the hurts and soothe your wounds."

Percy gave a small, but watery smile, "Is this why they call you Silvertongue? Because now I can totally understand why."

Loki smirked playfully, "I would say that there is more to the name Silvertongue than you might think."

Percy whacked him in the arm, resting his head against the god's shoulders, feeling inexplicably weary, "Stay with me, please. Don't leave me."

Loki nodded, resting his chin on top of Percy's head, his arms encircling the demigod, "I'm here for you. Always"

Percy hugged him tighter, the god's strong arms a safety net as his mental walls were torn down from the meeting with a reminder of his past. Meeting with Annabeth had impacted him much more than seeing his father again. He knew that the gods were always there, but they had always been distant in the first place and lied on a day to day basis. Seeing Annabeth was like throwing all the memories - the fake memories - of his life with the demigods in his face, all of the reasons why he left as he did, and the betrayal that he still felt. Percy clamped down on everything, clearing his mind of every thought and letting Loki's comforting presence wash over him while he tried to pick himself up again.