He awoke in a lush green field, blinking confusedly as he sat up slowly, taking in the huge field and the clear blue sky, the sun's rays gently resting upon his face, nary a cloud in view. The grass beneath his fingers felt so soft, his fingers caressing each blade as his hand passed through the greenery. The grass bowed beneath the wind, the invisible currents curling around him one moment and speeding off in another direction the next. Despite the fact that there were no visible landmarks save the huge field, Loki had the distinct feeling that he had been here before. He wracked his brain for an answer, sorting through centuries of memories to try to find a field like this.

He bypassed Muspelheim, Niflheim, Jotunheim and Svartalfheim, wondering if he had ended in Vanaheim by accident. He spun on his heel then, realizing that wherever he was, Percy was not beside him.

Loki ran through the fields, his magic cast out in search for the demigod, the wind whipping violently around him, but there was no one in sight, and no end to the vast plain, just a stretch of green continuing as far as the eye could see. A soft voice whispered his name, carried by the wind, making him freeze.

Loki whirled around, "Who's there?" He growled, his seidr gathering at his fingertips, ready to be used.

The grass swayed in the aftermath of the breeze.

Loki frowned, his mind turning, before stilling completely, no turbulent thoughts whirling in his mind, the wind ceasing its movements almost immediately. He exhaled, his heart thrumming with excitement and apprehension as everything fell in place and where he was clicked in his mind.

"Mother." He breathed, his heart soaring.

A heartbeat. Two. Then –

"You have grown so much since I last saw you Loki." A soft voice said, her musical voice carrying across the plain easily. He raised his head, his eyes meeting soft turquoise ones, taking in the sight the woman who raised him, her smooth skin, the blond curls that were held up by pins, the normal length of hair that was left cascading down her back was now twisted into a bun at the top of her head. Her eyes, though soft and gentle, had a sheen of steel behind them, tight, drawn lines marring her otherwise smooth face. Her normal attire consisting of a green tunic and a long white dress was nowhere to be seen. Instead, where soft silk hid her arms from public view, now they were covered in Asgardian metal, the armor encasing her wrist to her shoulder, connecting with a breastplate that was decorated with the Asgardian symbol. Her vanguards protected her forearms well, and if she was anything like Loki - which meant a lot like him - those same vanguards hid daggers that could slit throats with no one the wiser. He noticed Mjolnir on her left vanguard, something he expected, but was taken aback at the sight of his helmet engraved on her right. And given that her right arm was her dominant arm... He looked at her in shock.
Frigga, queen of Asgard and mother of two sons, smiled at her youngest. "Is my presence that stunning that I have caused you to be speechless?"

Loki shook his head, "Mother. - I mean, Your Majesty -"

Frigga frowned, holding up a hand, "Enough with the titles, you are my son, and I your mother, you will address me as such. Unless," she said, a gleam in her eye, "you no longer consider me kin?"

Loki flinched back, "I would never dare to disclaim our relationship. It is one I cherish and hold most dear."

Frigga smiled, the tense lines on her face melting away. She swept forward, her boot covered feet carrying her towards her son. She reached a hand out to him, Loki responding in kind as he grasped her hand. The queen of Asgard smiled, her other hand coming up to rest on Loki's cheek, her motherly love tangible to him. "I wish that this was a casual call Loki," she whispered, "but alas, I have news that are of utmost import."

Loki sighed, leaning into his mother's touch, "I gathered as much, I had forgotten how much you loved communicating on the dream-plane."

Frigga smiled, "You speak of it as though you rarely traversed these plains at night and at all times of the day."

Loki blushed, looking down at his feet as he recalled the first time he learned of this kind of magic, exploring his dream plane until his brother and his friends had thought that he was daydreaming and had teased him as such.

Frigga sighed, her entire demeanor changing as her tone grew serious, "Loki, you need to come back to Asgard."

"What?" He said, shifting backwards.

The queen sighed again, and Loki saw past her mask and saw how exhausted she was, her shoulders slumped minutely in a way that he had never seen. "Mother, what is wrong? What has you so worn out?"

Frigga looked to the distance, her eyes faraway, "The Allfather kept the mad Titan within Asgard's borders, our strongest seidr masters working tirelessly to contain him. The warriors of Asgard defeated the chitauri, picking them off when their leader was trapped. But Thanos is strong, and our seidr masters have grown complacent in the years of peace. He broke through our barriers, almost the same time Odin's enchantment around Asgard broke. After the spell around Asgard was broken-" Loki flinched, remembering the reason why it had failed," - we expected him to call for more reinforcements, instead, he left."

Loki blinked, unsure if he heard his mother correctly, "What? Tha - the mad Titan left Asgard, where the Gauntlet is?"

Frigga pressed her lips together at Loki's unwillingness to even utter the name of his tormentor, wishing she could shred the purple being into pieces for what he had done to her child. "I do not know why he retreated," she confessed worriedly, "nor do I have any inkling of his plans, but the gauntlet remains deep within Asgard." Frigga turned hopeful eyes to her son, "My son, I can only plead that you come back to us, to help us-"

Loki wrenched his arm away from her, the wind whipping up again, "You want me to return to the place that scorned me so." He said flatly.

Frigga touched his shoulder, "I know Asgard has done you wrong, I know her people have hurt you badly, but it is your home-"

"No!" He said, a hand slicing through the air, "Asgard is not my home, I have never fit in there, and I will never fit in there." He turned to her, "I love you mother, but Asgard is notmy home."

Frigga sighed, "It is your brother's home."

Loki stiffened, and unbeknownst to him, Frigga hid a smile, the threads she weaved so long ago unravelling now before her.

"Loki, will you fight for Asgard once more?" She asked softly.

"What is in it for me?" He asked bitterly, "What do I stand to gain if I fight for the realm? A lifetime in her dungeons? Perhaps the executioner's block?"

Frigga gasped, a hand flying to her mouth, "Loki, that would never happen. Whoever dares to send my son to the executioner will have to go through me first."

It pained Frigga to see the shocked look on her son's face, knowing that while he was healing, the damage done to his psyche and to his heart by the Void and the years of neglect and mockery was not so easily erased.

Loki bowed his head, touched by his mother's insistence. "You know I will do anything I can to help you mother. To fight for you." He said.

Frigga tilted his chin upwards, "Will you do the same for Asgard?" She asked softly.

Loki blinked, "I will see you soon mother." He responded, not replying to her question his form slowly becoming less tangible until he vanished entirely.

Frigga smiled and vanished as well, the green field disappearing as both parties did.

Loki was abruptly jolted out of his sleep by a wave of cold water and the feeling of being upended from his bed. He crashed onto the concrete painfully, sputtering and coughing out water that he had inhaled when he woke up. He twisted and snarled, "What was that for?" his hand pushing his wet locks backwards, glaring at Percy who was crossing his arms.

"What was that for?" Said demigod repeated incredulously, "You wouldn't wake up at all! I tried shaking you, kicking you, yelling in your ear! I'm sorry if you find that getting soaked to the bone isn't nice but I ran out of ideas when you remained unconscious even after all my efforts!"

Loki scowled, trying to ease the guilt in his chest as he saw Percy's unkempt hair and rumpled clothes, worry lines evident on his face despite the angered front that he put up, "I was dream-walking," he said finally, "it takes time."

"Yeah well, sorry if I'm not psychic enough to know that." Percy said sarcastically, drying their bed with a wave of his hand.

Loki sighed, heaving himself up, recognizing the other's reluctance to dry him, "I'm sorry Percy, I did not expect to be called to the dream-plane, which is why I thought that I would not need to explain it just yet."

Percy relented and uncrossed his arms, "I was just worried," he muttered, looking away, "It was like you were in a coma, and no matter what I did you wouldn't wake up. I thought – I thought the chitauri managed to get to you somehow when we were separated in the battle."

Loki grabbed Percy's hand, "I know, I am sorry for worrying you, but I truly did not expect to have been called to the dream-plane."

Percy nodded, then frowned, "What is that? You've said it twice now."

Loki lifted his head, "I need to talk to my brother, I will explain further once I speak to him, explaining everything once would be easier."

Percy nodded his assent, following Loki out of their room and down the twisted hallways, stifling a laugh when several demigods shot the god a befuddled look at his drenched appearance. Loki didn't seem to notice however, caught up in the thoughts and worries that plagued his mind, causing the cheer in Percy's heart to die down a little.

He knew that the god wasn't the kind to be easily shaken, so for him to act this way, it had to be something severe. Which made Percy frown because hadn't Loki already gone through enough? To know his true heritage in such a traumatizing way, having the throne forced upon him while trying to juggle his thoughts and emotions, and then falling into the Void where he suffered countless torments... Percy had a taste of what the chitauri were capable of, and Loki had been there far, far longer. Was fate really that unfair to those who were undeserving? Percy didn't know the answer. If he ever met the Fates again, he would be sure to ask them what the Hades they were thinking.

When Loki reached Thor's room, he knocked once on the door and entered, stopping short at the sight of the three avengers sprawled out in the room with his brother. All conversation halted the moment he entered, the three mortals tensing, but Loki paid them nothing but a passing glance, his eyes focused on his brother.

Thor, who had been reclining on a chair, sat up straight the moment his brother entered, Percy a step behind him, "Brother! What brings you here?"

Loki tilted his head, stepping in, allowing space for Percy to enter before shutting the door, "I need to speak to you, a grave matter has come up." Thor nodded, confused, but trusting that Loki had a good reason for searching him out.

"Alright, I suppose that here is fine? You could cast a spell that would prevent others from listening in no?"

Loki nodded, but Tony cut in, "Oh and what are we? Roadkill? Hello to you to Reindeer Games, but we were here first, in case you didn't realize."

Loki returned his answer with a cool look, not deigning to lower himself down to their level of petty insults – he had far more important things to consider about after all, "And I acknowledge that you were here first, but now I require some privacy with my brother."

"Oh so he's your brother now eh? You guys kissed and made up?"

Thor frowned, "Relationships borne between two related people are frowned upon on Asgard –"

Loki waved a hand at him, glaring at Tony, "What we do or say is none of your business, it is nothing you can help with at any rate."

"On the contrary," Steve spoke up, earning him a surprised look from Tony, "Thor is our team mate and our friend, what involves him involves us as well."

Loki frowned, but Percy rolled his eyes and stepped forward, giving Loki a pointed look, "Why don't you just tell Thor what happened, and at the same time, explain to me what a dream-plane is?"

He was expecting some kind of reaction, but he wasn't expecting Thor to leap to his feet, sending the chair he was seated on clattering to the floor. "You entered the dream-plane? What for? Who contacted you?"

Loki pressed his lips together, "Mother did. And she bore ill news. She brought me to the dream-plane, a place which I had found familiar but could not identify at first. She seemed exhausted, and she was not in her usual tunic, but rather, dressed in a full set of armor, complete with weapons, and –"

"Can someone explain what a dream-plane is?" Bruce interjected quietly, his inquisitive green eyes darting between the two gods, both who realized that the occupants of the room were staring at them in confusion.

Loki sighed, while he loved flaunting his knowledge of the arcane arts, he hated being interrupted. "A dream-plane is literally that, a plane in an individual's subconscious wherein said individual might interact as if he or she were awake. The dream-plane is commonly used between seidr-masters as a form of communication, however both parties must have a level of familiarity before they are able to communicate."

"How?" Bruce pressed, intrigued by the new information that had quite literally fallen into his lap.

Loki pinched the bridge of his nose, irritation bubbling up within him, "Both parties need to be familiar because they need to create a dream-plane, or rather, a landscape where they will meet. Just as you mortals search for familiar images in strange lands, so do we apply such logic to the mindscape. To have a visual memory of the dream-plane allows both parties to enter the plane faster and hence be able to communicate more quickly." The god gave the scientist an annoyed stare, and turned back to Thor, "As I was saying, mother contacted me, she claims that the mad Titan has retreated –"

"Is that not a good thing? For him to have retreated would mean that Asgard is victorious!" Thor interrupted, making Loki sigh in frustration.

"This is why you never were a good strategist, you don't think far enough ahead. Even though his forces were demolished, the Gauntlet still remains deep within Asgard, yet the Titan has retreated. The chitauri and their master do not do things without plans."

"Can't it be that they retreated because you guys won?" Steve asked even if he didn't really believe his words, looking at Thor with concern. He was by no means stupid, he could guess where Loki was headed with this like of conversation.

Loki shook his head. "Once the spell trapping the mad Titan within Asgard broke, he could have easily called for more reinforcements – Norns knows the chitauri forces are endless – to swarm and overrun the Asgardian warriors, but he did not, choosing instead to retreat into the Void."

Percy frowned, "So what, your mum called you back to Asgard to help? Does she suspect that Thanos is coming back?"

Loki nodded, glancing at Thor, "She requested that we return to Asgard to help defend the realm." He murmured, "Asgard is readying for war."

Thor narrowed his eyes, a growl emerging from his throat. Asgard was his home, his friends, his family, everyone he knew and loved lived there. Thanos' actions put all of those in danger, and he would not stand for it. "How do we get back? The Bifrost is closed is it not?"

Loki nodded, "It is, but no realm is completely impenetrable, there are pathways through the realms, connected by Yggdrasil, we just need to find them."

Percy started, stepping in between both brothers, "Wait, wait, wait, what about us?"

Loki turned back to him, blinking, "What do you mean?"

Percy stared at him, "I mean," he said slowly, gesturing to him and the three avengers, who were nodding along, having figured out his train of thought, "If you both are going to Asgard to fight, what are we supposed to do?"

Loki narrowed his eyes, "Stay on Midgard of course, where else would you be?"

Percy's jaw dropped, "Excuse me?" He exclaimed, "What the hell do you mean by stay on Midgard? You're going to fight against Thanos, and you expect me to stay here?"

Loki scowled, "Obviously, it will be dangerous, a war is nothing to laugh at, let alone one on Asgard – "

"And I've been through two of those! Leading them if I remember correctly." Percy snarled, stepping closer, "You were thinking of just leaving me behind?"

Thor stepped in, "Perseus, Loki is right, it is dangerous, if Asgard is in need of help, then the situation is dire. For my mother, of all people, to request aid, then the situation is even more severe than –"

"The kid has a point, you were just gonna leave with reindeer games here and let us hang out to dry?" Tony asked incredulously.

It was the thunder god's turn to frown, "My friend, it is a war that my brother and I are entering, a war against the chitauri and against their master –"

"Exactly," Tony interrupted, "Like you said, it's a war against the chitauri and their crazy ass commander who, might I add, invaded our planet and tried to take over? No offense to you reindeer games, but isn't it only fair that we get our share of the battle?"

Loki just shook his head amusedly, only for his ear to be yanked down by an irate demigod, "So when were you planning on telling me that you were going to jump head first into a war?" He hissed.

Loki shook his head, prying his ear painfully away from Percy's fingers, "There has not yet been any confirmation that there will be a war. Perhaps the mad Titan has truly retreated for good this time." Even as he said that, Loki knew that it was a poor story to sell, and by the look on Percy's face, the demigod wasn't buying a single word of it.

The god sighed, things were so much easier when he had been alone, no one to care about him, and no one to see through his lies. He placed his hands on Percy's shoulders, "Percy, this is dangerous, more so than the wars against the titans and giants. The Mad Titan is impossibly strong, stronger than even the Allfather, and he lives up to his title as a mad being. The war, if and when it comes, will be radically different from the ones you have experienced."

Percy looked into his eyes pleadingly, "I was his captive too." He said softly.

Loki closed his eyes at the reminder, remembering the too still body on the bed in the Avengers' tower. He sighed, "Percy, I do not want you in Thanos' line of sight."

"And you think I want you to fight him?"

Loki shook his head, "It is not a matter of whether or not I fight him, I have sworn to end his existence when I broke free from his captivity. For you, it is a different matter –"

"It's not so different," Percy insisted, "I don't want you to face him alone. You know I can help, and you know I will help. Stop shouldering all your burdens, let me help."

Loki shook his head adamantly, "No, I will not risk you being exposed to the mad titan –"

"Oh so am I like one of your trophies now? The kind where it's 'see but don't touch'?" Percy demanded.

Loki hissed, running a hand through his hair, thoroughly frustrated, "You know that is not it!"

"Then why?"

"It's dangerous!"

"Don't give me that crap, I can handle myself thank you very much." Percy growled.

Loki groaned in frustration, "Why are you so stubborn? Why can you not just stay here like I ask you to?"

Percy crossed his arms and glared at him, "Let's put it this way, if it was me telling you to stay put while I traveled to another world to fight a war, would you stay?"

Loki kept silent.

"I thought so." The demigod muttered.

Then they both realized that the room they were in had suddenly gone silent, and they turned around slowly, their faces hearing up in embarrassment as they caught the three avengers staring unabashedly at them, with Thor grinning like a maniac in the background – something that made Loki's fingers twitch, even though he resisted the urge to throw a dagger at his brother.

Tony opened his mouth to comment, but Steve hastily cut in, knowing that if he allowed the genius to start, he would never stop, and they wouldn't get anywhere other than Thor and Loki leaving for Asgard.

"Apart from the uh, rest of the conversation," Steve began, turning to Thor, "I agree with Percy, you can't just leave us here while you go off and fight. It's not about whether or not we can handle ourselves, we're more than a team, we're family, and family helps each other."

Thor looked at his friend, touched by the sincerity in his blue eyes. He looked at the others, seeing the same look reflected in Tony and Bruce's eyes, even Percy's.

"You cannot be serious Thor." Loki said, all eyes turning to him, "This is more than dangerous, this is insane! You want to bring a bunch of mortals to Asgard to fight against the only enemy that the Allfather himself could not defeat?"

"Yeah well one of this group of mortals as you say is your boyfriend." Tony snarked, pointing at Percy, who turned red immediately, but nodded fiercely at his statement, "So you might wanna watch what you say. Just a teeny tiny advice from yours truly."

"That," Loki snarled at the genius, "Is none of your business."

"It might not be his but it sure as hell is mine!"

"We have gone through this before – you are not going and that is final!"

Percy bristled, "You're not my mother, you have no right to tell me what to do, I'm going with you and that's that!" He shouted, glaring at Loki. He pressed his lips together, whirling and storming out the door. Loki jolted, wanting to follow, but the door slammed in his face.

A low whistle cut through the silence of the room, "That is one major screw up. How long have you been together again?"

Bruce smacked his friend in the arm.

Loki turned frosty eyes on Tony, who grinned in response. The god snarled and left, chasing after the demigod he had risked his life for.

Steve, Bruce and Thor turned to Tony as one, giving him a disapproving stare; the genius shrugged unrepentantly, "What? They were being obvious, and while we're on that topic, I've been meaning to ask, since when the hell were they together?"

Percy stalked down the hallways, his mask falling over his face, closing off all emotions. The eerie blank slate sent any demigod in the hallways hastily walking off in the opposite direction. It was a good thing that he hadn't met any of his former friends yet – they would have questioned him and insisted on him telling them what's wrong. Once upon a time, before the New York invasion, perhaps he might have told them, but now? After all that he had gone through, both in SHIELD and otherwise, his first instinct was to clamp down on his emotions.

Anger curled like a caged beast within him, but he clamped down on his emotions, willing his mind to clear. Logically, he knew where Loki was coming from, he knew what the god was thinking because it was what he thought every time Annabeth fought alongside him in battle. And didn't that thought leave a bitter taste in his mouth?

He grimaced slightly, wondering if every memory they ever shared together was now tainted by the sting of betrayal.

That aside, he understood Loki's standpoint from a logical view, but he would not – could not – allow the god to face the mad titan alone. Loki had already suffered enough under Thanos' cruel care, Percy didn't want to see him suffer any more. He loved the god, more than he had expected, and the thought of Loki being under Thanos' thumb...

It wasn't even worth thinking about.

Percy decided, he was going to Asgard.

One way or another.

Loki hurried down the hallways, the dark look on his face scattering potential gossipers much like Percy did before him. His longer stride allowed him to catch up to the demigod in no time, and as soon as he closed a hand around Percy's arm, he whisked them away to their room. Loki stepped back and raised his hands as a cold dagger rested on his throat, glimpsing hard, dark eyes beneath wavy bangs.

They remained in that position for several long seconds, before Percy removed the dagger, turning it into water with a flick of his hand.

"What are you here for? Come to tell me that I should stay here again?" Percy said stiffly.

Loki sighed, "Percy you know that I'm not ordering you around, how do you think I would feel if Than –" he took a deep breath, "If Thanos got his hands on you?"

Percy blinked and slumped, the anger draining out of him, "I know," he said tiredly, "But what about you? What makes you think I can just stand by and watch while you fight against Thanos?"

"You wouldn't have to, because you wouldn't be anywhere near enough to see the battle."

Percy forced the god to look him in the eye, "I'm going with you, and that's final. Whatever happens, whatever might happen," he said, stressing on the word 'might', "We'll be together."

Loki held his gaze for several seconds longer, then dropped it, knowing a lost cause when he saw one. He took Percy's arm, his hand stopping at his wrist, "On one condition," he said, bringing the demigod's arm up, "That you learn how to use this."

Percy looked from the red band to Loki in shock, "How am I supposed to do that? It attracts the chitauri!"

Loki smirked, "Not when they are going to Asgard in the first place. You'll be able to practice it there."

Loki's grin was mirrored on Percy's face.

Back in Thor's room, a similar discussion was going on, and the thunder god was becoming less and less amused with his friends as time wore on.

"Oh come on! You know that if we go, you'll have the advantage of technology. Mortal. Technology. The kind that can blast people into bits easily." Tony repeated for the hundredth time that day, hoping that maybe it would sink into Thor's thick skull if he said it often enough. Or maybe it would annoy him to giving in.

They took turns trying to convince the Asgardian, Tony with his annoying comments, Steve with his sincere pleading and Bruce with his stone cold logic.

But the god wasn't budging.

He could be stubborn when he wanted to, Tony gave him that, suppressing yet another sigh when Thor shook his head mutely.

"My friends, I cannot ask this of you. To fight a war on your own planet is one thing, but to request your aid to fight in a battle that does not even involve you..." Thor crossed his arms, his muscles bulging, "I cannot and will not ask you to risk your lives for a battle that is not yours."

"You don't need to ask Thor, we're your friends, we'll help any way we can." Steve reiterated, beginning to sound as though he was a broken record.

Tony groaned and stalked towards Thor, fed up with the stubborn mule persona he was putting up. He poked the god in the chest, bruising his finger in the process, "Listen up Point Break, yeah, we're friends and all that sentimental crap, but here's the deal. That crazy ass alien is going to your hometown to destroy it. Guess where he's gonna go after Asgard is gone? That's right, Earth. As in, the planet we're on right now. And if he comes here then we're all screwed because we're outnumbered like a gazillion to one. We can also safely say that if he comes here after stopping by Asgard, it means that you're either dead or on the way there. So look at it this way, we can concentrate all of our fire power on him and take him out at the start, or we can separate our forces and let him tear down each planet by each planet. Which would you want?"

Thor blinked in surprise, he hadn't thought of what Thanos might do if Asgard could not stop him. His own arrogance clouded his ability to think logically. Tony saw the internal battle in those sky blue eyes, and he knew that Thor would crack soon.

"But my friends, Thanos is powerful –"

Tony groaned again, "Thor, we've been through this like a hundred times already –"

"No!" the thunder god said forcefully, his voice reverberating in the room, "You do not understand. My father – the Allfather could barely defeat him, and he had to resort to banishing the being from the Nine Realms." Thor took a deep breath, "This being is immensely powerful, and I do not mean in the way that I am, or you are Banner. This being is a titan, one of the oldest beings ever in existence, and there is virtually no way that he can be killed."

Tony looked to Steve and Bruce, both of them nodding at his silent question, "I hate to sound mushy, but as Capsicle here said, we're friends, and friends help each other. So we're going with you. Besides," he scoffed, "Anything that's alive can be killed, no one is completely invulnerable."

Thor smiled slightly at his friends' insistence on helping him, "But he is too powerful, he has no weakness that I or Loki knows of, and my brother is as well-read as anyone can be, coupled with a first-hand knowledge of the being."

Tony grinned, "Sometimes buddy, their strength is their weakness."