"Natasha Romanov, Black Widow."

"Bruce Banner, and uh, I don't really think that the name counts..."

"Nonsense!" Tony said, walking over to his designated science-buddy to sling an arm over his shoulder. "This guy," he said, pointing a finger at the bespectacled man, "is my favorite person in the world. After Pepper, and JARVIS. But, don't ever make him angry cause you don't wanna deal with the jolly green giant hiding in there." He finished, patting Bruce's chest for emphasis. The scientist shoved his friend away, embarrassed at the incredulous looks that he was getting from the three Asgardians in the room.

Steve sighed and pinched his nose, "Sorry about that, we don't normally deal with him so..."

Volstagg grinned and laughed, "I understand my friend! Why, we hardly want to deal with Fandral here either when he gets drunk on mead!"

Said warrior scowled and punched his friend in the arm, shoving him aside and taking over the conversation. "Please do pay no attention whatsoever to this mad man, clearly he is addled in the brain! Now come, you will want to see Asgard's magnificence!"

The blond swept his way out of the room, leading the avengers out of the room. Sif followed behind them sullenly, casting a dark scowl at the direction where the traitor to the realm had slunk off to.

Loki stormed down the hallways, any servants who passed by him quickly scuttled out of his path, too frightened by his aura to even process the fact that he should not have been there. His mind was blank save for the words that Sif had spat at him. He gritted his teeth, his strides getting longer and faster until he was nearly full-out running. His feet carried him deep into the bowels of the realm, treading on familiar ground as he descended into murky darkness. He twisted through the servant's path, walking for a long time before he emerged on the outside of the palace, near the back of the garden which his mother grew. He wound around the path and headed for the big tree he knew to be at the outskirts of the garden. With a smooth move, he hoisted himself up on the branches, drawing comfort from the shadows that wrapped around him.

The raven-haired trickster pressed his palms against his eyes. He willed himself to retreat back into his safe haven, closing off all emotions and feelings as he tried to settle his heart. It wasn't as if he hadn't heard such things before, it wasn't the first time either, since the mortals had been saying such things since he arrived on Midgard all those months ago. What Sif had implied though... He squeezed his eyes shut again, drawing a ragged breath as the images ad memories of Thanos' ugly visage plundered his mind.

Loki sighed, dragging his hand down his face tiredly, his eyes betraying his exhaustion. He was so tired of being the better man and not for the first time, he wondered if it was worth it to come back to Asgard. The leaves of his tree rustled, and a blond head popped up beside him, the person the head belonged to hoisting himself up and making himself comfortable on a neighboring branch.

Loki scowled, "If you move any more this tree is going to collapse."

Thor laughed, "Nonsense brother, this tree is millennia old, and as sturdy as a rock, it will not collapse under our weight. Unless," the elder god slid his eyes to Loki, smirking slyly, "You claim to be too heavy?"

Loki threw a bunch of leaves at him.

The younger god sighed and knocked his head back against the trunk of the tree. "How did you know I was here?"

Thor turned away, "You used to come here when we were younger." He said quietly, "Whenever Sif or the Warriors Three or anyone else made you upset, and mother was not around, you would come up here to hide."

Loki scoffed, "I am not hiding."

Thor sighed, "Perhaps, perhaps not. I do not claim to know your mind well brother, but I am trying to, talk to me, please."

Loki gritted his teeth, "What do you want me to say? That Sif's words hurt? Nonsense, I am used to such things –"

"No one should be used to hearing hurtful words brother –"

"And yet I am, deal with it!" he shouted, looking at Thor. Loki swallowed harshly, "I am used to it because all anyone has ever said to me were insults."

The younger god licked his lips, "Why did I come back to Asgard? Why should I help them? I am not a good person, I do not have your kind heart or Percy's loyalty, I am cruel and hateful, I despise people and trick them. Why should I help those who have harmed me?"

"Brother, I-" Thor started, but Loki cut him off.

"What do I gain from this? From saving Asgard? The people here hate me, and I am but an outcast amongst all of you. A loner surrounded by his enemies."

"Brother, we are not your enemies." Thor said softly, resting a hand on Loki's shoulder.

The younger god shrugged the hand off, laughing bitterly, "You fool yourself by saying that. I am allowed to live because I am useful. Once I have outlived my usefulness, they will come for me."

Thor remained silent, he didn't know what to say, not possessing Tony's penchant for words, or Steve's natural charisma, and he wished, for the first time, guiltily, that he had never found his brother. Loki was unraveling quickly, and Thor could only watch helplessly as his brother fell back into the darkness.

Percy chased after Loki as soon as the god had exited the room, calling after him. But no matter how fast the demigod ran, he never seemed to be able to catch up with the god. Instead, it seemed as though the more he increased his speed, the more the god increased his speed as well. Soon enough, Percy lost sight of Loki as the god wound through Asgard with a familiarity borne from having spent centuries in the realm. Just as he was pondering where to turn, he felt a presence come up behind him. Percy turned, coming face to face with Thor, the elder god followed by Loki's would-be guard.

"Let me speak to my brother Perseus," Thor implored, his blue eyes shining, "I have done him much wrong, and I would like to speak with him."

Percy looked into those blue eyes, so different from Loki's green ones yet the emotion within them burned at the same intensity. He licked his lips, nodding once, his heart thumping in his chest.

Thor smiled at him and turned to the other warrior standing a ways from them, "Hogun, my friend, please, let me have words with my brother alone."

"You know I cannot Thor." The man said, tilting his head slightly.

Thor sighed, "At the very least, I hope you can give us the privacy we need, just this once."

Hogun contemplated silently, nodding curtly to indicate his consent.

Thor beamed, giving Percy a smile as he left with the warrior in search of Loki.

Percy sighed once the two Asgardians were gone, his gaze sweeping across the empty hallway. He leaned against the wall, exhaling silently. He wanted to be there for Loki, he did, but he also knew that Thor deserved to have some time with his brother. Their relationship wasn't perfect, anyone with eyes could see that, but from what he'd observed and heard from the Avengers, it was a hell lot worse than before. They were saying that it was because of him, that he had managed to change Loki. But what they didn't know was that Loki had changed him as well. In working for SHIELD and before them, the gods, he had a ledger with red running from it like a river. The Avengers all thought him to be a child, someone to be protected, and he relished it that sometimes – it was refreshing to not have to carry the world on his shoulders all the time – but they didn't know. Or maybe it slipped their minds. He was a murderer, he murdered in cold blood, and he had done it to the point where he was no longer affected by the feeling of warm blood gushing over his hands. Even before Annabeth, his heart was already freezing over, the only thing keeping him sane was his mother and his girlfriend both of which were snatched away in the blink of an eye as he found out the horrible truth. He had joined SHIELD and waded even further in the ocean of blood, his heart completely icing over.

Loki had changed all that, had made him feel alive and most of all, happy. The god made him smile more than anyone else ever did, made him be able to be himself without fear of rejection. They were two broken souls, sullied and tainted by the horrors of the world, and they had found a home in each other. Being the child of a Big Three raised him to celebrity status in the demigod world. Being the hero of Olympus made him practically god-like. Campers who didn't know him treated him like a god, only wanting his friendship to raise their own status. He could only trust the select few people who had known him before he even saved Olympus, when he was still a newbie who didn't know his place.

Percy quirked a smile at the thought which reminded him of Clarisse, the bully who became a rival and who then became a friend. He sighed, vowing to return to Camp Half-Blood after this madness was over to visit his old friends. Percy winced at the prospect of meeting Thalia, knowing he was in for a world of shock.

The demigod lifted his eyes, catching sight of the rainbow bridge glimmering in the Asgardian sunlight through the window. He tilted his head, curiosity filling him as he studied the bridge from a distance. He bit his lip, I guess it wouldn't do any harm to go exploring for a while... He thought to himself. Grinning, he placed a hand onto the window ledge and hoisted himself over it, landing on the ground with a soft crunch, slowly making his way in the general direction of the bridge.

Heimdall stood at his post in the Observatory, silently casting his Sight out into the realms as he kept watched over Asgard, seeing everything and nothing at once. His sharp ears picked up the sound of footsteps, slight as they were, and he turned his head slightly in the direction of the entrance, his baritone voice resonating deeply in the Observatory. "Not many will come to the Observatory as part of the tour of Asgard."

His guest chuckled, stepping out from the shadows, "Well then they're clearly missing out on some great views." Footsteps clicked against the metallic floor, coming to a stop beside the Gatekeeper. "Nothing escapes your notice huh?" Percy said ruefully.

Heimdall tilted his head, watching the young boy out of the corner of his eyes, "I can see much, but my Sight does not reach every crevice of Yggdrasil. There are creatures who cloak themselves from my view."

Percy huffed a laugh, "I don't suppose your sight can tell us where the chitauri and Thanos are?"

Heimdall remained stoic, knowing that Percy's words meant no insult to him, "Nay," he said, "Thanos is a master of sorcery, powerful enough to cloak himself and his entire army from my Sight."

Percy folded his arms across his chest and pressed his lips together.

Heimdall turned golden irises to Percy, "You are worried." The god stated.

Percy grinned, "That easy to read huh?" he shook his head, "I used to be unreadable."

"That may not be a good thing." The Gatekeeper warned.

Percy grinned tiredly, running a hand through his unkempt hair, "Of course I'm worried. I've faced Gods, Titans and Primordials head on, I've felt the power they have and yet – yet this Mad Titan, his power transcends all of that. How do we know if we can even win this war? The Avengers fought the chitauri yeah, but those were the bottom of the food chain compared to the ones that Thanos is bringing in, and we don't even number more than ten. How can we be able make a difference?"

Heimdall let the words run over him, turning them in his head and contemplating on his words. The dark-skinned god turned to face Percy fully, his gold irises boring into Percy's sea-green ones. "We do not know what lies in the future, we only know what we have now. And now, we do not fight just for the pleasure of doing so, we fight for our families, our loved ones. We fight with our comrades, we fight for our home. Do not lose hope young one," Heimdall coached, "If you do, the battle has been lost even before it began."

Percy blinked, smiling slightly at the Gatekeeper's words, "You know, you should really meet my aunt, I think you'd like her."

Heimdall's lips tilted up slightly.

Fandral heaved his head back and roared his laughter, the sound echoing off the empty streets of the marketplace, frightening a flock of birds into flight. Sif gave him a dirty look, but he brushed it away, choosing instead to continue his conversation with Thor's mortal friends. He didn't think that Midgardians could be this funny, especially the shorter man with weird eyewear* on his face. Then again, the blond warrior couldn't remember the last time that he had laughed so heartily. The attack by Thanos and his chitauri had wiped all of their smiles from their faces and heart, and Fandral missed being able to laugh as he once did. Even Volstagg had become somber as the numbers at their table dwindled bit by bit. These mortals though, provided a refreshing change. Fandral was more open minded than his fellow Asgardians, and he was willing to give the mortals the benefit of doubt when it came to battle, though he too was of the impression that they, the Asgardians, were far superior to mortals in combat.

Seeing the five Midgardians with him, Fandral wondered how they could have won a war against the chitauri, even if they had Thor on their side, Thor, who was already equal to several armies of men alone. He didn't question his prince though, not even when the blond god had told them in no uncertain terms to leave Loki alone. At the thought of the darker prince, a tendril of doubt curled within his stomach. Thor claimed that Loki had changed for the better, but Fandral had a hard time seeing it. He, like Sif, had been witness to the numerous tricks which Loki pulled on his unsuspecting victim, each more threatening than the last. He had heard of Percy Jackson, of course, no one in Asgard hadn't heard of him, but he doubted that even the hero could change Loki, not when even the Queen could not lighten his blackened heart.

"Y'know, if there were more people around, this might actually look like a market as opposed to a ghost town." Tony observed, tilting his sunglasses down slightly to reveal his almond eyes. His comment cut through Fandral's reverie, and the warrior grinned, pushing away all the dark thoughts clouding his mind.

"Well the people are in hiding, we can't afford for the chitauri to come and pick them off one by one can we?"

Sif scoffed, tightening her grip on her sword, "The chitauri are cowards," she spat, "Only hunting those who cannot fight back and only in the shadows."

"Woah lady," Tony said, raising both his hands in surrender, "No need to get your undies in a twist."

Sif whirled around and snarled, "What did you say you crude, vile creature?"

Steve stepped forward, "Mam, my friend meant no disrespect, it is a form of, uh, slang, on Earth, er, Midgard."

When Sif still looked furious, Steve quickly gestured to the empty street stretching ahead of them, "Maybe we should get back to the tour?" he grinned weakly, slapping Tony on the head when Sif huffed and turned around.

The rest of their tour went smoothly after that, with Tony grumbling under his breath but keeping quiet. It wasn't fun to rile people up when their reaction was to point their very sharp weapon at your face anyway.

Loki slinked towards his room, under the cover of the shadows cast by the towering spires of Asgard. Thor had slipped off sometime after Loki had all but told him to scram, and the trickster god didn't know where his brother had gone off to, nor did he particularly care. He did feel a pinch of guilt though, when he stepped into his room and saw Percy leafing through one of his magic tomes. He hadn't meant to leave the other boy behind, but he hoped that the hero could understand.

Percy looked up when he closed the door quietly behind him, putting away the book. "Hey," the hero said, reaching a hand out to Loki, "How are you?" he asked quietly, oceanic eyes searching Loki's face.

Loki sighed, taking his hand and drawing the young demigod into a loose embrace, inhaling deeply, the salty scent of the sea penetrating deep within him. "I'm sorry," Loki whispered, "I did not mean to leave you behind, I just –"

Percy tightened his arms around the god's waist, "What did you see?"

Loki closed his eyes, smiling painfully, "Nothing nice."

"Come on," Percy said, tugging the god to the bed, "It's late, and some sleep might help you."

Loki raised his eyebrow, "So eager to get me into bed hmm?"

Percy scowled, shoving the god, "Must you always have such a dirty mind?"

Loki leered at him, "Dirty? Mmm, I was merely suggesting that we get into bed..." he smirked, poking Percy's forehead, "What were you thinking exactly?"

Percy growled and swatted away his hand, "Stop that! Honestly!" he huffed, "I'm trying to be a little considerate for you here."

Loki sighed, his marginally improved mood falling again, "Percy, its nothing –"

"Bullshit." Percy snapped, "You don't react like that and tell me that it's nothing."

Loki sighed again, "I promise, it was memories, nothing more."

Percy looked into his eyes, saw the darkness that clouded them, and said nothing. He knew that Loki was lying, but he knew that the memories that plagued the god were nothing pleasant, he'd experienced firsthand the nightmares that sank its claws into the elder god's mind.

The demigod sighed and took the god's hand, "Come on," he murmured, "Its late, and we should sleep, I have gem training tomorrow."

Loki allowed himself to be pulled to the bed, where he slid under the covers beside Percy, the younger's body fitting perfectly against his as though they were made for each other. "Mother is starting your training tomorrow?"

Percy hummed, leaning back against Loki as the god spooned him, "Yeah, she wanted to get started earlier, you never know when the chitauri might come back again after all."

Loki was glad for the fact that Percy was facing away from him, he could not hide the microscopic flash of pain that crossed his features, though his body remained perfectly relaxed. "That is a trouble for tomorrow, we should sleep now, if I am to watch your horrendous training with a powerful artifact."

Percy reached back and whacked the god on the head, "Hey!" he cried indignantly, "I'm not horrendous! And you've never seen me practice with it before!"

Loki rolled his eyes and smirked, "I don't need to, you have to be horrendous if the chitauri could locate you within seconds of you activating it."

Percy scowled, then frowned, "Then how am I supposed to train with the gem if it attracts the chitauri? Won't they sense it when I'm training?"

Loki hummed, resting his head against the back of Percy's neck, "That is why my mother will be there, she is a master of seidr, and she will be able to produce a barrier which should dampen the beacon the Aether produces. If that isn't enough... well, I do have my magic as well."

Percy nodded, the doubt settling in his stomach, mostly placated, but he was still troubled, though more of it was due to the afternoon's event. Loki sensed this, and turned Percy's head around, placing a chaste kiss on his lips. "Sleep, Perseus, we have a long day tomorrow."

Percy nodded, turning around and burrowing his face into Loki's solid chest, surrounding himself with the scent of the god. Loki snapped his fingers, and the lights in his room – magical of course – went out, plunging them into sudden darkness. He lay on the bed, eyes wide open as a million thoughts raced in his head, watching as Percy's breathing evened out slowly as the boy fell asleep. Soon enough, Loki felt the buzzing thoughts quieten down as he focused on Percy's breaths, and he closed his eyes, letting Percy's smell wash over him.

And if he clutched the demigod a little tighter to him that night – well, no one else had to know.