Before the first ray of sunlight even appeared on the horizon, Percy was wide awake. He came into consciousness in stages, sleep fading away from him like a shadow slipping away in the presence of light. He remained on the bed for several moments, enjoying the weight across his chest, the warmth at his back. For that moment, Percy allowed a smile to play on his lips, his chest feeling much lighter than it had in ages. The shift in breathing pattern alerted him to the fact that Loki had woken up. The god's arm tightened, pulling the demigod flush against his chest. Percy felt a warm breath blow against his ear, shivering slightly as the god's lips left butterfly touches on his ear. "Tease." He grumbled good-naturedly, elbowing the god slightly.

He could practically feel Loki's mischievous grin as he nipped at his ear. Percy laughed, pushing the god away teasingly. The hydrokinetic boy narrowed his eyes, "Stop that," he said, his serious tone undermined by the grin on his face, "I need to get ready."

Loki harrumphed, flopping back down on the bed, his tunic riding up slightly, exposing a well-toned body. Percy's mouth went dry at that, forcing himself to look at Loki's face instead. The god smirked, knowing exactly what was going through his lover's head at the moment. Percy scowled and flushed, his cheeks turning a bright pink which was visible even in the dim light of the room. Loki grinned and tugged his lover in for a kiss, Percy complying, deepening the intimate gesture. They broke away with a gasp of air, and Percy bopped Loki's nose, smiling softly and climbing out of bed to wash up.

The god let his eyes linger on his lover for several more seconds until it went out of view as Percy headed to the adjoining bathroom. He lay on the bed for several more seconds, thoughts which had been banished as he fell asleep returning with a vengeance. The god of lies sighed, scrubbing a hand across his face. In that moment, he let down his guard, and a world-weary look came over him. No sooner than it appeared when it disappeared, leaving no trace of exhaustion on the god's face. He stood up, summoning his clothing with a snap of his fingers, getting into his routine of putting on his half-armor and his clothes. His weapons suitably stashed on all places he could stash on his body, Loki picked up the last knife he had on the table, idly running a finger over its sharp edge. The knife was one of the first which he had created, forged from his own hand and magic. It was also one of Odin's greatest disappointment when he found out about it. A bitter smile twisted his lips, but the god shook his head, tucking the dagger into his belt, the one which had saved his life, and the life of Thor many times over before.

Loki leaned against the table by his bed, waiting for Percy to be done. He cast a solemn glance around his room, an unknown feeling rising up within him. The sound of a doo groaning open had him tilt his head towards it, Percy emerging from the bathroom in full glory. The boy had dressed in his clothes with his armor over It, his silver sword in its scabbard at his side. Loki had no doubts that Anaklusmos was somewhere on the boy's person as well, just hidden in its other form. Percy cocked his head and grinned, "Well? How do I look?"

Loki let a hungry gleam enter his eye, watching Percy shiver minutely as he caught the look. The god stepped forward, a finger tilting Percy's chin upwards, "You look absolutely ravishing."

The boy blushed – something that made Loki grin internally – and smiled shyly up at him, leaning in for a kiss which Loki did not disappoint in serving. it was with great reluctance that Percy broke away, citing his training as the reason for leaving. Loki nodded, wanting to see how his lover's progress fared.

The two of them walked side by side down the hallways, not quite holding hands, but not quite apart either. Loki led Percy to the room where they were supposed to meet his mother, leading them both through a set of corridors until they reached a huge double door. Loki knocked twice on the doors and threw it open, gesturing for Percy to head in. The demigod looked around in awe. Having been exposed to Olympus, Atlantis, Mount Olympus and now Asgard, he had thought that he would stop being surprised at all. This room proved him wrong.

It was huge, that was the first thing that registered in Percy's mind.

The second was that it was circular. The room had a marble floor, at least, the parts of the floor that weren't covered by mats. The walls of the room had unknown runes carved into them, these runes covering the whole hall. When Percy asked what those were for, Loki replied, "This is where sorcerers practice their art, as do warriors train in the grounds outside. The runes are spells t prevent any destructive magic which are cast here to destroy the walls by accident."

"So this place is basically like a bomb shelter?"

Loki frowned, not knowing the reference, until Percy explained it to him. He shook his head, "Nay, these spells are defensive against spells from the inside, not from the outside. It is as vulnerable as any structure against an external onslaught."

"I see that my son has given a brief introduction of the training hall." A gentle voice came up behind them.

Both of them turned around, Percy giving the Asgardian queen a short bow despite her insistence not to, while Loki greeted his mother with a smile. Frigga placed a hand on Percy's forearm, leading him gently to the mats, while Loki remained where he was. "This place has been used not only as training grounds for potential mages, but also to hold tournaments of the magical kind." Frigga smiled at Percy, "This was where Loki defeated me fair and square the first time."

Percy grinned, looking at Loki, who scowled, slightly embarrassed at the achievement – a stark contrast from those who normally saw a boasting and arrogant god.

Frigga led him to the center of the mat, where she released her hold on him and walked till she was a ways away from him. There, she gestured for him to put down his sword, which he did so reluctantly. Muttering a few words under her breath, a shimmering shield was cast around them in a wide arc, seemingly trapping them in a bubble. Percy looked questioningly at the queen, who smiled and said, "This is so that nobody disturbs us until we are done with our session."

Percy nodded in understanding, recognizing the subtle reassurance beneath her words. He took a deep breath, and in a move that sent waves of déjà vu through him, twisted his right wrist and let the Aether activate with his mind, rings of red rimming his sea green irises as power surged through him.

The liquid stone twisted and changed its form until it became his preferred weapon – a sword.

The glittering red blade seemed more menacing than ever, the material flowing as though it was liquid, although it never flowed out of its shape. Frigga nodded in approval at the display of control. "Can you change it to something else? Anything that comes in to your mind?"

Percy frowned, concentrating slightly, the sword shuddered and expanded into a shield – similar to the one that Tyson had built for him the very first time. Frigga nodded again, asking him to change the weapon yet again. Percy concentrated, and turned the Aether into a club, a spear, a gladius and – of all things – a hairbrush. Both Asgardians looked at him incredulously at the last one, making him shrug sheepishly.

"Do you think of anything when changing the weapon?" Frigga asked, her tone all business now.

Percy nodded, "Yeah, the weapons that we use in camp are usually what I base the shapes on."

"And the hairbrush?" Loki asked, raising an eyebrow.

Percy laughed sheepishly, "Yeah sorry about that, one of my friend used it to nail Kronos in the eye."

Both mother and son stared at the demigod – having known of the titan lord and his prowess.

Frigga shook her head, "I want you to practice a shield for now, any kind of shield, it could just be a wall, or it could be one of the shields you use. Either way, I want you to throw up a shield to block my attacks."

Percy blinked, "Okay..."

They got back into position across from each other, starting out with simple bolts of power which Percy deflected. He got used to switching the Aether's form around, wrapping himself in red liquid, creating a shield or even just throwing up a wall. They continued this way for several more hours until a servant girl entered the room meekly, bearing a trolley of food with her. Frigga caught Loki's eye as he gestured towards the food being set up, and the queen nodded, ceasing her spell casting. She smiled at Percy, whose breathing was a little heavier than before. He quirked a smile back at her, dispelling the Aether with a flick of his wrist. Frigga waved a hand, the bubble-like barrier dissipating at once to let them walk towards their luncheon. Loki had used his own seidr ad summoned a table, uncaring of where it came from and whether or not it deprived Asgardian warriors from their meal of the day. The servant girl quickly set the food on the table, used to seeing such displays from the mages to be surprised by the table's sudden appearance.

The trickster god pulled out a chair for his mother, then his lover, before taking his seat at the table. The three of them sat in companionable silence, cutlery clinking against the plates as they ate.

"Perseus," Frigga began, once her plate was clean, "I believe that your shielding is adequately practiced, I would like for you to go onto the offensive."

Percy blinked, "Already? And when you say offensive, do you want me to go through the moves on a dummy first or are we moving straight into a spar?"

"I believe it would be prudent for you to try it out on the training dummy first." Loki pitched in, "As of now, you do not know the damage you can deal, so it would not be wise to get into a spar. After all," he said, leaning back, "this is an Infinity Stone we are dealing with."

Percy nodded, "Alright, but you're gonna have to provide me with some training dummies for me to smash your majesty." He said, grinning cheekily.

Frigga's response was to smile back at him, "I believe that there shall be no problems with that."

The days continued like this, with Percy training with Frigga from morning to evening. When he managed to, Percy convinced Loki to spend more time with his brother and the Avengers, who had also taken up sparring with the Warriors Three and Sif in the training grounds. Loki had, after much persuasion, finally gave in and sought out his brother – much to Thor's delight – though Loki still preferred to accompany Percy to watch his progress. Although if the god was not with Percy and not with Thor, he would be found holed up in the library, surrounded by Odin's spell books, perusing through them without a care for his silent sentinel who stood watch over him.

Percy had moved on from throwing the Aether at dummies to sparring with Frigga, the queen giving him a run for his money. He had watched the footage of Loki's fight on earth when he was 'taking over' and he knew that the god had been trained by Frigga. His own spars with the queen only nailed in the suspicion that Loki had been holding back on them.

Occasionally, Loki would be accompanied by Thor, and sometimes even the Avengers – either all of them would come, or only one or two. And sometimes, Percy would spar against Loki with the rest watching.

This was one of such times.

The demigod ducked under an arm, sliding baseball style as he dodged it, whipping a stream of scarlet liquid at his opponent's shins. The liquid passed harmlessly through the mirage and Percy cursed internally, twisting his body to avoid the downward slash that would have given him a new hole in his shoulder. As it was, the silver dagger drew a thin line across his shoulder blade. He went with the flow of his twist and rolled to a stand, bringing up the Aether which he'd changed into a sword at the last moment, meeting the other's blade with a screeching sound. He snarled and shoved his sword outwards, jumping backwards to avoid the second dagger which he had completely forgotten about.

Loki grinned dangerously, all teeth and no humor as he lunged forward, his daggers coming up in a cross slash which Percy dodged. The demigod launched his counterattack, his sword slashing downwards in an arc. Loki twisted out of the way, his dagger heading towards Percy's neck. With a simple thought, Percy split the sword, the blade becoming lighter and shorter in his right hand as the other half landed in his left hand as he brought it up as a shield. Percy deflected the blow and immediately switched to the offensive, the shield in his left hand mirroring the blade in his right.

Percy held both his blades in an 'X' manner, cutting downwards at Loki, who jumped back and brought his daggers up in a similar manner to block Percy's onslaught. The demigod grinned and dropped his left sword, ducking towards the right at the same moment as Loki stumbled forward with the loss of resistance. He rammed his left elbow in the god's solar plexus, knocking him backwards. Loki hissed as his breath left him, falling backwards into a backward tumble and rolling to his feet, just in time for him to parry Percy's strike. In doing so, he left himself open for Percy's newly reformed second sword as the boy slashed upwards, slicing a wound from his left hip to his right shoulder.

Loki snarled and backed away, Percy content to do so as well as they both circled each other once more. The god hissed under his breath, tightening his grip on his daggers. I suppose this is why he is named the best swordsman on Midgard, he thought wryly. Loki narrowed his eyes in answer to Percy's challenging grin, the two of them charging at each other once more. The god dropped his left dagger at the last moment and dodged Percy's right swing, his right arm raised to block the demigod's left swing. Immediately, Loki dropped the dagger to his waiting left hand and slammed it hilt first into Percy's sternum, the boy doubling over. At the same time, the god hooked his leg to the back of Percy's knee and pulled, bringing them both down to the ground. He twisted such that Percy landed on his back, and he kept an arm over the demigod's chest, his lone dagger poised at the raven-haired hero's throat.

"Yield?" Loki rumbled, a satisfied smirk on his face.

Percy raised his head and tried to get up, but found himself thoroughly pinned to the ground by his partner. He groaned and flopped his head back on the ground, "I yield." He grumbled.

Loki's grin stretched even wider, and the god nodded in satisfaction, moving back to get up on his feet. He extended a hand for Percy to grab, which he did, after several moments of pouting. The demigod heaved himself up, and in a fluid motion, kicked the back of Loki's knees and pushed him to the ground, their positions reversed now as he pinned the god.

The startled look on Loki's face melted away into a scowl to which Percy replied with a cheeky grin. "Yield?" The demigod asked cheerfully.

Loki's scowl only deepened, "You cheated." He stated flatly.

Percy raised an eyebrow, "Like you don't?"

Loki huffed, "Clearly my presence is corrupting your morality and virtuous outlook of life."

Percy grinned, getting off the god, extending a hand towards his lover to pull him upright, "Morality no, virtuous outlook of life? I think you've got me confused with Steve."

Loki snorted, vanishing his daggers into subspace, "I cannot disagree with that." He said seriously.

Percy laughed, his chuckles quieting when Frigga drew near. She gave both of them a proud smile, "You both did well today. Perseus, it was an ingenious idea to switch from defensive to offensive in a split second, but you must work on your defense in that precious second in which you do so, or if not, master your control over the Aether to reduce the time needed for the switch."

Percy frowned but nodded, "Alright, I'll take note of that. It was a split second decision to see if I could do that anyway."

It was no Loki's turn to frown, "You gambled your life on whether or not you could change the Aether?"

"What? No, I mean, its not like you would slit my throat or something."

Loki scowled, "Accidents do happen Percy, even in training, you can't just assume that just because we have an emotional tie that I would not harm you. What if you had not been able to switch successfully and I took advantage of your opening? If your defense was not up and I did not realize that until it was too late?"

Percy scowled and looked away, seeing both Frigga and Loki's stern looks, he sighed, "Alright alright, I won't make such an assumption again alright? I'll make sure that my defense is up even if its during training."

Loki peered at him for several long seconds, before nodding his head at the sincerity he found in Percy's eyes. The queen turned to address her son, "Will you be joining us for lunch?" she asked softly.

Loki sighed and gave a regretful shake of his head, "Unfortunately, I did promise Thor that I would train with him today." He grimaced at that, the thought of spending 'quality' time with any of Thor's friends leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

Percy – the annoying boy he was – laughed unsympathetically at his plight and clapped him on the back, "Well then, I guess you better get going, wouldn't want your personal guard to come looking for you." He grinned unrepentantly at Loki's deepening scowl, his own cheerfulness a stark contrast to the god's darkening mood. Even Frigga was quietly laughing at her son's reaction, earning her a half-hearted glare. She raised her eyebrow, causing Loki to sigh and step forward, drawing her into a hug. He did the same to Percy, who leaned in to peck him on the lips as well.

"Go on you dork, the longer you delay, the higher the chances of Hogun barging through those doors."

Loki sighed once more and nodded, "Very well," he groaned, "I shall take my leave." The god stood there though, not moving an inch.

Percy huffed and rolled his eyes, pushing him towards the door, "Go on, I'll see you tonight."

Loki sighed and nodded, kissing Percy one last time before he slipped out of the training hall. Percy just shared an exasperated smile with the queen before the two of them called a servant to bring their food in.

Bruce sat on the rock beside Tony gingerly, as though it would crumble under his weight. He tugged at his tunic nervously, his eyes darting around the clearing as sounds of battle filled his ears. "Um, Tony?" the scientist waited for a sign of acknowledgement before continuing, "Exactly why are we here?"

His friend just sighed, loudly enough to draw dirty looks from their resident archer who was living up to his namesake as he perched on a nearby tree, "Because, Brucie," the inventor drawled loudly, "Thor wanted to spar with his armored friends, and then Capsicle wanted to get some practice in which led to him dragging us all here in the name of team bonding."

Bruce blinked, "Oh."

Tony crossed his arms over his chest, "And of course, Stevie Wonder just conveniently forgets that we're not actually sparring people."

Clint snorted, just as Natasha looked over to him from where she was under the shade of the tree that Clint was perched on, "I thought you boxed?" she said, smirking.

Tony groaned, "Oh my god, just because I did boxing that one time..."

Volstagg cocked his head and looked at them, "What is this box you speak off?"

Clint laughed so hard that he nearly fell off his branch.

Bruce grinned at the attention that his friend drew, startling badly when Fandral suddenly dropped down beside him, wiping sweat off his forehead. The blond warrior blew out a long stream of air, "Man, I swear to Yggdrasil that Sif has gotten a lot more vicious."

"Uh, what makes you say that?" Bruce voiced cautiously, trying to calm his racing heart.

"Because his face has been damaged beyond repair."

Bruce jumped – literally this time – when Loki appeared behind him out of thin air. It gave him little comfort to see that the other avengers had also reacted the same way, though the two assassins were leaning towards trigger-happy as opposed to startled. Tony on the other hand, just raised an eyebrow at Loki, "Seriously, do you make a habit of doing that all the time?"

Loki smirked and dropped down on the ground in between the two scientists, sprawling out in a way which was both careless and graceful, "I try my best Stark."

Volstagg – who also appeared unaffected by Loki's sudden presence – cut in just as Fandral registered what the trickster god had said, "Have you come to spar?"

Loki leveled him with a look and said, "No, I have come here to enjoy the company of sweaty animals and revel in the smell of pungent odor."

Tony lasted for all of three seconds before he cracked up, laughing so hard that it drew the attention of the two who were sparring in the middle of the field. Bruce felt his lips twitch slightly and ducked his head to hide his amusement. Clint on the other hand had no qualms about that and was leaning back against the branch he was on, hugging his stomach tightly as he laughed. Steve frown disapprovingly at Loki, who gave him an innocent smile in return. Natasha just smirked slightly, the equivalence of full blown laughter in the normal humans.

Sif stormed over from where she had been fighting with Thor, glaring fiercely at Loki, who just stared back at her challengingly. "You think yourself funny Trickster? You think yourself above others? To mock them?"

"Sif –" Volstagg began.

The female warrior snarled, "Enough, I do not like his tricks or his mocking. If he is here to spar he should keep his mouth shut and fight like a true warrior," she sneered at him, "Not like a coward who hides behind his tricks and magic." She said, spitting out the last word.

Loki sneered back, his acidic words on the tip of his tongue when Thor stepped in, "Sif, my friend, enough, please. I requested for Loki to come train with us, if there is anyone that you must blame, it is i."

Sif turned her smoldering eyes onto the thunder god, tension wracking her entire frame. "Training? With him? Fighting with someone like him would not be much of a training, even the mortals can defeat him easily." She hissed.

The avengers all stiffened at her words, as did Thor, all of them hearing the insult plain as day. Only Loki snorted, "My dear Sif, if I had wanted to rule Midgard, it would already be mine."

Sif threw her head back and laughed mockingly, "Oh is it that so? So you lost on purpose to mortals, I find myself unsurprised."

Bruce frowned, "Why exactly are you so against us mortals? I mean, we've done nothing to you, yet you've only shown us nothing but disrespect."

Sif turned to him, both Volstagg and Fandral giving her placating gestures which she completely ignored, "Why? You are all not fighters, mortals are weak compared to us Asgardians, compared to us true warriors. If you wish to be respected, you should show your strength and might, prove yourself in a bout with one of us." She stated, her tone level as though she was talking about the weather.

Bruce blanched and paled, thoughts of the other guy coming out filling his mind, "Uh, no thanks actually, I don't – I'm not actually a fighter –"

"No, you are." Tony interrupted, standing up and glaring at Sif, "He's a fighter, we're all fighters and we don't need to prove anything to anyone. Not even to you lady. You see, we beat Loki, yeah, but that's because we had team work. We beat him together, not that it's something you'd understand, seeing as you're going all lone wolf on us." The genius said, waving his hands to emphasis his point. He grinned sharply, "Yes, we're mortal, and no, it doesn't make us weaker than you are, because really, I thought I was arrogant," he ignored the coughed "you are" from behind him and barreled on, "but I think you take the prize for that."

Sif cocked her head, "If you say that you are so strong, prove it."

Tony sighed, "Seriously woman, did you not hear anything I just said? Why should I need to prove anything to you? You're nobody to me. And even if you were, I wouldn't need to prove myself either."

Sif growled, "You insolent mortal –"

Tony ignored her and turned around, clapping his hands, "Alright Reindeer Games, I can see where you got your whole 'mortals are ants underneath my boots' train of thought from. Really, they actively teach you guys about racism?"

Loki snorted, "It is a common teaching for the children, besides," the god smirked, "You mortals are easy to squish."

Clint grinned, "You know, I distinctly remember a god-shaped dent in the marble floor... Tony, you put a plaque in front of it right?"

The inventor laughed, "Hell yeah, one Loki pancake coming right up!"

The god in question sighed and covered his face with his hands.

Thor gripped Sif by the shoulder, "Lady Sif, you have gone overboard. These Midgardian friends of mine are valiant warriors who defend them home. They are as brave as any Aesir."

Sif narrowed her eyes, "Then why hide behind you? Why do they not take part in our bouts?"

"Why are you so eager to prove yourself superior to us?" Natasha cut in smoothly, her light green eyes dark with unknown emotion. She pushed herself off the tree she was leaning against, stalking towards Sif. The difference between the two women were hilariously stark. Sif, with her dark hair and reflective armor, stood at an impressive height, rivaling Thor's. In contrast, Natasha's lithe figure was dwarfed by Sif's larger, more muscular one, her own black suit completely different from the female warrior's shining armor. The two women stood against each other, one frowning heavily while the other had a face wiped clean of emotion.

"I have nothing to prove," Sif stated, "Is this a challenge?"

Natasha cocked her head, "I wouldn't mind a short spar, might help keep me on my toes against larger opponents."

Sif nodded, moving back to take a stance, Natasha called out, "No weapons, hand-to-hand only."

The female Asgardian narrowed her eyes but acquiesced to the request. She stabbed her sword into the ground, leaving her shield leaning against it. Fandral's jaw dropped, "Your mortal friend – she is jesting, yes?"

Clint shook his head, dropping from his branch and making his way over to them, "Why would she be? Nat's serious about this."

Tony snorted, "I'd say that Xena has had it coming in a long time. The Widow's about to bite."

Steve sighed, pinching the branch of his nose, "Should I referee?"

Thor shook his head, "Nay, there is no need to, the rules are simple, they fight until one yields or is unconscious."

Fandral waved his hand to get their attention, "No I mean, your mortal friend is going to fight SIf." He said seriously.

"So?" Tony said.

Fandral exchanged incredulous looks with Volstagg and Hogun, who was standing like a silent sentinel behind them all. "Your mortal friend, is fighting Sif, who is one of the best warriors that Asgard has to offer, second only to Thor and sometimes even more than that!" the blond warrior said slowly, still in shock.

To all of their surprise, Loki was the one who answered him, "And if any person were to bring Sif's arrogance down, I would say that the Black Widow would be the most apt choice. After all, what is it that you mortals say? My money is on her?"

Sif and Natasha stood opposite each other, the whole field being their sparring grounds. It was such a Tony thing to do, Natasha reflected, to challenge an Asgardian warrior on her home turf at the spur of the moment. But the Black Widow had had enough of Asgardians looking down on mortals. Thor had done so, Loki had done so, even their king had done so. She wasn't about to let another person put them down. Not when she knew that they were capable of kicking their asses.

She stood with her arms hanging loosely by her side, her muscles tense in anticipation as she kept her weight on the balls of her feet. Opposite her, Sif slid into a fighting stance, her right leg in front of her left, both hands raised in front of her.

Natasha's mind was whirling, her senses heightening and taking in everything – the sounds of her team behind them, the feeling of the wind through her hair, every minute movement Sif made as they got ready for their spar. In a span of seconds, the infamous Black Widow analysed her opponent, taking in her bulkier muscles – likely to use brute force, her asgardian composition – superior strength, her powerful calf muscles – likely to launch an attack using the power built up from her legs. Natasha cocked her head to one side, Sif taking that as the signal to begin.

The warrior launched herself at Natasha, who had expected the move and twisted out of the way expertly. She danced out of Sif's reach, the other female throwing another punch which Natasha dodged. Sif kept trying to land a blow on Natasha, but the assassin just dodged every hit. Sif growled lowly and lashed out with her leg suddenly, catching Natasha in the side. Her moment of victory was short-lived as Natasha slammed an elbow into the back of her knee, launching herself upwards as Sif buckled to the ground. Her left leg slammed into Sif's breast plate, sending her sprawling backwards in an undignified heap. When the warrior got up – not wasting any time on the ground – Natasha was sprinting to her. Instead of launching an attack as the warrior expected, she blocked Sif's right hook and leapt upwards, hooking her legs around the warrior's neck. The assassin took a moment to savor the shock on Sif's face before she twisted backwards, using Sif's momentum against her as Natasha tumbled to the ground, her legs still around the warrior's neck. The end result was that Sif was thrown to the ground by Natasha, whose legs kept the warrior where she was. The fiery-haired avenger rolled away from the warrior, Sif snarling angrily as she rolled into a crouch and swept her leg across the ground. Natasha flipped backwards to avoid the kick to her face and landed on her feet, springin forward immediately. She dived into a roll between Sif's legs and launched a flurry of punches and jabs into the warrior's back before kicking out at Sif's legs, sending her to the ground again. The Asgardian twisted with her fall and sent a jab at Natasha, who danced away fluidly and grabbed her outstretched hand, twising it viciously behind her back as she hooked one leg across the other's neck, slamming her into the ground once more. She kept the pressure up between her thighs, twisting the warrior's arm even more when she struggled, knowing that humans and Aesir physiology was similar enough that such a move would let Sif end up with an arm broen into at least two places.

"Yield?" Natasha said calmly, gripping the warrior's arm tightly, her legs cutting off the intake of air. Sif struggled for several more seconds before Natasha applied even more pressure on the Asgardian. A low and reluctant "Yield." Was heard and Natasha briefly cracked a smile before her face wiped itself of emotion and she released the other female, flipping backwards into a standing position. She watched dispassionately as Sif gasped for air, her right arm gripping her left – which was surely feeling the strain which Natasha had put it under. She slowly stood up, glaring at the assassin all the while, the latter glancing back at her coolly.

Away from them, Fandral and Volstagg had their mouths wide open enough to catch flies – which prompted Loki to send just that into their throats. While they were coughing vigorously to get the insect out of their oesophagus, Tony just commented, "This is exactly why I keep saying that she can kill people with her thighs."

"If you continue saying that Tony, you'll be the one in that situation." Natasha fired back.

Tony just grinned and leered at her, "Ooh, with your thighs around my neck, I wouldn't mind baby."

Clint elbowed him in the gut as Steve slapped him on the head, both of them frowning.

Thor just grinned at his two friends "Ah now you see why I say not to belittle my Midgardian friends Lady Sif, they more capable than you expect."

Sif snorted and stalked away to lick her wounds, snatching up her sword and shield before disappearing.

"Sore loser that one." Tony said, smirking at her embarrassed face.

"Do all you – cough – Midgardians fight like that?" Fandral asked as soon as he got the insect out of his throat.

Bruce shrugged, "Eh, no, not really..."

"Nonsense my friend!" Thor boomed, clapping Bruce on the shoulder, nearly sending the guy sprawling to the ground with the force behind the action, "You are evenly matched with me, that is nothing to be ashamed off!"

Loki's muttered 'and we all yearn to match your infinite might yes' earned a snicker from Tony.

The god glared at the inventor, then his lips curled into a mischievous smile that sent the inventor backtracking rapidly, "Now Stark, how about you continue your flyting with my brother? I do so enjoyed the show you two put on for me back then."

"What?"

Percy dropped to the mat, gasping for air. The moment they had let their lunch settle in their stomach, the queen of Asgard had revealed her slave-driver side. She worked him hard enough that he seriously felt like dropping in exhaustion, sheer willpower the only thing keeping him upright. Hr training regime was tougher than Lupa's and that was saying something because Percy couldn't ever remember any training regime being tougher than Lupa's. He closed his eyes and let his head thud back onto the ground, groaning when he heard the telltale swish of the queen's garb rustling near him. "One more minute your majesty, please, I gotta catch my breath."

When the queen didn't reply, Percy opened his eyes, his instincts jumping up when he saw her frowning.

"Get on your feet Perseus," the queen said softly, magic swirling around her hand, "I fear that we are not alone."

Let it never be said that Percy didn't know how to read a tone. He could procrastinate, normally he might even do that for fun, but he knew that Frigga was serious, and so, despite his aching muscles, he heaved himself onto his feet, ready to form his Aether-sword. The queen laid a hand on his arm before he could summon the Infinity Gem. "Not now, use your other powers, not the gem."

Percy frowned but acquiesced to her request, instead, he drew on his innate power and formed a blade out of ice - obtaining the moisture from the air.

"Be prepared." Frigga cautioned, then she removed the barrier surrounding them.

Percy sucked in a quiet breath as the barrier fell, but all was quiet.

Too quiet.

There was no movement at all, even the air seemed to be holding its breath.

His instincts screamed at him and Percy shoved the queen to one side, diving to another in the same second, a blast of energy landing right where they had been standing, the resultant explosion sending the both of them flying. Percy hit the ground and rolled, forcing his muscles to move despite their protest. He ignored the ringing in his ears as he moved away just in time for another blast to hit the ground where he had been. Cursing up a storm - internally or externally he didn't know - he snarled and threw his senses out, keeping the wall at his back. He twisted away just in time to dodge the spear that stabbed into the wall behind him, grabbing said weapon and knocking it out of his enemy's hands. Blinded by the smoke that hovered in the area because of the explosions, he swiped his sword where he sensed the other being's throat was. He felt a slight resistance as his sword found its mark, a sickening squelch sound penetrating the ringing in his ears as he completed his swing. The smoke cleared enough then for him to see the soulless eyes of a chitauri staring back at him.

On the other side of the room, Frigga met her own opponents, her blade flashing in and out between them, their blood staining the floor beneath her feet. She ducked under the blasts that the chitauri fired at her, parrying the weapons of those who slashed at her. All the while, her magic thrummed around her, sending out her own blasts of magic as she cast her will into her seidr, taking out the chitauris who dared to come close to her. She saw Percy on the other side of the room, handling his own opponents. His power swirled around him, dampened by the lack of water in the room but his speed and grace was evident nonetheless. She fought the chitauri, slowly making her way towards the demigod until they were fighting back to back.

High above them, cloaked in an invisible spell, a lone chitauri hovered, a crossbow held in its hands. It watched dispassionately as the two beings below slaughtered its brethren. The chitauri hefted the crossbow and loaded a single bolt, carefully taking aim. The bolt's tip was dipped in poison, to make it all the more potent in case the shot failed to hit a fatal area. But that was no matter, the chitauri wasn't planning to fail. It's weapon followed its target, aimed at the target's heart. One heartbeat. Two.

The chitauri fired, its eyes on the queen of Asgard.

A pained scream pierced the air.

They were in the middle of wheedling Tony to put on his suit and fight Thor when the first explosion reached their ears. They all turned as one to the source of the explosion, horror taking over their features. A portal was opened above the heart of Asgard, chitauri swarms descending faster than the eye could track.

"Tony put on the suit." Steve commanded. "Anyone who can fly or travel fast enough, get there first -"

"I can transport those of you who cannot fly." Loki cut in, looking at the Captain who nodded his assent.

Thor nodded and twirled his hammer, launching himself into the darkening sky. Tony scowled and activated his bracelet, lifting his hands up as his suit flew to him. The three Asgardians left in the clearing looked at him in shock as his red and gold armor came out of nowhere to fold around him. "Try not to be too late for the party again guys." he said, his voice distorting as his faceplate dropped down, the eye slits lighting up. He crouched and launched himself upwards, blasting off after Thor towards the portal.

"What - ?" Fandral stuttered.

Loki scowled and drew his magic around him, "Come, we should not tarry."

The remaining avengers gathered around him, drawing the three asgardians to follow suit. With a hum of magic, the god wove his will into his seidr and they vanished in a burst of green light.

Tony reached the portal in no time, dodging the charred bodies which fell past him, a product of being the target of Thor's anger. He angled himself up towards the thunder god, firing his repulsors at the hoard as well. The genius whooped as he caught their attention, then turned and flew off, leading a hoard of them away from the thunder god. He twisted and turned in midair, occasionally turning around to fire a blast at his chasers. As he was flying, a sudden metallic whirring drew his attention.

"JARVIS? What is that?"

"My sensors indicate that some form of machinery is assembling on those towers over to your right."

Tony turned and look, his eyes widening as he recognized the shape of the structure which was forming. "Holy shit! They have turrets here? J? How many chitauri are following us?"

"My sensors indicate at least thirty life forms sir."

Tony grinned, "Perfect, lets give these son of bitches a firework display they'll never forget."

"Excellent idea sir."

Tony flipped over in the air and fired his miniature missiles, the detonation enough to get the chitauri's attention and destroy several of their number. He cackled and flipped back, drawing the chitauri in a circle, avoiding their attacks. When the turret was up and aimed, he grinned and dove past it, triggering the sensor. He heard the screams of the chitauri as they were gunned down by the rapid fire of the turret, coming to a stop in mid air to watch as they fell to the ground. Any who escaped the turret's fire went down under his repulsors. Tony smirked, "Game over bitches."

He activated his thrusters and flew off in search of another hoard to play with.

Loki appeared with his cargo in the middle of the courtyard in front of the main hall of Asgard, startling several Asgardian soldiers badly. Immediately after he felt solid ground beneath him, Steve was barking out orders, "Hawkeye, take to the rafters, I want eyes on the sky and I want you to shoot down anything that gets past us. Black Widow, you're with me, we'll take the ones on the ground, don't let anything get past those doors. Bruce -"

"Do you need me to suit up?"

Steve frowned, surveying the area quickly, "Not now, I want you to go find the healers and see if you can help them. If we need you to suit up, we'll let you know. Loki, do you have any means of communication?"

The god in question frowned thoughtfully, then summoned several crystals in his hands, each as small as a stone on a ring. He focused some of his energy in them, making hem glow green for several seconds before the color faded. He handed one to each of the avengers, "These will not allow verbal communication, but squeeze the crystal and it will glow. Think of who you wish to communicate to and that person's crystal will glow at the same frequency which yours glows. Crude yes, but I do not have time to create a more elaborate communication device."

"Fine, we'll have to make do with that I guess." Steve said, pocketing his own crystal. "Bruce, two glows on your crystal means we need you to suit up, understood?"

The man in question nodded. The captain turned to Widow and Hawkeye, the former saying, "Morse code."

Steve nodded in agreement, then turned to the Asgardians, "Someone will need to bring Bruce to the healers."

Volstagg shrugged and stepped forward, slightly impressed by the way the mortal leader had taken stock of the situation so quickly, "Aye I can do so, follow me."

Fandral nodded to them and gestured that he would join the rest of the Asgardian soldiers.

Clint spoke up, "I need a lift to the high ground, can someone call Ironman?"

Loki shook his head, "No need, I will be helping my brother and Stark, I do not mind giving you a lift as you say. Hogun, you might as well join Fandral, you will not be able to follow me anyway."

Clint raised an eyebrow, "And how exactly are you going to do that? You can't fly." he said flatly.

Loki smirked challengingly, "Can't I?"

He stepped away from the group, wrapping his magic around him. He felt his bones break, elongating as his form shifted. Clint just stared, "You have got to be fucking with me."

Steve grinned and pushed the archer forward, "Go with him and cover us, Avengers, let's move out!"

Clint just groaned and scowled, jumping onto the back of the now giant hawk which stood before him, its intelligent green eyes gleaming at him. The hawk gave a loud screech and launched itself upwards, leaving him clinging onto its back for dear life.

He could have sworn that the bird was laughing at him.

The Avengers dispersed as per their Captain's orders, and Loki deposited the archer on the corner of one of Asgard's building, himself angling upwards towards the sky. He let out a challenging screech and shot past a shocked Ironman, his claws shredding the chitauri as he fought them. He heard Tony's "What the hell?" as he flew past the man, digging his claws into two chitauri who were creeping up behind the inventor. He grinned mentally as he caught Tony's even louder "What. The. Hell?" when Thor turned around, caught sight of him, and called out "Brother!"

Thor grinned broadly and summoned another bolt of lightning, landing on one of the ships to smash the alien's head in. Loki gave an answering screech, his current form not entitling him to normal modes of communication. He dove forward and caught one of the aliens in his beak, snapping its neck instantly with little effort.

The three of them worked in tandem to reduce the number of chitauri which got to the ground, the lightning, repulsors and claws diminshing their swarm. Loki gave a warning cry to Thor at the sight of a space whale and grabbed Tony in his claws as both brothers flew away from the giant maw of the creature.

To his credit, despite his tangible disbelief, all Tony said was, "You have got to be kidding me, one of those again?"

The three of them landed on the top spiel of Asgard's palace, Loki folding his wings to his side as he tilted his head up to watch the portal. He trilled at Thor, who looked at Tony, "We need Banner."

Tony sighed, "Where's the convenient nuke when you need it?"

Loki pushed him off their perch with one extended wing.

A few minutes into the attack and already the healing rooms were filling up with patients. It was as chaotic inside as it was outside, with the head healer barking out orders to everyone, trying to attend to the wounded within their walls. Volstagg brought Bruce to the head healer, Eir, telling her quickly that the mortal was a sort of healer back on Midgard as well. Eir frowned and looked at Bruce skeptically, but nodded and motioned for him to start bandaging the wounds. He told her that if he was needed outside, he had to go, but for the moment, he would help the wounded. She gave him a skeptical look again when he mentioned going out to fight, but refrained from further comment in favor of her patients.

Bruce knelt beside a soldier who was suffering from third degree burns on his torso, gingerly applying a soothing balm across the affected area and wrapping the wound as quickly and as best he could. He moved from patient to patient, keeping his mind away from distracting thoughts of the welfare of his friends who were fighting outside.

"You have seidr?" Eir said suddenly, staring at him.

BRuce looked up at her, confused, shaking his head. She pointed at his pocket,. frowning slightly, "I can feel seidr from some part of you..."

I was his turn to frown as he finished bandaging the soldier he was working on, digging into his pocket to fish out the crystal that Loki had given them.

It was flashing green in beats of two.

Bruce felt his heart stop for a moment, then swallowed, "I need to go," he said, leaving the wounded behind as he dashed out of the room.

He retraced his footsteps and rushed out the door, almost pushed right back in when several Asgardian warriors pushed him into the shelter, their shields up to deflect the barrage of attacks that the chitauri rained on them.

"Do not come out! The chitauri are ruthless in their onslaught."

Hs heart thudding in his chest, Bruce licked his lips and said, "Let me out, I can help."

The leader of the band of warriors that were in front of him laughed, "You are but mortal, how can you help?"

Bruce felt the first stirrings of anger in his chest, trying to calm his racing heart. He was saved by the sound of thrusters filling the air, "Brucie boy! What were you doing? Taking a nap?"

He grinned weakly up at Tony, whose appearance stunned the warriors. The red and gold hero fired his repulsors at the chitauri, sending them crashing to the ground. The distinct sound of a space whale had Bruce looking sharply at Tony, the inventor grinning in response, though it went unseen behind his faceplate.

"Come on jolly green! I think the other guy's getting bored in there."

He swooped down and grabbed Bruce, depositing him in the courtyard. TOny gave a short wave and a "Work your magic bro" before flying off to help the others. BRuce took in a deep breath and ignored the panicked shouts of the Asgardians behind him as a swarm of chitauri approached.

He smiled tightly and released his anger.

Almost everything came to a standstill when a loud roar echoed in the realm. Te Aesir who heard it paused and wondered where it came from. The Avengers, on the other hand, grinned and resumed their attack, knowing that the final member of their motley crew had made his entrance. Loki dodged out of the way as a huge green form crashed into the space whale which he had been distracting. He nodded and flew away, knowing that the creature would not stand long against the beast. He flew downwards, shifting forms as he neared the ground, tucking himself into a roll to absorb the impact of his landing. Two daggers slid into his hand almost instantaneously and he flung one of them toward a chitauri, the blade embedding itself in the alien's head as Captain America's shield crashed into it.

Loki returned the nod that Steve gave him, and flung out his magic, letting his distaste for the creature show in his attacks. Loki fought back to back with Natasha and Steve, the three of them working in tandem to reduce the number of chitauri around them. Loki locked eyes with what seemed to be the commander leading the assault, and flung his magic out in its direction. The low whine of engine alerted him to Tony's arrival and the smell of ozone signaled Thor's landing. The five of them charged at the hoard if chitauri, decimating their numbers quickly. Overhead, Loki sensed more than saw the power that surrounded the open portal - the Allfather's power. H scowled internally at Odin's actions, of all times, now he decides to close the portal? He should have done that the moment it opened.

With the closing portal, and the warriors plus the Avengers on the ground, the chitauri swarm dwindled rapidly. Loki snarled and leapt at the commander of the assault, dragging it down from its ship. The god threw the alien on the ground and slammed two long daggers into each of its shoulder joints, pinning it to the ground.

"What do you want?" he hissed, feeling Thor come up behind him.

The alien chuckled, "What makes you think we want anything godling?" it slithered.

Loki sneered, "Your master would not waste his precious resources on an attack without retrieving something in return."

The laugh which tore itself out of the chitauri's throat sent shivers down the spine of all the avengers, as they came up to where Loki had pinned the chitauri. Black soulless orbs bore into Loki's emerald green ones, "We come for what is ours, we come for the heart of Asgard."

Loki felt his breath catch in his throat.

Behind him, Thor straightened sharply, "Mother." He breathed.

"Percy." Steve said hoarsely.

Percy grunted as a chitauri slammed into him, grabbing whatever part of the alien he could and throwing it off of him, stabbing it in the throat with a dagger. He flipped over the body, dodging a blast that missed him by mere centimeters. He twirled the sword in his hand and sliced upwards, gutting the chitauri in half. The demigod turned to check on the queen who was fighting at his back. He had started making his way towards her when he saw that she was doing the same, the two of them covering each other's back as they fought off wave after wave of chitauri.

"Lady Frigga, how long do you think we'll have to keep this up?" he shouted at her.

The queen frowned and turned one of the alien into barbecued meat, her sword making them shish-kebab at the same time, "I do not know, but we must hold on for as long as we need."

Percy hissed as a chitauri scored a gash on his arm and nodded, decapitating said alien. He stiffened when he felt a presence above them. Casting his eyes around casually, he could spot no one but he still felt their life force. In a split second, he felt the life form move, and his instincts screamed at him to do so. He shouted a warning and barreled into the queen, a searing bolt of fire punching through his collarbone.

He didn't hear the scream that tore itself out of his throat. Didn't see the way Frigga's eyes widened and she slammed a tidal wave of magic at her would-be assassin. Didn't feel her hand grip his arm and hoist him up, away from the chitauri seeking to take advantage of his defenseless form. All he felt was the white hot agony which pulsed throughout his body. He gasped, opening unseeing eyes to a myriad of colors. At the back of his mind, he knew that he should be fighting, not being a dead weight for the queen who had to defend herself and him against a never ending wave of chitauri.

Percy gritted his teeth and forced himself to focus, bringing up his sword to cut off the hand of a chitauri and then slashing its throat. He stifled the cry of pain that the simple movement caused and straightened himself, leaning back against the queen who was still supporting him.

"Milady," he forced out between clenched teeth, "I can make a distraction for you to get out."

Frigga shook her head immediately, narrowing her eyes in anger, worry clenching her heart for the boy her son so loved, and who she had come to adore as well. "I will not be leaving you to the mercy of these foul creatures." she said, "I am the queen of Asgard and I will not allow these creatures to sully my home."

Percy nodded and hissed in pain, trying to force the agony to the back of his mind. A small part of his brain supplied the fact that the bolt had been poisoned,his energy draining rapidly. He grit his teeth and summoned the strength he could to straighten up, putting every ounce of strength into a formidable posture as Lupa had instructed him to do. The doors slammed open then, a familiar silver hammer smashing its way through the hoard of chitauri and again when it went on its return trajectory back to the palm of one Thor Odinson.

The thunder god roared and charged straight into battle, lightning crackling around him. Frigga cracked a small smile at her son, spying the shadow which slithered through the room after the thunderous entrance of her eldest son. Loki swept through the room, a whirl of knives and magic where Thor was storm and lightning. Natasha and Clint swept through the room after them, shooting down chitauri after chitauri. The presence of four additional fighters in the room turned the tide of the battle, and Percy let himself sag a little in relief, closing his eyes against the throbbing sensation in his shoulder.

He should've known that trouble would bite him in the back. His eyes snapped open just as a strong arm wrapped around his throat, Percy flipped his blade backwards and -

He screamed.

The arm around him yanked the bolt out of his shoulder, eliciting a cry of pain from him. Percy gasped as hot lava streamed through his veins. He howled as he felt the person's hand press into his wound, setting his nerves on fire. His knees buckled, the only thing keeping him upright was the arm around his neck. Percy gasped for breath through the pain, trying desperately to force it back. He felt a cold sensation against his throat, hearing shouts of alarm from somewhere far away. He tried to reassure them, but all that came out from his mouth was something that sounded like a sob. Conversations drifted in and out of his ears, as he tried to focus his energy into doing something other than just standing there.

The poison running through his veins burned his insides, the demigod writhing in pain, held only in place by the anonymous person still holding him. Loki, he thought, gasping as colors blurred in his vision, help me.

"-let him go-"

Percy screamed as his shoulder was wrenched backwards.

"-do you want?"

"-the Infinity Gauntlet. Now."

The cold sensation pressed more intimately into his jugular.

"-Loki-"

"-no way to get him out-"

A small part of his consciousness howled in agony, a pain so vastly different from the one in his shoulder.

"-can have your precious demigod back-"

Percy wondered if this was what Heimdall meant when he said that dark times were coming.

"Don't you dare take the Gauntlet!"

The golden gatekeeper turned unblinking eyes onto Percy, "You must beware. There are dark times ahead of you, times of difficulty. You must cling on to the hope in your heart, and never forget your flaw."

Percy raised an eyebrow, "Geez, way to tell a man to stand strong eh? Never forget your flaws?"

Heimdall did not share in the hero's laughter, "You must remain steadfast Perseus."

If he had any breath left in him, Percy could have cried.

"Stop this madness at once!"

"There will be a test of faith. You must hold strong in your belief."

Percy closed his eyes - had he even opened them once? - what little strength he had draining out of him.

An acute burning sensation replaced the cold intimacy, and a cacophony of shouts echoed in his ear as he fell further into the darkness. Only a single thought burned through his mind.

Was this what Heimdall meant?

And oblivion washed over him.

Deep in the heart of the Void, a solitary figure sat stoically on a grotesque throne, leaning his head against one hand. He moved upright when he felt the space around his planet warping. The figure turned his throne around, waiting in anticipation as a portal opened, depositing his army onto the barren ground. It was but a fraction of the forces he had sent out, but Thanos did not mind, for, the remains of his forces came back carrying his most prized possession: the Infinity Gauntlet. Thanos cracked a smile, his indigo eyes deepening in glee and madness as the weapon approached him.

The Mad Titan's smile stretched across his face, as the bearer of the Gauntlet knelt at his feet and raised the Gauntlet to him. The titan stood up from his throne and stepped towards the golden weapon, running a hand over its surface, feeling every ridge, every crook of it. "Finally, you have returned to your rightful owner." the purple being murmured, plucking the gauntlet from the bearer's hands and sliding it onto his own. Thanos raised his right hand, observing the gauntlet which fit snugly on his hand, the polished metal reflecting dully in the dim light of the planet. The Mad Titan turned to look over his shoulder, "You have done your master proud."

Kneeling at the foot of the throne, Loki's lips curved into a smile.