The chitauri didn't fall immediately when Thanos did.

It took several long hours before the last of the chitauri were shot down, the Asgardian flying vessels chased after the fleeing chitauri, shooting them down mercilessly. Odin instructed Frigga to stay by the cooling body of Thanos, while he mounted Sleipnir - the horse miraculously surviving all that destruction and death - and rode amongst his men, rallying those who were still standing against the chitauri. The aliens all felt their master's death, and were enraged at it. But without a proper leader, they were scattered, aimless and easy pickings. Steve had leapt off Thanos' chest, shaking his head once to clear his mind, before gently removing his hand from the Gauntlet, laying it down at Frigga's feet reverently. At the Queen's confused glance, the Captain smiled gently, "It's not mine to begin with, and I only used it so we could take Thanos down." Then he strode away to help take down the rest of the chitauri. Frigga eyed him in surprise. The Infinity Gauntlet was a powerful weapon - arguably the most powerful in the universe, and its allure was not so easily resisted. For this man to have turned it down so easily, Frigga wondered at the strength of his will.

She guarded the body of the Titan closely, still tense and waiting for the other shoe to drop. Even though she witnessed the Titan's death with her own eyes, somewhere in her heart, she didn't believe that he was dead. Not until they burned the body to dust and tore his soul to shreds - if he even had any. Her only regret was that she hadn't dealt the killing blow to the Titan. The creature who caused her family so much pain, who tore Asgard apart, who killed as he pleased because of his delusions; Frigga shook her head, a frown tugging at her lips. No, death was too easy for a creature like Thanos. The side of her that ruled as Queen told her that the threat had been neutralized, that the Titan was no longer a cause of worry. But the mother and warrior in her called out for blood, wanting to avenge the injustice that the Void creature had done to her family and her son.

Speaking of Loki, she felt her heart sink at the thought of her youngest. The raven haired prince had scooped up his young lover and vanished in a blink of an eye when Thanos fell. The mortal warriors had alarmed looks on their faces when they realized that Perseus was gone, but then the duty of getting rid of the remaining chitauri swept them up and they were pulled in to kill off the last of the chitauri. Frigga knew the mortals meant well, seeing as how they viewed Perseus as one of their own, but she also knew that Loki would never hurt Percy. Not again. Not many knew her son the way she did, and sometimes, even she felt as though he were a stranger. But adopted or no, Loki had been and still was her child, and despite his penchant for hiding beneath many layers, she was one of the only person in all the realms who knew how to peel back those layers. She tilted her head to the sky, her eyes seeking out the damaged shields that only those with seidr could see. Thanos had used horrible, dark magic and ripped apart their defenses like paper, and as the head mage in Asgard, the tattered remains of her spell draped over the realm like a battered cloth. Frigga sighed, crouching down beside the Gauntlet when she heard the victorious cries of Asgard's warriors resound. Now that there wasn't any immediate danger of the chitauri, she closed her eyes and directed her seidr to form a cage. A luminescent structure began forming between her hands as she wove the energy, tendrils of magic intertwining with one another to form an enclosed structure. Within minutes, the queen of Asgard was done, and without touching the Gauntlet, she draped her cage over it as though it were a piece of fabric, using her connection to the energy to wrap it around the artifact, silencing the call of the gems. Frigga let out a sigh of relief when the courtyard finally fell silent. She hadn't even realized that the gems had still been singing, their voices melding with the background noises, until they were one, leaving a ringing in her ears. She shook her head slightly, then lifted the covered Gauntlet, striding back into the main hall. Her husband could handle the clean up of the battle, it was his job anyway.

Loki felt his lips quirk up slightly in amusement, before the energy drained out of him and his face fell slack. Here he was, back to square one, sitting alone in his cell with nothing but his mind for company. Before, it hadn't mattered because his mind had been shattered, voices whispering sweet nothings to him until he couldn't tell between reality and imagination. Now, his mind was his greatest enemy. Odin probably knew that, Loki mused, idly tapping on his knee where it was propped up in front of him. He could have run, after the battle. Nobody would have been able to stop him, and nobody would be surprised either. But Loki couldn't leave. Not with Percy in the infirmary because he took a direct hit from a being ten times his size.

Percy.

His tapping came to a stop as his mind wandered over - as it did countless times before - to the boy who changed his life. The younger god never felt true remorse before, not even when his lips were sewn shut for the prank he pulled over Sif, but this heavy feeling in his chest, this weight that seemed to drag him down and threatened to drown him - this was new. He knew what the consequences were even when he had thought about his plan, even when he had contacted the chitauri and brought them to Asgard. Loki shut his eyes, lips pressing together. He didn't run because he couldn't. Hadn't even spared a thought for escaping. He had brought Percy to the infirmary, passed him off to Eir, and sat there until the guards came in and grabbed him. They hauled him to his feet roughly, ignoring Eir's cries to watch his own injuries, and shoved him into this cell - his old one. Once, perhaps, he would have taken their heads off, but his guilt chained him down better than Odin ever could. His dear brother came by of course, brought with him the Avengers at times, and each of them had spat their words - empty threats really - at him. He responded in kind, dredging up callous memories and using them against the heroes. But he didn't remember what he said. Only his hawk, Barton, had said nothing, just stared at him through the clear cell until he found whatever he was looking for and left.

(Loki had tried asking after Percy once, he never tried again.)

He tilted his head back, lifting emerald eyes to the white-washed ceiling. Absently, he counted the cracks across the ceiling, willing his mind to blankness, shying away from the truths that plagued his nightmares. Soft footsteps echoed off the dungeon, but Loki paid no attention to it, staring blankly at the architecture, his mind swirling with unwanted thoughts. His eyes slipped shut, and he rested an arm over them, trying to block out the light that filled his cage, finding solace int he darkness behind his lids. The footsteps stopped outside his cell, and when it didn't seem to move away, he growled, "Leave me be."

"And here I thought you wanted to see me."

The trickster's eyes flung open and he found himself abruptly upright and in front of the transparent panel. A hand rested on the panel, cold seeping through his fingertips but Loki couldn't care less because Percy was here. The god found himself speechless, words and sentences stuck in his throat, his mind helpfully blank now, of all times. The demigod stood outside, head tilted slightly up from where he stood, his eyes the most dispassionate that Loki had ever seen. "I - Percy - Perseus." Loki got out, stumbling over the familiar name.

Percy continue to stare unblinkingly at him, and Loki resisted the urge to fidget as those eyes pierced through him. "Did you have fun?" he asked, his tone deceptively calm.

Loki frowned, confused, "I - what?"

"Did you have fun?" Percy repeated, "Playing me like the fool I was?"

Loki stared at him, feeling as though the floor had opened up beneath him. "What, no - no." he hissed, his hand curling into a fist on the panel, "Percy - Perseus, I never played you - I never meant to do that -"

"But you did." Percy cut in smoothly, ignoring Loki's flinch, "You tore my shoulder apart, then took the chance to take the Gauntlet back to your master." He said, his voice steady as though he were reading a report.

Loki closed his eyes, then opened them, staring earnestly at the younger male, "Perseus, I never wanted to do that, I had no other choice -"

"There is always a choice!" Percy yelled, his composure finally breaking. His mask cracked, oceanic eyes shining with unshed tears. "We always have a choice." he whispered.

"Percy -"

"No." Percy snarled, his dark green eyes burning with hatred, "No you don't get to do that. You don't get to say my name like that. You don't get to play me for months, then pretend as though nothing happened."

Loki slammed his fit against the panel separating him from Percy, "Percy please, I had no choice, that was the only way to get Thanos to trust me, to send me after the gems so that -"

"Do you remember what you promised me?" Percy interrupted, clenching his fists to stop their shaking, "Do you?" he demanded.

Loki closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. "Yes." he whispered.

"Then why?" Percy choked, pressing a palm against his eye, "Why did you do it? Why did you pretend to love me?"

Loki fell to his knees, "Percy - Percy look at me, please." When the demigod finally turned to him, the god continued, "I have lied so often in the centuries that I have lived, I knew how to lie when I could speak, but please, Percy, listen to me when I say that I am not lying now. Perseus Jackson, I love you, that was and never will be a pretense. I love you I swear, and I would never have done what I did if there was any other choice. I swear, Percy, I'm not lying."

Percy just looked at him, "Once, I would have believed you." He said, looking away from the kneeling god. "I trusted you Loki. I trusted you despite what the others told me, despite what Thor told me." The demigod looked back at him, "Guess I was wrong."

He turned and walked away.

"Perseus!" Loki shouted, leaping to his feet. He slammed into the magical barrier, but he didn't care. The trickster shouted and screamed until his voice became hoarse, and he could speak no longer.

"Percy." He whispered, the sting of his throat nothing compared to the throbbing ache in his heart. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the barrier, choking on his grief.

I'm sorry.

Please.

Come back.

Earth

Some time during the battle the chitauri lost their drive. It wasn't as though they dropped dead out of a sudden, but their attacks seemed to lack conviction and aim, and it became ridiculously easy to take them down. The scientists back at SHIELD managed to reconfigure the device that Bruce and Tony had built, and shut down the portal. With nowhere to run and no more reinforcements, the chitauri were cornered and executed effortlessly. The battle was over, but the clean up was a nightmare. Dozens of cars were strewn all over the street, and more than a few buildings had been reduced to nothing but rubble and dust. There were a few civilians that hadn't managed to get out of the line of fire, and their deaths had been messy. Thalia pressed her lips together as they uncovered yet another body, this one half crushed with gore surrounding her. The huntress closed her eyes and looked away, bile rising up in her throat. A hand rested on her shoulder, and she whipped around, lowering her arm when she realized it was Nico standing behind her. Her cousin looked more solemn than usual, and she remembered that he of all people would know how death looked like.

"Are you alright?" He asked quietly.

Thalia shook her head, "I'll be fine, it's just..."

Nico looked at the SHIELD team who were over turning rubble, "I know, it's hard."

Thalia sighed, "I should be more used to this, the Hunters aren't called hunters for their good looks."

"You can never get used to death Thalia, no matter how often you've experienced it."

The daughter of Zeus sighed and shook her head, slinging her bow over her back, "What are you going to do now?"

Nico frowned, "Probably help my father in the Underworld. Are you going to explain to Agent Tyler about us?"

Thalia shrugged, running a hand through her spiky hair, "I don't know, gotta check it out with the boss man first. If you wanna leave, you better leave now." she said, giving him a meaningful look.

Nico nodded, "Look, if you need my help talking to Tyler, just call me alright?"

Thalia smirked, reaching out and ruffling the other demigods hair, "Will do squirt, now scram."

Nico scowled, patting down his messy hair, "Seriously, why do people like to do that?"

Thalia rolled her eyes, flapping a hand at him, "Get out of here kid."

The other demigod just grinned and saluted, then ran straight into the nearest shadow. The huntress watched him go, before stalking over to Agent Tyler.

"Agent, can I have a word with you?"

Said agent nodded and barked out a few instructions to his men before walking with Thalia to a more private area.

"Listen," Thalia began, "I can't tell you much about what we are -" she held a hand up to stop any protest, " - it's not that I don't want to tell you, it's that I'm not authorized to. And I need to get the okay from up top before I can tell you anything else."

Agent Tyler scowled, "And will you get approval or is that subjective?"

Thalia sighed, "Look, this is more than just me, and I need to make sure that I'm allowed to tell you anything more before I get into trouble. I just need you to leave us out of your report first."

Agent Tyler sighed and rubbed his head, "Fine, I won't mention you or your friends in my report. I'll let my men - those who saw you guys - know as well."

Thalia grinned tiredly, "Thanks, I'll give you a call when I'm done talking to my boss man."

The huntress then left, heading in search for her girls.

A few minutes passed before Agent Tyler was struck with a thought: How the hell is she going to call me?

Asgard

The large grand hall was only half filled. Where Thor's coronation had garnered the attention of the entire realm, Loki's trial was limited to a handful. Odin, having recovered enough that he could conduct a trial, had imposed a strict rule that no one excepted those who were called to be in the trial could enter the Great Hall. The king himself sat on his throne, with his advisors and the council around him. On one side, the Avengers sat, and opposite them, Heimdall, the Warriors Three and Sif. Thor and Frigga sat a little away from the two groups, not quite mingling with them, but not quite inside the council boundaries either. At the end of the Great Hall, the double doors groaned as they were pushed open inch by inch. The scene brought a wave of deja vu to Odin, as six guards marched in, Loki at their center, a chain held by each of them that was attached to his body. The only difference this time, was the lack of smugness that radiated from the fallen prince the first time around. Where he had shuffled, he now walked with precision, each step sharp and echoing over the monotonous sounds of the guards. Where he had a smirk plastered on his face before, now he only had a stone cold visage. Where before his eyes were alight in madness, now, Loki's eyes could have frozen hell with the coldness that resided within them. The look on his face sent shivers down the spines of those who saw it, even though logic pointed out the six chains that encircled his wrists, ankles and neck.

When they reached the foot of the throne, the guard at the back slammed his spear into the back of Loki's knees, making the god fall, though his face didn't shift an inch even as he was forced into a submissive position. Whatever the guards might have done was cut short as Odin slammed his spear into the ground, silencing the whole hall. The king of Asgard peered down at his once-son, disappointment and disapproval radiating from him.

"Today," the king boomed, "At the request of the Queen, who has pleaded for leniency on the prisoner's behalf, we have gathered here for the trial of Loki Laufeyson. The council and I will decide the final verdict. General Tyr will read out the crimes that the prisoner has committed. At the end of the listing, the prisoner will be allowed an opportunity to defend his actions. If any of the witnesses here present wish to speak out, you may do so after you have signaled to the court that you wish to speak."

And so the trial began.

Loki knelt unmovingly on the cold, marble floor, listening with vague interest as Tyr read out his long list of crimes, ranging from his betrayal to the throne, to his invasion of Midgard, and finally to his actions here on Asgard. When Tyr was done, Frigga stood up immediately, causing Odin to suppress a sigh of annoyance. Nevertheless, the king gestured for her to speak, and she did, facing the council as she did so.

"I would only like to point out that Loki never ursurped the throne. With Odin Allfather in Odinsleep, the next in line would have been Thor Odinson. However, as he was otherwise preoccupied and could not take up the responsibility of the throne, I, the acting ruler of Asgard, appointed Loki Odinson, second prince of Asgard, as Regent." Having said her piece, Frigga sat down, fixing her wayward son with a look.

Loki picked up her hint, and, silently grateful in his heart for her support, he shifted, his chains clanging noisily.

Odin turned back to him, "Do you wish to speak?"

Loki nodded, licking his lips. "As Regent of Asgard, it was well within my rights as acting king to deal punishment where I saw fit."

"And that would be to send the Destroyer down onto Midgard? An unsuspecting realm?" A councilman sniped.

Loki merely gave him a cool glance, "As Regent, I had duties to uphold the peace in Asgard. Peace which had been threatened by the actions of the eldest prince on his journey to Jotunheim." The god applauded himself for his level tone, continuing, "The last order of the king, was to banish Thor Odinson. At the time, bringing back the prince when Asgard was at the height of tension with her neighboring realm was an act which I did not dare take."

Loki smirked as Sif exploded, screaming her rage at him while Odin barked at her to be silent. The wordsmith continued his story, "The Lady Sif and the Warriors Three then sought an audience with the king, and as the currently appointed Regent, it was my duty to listen to what they had to say. The four of them requested for me to bring Thor Odinson back and to restore his powers. With the political situation brewing, I, as Regent, gave them an order not to leave Asgard. They disobeyed my order, as did Heimdall, the gatekeeper, who allowed them to leave despite my explicit orders to the contrary, and therefore, I sent the Destroyer as a punishment."

Tyr raised a skeptical eyebrow, "You would risk exposure to the mortals? Merely to punish a few wayward warriors?"

Loki scoffed, "Lord Tyr," he drawled, "You of all people should know that treason is punishable by death. I could not leave Asgard without a king when she clearly needed one, and the only mobile defense is the Destroyer. Should I not have sent him after them?"

Tyr's mouth snapped shut, and the murmurs in the council grew louder, each council member now thrown into a dilemma. Loki ignored the mutterings and looked Odin straight in the eye. "You accuse me of attempted genocide on Jotunheim, but the only crime in that act was that I did not personally slay each and every one of those creatures. Had the Bifrost not been turned off, it would have been a simple and efficient method of killing each and every Jotun out there, with no Asgardian casualty. It would have won the war for Asgard without the cost that wars usually came with."

Loki suppressed the smirk he so badly wanted to show when Odin's face just grew tighter and tighter. He added fuel to the fire, "You accuse me of committing patricide, but at that time, I held allegiance to Asgard, and called myself a son of Odin. Laufey was nothing but the king of Jotuns, and I killed him, crushing the spirits of the Jotuns."

The god of chaos tilted his head back and watched as the council dissolved into madness. All the while, Odin just stared at his former son.

The guard shoved him into the cell, a fist casually smacking against his head. Loki hissed, but did nothing more than grin at the guard's glare. He felt laughter bubble within him, and soon enough, he was laughing, laughing so hard that he collapsed against the mattress provided, his entire body shaking with hysterics. Oh what a glorious day it was when he could rile up the council this much. And all while he was telling the truth, not even a single drop of trickery in his words.

"Do you think it funny Loki?"

The man in question paused, looking up at his brighter, bigger counterpart, "Why Thor, isn't it absolutely hilarious?"

The thunder god scowled, and crossed his massive arms over his chest, "Whatever word games you are playing Loki-"

"Oh but I'm not," Loki interrupted, "Playing any word games that is. Everything I said was the truth, including how your precious friends betrayed me at the very first chance they got."

Thor shifted uncomfortably, "They thought they were doing what was right-"

Loki sneered, "They were playing hero, that's what hey were doing. They undermined my authority as king merely because they couldn't accept it, and then committed treason without any repercussions, so pardon me if I want to make them suffer as I have for what they've done!"

"What you did was wrong Loki!"

Loki barked a laugh, all traces of mirth wiped from his face.

"Wrong? Wrong?" he hissed, slamming a fist against the magical barrier, his eyes boring into his brother's, "All I did was set into motion what you started, what you claimed to do. Or did you forget your promise to hunt down every Jotun and slay them all?"

Loki watched as Thor flinched minutely, the twisted the dagger further, "Why was I the only one to be forsaken for my actions? Why is it that you, Thor Odinson, could barge into a foreign realm, announce your intention for genocide and come away banished for three measly days?" he snarled, "Why is it that your precious friends could disobey a direct order from a king and not receive any punishment? Why was I the one who was accused of attacking Heimdall when he clearly went against his vows to serve the king first and foremost to seek his own selfish answers? Answer me!"

"I - I don't - Brother -" Thor stuttered, his eyes wide and confused.

"You went into Jotunheim with the intention of wiping the Jotuns of the map of the Nine Realms. Odin himself laid waste to their species and took their heart away when it suited his purpose. Bor himself decimated an entire race of elves just because he was afraid of their power!" Loki spat, "So why is it when you all commit genocide, you are heralded as heroes, but when I do, I'm labelled as a criminal?"

The younger prince stepped away from the glass and turned his back on his brother, dismissing his presence entirely. Thor looked down in guilt and shame, a mixture of emotions rolling in his stomach. The elder prince took one last sad look at his brother's back before walking out of the dungeon.

The council reconvened the next day, having soothed any ruffled feathers, and they presented a united front as Loki was brought in again, this time, to face his crimes on Midgard. The Avengers had slept uneasily the whole night, each of them having mixed feelings about the fallen prince. The surprise of the party was Percy sitting next to Steve, looking - for all intents - like a marble statue. The group had tried to convince Percy to sit out on this, but the demigod was adamant that he be present. Tiring of all their wheedling (Tony), persuading (Steve) and outright blackmail (Natasha), he had glared at each of them until they finally relented. Now, he was beginning to second guess his decision as he watched his lover (?) stroll down the hall to await judgement. Then again, Percy Jackson was many things, but a coward he was not, and Percy had never been one to let a person fall to injustice if he could help it. Despite his own personal feelings towards Loki as of this moment, he knew that he was the only one with clear cut evidence that Thanos had been pulling some strings behind the scenes.

A sense of deja vu washed over Loki as he was - once again - pushed to his knees before Asgard. He kept his face impassive as he surveyed the council. Even if they decorated their faces with pleasantries, Loki could see further than that. He saw their unease, the way they were split in half with their differing opinions. He knew that some of the older council members still bore hatred towards the Jotuns, and for all that he was a spawn of Laufey, his actions in exterminating the Jotuns in one fell swoop swayed them in his favor.

Once again, Odin stood from his throne, peering down at his captive son. The king of Asgard boomed, "In this trial, we will now address the crimes that Loki Laufeyson has committed against Midgard, which is under Asgardian protection."

Percy tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at Odin. The king couldn't care less about Earth or the mortals, he'd already shown that with his condescending attitude towards the mortals when they first arrived. The hero scoffed inwardly, this was exactly why he hated politics. And to some extent, the gods. He sat there, bored with the whole proceeding as Odin finished his speech and a servant came up to the throne, bearing a basket full of iridescent stones.

The day before, Frigga had visited the Avengers' quarters with the same set of stones, albeit they were dull and resembled nothing more than a rock. The queen had, with that gentle smile of hers, explained to them the stones' uses. Apparently, the trial needed the Avengers' testimony of Loki's attack on Midgard, and a verbal recount was deemed to be too prone to inaccuracies. The genuine shine in the All Mother's eyes let Natasha know that she wasn't trying to be demeaning. Frigga explained that all they needed was to touch the stones and recall any memory of their encounter with Loki, and the memory would be imprinted in there. She told them to find a place void of distractions, so that the memories imprinted in the stone would not be filled with unrelated events, or memories that they didn't wish to reveal. Before they started though, Bruce made them all sit down and go through a time of meditation, helping them clear their heads before they relived their first act as a team.

Percy was given one memory stone too, though, he didn't include any memory of the chitauri, but rather of his time with the Olympian council. He knew, that all the Aveners had were memories of Loki fighting against them, which was what Odin and, by default, the council, was looking for. So he had pulled up the entire conversation from his mind, and pushed it into the stone, imprinting the evidence of Loki's control in the stone. He knew the council would be outraged - as they were so prone to be - but Percy didn't have the heart to condemn Loki. Even if the other man had betrayed him so deeply. It just wasn't his nature to let someone die if he could have stopped it.

And Fates be damned, he still loved the man.

Loki knelt quietly at the foot of the throne while Odin let the memories play. He watched dispassionately as he appeared in the holographic projection, haggard and unkempt, with bags so big under his eyes they could fit Jormungand in there. Loki ignored the memories, dwelling in his own of what transpired the night before. The area underneath his sternum ached so fiercely that it made his eyes burn. The hollowness that seemed to consume him, swallow him whole, gnawing at him like Nidhogg at the roots of Yggdrasil. When Percy's voice echoed around the hall, Loki's head snapped up, his neck protesting at the sudden movement. He turned to look at Percy, his brow furrowed in confusion. But all he received was a blank stare, and for all his centuries of experience, he couldn't glean anything from the other man. The memories ended abruptly, causing an uncomfortable silence to blanket the room. Odin creaked to a stand, his voice carrying over the throne room. "What do you have to say in the face of your crimes Loki Laufeyson?"

Loki just looked up at him blandly, "I believe the cold corpse of the Mad Titan outside Asgard's main hall speaks volumes for itself."

"So you claim that Thanos was behind your actions?"

Loki scoffed, "I'm saying," he drawled, "That I fell right into Thanos' hands when I fell into the void." He glared up at Odin at that, "And let me tell you, Thanos may be mad, but he is extremely persuasive."

Percy's hand tightened involuntarily on his seat, Steve discretely placing a comforting hand over his. The demigod/mortal exhaled silently, the tension draining out of his body. He caught Odin returning to his seat, dismissing Loki first, the guards yanking him to his feet carelessly, marching away from the throne. The king dismissed them then, Percy shooting out of his seat immediately, disappearing from the hall before Steve could even catch him. All that remained was the king and his council, and the moment anyone not part of the council had left, they began their deliberation.

Percy waited until evening to make his way to the king's office. He knew that Odin had finished the trial about an hour or so ago, and he figured that he'd catch the royalty before the man started on dinner. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the gilded door softly, waiting until a muffled 'Enter' rose from inside the room. Percy twisted the knob and pushed the door open, stepping fully into the room before closing the door behind him. Behind his desk, Odin looked up, surprise coloring his face when he realised who had entered the room.

The king of Asgard placed his quill back in the inkpot, careful not to smudge the undried words on his parchment. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

Percy sighed, "Your Majesty, I would like to formally request passage home."

Odin raised an eyebrow, "You do not intend to stay for the remainder of the trial?"

Percy gave him a rueful smile, "I have said my piece, and provided my evidence for the prisoner, and the following trial only requires my memories, which I believe will not be as clear as you'd like considering that I was about to die at the time." The demigod sighed again, "I have provided all that I can. What happened on Asgard... The Avengers know it better than I do."

Odin eyed him shrewdly, but Percy just waited patiently. The old king just sighed (theatrically if Percy could say anything) and nodded his head, "Very well, I suppose you have no reason to stay, and every reason to leave."

"With all due respect sir, I just came here to make sure that Thanos is dead."

"Very well then, I will inform Heimdall and allow him to escort you back to Midgard." Odin said, standing up to his full height. To Percy's surprise, the king extended a hand to him, "It was an honor fighting by your side Perseus Jackson."

Percy blinked owlishly, grasping the king's forearm. He bowed his head, and then left the room without saying a single word.

He quietly shut the door behind him, footsteps barely echoing in the hallway. Percy entered the room that Frigga had given him, grabbing his duffle and the piece of parchment (quill was a bitch to write in) that was lying on the table in the corner. He took one last look at the room, then exited quietly, pausing only to slip the parchment under the door leading to the Avengers' room. He let his feet take him towards the stable, stroking the mare's mane reverently.

Are you leaving my Lord? A chestnut stallion whinnied, tossing his head backwards.

Percy smiled sadly, patting the neck of his own mount, "Yeah," he whispered, "I have to go."

Almost all at once, the horses brayed their protest, Percy's head ringing with their voices. A loud whinny pierced through the air, silencing all the other horses. Percy turned to look at Sleipnir, the eight-legged giant standing almost twice his height. The horse lowered his head, and their eyes locked.

I'm sorry, was all Sleipnir said, and Percy repressed the sudden urge to vomit. He shook his head and turned away from Sleipnir, mounting his mare in one fluid movement. The mare, though reluctant to let him leave, started a trot towards the Bifrost at his unspoken command.

The wind whipped at his eyes as his ride entered into a canter, wishing that his thoughts could be wiped away by the speed at which he was traveling.

Soon enough (he couldn't decide if it was too soon or not), Percy reached the Observatory. He dismounted from his mare, giving her a watery smile and a pat on the neck before sending her back. Hefting his duffel over his shoulder, Percy entered the circular dome. The demigod flicked his eyes towards Heimdall, who was doing his best imitation of a statue, the Gatekeeper staring off into space, seeing only what he could see.

"You knew, didn't you?" Percy blurted, the question slipping past his lips before he could even control it.

Heimdall ignored the question, asking in reply, "Where would you like to go?"

Percy sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Can you drop me off in Alaska?"

The golden clad Asgardian nodded sagely and moved towards the podium. He lifted his sword high up and slammed it into the slot, the Bifrost whirring to life immediately, streaks of iridescent colors flashing throughout the whole Observatory. Percy moved to stand in front of the glowing portal, but just before he was sucked into it, Heimdall suddenly said, "Some things that I see, I cannot say."

Percy looked back at him, then smirked humorlessly, "Then just don't say anything. It's a hell lot worse."

With that, he allowed himself to succumb to the pull of the Bifrost.

Percy kept his eyes squeezed shut the whole journey, feeling air rush by him as though he were trapped in a whirlwind. The ground came up unexpectedly, Percy slamming straight into snow and ice. He groaned, laying there in his own crater for several moments, relishing in the cold. He pushed himself up, looking around to see if anybody noticed his explosive arrival. Sighing slightly, he slung the strap of his duffel over his chest, walking towards the edge of the glacier that Heimdall had deposited him on. Hundreds of feet below, the water beckoned to him, splashing against the bottom of the glacier. Percy took a deep breath (he didn't actually need to, but well) and stepped over the edge, plunging straight into ice-cold water. It was a good thing that he could now breathe underwater because the temperature of the water knocked his breath right out of his lungs. Shaking his head, Percy started swimming, willing his duffel to remain dry while he went deeper and deeper under water.

He used his powers to propel him, startling slightly when a hippocampus met him halfway, excited neighing echoing in his head.

Percy laughed slightly, his grin becoming more genuine, "Hey Rainbow," he said, rubbing a hand over the hybrid's head, "Didn't expect to see you here, mind giving me a lift to Atlantis?"

Rainbow tossed his head and turned around, Hop on boss!

Percy sighed again, wrapping his arms around the hippocampus' neck, "Seriously, you need to stop talking to Blackjack."

With the hippocampus' powerful tail, it wasn't long before Percy caught sight of Atlantis looming in the distance. What seemed like a vast land of ruins soon shimmered and changed into an erect city surrounded by tall walls, small figures swimming all around the palace. Rainbow headed straight for the palace, Percy waving to the guards who grinned and waved back, allowing him to pass through the outer gates. The hippocampus stopped at the main doors, accepting a neck rub from Percy before darting off elsewhere. Percy smiled sadly and walked into the palace, greeting the guards who stood outside the double doors, ignoring their twin looks of surprise. He quietly entered the throne room, which was devoid of life at the moment. Contrary to popular belief, Poseidon didn't actually remain in the halls all day. Standing in the middle of the deserted room, Percy frowned. Now that he was here, he didn't know what to do exactly. He hadn't even planned on coming to Atlantis, it was just a spur of the moment decision.

"Back so soon little bro?"

Percy turned and grinned, seeing his eldest brother leaning against a pillar, a matching grin on the other god's face. "Well," Percy shrugged, "Thanos died quickly once we really got to him."

His smile faded then, remembering the reason why Steve could defeat Thanos in the first place. Triton, sensing his sudden change of mood, walked up to Percy, "What's wrong?"

Percy shook his head, "Nothing. I just - Its nothing."

Triton narrowed his eyes. He rested a hand on Percy's shoulder, making the demigod flinch slightly, "You're horrible at lying Perce. What happened? Where's Loki? I would've though that he'd come back with you." He said jokingly. The small smile dropped of his face when he felt Percy tense at the name of the other god.

Triton flicked his eyes to his little brother's neck, which was partially exposed since Percy was looking off to the side. The sight of a jagged white line dancing across Percy's throat had rage burn within the god. Percy wasn't so careless as to allow someone to get close enough to his throat, and Triton had slit his fair share of throats to know how it looked like.

"What did he do?" The eldest son of Poseidon hissed, eyes flashing dangerously.

Percy shook his head, "Nothing. Don't worry about it."

Triton growled and slapped both hands on Percy's cheek, tilting his brother's face upwards until their eyes met, "You can tell me anything Percy, I won't judge, you know that."

Percy broke away, exhaling shakily, "I know - I just." He bit his lip, closing his eyes against the burning behind them. Percy turned and pressed his face into Triton's chest, shocking the elder god to Tartarus and back.

"I thought I could trust him." Percy whispered, the sentence barely reaching Triton's ears.

The other man pressed his lips together, his hands coming up to wrap around Percy, one of them cupping the back of his brother's head. Triton looked up, meeting the furious eyes of his father, who had just entered the throne room upon feeling Percy's presence. Triton swore that Loki would pay for what he did to his brother.

One way or another.

For the third time in as many days, Loki was once again dragged in front of the Council for his trial. He almost wished they would just execute him and be done with it. He dropped to his knees again, not even bothering to conceal the scowl that spoke volumes of his thoughts. Flicking his eyes up to the witnesses' area, he stamped down the surprise that Percy was not amongst them. Loki tuned out what Odin was saying, he couldn't be bothered with the old man's nonsense. They were repeating the same thing as they did yesterday, with the memory balls. Loki expected the different versions of his betrayal. He kept his head down for all of them, not wanting (like a coward, he didn't dare) to see the look of betrayal that was painted on Percy's face when he realised that Loki was the one behind him.

What stunned him more, was the fact that Captain America and Hawkeye both stood up to present extra memory balls. Both which contained his explanation to the plan that he had concocted to defeat Thanos using the Infinity Gauntlet. Loki frowned, thoroughly confused. If he truly thought about it, he would have probably suspected that Steve Rogers would stand up for him - the man was the embodiment of righteousness itself - but Clint Barton? Loki knew that the archer hated him on good days, the man had told him that repeatedly when he was staying with the Avengers. While Loki had told Barton about what he intended to do, he held little to no hope that the archer would comply with the plan, let alone now, at his trial, willingly defending him. And from the look on the rest of the Avengers, it seems that they weren't privy to that particular fact either. Loki wondered if his own look of confusion was the reason why the spider refrained from eviscerating him right there and then.

"I'm not saying that what he did was right," Clint said gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest, glaring at everyone, "I'm just saying that he saw a way to defeat Thanos, and he took it. It's up to you to decide if the ends justifies the means." His piece said, the archer promptly sat down and ignored everybody else.

Odin narrowed his eye at the two Avengers, then frowned thoughtfully, making Loki wonder if the Allfather was now considering if he could get away with executing him. The thing with Asgardians was, Loki knew that it was the fact that Loki managed to defeat Thanos when they couldn't that galled him the most, not the fact that he 'betrayed' Asgard to begin with. They were dealing with their own wounded pride here. If it had just been that Loki betrayed Asgard, the council would have turned a blind eye towards his contribution at the end of the battle, writing it off as they always did as him appearing to claim credit for a defeat. They would have latched onto his betrayal as an excuse to accuse him of treason and executing him for it. Now that it was out in the open that he had planned to defeat Thanos all along, the council couldn't ignore the evidence - not if it would reflect badly on them - and that was why Odin was hesitating now.

True to their character, Odin called for a recess, the guards hauling Loki away to a holding room where he was made to wait several hours while they debated on what to do with him. When it felt as if he had waited a whole day, a servant finally came into the holding room and called for his presence back in the throne room.

Loki just sighed as he entered the throne room for a fourth time. He had been in this room more times in the last week or so than in the last two years alone.

Kneeling at the foot of the throne, Loki stared up at Odin, a challenge sparking in his eyes. Odin - theatrically - slammed Gungnir into the ground several times for attention, as though he didn't already have it.

"Loki Laufeyson," Odin intoned, his voice grave, "For your crimes, you should be sentenced to death. However, in light of the external factors that influenced your actions on Midgard, and your misguided attempt at playing the hero against Thanos, your sentence has been lightened." The king paused, looking into his adopted son's blank face.

"For your crimes, you will be sentenced to a century of imprisonment in Asgard, Jotunheim and Midgard, according to the time of that realm. For this duration, your magic will be bound, and you will be charged with serving the realm. In Asgard, you will only be able to use your magic to rebuild the realm, as is the case with Jotunheim. On Midgard, you will be bound to the leading security jurisdiction on Midgard, SHIELD, and will only be able to use your magic under the directive of the man in charge." Odin's lone eye softened minutely, as much as his love for Loki had burned out, he still remembered that once upon a time, the man had been the inquisitive young child that took to knowledge like a fish to water.

Clearing his throat, Odin continued, "This imprisonment is not set in stone. The duration of your imprisonment can be prolonged, and likewise, it can be shortened. It depends on the council and my satisfaction with your behavior. Any questions?"

Loki glared up at Odin, his heart pounding away furiously at his sentencing. He jerked his head to the side, pressing his lips together. He hated that even until now, the Allfather knew what made him tick. Asgard and Midgard had their own cruelties, yes. But Jotunheim? That was a whole new level.

Even as he was dragged back to his cell, Loki vowed silently that he would get through his sentencing. If only because Midgard meant SHIELD, and SHIELD meant Percy.

He would go through hell and back if it meant he could see Percy again.

Leaning against the wall, Loki couldn't drag up the energy to appreciate his last days in captivity. He couldn't even muster up the energy to feel anything other than a slight drag in his stomach at the thought of being subjected to someone else's will. He knew of plenty of Asgardians who would love to take a chance with him, dominating him, but Loki couldn't bring himself to care. At least not at the moment.

"No plan to escape? That does not seem like you."

Loki smirked slightly, but didn't turn to face his visitor. "Perhaps I have already escaped, and you are speaking to one of my illusions."

Thor laughed, "Perhaps. It is not like I could tell the difference."

The two of them fell silent, until Loki looked at Thor, swallowing nervously. "If I may seek your help once more?"

Thor scrutinized his brother, taking in the other god's haggardness and the exhaustion in his eyes that had nothing to do with a lack of sleep. Sighing heavily, he felt his heart go out to his brother. Despite all their differences, Thor had always considered Loki as his brother, even now. "What is it Loki? If it is to ask me to break you out - "

Loki cut him off with a sharp gesture, "Nothing of the sort. And while you are gullible, I doubt you are gullible enough to release a prisoner based on their request."

"Then what is it brother?"

Loki scowled at the moniker, but stayed his tongue. Instead, he got up and retrieved a piece of parchment from the bed, walking over to the magical barrier. The younger prince sighed, "If it is possible, can you give this to him?"

Thor frowned, "What makes you think he will accept it?" he asked gently.

Loki shrugged, smiling wryly, "He probably wouldn't, but there is no harm trying is there?"

Thor looked at his brother for several moments longer, then nodded, reaching through the barrier to pluck the letter from Loki's hands.

"I make no promises that he will read it brother."

Loki shook his head, "I know that."

Thor eyed his brother sadly, then tucked the letter in one his pockets and left the dungeon. Now alone again, Loki slid down the wall, returning back to his position, staring blankly at the wall.

When the Bifrost deposited them back on Earth, Tony was the first to leave. The genius had muttered something about his lab, and said a quick goodbye before he was in his suit and in the air. Steve and Bruce just shook their heads and waited for Natasha and Clint to call up SHIELD to arrange transport for them. Thor had thanked them for their help, then mentioned something about Jane and took off on his own too.

But before he reached Jane's apartment, he made a pit stop by Manhattan.

Percy had been busy trying to make a batch of pancakes when the doorbell rang. Cursing under his breath, he quickly switched off the stove and ran for the door, yanking his apron off at the last moment. He blinked in confusion when Thor - in his full regalia - stood outside.

"Thor? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Jane?"

The thunder god shrugged, "I was on the way there, but I needed to pass you something."

Percy frowned, "Pass me something?"

Thor hesitated slightly, then took out a folded piece of parchment from somewhere on his body and handed it to him.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what that was, and Percy shook his head, glaring at the parchment. "No, you can take it back, I don't want it."

Thor pressed the letter to Percy's chest, the latter stumbling backwards slightly, "Please, take it. You can do what you want with it, but, give him a chance. Please."

Percy snarled, snatching the letter and waved it in Thor's face, "I already did." he hissed, "I gave him a chance and he threw it back in my face!"

Thor stepped backwards, "Please, just take the letter." Then he promptly flew off, leaving Percy with a letter and wind slapping him in the face.

The demigod wanted to scream, but that would just make kind old Mrs Hodgeson next door call the police on him. Percy settled on slamming the door behind him as he entered the apartment, taking a deep breath (or ten) to calm himself down. He looked at the letter, hesitating slightly. Percy unfolded the parchment, reading the top line.

Percy, it said, I'm sorry -

Percy crumpled the letter and dropped it in the bin.