Catch Me If I Fall (PJO/Avengers Crossover)

11

Turns out, getting to Asgard was rather easy.

Despite the Bifrost bridge being nothing but a cold, empty abyss now, Hermes managed to get Percy to and back from the foreign world without too much hassle. Of course, it left both him and Percy feeling quite drained afterwards. When Percy arrived outside the grandiose castle, he felt raindrop of nervousness fall into the ocean of sorrow flooding his mind.

He took a deep breath of the warm air around him. June was approaching. He could do this. All he had to do was sit through the funeral, socialise for around a half hour afterwards and then go home to wallow in his own grief he'd never let anyone see. Easy peasy.

There were quite a lot of Asgardians in the dining hall, most engrossed in conversation. He entered, trying not to show how emotionally confused he really was. He looked around for Thor.

"Perseus, how are you faring?" Percy turned around to see the god of thunder himself. His eyes were reddened as though he'd been crying recently, and he was dressed in fine mourning clothes. Percy simply sighed and shrugged.

"I..." he faltered, shifting uncomfortably, tears forming in his sea-green eyes. "I just can't believe he's..."

Thor nodded, putting a hand on Percy's shoulder. "I'm so sorry you had to find out the way you did. It must have been agonising."

"I don't think I'm ready to say goodbye. Not now. Not ever." He shook his head, staring at the floor, then looked back at Thor. "Why did he do it? Why did he let go?"

Thor was quiet at that. He knew very well why Loki had let go and fell to his death. He also knew that if he told Percy, the Greek would... well, he wasn't sure what his friend would do, but he knew it wouldn't be pretty. He decided to lie. "I don't know."

Percy narrowed his eyes. "I don't think it's wise to lie to me, Thor. Especially not at a time like this."

"How did you-"

Percy held up his hand, signalling the Asgardian to be quiet. "You should know that, as the god of loyalty, I am always aware when someone is lying. Now tell me why Loki let go."

The god of thunder clenched his fists. What was he to tell Percy? If he knew of the things Loki had done while ruling Asgard... he didn't want to imagine it. "Perseus, you really don't want to know. At least wait until the burial is over and you're going back to Midgard."

Tears stung Percy's eyes, but he nodded nonetheless. "Fine. I'll wait. But the moment that boat goes up in flames, you're telling me the truth. And if I find out you're lying-"

"You can hurt me," Thor sealed the deal. "You can do whatever you wish. I swear on the well Urðarbrunnr."

*

There was no corpse in the boat. They couldn't find it since Loki fell into a presumably bottomless pit. It was just a vessel filled with his personal belongings. Percy watched as it was pushed out onto a considerably large lake and sailed along. An archer perched on a rock behind Percy and the Asgardians before firing an inflamed arrow in the direction of the boat.

The arrow whirled through the air, flames flying off it. Percy didn't want to look, he didn't want to say his final goodbye.

The arrow landed, and the small boat erupted into a blazing inferno, a collective exhale came from the crowd, but Percy still couldn't breathe. He watched as the remaining belongings of Loki were incinerated to nothing but ash, and the boat holding them cracked before sinking into the lake. It happened so quickly. Too quickly. He didn't have time to even comprehend what was truly happening until a few seconds after all traces of the boat were gone. That was when he let the tears threatening to spill all day finally leave his eyes and travel down his face.