Achilles (PJO/Avengers)

XXIII

"What brings you here?" Loki asked, standing poised, facing Thor, separated by a golden veil of a cell.

"Enough, Loki. No more illusions." Thor said.

The illusion vanished, and Loki sat disheveled with his back to the wall. Achilles was staring into space, as though unaware of the conversation.

"Now you see me, brother." Loki said.

Thor walked over to stand directly in front of the barrier.

"Did she suffer?" Loki asked.

Thor looked away. "It was quick. But I do not come to share our grief. I have a far richer sacrament in mind."

"Go on."

"Vengeance."

Loki stood, and walked over to the barrier. 

"I need your help to escape Asgard. I offer vengeance. And Freedom." Thor said, with a gesture to the barrier.

Loki scoffed. "I don't need your promises of freedom."

"Loki. Please."

Loki glanced away. "She is- was- my mother too."

Thor winced. And then something caught his eye. "Loki. Your hair..."

Loki's hand carefully brushed against the lock of his mother's hair. "She visited me. I didn't realize until later, but she knew."

"She knew she was going to die." Thor said.

Loki nodded.

After a silent moment, Thor sniffled and shook his head. "We should go."

"Do you have a plan to get us out of this cell?" Loki asked.

Thor drew a key from his pocket, proudly flashing it to Loki before using it to open the cell.

"Now how did you manage that?" Loki asked.

"I have my ways." Thor said.

"Which sound peculiarly like my ways." Loki replied.

Thor rolled his eyes. "What's wrong with him?" He asked, looking at Achilles.

Loki frowned. "Achilles."

"There's two of them." Achilles said, without moving.

"What?" Loki asked.

"There's two. One's... hidden away, I think. It's hard to figure out where it is. The other one is moving around. The one I felt earlier."

"We can figure it out later. For now, let's get a move on."  Loki said, cautiously.

"That was distinctly Midgardian, there." Achilles said, forcing his body to move.

"Who's to say it couldn't also be an Asgardian phrasing?" Loki asked.

Achilles shrugged. "We're leaving?"

"Clearly."

"Great. It was getting really stuffy."

~~~

"Why so clandestine? It's not like you, brother."

"Just shut up."

~~~

With Achilles' input, they managed to avoid running into any guards, or others. Loki noticed that Achilles seemed nervous. He was seeing the world without his eyes, so they constantly seemed out of focus- like a blind man.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked the moment Achilles froze, his face paled a shade. 

"There are two heading right for us. Close." Achilles said.