Trust, Such a Fragile Little Thing

Chapter 3

Long time no see~

"Hey Percy," a quiet sad voice called to the desolate demigod sitting alone by the sea, "Are you ok?"

A cold harsh laugh that was swept away in the howling winds was like a punch in the face, Poseidon winced as he saw Percy's storming eyes staring at him. 

"What did the Council decide to do with... with him?" If it was not for Poseidon's natural control of water, he really wouldn't have been able to distinguish the tears brimming out of his son's eyes and the seawater. But Poseidon was not the God of the Seas for nothing, he could feel every tear slowly meld into the sea, the labored breathing that disturbed the water, the shallow breaths Percy was taking. 

"They've decided, Loki..." He saw his son growl at the name, fists clenching further, gaze wandering, "Loki will be under your command until you die."

Silence. But all knew that it was the silence before the storm. 

"Until I die." Percy tested the words on his tongue, his lips curling into a sinister smile, entirely different from how he was before he knew Loki was coming to Earth, "That sounds way too much like a curse. I don't suppose asking this has any use now but has it occurred to any of you that I never agreed?"

Percy stood up, stared at his father, and shook his head disapprovingly as if he was the father, not the son. 

"You know, I shouldn't have expected any less. Gods will be gods, no matter how much they say they will change." With that, he pushed past his father and stalked away, wanting to leave Atlantis as soon as possible. Poseidon signed and turned around, watching his son bump into a wall of water, forced to stop and stare incredulously at Poseidon, "Really?"

"Son, we just want to do the best we can for you. I know you don't think so, but we are trying to change. You know Loki the best," Poseidon tried to ignore Percy raising his brow at this, at least he didn't growl this time, "How can we trust any other to command the God of Lies?"

"You know who I think is a good idea? Do you know Thor? His brother? I think he would know Loki much better than me, who was tricked by his lies half the time I knew him. Or you know, the Avengers? The ones who know the most about helping the world? Tell Loki to help them, they need it, I don't. What I want is for everyone to stop meddling with my goddam life! What's so hard about that?" Percy rambled on, turning from a snark to a yell, going so far as to bang his hand on the wall next to him, trying to make a point. 

"ALL I EVER WANTED WAS A NORMAL LIFE!" He turned and walked away, the wall of water before him turning back into the fluid sea. Percy didn't turn back to look at his father, he didn't even stop to say anything when Triton greeted him. All he did was attempt to keep the tears in, knowing that a pair of eyes were always watching him from behind, knowing that every tear could be felt, knowing that he was failing disastrously, but too tired to care. 

No one ever listened to what he thought. 

Not Annabeth. Not the Gods. Not Fury. Not Loki. 

Not even his own Father. 

He laughed at himself as he propelled himself out of the sea, uncaring of what onlookers might have thought of a boy walking out of the Hudson River, entirely dry. He should be used to it by now, it's not like anyone ever cared. 

Percy stopped at a street, looking up at the Avengers tower, hesitating. He turned into an alley, walking away from the crowds, destination already in mind. 

He's going home. Why did he even go to Atlantis in the first place? Was Sally not good enough? 

A wicked little voice whispered at the back of his mind because you want to know what happened to Loki, but the thought was too faint, too buried by the other emotions. Percy barely registered the thought before it was gone. 

Hestia and Aphrodite looked at each other up on Olympus, one looking sorrowful, the other surprised. They both turned to stare at the same tower which Percy was just looking at, gaze skeptic but firm. 

The Gods might hate to admit, but they need the Avengers, especially in a situation like this.