We're Not Dead Yet (Split Souls part 2)

2: Into the Mindscape

"So this was not planned?" Loki frowned.

"What are you talking about?" Natasha questioned.

Immediately after, a girl slammed open the door. Her hair was wet, having recently gotten out of the shower. "What the hell is going on?" The blonde demanded.

Loki took in her appearance, "The Lady Annabeth, I presume?"

"Yes." She narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"

"This is my brother, Loki." Thor answered.

"I can introduce myself without your assistance." Loki stated.

"Let's go back to what we were talking about, yeah?" Natasha input.

"Of course." Loki agreed. "It would seem that Perseus' soul has been split in two."

"Excuse me?"

"Care to say that again?"

"What the fuck?"

"Language."

"I thought we were over that, Cap."

"Shut up!" Annabeth yelled. She glared at Loki. "Start explaining why you think my fiance's soul is 'split in two'."

One of Loki's brows raised in question, and his sight drifted to her hand. He looked back to her eyes. "Congratulations." He said sincerely. "Each soul has its own signature. It can't be forged, nor replicated, or changed- tainted, yes- but not changed."

"And they have the same signature?" Annabeth asked.

"Yes." Loki nodded slightly, glad that at least someone was intelligent.

"Prove it." Annabeth stated.

Loki gestured for Annabeth to come closer. The mortals didn't like it, but she pushed through determinedly. "Now what?" She asked as she stood in front of the god.

"Now, you cannot use the same magic as I. Grant me access, just for a moment, to the surface of your mind so that you may see through my eyes." Loki proposed.

"Swear it on the Styx that is all you'll do inside my mind." Annabeth commanded.

Loki looked to her for a second, before meeting her hard gaze with one of his own. "I swear it."

It felt as if a wave of water had hit the earth just below their feet. No harm was done, but the message was delivered. The oath had been made, and if Zeus wasn't king, why would thunder rumble?

"Alright." Annabeth said. "What do I have to do?"

"Just think of seeing through my eyes." Loki informed her, and placed his index fingers gently against her temples. Loki looked to Annabeth's soul, so that she may see her own, then to the mortals and Thor, and finally to the two unconscious greeks. Loki withdrew his magic, and clasped his hands behind him.

Annabeth rubbed her eyes for a moment. "Wow. Okay. So what now?"

"Now?" Loki repeated.

"Yes, now. How do we fix it?" Annabeth demanded.

"Fix it? Lady Annabeth, this has never been done before. In legends, and stories perhaps, yes, but never actually confirmed."

"Wait, is this like a Horcrux thing?" Tony asked.

"Oh!" Annabeth got the reference, and turned back to Loki. "How do we put his soul back together?"

Loki looked at her, and blinked. Then he snorted. "You can't 'put his soul back together'. No, no, let me finish." He said when they began to interrupt. "It's not just Perseus' soul anymore. It's hers, too. The two pieces have been separated in such a way that you can't combine them again."