Achilles (PJO/Avengers)

III

Achilles woke with a start, breathing heavily. Wiping his sweaty hair out of his face, he grabbed the glass of water on his nightstand and chugged it. Achilles reached for his phone.

He didn't use it often. Neither did his siblings, but they had to have one. Achilles pressed call, and held the phone to his ear, hoping his brother would pick up.

"Yeah."

"Hey Angel." Achilles returned, voice scratchy.

"Oh. Another nightmare?"

"Yeah. I just... Had to check." Achilles said.

"They're fine." Angel said. "I swear."

Achilles nodded, then realized Angel wouldn't be able to see that. "Do... Do you think they miss us?"

Angel was quiet for a moment. "I don't know. Yeah, I think they do. They probably think we're dead."

Achilles chuckled. "Probably. Thanks."

"Achilles?" Angel asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we'll get to go back?"

Achilles sighed. "You guys, maybe. If you forsake me. I don't think... I don't think I'll ever get to go back."

Angel sighed too. "Loyalty isn't our flaws, but you know we won't leave you, right? We're family. We're all we've got."

"We're all we've got." Achilles repeated. "You wanna know something funny though?"

"What?" Angel asked, a suspicious undertone.

"I'm in New York. City."

"What?" Angel exclaimed. "Why?"

"New assignment. What's even funnier, is I've got to babysit an Asgardian." 

"Wow. Wow, that is... That is cruel."

"Yeah. Anyway, I should let you go."

"It was good talking to you again."

"You too."

Beep.

Achilles set down his phone, and took a shower. He decided he was getting too antsy. Well, it didn't matter what Loki thought, the god was just going to have to take one of his books down to the gym today.

When Achilles walked into the commons, Loki greeted him. "Ah, Achilles. Finally deign to join us? You subjected me to my brother's company."

"Tragic." Achilles replied, before eating nearly as much as Thor.

"Loki, please don't ruin your chance here." Thor said.

Loki rolled his eyes.

"Thor, wanna spar?" Achilles asked.

Thor looked at Achilles dubiously. "I don't know if that would be wise."

"Why not?" Achilles asked around a mouthful of food.

"Asgardians are much stronger than Midgardians..." Thor said.

Achilles swallowed his bite, and smirked. "I'm counting on it."

Loki quirked an eyebrow, while Thor raised both of his.

~~~

At first, Thor was hesitant. Then Achilles swung, and he was fast. Thor was forced to pick up his game and take the spar seriously.

Achilles found a slip in Thor's defenses, and his punch knocked the air out of Thor's chest. Thor managed to catch one of Achilles' fists and breach his defenses. Thor didn't use his full strength, but Achilles barely reacted at all to the hit.