Thalia stared at the god, unable to comprehend the words that just came out of his mouth.

"No," she said, voice shaky. "He can't be dead. He can't. He can't be..." Nico pulled her against him. "He can't," she kept muttering, words muffled by Nico's chest. Her fisted hand clutched his torn shirt.

Nico grimaced, pain flickering in his dark eyes. "Thalia..."

She shoved him. "You knew! Damnit, you knew, and you didn't say anything! You're really living up to your Son of Hades title, Ghost King," she sneered, chuckling crossly.

"Perhaps I should finish—" Loki started hesitantly.

Thalia spun toward the Asgardian, murder on her face. Loki had to force himself not to recoil at the anger rolling off of her.

Thalia had lost so many huntresses—not to mention her best friend and her brother—during the previous war. She couldn't handle anymore death.

Thalia stalked up to him and angrily poked him in the chest. "You were supposed to protect him!" She yelled, tears in her eyes. Loki made no move to retaliate. "You had one job! You were supposed to..." Thalia looked away and swore so violently that even Tony raised his eyebrows. Nico was worried Steve would have an aneurysm.

The Avengers were in varying stages of anger and sadness. Natasha and Clint sat, stone-faced, on the couch. Natasha was leaning against Clint, and Clint had captured her smaller hand in his. Steve and Bruce were both staring at the floor, blank. Luckily, Bruce seemed to be able to keep his alter ego under control. Tony was pouring himself a third drink, which was impressive considering Loki had only broke the news two minutes ago. Leave it to Tony to find the hidden liquor cabinet. If anyone looked close enough, though, they could see the tycoon's hand shake.

The older demigods and counselors were scattered across the room, as well. Travis and Conner were silent for once. Travis had his arm around Katie's shoulder. Reyna was spinning her knife, a faraway look in her eyes as she stared at the grey walls. Clarisse looked like she was about to storm out and find something to hit. Everyone gave her and Reyna a wide radius. Will watched despondently as Thalia broke down. And, perhaps the most shocking of all, Clovis was wide-awake.

Thor spoke up, eyes grave. "I'm sure my brother did all he could—"

"Well, it wasn't enough!" Thalia shouted, transferring her anger to Thor.

"He's in Elysium."

The soft words from Loki might as well have been a scream for how quickly it got everyone's attention. Silence reigned.

"...what?" Thalia whispered, bringing a hand to her mouth.

"The Norns—I believe you Greeks call them the Fates, and Romans the Parcae—appeared to both of us after we vanquished Tartarus."

"The Fates appeared to you and Percy?" Katie asked in awe.

Reyna straightened in surprise. "The Parcae actually talked to you?"

"Impossible," Clarisse muttered.

Loki nodded. "They arrived as we were both dying. I from my wounds and seiðr overuse. Percy because he cut his string himself to sever Tartarus' connection with him."

Nico blinked, tone incredulous. "Percy cut his own string?"

A half-smile spread across Thalia's face. "That sounds like Percy. Going out on his own terms, not some old ladies.'"

Loki tilted his head. Percy certainly was something special.

"Dam straight," Thalia murmured.

"But I digress. Skuld lengthened my string and sent me back to the living, and Urðr completed Percy's death process. They revoked his godhood, so his soul solidified and fast tracked straight to Elysium. He tasked me with thanking all of you for risking your lives to help him." Loki hesitated. "And I know you may not believe me—my reputation proceeds me, I am sure—but I truly believe Percy was happy before Urðr took him."

The demigods exchanged looks. They relaxed and even shared smiles. Thalia swiped at her eyes. "I'm glad."

Clarisse grunted. "If there's anyone that deserves it, it's that dimwit."

"Wait, Elysium is good, right?" Clint whispered, leaning over to the Avengers. "All these random Greek words are really tripping me up."

"Yeah," Tony nodded. "Percy told me once how some of his friends were there. He said his greatest wish was to join them there... but he'd already been made a god at that point."

Clint leaned back. "Good," he muttered. "Good for you, Percy."

"Thalia and Nico," Loki announced. "Percy gave me a special message for the two of you: he won the race."

Thalia and Nico chuckled. "That he did," Nico muttered. "That he did."

Loki faced the Avengers. "Percy had me leave a little gift in each of your rooms. He had a feeling he wouldn't be making it out of this battle alive."

The heroes looked surprised. Tony rubbed his eyes. Percy had always been thoughtful. He hadn't even known them for that long, but he'd thought of them anyway.

Phoebe, who Thalia had left in charge of cleanup and treatment, poked her head in the open doorway. Excitement lit her face. "Our lady's back!"

Thalia was up and out the door in an instant, everyone close at her heels. "Lady Artemis!"

The girl looked up from where she had been sitting with one of her younger hunters. Even in a twelve-year-old body, the goddess was beautiful. Strands of auburn hair fell from her ponytail, framing her large, silvery yellow eyes. She stood, her black leggings hugging her legs and her silver tunic flowing down her chest.

"Thalia," she greeted calmly.

A man who had been tending a nearby demigod stood up as well. He was just as flawless as his sister with his curly, sandy hair and a perfect tan, giving him an outdoorsy look. His clothes—tattered jeans and a bright t-shirt—aided his seventeen-year-old appearance.

"My lady," Thalia said respectfully, stopping two feet from the maiden huntress. Thalia scowled. "Apollo."

Artemis smiled gracefully. "You've done well, Thalia."

Apollo grinned blindingly. "Yes, I think I should reward you all with a haiku. There once was a god—"

"Thank you, my lady," Thalia cut the god off, eyes sparkling with pride.

"And some demigods and mortals and Asgardians, too—"

"As have you all, my huntresses," Artemis said louder. She looked around. "I also want to thank Camps Half-Blood and Jupiter." She zeroed in on the Avengers, lips thinning. "And it appears thanks are in order for the mortals, as well. Count yourself lucky, humans, that your eyes have been opened, and that us gods are gracious enough to let you keep your memories."

"And they all praised the god. The End."

"...thanks?" Clint replied hesitantly.

"And as for you, Asgardians,"

Artemis started.

"I don't think that was a haiku," Steve murmured to Bruce. Bruce shrugged.

"Olympus thanks you for your help and hopes our treaty is still intact," Artemis finished.

Thor nodded. "The treaty is as strong as ever, Lady Artemis."

She inclined her head. "Good." She spoke up again. "Zeus has allowed Apollo to heal anyone with major wounds." Artemis hesitated, pursing her lips. "I was sorry to hear about Perseus."

Thalia grimaced. Her feelings were still mixed on Percys death. "Well, apparently he's in Elysium, so I guess he's happy."

Apollo straightened from where hed been healing (and flirting with) a female Roman. "We wouldn't have left all of you to fight alone, but the Fates sent me a vison of the destruction that our collision with Tartarus would have caused. It's a shame, though. Percy was a cool guy. Not as cool, as me, of course, but still moderately cool. At least twenty-five percent of my coolness. Or twenty. Yeah, a solid fifteen percent of my overall coolness."

"Uh huh," Nico answered noncommittally.

Artemis' voice became commanding. "Hunters! We'll stay the night to recuperate, but we leave in the morning."

Affirmative replies rang out in the clearing.

And, true to her word, the Hunters left early the next morning. The Romans departed a few hours after, and the Greeks followed close behind. The Avengers left last, arriving at the Avengers Tower that evening.

Of course, the first thing they did was check their rooms for Percy's gifts.

They all gathered back in the living room to compare.

"This is..." Tony started dramatically with a sharp inhale. "This is... what exactly?" The billionaire finished uncertainly.

Steve sighed at Tony's antics but shrugged. "That's a fair question."

"Percy said it was a camp necklace." Loki explained, blowing out a breath. "At the end of each summer at Camp Half-Blood, the counselors vote on the most important event of the year and paint it on a bead. Percy had me teleport him supplies, and he made all of them by hand before we left."

"Oh," Steve muttered, looking at the necklace in a different light. "They're so detailed."

It was obviously, as Loki claimed, handmade. While it was detailed, it was also sloppy, though the images could still be made out. Each bead was a different avenger: a tiny hammer for Thor, a miniature shield for Steve, an arrowhead for Clint, a knife for Natasha, a green fist for Bruce, and a red armored hand for Tony.

At the ends, slightly larger beads hung. They depicted two crossed swords with an arrow through the middle, representing each camp and the Hunters of Artemis.

But the biggest bead in the middle was the red Avengers's A with a blue trident overlapping it.

Loki stayed quiet and watched as their faces displayed a wide range of emotions. Percy had initially wanted to include a snake bead as well for Loki, but Loki had told him, in no uncertain words, that Percy would not include him in a 'stupid string with annoying mortals.'

Percy, instead of taking offense, had laughed it off. He'd taken one of Loki's knives and carved a small trident into the butt of the handle. "Something to remember me by,"

he'd said, a shit-eating grin on his face as Loki yelled at him for defacing one of his knives, "and so your memories of Earth are better than last time."

Loki shook his head. That boy had certainly been a weird one.

Each Avenger slipped the necklace over their heads reverently and slowly scattered across the room.

"Man, I'm beat," Clint announced, flopping on the couch. His necklace jangled on his neck.

"Same," Natasha said.

Clint glanced over and groaned. "What are you doing, Tony? We just got back."

"I know, I know," Tony waved a hand. He had started shifting through computer files. "But I'm far too excited to sit still."

Bruce pushed up his glasses and sat on a chair. "I have to admit, I'm a little excited as well. Percy's gift just proves even more that we need to do this."

Steve nodded, downing a glass of water. "It's a good idea."

"It's a great idea!" Thor boomed. Loki couldn't help but nod in agreement. Thor continued, "It's a good thing Nico and the other demigods agreed to help us."

Tony blew out a breath and swiveled in his chair. "Yeah, I think we owe it to the kid. And every other kid like him."

Tony swiped his work into the air in front of them and enlarged it. Everyone leaned forward, and a smile crept onto Steve's face.

"I think I like the ring of that."

Tony grinned. "Me too," he replied, staring at the giant words floating in the air.

"The Demigod Protection Program."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'd love to say it's been a pleasure, Reindeer Games, but I promised Pepper I'd tone down the lying."

Loki smirked. "The feeling is mutual, Stark."

Clint slapped Loki on the back, ignoring the prince's scowl. "I'm not at all sad to see you go," he said cheerfully.

Steve shook his head. "I think we've all made our feelings clear—"

"Oh, I could make things a lot clearer," Tony interrupted.

"But either way, we appreciate the help. We couldn't have done it without you."

Loki's smirk grew wider, basking in the praise. "I know," he replied simply.

"Brother..." Thor sighed.

"Damnit, Rock of Ages. Just take the compliment and go," Tony huffed with a glower. He raised the whisky in his hand. "A toast to Rock of Ages' departure."

Loki hummed. "Well, it's been an experience. If you ever need help again, make sure to leave me out of it."

Thor sighed again and steered Loki towards the balcony. "I believe that is our cue to go. I should be back in a few Midgardian days."

"Stay safe, Point Break!" Tony waved, his ice clinking. "Bring me back a souvenir. Preferably a picture of Reindeer Games' cell, but I'll settle for a snack, too."

Bruce blew out a breath. "Tony, stop antagonizing the psychopathic alien villain."

Tony grinned. "But it's so much fun!"

Loki ignored the dull chatter behind him and stopped in the middle of the balcony. His bracelet-cuffs gleamed in the afternoon sun.

Thor faced him and raised his hammer. "Ready to go home, brother?"

Loki nodded, mind elsewhere. He didn't bother to correct Thor that Asgard wasn't his home.

"Heimdall!" Thor called. The princes disappeared in a flash of light.

A smirk grew on Loki's face when the two landed in Asgard. He tuned out Thor's obnoxious greeting with Heimdall, already thinking about his next steps.

Loki had nefarious plans to carry out.

After all, he wasn't known as the trickster god of lies and mischief for nothing, now was he?