PERSEUS MEANS DESTROYER

Where Is Your Rider?

Bury me, as it pleases you lover, at sea or deep within the catacombs,

But these bones never rested while living, so how can they stand to languish in repose?

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Loki didn't sleep, although it seemed he would've preferred if Percy didn't talk to him until the sun was in the sky.

Not that Percy really followed that—Loki was a god, gods don't need to sleep, and if he's awake and doesn't need to sleep, ever, it should be fine if Percy had nothing better to do after waking up at two or four or whenever from a nightmare or particularly disturbing dream.

Percy had managed to convince the rest of the Avengers that as long as his magic was bound, Loki was pretty much harmless and should be allowed to move around—this level of the tower at least—as long as Percy knew where he was.

"Shit!" The cry echoed around the tower.

Tony slammed his open palm onto the kitchen counter, "what the fucking hell are you screaming about this early in the morning! It's seven o clock!"

Percy cringed. "Loki's kinda missing—"

"Jesus," Tony threw his head back and let out an annoyed laugh. "Remind me to add you to the group chat sometime. Thor's taken him back to Asgard for a bit. Odin figured something out—not that he'll tell us what—and wants to keep a closer eye on him or something. Thought you knew. Sorry, kid."

Percy stared at him for a second. "Gods— and you're supposed to be one of the smartest people in America..."

Tony shrugged and raised his cup. "That's after I've had my coffee."

Percy scowled. "You know, you're the ones relying on me to keep Loki 'in check', the least you could do is tell me if he's being taken out of the tower."

"We aren't relying on you—"

"And that's totally why Thor reached out to another pantheon for help—"

"—you're not even doing anything—"

"—because you could definitely keep a fucking god—"

"—you're literally just fucking talking to him!"

"—and the Norse god of lies, at that, under control. That spell isn't going to last forever. If talking to him keeps him busy then he's less likely to find the time to come up with a solid plan, or figure out when those damn cuffs are going to stop working! You're an idiot, Anthony Stark. You might be rich and famous and a genius when it comes to tech but have you once considered that there are more kinds of intelligence than 'book smarts'? This is strategy, I'm pushing back the inevitable fight until you get your shit together and find a way to subdue him for good—"

Tony waited while Perseus screamed himself hoarse.

"Maybe. But you're becoming friends with him."

Perseus stopped short, visibly biting down on his words.

He swallowed.

"I'm not."

"You are. And it's going to get you killed."

Perseus threw his hands in the air. "Oh, come on, that's ridiculous—"