A Game of Gods and Grit (PJO/MCU Crossover)

Chapter Eight

"You took a bullet for me," Percy said, staring at Loki with eyes that were impossible to read.

"It would appear so, yes," he rasped, nodding.

"Why?"

Loki laughed at first, thinking that his friend was making a joke. Percy's face, however, was deadly serious. He'd asked a genuine question. "Loki, why would you do that?" He repeated after Loki's lack of an answer, his voice almost irritated. Loki looked at him, his hands still pressed against the wound that sent ripples of red all over his good suit and hands.

"Because you were about to be shot, what do you think?" Loki smiled, trying to laugh the question and Percy's annoyance off.

"Why didn't you just let it happen?" He pressed on.

"I don't know-"

"Like, look at you! You're in so much pain!" He gestured at Loki's gut in exasperation, then his voice quietened. "You don't deserve that."

"Percy, neither do you-"

"Didn't you see what I did back there?" Percy asked him hopelessly. Loki realised that he was talking about the men that he had just killed. "I murdered people, Loki. I killed them without a second thought; all you were doing was trying to help, and you got hurt. Because of me."

"You're not the only one who's killed innocents," Loki raised both eyebrows. They'd talked about the Battle of New York many times, and Percy was well aware of the sins Loki had committed and the harm he'd caused to the city. Percy's stepfather had been hurt by a collapsing building that day.

"Clint, you keep driving. I know first aid," Percy grabbed the first aid kit again and pulled up Loki's shirt, causing the Asgardian to groan in pain. "Sorry," Percy whispered through gritted teeth, then looked up at his friend seriously, his tone so low that only the two of them could hear him speak. "What I'm about to do, Loki, you cannot show or tell anyone, do you hear me?"

"What?"

"You can't tell anyone, not a soul," Loki had never seen him look so serious. "Swear to me."

"Percy-"

"Swear it!" He said urgently.

"Okay, alright, I swear," he surrendered. Then Percy reopened the bottle of water he'd poured on his thigh previously, before pouring a bit more on Loki's wound, leaving about a quarter of the bottle left. He removed the bullet as his did so, causing Loki to gasp in pain with Percy apologising over and over again. He then pressed his hands to the wound, closing his eyes and furrowing his eyebrows. Suddenly, Percy's eyes snapped open and he himself gasped in pain, recoiling backwards. Loki looked down, noticing his own pain had entirely alleviated, o see that the gunshot wound was completely gone. Instead, it was now in the exact same spot on Percy's stomach, which he was now gripping with his hands.

"Gods above," he rasped, lifting a bloody hand and signalling to Loki to give over the water. Loki did as he was commanded. "Pour it on there, would you?"

"Yeah, yeah," Loki nodded in a panic, sweat beading his forehead as he dumped the rest of the water on Percy's stomach. He watched in frightened wonder as the blood drained back into the wound and Percy's brown skin knitted itself back together as he squirmed in pain. Eventually, all that was left was a pale scar that joined a myriad of others. Percy lay on the floor for a moment, his chest rising and falling rapidly with each breath. Then, he sat up slowly. His hair had come undone, along with the buttons of his shirt.

"How did you-?"

"You saw nothing," Percy looked grimly into Loki's eyes.

"You're not really a human, are you?" He asked softly so Clint couldn't hear. Percy stared at the floor suddenly, not answering the question, and that told Loki all that he needed to know. "You're not."