Loki scowled at the smug face staring him down from the other side of the cage. As if to add insult to injury, Perseus brought Magnus' accursed legacy, Leif.

"Heya, Joki," Perseus said jovially, hand stuffed in combat pants where he could just make out the shape of his blade. How he wanted to snap that stupid toothpick in half.

Arms crossed, scowling, the god stared down the insolent boy and the graying man behind him. "What do you want, Major?" he spat.

"Nothin' much, just how the Hades did Skull survive? Woulda though my uncle reserved a place next to Zemo on his tighy-whities for what he did to some of his kids." He leaned in now, suddenly serious. "And why are you, of all gods, teaming up with that lunatic Turisas? The second he has the Infinity Stone in his slimy tentacles, he'll boot you and stop whatever Midgard-dominating plan you have in the works."

Loki allowed his surprise to show. "Why would I ever belittle myself to working with a giant octopus playing at godhood? I do have some standards -- however low they might be."

Leif snorted. "As much as I hate his guts, Loki does retain some of his pride from his days in the Asgardian court. He would stoop to that level -- Hel, I'm surprised he's even working with mortals instead of using them as dogs' bodies."

"Screw you very much, child of my most hated nemesis."

Leif tipped his head to the god, a little smile tickling the corner of his lips. If he got the chance to jab at the trickster god, he sure as hell was going to take it.

"And the Skull?"

Loki waved his hands dismissively. "Oh, rest assured he is not your concern; merely an illusion that allows me to keep the ninnies in Hydra under my control -- Zemo, though; he is real and almost as wily as yours truly. Good pet to keep around, no?" He smiled cruelly. "Too bad he only came with those two nitwits you're so fond of. I'm sure your beloved and I could have had some real fun."

Percy snarled, ready to tear the glass apart to reach Loki, but Leif held him back with corded muscles. "Perce, he's trying to get in your head. Don't let him in or you'll do something you regret -- trust me on this."

The son of the sea nodded jerkily, shooting a death glare his uncle no doubt taught him somewhere along the line. Getting under Perseus' skin was proving fast to be one of his favorite past times, and the trickster god was ready to utilize every second he got to push his captor's buttons.

"So what," Leif asked sharply as the stunned teen was forced behind him and into the grasp of his infernal partner. "The little prince wants to break his brother's toys because he's going to be king?"

Loki took a few quick strides forward, seething scowl firmly in place. "You know not what you speak of!"

"Oh yeah... That's right!" a honeyed voice spoke from the shadows near Perseus. Sara stepped out, eye glinting like they had caught the sun. "You're upset because big bro is only your half sibling and you're the result of some wacko payment for stealing Laufey's secret weapon. So you have to prove you're just as important as the lord of thunder."

"Don't forget the pristige of ruling Earth -- Thor's most beloved realm." Perseus wore a nasty smile Loki didn't think the bubbling tot he used to peak in on from time to time would ever be capable of.

He merely shrugged his shoulders, however, letting the demigods draw their own conclusions. There was no way in Hel he was telling them about the purple monster holding his brother's life over his head for cohersion. If he didn't do this, Thanos had sworn to find a way to make Thor fade like a glorious tale of old. That was not acceptable.

Eventually, Perseus grew tired of interigating him, leaving with a sigh of exhasperation and a throw of his hands. Loki felt a little guilty; if the Norns hadn't forced them into these roles, he was sure they would have been very close.

He had learned his lesson about domination and Ragnarok all those years ago when Magnus and his little friends had stood before him. Yes, he still despised Magnus and his spawn, but he had seen the error of his thinking and was quite content to let sleeping Fenrirs lie until it was truly time. It's just too bad such an event had completely soiled his reputation in all other pantheons.

No matter. When he conquered Earth, he would rally the gods and make a stand against the space monster. Then peace would reign and the heroes would not need to spill their blood in the name of it. Perhaps then there would be time to gain the Major's companionship.

First things first, he had to trick Thor into releasing him.

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She snorted, glancing at the two love birds and her sparring partner as they watched the scene unfold. "He really is a seaweed brain."

"You're just know realising that?" the beefy girl retorted.

She shook her head fondly. "I knew from day one, and it just made him more attractive."

Their friend sighed happily from her place in her boyfriend's lap. "Love like that... The only thing I've seen rival it was my little sister and that spark plug."

Ares' daughter gagged loudly, but quickly blushed beet red -- even though she was essentially a ghost -- when her lover looked over, curious and concerned. The others gathered to watched laughed hardily at the young woman's plight.

All the while, somewhere high about a towering building, several immortals were gathered, watching Percy with apprehension.

"We cannot interfere with another pantheon's war!" Zeus boomed.

"Even it that was is one our door step, threatening the lives of our children?" Aphrodite shot back, furious and engaged on the behalf of her progeny.

Poseidon slammed his trident to the ground, sliencing all gathered as he took action for the first time in seventy years. "I won't sit by and watch as my son faces death yet again. I won't -- I can't -- lose Percy a second time."

Zeus glared darkly. "I shall think on the matter, but don't expect a change, brother."

Poseidon's frigid glance could've put a Norse frost giant to shame.

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Questions: Will Zeus ever get the stick out of his ass? Can the gauntlet make gods fade? Will the author include Hela and the Guardians? Is anyone else really craving some hot cocoa right about now?