Catch Me If I Fall (PJO/Avengers Crossover)

72

Minutes passed. Then hours. Then days. Or perhaps it was years, Percy couldn't be sure. His head spun with a million questions. What had happened to Estelle? To Paul? Mom? The team? And, most of all, what had happened to Loki? Everything seemed to pass in a blur; his senses blocked, his feelings numb.

"Thanos wants balance. By his own law, he can't and won't leave both Thor and I alive," he had told Percy many weeks before on the Statesman. "That's why I have to be the one to die. If I can change this, darling, believe me, I shall, but if I can't... just know I love you."

The plan was that, after Hulk had weakened Thanos enough, Loki would step forward, swearing his loyalty to Thanos before attacking him with a dagger. If this dagger truly hurt or even killed Thanos or not didn't matter; what mattered was that, straight after this, Loki would be killed and Thor would be spared.

So, most likely, Loki was dead. Again. Still, Percy shed no tears. He had none left.

Presently, he sat at the front window of the Guardians' ship, staring out into Space. He, Tony and Nebula were the only ones on Titan who survived the snap. The rest...

He shook his head violently, trying to dispel the thoughts coming to him. He didn't want to feel any more grief ever again. He hated how hopeless it made you feel; it was like drowning, being held below the surface of the water but never being able to come up for air. Behind him, Tony approached and put a gentle, supportive hand on his shoulder. Percy was thankful for him.

Nebula had gotten rid of the infection that had ended up in Tony's wound and then proceeded to patch it up. For now, they were okay, and they were doing their best to get home to Earth. He looked up at Tony, who looked years older than he actually was. His hair was going grey, his eyes empty and dull, his skin pale and face gaunt. One might compare the millionaire's appearance to that of a corpse's.

"We're gonna be okay, kid," he squeezed his shoulder. They were empty words, a statement both of them knew to be false, but they comforted Percy all the same. He fidgeted with the ring on his finger, twisting it nervously.

"I know," he lied, turning to look back into Space. Nebula sat down in the driver's seat next to him, making him flinch. He didn't feel comfortable around the cyborg, not after what she did to him- although, perhaps if he could still feel, he might have felt pity for her. He'd heard her screams mix with his occasionally. The Mad Titan had caused her as much loss and pain as he had Percy. And that terrified him. Nebula had been Thanos' daughter- how could he do that to her?

She began steering the ship. Percy couldn't stand being so close to her, so he stood- despite his weak knees. "I'm going to sleep."

"Sleep? You just woke up," Tony looked at him worriedly as he walked away.

"I'm still tired, I suppose."

Nobody bothered to argue. He wouldn't listen to anyone, anyway.

*

More time passed. Oxygen ran out tomorrow.

Tony would be dead by the time morning came as was trying to get some sleep so he wouldn't feel it. After that, Nebula and Percy would have nothing to do except wait until the ship's batteries died in the vastness of space. It was a cruel, cold, unfair existence. He hated the Fates for it.

Presently, Percy and Nebula were sitting across the table from each other in pure silence, the only sounds the moving on the ship, Percy and Tony's breathing and the mechanical clicks of Nebula's robotic body parts.

"I never apologised," she looked up suddenly, drawing Percy's attention.

"Apologised? For what?" Percy's voice was hoarse and soft from the lack of use. Just another thing to hate.