It was about 15:20 when Achilles carefully left the bed and made his way out towards the common area.

"Oh. Expected you to be passed out a little longer." Tony said. 

Achilles nodded, and walked over to the bar.

"Aren't you a little underage?" Tony asked.

"Wasn't in Paris." Achilles said. "Besides, right now I really need to tone things down, even if  I can't get drunk."

"Can't get drunk?"

"Nope." Achilles said, and picked up a bottle. His hands were shaking too much for him to pour, so he set it down.

"Are you okay?" Clint asked.

Achilles chuckled. "Now that's funny shit."

"I'll take that as a no." Clint said.

"Can I ask why?" Steve asked.

"They called the B team." Achilles said, as if that was an answer.

The Avengers exchanged looks. 

"Where's Loki?" Achilles asked.

"Reading in the library." Tony said. "Why are you so lenient with him?"

"We have a deal. Shared interest, win-win kind of thing." Achilles said.

"And you trust him to keep the deal?" Clint asked.

"Like I said, he benefits from it." Achilles said. "It's in his best interests, and he knows it."

"What if he decides killing you and other people is better?" Tony asked.

"Watch your words, Stark." Thor glared.

"He won't. He's smarter than that. And it's not his personality." Achilles said, and accepted the drink Natasha poured for him.

"He killed what was it, eighty people in two days? He's a monster. You can't trust someone like that." Tony said.

"Oh no." Achilles said, holding his hands in front of him in mock fear. "He killed eighty people in two days. What a monster." Then he took another large swallow of alcohol.

"This isn't funny, Achilles." Steve said. "He's dangerous."

"I think you're forgetting that Fury assigned me to keep him contained. If you don't like my methods, well, then I guess it sucks for you." Achilles said.

"I think you're putting too much faith in a monster." Tony said.

"I'm putting too much faith in a monster. So, if Loki is a monster for killing eighty people in two days," Achilles asked, his voice quiet and chilling. "What does that make me? After all, I killed two hundred yesterday alone."

It felt as if the room dropped in temperature. The Avengers froze as tense living statues, staring at Achilles. 

"What do you mean?" Thor asked, the first to recover.

"I killed two hundred people yesterday." Achilles said clearly, and then with shaking hands gestured for Natasha to pour another drink.

"You're lying." Tony said.

"No, I'm not." Achilles said. 

"Why?" Clint asked. 

Achilles shrugged, and poured himself another glass. He left spilled droplets of caramel colored liquid on the counter. 

"Who's orders?" Steve asked.

"Fury. I guess. The world council approved." Achilles said, before knocking back the entire glass.

"The world council approved of the murder of two hundred people?" Clint asked.

"You can't expect us to believe that." Tony said.

"This is Shield we're talking about." Steve said.

Achilles laughed. "You don't believe me. Should be on the news any time now. Opal Creek Clinic."

"Why, why would Shield send you to kill two hundred people?" Steve demanded. "To a hospital?"

"You guys are the A team. The Avengers. When they need heroes, they send you." Achilles said. "But we're the B team. The Banes. The backup. We're who they send when they need a mass execution."

The men exchanged glances, before Clint turned to Natasha. "Nat?"

"It's true." Natasha turned the laptop around, revealing a news channel covering a collapsed medical center, where supposedly three hundred people were casualties. 

"The clinic was a cover for a terrorist group. It was home base. Emphasis on the was." Achilles said.

"But executing them?" Steve turned to Achilles.

"We had our orders, Steve." Achilles said.

"Orders like those shouldn't be followed." 

"It's not like we have a different choice!" Achilles shouted. "We have to follow our orders, we have to fall in line. Because our only other options are to rot in cells and endanger people around us, or go on the run from Shield, from the governments, from our pasts."

"Why would you have to run?" Clint asked. "You could find legal ways out."

"No. We couldn't. The high-ups wouldn't let us walk the streets." Achilles said.

"You're kids, they can't just keep you prisoner. They can't force you to be a kill squad." Steve said.

"Well, you seem to be underestimating them." Achilles chuckled.

"Why. Why won't they let you go?" Tony asked.

Achilles pointed to the laptop screen. "Do you see that?"

"Yeah, it's rubble."

"Can you guess how much C-4 I used?" Achilles asked.

"Well, you'd need at least-"

"None." Achilles interrupted. "I didn't use any C-4."

"But that's not..." Tony frowned.

"Your other powers." Thor said.

"Yeah." Achilles nodded, and the air seemed thinner.

"What else can you do?" Clint asked. "Besides the water?"

Achilles went still. "I need to go." He began to step back, and turn around, heading for the elevator.

"Woah, who said you could go? We're not finished here!" Tony exclaimed.

Achilles continued to the elevator. "Jarvis or whatever your name is, tell Loki I need a hand."

"You're going to him for help?" Tony nearly screeched.

"I need to leave now." Achilles said, stepping into the elevator and leaning against one of the walls. The doors closed before the others could reach him.

When the doors opened, Loki was standing on the other side. Achilles had barely registered him before he felt the slightly familiar sensation of a teleport.

~~~

Two years ago, Oct 22 2010

"Thalia, are you sure we're going the right way?" Nico asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Thalia said. "I've traveled through these woods before."

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure I've seen that rock before." Percy said, pointing to the boulder in question.

"There's a lot of rocks in this area." Thalia said, not bothering to look.

"Wait, Thalia, I think he's right. We've passed this spot before." Nico said.

"What?" Thalia turned around.

"That tree." Nico pointed. "I marked it."

Thalia frowned, and turned to Percy. "Why do you think you've seen that boulder before?"

"Because it looked like a butt and I remember laughing about it." Percy said.

Thalia frowned. "Okay, it does look like a mossy ass." 

"We haven't turned directions enough to make a complete loop." Nico said.

"I don't know." Thalia scowled, and scanned the area. "But you're right. We've been heading west this whole time. We haven't gone east at all, except a couple feet at a time, like when we went around that cliff."

"So we aren't in normal woods." Percy said.

"No." Thalia said.

"The shadows feel weird, guys." Nico said, eyeing the shaded ground around the foliage as if it might bite him.

"Percy? The water?" Thalia asked.

Percy frowned. "That's not right." He said under his breath.

"What's not right?" Nico asked.

"There was a creek that way," Percy gestured south of them. "But I can't sense it anymore."

"Creeks don't just completely dry up in an hour." Thalia said.

"We should check it out." Nico said.

"Yeah." Percy said, and began to head south, where he had last sensed the creek.

After several minutes of walking, they came upon a bone dry creek bed.

"What the Hades?" Thalia voiced, looking up and down the creek bed while Percy crouched, turning over pebbles.

Nico frowned at her for her choice of curse. "Okay, we've passed the same spot twice while going in one direction, the shadows feel weird, and the water's disappeared. I think it's safe to say something's happening."

"Yeah. We need to figure out how to leave." Percy said, standing up.

Nico walked into a tree. "Ow."

"Why did you do that?" Thalia asked.

"I can't shadow travel." Nico said, rubbing his nose. 

"You can't shadow travel?" Percy scowled.

"Nope." Nico said, taking a few steps to stand closer to Thalia and Percy. "Just tried."

"Well," Thalia said, "This is complicated."

~~~

Present Day, May 14 2013

Loki could feel the aura of power radiating dangerously from Achilles even before Jarvis had informed him that Achilles needed help. Which is why Loki hadn't bothered to waste any time or ask rhetorical questions, and instead just relocated the pair. 

"I- woah." Achilles blinked, taking in the relatively empty field littered with small boulders.

"Apologies for the abrupt departure." Loki said. 

"How far away are people?" Achilles asked, backing away from Loki.

"Several miles at least. This is what most people would call 'the middle of nowhere'." Loki said.

"How'd you know?" Achilles asked.

"I could feel you losing control." Loki said. 

"What?" 

"Your power is quite... Volatile at the moment."

"Yeah, no shit." Achilles said.

"Why?" Loki asked. "You usually have a far better grasp."

"'Cause I'm exhausted." Achilles said. "And the team... Well, the conversation wasn't fun."

"First, why are you exhausted?" Loki asked.

"Uh, because I let loose yesterday." Achilles said.

"Let loose?" Loki asked, and he could sense Achilles' power slipping further from his grasp.

"I uh, I'm- I'm going to punch some rocks." Achilles said, and did what he said he would. Only when his fists made contact with the stone, it cracked and shattered. 

Loki figured that Achilles was his earthshaker abilities. I seemed that rage and anger fueled that power. Loki stayed back and let him get it out of his system.

The god only approached the devourer when the latter had stumbled back and sat down. The power that radiated from him had fizzled out to a nearly normal level for Achilles. Loki sat down beside him on the grass.

"Feeling better?"

"Tired." Achilles said.

"Now, what did you mean?" Loki asked.

Achilles sighed. "You had another question, right?"

"What did you and the Avengers talk about?" Loki asked, a half smirk forming at Achilles' avoidance tactics.

Achilles picked at the grass before speaking. "Us, actually."

"Us?"

"Yeah. They wanted to know why I was being so 'lenient' in my babysitting. They didn't like my truth." Achilles explained.

"You do not babysit me." Loki said.

"That was their point." Achilles chuckled. "You killed eighty people in two days, and that made you a monster."

"They aren't wrong."

"Yeah, well, they failed to recognize that I'm worse." Achilles said.

Loki's brows furrowed as he turned to face Achilles. "What?"

"I'd tell you to read my mind, but I don't want you to see me like that." Achilles said.

"What did you do?"

"I was given orders." Achilles said. "We're supposed to be a team, Ash and Angel and me. But I try to take as much of their load as I can. They don't deserve this."

Loki didn't reply. Should he wait for Achilles to tell him? Should he press? He'd been told he wasn't wanted looking through Achilles' head. What would Achilles prefer? What would be best?

"You're a good brother." Loki said eventually. "That's more than I have managed."

"What I'm doing now... It doesn't make me good." Achilles said. "I got them into this mess. It's my fault. I have to take responsibility." 

"I thought you said they chose to side with you."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that it isn't my fault." Achilles said. 

"I think it means that the three of you are to share this burden. It isn't for one alone to bear." Loki said.

"Sounds smart."

"But you don't believe it."

Achilles looked down at his hands.  "No."

~~~

"Where've you been?" Angel asked.

Achilles jumped. "Jeezus, Angel."

Angel narrowed his eyes. 

Achilles rolled his eyes. "I emptied the tank of juice. I don't have the energy for powers for a bit."

"Why would you do that?" Angel asked, his non-injured arm tucking a hand into a pocket.

"I didn't have control. I didn't want to hurt anybody." Achilles said.

"That's why you left earlier." Angel said. "We woke up and you were gone."

"Sorry." Achilles said.

"Then we go looking for you and the Avengers are practically pissing themselves. What did you do to piss them off?" Angel asked.

"Doesn't matter." Achilles said. "Where's Ash?"

"She exited the building a few minutes ago." Jarvis supplied. "But it does not appear that she has gone far from the premises."

"Uh, thanks, Jarvis." Achilles said.

~~~

They found Ash in her leather jacket, ripped jeans, and combat boots, leaning against an alley wall. Achilles paused mid-step.

Ash happened to turn her head then, seeing the two of them. "Hey bros." She said awkwardly, cigarette between her fingers.

"Since when did you smoke?" Achilles asked.

"Since when did you drink?" Ash retorted.

"Ash." Achilles said as he and Angel walked over to her.

"You know it's not crazy considering our situation, right?" Ash replied.

"It's not-" Achilles scowled.

"It's not healthy, blah blah blah. It only does so much damage though. And who knows if I'll live long enough to see what it would do." Ash said, putting out the cigarette against the brick wall.

Angel rubbed his forehead.

"When were you going to tell us that you were smoking?" Achilles asked. "Fuck's sake, you're barely eighteen."

"By my ID. But we both know better." Ash said. "Besides, when were you going to tell us that you're drinking? Or, were you ever going to tell us? What about Alexandre? Were you ever going to tell us about him?"

"What about Alexandre?" Angel asked. "Isn't that the guy you had a fling with?"

"Oh, little brother." Ash said. "It wasn't a fling. They're still together."

 "What?" Angel turned to Achilles. "You've had a secret boyfriend this whole time?"

Achilles gave a look to Ash.

"So I wasn't the only one you didn't tell." Ash said.

"I didn't tell anybody." Achilles said. 

"Why?" Angel asked.

"I didn't want you to freak out, and I didn't want to dredge up memories for you." Achilles gestured to Ash, and then to Angel. "And hell, I wanted an escape. I wasn't a godsdamned monster with him. I didn't want to lose the... I didn't want more questions, more of our past, to get brought up. I wanted some time to escape this life." Achilles pointed to his scarred forearm, hidden by his sleeve.

"You should've told us." Ash said. 

"I don't know." Achilles said. "Doesn't matter now, anyway."

"Like hell it don't." Ash said. "You can't just keep secrets like it isn't a big deal. We're all we've got. We don't fucking keep secrets from each other."

"We broke up a week and a half ago, Ash. It's over."

"Why didn't you say so?" Ash asked.

"You were a bit busy yelling at me."

"I was a bit busy yelling at you." Ash scoffed. "You were lying to us for a whole fucking year!"

"Yeah? How long have you been smoking?" Achilles returned. "You've smelled like smoke for a long time, I just assumed you were hanging out with a crowd. Didn't think you'd actually smoke yourself."

Ash pushed off the wall, and shoved Achilles. "Really? They turned us into murderers and assassins and you're worried about me smoking? Fuck you. You don't belong on that high horse. You don't get to be better than us Mr. Morals. You're just as fucked up as the rest of us!"

"No, I'm worse!" Achilles shoved her back, away from him. "I'm so much worse than you, and I'm trying to make sure that you don't fall to my level."

"Like I said, a high fucking horse." Ash snarled. 

"That's enough." Angel stated.

Ash looked over at him, and then walked a couple paces to sit on a crate. Achilles stepped back and slid down the wall.

"What's happened to us?" Angel asked.

His question was met with silence, save for the noise of the bustling city around them.

A/N

Well, that was a chapter, huh?

Like I said before, this is a much darker, heavier story.

Remember to vote if you liked the chapter!