Avengers: The Goddess of Magic

Chapter 11: God Killer

This chapter is dedicated to MilejdyVan your comment made my day!

Hecate soldiered to the top of Olympus, every so often stopping to battle lightening soldiers that Zeus sent to stop her. The king was getting scared. Hecate had been in contact with her people, namely her right hand woman: Artemis.

The nymph she has summoned to the tower days ago ran to her, bowing. "My queen." Hecate smiled, lifting her to stand tall. "We are equal, Hecate, dear."

The nymph smiled gently and a voice Hecate hadn't heard in far too long rung out. "So, you finally made it." Hecate grinned, running to hug the goddess. "Artemis!" Artemis laughed, hugging her back. "Hey Cate, we missed you up here. It's been too long."

Hecate drew back, tears in her eyes. "Far too long. Care to explain why one of Zeus's soldiers is in my kingdom?" Artemis rolled her eyes and said "believe me, we've been trying to kill the damn things. It's not going as well as hoped. Every time we kill one another one just regenerates in its place."

Just then yelling could be heard from the other end of the pavilion they stood in. The soldier in question had regenerated. Artemis string her bow but Hecate held up a hand and she lowered it. "You tried interrogating yet?"

Artemis nodded and said "they don't know anything that we can divulge. Of course, a little magic..." Hecate smiled, a ferocious glint in her eyes. "You read my mind." She spun just as the creature reached them and magic paralyzed it. "Now then, speak."

The creature spoke then, the words forced out and strained. "Zeus wanted to know when you returned, I was supposed to challenge you, let you kill me thrice, then return to him." Hecate chuckled, releasing him.

"Oh, little Zeus. He wanted so badly to be the hero, but he was swallowed, just like the others. He wanted so badly to have my past that he erased me and took it." Artemis shook her head. "Little boy wanting to play king."

Hecate sighed, "I should've shown compassion." Artemis put a hand on her shoulder. "There was nothing that could've changed what happened, nothing you could've done. Nothing anyone could've done."

Hecate closed her eyes, feeling the tears burn against her eyelids. "I know, Artemis, but I have to destroy him. For her. Yet I know that she would not want me too, would want me to show compassion. Forgiveness."

Artemis quietly asked "have you tried to contact her?" Hecate shook her head. "How could I? She would be so disappointed in me, I am no longer the woman she loved so dearly. I'm just the one who let her die."

Artemis protested. "Hecate, it wasn't-" Hecate cut her off, waving a hand. "Enough of this, we have work to do, Zeus, as bumbling as he is, isn't going to kill himself." Artemis smiled sadly, "I don't think so, no."

Hecate whispered a word and the soldier turned to stone, cracking and shattering into pieces. "Now then," she said, "let's get to it." Artemis smiled. "Your army awaits, my Queen."

They arrived at the tower and Natasha helped Della off the plane, leading her to a bathroom to shower. "I'll get some clothes for you, they might be a little too long, but they'll do for now." Della nodded, her eyes vacant.

Natasha left and Della climbed into the shower, turning the water to cold. Her skin felt hot, magic rushing beneath the surface, and the cool water beat down on her, washing away blood and grime.

Ten minutes later she stepped out, drying off gently, hissing as she came into contact with a few cuts that the magic had left alone in favor of healing more serious ailments. Natasha knocked on the door and Della opened it, wrapping the towel around herself.

Natasha handed her clean clothes and said "Tony's sending for your stuff, okay? It should be here soon. Until then, he offered you a t-shirt special from his collection." Della quietly said "lucky me, thank you." Natasha stepped back and said "I'll be here whenever you're ready."

Della nodded and closed the door, pulling on the clothes Natasha had brought her. She opened the door, quietly saying "thank you" to Natasha as she stepped out. Natasha nodded and said "of course. Are you hungry?"

Della shook her head, closing her eyes against the pain she felt. "No, I just... I need to work on finding a way to get us to Olympus. Can you show me where Morgan kept her grimoires?"

Natasha lead Della to Morgan's library, opening the door and gesturing her to enter. Della entered, gasping. "There's so many." Natasha nodded and said "they were her passion. She found as many as she could. It was the only way that she could connect to the witches she knew that she would never meet."

Della nodded and said "I know you must be busy looking for her, if you have other things to do, I'm fine here." Natasha laughed. "Morgan had a very erratic way of organizing her grimoires. You might need my help. Clint and I already looked through-"

Della raised her arms, a pile of books flying off the shelves and landing neatly in front of her. "I forgot that witches can take shortcuts." Della nodded and said "magic can certainly make things easier, despite the price."

Natasha gently asked "the price?" Della turned to face her, picking up the book on the top of the pile. "Witches are community beings. We draw power from many sources. I draw mine from my marks of power and the souls of previous witches."

She looked distant. "We love more deeply, but we also hate more deeply. Magic can corrupt, and if a witch is alone for too long, deprived of contact with other beings, we perish. Hecate made it that way so that she would never be alone again. Made it so that we'd need each other."

Natasha nodded and said "that sounds like a lot for someone so young." Della shrugged and said "I have Peter. What more could I ask for?" Tony entered and said "a million dollars, which, technically, I could give you."

Della laughed softly and said "that won't be necessary." She turned the book she was holding around and said "I figured it out. I can open the portal and get us there. It's actually rather simple."

Natasha nodded and said "we just need to provide you with two other magic sources." Della shrugged "I could do it with just one. All I'd have to do is conduct the magic through three sources. The sturdier the better."

There was a loud noise outside and Della's eyes lit up with power and she vanished, the book thumping to the ground where she had been. Tony sighed. "Damnit. I hate magic."

Natasha sighed and said "at least we know she isn't going to run again." Peter dodged into the room and said "Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark! Mr. Thor is back and he brought Mr. Loki and Della's facing off with them!"

Tony sighed "shit." His armor formed around him and he flew out the window, Natasha holding onto his arm for a ride. They landed outside to see Della facing Thor and Loki, power sparking from her hands.

"Why is he here." Thor held a hand up and said "young witch-" she moved her arm violently, throwing Thor away and growing a tree over Mjolnir. "No." Loki looked back and forth, raising a hand.

Before he could speak he was flying forwards, light surrounding him and bringing him eye level with a now floating Della. "You." Loki very quietly said "you need my help, young one, and you should know better than to attack a god."

Loki appeared behind her, grabbing the girl around the waist and holding a knife to her throat. "I come in peace, young witch, but I won't hesitate to kill you need be." Tony moved forwards to protect Della, but Natasha put an arm out.

"Wait." Della laughed, eyes glowing with power. The knife melted, forcing Loki to drop the molten metal. She turned around, facing him. "Let me correct your earlier statement."

She stomped on his foot, turning around and raising a hand, sending him flying back. "I don't need shit from you, and let's be clear," she walked over to him, energy flowing from her hand and trapping him against the ground. "You May be a god, but I am the chosen witch, the god killer. Don't make me earn my name."