Avengers: The Goddess of Magic

Chapter 1: Home

Hecate awoke with a start, gasping. Steve beside her woke up, blinking up at her. "H?" Hecate laid down again, kissing his forehead. "It's nothing, go to sleep my love." Steve wrapped a warm arm around her and said "we're talking about this in the morning."

Hecate sighed, laughing slightly at his easy acceptance. "You won't remember, Steve." Steve kissed her and said "that's what you think, sugar lips." Hecate smiled, her heart squeezing with feeling for this man. "My captain."

He tightened his arms around her and said "my goddess." Hecate felt his breathing slow as he fell asleep, his arms still tight around her. She intertwined their legs and smiled as she too fell asleep.

In the morning Hecate woke to Tony barging into the room. "Up and at 'em! Let's go Hocus, Capsicle!" Steve pulled the blankets up over his and Hecate's chest and she turned over, hiding her face in his neck.

Her voice was muffled as she said "I swear to god if he is not gone when I look again I'll turn him into a frog." Steve laughed and said "you heard her, Stark." Tony paused and said "we do have a meeting with Hill to get too."

Hecate shot up, yanking on Steve's abandoned button-up from the previous day. "God she's going to kill me- Tony it's Sunday we have the day off." Tony laughed and said "but now you're up and you can help me with some stuff in the lab."

Hecate groaned, collapsing onto the bed. "You couldn't've just asked me?" Tony said "you were too busy cuddling with muscles over here." Hecate turned her head on the bed to glare at him and Steve said "we'll both be down in a minute."

Tony nodded, heading out with a smug smirk. Steve sat up, opening his arm to Hecate. She smiled and he said "what were you dreaming about?" Hecate laid her head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat below her cheek. "It was just a nightmare, nothing new."

He gently said "what was happening?" She drew a star on his chest and said "I was strapped to the table, they were all speaking but I couldn't understand the words. It was always like that. I didn't speak English at first. It was sorta terrifying."

Steve soothingly rubbed her back and said "you're safe now. No one will ever do that to you again." Hecate smiled, her heart squeezing almost painfully. Steve kissed her and said "now, we better get ready." Hecate smiled and said "okay." She kissed him once more and got off the bed, heading to the door. "It's really becoming inconvenient that none of my things are ever where I wake up."

Steve laughed, pulling a shirt over his head. "Why not sleep in your own bed then?" He spoke teasingly and Hecate tossed a pillow at him playfully. "My bed doesn't have Captain America in it, that's why not." Steve smiled, walking over and putting his hands on the door, Hecate between them.

"It could if you asked." Hecate, for all her confidence and bravado seemed at a loss for words. Steve kissed her gently and then banging on the door made them separate. Hecate sighed and said "who is it?" Thor said "Hecate? I did not realize that you two were- I-"

Hecate turned around and opened the door, forgetting that although she had pulled on Steve's button up, it was not, well, buttoned completely. "It's fine, Thor. I'm just leaving anyway."

Thor said "sister Hecate." Hecate said "yeah?" Questioningly and then looked down. "Ah, I see." She walked out, buttoning the shirt up as she went. Steve and Thor watched her go and Thor said "Captain. Would you like to spar with me?" Steve nodded and said "yeah just let me get dressed." Thor grinned, clapping loudly. "Wondrous!" He headed to the gym and Steve shut the door, turning to get ready.

Hecate walked into her own room which of late, had become more of a closet and library than an actual bedroom. She had started sleeping in Steve's room more and more often, the warmth of the super soldier in said room more addictive than she thought and not, as she had discovered one night after an argument, replaceable with a heated blanket and a large pillow.

She pulled out a red tank top and black shorts, pulling them on and tying her hair back in a ponytail. She went through the basics of getting ready and headed down to the lab, passing Nat on the way and hugging her good morning. Nat smiled and hugged her back, affectionate with the woman she considered her sister.

Hecate walked into the lab and said "good morning" to a tired looking Bruce. He smiled at her and Tony came around the corner, throwing her a pair of safety glasses identical to the pair he was wearing. She caught them and he said "c'mon. I need some input."

Hecate followed him around the corner and saw a silver lightening bolt like thing in a glass container. "What is that?" She asked, circling the glass. Tony bent down slightly to look at the thing and said "I was hoping you could tell me. SHIELD found it and sent it to us for analysis. Fury also asked to talk to you."

Hecate examined the thing, slipping on the safety glasses. "That sounds like a him problem." Tony looked at her pointedly and said "you have to talk to him eventually." Hecate stood up and said "the man lied to me, Tony, for years. He chipped me, for God's sake. I don't have to do jack shit."

Tony nodded, handing her an energy reader. "Fair enough. I told him you were out with Thor learning to do Goddess-y things anyway." Hecate sighed and said "thank you." Tony nodded and said "of course, Hocus. So, whaddya think?"

Hecate looked at the thing again and said "it looks like a lightening bolt." "No shit Sherlock." "Tony" she admonished "did you ask Thor?" Tony shook his head and said "thought I should talk to you first because of this that came with it."

He handed her a scroll. "A scroll? Who even-" she opened the note and paused, reading the words. "Seems it's a care package. Addressed to you." Hecate frowned and said "no one even knows who I am. Where did SHIELD find this?"

Tony said "Greece." Hecate sat down and flipped it over. "This symbol..." she traced the lightening bolt that marked the parchment. "I've seen it before somewhere." Tony looked at her intently, hoping she would remember something.

She stood up, setting down the scroll. "It must have been in a spellbook. I'll look through my books. See if I can find it." "Speaking of libraries, when are you going to move into Steve's room?" Hecate gestured to summon a piece of magical chalk.

"I don't know. I just... I guess I'm nervous, if that makes sense?" Tony said "yeah, it makes sense. Has he brought it up?" Hecate drew on the air in front of the container and said "we dance around it. We both want too, something's just holding us back."

Tony asked "communication stall?" Hecate waved her hands to complete the spell and said "yeah I guess so." Tony said "you should talk to him. He's going out of his mind worrying that you're not okay. It's annoying."

Hecate laughed and said "I'll do that. Procrastinating has always been my worst feature." Tony said "good." Hecate resumed the spell and said "it's a plan." Tony nodded and Hecate finished the spell. The magic crossed the glass and touched the lightning bolt.

The lightning bolt slammed through the glass and formed into a giant creature. It slammed Hecate to the ground and began speaking. "He comes for you. The true King of Olympus!" Hecate pushed the creature back, trapping it in a cage.

"Who sent you?" She was surprisingly calm, hand extended to keep the creature at bay. Bruce has rushed over and Tony was already wearing his suit, backing Hecate's play. "The true King of Olympus." The creature growled.

Hecate said "who is the king?" The creature seemed to laugh and said "Zeus is the true King. He is coming." Hecate suddenly seemed different. "You can tell your master that the righteous Queen of Olympus is here, and that she bows to no man."

She said "go to your master and tell him that he will never be the true King of Olympus. I banish you, beast." She raised her hand, banishing the cage. The creature disappeared and Hecate fell to the ground. "Hecate!"