Avengers: The Goddess of Magic

Chapter 3: Fear

They rushed Hecate home, worry spreading through them all like wildfire through brush. Hecate, inside the suit, tried to take deep breaths and basically anything but panicking. Clint stepped away, worry eating at him. Hecate was strong, they all knew that, and the body she had created could be immune to the disease, but it was unlikely.

Steve stayed by the suit, desperate to protect Hecate, but unsure of how to do it. Hecate said "Steve. You need to know-" Steve took the cold metal hand of the suit and said "I know." Tears pooled in Hecate's eyes, spilling over. She felt fear beyond what she had felt before.

Facing the Titans, being tortured by her brothers and then the scientists, losing her father figure, nothing compared to this fear. She had defeated the Titans, escaped her brothers and the scientists, lived through her grief. This disease, however, had killed her. The one thing that she couldn't defeat, because it was back.

They arrived back at the tower and the suit left Hecate. Steve carried her to the medical floor, insisting that she save her strength in case the disease was back. Clint quietly said "we'll stay with you." Hecate smiled, tears once again pooling in her eyes as she said "thank you."

Tony stayed by her side as Bruce worked, setting her up. She said "this disease is slow acting. It won't reveal itself fully until it's too late to treat. It was my brothers' fail safe in case I ever escaped their grasp."

Thor said "I will go to Asgard and retrieve healers. Mayhap they will know how to treat this disease." He kissed her forehead. "Do not lose faith, sister Hecate." She smiled and said "how could I with my family all around me?"

Steve gripped her hand harder, wishing that he could take the disease for her. Natasha silently took her other hand and Tony said "do you feel bad?" Hecate shook her head and said "the disease is symptomless for a millennium."

Clint said "can you do another body jump?" Hecate shook her head and said "firstly, it's not a body jump. I didn't go into someone else's body, I created an entirely new body. The spell was single use." Tony sighed and said "we'll figure this out Hocus. I'm running tests now."

Hecate said "we don't even know if I have it yet." Bruce spoke up then, holding a sheet of paper. "There's nothing unusual in your system. Is there anything specific to look for?" Hecate said "I remember Hermes saying that I had DNA just... missing. The disease was basically tearing me apart bit by bit."

Tony said "I can test that. Give me your blood and ten minutes. I can compare it to the sample you gave me on the helicarrier." Hecate grabbed the sword from the nearby table and sliced her arm. She let the blood drip into a test tube she summoned, letting Clint fuss over the cut, bandaging it up.

Tony took it and walked away quickly, going to examine it. Steve said "it just... deletes you?" Hecate nodded and said "it started with my immune system and kept going until only my memories were left. I did the body jump when I started to lose that too."

Steve said "you lost your memories?" Hecate nodded and said "sort of. When it began, I put all of my memories into my sword." Steve smiled "so that when you touched it again it would restore your memories." Hecate shook her head and said "I hadn't thought of the transfer yet. I was dying and knew that the new ruler would need guidance I was meant to provide."

Tony came back over, interrupting before Steve could respond and said "all of your DNA is intact. We'll keep monitoring you, though." Hecate sighed in relief, closing her eyes. "Now, of course," Tony said "we have to figure out what to do about Zeus. Who's coming here with the intent of murdering you."

Hecate tossed her hair, magic cackling across her skin in anger. "The last time my brother fought me not only did he have Poseidon and Hades on his side, I was also weakened from fighting the Titans. This time it will be a fair fight."

Bruce said "we'll back your play." Hecate smiled and said "thank you." She brushed her hair out of her face, eyes shifting to a worried blue. "When I left Olympus, Zeus was still locked away. I was a god then, with very little mercy. I treated him exactly as he treated me. How did he gain enough power to send me that message?"