Avengers: The Goddess of Magic

Chapter 10: Healing

After about 2 minutes of glowing she floated gently to the ground, taking a deep breath that rattled her lungs. She spoke then, her voice still raspy. "I've healed myself. Well, enough for what needs to be done."

She winced as she sat up, sucking in another breath. Peter was there almost immediately, wrapping his arms awkwardly around her and pulling her against his side. "You shouldn't move." Della laughed, adjusting as well as she could.

"Don't worry about me, I've died about a thousand times and honesty, this isn't that painful." Tony interrupted "a thousand times?!" Della nodded and said "when I got my magic, when I was chosen, I died the death of every witch before me."

"Anyway," she continued, brushing off what she had said, "we need two other spell casters, and although you may not like it, we need Loki. The other two have to come from other realms because I'm the only one left on this earth."

"Loki" Steve said, drawing back. Della coughed and said "listen, I know it's a long shot, but I learned from the older witches that I might be able to control him. Either that or I could just paralyze him until we need him."

"Okay," Tony said "you can do magic, heal yourself, paralyze people, and vanish into thin air. What can't you do?" Della stood, waving Peter off when he moved to support her. "Calculus."

Clint chuckled and said "I like her." Della smiled and said "anyway. We have to get to Olympus. The spell to the gateway is in Morganna's library. Can I get access to it, please?"

Steve nodded and said "of course." Natasha spoke up then, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. "You might want to take a shower and change first." Della looked down at herself, her tattered clothes and bloody skin. "Maybe."

Just then, Paul began to stir in the corner, waking up to shout extremities at them. Della whipped around then, raising her arms. Paul was lifted into the air, light surrounding him up to his shoulders.

The light died away to reveal tree branches wrapped around his body. "You should know better than to attack a witch in a forest, dad." She walked forwards, ripping the sleeve of her tattered shirt all the way off, revealing her marks.

"You tried to cut these out of my body. Why? I think they're quite stunning. But then again, I'm a sinner, aren't I?" Paul groaned out "I can still fix you!" Della shut her eyes in pain and Cap stepped forwards, putting a hand on her shoulder. "She's not broken."

Clint called out from where he was standing beside Natasha, "if you don't mind, I have a feeling you're never going to see her again." Tony chipped in. "Already got lawyers on it. Custody should be resolved by midnight."

Della spoke then, her voice low and soft. "I loved you, dad, trusted you, but when I was attacked, rather than defend myself I... I could've killed that alien in half a second. I didn't. Think about why that is."

She waved her hand and the tree fell away, leaving him standing unharmed. "Someday, I hope you'll accept me, maybe even be my father again, but that day won't be today, and certainly may never come."

She walked out quickly, Peter following closely behind her, guiding her to the quinjet waiting outside. Paul finally spoke, addressing Steve "you can't take my daughter!" "Actually," Tony said, stepping forwards to show him legal documents on his phone screen. "I just did. All she has to do is sign on the dotted line. Somehow I don't think that'll be too much of an issue."

"Don't worry," Steve said "we'll do what you didn't." Natasha spoke up then as they moved towards the door "by the way, your car won't start. Have fun getting back to the city." They headed out to the quinjet and boarded, Tony sliding into the pilots chair.

Della was sitting on the floor, Peter by her side. She looked distant, barely seeming to be aware of what was happening around her. Clint walked over to her, tapping Peter's shoulder gently. "Let me talk to her, kid."

Peter nodded, murmuring to Della that he'd be with Tony if she needed him. She barely hummed, acknowledging that she heard him. Clint lowered himself to sit beside her, placing his bow on the ground. "So, what did you mean when you said you could've killed that Chitauri but didn't?"

Della spoke, opening her palm, a flower growing in the center. "By blood, I'm an earth witch, it's my go to magic." The flower froze under her watchful eye, melting and burning just as quickly. "But I'm the chosen witch. I have the power of every witch to ever walk the earth. One puny alien would've been easy for me. I am destined to kill Hecate, avenge my sisters and save Morganna."

"Impressive" Clint said as she put her hand down again, her gaze returning to the floor. "You didn't answer my question though." Della chuckled softly, pulling at the edges of the blanket Peter had given her. "No, I didn't."

Clint nodded and said "I've been there. Weakness, not wanting to talk about it. Doesn't work out the way you want it too. Better just to spit it out." Della looked at him for the first time, exhaustion clear in her eyes as well as wisdom well beyond her years.

"I saw her." They all turned and Della continued, voice raspy. "Morgan. When I passed out, I ascended to the spirit plane and found her spirit. I talked to her. She said not to give up hope and that Hecate had been in control for longer than you thought. Longer than you could've known, that she revealed herself for a specific reason."

Natasha asked "why?" Della sighed and said "you were closing in on her is my guess, did something happen before all of this?" Tony cursed. "The scroll. It was a message from Zeus. That he was coming for her, to reclaim his throne."

Della shot up, "Zeus is back?? You didn't think to tell me?!" She groaned, mumbling under her breath. "That's why she revealed herself, of course! We have to get to Olympus- oh wait." She smiled and said "we can use this." 

Steve frowned, his eyebrows furrowing. "What?" Della shrugged the blanket off of her shoulders, draping it over one of the seats beside her. "Well, Hecate is the goddess of witches, the titan slayer. She'll win, hands down."

"You're sure?" Thor asked, "he was- is the king of Gods. Ruler of the skies, although Hecate beat him once before and won, she has deteriorated since then, that disease-" "About that," Tony said, putting the plane in autopilot and standing up. 

"She swiped the cure from our lab." Bruce nodded, stepping forwards from Natasha's side. "She broke in and took it. She knew we were working on because based on when she must have taken control, she helped develop the damn thing."

Steve crossed his arms and said "so she's unstoppable." Della laughed "not exactly, not to sound vain, but you have me. All we have to do is wait until the war between Zeus and Hecate passes. Hecate will be weaker and I can infiltrate her mind and kick her out."

"Just like that?" Tony asked, quirking an eyebrow. A sharklike grin crossed Della's face. "It's the headlines version, but just like that, yes. Now, can I please take a shower and change because I think this shirt is about to completely fall apart."