Echoes and Airwaves
A Supernatural/Avengers Crossover
Post Avengers, Post Supernatural S7:23.
"No, I'm perfectly sane. But then, ninety-four percent of psychotics think they're perfectly sane. So I guess we have to ask ourselves; what is sane?" - Castiel, 8.2
"The sky bleeds, the ground quakes. It's cosmic. No demon can swing that. Not Lilith, not anybody." - Ruby, 4.1
Loki had lost. His army lay dead, his person violated by a dull-witted berserker, and once again Thor was victorious and being lauded by the masses. It a little depressing, but at least he'd wrought significant enough damage that sweeping his actions away as mere 'tricks' would be impossible. 'Twas not Mischief, but Mayhem as his ever-growing body count continued to rise with every corpse dug out of the war zone.
For sickly shining moment, Loki wondered if he would have made Laufey proud in a way that Odin never was.
But I don't have a Father. None that would claim me, or I them.
Thor's expression was stony, as they entered the park. Surrounded by flowering trees and birdsong, chattering rodents, it was hard to imagine that just beyond the lines lay the bloated bodies of the Chitauri's living transports. Loki rolled his eyes as Asgard's heir apparent shoved Stark and Banner's pathetic little capsule -as rushed and ad hoc as it had been Selvig's remained superior- at him. Loki took the handle and felt the fluctuating energies of the Tesseract flicker against the damping effect of the manacles.
…fluctuating? Loki forced his thoughts from his own failures and probable execution to the cube of cosmic energies. Every few seconds a ripple would pulse over the multidimensional surfaces, and the pulses were increasing in a not unfamiliar frequency.
Loki's eyes flicked to the one who once would have claimed to be his brother, to tell him, Wait, something is wrong but the muzzle prevented all sound, any whispered seidr, from leaving his mouth. Thor turned the handle on the Midgardian contraption, forcing the Tesseract's hand.
Everywhere.
They were everywhere. Dropping out of the sky like possessed comets, the legions of Leviathan circled with taunts, teeth sharp and wide and hungry. Theses were not those that died, but those locked away by Father. More physical than any werewolf, vampire, or naga that had died and awoken in Purgatory, after millions upon billions of years in isolation, feeding and breeding on each other they Hungered. And Castiel's human vessel was just physical enough to eat, with Grace leaking from the many cuts and bruises from a year of almost non-stop battle like an invitation to an all-you-can-eat-buffet.
"Oooooh." A voice like a snake called as Castiel skidded to a stop at a small cliff. "Itsy-bitsy angel fell down the mountainside. Down came the Leeeeevis and ate the angel out! Up came the sun, and dried up all the blood… and then all the Levi's ate the Cass again!"
Blue-grey eyes peered over the edge to see several gaping mouths ready and waiting.
"We missed you, sweet thang." Another said, an impossible southern drawl stretched as his jaw unhinged to reveal row upon row of sharp teeth. "Not nice, to dine and dash like that… after all we did for you… little sister."
Dean was gone, hopefully had made it through the portal and back to earth. Castiel had successfully lured the Leviathans away from him. She'd done her best. She was tired. More were coming.
A big-mouth lunged, but Castiel was small and quick and ducked under and between his legs. She took advantage of the brief cessation of aerial bombardment and spread her wings.
Navigating Purgatory was nothing like traveling the heavens, or even transporting her vessel around earth. It was like being a boat at sea during a storm, and the tumultuous waters were made even worse by the many enemies that shot through her flight path like cannonballs of entropy.
"You're going to die." Lucifer's voice echoed through the non-corporeal plane, the near sentient madness using Castiel's panic as a foothold. "Again. Do you think Daddy will bother bringing you back? I mean, you just keep fucking up. Third time was clearly not the charm."
Castiel stumbled, splashing into a stream, and glared at the shade. "Shut. Up."
"Why? You can't get out. You're stuck here. Dean *left* you behind. Dropped like a hot potato. Might as well give up. Let 'um eat ya. Might be quick! Sammy's head was sooo much more interesting."
Castiel shook her head, shivering even as taken memories of her skin roasting off her skeleton became so strong she could smell the pork. She trudged toward the bank, water-logged coat dragging her down.
"Hello." A pair of cold, clammy hands wrapped around her ankles. Castiel had just enough time to identify the elongated head as belonging to a Kelpie before the aquatic equine pulled her deep. Castiel twisted, bubbles flying from her mouth as the monster expertly wrestled the small angel and tied her in her own clothing. Dull teeth bit down, breaking bone, and in a desperate move Cas shifted back to the other plane. Her clothing ripped, and her wings tore under the force of the starved Kelpie's rage at her prey slipping form her fingers.
Buffeted by Purgatory's gale, Castiel flew. Leviathans snapped up her scent. Harpies screeched at her passage. Hostiles were Everywhere. This was to be her existence, for as long as that existence continued.
Maybe it was a punishment for trying to take Father's place.
She'd failed. Whatever the test had been, Castiel had failed it.
Had she been corporeal and not mid-flight, the wail that escaped Castiel's mouth would have shattered glass and cracked earth.
Lucifer was at her ear. "Blasphemer. Traitor. Kinslayer."
Castiel's grace flagged. She would need to reform soon, or risk permanent damage to her vessel, and the Leviathans were catching up…
Something like Grace flickered ahead. It was dim, hidden in a high tree -but Castiel had heard rumors, before, or portals that lead from Purgatory to Hell if one was of a mind to find them- but there was a certain dulled familiarity to the energy wavelength. It felt like home.
Could there be another angel here, hiding?
"Going to kill him, too?" Lucifer asked, curious.
"No." Castiel whispered, girl-small fingers reaching for that shining, flickering blue light that grew more familiar the closer she came. She knew who it was. Dean said he'd died. "But maybe he'll kill me."
Castiel screamed as the blue swallowed her, pushing from one plane to the next like meat going through a grinder.
Loki hadn't quite expected the reception that waited for them. No doubt Heimdall had alerted Odin that Thor was returning, for once the two rematerialized on the still-broken BiFrost an entire contingent of guards awaited them. Waiting on a pedestal were even more shackles, a collar with matching manacles for hands and feet. It was a compliment; the best he ever received.
Some did battle, others did tricks.
Loki did both and thus he was doubly dangerous.
And it seemed that Odin, at least, could recognize the warning signs the Tesseract was giving off. His good eye crinkled as the guards stepped forward to take Loki from the Thunderer and put the newly made chains in place, but as he rushed forward the ceremony was disrupted.
"Thor, quickly, give me the Tessa-"
Too late, the Cube shone like a small sun, and with a roar energy exploded outward knocking everyone off their feet. It was only by hastily grabbing the handle of Thor's immovable hammer that Loki wasn't blasted back into the Void, this time without access to magic to save him. Several of the decorative soldiers Odin had brought out were themselves cast into the Black, unable to keep their footing.
"By the nine-!"
The Tessaract as it had been was no more. Surrounded by the remains of the Midgardian device and shards of dying Cube was a naked girl-child. She was wet as though covered in birthing fluids, and battered wings of energy fluttered in and out of sight at her back. Tired eyes glowed with the cerulean, cosmic power of the now missing Tessaract. Selvig had referred to the thing as a her. Her blonde head turned, birdlike, taking in Asgard and her people.
She froze when she saw him, confused face blanking. What left her lips was a whisper, but in the silence left by her entrance all could hear the word, "Brother?"
Loki didn't know why she said it, but he could see the way she looked at his chains, his muzzle, at the armored and bristling warriors around them.
Her next word was spit as she stood on colt-like shaking legs. "Pagans."
That little chest heaved as Odin slowly advanced on the girl, eye narrowed as energy gathered around the King's hand. The girl's expression remained composed, but then she spun on her heal and ran. And crashed into Loki, wrapping her arms around his waist and sending them both over the edge…
Loki's blood rushed in his ears.
Not again, no, no, not again please….!
"No!" Thor yelled, grasping at air as his brother and the girl disappeared over the edge of the not-yet-rebuilt BiFrost like he did in so many nightmares. "Loki!"
Thor watched, disbelief and despair thick, his Father once again at his side as they watched Loki fall… but then portal-like energy crackled, and Loki vanished. The strange girl that looked upon the Trickster with wonder and called him brother with him.