Songs from Dead Tongues

by Draco's Daughter

Once upon a time, two Silver Princes met, fell in love, and were torn apart from one another by a conspiring ruler. Thousands of years later, the two Silver Princes are reunited with a single goal driving them – Revenge.

1. The Gods that Die by Our Hands

Songs from Dead Tongues
by
Draco's Daughter

Summary: Once upon a time, two Silver Princes met, fell in love, and were torn apart from one another by a conspiring ruler. Thousands of years later, the two Silver Princes are reunited with a single goal driving them – Revenge.

a.k.a. That Hellboy/ Avengers Crossover you never knew you wanted.

Pairings: Nuada/Loki, Hellboy/Liz, John Myers/OMC (more added as needed)

Warnings: M/M Content, Past MPreg, Creepy!Hel, Violence, Cursing (more added as needed)

Disclaimer: All Marvel characters and properties are (c) Marvel Studios & Disney, All Hellboy Characters are (c) Dark Horse Comics, Mike Mignola, & Guillermo del Toro. Please forgive any abuse of Norse and Irish mythology. All original characters are (c) Draco's Daughter/ Ashley Shadowheart.

-x-x-x-

Chapter One: The Gods that Die by our Hands

It was a minor set-back in the grand scheme of things. He knew when he reflected on the events of the past months that he should have planned just a little better. However, he was a god of Chaos and did have many, many allies in strange places…

The hellicarrier still needed many repairs to get it back in proper working order. They were still working on finding and repairing all of the damage that Loki's actions had caused. No one noticed the lone figure that stalked the half-dark corridors, her long, pale fingers trailing along one wall. Patterns of rust and mold blossomed wherever she touched, appearing only moments after her fingertips trailed past. She hummed a haunting, nameless tune as she walked – a lull-a-bye of darkness and death. It was the sort of tune that you heard only in your last moments, comforting and frightening all at the same time.

Workers and agents passed her as she walked, no one noticing anything other than a soft chill in the air as she walked by. She soon came to the main command area, looking around with a sweet but insane smile as she continued her slow walk, wandering around the various consuls and touching them with her black and withered right hand. No one paid her any mind as she worked her way around the large room, all absorbed in their work. She moved to stand in the center of the room at Fury's command station, there was a gentle hum as a creature of death came to stand next to her, his dead eyes unblinking.

"Show them what awaits them…" was her soft, gentle command. It ended with a girlish giggle as chaos broke out in various parts of the hellicarrier, her soldiers dutifully fulfilling their mistress's commands.

-x-x-

Loki sat in the center of his little glass prison, eyes closed in meditation. The magic dampening cuffs that encircled his wrists kept him from sending out a web of magical energy that would alert him to any changes in the hellicarrier like he had been able to do during his first imprisonment. He could not make any vocalizations due to the muzzle that covered his mouth.

His eyes opened slowly when he heard the explosion somewhere deep in the Hellicarrier. Humming softly behind his muzzle, he couldn't help but wonder what was happening this time. It wasn't a moment before the door that led to his cage opened to reveal a pair of armed and armored guards, moving to position themselves around his prison. Loki would have asked what was going on, but his muzzle prevented all that. All he could do was make a quizzical noise that went unanswered. But the guards looked tense, so Loki knew it was something interesting at least. So Loki would wait…

It didn't take long until something interesting DID happen. The door that led to Loki's prison was blown off its hinges, causing the guards to jump lightly and smoke to fill the hole that was left. Loki barely flinched, blinking as he watched the dust clear, his two guards shifting as they prepared their weapons for a fight.

"Halt! Who goes?" One of the guards yelled, watching the door. It took only a moment before a snow-white being clad in black jumped through the doorway, almost moving faster than the eye could see. The two guards began to fire at the figure, but in a whirl of a lance the guards were dispatched with a grace and finesse that Loki had not seen in years. Once the two guards lay dead on the floor, the figure stood proud, his back to Loki as he held his spear against his shoulder. Loki watched as the spear shrunk into a more manageable size and the figure of white and black sheathed his weapon on his back. Loki took in a deep breath as he realized exactly WHO this contrasting figure was as he approached the consol that held the controls of the cage. Examining it for a few moments, he pressed a single button, opening the cage door. Loki stood stock-still in the middle of his prison, daring to dream of who he was being rescued by. Once the door had slid open, his savior strode forward with a confidence brought about by long existence and damn good breeding.

"My beautiful one… what have these fools done…" his voice is as velvet smooth as the first time they met and it brings tears to Loki's eyes. At the merest hint of his voice, Loki managed to choke out a sob, the sound a mix of relief, joy, and wonderment. Swiftly, his savior approached, kneeling down in front of him. Milk-white hands reached up to caress his hair gently, soothing him. Loki couldn't help but lean towards his savior, a soft, pleased hum emerging from his throat. His scent, his touch, his energy… everything about this figure was calming and reassuring.

"I'll get this off you." Immediately, fingers just as skilled with the small, fiddly parts of dwarven mechanisms as with his weapon moved to the latch of Loki's muzzle, quickly figuring it out without even having to look at it. Loki let out a relieved sigh as the muzzle came free, the cursed contraption tossed to the side of the cage. Loki wetted his lips, looking into his savior's golden-red eyes.

"Nuada…" he breathed, the name rolling easily off his lips in a caressing tone. Nuada smiled warmly, leaning in to kiss Loki deeply as his hands moved to the cuffs, finding ways around the mechanisms to free Loki's hands as they kissed, ignoring whatever danger might be around them in the joy of their reunion. Once Loki's hands were freed, they parted, Loki leaning his forehead against Nuada's, his hands finding their way into Nuada's long white hair.

Nuada smiled lightly, petting Loki's hair and cheek in turn. "They will pay for what they've done to you… to us… will this please you, my love?"

"It pleases me to have you here with me," Loki replied, breathless. Nuada smiled as he stood, holding Loki close to him. Loki's weakness was a mix of surprise and the fact his magic had been dampened and needed time to recover. The still-fresh injuries from the Hulk's attack also caused him much physical weakness. He clung to Nuada for support, hands gripping the embossed leather chest plate.

"Loki!" Loki grimaced as he heard his brother's booming voice.

"What horrid timing…" Loki groaned as he leaned against Nuada. Nuada glared at Thor as the thunderer entered, the glare was mutual.

"Prince Nuada…" Thor stated, his voice almost a whisper of disgust as his hand grasped the handle of Mjolnir tightly. Nuada only smiled darkly at Thor, wrapping his arms around Loki.

"So sorry to de-rail your plans, Odinson, but I'll be taking back what is mine now," Nuada said, his voice velvet smooth and dangerous. The possessiveness in Nuada's voice caused chills to run down Loki's spine. Immediately, Nuada made use of the elfin magic he possessed to move them from the glass prison and the hellicarrier all together, Thor's loud cursing following them.

-X-X-

"Okay, so why weren't we informed that Loki had a hot boyfriend with access to Zombies?" Tony asked, arms crossed as he settled Thor with a light glare. The Aesir fidgeted lightly, looking up at his armored companion. Not once, but TWICE had one of Tony's "babies" been assaulted by someone in connection to Loki, this time it was some snow-white warrior with a legion of undead that refused to die. However, the Zombies had disappeared quickly after Nuada and Loki did, leaving them all to deal with a series of mechanical and technical failures that had crippled the Hellicarrier just enough to make it difficult to deal with, but able to bring it down safely so the damage could be assessed and repaired.

"Because Prince Nuada was supposed to be dead," Thor replied.

"What do you mean supposed to be dead?" Nick Fury asked, not liking this situation one bit.

"Nothing more than that, Prince Nuada Silverlance died trying to reclaim the Golden Army; he was the last son of the Bethmoora clan and heir to their throne… Loki was rather upset when we heard the news…" Thor said, biting his lip lightly in worry.

"Okay, so if he's supposed to be dead, how and why did he show up on my hellicarrier and decimate the best that Earth has to offer with a handful of half-rotted corpses?" Nick Fury retorted, watching Thor closely. Thor ran a hand through his hair, seeking the words to explain the situation the best.

"I know not… it is as strange to me as it is to you…" Thor said, the uncertainty in his voice set the whole group on edge as they watched the security footage of Loki's escape. Seeing the elf prince easily dispatch the guards and then undoing the cuffs and muzzle without problem was a slap in the face, Tony had designed them to be nigh impossible to remove by anyone who wasn't aware of their construction. Clearly, they had underestimated their opponents once again…

"Well, the obvious answer is that Snow White here is a zombie himself," Tony stated bluntly, tapping his chin in thought. Everyone settled him with a look. "What? It fits!"

"Your theory might hold water if Nuada was like the others… they had no heat signatures, Nuada did," Natasha stated, pulling a set of data over from one of Tony's many floating screens that proved her point.

"That still doesn't explain how any of these… things… got here in the first place. I mean, they and the Prince did just appear out of no-where all of a sudden, no warning… and the equipment failures, too," Steve mentioned, looking to where many of the consoles were being repaired thanks to electrical failures. They were finding many wires that had somehow rotted from the inside-out and now needed replacing.

"There are also large sections of the hull that are damaged in odd ways. Rust patterns that shouldn't be there. All of this stuff is brand-new; there shouldn't be a speck of rust anywhere. And the mold, how the hell does mold form on metal in a relatively dry environment?" Natasha added.

"All of this seems to be adding up to one conclusion," Thor stated, looking up with a look of realization on his face. Looking around the room, he spoke in his loud, commanding voice. "Hel! I know your handiwork, show yourself!"

At his words, the group could hear a soft, dark laugh. All heads turned to a shadowy corner of the room where they could see a small figure, no larger than a seven year old child. Her long raven-black hair fell in waves down past her waist and her dress called to mind archaic burial shrouds. But the most frightening thing about her was the fact the entirety of her right side was decayed and rotting, and her left side was entirely normal, even if her skin was the same shade of milk-white as Nuada's.

"Uncle… I did wonder how long it would take you to come to your senses and realize I was here," she stated, her voice airy and light as if she didn't have a care in the world.

"What is your game this time, Hel? Speak now and speak true," Thor said, drawing himself up to his full height.

"Woah woah woah… are we talking THE Hel here? As in Hel, Queen of Nifelheim, realm of the dead?" Tony said, blinking in surprise.

"Indeed you are speaking with Hel Lokajardottir," the little girl stated with a giggle, walking out of the shadows. "Or is it Hel Nuadadottir? I'm not really sure… Either way, I miss my Merchant of Death, Tony Stark… you used to send me so many playmates…"

Tony looked absolutely shocked that a goddess would know who he was and actually admit to being a fan. He wasn't sure if he should take it as a compliment or be extremely creeped out and disturbed by her comment. It certainly shut him up for a good five minutes. However, Thor took charge again, placing himself between Hel and his companions, not knowing what she would do.

"Hel, stop this nonsense immediately. Why would you release someone from your charge and send them here with your warriors?" Thor questioned. Hel settled him with a dark look, her mis-matched eyes harsh and unforgiving.

"Because it is high time I take from you what you and Odin took from me, dear uncle. My father, my mother, my childhood, my brothers… everything," Hel said, her tone becoming much darker.

"So you would willingly allow Ragnarok?" Thor asked, adjusting his grip on Mjolnir. However, it would do him no good to attack Hel. As the Queen of the Dead it was impossible for her to die, and one touch from her decayed right hand could kill even an Aesir.

"I would burn all of the Nine Realms to the ground in order to have my revenge," Hel stated, smiling. Her half-skeletal smile was so very unnerving. It spoke of death and destruction and pure glee at the thought of it all.

"So be it then, Hel… just remember, you brought this fight down upon yourself," Thor stated. Hel could only laugh as she dissolved into mist and dissipated.

"You cannot kill that which is already dead, dear Uncle," Her words and laughter echoed long after she disappeared. Thor's grip on Mjolnir didn't waver, his eyes closing as a thousand painful memories flooded back to him at seeing his niece again.

"Sounds like you have one hell of a story to tell us, Thor Odinson," Nick Fury said. Thor sighed heavily, Hel's revelation of what she had done in reviving Prince Nuada weighed heavily on his shoulders, especially when one took into consideration what she was ready to bring down upon their heads in order to get revenge.

Never before had Hel shirked her duty of keeping the realm of the dead under control. She had power over life and death, the ability to end and preserve. However, very rarely had she ever truly brought someone back from complete and total death. She really wasn't supposed to do that, what was dead was supposed to stay dead.

"It is a very long tale that even I am not totally sure of, but I shall do my best," Thor said, finally turning to look at Fury and his fellow Avengers, all with curious faces.

"Take your time in gathering your thoughts. I've got a phone call to make, if Nuada's back we're going to want to let the B.P.R.D. know," Fury said, turning on his heel and walking away.

-x-x-

Nuada had transported them to one of his many hide-outs carved out of the secret places in the world. They were all small, not the elaborate palaces that the Prince had once been privy to. They kept his opponents guessing and ensured that he was always difficult to find, blending in with lower-born monsters who cared little for rank or status, but were more interested in keeping a quiet, low profile. Loki clung to Nuada, weak and boneless. It was a weakness he would never show anyone else, because everyone else would use it as a tool against him. Not Nuada, Nuada was all gentle hands and whispered comfort as he moved to settle Loki down on a soft pallet of fur close to the small fire pit.

"Let me get a fire going," Nuada said softly, detangling Loki's arms from around his neck, pressing a gentle kiss to Loki's temple. Loki lightly shook his head, trying to cling to Nuada, to pull him down onto the pallet with him. Nuada chuckled gently, placing additional kisses to Loki's skin. "I won't even have to leave the cave, hush."

Loki finally relented, relaxing back to watch Nuada as he busied himself with moving to hidden compartments and chests, pulling out dry tinder and wood to prepare a small fire to warm them. He did not take his eyes off of the Elfin prince, the last time they had been together had been several weeks before Thor's failed coronation. Nuada had confided in him about how he had finally managed to track down the long-lost piece of the Crown of Bethmoora that had been given to the humans, how he planned to move to take it back and then summon the Golden Army. Within a week he was dead.

Loki had not been able to mourn publicly due to Odin's declaration that Nuada was a traitor, an oath-breaker, and a war-monger. He was effectively demonized in Asgard, so Loki had to take his mourning of his beloved behind closed doors, which may or may not have played a part in his decision to ruin Thor's coronation.

"How?" Loki asked, his voice small and subdued. Nuada smiled lightly as he quickly coaxed their fire into life.

"Having Hel for a daughter certainly has some small perks," Nuada said, looking back at Loki with nothing but love in his eyes. Tonight was their reunion, tomorrow was for revenge. Once the flames were providing suitable warmth, Nuada sat down next to Loki, hands gently touching the wounds on his face from the Hulk. Healing, green magick emerged from Nuada's fingertips, causing the cuts and bruises on Loki's face to face away. Loki leaned into Nuada's touch, sighing in a contented manner as he was healed. Elfin magick was so very different from Aesir magick, it came from an entirely different place with an entirely different feel. It flowed better over Loki, healing him quicker. He one thought that Nuada had a better grasp on the healing arts, but he now knew it had more to do with the fact that Jotun magick and Elfin magick were highly similar the two natural energies blending better than Aesir and Jotun.

"Rest your weary form, my Love, we can discuss more on the 'morrow," Nuada whispered softly. Loki nodded, too tired and overwhelmed with the events of the past few days to even think of protesting. He relaxed close to Nuada as the pair settled down on the furs, in a few moments Loki's eyes closed and he quickly found himself falling into a deep, untroubled sleep.

-x-x-x-x-