Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

A/N: This chapter just didn't want to be finished and it was driving me crazy. But anyway good news everyone! The epilogue is coming soon!

Warning: Character Death.

"-thousands are left homeless after an earthquake-"

"-worst forest fire in history has now spread-"

"-deadly mudslides in-"

"-a cyclone has wiped out-"

"-only a matter of time before the volcano-"

"-have been working nonstop trying to find and answer to the recent natural disasters."

Sam turns off the news and tries to calm his breathing. He feels useless sitting in the bunker safe from the raging storms outside. The innocent lives being destroyed makes him angry. Mayhem is tearing the world apart and their only hope is in a coma.

Thinking of the god makes Sam scowl. Loki took away their mortality without their consent. The fact that the hunters don't need to consume something like demon blood to work their magic is only a small comfort.

He sighs before standing to double check the archives for anything useful.

~~0O0~~

Dean checks on the sleeping god. He's been asleep for so long, longer than the time he fell through the stars, there is little hope he'll wake again. The hunter frowns when he realizes all the wounds have healed except for the burn on the tricksters chest. Loki is deathly pale but the skin surrounding the wound is blue.

The Winchester places his hand at the edge of the bruised skin and tries to push the power thrumming under his fingertips. It's not enough and he stops when a wave of dizziness causes him to lose balance. He still isn't sure what his powers entail without Loki to explain how to use them. He rises in defeat to leave but stops when a cold hand wraps itself around his wrist. He stares down in shock at a pair of blood red eyes.

"I believe you have some questions, Dean."

The hunter swallows the lump in his throat, "You're awake."

"Yes, there are few things in this universe that can keep me in a state of unconsciousness. This," he waves at his chest, "is one of them."

"Uh, yeah. Questions?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Dean is unsuccessful at keeping the anger out of his voice.

"Would you prefer to have died at the battle? Would it have been better to leave you and your brother to be torn and-"

"Then why didn't you warn us? Why didn't you prepare us?" Dean's hands begin to hum and the furniture around him cracks. He feels his emotions roil and his voice gain volume. "My god, Loki, why didn't you say something to the Avengers or-or Gabriel!"

Loki rolls his eyes, "The Avengers would have taken me away to Asgard and left this planet at the mercy of those creatures. Gabriel would have left to stop them on his own."

"Gabe wouldn't have-"

"Yes, he would," Loki's eyes flicker green briefly before turning red again, "I would have done the same if the roles had been reversed."

"And us?"

The trickster moves to sit up. "You were mortals. If the angels and myself had failed then you Winchesters would have been humankind's only hope."

Dean leans close, "We don't need magic. Make us human again."

"Ah," Loki looks away, "that is impossible I'm afraid."

"Come again?"

"It's very complex and removing it will kill you. This is in your blood and bones and you must live with it until your final death."

It takes strength to not cause a tornado in the small room. It takes a considerable amount of restraint not to lunge at the smiling trickster and beat him bloody.

"No, this is bullshit and you know it! Tell us how to get rid of it!"

"Dean, I am the God of Lies but this is the truth." The god moves to stand even as his wound throbs painfully. He stands before the angry Winchester, warily placing a hand on his shoulder. "What do you feel?"

Dean opens his moth to make a cutting remark for the trickster to keep his hands off and get to work. Instead, he stares in alarm as a wave of cold magic flows throughout his body. He recognizes this as the magic he and Sam used while fighting the aliens.

"What?"

"I poured so much of myself into the spell that we are practically related."

~~0O0~~

Sam frowns at the smoking hole in the wall. He's almost tempted to pull out bitch face 'are you serious?' at Dean. Instead he takes stock of the minor damage on the furniture and is glad they hadn't been set on fire, too. However, when he sees the empty bed he gives the older hunter a double whammy of 'what did you do?' and 'you're going to look for him.'

Dean isn't even fazed and continues babbling about 'Lokisons' and 'demi-gods' while Sam tries to catch up.

~~0O0~~

Loki sits beneath a tree covered in flowers trying to meditate. Listening to the older Winchester rant and rave had not been pleasant. Especially when said Winchester lost control of his powers and broke a wall. Luckily, the god left before Sam made an appearance and now he is enjoying the last rays of sunlight.

"You called him son? That's just evil."

The god jumps when the voice interrupts the silence. He almost stops breathing and slowly turns to face the speaker. He jerks away before standing to clasp the worn jacket. "Are you real?"

Gabriel smiles sadly, "No, not really. You watched me die and burned my body remember?"

"Then why do you feel so real? Why are-" Loki stops when he embraces the angel. He ends up falling forward when the other disappears into nothing. The voice whispers, "Because you want me to be real."

~~0O0~~

Hours pass but Loki doesn't return to the bunker. He's too torn with grief that he can't make himself stand.

"You idjit."

The god almost chokes and does a double take, "Bobby?"

"You just can't stay outta trouble."

"Bobby, are you really here?"

"Maybe."

"I don't... understand. Am I losing my mind?"

The specter chuckles, sitting next to the wide eyed god. It adjusts the truckers hat on its head, smiling, "Boy, you lost it years ago when you joined us."

Loki shakes his head in hopes of clearing his mind.

"Why don't you head back? Tell them what you did."

"I can't," the trickster whispers in horror, "they would never forgive me."

"Probably. Not like they're goin' to forgive you now anyway."

"I fear it would be far worse for them to know I tricked them into eating the enchanted flesh of their youngest brother. Or that I had them drink the grounded bones mixed with my blood."

The phantom sighs, "I guess but you freed Adam's soul. You saved him."

"They won't see it that way."

The phantom stares, eyes searching Loki's in the stretch of silence. Loki tries his best not to fidget under the calculating gaze. "You don't have to fight it you know."

"Are you a reaper then? Is that it? Are you here to make my passing easier?"

It laughs out loud and appears before the trickster. "I think you and I know I ain't a reaper."

"But you aren't real," Loki says through clenched teeth, "You aren't Bobby."

"If it's the face that's botherin' you," in a flicker the voice and face change, "Would you prefer me, brother?"

Loki kicks in outrage believing the imposter would be knocked away. The phantom wearing Thor's face smiles widely.

"Loki."

"Stop it."

"Loki, do not be angry."

"I SAID STOP IT!"

~~0O0~~

It walks beside him wearing Gabriel's face. Under the canopy of trees they trek farther away from the Winchesters and into the wildness. Loki doesn't have the energy to yell or attack it like the fake Thor. The madness is almost comforting with a familiar face around.

"Why do you follow me?"

"You need me." It grins and bumps him lightly. "I mean come on we've been walking in circles! We've passed that rock at least three times already."

Loki shuts his eyes, 'He is not real.'

"I'm real to an extent."

"No, I'm just delirious and losing my sanity."

The god stops walking when he realizes the other isn't following. He turns and sees the phantom wearing a curious expression. "I don't think so. You seem pretty sane to me."

Loki stalks forward, shouting, "Why are you following me! Why are you here!"

A serious expression came over the specters face. "Some choices are harder than others. You're avoiding a decision that will affect everything in this world and you're using me to procrastinate. Did you really think nothing would happen once the Grace of your other got burned out of you?"

"I am healing."

"Loki, be honest. You know clinging will only make it painful."

"I am healing."

"You're falling for your own lies."

The god slams a fistful of magic into the phantom only for it to go right through it. He whirls around searching for any sign of where it could have gone. He stops in surprise when he sees himself sitting in a meditative pose under a blooming tree.

"You see? You aren't even awake. All this? It's all in your head."

Loki feels his eyes water as he stares at himself. The other Loki doesn't look remotely healthy and blue streaks spread faster over visible skin. He screams in frustration but the other stays still as if nothing is happening.

"I know this is hard to process but it'll be okay. I'll stay with you every step of the way. After all I am you, right?"

The phantom changes faces again and Loki sees his own green eyes staring back. It tugs his hand slightly and together they walk towards the sleeping god.

~~0O0~~

"Dean! Over here!"

The hunters watch the god before Dean growls, "Loki."

No response.

"Loki!"

No response.

"I know you can hear me you son of a-!"

"Dean!"

Sam makes a cutting motion before kneeling next to the cross legged trickster. He touches the skin tentatively and continues when there's no reaction. He presses harder searching for a pulse on the scarred blue neck. He checks for any signs of life but it's useless.

Loki's life force and magic is gone.

"Goddamnit," Dean mutters behind him.