AUTHOR'S NOTE:

...I have no excuse...

P.S. This goes back a little ways into chapter 17. Might want to reread that since... you know... its been almost a year since I've updated.

Nimueh stared down coldly at the limp body in front of her. Merlin was sprawled across the dirt, partially slumped on the wooden wall. The skin on the back of his neck was red. The red splotch stood out strongly against his pale skin and black hair.

Nimueh rubbed her arms, chilled. That spell had taken a lot out of her. She still had the strength for another spell, though. She usually did. Nimueh had been the gatekeeper of Avalon, after all. The witch muttered a spell under her breath. Merlin's body dragged across the dirt, following Nimueh's quick steps.

Nimueh stepped into the hovel that she and her companions had been calling home for the past half year or so. Nimueh clicked her fingers. A chair appeared out of the air, a pair of handcuffs clanking onto the ground next to it. Another click and Merlin was slumping in the chair, handcuffs snapping shut.

The demigod Loki raised an eyebrow at the unconscious figure in the chair. "This is the one that causes so much trouble?" he sniffed. "He's pathetic."

Morgana glanced over Merlin. Dirt covered his clothes and smeared over his face. There were twigs caught in his hair. The back of his neck was bright red, almost the color of the silly bandana he wore around his neck.

Pain welled up in Morgana's chest, squeezing her hard. She had loved Merlin once. Whether it was romantic or sisterly, she couldn't say. Then he had betrayed her, lying time and again. It had been far too long. Time had dulled Morgana's feelings, but pain was always the most easily recalled.

"You administered the poison?" Morgana asked Nimueh, not bothering to look at her.

A scoff from Nimueh. "Of course," she said coldly, voice smooth. "He would kill himself trying to touch his magic, even if he does wake up. Please do remember that this venom is completely untested, and the only reason we put it into use now was to ensure that Merlin stays subdued until we kill him. Which is something we should do now, before he wakes."

Morgana shook her head. "I want to speak with him one last time."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Why must you feed your pride and lust for revenge in such a way as this?"

"He destroyed me, and everything that I loved," Morgana snapped, eyes wild. "He stole everything that was rightfully mine. I want to make sure he knows how he ripped me in two. Then I want to return the favor."

"Fine, fine," Loki snapped, waving a hand dismissively. "Do whatever you wish. It is no concern of mine, as long as you fulfill your end of the bargain."

"The Avengers will be no trouble," Morgana told Loki, turning to stare him in the eyes. "As long as we face them separately, they will not be able to stand against us."

Nimueh nodded silently. She had studied the Avengers, as they called themselves, for many months, observing their tactics, and their friendship with Merlin. Birds, the common pigeon especially, were her spies in the sprawling metropolis were the Avengers dwelt. The pigeons, while hardly capable of communicating, were seen everywhere, and as such, went unnoticed in the espionage department.

Nimueh leaned in front of Merlin, inspecting him closely. Even in sleep, his features were tense, a result of the thick, metallic poison now coursing through his magic-infused veins.

The poison was Nimueh's brain child. After observing the way vibranium had affected Merlin's magic, she had convinced Loki and Morgana to acquire a large sample. She had conducted multiple experiments, and finally had succeeded in creating a thick, metallic goo.

The poison was designed to linger in the bloodstream, spreading throughout the body, and cutting off any attempts at using magic. The vibranium mixture wasn't poisonous, per say, although in a powerful sorcerer's case, such as Merlin, it was probable that after a while, the blocking of magic could kill him.

Honestly, Nimueh didn't even care about the team that called themselves Avengers. She didn't care all that much about world domination, either. At the moment, anyway. All she cared about was revenge on Merlin. But Loki had insisted that the Avengers would be determined to live up to their name.

If they couldn't save their friends, they would definitely be sure to avenge them.

Loki studied his companions and their prisoner. The two women were curious creatures. He had heard their cries of hatred and desperation for revenge from the underworld. He had been intrigued by the power that flowed through them. Many sorcerers from ages past had only a fraction of their power and determination.

And an idea had sprung into Loki's head.

In the form of Odin, the All-Father, he had visited the goddess of the dead, Hel, and ordered her to return the two sorceresses to life. Bringing someone so long dead back to life was impossible, Hel had informed Loki.

Loki had turned to leave.

But, Hel had continued, a wicked gleam in her dark eyes, there was a way to gain the desired outcome.

Loki had smiled, the vicious smirk looking out of place on the All-Father's face. She knows, Loki had thought. She knows who I am and yet she does not care. But I should have guessed. Hel is a goddess of death and destruction.

Hel had carefully explained that she could bring the sorceresses back to life, but only a half-life, one that needed a continual well of magic to draw energy from, to replace their scattered, non-existent life force.

To a power such as Loki, that was no trouble.

And it wasn't, even though the continual draw on his magic was annoying, and exhausting, at times. His powers were limited, even though to any human sorcerer, they were still more than formidable.

Now Loki turned his attention to the pale man clipped by vibranium cuffs to the chair. Merlin, according to Nimueh and Morgana. A great power, supposedly. He didn't look like much now, sweaty, head drooping.

Humans were such fragile, weak creatures.

It took Merlin nearly seven hours to awaken. His eyes fluttered slowly open, blinking in the dim light.

He could hear voices. Angry voices. Angry, familiar, voices. Merlin's tongue suddenly went dry. Something was wrong. So, so wrong.

The feeling, nausea and giddiness fighting for attention in his brain, was so horrible that it took Merlin several minutes to identify what was wrong.

Dread coiled like a thick, heavy snake in Merlin's stomach. His limbs felt weighted down with lead.

No.

No.

Please, no.

NONONO.

Magic! Merlin's panicked thought latched onto one idea, one horrible, terrible, niggling truth.

His magic was gone. Again.

The first time had been bad enough. Merlin was sure that he wouldn't last as long this time as he had last time.

Terror. Pure, utter terror.

Merlin's breathing was fast. He didn't even care that the angry voices had stopped for the time being. He was too busy trying to drag his mind out of the panic-induced swirl that it was in.

He felt so empty, like someone had drained all the energy right out of him.

Empty. So empty. It was horrible.

What had happened to him? Hot and cold battled for dominance inside Merlin, sending violent shivers through him and sweat pouring down his face.

A cold hand suddenly grabbed Merlin's chin and forced it upward, snapping Merlin out of his daze. His eyes met the green, hatred-filled eyes of the witch he had killed so many years ago.

"Morgana," Merlin croaked, voice breaking. He couldn't look away.

Morgana smirked. She stroked her cold fingers down Merlin's cheek. Merlin didn't move, petrified by horror.

"Hello, Merlin," Morgana cooed. "So wonderful to see you again after all these centuries." Morgana smiled, insanity peeking through her façade. "Do you the pain I've felt through these past years? No? I thought not. I was alone, even before I died. I want you to feel that way before we kill you."

"No."

Merlin's eyes shot up. "Nimueh?"

Nimueh smiled, cold, blue eyes shining. "Hello, Merlin," she whispered. "It's been many years since you killed me."

Merlin gulped. This was very bad.

Nimueh turned looked back at Morgana. "We're not waiting to kill him," she said, voice hard. "Otherwise he could find some way to escape."

Morgana's lips tightened. "I want him to feel the same pain that I felt. Being so alone, you don't know what to do with yourself. That's what I want him to feel."

Loki stepped forward, and Merlin's eyes snapped to him. Loki spoke. His voice was smooth and powerful. "He dies now."

Morgana's cheeks flared red, and she stalked toward Loki. "I want him to know what he did to me!"

Loki glared at her coolly. "Tell him, then, and after, we shall kill him and continue with our plans."

Nimueh moved forward as well. "Merlin is an artist when it comes to dodging death. We kill him now." From seemingly nowhere, Nimueh drew a long, curved dagger, wickedly sharp.

Morgana grabbed Nimueh's arms, long, pale fingers squeezing tight.

Nimueh leveled Morgana with a stare. "Don't touch me again, Morgana, unless you wish to lose a hand."

Merlin was near panic, helplessly watching as three megalomaniacs tried to decide when to kill him. Merlin's gaze flicked around the room, desperately searching for something, anything to help in an escape. A movement near a wall to his left caught his attention, through a small crack in the wooden wall, a flash of red hair and pale skin.

Natasha!

Yes! Relief washed through Merlin. Even if the rest of the Avengers weren't here, Natasha was a huge asset in situations like this.

Merlin caught her eye. He could just see her face through the crack. She started whispering, so quietly, she was hardly doing it, but Merlin carefully read her lips.

The rest of the Avengers were here, and they were closing in. Natasha nodded slowly. They were coming in now.

Merlin ducked his head, shielding his face from the flying splinters wood. Natasha slammed through the wall and hurried to his chair. She had Merlin out of the handcuffs in less than a minute.

"Nice to see you," Merlin said as the cuffs dropped to the floor.

"You too," Natasha said, smirking. "Come on. You can help."

Merlin stood, body trembling slightly. The world felt strange and off-color. "Wait!" he called as Natasha moved to join the insanity-fest before them. "Can I have a gun?"

Natasha gave him a strange look, but said nothing as she passed him a pair of shining black pistols. The grips felt strange in Merlin's hand. He knew how to fire a gun, but he did it very rarely. Why use a gun when you could use magic?

Loki, Morgana and Nimueh were managing to keep the Avengers back, but it was a close run thing. Hopefully, with what little help Merlin could offer with the gun, they would be able to take the three into custody.

Merlin only hoped it would be enough.

Merlin steadied himself and raised his guns. He carefully aimed at Morgana. He was going to have to kill her. Again. Could things get much worse?

Even after everything that had happened between them, Merlin still desperately wished he could have done something different. Something to save Morgana instead of alienate her.

But he had been a coward for too long. Then it been too late.

Merlin's bullets smashed against Morgana's conjured energy field. The bullets bounced off, and Merlin grimaced as one almost hit Natasha.

Bullet shells pinged on the floor. The noise of the battle was deafening. Merlin continued peppering the energy shield with bullets, until finally, one broke through, and whizzed past Morgana. Merlin heard her gasp of pain, even over the clamor of the surrounding battle.

The sound of her pain hurt worse than he had ever imagined it would. Here, he had someone from his own youth, his own time, and he had to try and kill them.

Morgana's anger hurt too.

She conjured an electric-blue ball of lightning and hurled it at him. He was barely able to leap out of the way. Merlin nearly tripped and landed on his face. He was exhausted and terrified and so, so detached. Magic that usually connected him to everything was simply gone. The isolation was horrible.

Merlin watched in consternation as Morgana grabbed Loki and Nimueh, and shouted a spell. A funnel of wind swept the three away, and they were gone.

Failed again.

Okay, I actually have a bit of an excuse.

1. I did a pageant over the summer. Which took up all of my summer. It was fun though.

2. Life got busy. I got a job. I now take college classes.

3. Life got busier.

4. I had a ridiculous case of writer's block with these chapters. Then, I reread, and did some minor editing, and I feel better about it now.

This story has nothing to do with Thor: Ragnarok. Believe it or not, I actually had the idea for Hel to come in before those trailers came out.

Also, I do feel really guilty about leaving this hanging for almost a year. I'm so sorry.

Anyway, enjoy. P.S. Please forgive me. And maybe leave a review... please?

-Indigene Syke