A World In Which I Was Me

Chapter 20

Everything was happening too fast. Reid dying, Avis being hurt, it all blurred together.

When Cas finally opened his eyes, he realized he was the only one either conscious or not trapped behind an ice wall. He sat up groggily and walked around trying to find out what happened when he found Avis huddled over in pain only a few inches away.

"Avis?" He ran over to her and kneeled down, seeing that basically everything that was happening to her was concerning. She was paler than usual, which was saying something, sweat was dripping down her forehead, and she seemed like she was in and out of consciousness "Crap...Avis If you can hear me, I need you to let Dean and Sam out"

He could fly them back to the bunker, but he'd rather not also fly back a giant wall of ice. Avis muttered something he couldn't understand and made a small movement with her hand. When he turned around the ice wall turned to water and the Winchesters looked around confused.

"What's going on?" Sam questioned, but both brothers' attention was taken by Avis who was still on the ground.

"I don't know" The sound of wings fluttering, and sudden change of light showed everyone they were back in the bunker. Jasper was still unconscious, but everyone else was huddled over Avis.

"What's wrong with her?" Dean leaned over her head and saw a pained expression across her face. Cas shook his head, not knowing, and turned her over despite groans in objections from Avis

"It looks like she was burned..." Cas levitated his hand over the burn mark on his stomach, which looked like it was almost spreading. Jasper stirred awake now and ran over to the others

"Layla..." Avis began muttering, clearly showing her mind was somewhere else entirely

"Shit. We need to cool her down, like now." The other looked at him confused for a second, but then Dean picked her up, bridal style, and ran her into the bathroom. He placed her gently in the tub and started running the water as cold as it could go. By the time everyone else caught up, Avis looked a little better.

"It's not his fault Tony, he's just a kid" The others knew she was trapped in a memory but that didn't help their concern 

"Is that safe? She might get like hypothermia or something" Sam ran a hand through his hair and Jasper shook his head

"She said last time this happened she teleported herself to Alaska and just kind of laid in the snow for a while. Pretty sure she can't freeze to death."

***

It had been about a week since Avis got burned and she was looking a little better. The burn itself was still there, but now she was fully conscious and walking around. Though she wouldn't tell anyone, the pain was far from over. 

There was always a subtle ringing in her ears, and sometimes it felt like there was someone cutting into her skin all over again. Not to mention her nightmares were getting worse. 

'I guess killing your sister and almost dying on the same day can have that effect...' Avis thought to herself after yet another nightmare. The others had tried to insist that at least one of them stay with her, just in case, but Avis was too afraid of losing control while she slept. 

No one else needed to get hurt, especially not now. Once she was healed, Avis was taking the archangel blade and killing Lucifer. He had been free long enough.

Avis lifted herself out of bed and was about to go get a glass of water when a bright light began filling the room. The light soon formed into glowing water, that morphed into the shape of a man. When the water was gone, a tall man with tan skin, and a glare that could make an entire city kneel, stood before her.

Avis's complete demeanor changed. Her posture stiffened, her expression went blank, and any sign of pain escaped her. The last thing she wanted was for her father to see her weak.

"Daughter. You're looking...sick." His voice was deep and just the sound of it made Avis want to crawl into the deepest hole she could find and never leave. 

"Father." That was all she managed to get out. Avis avoided his gaze, afraid to look him in the eyes, but Poseidon looked straight at her. 

"I'm here to inform you that your deal with Hades has changed." Avis looked up at him confused. What the hell was he talking about? 

"What do you mean? I still need to kill Lucifer" Poseidon sighed, and Avis shut up, realizing it wasn't her turn to speak 

"And you will. But instead of returning to the Underworld after, you will be rejoining me on Olympus." Everything seemed to slow as those words played again through her head. Poseidon continued talking but Avis wasn't listening. All she could focus on were those words.

No matter how trapped she was at the Initiative it was never as bad as when she was with her father. For years she was forced to do things that were inhuman and told that it made her a better person. She was convinced that anything she did make her father's admiration of her grow. But she soon realized that he didn't care about her, all he cared about was getting more power. Being higher in the world than his siblings, trying to be the new God.

Even the thought of returning to him made her want to let Lucifer go. Let him turn this world into his personal playground and do whatever he wanted. But this wasn't about her.

Even if he hadn't killed Alex, even if Reid were standing next to her right now, she would still make the same decision. 

"Fine. On one condition, I get to say goodbye" Avis felt her throat go dry as she tried to swallow, and Poseidon rolled his eyes

"Fine, after you kill Lucifer you have one day. Then you come home" The light returned and a second later he was gone.

"That will never be my home."