Author’s Note: This is the first part of what will become a new story ‘verse’. The premise is that a ‘zombie plague’ (very loosely based on World War Z) occurs and various different characters will have to deal with surviving/living in a world where zombies exist.
Verse/Setting: Post-Avengers (the movie). Pre-series finale for Voyager. Post- Highlander the tv-series; however, Highlander: the Endgame and Highlander: the Source, never took place. Post-season two of Supernatural.
Character bios:
The version of Loki I am using is from the Marvel movies Thor and Avengers.
Q is from Star Trek: the Next Generation, ST: Deep Space Nine, and ST: Voyager. Information on him can be found at Q's Wikipedia Page
Tom Paris and Chakotay are from the tv series Star Trek: Voyager. Information on them can be found at Tom's Wikipedia Page, and Chakotay's Wikipedia Page
Kronos is an evil immortal from the tv series the Highlander. He was a member of the Four Horsemen along with Methos, Silas, and Caspian. Information on him can be found at Four Horsemen Wikipedia Page
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the shows or movies and I'm not making any money from this fic
Warning(s): There will/may be spanking/discipline of adults. VERY AU (given that there is more than one crossover involved).


It's the End Of the World As We Know It
In The Beginning...

Murphy's Law is an adage whose stated origin has been called into question and argued. While it is disputed that Murphy actually said the words which have become common place in modern society, the words themselves all too often end up true- "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong".

Loki stood next to the tree, considering it silently- his guard eyeing him distrustfully. The suspicious stares of the Asgardians hurt and sometimes he only wished to hide away in his room and not have to face the people to whom he would never belong. It was not anything he was not used to though- they had been suspicious of him well before he had fallen from the Bridge and then made his failed attempt to claim Midgard. The only difference now was that his ‘family’ eyed him suspiciously as well.

In fact, the only reason he was not confined to a cell for his crimes, was because it had been discovered that he had been as much in thrall to the Tesseract as Selvig had been to him. Apparently, his actions had been guided by whoever ruled the Chitauri. He could not help but be a bit grateful that the information had been found. When he had listened to Thor give Odin a list of his crimes against Midgard, he had felt a deep sense of shame and regret. As angry as he had been to discover the lie of his parentage, he truly had not wanted to hurt the mortals. He had said as much to the All Father, but his request to make things right had been denied. Even if he had not been in complete control of his actions- he was culpable for allowing himself to be put into a situation where he could be controlled.

At least that was what he assumed the All Father felt. He had not actually talked to his adoptive father since his trial. He had not seen his adopted mother nor his brother either. He swallowed hard, staring at one of the apples hanging from the tree. He did not deserve a family. He was Jötunn, not Asgardian. And he had committed patricide in order to gain favor with the man who had raised him and lied to him his whole life. He allowed the pain he felt at the loss of contact with those he had grown up believing to be his kin wash over him.

He needed to atone for his misdeeds. He needed to do something that would be seen favorably by Odin, Frigga, and Thor. He needed to earn their forgiveness. Perhaps if he did something beneficial for the Midgardians, their hearts would thaw toward him and they would at least come to speak with him once in a while. What could he do for the Midgardians though?

He eyed the apples again, noting their shiny golden color. The mortals that he had harmed would be dead before he could make anything right for them. He blinked, the thought starting as a fleeting whisp but catching his attention and planting itself in his mind like a seed. Why could he not…? Why should he not…? It would be perfect! He would be able to apologize and help the people that he had actually wronged! He would be able to make his brother immensely happy! It was the perfect plan!

He ignored the tiny voice that reminded him that it was forbidden to share the golden fruit with any not of Asgard. Odin had been the one to forbid it. Surely when he saw how happy it made Thor and how beneficial it was to Midgard, he would forgive Loki’s presumption? He glanced at his guard from the corner of his eye. The guard was bored and had stopped staring at him for the moment. He quickly reached out and plucked the golden apple from the tree, secreting it in his tunic.

His decision had been made. Using one of Iðunn’s apples he would perform a spell to slow the degeneration of body tissue on the molecular level. Whomever the spell touched would live for longer periods of time- perhaps even as long as Asgardians.

He had the apple. All that was left to accomplish his goal was to create the spell and find a way to return to Midgard so that he could cast it (preferably in the vicinity of his brother’s lady and friends). If he was really lucky, those Thor loved would live a very long time and he would never have to see his brother look like a kicked puppy from those human friends dying. Loki really hated that kicked puppy look.

Turning toward the guard he indicated his wish to return to his quarters. This time he didn’t notice the suspicious glare or the sneer the warrior cast in his direction. He was too busy making plans.

# # #
No one could say that Loki was not determined. Once he had decided what he planned to do, he had holed himself up in his room refusing to leave- having his meals brought to him. He was so focused he did not even notice the lack of visitors. When he finally poured the completed potion into the vial and tightly capped it, he let out a tired but happy sigh. He did not know what day it was- he was not sure how long he had been working on his project- but it was done. He wanted to administer it as soon as possible and with that thought he placed the vial securely in his tunic and finally left his room- heading directly to the gate.

On the way he tried to think of a way to convince or trick Heimdall into opening the gate so that Loki could go to Midgard. It ended up he did not need to bother as Thor was already there asking for the gate to be opened so that HE could go. Loki quickly cloaked his presence so that his brother would not see him- he was not certain if the cloak worked on the gatekeeper or not, but he was confident in his ability to move quickly, so even if Heimdall suspected him and could see him, the guardian would not be able to stop him. He moved just close enough and as soon as the gate had been opened for Thor, he threw himself through it.

The landing was rough, but he managed to keep himself cloaked so that when Thor landed beside him seconds later, the blond had no idea that he had brought a passenger. His brother quickly raised his hammer and then flew up into the sky, heading east. Visiting the girlfriend then? Loki had hoped to use her as the focus, but he would not be able to do so if his brother was around. Frowning, Loki tried to think of an alternative. Once the spell was cast, it was designed to quickly spread to other mortals. Eventually it would spread throughout the whole world.

But to do that he needed to cast it- preferably on someone who would not detect him immediately and attempt to stop him. Tony Stark was out- the man’s invisible helper would no doubt inform him the minute Loki stepped foot into his tower. The doctor was out as well- his alter ego would surely sense him and he had no intentions of ending up being slammed into the floor a second time. That left the captain, the assassin, and the archer. Shrugging, he began to head in what he hoped was a productive direction. He would cast the spell on whichever mortal he found first.

# # #
Kronos watched his intended victim closely, waiting for the exact moment that would be perfect to ‘take over’. He’d been formless for too long, his interactions with people limited due to his desire to remain undetected by hunters- or anyone else- who might have the desire and ability to send him back to the hell he had left behind.

When he’d first escaped through the gate that those hunters had opened several years before, it had been easy to refrain from causing any mayhem or problems; you couldn’t remain undetected if you were drawing attention to yourself, after all. But he’d had enough of following the Winchesters around within a week of doing so. It didn’t matter how interesting they were, it was too dangerous for his continued freedom.

He’d attempted to locate Methos- wanting to torment his ‘brother’ for his betrayal but Death was a wiley one and he’d somehow never been able to figure out where he was until after he’d left a place. He’d watched Macleod for a bit of time, but the boy scout just irritated him- and again his desire to remain free over-road his desire to cause havoc.

Unfortunately, that desire for freedom had finally been overcome by boredom and the need to bring the world to its knees. Even without a body, the important people would recognize his work and know it was him- and that would be enough. He grinned as the scientist kissed his wife goodbye then walked to his car. A gasping shudder and the fight was over before it had begun. A few blinks of the eyes and Kronos was looking out from a body that did not belong to him.

Kronos quickly took the billfold out of ‘his’ back pocket and opened it to look at the I.D. and the security clearance card. “Well, Dr. Ibersole…let’s get to work, shall we?” he whispered to himself, grinning when he felt the doctor’s soul battling to regain control of his body. While Kronos could not claim to be 5000 years old, he was at least a few millennia- it was truly no battle at all. He’d picked the perfect host: a genetic chemist. Oh the things he could do with that knowledge! If anyone had been in the car to hear his laugh, they would have jumped out- moving or not.

# # #
Kronos only responded to the morning greetings and salutations enough to keep anyone from being suspicious. He’d quickly gone to the lab that the memory he now possessed said was his and then locked himself inside.

It should have taken a lot longer than it did. Kronos was a bit disappointed that he finished so quickly, to be honest. But between the host bodies knowledge, the available instruments and samples, and Kronos’ own experience and willingness to do what shouldn’t be done, he’d had the sample by the end of the day.

“This should remind them of me, quite nicely…” he whispered, ignoring Dr. Ibersole’s weak attempts to shove him out or at least influence him not to do what he was planning to do. Pestilence would reign again- even if it was without his brothers War, Famine, and Death.

# # #
Q- to put it simply- was bored. Bored, bored, bored, BORED with all capital letters, bored. And the crew of Voyager wasn’t entertaining him like they usually did. Janeway had only rolled her eyes when he changed her coffee into that tea that Picard had always favored. The Vulcan hadn’t even done that much when he’d changed the color of his uniform to bubblegum pink. Torres reaction to his filling her quarters with Tribbles had been amusing. Unfortunately, the crew had found a planet that kept the little beasties as pets and had managed to unload the entire lot within a few days. So Q was back to being bored. Bored, bored, bored, bored….

Q blinked his eyes and began to smirk. Well this could be entertaining. That upstart Paris was in the Holo-deck with one of his many ‘novel’ adventures…after he had received a direct order from the second in command to report to him immediately. Q made sure he was invisible then snuck in to watch what was going to be a huge explosion if the look on Chakotay’s face was any type of warning.

“I ordered you to report to me, immediately,” the older man said gruffly, managing to keep his tone even despite the underlying anger and irritation at what was blatant disobedience.

“Nothing I have to report is of an emergency nature,” the younger blond man retorted in what could only be regarded as a ‘tone’. “And I’m off duty…so you can wait,” he ended on a highly belligerent note.

Chakotay’s eyes hardened. “Computer…freeze program…” he ordered the computer. Tom’s Holo-gram stopped instantly.

Tom’s face took on the same belligerent look his tone had carried earlier. “Computer, un-freeze program…” he ordered, giving Chakotay a daring look.

“Are you prepared to accept the consequences of disobeying a superior officer?” Chakotay said softly, the threat clear.

“I’ll let you know when a ‘superior’ officer gives me an order,” Tom’s emphasis on the word superior and syrupy tone emphasized the disrespect.

It was all Chakotay could do not to growl at the younger man. “Computer. End program…Lock use to my command only. 093452.”

Tom’s eyes widened fractionally and he spluttered indignantly. “You can’t do that! Officers and crew are entitled to use the Holo-deck anytime we are not on duty- and I’m NOT on duty!” Q watched in amusement as it appeared the younger man barely refrained from stomping his foot.

“You will calm yourself down and then report to me in 10 minutes. Afterwards you will be confined to your quarters for the remainder of the week except when you are on duty.” Chakotay answered- calm once again, a smug look in his eye although he did very well at keeping the look off his face.

Q frowned. Well this wouldn’t do at all. If Paris did what Chakotay ordered, the only entertainment Q had been able to find in days would be over before it began. These two rubbed each other all wrong in all the right ways. Maybe if he could get them separate from the rest of the ship- throw them into a situation- see what they did…that could be very amusing. With a snap of his fingers Q did just that.

# # #
There was a moment- or several moments- of disorientation, queasiness, and overall frantic worry, before Tom tried to voice what both he and Chakotay were feeling. “What the….?”
It was then that both he and the commander noticed the other being standing a few feet away from them. He had a surprised look on his face as if something had occurred that he hadn’t planned on. Tom’s stomach sank.

“What did you do, Q?” Chakotay actually growled the question, any semblance of calm and control that he’d had with his insubordinate lieutenant completely gone.

“Nothing!” Q was quick to protest. “I just…made it so that the youngster’s little game would become real and you two would be stuck in it for a short while. I wanted to see how you’d react.” The annoying omnipotent being shrugged unrepentantly, then looked around warily. “I didn’t expect quite that big an…expenditure of energy though. Something went awry. Oops? Oh well, have fun fellas!” He winked at Chakotay, grinned at Tom, and then snapped his fingers and was gone.

“Just what was your holo-gram about, Tom?” Chakotay finally asked warily.

Tom swallowed hard. “Armageddon….” His voice was hesitant.

“Of course. Armageddon.” Chakotay sighed. “We better find some weapons. I have a feeling we will need them.” Moving more quickly than the younger man was expecting, Chakotay took Tom’s arm firmly in his hand and began walking him in what he hoped was the direction of a town.

# # #
Loki had finally located one of Thor’s companions- of course it had to be the one that hated Loki the most (he didn’t want to admit that the archer had reason to hate him). It did not matter though. Loki was attempting to repay the wrong he had done- perhaps it was fitting that the first recipient of his payment would be the one known as Hawkeye.

Keeping himself cloaked from view, he moved closer to the man in question then began his spell. He had just breathed the last syllable of the enchantment- watching as the magic sparkled on its way to the human- when he felt the shift in energy. He was not certain what it was or what had caused it. What he was certain of was that his bright sparkly spell- which had been aimed straight for Clint Barton’s heart- had veered off course and then dissipated into nothingness. It was a failure. HE was a failure.

Loki’s shoulders slumped. It was not until he felt the sharp edge of an arrow against his chest that he realized that whatever had derailed his spell had also de-cloaked him.
# # #
Kronos had been planning to leave the facility with the sample (he’d placed it in a secure container) so that he could dump it in a nearby reservoir. It had been a good idea the first time, and THIS time he wouldn’t have an overgrown boy scout or a traitorous brother to get in the way. Of course that’s when hell had to break loose and catch him again.

He’d felt the shift in energies- not entirely certain what they meant since he’d not ever felt anything of that nature before- but it hadn’t worried him. Until Dr. Ibersole’s co-worker’s eyes rolled back in her head, and then turned solid black.

“You’ve been a very naughty boy, Kronos. Master doesn’t like when his play-toys escape….” It was decidedly unsettling to hear the demon jailer’s words come out in the voice of the grandmotherly older woman he’d possessed. “We’re taking you back now.”

“No…not yet. Just let me see…” he hated that he was begging. Despised himself for doing it. And knew that it was a useless endeavor because now that they knew he wanted to see something, they’d make certain he would never be able to see it. In frustration, he opened the container and threw it on the ground seconds before he felt himself being wrested from the body he’d been inhabiting and drug back into hell.

His jailer soon followed. Neither of them noticed the glittery spell that just materialized out of nowhere and shot into the spilled contents of the container- nor did they see the energy fluctuate once more causing the contents and the spell to seemingly merge.

Dr. Ibersole only had just enough time after regaining control of his body to throw himself at the emergency containment switch- locking him and his colleague into the tiny room, hoping he had been fast enough to prevent the contents from spreading their vile poison. He and the other woman both began to convulse as their bodies began the gruesome act of dying- then reanimating.

Return to Hope1iz's Stories