Chapter Text
A pair of dark green eyes snapped open and looked around of her surroundings in confusion. She stood from the ground slowly with her right palm resting on her right leg while the other one used to lift herself from the ground while keeping her attention sharp to everything around her. So far, there is nothing or no one besides her Well, except a very wide field full of green grasses and a clear blue sky that looks so vivid.
She touches her forehead, feeling a little bit dizzy and trying to recollect her memories about what happened to her before she is being transported to this place. As far as she remembered, she and Clint is the one who goes to a place called Vormir to get the Soul Stone so they could undo the snap to bring everyone back.
But... the guardian of Vormir, who is also Steve's enemy, Red Skull, said that if they want to get the stone, they need to pay for that stone...
A soul for a soul.
Natasha closed her eyes, now she has remembered everything and now she realized that she is dead and hopefully Clint gets the damn stone. and hopefully the Avengers can undo the snap that Thanos did 5 years ago.
Natasha started to walk from one point to another, trying to find something to occupy her mind or someone new here. And after a few hours? Days? Weeks? Months? She didn't know because it feels like it's been so long when she started to explore this place. One place to another.
She did find someone new or someone who she recognized before on Earth. They exchanged tales, mostly about what they did during their life and she found it quite nice to tell some of her stories to people she met here. Most of them won't judge what she did because they will be a hypocrite if they did.
And sometimes, she met with someone who can spar with her because, well, she felt bored here and even sparring makes her bored because either they will have excuses to avoid taking punches from her or they make her angry by commenting on her slender body. 'Morons...' Natasha sighed inaudibly.
If this is what they called Heaven or Paradise, it's not looked like exactly what she thought it would be. They said there will be Angels that will guide her or those Valkyries that Thor mentioned to her several years ago after the event of Malekith's attack in London, and the same day when Thor told the Avengers that his younger brother Loki has died.
Well, speak of the devil...
She is standing behind someone, a tall man with his curled ebony hair, green cape and that looks like in the middle of a conversation with a green-skinned woman. They look so serious with their conversation. Both of them sitting on a bench and both of them still continuing their conversation until finally, both of them turned their faces to look at her.
The man looked quite shocked to see her, but slowly a smirk graced his thin lips. Apparently Natasha doesn't felt really shocked seeing that Loki still remembers her.
"Well, what a surprise to see you here, Agent Romanoff. I thought you would fighting along with my brother and the Avengers to fight Thanos now?" Loki remarked as he studying the woman in front of him.
"Honestly, I'm not surprised at all to meet you here, Rudolph. And to answer your question, I assume the Avengers are starting to undo the snap after they collect-.."
"Loki sighed, "I don't know why you and Stark, from years ago, still insist to keep calling me with that name. My name is Loki, don't you know this? " Asked Loki a little bit confused while Natasha tries to stifle her laughter.
"And second, what in the Hel do you mean with undo the snap? Do you mean that Thanos succeeded in gathering all of the infinity stones? "
His curiosity is growing. After his death. He didn't know what is going on in the living world and it's been a long time since he met someone he knew or ever meet during his life.
Natasha nodded, "Yes, he did." Both Loki and Gamora saw each other then Loki sighed. He knew the Mad Titan will not be an easy foe to defeat. And now he can imagine what his brother's "current state" without him and somehow the imagination makes his heart aching.
"And how is Thor doing when you see him? Maybe you could share what you know with us? " He knows that Gamora also would like to know what happened after her 'father' throw her to her death so he could gain the Soul Stone. She is worried about her fellow Guardians team.
At first Natasha felt like to taunt him a little bit, but after a quick glance at Loki's and Gamora's worried expressions, she decides to tease the Trickster at another date.
"Alright, I will tell you but no interruption and in exchange, i will ask some questions to you." Hearing this, Loki only nodded. He knew that the widow will ask for this from him in exchange for what she knew, and he kind of figured it out already about what the Widow wants to ask from him..
And then she begins her story from Thor's arrival at Wakanda, bringing his new weapon called Stormbreaker, the time when Thanos himself arrived at Wakanda and started his hunt to capture Vision and the mind stone on his forehead. She knows Loki wants to burst in exasperation after hearing a being with a mind stone on his head but Natasha raised her hand to give the Trickster a warning to not interrupt, which makes Loki crossed his arms in irritation at being silenced by a mere mortal which make Natasha smirked.
Honestly, she likes this side of Loki more than the psychotic one. Maybe this is the side that Thor told the Avengers years ago? And honestly, Natasha felt she wants to know more about this 'nice' side of the Trickster.
"And then after Thanos did the snap, half of the people around us and the universe, disintegrated into dust and just like that. All of us retreat to the Avengers headquarters. After twenty days since the snap, a woman called Captain Marvel bring Tony and Nebula back to the Earth." Hearing her younger sister's name being mentioned, Gamora felt a warm happiness at knowing that Nebula is safe, out of Thanos' reach.
And on the next moment, Gamora clenched her fist in anger when she heard that her friends, except Rocket, turned into the dust because of the impact of the snap. And she thinks they should have been here in the afterlife if they are dead.
Right?
Natasha continued with her tale until when she comes to the part of Thor's new look after Banner and Rocket bring him back to the Avengers Compound, Loki felt something like snapped within him.
"Wait! My apologies for interjecting you this time but, you mentioned that my oaf brother did nothing but drink and playing games? He is a King of Asgard and i can't believe that-.." Suddenly an image show of Thor's appearance makes Loki suddenly quite, emerald green eyes widening at disbelief.
"This... Oh Norns.. by Odin's beard, what happened to you, Thor?" Whispered Loki with a sad look and with his fingers touching the image subtly and the image flickered suddenly at his touch until it's gone.
During her time in the afterlife, someone told her that we can project our memories outside by just simply focusing on the memories we want the others to see. So she did and it makes Loki almost not believe in what he saw.
Thor is the strongest person he ever met and someone who has a big heart. To see him reduced to this state physically and to see the depression and the other emotions Loki knew so well in his brother's eyes is something that he couldn't just.. Believe.
"He's been like that since he thought it is his failure that makes Thanos succeeded in doing his snap and his failure for protecting you from Thanos' when he choked the life out of you and many more reasons. He told me all of that and believe me, Loki, I already told him it's not his fault but-.."
"But he kept insisted that the faults lays on him and that's why he ended up in this state." Loki sighed while ruffling his hair in frustration. And now he felt so guilty by leaving his brother alone like that and he thought it will be a good idea back then.
Besides his intention is only for the safety of his brother. Thor will not be killed by the Mad Titan if he gives him what exactly the titan wants back then and Loki knows he lives in a borrowed time. He is lucky that the titan decides to just off him rather than hauled him back to the Sanctuary to do whatever it is that the titan promised to do to him before.
And maybe this is the reason why Loki hasn't go to Valhalla yet to join his mother. Because he still can't let go of the thought of his brother being alone to shoulder all of the responsibilities being a King of Asgard alone. Even though Valkyrie and the other Asgardians will be there to support him.
Natasha let all of it sinking first before she continued her tale until the part of her death.
And when she finished the tale, suddenly there is a sound of clapping hands that make the three of them turned their heads to the newcomer.
"Stark?" Said both Natasha and Loki in confusion. If Stark here, it means...
"Yes, the one and only genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Good to see you all, Red, Rock of Ages, and Green lady. By the way, i don't know your storytelling skill is so great, Nat. Interested in joining a storytelling competition? " Greeted Tony and then he just shrugged before plopping down into the other bench beside them and eyeing the rest of them.
"Well, I want to know what the three of you talking about here? And bad Rudolph, no world domination attempt anymore okay?" Teased Tony while Loki just rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Well, if you really want to know, Stark, we are just speaking about your promise about that drink to me and about our messed up and sad life before you parked your butt here to join us." Snarked Loki and that actually makes Tony laughed.
"Oh Reindeer games, I don't know If you could be this funny! I told you we could be friends, right? And well, if you and I still alive back then I will give you the drink I promise you know, only if Fury or little red riding hood over here didn't catch you first and hauled your ass back to your lovely glass cage, Lokes." Loki sighed in annoyance after hearing the two mortals just decided to call him with a nickname which he doesn't know what is the meaning about until now.
Suddenly Gamora stood up and look at Loki and Natasha. "I want to try to looking for them again. See you later, Loki. And thank you for the information you have shared most graciously, Miss Romanoff." And with saying that, Gamora turned and start walking further from the group.
Tony looking back at the Loki again, this time with curiosity. "So, out of curiosity, actually this has been nagging my thoughts for a few times when your name is mentioned. I want to know what is exactly happened when you invaded us, Lokes? And to mention you are not looked like the evil psychotic god and well, care to share the explanation with the team?"
"I don't see any team here, Stark." Loki snorted. "Besides, it's been years so why you would like to know? So you could gloat more in your victories upon your enemy's defeat? Or to show the monster his place?!" Hissed Loki, green eyes locked with the brown one that belongs to Stark's glowing dangerously in warning.
Natasha herself only leaned back and watched everything in front of her with a face full of amusement. 'At least it's getting interesting here with both of them rather than wandering alone with no purpose.' Natasha thought.
"Hey hey, I never said that, and I only want to know the truth. We could be besties after this ya know? Besides I'm wondering why you are acting a lot different than the last time we met and now your eyes are green. You didn't use the contact lens, are you?" Loki frowned when hearing the last part of Stark's weird question.
Contact lens? What in the Nine is a contact lens?
Loki sighed, it seems it turned out to be another telling another tale like he usually did with the people he had met in this place. And somehow this reminded him of Asgard and his brother.
Damn, he missed his oaf of a brother so much now.
"Alright then if you want to know i will tell you, and showing you a few things your mortal brains can't comprehend so you could understand. It will be easier that way. And hopefully, this will answer your questions, Stark. And in return, you will do the same for i have a few things that i want to ask to you too." With that, the surrounding around them turned dark and they cannot find something solid for their feet to stand. But suddenly something pass through them so fast to the nothingness down there and when they see what is that, they found out that it's not just an asteroid rock.
It's Loki. And he is falling through the void very fast while unconscious.
'Damn, what a rough start. ' Thought Tony.