MAGIC AND CROWNS ; loki

ix. afterlife and old gold

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Another day, another successfully raided and destroyed Hydra facility.

Now the team was lounging around the common room having celebratory drinks as we did after big missions. Clint and Nat sharing one of the sofas, with he archer hugging the russian's legs in a tipsy affectionate state. The three soldiers sat on one of the big couches, Sam drinking a normal beer and the WWIi veterans drinking whiskey, spiked with 'Thor's special juice' as they called it. Tony and Bruce were both sitting on some pillows they had thrown on the floor, the two drinking some weird cocktail they had created in the lab, apparently the drink was hulk-friendly. Pietro was standing and every now and then he would pace around the room, unable to stay still for more than a couple of minutes, he and Peter (who was glued to the ceiling because why not) were both condemned to ordinary orange juice, Parker owing to the fact that he was still a minor in USA laws and Pietro because the group learnt the hard way that alcohol only heightened his hyperactiveness. Wanda shared a love seat with Vision, sipping on her glass of rum and coke and the android drinking nothing because... well, he's an android, although he did have a glass of water for toasting and cheering. Lastly, Thor lay on the last sofa, with his legs resting on the arm of the chair Cora was occupying, the two passing the flask of asgardian booze between them.

"Hey Pietro" Said a slightly intoxicated Tony, the speedster who was once again walking around the room nodded for him to continue, so he did "What did you see when you were... you know, sleeping with the fishes?" Finished bluntly, everyone shot their heads up, scolding him for being insensitive "Oh! C'mon! Aren't you guys curious? Sabrina brought him back after almost half an hour had passed, I'm a man of science, I want to know" Defended Stark with his hands up

Silence took over the group as they all turned to the older Maximoff, who shook his head before speaking

"I honestly have no idea, it was weird, one second I was falling and then I was in a sort of waiting room, I can't tell if it was a sort of heaven or hell thing, but there was a big window behind an empty desk that let me see some white gates in the distance..." Pietro trailed off, the team were all in the edge of their seats, except Thor looked deep in thought and Cora who was trying her best to look calm and collected "I don't remember much else, then an old woman came from the door and sat at the desk I told you before, she motioned for me to sit in the chair in front of her and before she could speak, I woke up in the helicarrier" Everyone nodded in thought and Banner spoke

"Well, it is said that the human brain can create hallucinations as they die, making you see a dream, or something" He said, the rest absentmindedly hummed, struggling to process the information in their drunken state

"I don't know man, we have proof that gods exist now, look at your right, we have one slouched on one of my couches... Maybe, there is something more after this, who knows?" Said Tony, everyone was surprised at his unusual faithful behaviour and the scientist just shrugged and nodded

"Wait! I remembered something else!" Said Pietro loudly making the heroes jump "The gates I mentioned had some letters written... Ugh, what did they say?" He started searching for the correct word, "Vul- No no, Vil? Agh!" He started pacing in distress, racking his brain trying to work it out "Oh! Valhalla!" He pronounced it like 'Vah-lah-luh' with pride. At this Thor's eyes glowed with happiness, and Cora's with slight fear that went unnoticed by the group

"Val-huh-luh" Corrected the god "It is a common misconception that only Asgardian warriors end up in Valhalla, but as I was taught a couple centuries ago, Valhalla and Helheim are the two afterlife options for creatures from across the realms, including Midgard" Everyone looked shocked at this, probsbly not expecting that existence after death would be in the hands the nordic figures