Real-Life Myth

Twenty-eight.

Back at the Avengers HQ and the Quantum platform, everyone looks around to see all the recovered stones. Lana remains absent from the bunch. She's decided to give them more time for the panic to truly set in. On Vormir, she sits in the pool of water and files her nails.

"Did we get them all?" Bruce asks, looking between his stone and everyone elses.

"You telling me this'll actually work?" Rhodey asks. There's a pause as everyone starts to realise someone is missing.

Loki swallows and holds his head up slightly. "Clint, where's Lana?" His voice wobbles as he speaks. Thor looks between the archer and the spy, his lips pressed into a thin line. The silence from Clint tells them all they need to know. The mission was completed but at a dire cost. Sadness overtakes everyone. Loki falls to his knees, his hand clutching his heart. He and Lana always had a close relationship with one another and now that she's gone. . . Loki doesn't know what he'll do.

~~~

Everyone now sits outside HQ. Lakeside, Tony, Steve, Thor, Loki, Clint, Natasha, and Bruce are mourning their fallen teammate and friend. Over the past five years (even though they've been equally spaced out), they've become close with the goddess. Well, aside from Clint. He just needs to keep up the facade.

"Who's gonna tell Theenie?" Tony asks softly, and hand curled around his chin. His watery brown eyes glance between the gods. Loki sniffles on the bench he's sitting on; too shocked to even register Tonys words. Thor stands at his brothers side, actively not listening.

"What?" Thor asks, snapping out of his daze.

"I just asked a question. . ."

"Yeah, you're acting like she's dead. Why are we acting like she's dead? We have the stones, right? As long as we have the stones, Cap, we can bring her back, isn't that right? So stop this shit. We're the Avengers, get it together." He demands. Loki breaks out sobbing. A few tears streak down Thors face.

"We can't get her back." Clint says.

"Wha- what?"

"It can't be undone. It can't."

Thor dryly laughs. "I'm sorry. No offense, but you're a very earthly being. Okay? We're talking about space magic. And 'can't' seems very definitive don't you think?"

"Look, I know that I'm way outside my paygrade here. But she still isn't here, is she?" Clint presses. Natasha watches, impressed; she has taught him well.

"Now that's my point. . ."

"It can't. . . be undone. Or that's at least what the, great floating guy had to say. Maybe you wanna go talk to him? Okay? Go grab your hammer, and you go fly and you talk to him."

Thor does call his hammer. His fingers wrap around it tightly. "Listen closely, Barton. You might not have known her for long but she is my sister! I will be damned if I don't find a way to get her back! She's. . ." Thor breaks down, dropping the hammer on Clint's foot accidentally. Clint hisses in pain. "She's all I have left."

"Which brings us back to Tony's question." Bruce states. "Who's gonna tell Athena?"

Natasha shrugs slightly. "I suppose it should be us." She gestures between her and Clint. The dirty blonde nods. Steve raises an eyebrow. "Since we were the last ones with her before she. . ."

"Sacrificed her treasured flower crown?" Someone asks on the steps leading back inside. Clint and Natasha look to each other and smirk. Lana looks at all the distressed faces. "I know, I know. It was very devastating. I loved that flower crown." She sighs, twirling her hand around and shrugging. "But what's a goddess to do?" Thor and Loki look to the voice (along with everyone else). Loki wipes his face free of tears. Tony and Bruce smile faintly. Thor sighs contently. Steve states at her.