The Warriors Five

In which Thor is about to go back to Asgard and feels surprisingly downhearted at the thought of leaving Midgard and the warriors he has encountered during his brief stay.

A fresh morning breeze lifted the edge of his red cloak and ruffled his long blond hair. Standing at the edge of the balcony that surrounded the common room of Stark's - no, the Avenger's Tower - Thor, Prince of Asgard and god of thunder, looked out at the vista that spread before him. New York was bathed in a golden shimmer as the sun slowly rose above the horizon. Despite the evident destruction that surrounded the tower, it was a grand vista indeed. Even for one who was used to splendours far beyond the concept of this realm had to admit that this city held its own against the grandeurs of Asgard. Especially after having seen only a tiny desert town in the middle of nowhere, Thor never ceased to be amazed by the mortals who lived out their lives far below him.

"Not a bad view, don't you think?"

Thor turned quickly, not having heard the silent footsteps of the woman who had approached him. Natasha held two cups of coffee in her hand and offered one to Thor.

"My thanks, Lady Natasha," Thor said gravely, accepting the offered cup. "I have come to quite enjoy this particular beverage."

"Just Natasha, please," the redhead said with a slight grimace. "I hardly think the term 'lady' is very appropriate."

Thor raised his eyebrows in surprise. "It is a term of respect; one which applies very well to you I should think. Your prowess in battle and your valiant effort of closing to the portal were most advantageous for us."

"Well thank you, but I do prefer being called just by first name."

"As you wish, Natasha," Thor replied with a smile. She reminded him of his dear friend, Lady Sif - who did not at all mind the title. Both were warriors in their own right, capable of facing any enemy that crossed their way and not afraid to put their friends in their proper place either.

"So you're heading back to your own world?" Natasha asked after a moment of silence.

Thor nodded. "I am. Dr. Selvig has mentioned that the vast green space in the centre of this city is a good nearby place where we could also pass unobserved. I will be heading there before midday."

"Central Park. Yeah, it'll work," assented Natasha. "I hope you don't mind if we all come along too. Wouldn't want to miss saying goodbye to your dear brother."

"In the hopes that you never see him again, I presume?" Thor questioned, a smile on his face. He didn't share in many of the humorous exchanges of the humans but Natasha's dry wit appealed to him.

Natasha's lips quirked in response. "Well I can't say we'll miss him much. But come, I think I saw Clint getting some breakfast ready."

"A good suggestion. I have not yet broken my fast today."

They walked back inside and made their way to the kitchen from which the enticing smell of eggs and bacon emanated.

"Friend Clint! I had no idea you knew how to concoct such marvels," Thor boomed as he grabbed a plate and shovelled an alarming amount of the food in the frying pans onto it.

Clint watched his breakfast walk away from him and grabbed the carton of eggs from the fridge again with a wordless sigh. "As long as it involves a frying pan and nothing more than three ingredients, I can manage," he replied, cracking a few eggs into a new pan in rapid succession.

At the rate which the food disappeared into Thor's apparent bottomless pit, the Asgardian warrior seemed to approve of the archer's cooking skills. In fact Thor was fast coming to appreciate the wonders of Midgardian cookery, as he called it. Jane's quirky assistant, Darcy Lewis, had been keen on introducing him to as many new foods as possible and it wasn't all that bad. Nothing beats a boar on a pit slow-roasted over a fire - especially if said boar had found it's way to the spit with a little help from Mjölnir - but there was much merit in some of the different dishes he had tasted in this realm. Humans had a rather eclectic taste was Thor's predominant opinion; they were very fond of spices and sauces and often seemed to prefer convenience to quality.

No, humans could definitely not be faulted for being bland, Thor thought. They were easily dismissed because their apparent differences often incited disunion rather than union but variety could be a strength as well. The daily newspaper sat on the kitchen counter and caught Thor's eye. 'New York's Saviours' ran the headline on the front page, followed by several images of the Avengers fighting the Chitauri. Thor knew that he would have previously only considered Steve, the super soldier himself, as a worthy warrior to accompany him in battle but he now knew that the man of iron was just as brave in his own right and the two quiet spies fought with unrivalled tenacity and ferocity. Even the mild-looking doctor could transform himself into a monstrous warrior who was definitely his match.

"What's the gossip say about us today?" Clint asked, pointing his chin in the direction of the newspaper as he flipped a few sizzling slices of bacon.

"It seems this daily booklet is heralding us as the saviours of this city," replied Thor. "Although I do not seem to be able to locate any images of you two."

"For the better," Natasha responded. She snagged half of the bacon ignoring Clint's glare. "We're still working for SHIELD and keeping a low profile isn't a bad thing."

"You do not wish to share in the glory that you have rightfully earned?" Thor asked in puzzlement. Despite his changes in the last few years, he was still very much a warrior prince that enjoyed basking in the admiration and adoration of his people.

The master spy and assassin laughed and shook her head. "I am used to the shadows."

"Harder to see an arrow coming at you from the dark," Clint added in agreement.

"More attention for us then! How kind of you to step back and let the true heroes stand in the spotlight."

At the snarky interruption, everyone's head swivelled towards the doorway through which Tony entered. He had evidently heard the last part of the conversation and was unable to resist adding a comment of his own. He made his way to the coffee machine to refill the cup he already held in his hands.

"Ooh, is that bacon and scrambled eggs?"

"It's my bacon and scrambled eggs," said Clint forcefully.

"Easy there, we all share here. I give you a place to stay, Red over there is giving me her share of media attention and you can share your food."

Grumbling to himself, Clint nevertheless stepped aside to let Tony take his share of food.

"Why thank you, Legolas," smirked Tony. He took a bite of the scrambled eggs. "Or should I say, Sam? This isn't half bad."

Pepper walked in accompanied by the rhythmic staccato of her heels. "Only because you're used to eating junk food and power bars," she told Tony in her no-nonsense voice. "We're going to have to keep the kitchen stocked more regularly if all you Avengers are going to be dropping in and out of here."

"Sure, you can handle that can't you Pepp?" Tony called over his shoulder as he left the kitchen and made his way back to the lab. "I have zero concept of buying food that's not already completely cooked and ready to eat."

Pepper just rolled her eyes and turned to the other three that were still in the kitchen. "I hope you had a good night. My apologies for the temporary set-up; your own floors will be available shortly."

"No worries, I slept great."

"It's all good, Pepper, thanks."

"I had a most satisfying rest during the rest, Lady Pepper."

The answers came fast and quick. Of course they all slept fine; this was not the time to be sharing stories about reoccurring nightmares or staring at the ceiling for hours without being able to fall asleep. If Pepper noticed, she didn't say anything. She was, after all, no stranger to Tony's own occasional bouts of insomnia and knew better than to ask further.

After finishing his breakfast, Thor refilled his cup of coffee, putting in an alarming amount of milk and sugar, and strode over to the wide windows. He mulled over the idea of having a semi-permanent place in this tower to come to when the occasion warranted it. He knew he wouldn't be back for a while, at least not until the bifrost was rebuilt and operational again. The Asgardian suddenly realized that he wanted to come back, and not just because of Jane Foster.

He had come back to Midgard with the intention of snapping up Loki and taking him back to Asgard before any more havoc could be wrought in this beloved realm of his. Instead, he had found himself in an uneasy alliance with a meddling government agency that had not only tried to prevent him from taking back Mjölnir when he first came to Midgard, but also managed to mess around with an infinity stone. Humans had a tendency of getting into problems way over their head, he mused. In the end though, he had experienced the pleasure of a truly magnificent battle alongside comrades that were the equal of the Warriors Three and Lady Sif. Thor had most definitely not expected to find a lady love in his dear Jane, and even less a group of humans with whom he could fight alongside in his continued quest to protect Midgard from harm.

He could not yet call them friends for he hardly them very well. He enjoyed the company of Captain America for he had much in common with the super soldier. Iron Man he regarded with a wary eye, not sure if he truly fought for them or only himself. He admired Hawkeye for his skill but the archer tended to be reclusive. The Black Widow he distrusted despite knowing that she was on the good side. With Dr. Banner/Hulk he was not quite sure how he should interact for the two personalities and bodies in one form was an odd concept. Nevertheless, he was glad to know that Midgard did have at least a slight semblance of a group of people that it could rely on for protection. That was a great relief for Thor; he cared much about this realm and had appointed himself its protector thinking that it could not fend for itself. He was glad to be wrong about that, and even happier to share the burden.

"Something smells delicious. Is there bacon?" Thor turned to see Steve walking into the kitchen, an eager look an his face that quickly turned to disappointment when he didn't see any food. His shirt was drenched in sweat and clung to his sculpted upper body. He had evidently just come back from a morning run and was hungry.

"I am afraid it as all gone, my friend," Thor told him. Apparently Clint had finally managed to cook something for himself and had immediately left afterwards. Natasha was gone as well. "I am sure there is are some other edible items in the refrigerator though."

Opening the fridge, Steve saw a carton of milk and grabbed it. "Maybe there's some cereal lying around."

"Cereal? Ah, that is the strange crunchy things that comes in a variety of colours and flavours."

"Too many flavours in my opinion," the man from a different time era replied. "Back in my day we had cornflakes. Now it's all sugar and chemical mixtures. This will have to do," he sighed as he located a box of honey-nut cheerios.

Thor remained silent. He was hardly the expert in Midgardian customs so he felt unable to give an appropriate response or reassurance.

"May I ask you a question, Steve?" Thor began a little awkwardly when the other man had sat down and began shovelling cereal into his mouth.

Steve made a gesture with his free hand for him to continue.

"I am unsure as to what exactly the title 'captain' means which you bear. During the battle you took control and acted with authority. Is this because you are a captain or because of your previous experiences in war?"

Steve swallowed, suddenly nervous. He had wrapped his mind around the fact that there were indeed other realms out there and it was clear that Thor considered himself superior to the human race, even though he didn't walk around puffed up with arrogance. He was also a prince, which meant royalty. Steve wasn't sure if Thor felt slighted that he had taken charge during the battle but the question seemed sincere.

"I guess a . . . a bit of both," he stuttered after he had swallowed. "The title of captain is a military designation for someone in charge of a group of men. He fights alongside them in the field and gives the orders. His job is to accomplish the mission while protecting his men and making sure they get back safe."

Thor nodded. This made sense to him. They also had a system of command amongst their warriors on Asgard.

"I was first given the name mainly as a publicity stunt," Captain America continued, embarrassment in his tone. "I guess the name has a nice ring to it. But then in the war, I was in charge of a group of men called the Howling Commandos. I guess you could say we were an elite combat unit." Embarrassment gave way to pride as he spoke about his men.

"I also have a close group of friends who have fought loyally by my side for many years now," said Thor.

"I hope you aren't offended that I took charge during the battle. It just kind of happened." Steve fastened his eyes upon Thor's face, trying to read his expression.

"Of course not, do not let it trouble you," replied Thor instantly. "I was merely curious. Indeed, I have realized that my knowledge and understanding of humans is still quite limited and so I have no qualms if you are the leader."

"Thank you, Thor. That means a lot to me. It's always nice to fight with an experienced warrior."

Thor leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. "Is that also referring to the inexperience of the other Avengers?"

Steve sighed. "Not inexperience, exactly. They're just not . . . military trained, like I am."

"Fear not. The more battles we fight, the more we will work together as a team. It took many battles before the Warriors Three and I were able to work together successfully and even more until we deigned the Lady Sif to join us, much to our advantage as it turned out."

"The Warriors Three?"

"My fellow warriors, my friends on Asgard."

Steve smiled. "Well, here you've got five others that are willing to fight with you."

"The Warriors Five of Midgard," Thor chuckled. "I much prefer the Avengers, it has a nice bloodthirsty sound to it. Like the sound Mjölnir makes as he whistles through the air."

"It is a good name," Steve agreed as he got up and quickly rinsed his dishes in the sink. "I'm going to grab a quick shower but I'll be down in time to head to Central Park. I heard you'll be heading back."

Thor nodded. "I would be glad of your presence. I wish to properly say farewell to everyone."

"Not forever though."

"No, I will make sure to be back if you ever need my help," responded Thor sincerely. As Steve disappeared around the corner, Thor looked around at the empty kitchen. He could this this place becoming a second home.

He was also suddenly aware of the irony that he, a prince of Asgard, was willing and almost eager to come back to Midgard and fight not just with but also underneath the leadership of a human. He smiled, a chuckle escaping his throat. Did he ever have stories to regale the Warriors Three with when he returned to Asgard.

—

That same day, before the sun had reached its zenith, a small group gathered in Central Park. Despite Thor's previous words, no farewells were actually exchanged. Just a few words, some jokes and rebuttals. Thor did not feel like this was the end of anything. On the contrary, he knew that he would be back for more adventures alongside the other Avengers. He gripped the handle of the container holding the Tesseract and motioned for his brother to grab the other end. He looked around the circle at Dr. Selvig and his fellow warriors. Nodding curtly, he twisted the handle and disappeared in a flash of blue.

The Avengers each headed their separate ways. They knew that if storm clouds were to once again brew on the horizon, lightning was never far off.

A/N: A Thor-centric one-shot! I personally find it a bit hard to get a good grasp on his character so this was a challenging one but I'm fairly happy with it. What did you think? Any specific requests for more Thor one-shots?