Chapter Three

"You know, for a crazy homeless person he's pretty cut." Darcy's voice snapped Peter out of his pout, looking at her only to see her staring straight ahead and into the mirror that hung from the bathroom door. Inside, Thor in all of his shirtless glory. Snapping his head away as the large man turned to exit the bathroom, having some trouble looking away himself, he instead settled for glaring at Darcy. Jane behind her shared a similar, confused expression that showed her disappointment in the comment.

"Traitor," Peter whispered to Darcy who acknowledged him with a toothy grin, returning her attention to Thor.

"Hey sorry I tased you." She spoke up, giving him a sweet, teasing smile as he marched out of the room. The kind of walk left Peter on the edge again, he'd seen the men who walk that way, he'd worked for them. They were scrappers, fighters, and it made Peter very nervous to see the other march towards them like he owned the place. His stride full of power and confidence, what a terrible combination.

"Excuse me, excuse me!" Peter jolted when Jane went running at the man, Thor having picked up one of the computer mice, swinging it around gently in his large hand. Peter almost had a heart attack watching her run at him, but nothing happened. Besides her pulling the mice from his hand and setting it back down. What did disappoint Peter though was that apparently even Jane wasn't immune to Thor's appearance.

She was looking down at her infamous notebook, her life's work was inside those pages, clippings of statistics, diagrams, anything and everything that might pertain to her work. It made a convenient distraction when standing next to a six foot something, ripped blond man who was still shirtless.

"What is this?" Thor asked, shaking the t-shirt at Jane, pointing at the paper name tag attached to the front. Peter almost laughed, Donald, somehow calling the other Donald seemed ludicrous, Thor looked nothing like a Donald.

"Oh, my ex," Jane responded. Tearing it right off of Thor's shirt and looking at it in hand. "Good with patients and bad with relationships. Uh, they're the only clothes I had that would fit you."

"They will suffice," Thor answered, cutting Jane off just at the end and walking back towards them.

"You're welcome."

"This mortal form has grown weak, I need sustenance!"

"Woah, woah. Who talks like that? Mortal form? Sustenance? Like, what the fuck?" Peter finally spoke up, crossing his arms and leaning back in the poor plastic chair, really, really hoping it didn't break under his weight. "Whatever you are on, I want some."

"I do not understand, you are on the ground, same as me."

Peter howled, throwing his head back and running a hand over his face and looking across at Darcy and Erik, they weren't having quite as much fun with this as Peter. "Come on! You've got to be kidding me, oh Thor, God of Lightning. At least you commit I suppose."

"Thunder," Thor corrected, "and commit to what? I suppose it was wishful thinking hoping you weren't as dumb as you look."

"Now just you wait a fucking sec-"

"Enough!" Jane yelled over the two bickering men, shooting both of them a piercing glare and looking close to strangling the both of them. "Get in the van and let's get some food. Now!" Erik and Darcy were quick to listen to Jane, Darcy coming up and grabbing Thor by the arm and leading him out, Peter tried not to get jealous of that, but failed. He was just getting up when Jane yanked him back, grabbing him by his forearm. "You need to stop."

"Stop? Stop what Jane? Pointing out the obvious?"

"You don't know that! I know this doesn't make sense to you, it doesn't make sense to me! That's why I want to ask him some questions, you're not helping when you bicker with him and irritate him!"

"Jane, he's claiming to be a Norse, fucking, God! A Norse God Jane! That came from the sky and -"

"I know Peter! I was listening too! I was there just like you were! Thank you, for trying to protect us, but he could be the answer to everything I've dedicated my life to searching for! The answers to instantaneous travel across distances unimaginable to us! I know it's a long shot, but damn it I have to get to the bottom of it! Please, just… just stop!"

Peter was stunned into silence as Jane released him, wiping a hand over her face too. It was then that Peter saw just how tired she was. She had been up as long as he had, maybe even longer. She witnessed something that defied all possibility and she was handling it a lot better than Peter's tried and true method of ignoring it until it goes away. Damn, he felt bad now.

"I'm sorry, it's just, he's… you - I mean, like - just, what?" Peter stumbled around his words, having a hard time articulating his frustration with this Thor man. "I just don't want to see you all hurt, we don't know who he is. What if he's dangerous?"

"Then you'll be there to help us out, but until then please just try and play nice." Peter groaned loudly and she nodded her head through it. "Yep, come on, you can do it!" She laughed at him and Peter smiled back, all had been forgiven.

"Fine, I'll behave, but if he says weird shit I'm going to laugh at him."

"Fine."

With that settled the two of them went outside to join everyone else who was already in the van. The driver's spot was empty, Erik was in the passenger seat while the side door was open showing Darcy and Thor.

"So how much do you bench, like we talking two-fifty, maybe more? Two-fifty is a lot, right?"

"Darcy, stop. Please?" Peter pleaded, trying not to groan at her antics, Darcy just looked at him, offended and throwing her hair over her shoulder, smacking Thor right in the face with it.

"I have no idea what you could be talking about."

Peter shook his head and rolled his eyes, he climbed up into the van and moments later they were off. There was still quite a bit of tension in the vehicle. Between Thor and Peter mainly, but by whatever was holy in this universe Peter managed to restrain from saying anything that might result in bickering. Darcy was starting to look like a caged animal however, looking around the van and tapping her foot on the floor and doing a little shimmy.

Something caught her eye though and she reached for it, procuring a box of Pop-tarts, the cinnamon sugar ones that Peter brought with him. "Look! Sustenance!" Though Thor didn't seem to realize it, everyone else in the van knew she was making fun of him.

"Thank you." He rumbled, stealing the unopened box from her and tearing into it.

"Hey! Those are mine!" Peter squawked, reaching across the way and trying to snag the box back from him.

"Oh, forgive me I did not see your claim on them so I have decided they are mine now." Thor said, keeping the box just out of reach.

"Give me those back you bastard!" Peter was just about ready to lunge across the way and snag them out of his grubby paws when Jane yelled from the front.

"Stop distracting me! Peter I'll get you another box! Remember what we talked about?"

"But, those are mine." He whined petulantly, Jane didn't even dignify him with a response, while Darcy looked suspiciously amused. Peter crossed his arms across his chest, pouting and mad about his poptarts. "Those were my poptarts." He grumbled but was largely ignored by the others in the car.

Erik was the only one who had remained silent the entire time, staring out the front window without a peep about the chaos that ensued around him. Peter was a little worried about the guy, he didn't seem like the type to just stare out windows deep in thought with that little scrunch between the eyes. A small clatter returned his attention back to Thor who had finished off the entire box of his poptarts.

"Dude!"

"Peter!" Jane shouted loudly from the front, while Thor just stared at him. His smirk was blinding and Peter ground his teeth together, oh this was far from over. "We're here anyway, I'll buy you breakfast." Jane sounded exasperated, and if Peter would take the time to logically analyze his behavior he'd realize he was being rather childish and unruly, but Thor started it!

"Good, I'm starved." Peter said, the first one out of the van and leading the way into the small diner that was a local hotspot. It was the only one in town really, Peter liked the old couple that ran the joint. In fact, he could see Gladys from the windows, he smiled brightly once the old woman spotted him, giving him an enthusiastic wave. When Peter looked over his shoulder the others mirrored his smile, except Thor, who looked a little confused, it was a better look for him than the smirking.

"Hey kiddos!" The woman shuffled right up to them, menus in hand already as she beamed up at them. Her curly, greying hair was done up in an impressive bee hive! Peter blinked, or was it a wasp's nest? It was big and poofy.

"Hey Gladys, good to see you." Jane responded for them, taking them to a long table in the middle.

"Jane, always a pleasure dear. Oh my, and who are you young man?" Gladys came up to Thor, handing him his menu and smiling affectionately for him.

"I am Thor Odinson." He responded, seeming cool and humbled with his response.

"Oooh, Norwegian, how exotic!" She pinched his cheek and Thor looked caught somewhere between being offended and flattered by the attention. "I'll give y'all just a minute with the menu and be back with your usual drinks! What can I get for you Thor?"
"A flagon of mead."

"How about a coffee hun, we don't drink that early in the morning." Peter couldn't help himself, tilting his head back and laughing at the scandalized look that spread across Thor's face.

"That will suffice Lady Gladys."

"Oooh! Look at that y'all I'm a lady now. Be back in jiff!" She shuffled off, leaving them alone, with each other. Peter kept his mouth shut, Thor seemed lost in his own thoughts and the rest of them were looking between the two. The tension was gone but now all that was left was the awkward silence, a loaded silence.

It wasn't long before there were drinks put in front of them, and their order taken. The silence immediately resumed as soon as Gladys would leave and no one seemed eager to be the first to break it. It wasn't until the food was placed before them and Thor ripped into his plate like a starving man that Jane broke the silence between them.

"How'd you get inside that cloud?"

"Also, how could you eat an entire box of Pop-tarts and still be this hungry?" Peter looked at Darcy, she certainly was asking the important questions. So busy with his food though, Thor didn't seem all that eager to respond. Garnering wary looks from both Peter and Erik as he downed his entire cup of coffee.

"This drink, I like it!" Thor finally rumbled, Jane's eyebrow furrowing in irritation.

"I know. It's great, right?" Darcy said, rolling right along with it and agreeing with him.

"Another!" Thor shouted, slamming the mug onto the ground, shards shattered across the ground and onto the floor. Peter, Darcy, Jane and Erik all jumped in spot, shocked by the aggressive display. Thor couldn't help but look pleased with himself, like a child who thought he'd done something impressive.

"Sorry, Izzy. Little accident." Jane said, the other woman in the diner looking on with an unamused, and irritated expression. Jane and a server went to clean the glass up and Peter finally got control over his racing heart again and leaned forward, his face thunderous.

"What was that!?" Peter whisper shouted at him, garnering a confused expression from Thor.

"It was delicious, I want another."

"You could've just asked dude!"

"I just did." He explained slowly, looking at Peter as if he was too dimwitted to understand what had just happened.

"No, you could've asked nicely." Jane interrupted them before Peter could really get loud and angry.

"I meant no disrespect." Thor responded, looking back to Jane. Peter figured that the other knew if he stayed on her good side Peter wouldn't get after him too much.

"Brown noser." Peter grumbled, Jane shot him a dirty look before resuming her conversation with Thor.

"All right, well, no more smashing! Deal?" She pressed, Thor was quiet for a moment chewing the food in his mouth while he thought it over.

"You have my word."

"Good."

Thor continued eating his food, and Gladys returned with another cup of coffee, patting him on the shoulder as she left. The silence returned after that outburst, and Peter swore he was going to go insane by the end of this meal. His appetite fled him and he pushed his plate away, staring out the window instead.

"Are you going to finish that?" Thor asked him, and Peter snapped his attention back to the other, with his still three half eaten plates in front of him.

"Yes." He grumbled petulantly, pulling the plate back and forcing food in his mouth. Thor responded with shoveling another mound of food into his own mouth.

"Oh, my god. This is going on Facebook, smile!" Darcy said, pulling her phone up and taking a picture of the shit eating grin on Thor's face. Peter rolled his eyes but that seemed like the last straw for someone else at the table.

"What the hell Darcy?" Jane snapped, Darcy looked chastised as she put her phone away and Thor even stopped eating at the sharp tone Jane took. "This guy is evidence, and here we're all sitting, eating, not getting a bit of work done! There are answers to questions that we haven't even asked yet! This is huge, and all you're doing is teasing, taking pictures, and I just want to know the truth! Where are you from!?" Jane asked, turning her full attention onto Thor, who was staring quietly.

"Asgard." He answered simply and Peter sighed, rolling his eyes but letting Jane take control of this one.

"Asgard, alright, how did you get here?"

"The Bifrost." He answered simply once again, Peter just watched but something flitted over Erik's face and he frowned over it. The look only served to further frustrate Peter.

"And how does the Bifrost work exactly?"

This time Thor didn't answer Jane's question, only stared at her with bright blue eyes and hummed. "Lady Jane, I'm starting to think you just keep me around for the information I have." He said and Peter laughed.
"Bingo dude."

"Peter!"

"I don't know what a bingo is but every time you open your mouth I am counting the moments before it shuts again." Peter fumed at that and only because Jane shot him a withering stare did he not shout and yell. "I'll make a deal with you all. I'll tell you everything I know regarding the Bifrost and my realm, if you help me return to it."

"Re-return to it? What?" Jane floundered and Thor just smiled at her.

"Help me build a device that will take me back home, back to the stars above. It could take weeks, months, longer but I will give you all the information you desire and surely we can come to a beneficial arrangement. The table was silenced around them and everyone just stared at Thor with gaping mouths. When Thor didn't receive an answer he tapped his fingers on the table. "I will need somewhere to stay of course, until I can leave."

"I volunteer my apartment." Darcy said swiftly, nodding her head and Thor beamed at her.

"You live with three other people Darcy, absolutely not." Jane shut it down just as quickly and Thor turned to her instead. "I can't, Erik is staying with me, there's no room." That's when Peter felt eyes on him. The entire table one at a time turned their heads to him, he looked up from where he was sulking over his breakfast. He met their eyes one by one, until he was left to stare at Thor's evil grin.

"No way! Don't you all look at me like that! No!"

Author's Note: What is this? Another Chapter so soon? It sure is! I hope you all enjoy this one because it's going to start leading into the AU parts of this story! Stay tuned for more and I'll see you all in the next Chapter!

-Rezzo