Aaaaaaand here's the first real chapter of the story! I know, shocking right? I actually added a second chapter to something. Funnily enough, I would have posted this sooner, but I wanted to make sure that I got started on the next part before I did. Just in case.

Before that though, here are my answers for some reviews so far:

AaronNeverbone and guests: Thank you, your words are appreciated :)

JustAnotherGuyonInternet: You'll find out this chapter, but I will say that you're slightly incorrect with that assumption.

Dragonlord001: I will admit, I did not even think about that when I posted this story, but I have come up with a power scale for the heroes and villains that will (probably) be in this story. While I don't want to elaborate too much to avoid any arguing, I will simply say that Thor and Hulk are more powerful than All Might in his current form, while All Might is more powerful than the likes of Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, and Hawkeye. The top 10 of the MHA universe are ranked somewhere below All Might, (maybe) behind some Avengers, and ahead of other Avengers (i.e., Endeavour Hawkeye, Black Widow, maybe Captain America, etc.). You can probably infer from there. If you had any opinions to share about it though, I'd be happy to hear it :)

And now, here's the story!

Chapter I

To Thor Odinson, Midgard was becoming stranger with each passing year, at least since his brother had attempted to conquer it three years prior, before mysteriously disappearing.

Two years ago, he had dealt with an invasion of Dark Elves as they attempted to take the Aether. Last year, SHIELD had fallen to treachery from within, though thankfully Steven was able to put an end to it before they could enact their plans. And now, there was this "Displacement", which even by Asgardian standards, seemed impossible.

He had first learned of it from Heimdall, who had reported that an entire chain of islands, millions of people in all, had disappeared. While it sounded absurd at the time, Thor knew better than to doubt his long-time friend.

And so, at the behest of his father, he came back to Earth for the fourth time in six years to investigate what had occurred. For all they knew, it could have been the work of some enemy of Midgard or Asgard.

This is where Thor found himself now- in Japan, with the rest of the Avengers. But it wasn't for a fight. Rather, they were all attending a "gala" ('A feast by any other name.') hosted by some "Hero Public Safety Commission". So instead of the usual armour he'd wear into battle, he donned some formal Midgardian clothing.

This was apparently a part of the Avengers' "media tour", whatever that was, which Bruce had told him was important because "the Avengers were now an officially backed team of the United States government". Although he didn't fully understand what that entailed, Thor was just happy to see his friends back together again.

At the table that he was seated at, he could see all the members of the team, both old and new. He could see Tony speaking with a mountain of a man, one with well-defined, sharp features, and another thinner formally dressed one. While he couldn't hear what they were speaking about, the serious look on Tony's face told him all he needed to know.

Meanwhile, Steven was joined by Rhodes and another newcomer, Samuel, as he spoke to a small crowd of people. He had no doubts that the three were probably regaling them with tales from the past, especially as he heard Rhodes exclaim "...BOOM! YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THIS?"

Clint, on the other hand, seemed to be on his phone with someone. Thor initially suspected it to be Fury, but he doubted that Clint would make the faces he was with that one-eyed man.

That left Bruce and Natasha, the both of whom were seated with him, enjoying their food. Thor turned his head back down to his plate, filled with a food called "sushi". Though he never had it before, he figured that now would be a good time to try it; after all, it would be rude to decline a free meal.

Using the sticks provided, he deftly grabbed a piece of "sashimi", dipping it in soy sauce, before eating it. "This food," he said gesturing to his plate with his free hand, "I like it. ANOTHER!"

His unexpected outburst drew a few curious glances from the people nearby, though most turned away shortly after. "Thor, remember where we are," commented Bruce, concerned. "We're guests; we need to leave a good first impression with these people."

"I know that Bruce. Is it not proper for me to state my enjoyment of this food?" he asked, a perplexed look on his face. The scientist merely sighed in defeat, while Natasha chuckled.

"He's got you there Bruce," she said rather playfully. She turned to Thor before continuing. "I never took you as the type to enjoy sushi. Plus, you're quite adept with those chopsticks for a first-timer."

Thor glanced at his right hand, looking at the sticks he was using to eat. "Oh, you mean these puny things? Of course! Compared to Mjolnir, these are nothing."

To prove the point, he grabbed another sashimi, dipping it in the "soy sauce" before eating it, all the while keeping his eyes on his friends the entire time. Natasha, and even Bruce, broke out a smirk at his antics.

For a short while, they continued to sit at that table, simply enjoying each other's company. While Thor happily continued to snack on the free food, the two other Avengers slowly turned their attention to one another. While it was friendly banter, Thor had his suspicions that something was going on between the two of them. 'Jane would probably know,' he mused.

Eventually, Natasha and Bruce went off to grab a drink, leaving Thor on his own. He didn't mind of course; he was perfectly content with being alone. But of course, that wouldn't last for long. Out of the blue, a man dressed in a traditional formal suit sat across from him.

As Thor looked at the unexpected arrival, he immediately noticed that he had wings, like Samuel. Unlike his fellow Avenger, however, these red wings seemed to be natural, as if they belonged to a bird. 'Certainly not like any other Midgardian I have ever seen,' he thought. The man looked at him, more than likely assessing him before he began to speak.

"So. You're the last member of the Avengers that I haven't spoken to yet," he admitted casually. "I guess that means you're Thor?"

"You're right, my friend," he replied. "Might you be one of the 'heroes' that I've heard about from around here?"

The man smirked. "Indeed I am. The name's Keigo Takami, or as I'm better known, Hawks."

Thor pointed at his wings. "You and Samuel would get along pretty well, being birds and all that." Keigo laughed in reply, visibly relaxing and slouching in his seat as he did. "So what brings you to me then? Curious about who I am, or?"

"Well, I figured why not? We are at a party after all," Keigo said dryly. He took a short sip of a nearby cup of water before continuing. "I'll go first. As I've already mentioned, I'm professionally known as the pro hero, Hawks. I'm the number 3 hero of Japan, just behind All Might and Endeavour."

Thor's eyes flashed in interest. "Number 3 hero? You are all ranked on your abilities as heroes?"

"Yep. I've heard that that's not how you guys across the ocean do it, but then again, you all did just become legit." Keigo crossed his arms, seemingly contemplating something briefly. "Truthfully, I'm kind of jealous of that."

Thor made a confused face, unsure if his Allspeak had somehow mistranslated what he heard. "But why? If you are the number 3 hero, should you not take pride in your accomplishments? It must have been difficult to attain that status." He sat forward into his seat, waiting to hear Keigo's explanation.

"I mean... you're not wrong. I know that I only got here through hard work. That's not the problem. I just dislike everything that comes with it, you know?"

Thor understood what he meant. "I do. You speak of the burden of someone in our positions, yes?" Keigo nodded. "Certainly, I cannot blame you for feeling that way. As someone who's had a lot of experience out there in the Nine Realms, I know the kind of pressure and commitment that is thrust upon us. It can be overwhelming."

"Exactly," Keigo said with vigor. "I get the importance of being a top hero. It means that the people have someone to look up to, someone who could put them at ease no matter the situation. I may not be the best at it, but I can get the job done. I just wish that I had more freedom to do what I want."

"And what is it that you want, my friend?"

"Honestly?" he stated, looking directly at Thor. "All I want is to be able to take it easy. To be able to do my thing, without having to worry about others' expectations." He sighed afterward, putting both his arms across the armrests of his chair.

Thor let the man have a few moments of silence before he spoke. "I understand. While we Avengers are not ranked, except in terms of strength since I am the strongest, I have felt a similar feeling. The weight of the expectations of others can feel infinite at times, especially for people in our position. For, as my father would put it, heavy expectations are laid upon those meant for greatness."

He paused, letting Keigo take in his words, the man entering a contemplative stance. After a short while, he answered. "I don't know about greatness. I'm just trying to help people."

"A noble goal," Thor commented. "But the unfortunate truth is that not everyone can do what we do. Many are capable of it, to be sure. Yet it takes dedication and perseverance to be where we are. I am not saying that we are better men; rather, that we have proven ourselves worthy to be the heroes that people can look up to. Their expectations will always be there, but what matters is that we can rise up to not only meet them but go beyond."

"Those are some pretty wise words. I can't say I expected this conversation to go this way considering that I just wanted to introduce myself, but I appreciate it." He leaned back and ran his hand through his hair before he refocused his attention on the Asgardian. "You know, I think I might just like you, Thor."

The God of Thunder chuckled. "I believe that I can say the same about you, my friend. Now, how about I tell you some tales from my adventures across the Nine Realms? You did say that you were curious to know some things about me."

Keigo shrugged in response. "Ah, why not? But once you're done, there's someone I'd like to introduce you to. If you really are the strongest Avenger, she's gonna be very happy to meet you."

(-)

"What else can you tell us about the Avengers?"

In typical fashion, the Hero Public Safety Commission (HPSC) held a debrief the morning after the gala. Keigo was there, standing at the other end of a conference table from some of the higher-ups of the HPSC, including the President herself. 'On one hand,'' he thought, 'it means no patrol until the afternoon. But on the other hand...'

He was brought out of his thoughts by an all-too-familiar voice. "Hawks? Do you have anything else to report about the Avengers?" inquired the President.

He rubbed the back of his head as he replied. "Not really. I mean, between the dossiers you've already acquired and my lengthy impressions of each of them that I just went over, I don't think there's more to it than that."

"What about your overall impressions, then?" asked another voice, ready with their laptop to type out his answer.

"Hmmm... I mean, they seem to be pretty legit, as far as heroes go. Sure they only became official a short while back, but they've got the experience and swagger of any of the pros from around here. They seem pretty serious about it, too, at least when they were talking about some of their past experiences."

There was a short silence before a different voice asked another question. "You're talking about the first-hand accounts that you were told regarding the Battle of New York and the HYDRA incident?"

"Yes." Another silence overtook the room as the President and her lackeys looked over the information they had about those incidents.

Keigo himself still couldn't believe some of the things he'd heard about the Avengers. Take the Battle of New York, for example. Keigo wasn't religious or anything, but for a team of largely inexperienced heroes (by Japan's standards) to not only successfully hold off an alien invasion but defeat it outright was nothing short of a miracle.

'I wouldn't be shocked to see some of our heroes fail to synergize the way they did,' he thought. Indeed, the limited footage that he was able to get his hands on thanks to the HPSC didn't show him a team of rookies, but rather veterans who knew exactly what they were doing.

Add onto that what he heard about the HYDRA incident in Washington D.C. and other events that some of the Avengers were individually a part of, and it seemed that this American team was the textbook definition of becoming heroes through a baptism of fire.

Of course, he shouldn't be surprised; they were only in 2015, which coincidentally was around the same time that heroes started popping up on their Earth. 'Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if these guys are used as a case study by some historical heroics courses.'

He was pulled from his thoughts yet again by the President. "Hawks, do you think that they could have exaggerated their stories in any way? I don't doubt what you've heard, and what we've seen, but it has to be asked because of the implications that alien life could have."

"I don't think so," he stated frankly. "I mean, yeah, there were definitely examples of personal embellishments from some of the Avengers. But I don't think they were lying about the aliens or the other, uh, impossible things that they mentioned in their accounts."

He was met with murmurs from the panel. Mixed reactions were evident on their faces as they were now faced with the reality that aliens were quite real. Keigo couldn't blame them; he was still wrapping his head around the idea that Thor was technically a freaking extraterrestrial.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he asked a question of his own. "So where do we go from here? Did you need me to explain anything else that you already knew?"

The President frowned somewhat at his snarkiness. "There is one more thing we need you to do," she admitted. "This is something that we had decided upon several weeks ago, but I believe that I can speak for everyone here when I say that it's even more important now. I'll keep it simple- you will be deploying with the Avengers on their next international operation, perhaps even beyond."

She paused briefly to let Keigo fully understand what she had said, then continued. "Yes, I know. It's asking a lot of you, but we want you to join them in their campaign against this HYDRA organization." She stood up from her chair and began walking around the conference table toward him as she spoke. "Before you say anything, let me explain. First, this presents an opportunity for us to build up a good relationship with our American counterparts. Like it or not, we're new to this world, and we'll need as many 'allies' as we can get, especially with the United Nations working on establishing official accords on hero work. Also-"

"Let me guess- you want me to spy on them, too?" he said, interrupting her briefly.

"A crude way to put it, but yes. We want you to observe them up close and provide us with a report on their capabilities in action. We would also like you to evaluate the danger that HYDRA poses, specifically whether you think they could potentially be a threat to us."

By now, the President was standing in front of Keigo, somehow looking down on him despite being shorter. "Hawks, I don't think I need to tell you how important this mission is. Yes, it will mean that you'll be out of Japan for an extended period of time, but I believe that this benefits you as well."

He was confused. "How so?"

"Both you and I know that while you have been following our orders to a tee, you've been chafing underneath our supervision." She sighed, clearly not liking what she was going to say next.

"I... I know that we've been particularly demanding of you, so I believe this mission is the best compromise possible between what is good for you and what we want. You would get more freedom from our direct supervision, all the while still doing us, doing Japan a great service."

She turned away from him, walking back to her seat as though to give him time to think it over. 'As if,' he thought. 'There's no way they'd let me decline this.'

He had to admit, though, that she wasn't wrong. Honestly, he needed a break of sorts from the duties he had, not only as the number 3 hero but also as the HPSC's top operative. Sure, he could still perform at a high level without it, but it probably wouldn't be the best for his health, physical or mental.

He also couldn't help but be intrigued by the prospect of working with the Avengers, a refreshing change from the usual. That said, he still couldn't help but ask... "Why?"

The question stopped the President in her tracks, seemingly to show that she was listening. "Why are you so willing to send me off like this? At times like these, wouldn't it be better to send someone, I don't know, not in the top 10?"

She gestured at the rest of the panel with a wave of her right hand, a signal for them to vacate the room. She waited for them to do so before she responded.

"Hawks, I will be honest with you. Our past experiences with operatives like yourself have shown us the necessity of allowing you some time away from the HPSC. We do not want what happened to them to happen to you, so this is our way of being able to accomplish that in a formal capacity. Believe it or not, we do actually think about your well-being, too."

"I see," he said, mulling her words. He had heard stories about his predecessors, but he was never able to find out why exactly they had been "dismissed". That said, the fact that the HPSC was resorting to this action was telling of the absolute shitshow that must have been. "I can't say that I completely believe your good intentions, but beggars can't be choosers. When do I start?"

The President seemed to relax at the question, smiling at the fact that she was able to "convince" him of the importance of this mission. "The first thing we'll need you to do is for you to inform your partner of the task at hand."

"Partner?" He was really confused now. The hero commission had never sent him out on a mission with a partner before, at least not for things this important. "Well then, who's the unlucky person who drew the short straw?"

"Rabbit," she corrected. "You'll be the one to tell her that the HPSC is requesting her presence on this mission since we know that you two are well-acquainted."

Keigo could only stare at her, dumbfounded, after hearing those words.

'Because what could go wrong asking the one person who hated hero teams more than anyone else in the world to partner up. Right?'

(-)

The following week would see Keigo at his busiest this month, having to make preparations ahead of his planned departure alongside the Avengers. At his agency, he told his sidekicks the cover story that the hero commission had given him; that he was being sent on their behalf as their temporary liaison with the Avengers. After the congratulations and questions, he made sure that they would be ready to operate without him for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, the HPSC had so generously offered to provide support in whatever form it was required.

The next challenge was to approach his "partner" about their upcoming mission, which he dreaded having to do. Rumi Usagiyama, AKA Mirko, was a fast-rising pro hero who he'd known for a few years, being one of his few good friends. She was well on her way to breaking into the top 10 of the Japanese hero rankings, mostly due to her rabbit theme, bravado, and well-known fighting ability.

Of course, he understood why she was chosen; she was a formidable fighter, one of the best in Japan, not to mention the friendship between the two. He had hoped that the latter would prevent her from reacting badly.

Of course, it did not. The very next moment after he told her what the hero commission wanted, she was enraged, not only for having to partner up with someone (regardless of whoever they were) but also because she was being ordered around. It was made even worse when he told her about the "modified" costume that she would have to use while with the Avengers, because of the commission's "concerns about foreign opinions on her current one."

He was thankful for being able to fly, as it allowed him to avoid the worst of Rumi's anger long enough for her to calm down. Afterward, she reluctantly agreed to join him, if only because she couldn't let "his dumbass go out into the world alone." Plus, he offered to treat her to food for as long as the mission lasted, something that he almost immediately realized was a mistake.

That left one final task- meeting with the Avengers once again, this time to officialize the deal that would have himself and Rumi join them temporarily. They had already known about it for some time, their equivalent of the hero commission, the United States Hero Management Administration (USHMA) having been far more transparent with the matter.

Yet at the meeting, he could feel the wariness from some of the Avengers, no doubt disliking the idea of outsiders joining them.

To be fair, they tried their best to be welcoming. After the agreement had been formalized, and the HPSC and USHMA representatives left, Keigo, Rumi, and the Avengers took the time to get to know one another.

It started off well enough, with Thor happy to see his two friends again, having met them at the gala. He was the only one who could really get through to Rumi, if only out of the respect that the two had for each other's apparent fighting skills. Keigo had no doubts that there would eventually be a spar between the two.

The Hulk, or Bruce as he preferred to be called, was quite friendly as well. Though he had spoken to him briefly beforehand, it still shocked Keigo to see how calm and reserved the man was considering his "alter-ego".

Speaking of egos, Iron Man was quite out there even by Keigo's standards. The man seemed completely certain in his abilities, despite being quirkless. Still, based on everything he'd heard and read about Tony, that outward overconfidence may have been justified.

On the other end of the spectrum was Captain America. A literal supersoldier, as in someone operating at the peak of human fitness, Keigo instantly recognized the military roots of the man in the way he acted. At the same time, Steve was very clearly humble and grounded, not allowing his abilities to make him cocky and full of himself. Being the "leader" of the Avengers, he tried his best to get to know the two newcomers, which Keigo appreciated.

Then there were their "sidekicks", for the lack of a better word. War Machine was an absolute professional, thanks to his former role as a Colonel in the United States Air Force. Keigo had no doubts that the man could perform in battle, though he wondered if Rhodey was a stickler to the rules like some heroes he knew.

Similar to him, Falcon was also a former member of the Air Force, though he "only" had his wings and guns to rely on. That said, Keigo had no doubts about his abilities, especially since Steve vouched for him. Plus, he had a feeling that the two of them might just learn something from one another.

Last, came the two more mysterious members of the group- Black Widow and Hawkeye. Like Tony, they were quirkless, though they didn't wear any advanced armoured suits as he did. Instead, Natasha was just an extremely well-trained ex-spy, being formidable in hand-to-hand combat and espionage (obviously). As for Clint, it was a similar story, though his specialty was in using a literal bow and arrow. While Keigo had known of heroes who used guns, Clint was probably the only one he knew of who used that "primitive" weapon.

The two of them did say hi, but Keigo noted how the two would closely observe his and Rumi's interactions with the others. It was a sign that they didn't completely trust their presence, not that he could blame them for it.

That was yesterday. Now, both Keigo and Rumi were in their shared room, having gotten it for free from the hotel that the Avengers were also staying at. Whereas Rumi was fast asleep, undoubtedly dreaming about past glory, Keigo hardly could. Though Steve had told him that they were expecting to leave fairly soon, now that their brief tour of Japan was over, no actual timetable had been set.

Instead, Tony had given him and Rumi phones that were far more advanced than the ones either of them owned, ones that he would use to keep them updated. Not only were they sleeker and lighter, but they had the unique ability to connect directly with the artificial intelligence that Tony owned. In fact, that was who Keigo was conversing with now on the couch.

"Sir," said the A.I. butler, "I appreciate this conversation, but I would advise you to get some rest. You may need it for when the team is deployed."

He could hardly believe that this wasn't a real person. Japan hadn't even come close to emulating an A.I., so it was quite a surreal experience. "I know JARVIS, but I can always get some sleep on the plane."

Keigo swore he heard him sigh. "I suppose you are correct. In that case, did you still wish for me to explain the reports about American vigilantes?"

"You know me too well already," he teased. "Should I be worried?"

The A.I paused briefly, before replying in his typical dry, British accent. "Of course not. It's already far too late for that, sir."

Keigo snickered, doing his best not to wake up Rumi and get on her bad side yet again. "Alright JARVIS, walk me through what you can tell me."

"As I was saying before," he began, "there have been increasing reports of vigilantism since 2008. Many of these have been poor attempts to emulate the likes of Iron Man and other heroes."

Keigo was unsurprised. Over the years, there had been people who tried their hand at vigilantism in Japan, either out of a calling to justice or as a mask for more evil activities. Most would usually go away after a while, but some persisted. This was why he wanted to find out about the American side of things. Given that the Avengers had been operating for several years now, he wanted to see if they had any "copycats" of their own.

The A.I. continued. "However, there have been recent reports of more successful vigilantes from this year. The most notable of these is that of the so-called "Daredevil", as dubbed by the New York Bulletin after his famous takedown of the crime boss Wilson Fisk. Based on eye-witness accounts, he began operating shortly after the New Year; whether or not this is tied to the "Displacement", however, is unknown."

"Interesting." Keigo had heard about the Daredevil from the news, but he was unfortunately too preoccupied to look into the matter. Now that he was with the Avengers, however, it meant a possible chance to travel to New York, which by extension, could allow him to find and meet this vigilante. 'If he's successful enough, this Daredevil could very well be another pro in the mak-'

He was suddenly interrupted by JARVIS. "I apologize sir, but this is important. Mr. Stark has instructed me to awaken all of you, and to inform you to get ready. Ms. Hill has forwarded intelligence regarding a major HYDRA facility in Europe. The USHMA is already working to secure permission for the Avengers to strike."

"Got it," he said in reply as he sat up from the couch. Rumi was already in the bathroom putting on her costume, having been woken up by JARVIS moments earlier. As he was donning his own equipment, he spoke to the A.I. once again. "JARVIS, where exactly is the target location?"

"The base is in the Central-Southeastern region of Europe. More specifically, within the landlocked nation of Sokovia."

I hope you all liked this new chapter! Please leave any comments or criticisms you have for it in the reviews. The next chapter will likely come out next week, though I have some papers I have to get done in the meantime.

Speaking of, please no manga spoilers in the reviews. Don't be that person. ALSO no Loki spoilers.

Also if you're wondering what Mirko's "alternate" costume looks like, it's literally her regular costume, but with pants. That's it.