Chapter title is from the same song title by AC/DC

Thor

When he landed at Stark's tower, the Man of Iron was already there without his armor, although with no small amount of confusion at his sudden arrival.

"Anthony," Thor said, nodding.

"Hey there, Point Break. Not that I mind you coming, but we can't reach you and thought you've gone dark—oof!"

"And you're still light as ever, Man of Iron!" Thor grasped his shoulder with a laugh. "Ah, my sincere apologies. Loki's impending trial and the weight of his crimes are taking a toll on the king and the queen, most especially. Asgard has been restless since I've brought with me my brother, thought dead, in chains and with an infinity stone." His tone went grim. Loki's imprisonment was just as heavy in Thor's mind, giving him a few sleepless nights as well.

Anthony led them inside, the gracious host that he was. Thor noticed that there were a few modifications made in the Man of Iron's place of operation. Still small in Thor's eyes, but he supposed this would amount to a palace here in Midgard.

"Want a tour?" Anthony offered, pouring Thor a glass of an amber liquid and handing it to him.

"It matters not, though you have my sincerest thanks. Perhaps next time." Thor downed the drink in one go, finding the taste odd, though not unpleasant. It was unique. "What is this drink?"

"Scotch. You're supposed to drink that in sips, by the way."

"I like it."

"Good. More?"

Anthony tipped the bottle on Thor's glass, giving him a generous amount.

"How is Midgard faring?"

"Don't know about the other places—the world economy is experiencing recession right now, as far as I know—but Manhattan is peachy, all things considered. A lot of cleaning. Things like that."

Thor looked pensive, remembering the primary reason he came to Midgard. "Heimdall told me of a disquieting news of a small passage opening here in Midgard. Not as huge as what the army of Chitauri used, though a rip in space is not to be taken lightly for it serves as a beacon attracting mostly hostile entities. Midgard is recovering, and another assault will put a strain on your people."

Thor didn't miss the way Anthony took a huge gulp at the mention of a portal. Then he did know of this event. Heimdall told him that the passage brought seven people—

The space near Thor warped and a boy was instantly there. The moving metal contraption dinged and opened to four more boys, and two girls along with the Lady Pepper were coming from an adjacent hall.

"Thor?" Lady Pepper said with a smile. "We didn't know you're coming."

Thor pressed a kiss on her hand, much to her utter amusement. "It is a sudden decision. I apologize for the disruption of your evening."

She waved a hand. "You're not disrupting anything aside from putting away the dishes."

"I see." Thor liked her. She was a pleasant woman and fitting for Anthony. His eyes landed on Lady Pepper's companions. "Hello, my ladies," he said, not forgetting his manners with the women, both young and old. He gave them each a kiss on their hands. The young lady with olive skin giggled at the gesture while the other fidgeted.

He turned to the five lads watching him with varying degrees of perplexity. Thor approached them, observing each. Each stood their ground and none of them flinched back at his presence as he crowded them. Thor nodded approvingly before addressing Anthony. "You and the Lady Pepper have been busy."

The Lady Pepper coughed behind her hand, and Anthony was his usual self with the quirk of eyebrows.

"Not that you're wrong, but kids don't grow that fast here, big guy."

The Lady Pepper coughed and hissed at Anthony, and one of the boys who caught the exchange grinned. He looked up expectantly at Thor, and Thor obliged, lifting the child who he got no complaint from. Thor guessed that this was the one who closely inherited Anthony's carefree personality. "But they are yours, surely they are as mighty as their father and as intelligent as their mother. Like him." Thor hummed thoughtfully at the boy he lifted and to the rest who looked ready to protest to have their brother put down. "He's thin but with more room to grow. What is your name, young man?"

"Klaus. Pleasure to meet you, Thor."

"It is an honor, son of Anthony!" Thor claimed jovially. Klaus grinned and seemingly edged closer to Thor and wrapped an arm around his neck. Thor let him. Midgardian children seemed to like him just as Asgardian children do.

"He's not a son of Anthony," protested the young blond man with a huff, his shoulders crossed. "We're not sons of Anthony."

"We're not Stark's children," said the man who arrived through the warped space.

"Afraid to say they're right," Anthony said with a shrug. "My guests for the time being, actually."

"I see," Thor said contemplatively, somewhat dismayed that it wasn't the case. If they were here, then they happened to be related to Anthony and the Lady Pepper in some way. Kin, perhaps. "But they have abilities, have they not? I didn't know it was possible for ordinary Midgardian offspring to possess them." Thor frowned at the following silence that was seemingly waiting for a shoe to drop. A sudden persistent thought came to mind when his gaze met Anthony's and something clicked to place. "Unless…"

"I guess we need to talk, big guy."

Anthony ushered him to a balcony, closing the glass panes behind them. The others didn't seem put-off to be left, though they lingered curiously, observing them through the glass.

"About the small wormhole thing," Anthony began. "S.H.I.E.L.D. was on top of things, as usual. No need to worry." He awkwardly patted Thor's back like an empty reassurance.

"It is them. The seven individuals that emerged here in Midgard."

"Yep. Fury wanted them caged. I don't. So here we are."

"Heimdall didn't tell me they are children." Which was uncharacteristic of the watcher to withhold from him that specific information. "He said they were Midgardians, five men and two women. As to where they came from, he said it was beyond his sight. Heimdall suspects that it is because they originated in a world far from here, another cosmos away."

"He's right." Anthony leaned on a railing. "One of the kids told us. Too convincing and elaborate to be a lie. Five brought his siblings here to escape from their world." At Thor's concerned frown, Anthony added, "They won't be followed here. If they are then the Avengers will be meeting them by the gates. We'll be prepared this time."

"Do you think it wise to keep them close to you?" Thor asked. "They are interesting children, but you don't know much about them."

"I could list you their names, and I've seen their powers—well, except Klaus's, but there's a performance issue there at the moment—to know who needs better control. We're working on it. They want the experience to train with the team, which sounds good to me. Nothing dangerous to put them out there but enough for them to learn. Think of outdoor camping, if you will. A jamboree."

Thor didn't know what 'jamboree' meant. It must be from Anthony's special language. "Train? It might not be a bad idea." Better to start them young, Thor thought approvingly. Besides, sparring would always be a good thing in his ears.

"It isn't. I'll call the others tomorrow."

Thor grinned. That early? Why not.

Diego

There was something silky that brushed on his leg.

When Diego looked down, he found Five's cat looking up at him with a tilt of its head before jumping to his lap and making itself comfortable there. Diego wasn't one for pets, but the cat wasn't fuzzy and was behaving like a quiet kid, for the lack of better analogy, that he allowed the cat there. Tentatively, Diego poked it on its head, making the cat look at the finger curiously before rubbing its cheek on it.

"She likes you," Allison said beside him, lifting her camera and taking a shot of Diego and the cat. She smiled at the photo, then up at him teasingly. "Candid."

They were going to have stolen pictures of them from now on, weren't they? Diego sighed. Better let Allison have her little hobby.

He was absently tickling the cat when Allison said, "We should give her a name." She turned to Five. "You already got one for her?"

"No. That can wait," Five said, warily eyeing the balcony where they could see Thor and Stark.

Pepper caught the look. "Is something the matter with Thor?"

A lot, Diego wanted to say. That huge hammer, for one, and the guy was like an overjoyed human Labrador who saw kids for the first time. "He thinks we're your kids," Diego muttered.

"He's not often here on Earth, and his stays are short. He's a nice alien Norse God," Pepper said. "A bit old-fashioned, but it's not often a prince kisses a girl's hand these days." She looked amused and wistful at the same time, winking at Vanya who only looked back at her with confusion.

"A god?" Luther asked. "The kind of god you pray to?"

"Norse God of Thunder," Pepper told him. "You don't have the Norse Pantheon from where you came from?"

Diego disliked the long, dragging lectures as a child, but he was pretty sure he would remember studying religions with gods like Thor.

"If God looks like that, I won't mind kneeling for him every night," Klaus muttered, a tad too loudly to be unheard by everyone.

Of course, an innuendo would be coming from Klaus. It wasn't only Diego who pulled a face at that, while Pepper's eyebrows almost rose back up her hairline.

"To pray, duh," Klaus followed up with a wave of his hand. "Though, I wouldn't mind—"

"Okaaaay, while we're all here, let's think of a name for Five's cat," Ben interrupted. Bless him. "I think 'Mrs. Norris' sounds fitting."

"Who's Mrs. Norris?" Diego asked.

"It's from this book I'm reading. Mrs. Norris is the cat of the school's caretaker."

"Why? Is there a Mr. Norris?" Vanya asked.

"Hmm, I don't think so. There's a theory online that she used to be a human, the caretaker's wife, but some wizard kids must have pulled a prank on her or something," Ben said.

"Is that Harry Potter?" Pepper said.

Diego didn't know who Harry Potter was, and he was lost once Pepper and Ben launched into a discussion. Five remained pensive, occasionally glancing at where Stark and Thor were. He appeared to be uneasy knowing what Thor actually was. They had an idea beforehand, but labeling him as a god seemed over the top. The God of Thunder, no less.

"You haven't named her, Five?"

"Does it matter?"

Diego snorted. "Of course it is."

"I'll think of something later."

"How about Grace? Or Patch?" Diego mumbled unconsciously. "Wait. No. Scratch those."

"Clarise?" Allison offered. That sounded close to 'Claire'. Probably a name she would have given if ever she had a second daughter.

"Regina?" Luther inputted because Allison gave one.

"We're naming her after Dad, seriously?" Klaus snorted derisively. "Fine. We name her Dave."

"The cat is female, Klaus."

"So? I don't hear anyone giving a decent female name." Klaus turned to Vanya. "How about you, sister dear? Any names for us?"

"Mr. Pennycrumb?" That must have been on top of Vanya's mind. Five looked like he was actually considering it.

Pepper blinked. "You mean she doesn't have a name yet? Tony said it's Tutti Frutti."

At their shared wince, there was a consensus that it was a very terrible name.

Ben

"They said you're the one who can call forth interdimensional beings," Thor said, and to Vanya, "And you're the young lady who can manipulate sound." There was a gleam of excitement in his eyes that even Vanya caught. She and Ben shared a look.

Ben didn't completely know how being a god worked in this universe, but he, like Vanya, would rather not harm Thor with the unpredictability of their abilities. He wondered how the others were faring after they've been divided and paired with different Avengers. Luther went with Captain America, Diego with Hawkeye, Allison and Five with Black Widow, and Ben and Vanya with Thor. Klaus was benched again per his request. Ben wasn't sure how Klaus would go on developing his abilities if he kept on putting himself at the backseat. Ben recalled a particular phase in their childhood where Klaus wished fervently to develop a different kind of power that Dad could focus on instead. Ben felt Klaus's desperation back then that even he dreamt that Klaus levitated in his sleep that one night he sneaked into Ben's room. It never happened again once Dad found out.

Thor's gaze softened, seemingly knowing what they were thinking. "Ben, your creatures are mighty and ferocious, no doubt. Vanya, they said you're yet to master control of your abilities. You two don't need to hold back. The Man of Iron did not partner you with me without a reason. Let's just say that he's confident that I can handle you both. At the same time, if you will."

So much for the cautiousness. Ben shrugged at Vanya, asking, "Ready, sis?" He held out a fist that she met with her own, uncertain. Ben sent her a half-grin in return.

Thor placed down his hammer that thudded heavily on the ground. When Ben made an opening gesture on his chest, Vanya was behind Thor, a good distance away from where she couldn't be reached by the creatures, though Ben gathered that Thor wouldn't let it come to that.

The three tentacles shot out the instant Ben opened the portal, and Ben knew that the creatures were agitated, more so than usual. It would have been the most shocking if not for Thor grabbing three at once in a single hold. Four more slithered out of the portal, two sliding below to catch Thor's feet and two coming towards Thor's free arm. For a huge person, Thor was quick on his movements, grappling the other two with his other hand and curb-stomping those approaching sneakily from below.

Thor pulled strongly on the tentacles, and with them was Ben lurching. Startled, Ben was close to tripping on his feet but recovered easily. Instinctively, he stepped back, pulling the tentacles taut like ropes on a tug of war. Ben had been in the same position with Luther once when Reginald mistakenly thought Luther's super strength could handle the creatures. It landed Luther in the infirmary for a week when the creatures almost tore him apart.

There was a rumble from Ben's chest, and thinner appendages with spikes darted in every direction. They were new. Ben immediately looked past Thor and was thankful that Vanya was far from their range.

"You are not hurting whenever I pull, are you?" Thor asked.

"No. I don't feel them, actually," Ben replied on top of the shrieks the creatures were emitting. "But don't pull too much, sir. We don't want the whole of them to come out here."

They latched on Thor's torso wildly, a stray one smacking him on the face with a force that should be enough to decapitate anyone not-Thor. Ben watched in awe as Thor caught it with his teeth and bit hard. The creatures let out a piercing wail, for the first time experiencing pain from outside. Suffice to say, they didn't like it one bit, sending out more and more limbs to attack Thor. This was a first for Ben to release a number of them simultaneously, and any more of them would also put him and Vanya at high risk to be caught amidst their thrashing.

"Stay back, Vanya!" Thor called behind him as his pulling lessened. He wasn't lifted by the creatures yet, but they were trying, that much was obvious. "This might become… out of hand."

He made a grabbing motion with both his fists once or twice as if calling for something but shook his head, grinning wryly at Ben as he struggled against the creatures' hold. The hammer that he put down earlier vibrated on the stand but didn't move from its place.

It was then that it became apparent to Ben that Thor was holding back.

"Vanya, attack the creatures!" Ben shouted. "It'll be difficult to call them back at this rate!"

Vanya played a tune without further ado, starting with soft notes that progressively heightened in tempo. There was a furrow between her brows as she played with as much concentration while stepping away from the long tentacles that wormed towards her. As the music quickened, Vanya's bow began to shimmer against the strings and gradually glowed at each stroke.

There was a white light when Vanya made a slash with her bow, not unlike what she displayed at the theater. It hit a number of the creatures' limbs, slicing them to pieces. The creatures' keening noise of pain and fury sent Ben's inside quaking, but he made sure to give Vanya a crooked grin and a thumbs-up. Ben has no love for the creatures that killed him once, and this should serve as a discipline to them.

Emboldened, Vanya cleared the path by cutting up a dozen more of the offending tentacles. A certain heavy blow completely dislodged the appendages holding Thor. Thor didn't waste the time to seize the rest in one tight grasp under one arm.

"Close it at my cue!"

Ben was given no prompt when Thor gave a tug that lifted Ben off his feet as Thor threw him upwards, bringing Ben along at a great height. The finishing touch was a blast of sonic waves directly below from Vanya that had what remained of the creatures outside the portal recoiling, the attack sending them back to the unfathomable aperture in Ben's chest.

"Now, Ben!"

And then Ben was falling down too fast.

He curled his body into a ball, bracing for the impact that never came. He landed on Thor's arms that deftly caught him, and when Ben looked up, Thor was beaming at him infectiously that Ben couldn't help but do the same.

"Ben! Are you okay?" Vanya asked once Thor gently brought him down. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Ben shook his head enthusiastically. "What you did—that was cool! I think they're scared of you now." He tapped on his chest for emphasis.

"Um, oh, I don't know. I recalled doing it before, you know, at the theater. I wasn't—"

He shushed her, nudging her playfully. "You did a good job, Vanya. It was awesome."

"Thank you, Ben," Vanya said, unable to look straight at him, though there was a small smile on her face. "You too. Those were a lot of them than you've handled before."

"I know. I don't know what will happen if you and Mr. Thor are not here to fend them." Except, Ben did know. That wasn't his first rodeo, after all.

"I'd say that you two did well." Thor tousled their hair fondly.

Ben never did like using his ability, and so far there was only a single moment that it merited gratefulness from him: when Klaus conjured him for his powers. Still, it was a pleasant surprise to find the activity thrilling. There was a peculiar rush when he didn't hold back and without ending up hurting anyone within the vicinity. His attention went to the hammer that was now hanging on Thor's waist. The man—Norse God, wasn't using his utmost power earlier, and it sparked a curiosity in Ben on how much strength a being like Thor possessed.

"The day is still young," Thor said. "How about another?"

Ben wondered too how much overenthusiasm was in there as well.

TBC