Hey guys! So... maybe posting a chapter before I go on a vacation to Costa Rica wasn't the best idea, but I'm back! Don't worry, I will be working quickly on the next update. And thank all of you who favorited/followed/reviewed my story! Thanks!
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Five Years Later — Three Months after the Battle of New York
"Mr. Stark, what are the Avenger's future plans?"
There was a long pause. "Future plans? As in, for the future?"
"Yes, are they disbanded or are there plans for their involvement in other worldly affairs?"
"No comment."
"But Mr. Stark, this is important information for the public to know. If you could just tell—"
"Janice, may I call you Janice?" Tony Stark interrupted. "Trust me, there isn't anyone else here who wants to tell the public what the Avengers are doing more than me. The reason I said 'no comment' is because that isn't my information to share."
"Why not? Is the government preventing you from speaking out?"
"No comment."
The interviewer hid a scowl. "That brings me to my next question, who exactly do the Avengers work for?"
There was a muffled crinkle from the sound of Tony messing with his microphone. "No comment. Now, if you want to speak with me about my company, then I will be more than willing to stay. But if all you want to ask me about is the Avengers, then you're going to have a very boring interview."
Janice Vernon started to remove the microphone from her cardigan. "Then I'm afraid that we will have to cut this short. Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Stark." Though, she didn't sound very grateful.
He smirked. "Anytime."
Fury paused the video. His fingers skimmed over the files with the confidentiality agreements.
"Agent Hill?"
Maria stood at attention from the corner of the room. The director took note that her posture was stiffer than usual.
"Tell Mr. Stark that he is not allowed to participate in interviews or answer unsolicited questions until given further notice," Fury commanded. "In fact, keep him entirely out of the public eye until I give the word."
She almost smiled at what she knew was coming. "He won't like that. Mr. Stark adores the attention."
Fury winced. Of course, Tony was not going to like being put on house arrest. The billionaire had enough brain cells to keep silent about the Avengers program, but not enough to divert the public away from the subject entirely. Just his presence was enough to bring up the topic.
"We need to keep this situation under control. I don't give a damn whether he likes it or not. Just keep him silent in any way possible."
"Understood." Maria took a stack of papers out of her arms and handed it to Fury. "Sir, our analysts have detected a strong pulse of energy from outside New York City. The heat signatures are similar to New Mexico. They believe that Thor has returned from Asgard and is wandering New York."
He placed his hands on the table to steady himself. Thor left with Loki right after the invasion with no indication of ever returning. The Asgardian was not part of the director's post-invasion containment plan. In fact, he had barely thought about the god at all. But now that Thor was back, SHIELD would have to act fast.
Fury glanced one last time at the sheets of data. "Send two agents out to bring him back to the nearest base."
"Yes, director."
When Agent Hill left the room, Fury ran a hand down his face. Thor was just one more problem to take care of.
"Does it speak the truth?" a loud voice bellowed throughout the restaurant. The few customers that were there looked up from their breakfasts. Groggy businessmen and women glared at the intruder who dared to disturb their morning peace.
Saniya glanced towards the entrance. A very large man in stiff, mismatched clothing towered over the restaurant. His blonde hair reached the shoulders of his gray t-shirt. In his right hand was a hammer. Not a regular hammer, though, like one someone could buy at a hardware store. Instead, it was essentially a large block of metal attached to a stick.
"Or does your sign bear false witness? I must know if this is truly New York's Best!" the man continued. He placed his hands on his hips. He reminded her of Superman.
Dorie smacked her bubblegum around in her teeth. "I took care of the last bit of crazy, it's your turn." Her co-worker hopped down from the counter and trudged into the kitchen. Dorie wasn't going to be much help, but Saniya expected as much. All of the responsibility fell on her.
One of the downfalls of working in the weirder part of New York was that she had the pleasure to deal with a lot of different types of people. Many times it was fascinating when she learned things the average citizen wouldn't know: like when a man who owned a local chop shop taught her how to disassemble a car in less than fifteen minutes. But then there were the odd ones who made Saniya question why she bothered to come to work in the first place. She prayed to any god that was listening that this man wasn't one of those people.
"Hey, sir?" she called out.
The man's eyes fell onto her. He smiled. His grin was adorable, like a teddybear's. "Midgardian women are always so wise; surely you will know whether or not this establishment is New York's Best."
Saniya's grin fell slightly. Was Midgardian an insult? But he also called her wise, so she assumed it wasn't the worst thing to be called.
"Umm... this restaurant is a seat yourself. Please find a table and I will be right with you," she said after ignoring his weird comment.
He nodded, looking sheepish. "I apologize. Of the few Midgardian restaurants I have been blessed to enter, I had been in the company of those who are well versed in your dining etiquette and had not needed to seat myself."
Her eyebrows flew up at his eloquent, almost confusing language. It was like he was from the middle ages. But considering the alien invasion several months ago, Saniya would not be surprised if that was the case. Whether he was an alien or an attractive time traveler, at least he was polite, and that made him alright in her book.
She grabbed a menu from the counter. The man had taken a seat by the window. He stared out the glass with child-like fascination. Even though the window was filthy —Dorie forgot to clean it yesterday and Saniya was not going to do her co-worker's chores— he pressed his face against the glass.
Saniya dropped the menu in front of him. His attention quickly directed itself towards her, his bright eyes lighting up his entire face.
She pointed towards her name tag. "My name is Saniya, is there anything I can get you to drink?"
He smiled. "Hello, Lady Saniya. My name is Thor."
For a second, she dared to deviate from her rehearsed lines. "Thor? Like that one Avenger?" She bit her lip. "Or was his name Loki? I... can't remember which."
Thor's smile dipped down into a deep, concerned frown. "It has been a few months since the battle of New York, has it not?"
"Almost three."
"And you are not familiar with the brave individuals who fought off the Chitauri invasion?"
She shrugged. "How can I be? None of them have come out of their tower since the battle. Except for Stark, but he never answers any questions." Saniya smacked her fists together. "This is what I've been talking about! They haven't done one single interview or anything and we don't even—"
From the back of the restaurant, Dorie smacked her gum. "Hey! You're gonna scare off the customers with your rantings, ya lunatic," she warned. Dorie turned back to the customer trying to shove a credit card into her hand. Saniya blushed, but she blessed her parents for their brown skin that masked the redness well.
Thor placed his hand on the menu. His forehead creased. "I once again apologize. I did not realize that this subject, what do they say, "touchy" for you."
She waved her hand. "Don't worry about it. I'm this way about a lot of things. So, drinks?"
His eyes dropped to the menu. "I am not familiar with Midgardian refreshments."
"No problem. List of everything is down here." He followed her finger to the bottom.
Thor read the list of drinks quickly. His eyes slowly widened when he came upon one word. He stared up at her with wonder, as if she was an angel coming down from heaven. "What is the chocolate milk this menu speaks of? Do you have cows that naturally produce milk with chocolate flavoring?"
Her eyes flickered between Dorie and Thor. She wondered how much crap she would get if she begged Dorie to switch customers with her. "No," she said slowly, "but we have milk in the back and some chocolate syrup. Is that what you want?"
He slammed his fist on the table. Everything rattled from the impact. "I would love to try this milk of chocolate!" Thor snuck a peek at the menu. "And some of your finest waffles, if I may."
Saniya winked. "Coming right up, doll."
Thor blinked twice, then looked down at himself. He scanned his body with confusion. Saniya left before anymore weirdness could come out of his mouth. She placed the order with the cook and stirred Thor's chocolate milk behind the counter.
The last few groups of customers left —other than Thor— and Dorie took her usual place by Saniya behind the counter. She offered Saniya a piece of mint gum.
"Is he as weird as I think he is?" Dorie thought aloud. The gum noisily collided with her teeth.
She shrugged. "He talks really weird, but he's not rude."
Dorie smirked. "Not rude and hot? Damn, I don't care if he's crazy; he sounds like my kind of guy."
The corner of Saniya's mouth curved downwards. "I don't think he knows what chocolate milk is and looks really confused about everything," she commented, "so I'm not sure if he's dumb or really sheltered."
Her co-worker tilted her head. "Huh." She watched on as Thor thoroughly examined a napkin dispenser. "I'm betting on sheltered."
Saniya rolled her eyes but didn't make any further comments. When the milk was good and perfect, she hurried towards Thor's table. The huge man lit up at the sight of the drink in her hand. He took the glass from her hands. But before he took a gulp, he placed a hand on her arm.
"Lady Saniya, before I partake in this Midgardian beverage, I feel that I must clear up a misunderstanding," Thor said, each word dripping with genuine worry.
She tried to pry his fingers off her arm. "What's the misunderstanding?"
"You referred to me as a 'doll', but I can assure you that I am indeed not one. I am, in fact, a man and not a toy that small children play with."
A small giggle escaped her lips. He looked surprised to hear her laugh at a topic he considered serious. "That's just something I sometimes call people while serving food" Saniya raised an eyebrow. "Did you seriously think that I thought you were an actual doll?"
He closed his mouth and paused for several seconds. She could see his mind swirling with thoughts. Thor grinned. "I apologize once again, Lady Saniya. I am far from an expert on Midgardian jargon."
Saniya shook her head with amusement. He was definitely one of the odder customers, but she decided that she enjoyed his company. "It's fine." She gestured back to the kitchen. "I'll check to see how your waffles are coming along while you enjoy your drink."
Several minutes of spying on Thor from behind the counter with Dorie later, the waffles were ready to be served. Saniya carefully avoided the chairs and lopsided tables until she reached Thor. She placed the plate in front of him. The waffles were coated in thick syrup with whipped cream on top.
Thor chugged the last of his chocolate milk. Before she could react or say anything, he smashed the glass on the floor next to her. Small shards bounced off the tile, some even going as far as the counter. The glass crashed onto her feet, leaving long scratches in her skin. Saniya cursed the fact that she decided to wear sandals that morning. Her feet were going to hurt for the rest of the day.
"Another!" Thor yelled with a grin. His eyes wandered to the floor and his face shattered like the glass. "Lady Saniya! You are hurt!"
On instinct, there was a tug in her chest and everything moved in reverse. The glass flew out of her skin and back into a musty cup. The cells in her skin repaired themselves to perfection. Once again, the plate was back in her hand and ready to be served. The only evidence of what happened was the phantom sting in her feet.
Saniya placed the dish in front of the man. This time she was ready. Thor raised his arm to smash the empty glass on the ground. The second it left his fingers, she caught it.
She narrowed her eyes. "Do not break our cups please," Saniya clipped.
Thor's eyes were wide and innocent. "I do not understand."
How could he not understand? Suddenly, she was back to not liking him. "You do not throw cups in restaurants. Where are you from, anyways?" she snapped.
His eyes glazed over. Thor looked like he was in another world. "Somewhere far from this realm." Then, he was back. "But isn't the throwing of empty glasses a sign of respect and a need for refill? I thought that was the Midgardian way."
Saniya's eye twitched. "There is nowhere on this earth where that is okay. That's so stupid."
Thor's mouth formed a small, surprise, 'o'. A small tint of pink lit up his cheeks. The poor man was utterly embarrassed. To save him the work of finding the right words to say, Saniya told him that she would bring the check when he was done with his meal. Dorie stared at her questionably when she slammed the glass on the counter and began to rub her feet. She could still feel the shards despite there being nothing embedded in her skin.
Neither woman noticed when Thor left with two men in suits and guns on their waists.
Thor sat in the back of the car. One SHIELD agent sat to his right while the other drove. They stared forward, not once sparing the god a glance. He didn't like how serious they were. It was odd to him. Even the warriors on Asgard were less stoic than these agents.
The time away from Midgard had made him anxious to return. And when he did, he was not disappointed with the brilliance of the human race. The Midgardians had demonstrated their resilience: they had rebuilt New York and life seemed to go on as before. While Thor had a sneaking suspicion that the people of Midgard did not have all the facts, based on Saniya's outburst earlier at his name, he was impressed by their calm reaction to the presence of other realms.
Thor had a growing admiration for Midgard and its people. It started with the lovely Jane Foster and only continued to grow until it became a second home to him. And now that he was back, Thor planned on staying for half a year this time. His father was not entirely pleased with his decision, but Odin allowed him to leave. Thor was thankful and determined to cherish every second the way he wanted to.
After he cleared up whatever issues he had with SHIELD, he would make a formal apology to Saniya... again. He felt that he had disrespected her and the restaurant with his foolish actions. Plus, he still had to find out if it was truly New York's Best. If he did not find out the answer, he knew it would be a question that would haunt him for years. Then, he would find Jane and spend the rest of his time with her. He hadn't told her how long he would be in Asgard and was planning to surprise her. Thor was very excited.
But first, he needed to find out how to properly apologize to the woman he had wronged.
"How do the men on Midgard apologize to the women for their wrongdoings?" Thor asked the agents.
The driver shrugged. "Depends on how bad you messed up," he told the god.
Thor took that into consideration. "I feel that I truly wronged her and I wish to make a formal apology. How do I do that in a traditional Midgardian way?"
"Flowers usually help," the agent on his right commented. He looked up at Thor. "But I'm gay, so if you're trying to apologize to your girlfriend, you're asking the person with the least experience."
The agent in the front seat nodded his head. "You're right with the flowers. A nice bouquet is good and maybe take her out for lunch or something. That's what I do with my wife, but we don't really fight."
The car pulled up to the military base. A guard in a building opened the gate so that the vehicle could pull through. The appeared quiet on the outside but was buzzing with activity through the numerous tunnels and hallways inside. Thor had no way of knowing how large the or how populated the building was from a first glance.
The agent stopped the car in front of the door. He didn't bother turning around when speaking to him. "Fury is waiting for you. Agent Hill will guide you to him."
Thor nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate your help. I do hope we cross paths again."
He exited the car. It sped off the second his feet hit the pavement. Immediately, Maria Hill greeted him in the doorway. She led him in silence. With each step, Thor was becoming more hesitant in meeting Fury. He would have preferred to have some sort of indication of why he was meeting with the director. If Fury had concerns with Loki, Thor was prepared to put those worries to rest, but that issue was resolved months ago. Whatever it was, he hoped it would not keep him in New York for more than a few days.
Maria Hill greeted him in the doorway with a short nod. She led him in silence.
With each step, Thor was becoming more hesitant in meeting Fury. He would have preferred to have some sort of indication of why he was meeting with the director. If Fury had concerns with Loki, Thor was prepared to put those to rest. He raked his mind for any other reasons they were meeting for. He hoped there wasn't another devestating threat to Midgard. Or at least, he wanted to see Jane first.
Agent Hill opened the conference room door. Fury sat in a chair with several paper contracts in front of him.
Fury stood up. "Thor, welcome back to earth."
The god looked between Maria and Fury. "I am glad to have returned."
Director Fury moved from behind the table to right in front of Thor. He held out the contracts. Thor skimmed the words, reading things like 'Avengers program' and 'required confidentiality'.
He tapped his fingers on the contracts. "What is the meaning of this?"
Fury crossed his arms. "This is to make sure you don't go to the nearest journalist and tell them everything you know about the Avengers." Thor's eyebrows came together. "I know what you're thinking, but the general populace isn't ready to know about the battle. We need to keep everything contained. It's on a need-to-know basis only."
Thor shook his head. "That isn't for you to decide. All Midgardians have the right to know their heroes and about the battle. I do not—"
"There's a lot of things you don't know, Thor. If there comes a time where it's necessary, the public will be told. This contract," Fury pointed at the first sheet, "ensures that you will help the information stays contained. The other contract was drawn up this morning when I was notified of your presence."
Thor flipped the sheet over. "Why must I sign it?"
"It keeps you in New York, or at least under SHIELD supervision until certain issues are resolved."
The god shoved the contracts back to Fury. "I do not plan to stay in New York for long. There are other places on Midgard I wish to be."
Fury raised an eyebrow. "Like with Jane Foster?"
Thor sniffed. "Perhaps. Paper cannot stop me. I am not bound by Midgardian laws."
The director squeezed the bridge of his nose with his fingers "I am aware of that. I can't force you by law to honor these contracts, but it is a promise you are making to SHIELD if you sign these." Thor stiffened. "I am not asking you to stay just for the hell of it. Things are happening; things that we need help handling. The Avengers are reassembling."
Thor still wasn't convinced. Fury motioned towards a screen. Pictures and data rushed up to the screen. The god examined it with narrowed eyes. His face slowly fell into shock. Thor wasn't completely sure if what he saw was true or a hallucination. He had never seen anything quite like it in all his years.
The god wanted to say no, but he couldn't find himself able to. "I... I will stay until this is fixed. But after that, I will leave on my own accord," Thor said, half frozen from what he saw.
"I expected as much." Fury gave Thor a pen. "Sign here."