Thor and Loki had settled on Earth. The first thing Thor did upon arrival was look for Jane, who welcomed him warmly.
Although she initially distrusted Loki due to what had happened two months earlier during the Battle of New York, Jane eventually accepted him after Thor explained everything. Even so, she remained somewhat skeptical.
In the end, Jane agreed to let them stay at her place, which spared them a lot of trouble when it came to finding somewhere to live.
---
Another two months had passed since then, and they had already established a fairly clear routine. Loki spent most of his time at home, immersed in reading. He discovered that Midgard's literature was surprisingly rich and became something of a book addict, though he was indignant whenever he found errors about Norse mythology.
Sometimes he went out to observe the lives of mortals, following his father's advice: a king must understand his people. Although Midgard wasn't Asgard, it was still one of the Nine Realms under his protection.
He even tried to interact with humans, with... less than favorable results.
Thor and Jane, on the other hand, were almost never home. Jane worked as a researcher and only returned on weekends. At first, Thor waited patiently for her, but soon he got bored and decided to accompany her to work.
Jane initially refused, claiming it was impossible, but Thor insisted. Seeing he wouldn't change his mind, she decided to bring him and let her superiors handle it.
To her surprise, not only did her superiors accept him without objection, they even encouraged her to bring him more often. Jane didn't understand a thing.
The reason, of course, was SHIELD. Although she had declined to join their scientific division, they had no intention of leaving such talent unwatched. They bought the entire tech institute where she worked, ensuring they could observe her closely, provide her with resources, and be the first to benefit from her discoveries. A "mutually beneficial deal," so long as one ignored the moral dilemma of monitoring her without consent... something fairly typical for the world's most powerful intelligence agency.
When Thor and Loki arrived on Earth, SHIELD detected them immediately and offered them shelter, which both refused.
So when Thor started visiting Jane's workplace, the agency seized the opportunity to extract information. Thor loved talking about his feats, so getting data was easy.
Even the most trivial details helped SHIELD create models of the Nine Realms and better understand the other worlds.
Still, the little time Thor and Jane spent at home —two days a week at most— was enough to wear Loki out. He couldn't stand watching them flirt all the time. As a brother, that side of Thor made him deeply uncomfortable.
He decided to move out. Although he didn't have legal papers on Earth, he could have easily used his powers to solve that. However, he chose another strategy: he went to a nearby park and shouted at the sky.
"Hey, Seer! I know you're watching me. You're like Heimdall, right? Take me to where I'm meant to be!"
People around him looked at him as if he were insane.
Thor, who had followed him out of concern, intervened.
"I don't think it works that way..."
"What do you know?" Loki retorted arrogantly. "It's obvious he's watching me!"
Thor sighed, exasperated. He was used to Loki being the rational one, not the one causing scenes in public.
"He doesn't see everything. He sees the future. What makes you think that even if he foresaw this, he'd bother to come?"
Loki fell silent, a bit embarrassed. He hadn't thought it through.
---
Meanwhile, Gwen and Leonardo were on a date. It was morning, and Leonardo decided he needed a change of scenery, so they went out for a walk.
They visited several tourist spots. Although Leonardo had done some sightseeing before, the places he considered iconic were quite different from those most people visited.
Surprisingly, one of those places was Stark Tower, now known as Avengers Tower. After recent events, it had been turned into an official base: a place to train, organize, and stay safe.
Outside, a crowd gathered trying to take pictures.
Gwen ignored everyone and jumped horizontally in front of the tower, taking a photo that gave the illusion the building was the ground. The result was impressive.
"Top that" she said with a defiant smile.
Leonardo, his pride challenged, accepted the dare. He stepped far enough away so the photo would make him look the same size as the tower and posed as if he were punching it. Then he showed the picture to Gwen.
"Mine's better."
"Mine will be legendary in the future, you'll see" he replied.
"Yeah, yeah, but until then, I win" Gwen said with a triumphant laugh.
Leonardo shrugged, feigning indifference.
After signing a few autographs, they went to eat. They had enough money for a five-star restaurant, but both preferred humbler places with nice views.
Then they continued their walk, visiting more sites and enjoying themselves.
For Leonardo, who spent most of his time planning the future, moments like that were priceless. Simply relaxing, living in the present, without worrying about what was coming.
And though it might sound strange, he loved all of it. He had loved the Marvel universe in his previous life, and now he was living it firsthand. In fact, his mind created new "movies" at every step. How could he not enjoy it?
Of course, he also understood this wasn't a game. He had people he loved, a family to protect. He couldn't afford to let his guard down.
Even so, he felt he had found a good balance, and that was enough for him.
As he was thinking about that, Gwen interrupted:
"So where are we going now?"
Leonardo smiled.
"I have a date soon."
"A date? With who?"
"It's a secret" he said, putting a finger to his lips with a mischievous grin.
"You're doing this again..." Gwen grumbled.
Leonardo loved acting mysterious about his visions. Gwen complained, but deep down, she found it amusing.
Soon they reached a crowded plaza. A group of people were murmuring, whispering like they were gossiping.
Leonardo and Gwen approached and asked to pass. As soon as people recognized them, their attitudes changed completely.
"P-please, go ahead," stammered a woman, making way along with the others.
In the center of the plaza, two men were arguing.
"What makes you think that even if he saw it, he'd bother to come?" said the blond to the dark-haired one.
The latter, visibly uncomfortable, was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder.
"Were you looking for me?"
Loki turned immediately.
"You're the Seer! I knew you'd see me."
Thor was also surprised. He hadn't thought someone would actually show up for Loki. Still, he set his thoughts aside and solemnly introduced himself:
"Leonardo Valentino, it's an honor to meet you. I'm Thor Odinson, and I want to thank you for everything you've done."
Then he looked to the side.
"I'm also glad to see you again, Ghost-Spider."
Gwen returned the greeting. Leonardo, slightly confused by the comment, let it slide quickly.
"It's fine, no problem. But let's talk about him" he said, turning to Loki. "Why did you call me?"
"Shouldn't you already know?" Loki replied sarcastically. Still, he explained:
"I'm looking for a place to live. If you can see the future, you must know the most convenient place, right?"
Thor, still unsure what his brother was aiming for, was shocked to realize this whole scene was just about finding a home.
"Loki...? Did you really do all this just for...?"
"I already know. I have a place for you" Leonardo interrupted.
Thor, still reeling from Loki's antics, was even more surprised to see that Leonardo actually had an answer.
Even Loki himself, who had come for that very reason, couldn't help but be surprised at how quickly his request was granted.
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+20 chapters in advance on Patreon.
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(just delete the hyphen)
80 power stones = 1 extra chapter (cumulative)