Where I start on something I probably shouldn't have and talk to Asgardians

-

In the TV room on the second floor, it was decided that everyone should go to bed. Even Penny agreed, and they all returned to their rooms. The sound of Clint explaining the looks on everyone's faces to Thor could be heard echoing down the halls, as could Thor's loud laughter.

Penny drifted off into an uneasy sleep, awakening again an hour later. It was then that she realized she'd fallen asleep dressed in her sweatpants and shirt, which were still wet from the rain.  She changed clothes again, and went back to the passage.

She decided to head for the fourth floor once more, hoping to bump into Pietro. But it wasn't Pietro who sat on the edge of the roof, admiring the stars that had decided to show themselves once more. It was Loki.

She sat down next to him, and he glanced sideways.

"You're new here, are you not?" Loki enquired.

"That depends on the definition of 'new'," Penny replied, slightly agitated with that question being asked of her over and over, "but I suppose so."

"Whose descendant are you?" He inquired almost suspiciously, studying her.

"Pietro."

He nodded slowly, his eyes lingering for a moment on the lighter streak in her hair.

"I have no quarrel with his people."

Penny smiled.

"And with whose people do you have quarrels?"

Loki shrugged.

"Mostly Thor's. He's easy to prank, but he doesn't really understand the concept. And Stark — he's the ideal target. He threatens a lot, but the look on his face if you get it right... I don't expect you to understand."

"I think I do," Penny argued, "I love playing pranks myself. Just yesterday I mixed mayonaise into the jam. Tony liked it though, which spoiled the fun just a bit. But the looks on everyone's faces when Jarvis told them it was mayonaise... Priceless."

"Tell me..." Loki began, "This... mayonaise. It does not mix well with what you mortals call jam?"

"You just called it jam too!" Penny pointed out, offended by the term 'mortals', "but no, it doesn't. It's disgusting, although appearantly Tony thinks otherwise."

Loki nodded to himself once more.

"Perhaps you could aid Michael and Loraine and I in a prank war sometime," he mused, and Penny smiled.

"Sounds like fun."

They lapsed back into silence, both gazing at the stars.

"They're beautiful..." Penny muttered.

Loki snapped out of his thoughts.

"What?"

"The stars," Penny gestured to the sky, "they're beautiful."

"True," Loki agreed, "and so different from those at Asgard."

"What are stars like on Asgard?" Penny asked curiously, and Loki sighed.

"They're... You know what — come look for yourself sometime."

Before any more could be said, the twins burst onto the roof.

"See!" Michael triumphed, "I told you he'd be here!"

"But he's not alone," Loraine argued, "so you were wrong there, brother."

They turned to Penny and Loki.

"Hi Penny," they chorused, "hi dad."

"Hi twins," Penny replied, "is that normal around here? To call the person you take after dad or mom?"

Michael shrugged.

"So do it, some don't," he replied, "some only when they're trying to make a point."

Penny nodded, remembering it for later reference.

The twins saw down on either side, Loraine next to Loki and Michael next to Penny.

"So," Loraine began, "what are you two doing up here?"

"Admiring the stars," Penny claimed.

"...and planning a prank war," Loki added absentmindedly.

The twins exchanged knowing glances.

"When does it start?" Michael asked.

"Seeing as I have no idea how long we'll be here," Loki replied, "we'll start as early as tomorrow."

Loraine subtely gestured to Penny.

"She's joining in," Loki explained, and the twins raised their eyebrows. A new competitor was always interesting.

"You'll have to explain the rules to me," Penny pointed out.

"It's super-simple," Michael began eagerly, "there's almost no rules at all. You're not allowed to kill anyone, and no injuring animals. Serious injuries on humans are to be avoided."

Uh oh, what have I gotten myself into?

"The first one to prank everyone gets three points, the second two points, third one point and last zero," he continued, "then there's the prize for the best prank, worth another three points. And you get half a point for every prank that you pull off without anyone suspecting you. And then if it's a tie, everyone does another Tony-prank and the best one wins."

"Winner being the one who according to the other competitors did the best?"

Loraine nodded.

"Super-simple right?"

"Mmm... do you have to prank everyone? Including the Banners?"

Michael nodded.

"That's half the fun!"

"And each other?" Penny enquired, and Loraine nodded again.

"Also, if a prank is intercepted it doesn't count."

"And don't forget the bonus rule!" Loki added, joining in, "you're not allowed to break the arc reactor, or anything else precious."

As he said it, his right hand rested on his scepter, and he clenched it a little tighter.

"Of course," Michael agreed, "but that's sort of implied, isn't it?"

Not really, Penny thought.

"I'm going downstairs," she declared, "today is going to be a long day, and tomorrow is going to be a busy one."

-

On her way down, Penny asked JARVIS for the time.

"It's 4:22 a.m., Miss Penny," JARVIS replied.

Penny took in the information, and slipped into the kitchen.

Wanda and Tor were busy making their breakfasts already, accompanied by Wolf and Joanna.

"Good morning," Penny spoke, and they all turned to face her.

"Good morning Penny," Wanda answered, "up already?"

"Have been for a while," she mumbled, getting herself a bowl, "maybe Tony's horror stories are scarier than I thought."

Wanda laughed.

"I'm surprised Pietro is still in bed, he doesn't usually sleep this late."

"I am not in bed, sister," Pietro stated as he pushed open the kitchen door, "I am very much awake."

Wanda smiled welcomingly.

"Good morning to you too brother."

Wolf and Joanna dived back into their conversation about self-control, and Pietro began talking to Wanda in Sokovian.

I need to learn that sometime, Penny thought to herself as she watched them, I'm probably the only Maximoff that doesn't speak whatever-it-is.

"Sokovian," Wanda muttered, "it's called Sokovian."

Pietro was confused for a moment, and then he realized that her statement had been directed to Penny.

"I will teach you sometime," he promised, "you want to learn, yes?"

Penny nodded.

"Well," Wanda looked pointedly at Pietro, "not now."

"Oh, right," Pietro nodded, before whizzing to the cupboard where the cereals were kept. He shouted a few words in Sokovian to Wanda, who answered in the same language.

Penny turned to Thor.

"Thor?" She tried to get his attention.

"Yes?" He asked, looking up.

"Ahh, it's you," he smiled, "I don't think I've had the pleasure of learning your name?"

"Penny Maximoff," she replied without hesitation.

"Miss Penny, I will remember that," Thor promised, "and tell me Miss Penny,—"

"Please just call me Penny," she requested.

"Very well then, Penny it shall be. Now tell me Penny, are you, so to say, of the fast or the weird kind?"

"Fast," Penny answered, and Thor nodded to himself.

"Now it's my turn," she continued, "You're Asgardian, right?"

"Yes..." Thor replied, wondering where the conversation was headed.

"Can you explain the Hall of Heroes concept to me? I've asked several people, but they all just told me to ask an Asgardian. Except Jarvis," she added, "actually he did, as a joke, and then began explaining but was interrupted by Tony, and when he began..."

She trailed off as Thor seemed confused.

"...I'm rambling aren't I?" Penny sighed.

"I could still explain it to you if you wish, Miss Penny," JARVIS suggested.

"No thanks Jarvis, I think I'll let the Asgardian do the honours."

She turned to Thor, who had started laughing.

"What?" She asked.

"You Midgardians are so funny," he commented, "you said nobody could inform you about the Hall of Heroes concept, yet it is so simple."

Penny waited for him to finish.

"You see, a long, long, long, long, long time ago..."

A LITTLE WHILE LATER

"...and that is why, if you've saved the world even once, you can choose to become immortal. If you make the choice, it is irreversible, although if you choose not to be immortal, and then save the world again, you are given the choice again. And the Hall of Heroes Concept does not make one indestructable — if one is wounded in a way that should have been fatal, they simply lose consciousness for extremely long periods of time, but don't die. Although there is a weakness, that differs per person."

Penny hadn't understood a word of the main explanation, but the last part she could follow.

"A weakness?" she repeated, taking another bite of her cereal.

"Yes," Thor nodded, "like my weakness is that I would become mortal if Mjölnir were to break. Which, of course, would never happen. But I suppose that's a bad example, because I might have been immortal in the first place."

"Do you have a better one?" Penny enquired.

"Well, Stark's weakness is the arc reactor," Thor knew, "if the arc reactor breaks, he'll turn mortal again. He won't die instantly because of age, because the Hall of Heroes has some sort of ageing-lock, although he might die simply because he cannot live without his arc reactor for long."

"I think I get it," Penny nodded.

"I told you, it's very simple."

"I beg to differ," Wolf, who had been listening along since Joanna left, protested, "it's not simple at all. It's extremely complex."

Thor shrugged.

"And yet every Asgardian child will understand it."

"It would help if you used less Asgardian terms," Wanda suggested.

"Your Midgardian tongue had no words for the terms I use."

"Midgard?" Penny repeated.

"Earth," Wanda and Pietro chorused.

"See?" Wolf pointed out, "Why say Midgard if you can say Earth?"

"Because it makes me sound Asgardian," Thor argued, "and besides, I said Midgardian, not Midgard."

"He is almost worse than..." Pietro began, but he stopped himself.

"Nevermind, that is not possible."

"Were you going to say Stark?" Wolf asked.

"Did I hear my name?" Tony enquired, strolling into the kitchen.

"They were gossiping about you sir," JARVIS explained.

"WERE NOT!" Penny and Wolf shouted.

Tony laughed, walking to the cupboards.

"Of course you weren't."

He paused, and turned to face them.

"Were you?"