The news that Asgard had been completely annihilated left the room in stunned silence. No one spoke further, the loss was too sudden.
Soren finally broke the stillness, turning toward Heimdall with a urgent look.
"Heimdall… the civilians. Where are the people of Asgard?"
Heimdall blinked, as if returning from a distant place. "They're safe."
"Every last one passed through the portal before the collapse. They've arrived on Earth. The governments have coordinated shelter and relocation."
Thor let out a slow exhale, eyes clouded with a mix of grief and acceptance. "The people are what make Asgard."
"Buildings and realms can fall. But as long as our people live… we endure." He forced a small nod. "They will stay on Earth for now. Perhaps longer."
Soren agreed. "Asgard's population isn't large."
"Earth can handle it. As for the longer-term… we'll need to see how Asgardian longevity and power interact with human society."
After a moment of thought, he added, "I'll contact the world leaders and start the conversations."
"The arrangements… you all can decide together."
He stepped outside, spotting Hulk crouched among the garden plants, poking at flowers with childlike fascination.
"Hulk," Soren called, "Tony and the others are on their way here."
The green giant looked up, confusion flickering across his face.
"Tony…" He frowned, grasping at a foggy memory. "They're coming to take me? Hulk doesn't want to go."
"Hulk likes it here."
A vein throbbed on Soren's forehead. Hulk's condition still baffled him.
He could easily restore Banner through the Medical Hall… but that was exactly the problem.
In Soren's eyes, Hulk and Bruce Banner had become two distinct individuals… two minds, two personalities, two identities.
Turning Hulk back into Banner would be no different from killing one soul to bring another forward. And if Banner ever transformed again, the consciousness that returned would no longer truly be Hulk.
That was a line Soren refused to cross.
Soon, Tony and the entire Avengers team arrived.
None of them seemed surprised to find Thor, Heimdall, Valkyrie, and the rest of Asgard here the global influx of Asgardians had already made headlines.
Tony nearly dropped his helmet when he spotted Hulk.
"Banner, wait. How did you transform?"
Hulk scowled. "I'm Hulk. Not Banner."
"Stop calling me him." He jabbed a finger at Tony.
Tony's eyebrows shot up. "Uh… okay. Moodier than usual."
Before he could ask anything else, Soren's voice echoed directly inside the Avengers' minds, freezing them in place.
"He is not Banner. He's another consciousness sharing the same body."
Everyone turned to him, stunned.
"When I found him off-world, Banner was gone." Soren continued aloud so all could hear clearly.
"Only Hulk remained. I called you here to discuss this." He gave Hulk a sympathetic glance.
"He's violent at times, but if you treat him right, he behaves like a child. A strong, stubborn child, but still a child."
He paused, sighing. "And there's one more issue…"
Everyone leaned in.
"His appetite." Soren said with the gravest expression imaginable. "It's catastrophic. I can't afford to feed him."
Hulk puffed out his chest proudly. "Hulk is big. Hulk needs snacks."
Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh yeah. That's definitely not Banner."
Hulk looked a little embarrassed. When he had first arrived at Everlife, he'd devoured half the kitchen's supplies before anyone could stop him… a fact that had already left Soren with a throbbing headache.
"If Hulk doesn't fight… Hulk can try to eat less." He scratching his head like a scolded child.
Tony and the others exchanged looks, discussing the matter in hushed tones.
In the end, they came to a decision… Tony and Black Widow would take responsibility for Hulk.
Tony being wealthy, resourceful, and hopelessly indulgent, would handle Hulk's daily needs.
Black Widow would handle everything else, meaning she'd be the one making sure Hulk didn't accidentally knock down a city block.
A moment later, Soren turned to Tony. "What about the Asgardians? How are Earth's people reacting to them? Any hostility?"
Tony blinked. "Hostile? C'mon."
"They all walked straight out of Everlife Medical Center. Nobody's going to pick a fight with people who just stepped out of the place that saved their planet."
And with that, everything clicked for Soren.
Heimdall's portal was connected to the medical hall, meaning every Asgardian civilian arriving from the Realm of the Gods appeared directly inside the facility.
That must have caused chaos for the world governments at first, but in a way… it was also perfect.
Thor needed a place for his people to rebuild their home, and this made negotiations far smoother than expected.
At that very moment, Thor was attending an emergency meeting of world leaders.
As the new Lord of Asgard, he stood before them not as a warrior, but as a representative of a people who had lost their world.
Large groups of Asgardian civilians had already arrived on Earth, and finding them a place to rebuild was no small matter.
If not for Soren's influence, many countries might have interpreted the mass arrival as an alien incursion.
But with the Asgardians emerging from Everlife, the Earth's most trusted sanctuary, governments were forced to reconsider their assumptions. What was the true relationship between Soren and Asgard?
Thor rose, solemn as he addressed the assembly.
"We ask only for land where we may rebuild our home. As Lord of Asgard, I swear that every Asgardian living on Earth will respect its laws."
"We come not to conquer, but to survive. We will not bring trouble to your world."
The leaders conferred for a long time.
Asgard had once stood alongside Earth in battle, they had shed blood together against outer threats. Now Asgard faced its own crisis and, after much deliberation, Earth chose not to turn its back.
One by one, the nations came to an agreement.
They would provide large plots of land. They would supply materials, aid, and protection.
They would help the people of Asgard stand on their feet again.
And so, united by shared battles and shared hope, Earth extended its hand.
Asgard's so-called 'refugees' would have a place to rebuild and perhaps, in time, create a home even stronger than the one they had lost.