Thor Odinson strode forward. He might have lost his hammer, but his pride as a god would not let him be treated as a burden.
"I am a god of Asgard. I can—"
"You have a more important job, Thor." Homelander looked at him. "Midgard is one of the Nine Realms, right?"
"Yes." Thor nodded.
"And Asgard is duty-bound to protect Midgard, right?"
"Of course! Odin swore an oath!" Thor puffed out his chest.
"Good."
Homelander walked over and clapped Thor's broad shoulder hard.
"If the seed on Earth erupts, these mortals will have a hard time stopping it alone. I need you to go to Asgard and bring reinforcements."
"If only for Ms. Foster." Homelander lowered his voice and leaned close to Thor's ear. "You wouldn't want to see her caught by a tentacle monster, would you?"
Thor's expression changed instantly. The image flashed through his mind, and fury surged through him.
"Never!!"
He pounded his chest, each blow landing with a loud thud.
"Don't worry, Homelander! I swear on my name as the Son of Odin! I'll have Heimdall send the Destroyer! No one will lay a finger on Jane!"
"That's my brother." Homelander smiled, satisfied.
He turned to the others.
"Steve, you're in charge on the ground. Tony, technical support. Natasha, intelligence network."
"The Seven, maintain order and reassure the public. If panic breaks out, you're what keeps people calm."
"That's the division of labor. Everyone doing their part is how we work most efficiently."
The others weren't happy about it, but they knew it was the best plan.
"All right..." Steve sighed and put away his shield. "You're the boss. We'll do it your way. But you have to promise you'll come back alive."
"I never break a promise." Homelander smiled confidently.
Everyone had accepted the