Danger Stranger
Learning To Fit

Warning(s): Suggestions of disciplinary Spanking; family fluff.

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Talos ended up waking fairly early, with Soren still sleeping next to him. It was one of the few times that Yon hadn't slept in the bed with them and although Talos had managed to sleep, he'd woken up fairly early because he wanted to make sure Yon was all right.

Knocking gently on the adjoining door leading into his son's room, Talos pushed it open; slowly, in case Yon wasn't awake yet.

It had taken a few days, but Yon had finally felt safe enough, at ease enough, to sleep in his own room. He was sleeping peacefully. Even so, years of necessity had instilled in him a hyper-awareness that allowed him to realize he wasn't alone and immediately awaken when Talos entered his room.

Noticing that Yon had woken almost immediately, Talos slipped towards the bed and reached to take his son's hand. "Sorry I woke you, son. I just wanted to check on you."

"It's okay... I am fine..." Yon smiled, squeezing Talos's hand.

Talos nodded and gently squeezed Yon's hand, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I know you wanted to try sleeping on your own, but I was worried you might have nightmares and have no one to comfort you," he admitted.

Yon smiled. "I might have, but I went to sleep thinking 'papa and mama are one room over and will come if I call'. It helped."

"I'm glad." Talos wrapped his arms around Yon, drawing him into a close, tight embrace. "I trust you to call if you need me. Or your mama."

"I will." Yon snuggled close. "It's important I go to you if I need help. It will help me stay on the right path."

"I love you, son." Talos kissed the side of his head.

"Love you too, Papa..." Yon snuggled a bit more before falling asleep again.

Talos held his son close, letting his fingers stroke through Yon's hair, reluctant to let go of him.

Yon didn't know how long his father stayed with him. When he next woke, it was morning and Friday had 'sunlight' shining through the digital window he'd chosen for his ‘view'. Even if it wasn't real, it helped him acclimate to his new home.

Talos hadn't left Yon's side, though he had shifted enough to allow his son to lie down comfortably. He reached out and stroked Yon's hair, seeing that he was awake.

"Morning..." Yon smiled, blushing slightly. "You stayed...."

"I didn't want to leave your side," Talos admitted. "I believe I'm suffering from what they call separation anxiety." He smiled.

Yon grinned at that. "Well, good thing you are only one room away then!" He carefully sat up. "Should I get ready for breakfast?"

Talos nodded. "I believe we'll be eating in mine and your mother's room."

"Okay, Papa..." Yon carefully got up and pulled a clean set of clothing out of his drawers before beginning to change.

While Yon did that, Talos went to check that both Lyja and Soren were ready, so he and Yon could join them.

It didn't take long for Yon to dress, wash his face and brush his teeth. Soon, he was knocking on the adjoining door to his parents' room.

"Come in!" Soren's voice called.

Slipping into the room and closing the door behind himself, Yon looked toward Soren. "Good morning, Mama..." He smiled.

"Good morning." Soren was sitting on the bed, with Lyja, and she smiled and held her arms out towards her son.

Yon moved into her arms, hugging tightly before kissing both her and Lyja on the cheek.

Talos had collected the food and now brought it over to his family. "Make yourself comfortable," he said, sitting on the bed, leaving room for Yon to sit next to him if his son wanted.

Yon sat in the spot Talos left for him. "What is the plan for today?" he asked, while waiting for everyone else to get their food before he took his and began to eat.

"We thought perhaps we could explore the area here a little bit," Soren commented. "As Terra is still quite new to us."

"What little I remember of it; it did not look like this area. Exploring sounds good..." Yon commented.

Lyja smiled at her brother. "It'll be fun," she commented.

"It will be," Yon agreed.

"Is there anywhere you feel like you might like to explore further?" Soren asked their son.

"I wouldn't know where to start," Yon admitted. "If you have ideas...."

"We have a starting point," Talos said. "We can see how it goes from there."

Yon nodded and quietly continued to eat.

It didn't take long for them to finish eating and then Lyja stood to start clearing away plates and utensils.

Yon quickly stood to help his sister clean up, helping to carry everything back to the kitchen. "Will we be going right away?" he asked, before following her out of the room.

"As soon as you're ready," Talos answered.

It didn't take long to clean up and return everything to its proper place. Soon, Yon and Lyja had returned to their parents' room, ready to go.

Soren and Talos were ready to go and stuck close to their children as they headed to the elevator, so they could go to the garage and take one of the vehicles.

Yon looked like a typical earthling, his Kree genetics not as obvious in him as they were in some other of his people. As long as he didn't bleed, no one would be able to tell.

Talos, Soren and Lyja had all adapted human forms for when they left the compound and mingled with the Terrans. So, by the time they got to the garage, they didn't look as if they would draw any undue attention.

Yon had to do a double-take when he saw his family. Even though he knew they could alter their appearance, this was the first he could remember seeing it done.

Talos moved to Yon's side, having noticed his son's double take. "Are you all right?" His voice was heavy with concern.

"Yes, Papa. I just realized I'd never seen you shift form... or I don't remember seeing it, anyway. I wanted to be certain to pay attention so I do not lose you in a crowd if we should happen to stumble into one." Yon smiled sheepishly.

"We would never allow you to get lost from us, whether in a crowd or otherwise." Soren reached out to gently squeeze Yon's hand.

Yon squeezed her hand back and smiled. "I believe you would do everything possible to prevent it. But sometimes... shit happens? I believe that is what Wade said...."

Lyja wrinkled her nose slightly. "That is a phrase I have often heard him utter. Among others," she admitted.

"He does have an...  interesting... vocabulary." Yon snorted.

"That's putting it mildly," Talos commented, shaking his head slightly.

"I suspect I do not want to use his vocabulary unless I want to draw attention to myself..." Yon grinned.

"And you have no need to use that kind of language, either," Soren commented, as they all got in the vehicle.

"Given the reactions of the family to some of what he says, I think I would not want to. It seems some of what he says is offensive..." Yon agreed quietly.

"Yes. There are certain behaviors that should not be emulated," Talos commented. Making sure they were all settled, he began driving out of the garage.

"How... he... well, he seems to thrive on doing the exact opposite of what is expected. Is that normal for Terrans? Or is that just a particular trait of Wade?" Yon asked.

"I believe it's a particular trait of Wade's," Talos said.

"Although I have noticed there are family members who also do the opposite of what's expected," Soren commented.

"I suppose that is not only a completely Terran behavior," Yon admitted.

Lyja smiled. "Maybe it's family behavior?" she suggested.

Yon laughed. "You are probably right."

Having checked with the other family members, Soren and Talos were driving towards the town center, having discussed visiting a museum with their children and getting an idea of the Terran culture.

While the town they lived near was small, it did have a museum focusing on local history and art. Yon felt his interest growing as they parked in a nearby garage and he saw the advertisements for the museum.

As soon as they parked, Talos, Soren and Lyja got out. They all stuck close together and to Yon, making sure that, as promised, they wouldn't be separated.

Luckily, because they were in a small town, there weren't many people and the chances of being lost in a crowd were not high at all. Yon was able to relax and enjoy the exhibits.

All of them found the exhibits very interesting, as none of them knew much about Terra other than what they'd seen the few times they'd visited.

Lyja grabbed her brother's hand and pulled him over to look at one exhibit that had caught her eye.

Yon looked at the exhibit with a tiny frown. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked uncertainly.

"I think so." Lyja smiled at him.

"Huh..." Yon shook his head and moved on to the next exhibit. "I might want to sit in on some of those lessons they are learning in the school..." he admitted. "Kree information was sadly lacking on Terran culture. Assuming that isn't something I've also forgotten knowing...."

Talos moved over and rested a hand on Yon's shoulder, squeezing gently. "Whether it's entirely new information or merely that you've forgotten what you once knew, it will still be a good idea to sit in on the lessons and learn. That might be good for all of us," he added.

Yon smiled crookedly. "Do you think they'd mind?" he asked.

"I am certain they won't," Soren said, having overheard them.

"The whole... group... seems very accepting," Yon noted.

"They have to be, considering what Wade often comes out with." Talos snorted softly.

Yon laughed at that, but couldn't come up with a retort.

"Are you ready to move on?" Soren asked her son and daughter.

Lyja nodded and slipped her hand into Yon's. "Is there anything you'd like to look at?"

"I wouldn't know if there was... not sure what is here. We can just walk and see what we come to," Yon squeezed her hand.

"Sounds good to me," Lyja agreed, smiling. She began gently tugging her brother with her towards one of the other displays that had caught her attention.

Yon got lost in all the exhibits Lyja pulled him to. Even if it wasn't terribly large, there was enough in the museum to fill several hours. Before he knew it, it was afternoon and past time for lunch.

Talos wrapped an arm each around his son and daughter and smiled at them. "I don't know about you both, but I'm getting pretty hungry," he commented. "What do you say we break for lunch?"

"Sounds good to me." Yon smiled.

"We can come back afterwards, if you'd like to see more. Or some of the displays again," Soren said. "Or perhaps visit the gift shop."

"Oh, I'd like to see the gift shop!" Lyja perked up.

"Gift shop would be good. And then what remains of the museum," Yon agreed.

"There's a little tea room in the grounds," Talos commented, beginning to head that way. "We thought we might eat there."

"Sounds... good?" Yon said, before following. He didn't know what kind of food a tea house had, but he assumed it had food.

It wasn't long before the group of them were settled in the tea room, looking at what was on offer and making their orders.

Lunch was simple, but still very good. Yon was people watching as much as he was talking to his family. He felt he had a great deal to learn about his new home.

Lyja chattered to both her parents and brother, but also glanced around curiously at all of the people, finding some interest in the other families that were eating there too.

When they had finished their meal, Yon leaned back and sipped the hot tea he had ordered. The server brought out a tray with a selection of pastries for them to try and share.

Talos and Soren quickly made sure each of them could try some of the pastries, sharing them out between them.

"What do you think of Terran food?" Lyja asked her brother in a low tone.

"It's not that much different than what I'm used to..." Yon said. "Spiced differently, but it's good."

"Tony mentioned something about Mountain Dew," Lyja commented. "I'm interested to try it."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Soren said. "I looked into the ingredients when he mentioned it and it really seems unhealthy."

Yon grinned. "If the look Pepper was giving him was an indication, he probably won't be able to drink much of it either."

"There's plenty of Terran foods that taste nice and yet are healthy," Talos commented.

"They really aren't any different than the rest of the galaxy...." Yon was amused.

"From what Quill has said, there are many Terrans who prefer the unhealthy food and drink," Lyja said.

"Like I said... not so different from the rest of the galaxy. Though the types of unhealthy vary." Yon slanted his head. "I remember eating a fish that can be decidedly unhealthy, if not deadly, both in catching it and the end result if it was not prepared correctly. On reflection, it didn't really taste that good. But it was a dare...." He shrugged sheepishly, then wrinkled his nose. "Why would I remember something so trivial when I can't remember the important things?"

"Perhaps because they saw no need to remove memories not directly related to your history as a Kree commander." Talos reached over and squeezed his son's hand, unsure if the lack of memory would cause Yon distress or not.

Yon sighed, squeezing back. "I suppose that makes sense," he said sadly. "Although why they'd feel the need to remove memories of my childhood, I don't know."

"Do the Kree have true childhoods?" Lyja wondered out loud. "I've heard nothing of child Kree."

Yon wrinkled his nose. "I... don't know. I had to be a child at some point, didn't I?" He sounded confused.

Soren took his other hand and held it. "That might not mean you had a true childhood," she said gently. "If they only wanted to train you to be a soldier."

Yon nodded hesitantly. "If... if that is what I was, perhaps it is better I not remember."

"But you are part of a true family now," Talos said, stroking over Yon's hand.

"Yes. That... it helps," Yon smiled.

"And you can make new memories with us," Soren said.

"I'm glad. I need something to remember..." Yon agreed.

"You need good memories to outweigh the bad ones." Lyja smiled and kissed his cheek.

"I need them to outweigh the big nothing in my head, too..." Yon sighed.

"If there's anything you remember...anything that troubles or worries you...you can always tell us," Talos promised.

"I will, Papa, promise..." Yon nodded.

"Are we ready to go back and look at the shop now?" Lyja asked. "I wanted to get some souvenirs...."

"Yes. Of course! Ready when you are..." Yon grinned.

Soren and Talos paid, leaving a generous tip, and then headed to the gift shop with their children.

Yon enjoyed looking around, but he didn't know what he wanted.

Lyja very quickly began picking out items she wanted to gift some of the other family members.

Yon just looked at the items helplessly, feeling inadequately up to the task of picking out gifts. "Shot glasses?" he finally asked his sister.

Talos overheard his son's suggestion and placed a hand on Yon's shoulder, gently squeezing. "I know there's been some talk of having a mocktail party, so the younger family members can join in. I think shot glasses would be a very good idea."

Yon smiled, relieved that he'd contributed. "So...one for each family member..." He quickly added up in his head, then began to gather the required amount. When the shop ran out of shot glasses, he began to gather tumblers and wine glasses to make up the difference. "If it is mocktails they are making, it isn't completely necessary it be a shot glass... I suppose...."

Soren smiled. "There are a lot of different options we could use," she commented.

Yon nodded. "Well, there are enough here for one per family member..." he said before realizing how much it was going to cost. "I... I don't think I have enough to cover this..." he admitted sheepishly. "Can I borrow enough to pay for these? Work off what it cost?" He looked between his parents.

"Why don't we make them a present from all of us?" Talos suggested. "A present from our family to the rest. That way, we're all contributing."

"I... I'd like to do that, if you really want to. I know Lyja was getting her own items and I don't mind working to pay you back..." Yon said hesitantly. The idea of a family gift to everyone else, where he was part of the family, felt good to him. But it also made him worry that everyone would just think he'd been included because he couldn't buy them anything on his own and it wasn't really from him.

Soren wrapped her arms around Yon in a tight hug. "What would you prefer to do?" she asked him softly.

"I don't know... " Yon said honestly. "I... I really don't know."

"Let's just give it as a present from all of us," Talos said. "And we'll let the family members know you were the one who came up with the idea." He smiled.

Yon nodded. "Okay.... I'm sorry. You would think that would be an easy decision to make," he added sheepishly.

Soren wrapped her arm around Yon's shoulders. "You've been through a lot. It's okay that some decisions are harder to make than others."

Lyja took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"I guess. It just seems that it's harder to make easy choices than more difficult ones..." Yon sighed.

"Just give it time." Talos took his other hand and squeezed it gently.

"Yes, sir... can't really do anything else. Can I?" Yon smiled. Squeezing Talos' and Lyja's hand and leaning into Soren, he looked at the pile of gifts on the register counter. "Should we pay and head back home?"

Talos nodded. "I think that would be best," he agreed.

It wasn't long before all of the gifts were paid for and wrapped and they were heading back out to the car.

"This was fun..." Yon said, as he and Lyja got into the back seat. "I feel like I know a little more... even if it isn't about myself.”

"You have every opportunity to learn about yourself now," Soren said gently.

"As much as anyone else can help me..." Yon agreed.

Lyja nestled close to her brother's side. "Why don't we look at other places we might like to visit later?" she suggested.

"Okay. Maybe we can visit some areas in the city... if we go via portal," Yon stated.

"If you make a list, we can arrange it," Talos promised.

Yon settled back into the car. Shortly, they were back at the compound and heading inside.

Talos wrapped his arm around Yon's shoulders, drawing his son tight against his side. "Why don't we all go to mine and your mama's room?" he suggested. "Then we can wrap up the gifts."

"Okay, Papa. That sounds good." Yon followed his parents to their room. Soon, they were wrapping gifts.

***

It was several days later. The gifts had been well received and appreciated. The younger members of the family had immediately begun planning for their mocktail party. Yon helped because it gave him more opportunity to learn how life on Terra worked. The more he learned, the more he regretted what he had done in the past. He found himself wishing that his entire memory had been wiped. Remembering the bad while forgetting the good was doing bad things to his emotions.

Talos did his best to stick close to his son, making sure that Yon knew he was there if he needed to talk. After all, it was obvious to him that Yon was struggling with his past...or the lack of memories of it. And he wanted to make sure his son knew that his family was there for him.

Yon appreciated Talos being there for him... appreciated Soren and Lyja's efforts as well. Still, he found himself withdrawing further and further into himself as the days went on. He felt unworthy of the family he'd been adopted by. He didn't want to burden them.

Talos very quickly noticed that Yon was withdrawing into himself and it didn't take long before he decided he was going to act to take care of his son. With that thought in mind, he sought Yon out.

Yon had found himself drawn outside when he felt at his most unworthy. He could hide in solitude for a few moments without any of the family looking for him and finding him immediately; and it was such a large family that there was nearly always someone free to look for him. He truly liked one of the tree houses on the far edge of the cleared area. It was almost in the woods. He sat on the tree house porch, staring into the forested area; memorizing the land, the flora and fauna, the sounds. It was peaceful, even if it didn't ease the sense of unworthiness.

Eventually, Talos had ended up outside, walking towards the tree houses. He knew Yon hadn't left the grounds, which meant that his son was somewhere outside. As he neared the tree village, he began softly calling his son's name.

Yon heard his father calling him. He was tempted to keep quiet... let the other man look for him somewhere else for a bit more solitude. But that would only needlessly worry Talos. He didn't want to do that. Taking a slow, deep breath, he called out, "I'm up here."

When Yon called out to him, Talos wasted no time in climbing up into the tree house his son indicated he was in. He moved over to Yon's side and sat, wrapping an arm around his son's shoulders and drawing him in close.

"Sometimes I feel overwhelmed... so many who care what happens... had to be alone..." Yon admitted.

"Would you like to speak about it?" Talos asked gently.

"Not really a lot to say about it..." Yon shrugged. "Not sure why it got to me. Other than needing breathing room so I don't have to... to watch everything I say and do so I don't upset anyone. I know how messed up I am. If I wasn't careful, I know I'd upset someone."

"You don't have to watch everything you say and do with me," Talos said calmly. "I can take it. I won't get upset."

"You already know how horrible I am..." Yon sighed, not thinking about how what he'd just said sounded.

"You aren't horrible, son." Talos hugged him a bit tighter. "You made mistakes in your past, but those mistakes were from being taught the wrong thing. As soon as you learned the truth, even if you were kept in the dark about a lot of things, you ran from the Kree. And you found your family."

"I'm not good..." Yon shrugged slightly, not trying to dislodge Talos' arm. "I'm not really... you deserve better than me."

"I want you." Talos gathered him into his lap. "I love you. Making mistakes doesn't make you a bad person."

"Even when those mistakes cost people their lives?" Yon didn't pull away. Even though it was still difficult for him to accept affection, he'd got used to it enough he didn't fight it. On his good days, he liked it.

"I don't think you're the only one to make those kinds of mistakes." Talos rubbed Yon's back gently. "Our two peoples were at war for a long time, son. I killed too."

"You were trying to survive. I was serving a master trying to commit genocide. It's not the same..." Yon pointed out, in a whisper.

Talos rubbed his hand up under Yon's shirt, rubbing his bare back. "You did that because you didn't know any different. No one had taught you a different way. And you believed you were doing the right thing. As soon as you discovered the truth, you escaped. And found your family." He brushed a kiss over his son's head. "Don't forget that you turned away from them, of your own free will. Don't discount that."

"It means I could be better..." Yon admitted softly. "Still. I don't feel like I will be. I'm scared I won't...."

"You're already being better," Talos said. "I understand your fear, but the fact that you worry about it only proves to me that you will be."

"I wish I had your confidence," Yon whispered.

"I believe in you, son," Talos said seriously.

"That helps... it also scares me. I don't want to let you down," Yon said.

"I don't believe you will," Talos replied. "And even if there's a chance you might backslide, you don't have to worry because you have your father to pull you back. I won't let you go down the same path again," he promised.

"How? What if I'm stubborn and won't stop? Carol has mentioned I was like a mule before, refusing to budge once I'd decided something...." Yon sighed.

"If talking to you won't work, then I'll employ the family punishment to get you to calm down and listen to me," Talos answered frankly.

Yon smiled crookedly. "I hope I won't be so stubborn, but it helps knowing you have a plan for if I am."

"I won't give up on you, son," Talos promised.

"I believe you..." Yon said quietly.

"I love you." Talos kissed his hair and hugged him a bit tighter. "No matter what happened in the past, you are here, with me, now. You have a family."

"I know." Yon snuggled close. "I don't mean to worry you. Being like this. It helps that you are with me, though."

"I worry about you because I love you." Talos kissed his cheek. "And I won't ever leave your side," he promised.

"I love you too, Papa. Even when I wander off to be alone because I feel guilty and worthless, that doesn't change." Yon smiled crookedly.

"I know I can't stop you from feeling that way, but when you do, I hope you know you can come to me any time," Talos said gently. "I understand it's easier to be alone, but I want to do anything I can to help you."

"I know you do. It just feels like nothing can be done when these feelings overtake me." Yon sighed.

"Even if it's hard, if you can, I want you to come to me." Talos gently rubbed the nape of his neck. "Or perhaps we can ask Friday to keep an eye on you and, if she notices you leaving, to let me know."

"Yeah... okay. I can ask Friday to do that. When I get like this, I might not think to tell you...." Yon gave Talos a tiny smile.

Talos nodded and stroked his son's hair. "Asking Friday might be the best option," he agreed.

Yon nodded, facing back toward the wooded area. "I don't want to go back yet," he admitted. "I feel like an imposter... that I don't deserve to be happy and safe there...."

"I'll sit with you for as long as you feel the need to stay out here, son," Talos promised. "I love you."

Yon smiled again. He believed Talos and the words didn't really need a response. Instead, he shifted so that he was leaning against his father and they could look out over the woods together.

Talos just wrapped his arms around Yon's waist and cuddled his son, kissing his shoulder and just holding onto him.

****

Carol glanced around the family room, noting that Talos and Yon were not among the many family members watching the oversized TV. She walked over and flopped onto the couch next to Jessica. Jessica was reading news off her tablet. "Anything of import?" Carol asked.

"Not sure." Jessica frowned. "Might need to show Dad and Tony..." she said.

At that point, Steve wandered into the room, in time to hear Jessica's words. "What might you need to show me and your brother?" he asked. "I can ask Tony to come and meet us now."

"I can't put my finger on it... but... these news reports about these huge... elementals...coming through portals. I would assume, if it was magical in any fashion, our resident magic users would have felt it..." Jessica frowned.

"Friday? Can you ask Tony to come meet us here?" Steve asked the AI, even as he moved over to take a look at the reports Jessica had found.

A few moments later, Tony was walking into the room. "You need to see me, Dad?"

Steve nodded and looked at Jessica. "Mind showing your brother those news reports you found?" he asked, shifting towards Carol in an almost subconscious attempt to help her feel included in the family conversation.

"Yes, sir... sure thing..." Jessica waited for Tony to move closer before beginning to show him the reports.

Tony frowned. "Veronica and Friday's sensors haven't picked up anything. I find it hard to believe it is actual portals. But it is obvious something is happening. Veronica? Friday? Please begin monitoring for more occurrences like this? And for anything unusual accompanying them?"

"Of course, Master Stark..." the AIs answered.

"The timing seems odd, considering that there has been at least one instance of a counterpart from another dimension interacting with family members here," Steve commented. "It could be a coincidence, of course."

"I don't believe in coincidences..." Jessica muttered.

"For now, I think your ideas are the only ones we can use." Steve addressed his son. "We'll have to see if anymore scans show other suspicious activities."

"If it doesn't show up on our scans, then at least we know it isn't connected to the dimension rifts we've noticed here..." Tony nodded.

"And if there's a discernable pattern, maybe we can go and investigate one of these dimension rifts for ourselves," Steve commented.

"I could go now..." Carol suggested.

"Maybe all of us," Steve commented, looking at his son and other daughter to see what they thought as well.

"This happened yesterday. If Veronica and Friday don't sense residual activity in their scans, it isn't likely we'll get much more information than the SHIELD agents that I'm pretty sure are already there." Tony shrugged. "Unless she asks for help, I'd rather not step on Maria's toes..." He smiled.

"Family meeting, then?" Steve asked his son. "I'm sure Nick and Phil would have been there too."

"Family meeting..." Tony nodded. Seconds later, Friday was making the announcement for all available family members to meet in the common area.

It wasn't long before all of the family members had gathered. Steve took a step back, allowing Jessica to explain her findings.

Jessica quickly told everyone what had been going on and that they were keeping an eye on it. She then waited to see if Maria, Coulson or Fury had anything to add.

"It's like Tony said, there's not enough information to indicate we're looking at true portals," Maria said.

"But someone is doing mischief of some kind and we are working on finding out who," Fury added.

"As long as it doesn't mess up the plans for my debate team to travel to the competition next month...." Kaine fretted.

Yelena hugged him. "I'm sure everything will be fine."

"And if we need to have extra security to do that, I'm sure that can be arranged," Adrian commented, resting his hand on his son's shoulder.

"Yeah..." Kaine tried not to seem reluctant about that. He knew his family worried about him. He was lucky he could continue to go to school at his old school as it was. He didn't like standing out from the rest of his friends, though. Extra security meant standing out.

"It'll be only if it's strictly necessary," Steve promised his nephew. "If we can avoid it, we will."

Kaine nodded, looking a little less reluctant, but only a little less. He knew how 'bad situations' tended to happen a lot around his family. He wasn't optimistic they'd be able to avoid sending a guard with him.

Yelena sighed softly, once again regretting that Kaine would never be able to have a normal childhood and blaming herself for that fact.

Carol glanced around at all the gathered family. "I don't remember anyone I've dealt with having the technology needed to go through dimensions without leaving some sort of residual marker. Do you?" She looked toward Soren and Talos, who had returned to the compound with Yon at Friday's behest.

Talos shook his head. "That's not something I've come across."

"Tony, would it be possible to create computer generated images on a scale like this?" Steve asked his son. "For you, or someone with your level of intelligence?"

"It's possible... but it would take a lot of power, or technology that currently only Stark Industries has," Tony frowned. "Pep?"

"On it... I just sent a memo to our head of development to let me know if any employees with access to trade secrets have been let go in the last two or three years." Pepper was typing on her phone as she answered.

Coulson nodded. "I think it makes a lot more sense than portals randomly opening," he commented. "Especially as there doesn't seem to be any similar anomalies to the one observed when it happened here."

"I really don't like the implications of it, though..." Tony muttered.

Steve wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders. "We can figure out our next step once we have those answers," he promised.

"So, another game of hurry up and wait. Goody..." Jessica snarked.

"There's not much else we can do right now," Steve commented.

Jessica sighed. "Yeah. Unless whatever it is happens again sooner than later, guess you're right."

"We'll keep you all updated," Fury promised.

As there was nothing else to be done, the family broke apart to begin fixing dinner.