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Thor was uncertain, exactly, why his manner of dress seemed to be attracting positive attention of late instead of the usual confusion he was used to experiencing from those not of Asgard. He had long learned that the people of Midgard did not dress in his style and while those comrades-at-arms he knew as the Avengers did not care, the average person had a reaction ranging from laughter to hostility.

But that seemed to have changed. He had spent the morning in New York, enjoying what was certain to be only the start of a slide into autumn and when it began to rain, he had decided to come back to the hotel, yanking open a door that seemed to go into an abandoned building and ending up in the Nexus once more. While in New York, his attire seemed to be amusing to most and while a few told him that "Halloween is in a couple weeks, you're early," or something of that nature, most seemed agreeable.

Thor wasn't sure what Halloween was, exactly, so he hadn't thought much of it until he got a similar comment from the bartender in the hotel. They didn't normally speak much to him other than to say hello and ask what he wanted and he thought the comment strange, especially given New York, so he wondered if anyone could explain it to him. While he was far from shy, he did have some measure of pride and overcoming that pride to ask what seemed a simple question was often a battle within himself. In the end, his desire to know overwhelmed his desire to not look like a fool.

He sought out the library, then, and started looking among the books to see if there was a clue about this Halloween. He assumed it was a festival or holiday of some sort, based on the way it had been used, and he had pulled out a large tome that professed to be a compendium of known holidays around the world. While he wasn't stupid, his talents lay more in the physical and less in the mental and he wished that Jane could just explain it to him instead of him trying to find it in a book. It would take less time and probably be more enjoyable in the end; while he did not always know what she said, he always enjoyed listening to her say it.

He put the book down and put his face in his hands, trying to soothe his wearied eyes.

"If anyone can explain Halloween, I will buy you a round of any drink you desire."

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Nick rubbed at the scruff on his chin. "We might want to find a door that leads to somewhere a little more reinforced than the gym they have here? I'd hate to throw you into a wall and crack the foundation or something," he said with a teasing boast.

Thor laughed heartily. "It could very well happen. I feel like we can find a place that suits. Care to go now?"

He was spoiling for a fight and it seemed Nick might be too.

"Sounds like a brilliant plan to me," Nick openly laughed in anticipation. "It's been...well, it feels like a lifetime since I've been able to fight with my full powers."

Something struck him as he turned to leave the library in search of a door that lead to somewhere suitable. "One thing. Did you hammer come here with you?"

"Of course it did," Thor said, giving him an incredulous look. "I would go nowhere without Mjolnir at my side. It is stupidity to go around weaponless."

"I just came from a place where I was straight human and vampires were eating food, anything's possible," Nick stated, then sobered. "Look, if my skin turns a deep crimson red with black symbols on it at any point during the fight, use it on me. I should be able to keep the demon at bay, but I'm rusty at controlling that side."

"It will be painful but if you're sure, I can do what you ask," Thor said, eyeing him warily.

"I have fought many who are...not exactly on the same par as a human, I think it will be all right in the end."

"I'm not worried about me. I'm worried about killing you," Nick said, his face showing no sign that he was anything less than serious. "When I'm in demon form, conscience and remorse are way, way down on the priority list."

"Doubtful," Thor said, unconcerned. He knew that arrogance was a flaw but it was something that was still a work in progress and not a lesson learned and moved on from.

"But we will see, won't we?"

Nick wasn't about to belabor the point. Thor was right, time would tell, and he'd warned him. Due diligence and all that. Besides, some of his powers didn't work the right way here anyway. Maybe he was neutered in other ways as well. This wasn't about powers, though, this was about old fashioned hand to hand and he was eager to get to it.

"I don't have a clue how the doors in this place work, but I guess we just start opening random ones until we find someplace we can use?"

"That was how I found my door back home," Thor agreed, nodding. "We should split up and when one of us finds a suitable place, leave the door open to go find the other?"

"Sounds like a plan," Nick agreed and headed off down the hallway. Some of the doors he found were locked, some opened to empty rooms, some to places wholly unfitting a sparring match. One of them sent a thrill of dread into his stomach like nothing he'd ever felt before when he'd done no more than wrap his hand around the knob. He left it be.

When he pulled one open that looked like a martial arts studio, he pulled the door all the way open and called out. "Any luck down your way?"

"No, have you found anything?" Thor had found a children's playground and what appeared to be a dance studio but nothing that he and Nick could use to spar.

"Martial arts studio," Nick called back. "The floor's padded, so it might lessen the impact a little and there's room to move."

"Hopefully we will not break anything," Thor said with a quick nod. His experiences with Jane told him that sometimes he did not know his own strength.

"I don't want to upset anyone if we do."

"If we start to see cracks in the plaster we'll call it a draw?"

Nick had been about to say that the worst they could do was send them home, but for him, it was the worst. He'd been given a respite, coming here instead of his home world. He wasn't about to jinx it.