CAEB Part IV - The Cross He Bears.

Chapter 9 - Asgardian Hogwarts

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Tony mumbled to himself as Thor readied the tesseract.

"Relax Stark, the Asgard we will visit is not the one you remember."

"I frigging hope not." Tony grunted.

"My Father knows what is happening, but we will not be in his presence for the time you are here. I have one final task to complete before I return you to Earth, but I will be leaving you with my Mother, Queen of Asgard, she will not let any harm come to you."

"Thanks, Pointbreak. Let's get this show on the road."

"Are you ready Stark?" Thor checked.

"As I'll ever be, come on get it over…" The world spun in a flash of blue as he was ripped from the Earth. He could feel the strange and nauseating sensation of every atom of his being separating and being flung through space before reforming again. When everything settled his knees gave out instantly and he collapsed to the ground, the words he'd left Earth with still on his lips. "…with. Shit!" He turned onto his side and vomited once, rolling back on to his back and closing his eyes to try and escape the terrible queasiness tugging on his insides.

"Stark? Stark? Are you well?" Thor asked, voice filled with concern and alarm.

"Well he clearly isn't well Thor; else he wouldn't have emptied his stomach on the lawn." A woman tutted.

"Man of Iron, can you hear me?" Thor asked, nervously.

"What the fuck sort of teleport was that?" Tony growled, opening an eye, and stretching out an arm for Thor to help him up.

"I have never seen anyone have a reaction quite like that to travel by tesseract." Thor said, perplexed. "Most say it is the best means of teleporting they have experienced."

"I don't even want to know what the other methods are like then." Tony groaned and tried to hold back another retch.

"No, Son this is not what it seems." The woman's voice came again, and Tony looked up to see her approach. "Mr. Stark, I am Frigga, Queen of Asgard."

Tony almost groaned again; this was embarrassing. "Well, your highness, lovely to meet you, sorry for barfing on your lawn. What a first impression." He chuckled despite himself.

Frigga laughed lightly. "I do not believe your reaction to tesseract travel was typical Stark. Most beings - even Asgardians – have senses which are too dull to feel what teleportation requires, a separation and reconstruction of the atoms. But I believe the CAEB allowed you to experience this fully."

"Torn apart and put together again, not quite in the right order? Yeah, that sounds about like what I felt." Tony scoffed.

"This is quite an inconvenience to you. I do not dare imagine how that felt." Frigga frowned.

"I am sorry Stark, if I had known…"

"Not your fault Goldilocks, but I'm going to need a minute before I can do anything constructive." Tony sighed.

"I must go complete my task." Thor said, sounding reluctant to leave. "I hope your time together is useful, though be warned Mother, Stark has a habit of dangerously overstretching himself."

Tony mustered the best bitch face he was capable of pulling while feeling this awful and aimed it at Thor.

"I will take good care of your friend my Son. You needn't worry."

"Thank you, Mother." Thor smiled and leapt into the air as his hammer spun almost faster than could be seen.

"Huh, that's a much better way of travelling." Tony scoffed as Thor flew over the great ocean and towards the rainbow bridge. Then suddenly Tony realized for the first time what he was looking at. He was on an alien planet, a beautiful planet. With a moon in the sky he did not recognize and that shone even in the day, with a sun that did not quite glow with the same color or brightness as the one he had basked in all his life, this place took his breath away. Their world was quite literally flat, sail to the horizon and you would fall off the edge of their planet. The thought of it made him chuckle, but he was quickly lost again as he gazed at the way sunlight sparkled and danced on the surface of the tranquil waters and the sky was lit up gold as it reflected off the breath-taking city beyond.

He was on another world. Not many humans could say they'd done that, and the memories of his last trip into space flooded back into his mind, but they did not scare him any longer. Asgard, despite having nearly been his grave less than a year ago, had just restored his faith in the wonder that the Universe held. In a matter of days, he would have to fight to keep this incredible reality safe. He couldn't think of a more worthy cause to die for.

"I will see if we can find another method for you to travel home. I do not wish for you to experience that again." Frigga cut off his trail of thought and he looked at her, still blinking a little in awe.

"Neither do I, but if it can't be done it's fine. I've had worse." Tony shrugged.

"Yes, and some of that was at our hands." Frigga said, regretfully.

"You don't need to be sorry for that, you helped me get out of there and I am grateful for that."

"I still need to apologize on my husband's behalf." Frigga scoffed.

"You don't." Tony could feel the pain of guilt and remorse rolling off Frigga in waves. "He apologized for himself and although it could have been more convincing I have accepted it now. And I get why it had to happen. If Odin had been right, his actions would have been completely justified."

"But he wasn't right, nor would he listen to reason when presented with it." Frigga grunted bitterly and Tony could tell this was no longer about him, but the relationship between King and Queen.

"With all due respect your Majesty, it doesn't matter. It happened; it's done; I barely remember it anyway because I was drugged up to the eyeballs. And quite frankly it feels like so long ago and so much has happened since then, I sometimes just feel like a dream." He said, hoping that would be the end of the matter.

Frigga frowned at him, studying his face intently and Tony suddenly felt very vulnerable. "You sense emotions, my Son said."

"Yes." He confirmed.

"Tell me what you sense from me." She asked.

Tony's eyes narrowed. "I try not to pry." He said, hesitantly.

"You try not to, but I can tell mine are bothering you now aren't they." Frigga said astutely.

"I wouldn't say bothering…"

"They are upsetting to you." Frigga countered. "They are loud and instill similar feelings inside you, feelings you do not want."

"I'm getting used to it." Tony shrugged. "Actually, your emotions are pretty quiet compared to a human's." Tony looked away awkwardly, hoping they would soon pass this part of the conversation.

"Do not get used to it. Control it." Frigga insisted. "Don't let them control you."

"How?" Tony sighed. "Believe me I've tried, but… I'm not saying it can't be done just that I don't know how."

"Nor do I… Yet. But there are some things I think I can help you with immediately." Frigga mused.

"Well, I'm more than willing to try."

"Are you?" Frigga asked bluntly, taking Tony by surprise.

"What?" Tony asked in confusion. "That's why I came I…"

"That is not quite what I meant. I did not mean to offend, simply make a point." Frigga considered her words for a moment. "I can sense your power Stark and it is great. My magic is no match for it in terms of strength, but magic can be easily commanded, it is versatile… tell me, what does the CAEB feel like to you?"

Tony's jaw tensed as he considered. He wanted to answer honestly, but at the same time he didn't want to answer at all. "It's hard to say…" He sighed. "It's a part of me. A part of me that I… I don't like."

"Why don't you like it? You don't like the power?" Frigga pushed.

"It's not that I don't like the power, I don't like how this power behaves." Tony admitted.

"You feel it is alive Stark? That is has behavior?" Frigga frowned.

"Yes." Tony said after a moment, it was the only way he could describe it really.

"Interesting, but you said it is a part of you… Is it associated with behaviors you don't like, behaviors of your own?"

Tony sighed again, trying to bite back his frustration at the relentless questioning. "Kind of, it's hard to explain."

"Just try and I will see what I can understand." Frigga requested gently, sensing Stark's struggle.

The Engineer took a breath and thought about it before gathering together his answer. "The power isn't the problem I don't think. I mean, I design the Iron Man suits each time with the sole focus of making them stronger and more powerful. Hell, I've been classed as one of the most powerful men on the planet since I took over the company when I was twenty-one…"

"But do you build your suits specifically to become more powerful?"

"Yes," Tony confirmed. "I have to keep improving so that I can protect…"

"The people you love." Frigga finished.

"I was going to say the planet, but yes, that too." Tony nodded.

"Ok." Frigga smiled. "And when you are in your armor what is it like, what does that power feel like?"

Tony didn't really have to think about that. "I feel confident, safe, in control - free in a way I never am in normal life – it's exhilarating. Whatever I want the suit to do it does, it is perfect, precise, predictable... The CAEB is none of those things, it is unpredictable, it is imprecise, I cannot trust the power I am wielding."

"You dislike the lack of control." Frigga nodded.

"The CAEB doesn't want to be controlled, I can tell. I know that we are the same entity now or are supposed to be anyway - so it makes no sense, but I still treat us as separate things in my mind."

"Maybe that is your first mistake. Not that fact you treat them as separate things but that you are trying to be the one on control."

"You want me to let it take the reins?" Tony asked, a little horrified.

"Neither of you should have the reins, you should share them." Frigga explained. "I can feel the battle inside your soul. It fights you Tony. You fight yourself. Your constant striving for the unachievable, for perfection is damaging. Most would kill to hold the power you do, and yet you despise it."

Tony scoffed. "I know what power does, and it's never good."

"And that is why it is only you who can bare this Tony Stark, only you who can defeat these creatures." Frigga fell silent as Tony decided not to respond, but realization had dawned in those deep chocolate eyes that Frigga decided she could work with. "Thor said you had a list… may I see it."

"Yeah." Tony patted down his pockets and handed over a crumpled and messy piece of paper, which Frigga studied intently.

"Of these which you have crossed out, which do you find least draining?" She asked.

"With the exoskeleton, they are all fine to do…"

"I would prefer to see you work without this… exoskeleton. I simply mean to gain an impression of the power you have and the toll it takes on you." She explained.

"Ok, well, I'm not sure." Tony pondered for a moment.. "Shielding is probably easiest, or at least I've done the most of it." He shrugged.

"What do you require?"

"It works best if something is fired at me, or I have something explosive to work with."

Frigga nodded, and held out a small round object to gain Tony's attention and then rolled it on the ground towards him. within seconds the small metal sphere exploded in bright white light and Tony reacted immediately. The rush of blue from the palm of his hand enveloped the explosion and quickly quashed it, dissolving it into nothing.

"Interesting." She frowned in intrigue and nodded with a small smile. "Very interesting. Now try that again, but I want you to listen to my instructions."

She rolled another small metal sphere and Tony repeated his actions, instinctually enveloping the explosion in a ball of energy and then prepared to begin smiting it from existence.

"Now hold it there." Frigga said, and Tony looked at her puzzled. "You feel that energy? Not the CAEB's but the energy of the explosive?" Tony nodded. "You can feel it, but you chose to dissipate it into the environment. Yet, from this point you are able to manipulate it any way you want, even store it. Can you see that?"

Tony's hands shook a little from the strain of keeping the energy contained. "Yes, I suppose."

"Do not fight it Stark, your desperation to control the explosion is what is draining you. It's like fighting a current in a river; you may hold your ground for a time, but you will not beat the water in the submission. Flow with it, feel it and guide it, but do not order it."

Tony closed his eyes and concentrated, slowly his shoulders began to relax and the energy in his hands seemed to still. The tension went from his body as his eyes snapped open glowing blue and he gasped in relief.

"That is incredible Stark." Frigga shook her head in astonishment. "You master this far faster than I anticipated."

"Yeah, but what do I do with it now?" The energy was now longer enveloped in a ball of the CAEB's shield but spread between his hands as if he were simply holding it.

"Whatever you want." Frigga smiled as Tony started passing it from hand to hand experimentally. "Try to use it, you have control of its explosive force, return it to your attacker."

"No offense, but I'm not going to attack the Queen of Asgard."

Frigga rolled her eyes. "Very well, try first on an object."

Tony grinned evilly as he selected what he wanted to obliterate. A statue of Odin exploded into shards of marble in a large poof of dust and a few guards who were stood close by started, hands flying to their weapons. "Oops I didn't mean to do that. I am terribly sorry your highness." He feigned with a grin.

"Very funny Mr. Stark, very funny." Frigga said with genuine amusement, she let him enjoy the moment for a while before she returned to their focus. "Now, you channeled that energy into the same way as it came to you. An explosion still became an explosion, but this is energy and it can be transformed into any form you wish, as you well know." She rolled another ball across the ground and watched, impressed, as Tony handled the energy more quickly. "Good, now try something else, perhaps something from your list but it does not have to be."

"OK…" Tony considered. Something else, something else… how about the opposite. From a destructive force to a creative force. "How about this?"

The pieces of the statue started moving back together as Tony guided the energy towards it. The statue slowly but surely started to reform, even the specks of dust on the ground retaking their places and the Guards looked on half terrified, half amazed, but before he could finish his hands started to shake.

"Ok stop there, you feel that point?"

Tony nodded and suddenly had to let go. The pain exploded through his skull and he fell to his knees, catching his breath. Frigga was there, helping back to a seat by the fountain and giving him chance to recover.

"Yes, that's what I thought." Frigga said sympathetically. "You used the energy you had control of, and it wasn't enough to complete the task, so you started channeling your own… we must work on preventing this where possible as it will drain you very quickly."

"The exoskeleton…" Tony started,

"Is like a suit of armor, useful and protective, but one must first learn to fight without it." Frigga acknowledged. "We will do some practice with your device active, so you can become accustomed to how it interacts with your abilities, but first I will teach you without."

"Fair enough." Tony conceded, massaging his temples.

"Let's continue."

"Can I have a minute?" Tony asked, head still pounding. About this time back home, he'd eat as much sugar as he could get his hands on, but no such luck right now.

"Indeed, you may. You need only ask; my wish is not to overstrain you." Frigga said sternly, regretting her haste.

"Thanks." Tony smiled and looked around again at the view, savoring it. He should have done this months ago.

Tony watched in awe as time slowed down around him. He could see each wing beat of the strange little Asgardian bees in slow motion as they went about their business. He found himself staring at the way each droplet of water splattered on the paving as it fell stray of the fountain. When time slowed, it was like stepping into a different world, he had been eager to test his ability to manipulate time for months, but the more important powers had taken precedence, but he was so glad to have finally got the chance to do so. It was like stepping into heaven, everything was serene and calm and eternal, he truly could escape change.

But it couldn't last. The energy he had gathered for this was limited and he felt the point they had talked about, the point at which the energy he had absorbed fizzled away and was used up and he had a choice; drain his own reserves to continue, or stop. He stopped and smiled at the control he had found as the world popped back into full speed, which was slightly dizzying, but incredibly exhilarating.

"Incredible Stark, truly incredible." Frigga smiled.

"This is unbelievable." He shook his head. "I have spent months trying to do this and we make this much progress in an afternoon."

"The experience I share with you took many millennia to perfect. Understanding fundamental principles is what you enjoy, this is all we have done today and although I expect that you wish to try more I feel we should stop at this point."

"Can we just…" Tony started, but Frigga held up her hand.

"Stark, I understand your eagerness to achieve as much as you can today and leave with no question unanswered, but you now have all you need. With the control and the skill you have mastered today, you can apply this to anything you can imagine. You can unlock the full extent of the CAEB's power as long as you have an energy source great enough."

Tony nodded. He knew this was true. He didn't need to try every trick in the book, because he knew he could do it now, he knew how. "I don't know what to say. Thank you doesn't seem to cover it." He sighed in disbelief.

"It is nothing compared to the thanks we and the rest of the Galaxy, maybe even the entire Universe, will owe you in a few days' time. Good Luck Mr. Stark."

"Thank you." Tony nodded sincerely, biting back the spike of dread that mention of the battle brought.

"Actually," Frigga backtracked, "maybe you should try one more thing before you go… it may also fix the problem of your transportation home."

"Ok, hit me." Tony smiled.

"Look into my mind and you will find a location, I want you to go there."

Tony paused a moment. This was a little different than manipulating energy, but he'd done it before, he took a deep breath and….

Thor stood on the surface of the other planet, wearily looking out over the barren desert landscape. The soil had long since become dry and infertile. With the red, copper-rich earth that looked like it had been bathed in the blood of a million fallen warriors and the orange light of an aging sun, Thor often pictured this place in his mind when he thought of Hel. He supposed neither was far from the truth; this planet had seen so much death. Its people had suffered so much at the hands of invading species and tyrannous rulers, he could not understand why they still remained so passive. This had been his last chance to convince them to stand up and fight, but despite informing them of the danger to themselves and the universe, they seemed not to believe it was their battle to fight.

The issue of course was his Father. Odin had kept this, and so many stories concealed that everyone thought them to be myth at best. Only Asgard believed the CAEB was real, or that the five beings existed, so it was hard to convince others that Midgard and the nine realms were in grave danger.

He sighed wearily as he contemplated what had just occurred. He had explained the graveness of the situation to them, the danger to themselves and their people. If Earth was lost, the rest of the worlds would soon follow, but they could not see. They would not fight, would not 'waste' the lives of their people to save another world. He had failed.

He needed to head home, to Asgard and report his failure to Father and to retrieve Stark. It had been many hours and the man was likely growing anxious at the length of his absence. Thor had promised he would be safe, but he had been gone much longer than he expected, and the Man of Iron had suffered much at his Father's hands and would be as uneasy on Asgard as Thor felt in this place. However, he needed a moment before he summoned the tesseract; a moment to contemplate his failure in this mission.

"You didn't fail."

Thor turned on his heel sharply, raising Mjolnir and glowering at the figure behind him. He recognized him instantly and for a second thought it could not be possible, before he remembered who indeed he was.

"This place is a bundle of laughs." The man scoffed and lazily kicked a small cluster of rocks around the red surface of the wasteland, staring up at the sky.

"Stark?" Thor asked, bemused as to how or why the man was here.

Tony seemed to ignore Thor's confusion, he just picked up a couple of rocks and rubbed them between his fingers, tasting one experimentally. "It's not your fault they're a bunch of idiots. We'll just have to save their ungrateful asses anyway."

"I would prefer you not read my mind Stark." Thor grumbled, his mood still foul thanks to the day's events.

"I didn't read your mind Thor, I read your Mother's and before you start she let me. But your emotions are kind of screaming like they're trying to be heard by the whole Universe." Tony scoffed.

Thor frowned. The Man of Iron was acting strangely indeed, but he did not seem ill, or anxious, in fact he seemed unnaturally at ease.

"I've never felt them so loud." He pondered. "But I reckon that's because you let it all out when you think you are alone, don't you? You shouldn't bottle stuff up like that it's not healthy and before you say it I know I'm a hypocrite."

"Stark. What are you doing here?" Thor asked, but Tony continued on his ramble.

"Although actually, thinking about it, I don't think I need to hear your emotions anymore, or anyone's, not unless I want to - I guess I should be able to just turn it off." Tony seemed to focus for a moment and then everything in his posture relaxed. "Great." He smiled. "Quiet as a mouse. If only I figured that out months ago, how much shit would that have saved? Why do people say as quiet as a mouse? Mice aren't that quiet. I remember when I was a child and we had an infestation in the mansion attic and all night I could hear them squeaking and scratching about." He shook his head. "They certainly were not quiet. Well, they were when the pest controller killed them, but the saying isn't 'as quiet as a dead mouse, is it? I mean you could say as quiet as a dead elephant and that would still make sense, because anything that is dead is quiet, because its dead!"

"Are you quite well friend Stark?" Thor asked, looking at the man in alarm, still having far more questions than answers.

"I'm fine Thor." Tony chuckled. "I get I'm acting a little stoned right now but well, things are good and sue me if I get a little philosophical when I'm happy."

Thor frowned. "It seems you and my Mother have made progress."

"Yeah, she's a badass your Mom. You should tell her more often you know; she'd appreciate it."

Thor chuckled to himself. "You are right, and I will make more of an effort." He said sincerely. "But what are you doing here?"

"Just an experiment. Apparently, you could use a lift home." Tony yawned.

"I have the tesseract; I do not need assistance and I think we both know you would prefer not to use it again."

"Well that's for certain. And that's part two of why I'm here. I know it's not as cool as an infinity stone transporter but…" Tony put his hand on Thor's shoulder and suddenly the scene around them changed instantaneously. There was no feeling of movement, no stomach-churning nausea that was usually associated with teleportation, but there they were, stood in Asgard. In a blink of an eye they had travelled millions of miles without so much as a gust of wind to signify the motion.

"Stark… that was…"

"Sorry, was it a bit rough? First time with a passenger, I tried to filter out the quantum…"

"Stark, that was incredible." Thor cut him off sharply.

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't feel a thing," Thor said softly, in amazement. "Usually teleportation is rough and nauseating; the tesseract and the Bifrost are two of the best means I have encountered, but this was far more efficient. I felt not a single sensation."

"Huh, cool, I guess." Tony shrugged.

"My Son." Frigga's pleased voice broke their conversation.

"Mother." Thor smiled back at Frigga. "You and Stark have made progress I trust."

"The speed at which he learns things has surprised even me." She confirmed.

"Well you know what they say about a good teacher." Tony said, brushing off the praise.

"My Mother does not compliment lightly." Thor acknowledged, stressing the significance of her words and earning a smiled from them both.

Frigga turned to Stark with a nod and began to speak. "I think we have also established a mental link strong enough to work between the realms, so should you require more assistance Stark, you know how to contact me."

"Thank you, really I can't tell you how amazing today has been." Tony said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You have all the tools you need now." She continued. "Control the energy and from there you can do anything you perceive. Trust that you have the foundations and spend time with your family before the battle. You will be drained from the day's exertions, please rest well."

"I will." Tony said and Thor thought the man appeared to be honest and sincere this time.

"The same goes for you my Son." Frigga said pointedly.

Tony wandered away a little, sensing the need for Thor to be alone with his Mother.

"Stark has changed more in this day than he has in any day since I have met him." Thor pondered.

"His strength of character is immense."

"That it is." There was a pause as Thor tried to gather his words. "Mother… I often forget it because you are a Queen and my Mother, but you are as wise as any scholar of our people, you have so often given me counsel that has prevented me making a grave mistake and as well as this you are one of the most fearsome warriors Asgard has. I do not thank you enough for all you have done for me, nor do I always give you the respect you deserve. I only hope one day to be worthy of the support you have given me."

"Thor, you have this obsession with being worthy and that is your Father's fault. A child should never have to prove their worth, a parent should love them regardless of what they achieve as I do… as your Father does deep down but would never admit. I am prouder of you than I could ever express and if you must obsess on your worthiness, then believe me when I say you are more than worthy." Frigga said sweetly.

"I thank you Mother. I just need you to know that you are appreciated and for life of me I cannot recall a time in the last millennia when I have told you this, which is more wrong of me than I can express." Thor said regretfully.

"If you are trying to say goodbye my Son, you do not have to be so flattering. I know as well as you the risks of the battle you are to face. I live with the worry and the knowledge that you may not return and believe me that I know all you have to say to me." She comforted.

"This is not so much a final farewell Mother, though I realize it may be the last time we speak… it was in fact prompted by something Stark said to me, he said you were a 'badass' and that I should tell you so once in a while."

"A 'badass'." Frigga frowned. "And this is a term of endearment on Midgard?"

"As far as I can tell it means you are a fearsome warrior, or strong of character. The nuances of human speech are exhausting." Thor sighed.

"That I do agree with. There were many things Stark said today that I did not understand." Frigga rolled her eyes.

"I believe there are many things that Tony Stark says that even his own species do not understand." Thor chuckled. "I think he revels in people's confusion on occasion."

"Well that is a comfort to know." Frigga joined in her Son's laughter. "Take care of yourself my Son and take care of Stark. He has an immense weight to carry and a long way yet to carry it."

"I will Mother. I will."