Note: A lot of responses proclaiming shouts of dismay at the cliffhanger of the last chapter. Mwahahahahahaha! Yes! Like Jim Butcher I feed on your pain. Hehehehehe.
Note: Seriously, the response for this story has been amazing so far and I'm just so happy that my work has been well received.
Note: In the marvel comics it's explained that Asgardian's have access to a Berserk state if put in enough psychological or emotional distress. To my knowledge it is never confirmed weather or not Frost Giants have this too, but I choose to believe they do. Also, Berserk Harry just sounds too fun not to use.
Earth 33145 Part Eight - Berserk
Heimdall was minding his on business manning the gates of the Bifrost when the call of his future liege reached his ears, "Heimdall!" Immediately the golden eyed god latched his eyes to the source of the call and started when he realized he couldn't see his lord. A fortress surrounded him and its enchantments were blocking his gaze!
With a fresh feeling of panic he ripped his sword from the sheathe on his back, slammed it into the Bifrost control slot, and shot his consciousness into the ether of the nine realms, focusing it in an instant to encompass Midgard specifically. From there he quickly located the Guardian Commander Magneto, Prince Thor, Prince Loki, the Lady Carter, and three detachments of Guardians and Asgardian shock troopers before latching onto and summoning them with him to just outside the strange castle in a burst of rainbow colored light.
There was much shouting and confusion from those gathered, but the Watcher of the Gate ceased it all as he raised his great blade over his head and proclaimed, "Prince Harry has been captured and is being held inside this castle! Charge!"
Nothing else need be said. To a man, all present roared their outrage and began barraging the castle walls with all manner of magical attacks and physical blows. Heimdall smiled as he saw magically reinforced stone begin to crumble.
While this happened, Magneto floated over to the form of his teenage daughter. Her black hair was trimmed in what he believed the kids today were calling a 'punk' style, and she was dressed in a rather scandalous outfit consisting of skintight black jeans and a crimson corset. A blood red trenchcoat at least covered some of her skin. Had he been a father less trained by Peggy, he'd likely have put his foot in his mouth demanding she go home and change. Instead he simply smoothed his discomfort for her style of dress from his face, floated over to her, and held out his hand.
"Wanda, my dear, this structure has metal pipes. I can feel them. Would you give your old man a hand with tearing this castle from its foundations?"
The punk girl looked up at the older man above her and smiled with dark anticipation. It had been strange to find out Magneto was her father. Her and Pietro's mother had let nothing slip of his identity until the day she died. The mystic girl had been afraid he'd try to control her life once he gained custody, but he'd done the opposite. The man had given her space and offered his support and guidance without pushing into an emotional space she wasn't ready to let him into yet. Now, the bond they'd managed to develop through time and trust was strong enough to bend steel around it. A practice they were likely to put into effect now.
Wanda encased her body in chaotic energy and together with her father floated above the roof of the mighty castle. As Magneto started pulling on the deeply encased metal of the structures foundations, she willed her power to spread over the walls and supports. The dark grin from before returned as she heard the building screech in what she imaged was pain as entire sections ripped free to be tossed lazily into the nearby lake with a wave of her hand. From the corner of her eye she saw a torn out classroom completely crush a wooden ship. Where had that thing come from?
On the ground, Peggy looked on the progress of her small army. They were making progress, but it wasn't enough. She wanted her son back now dammit! She couldn't believe another person existed in the world with the gall to take him after what happened last time.
"Thor!" she bellowed at the god as she levered her shield in front of her.
"Yes, Lady Peggy." The big blonde man intoned as he ran up to her. The woman pointedly ignored the crumbs still hanging in his otherwise neat beard. It seemed he'd been entertaining his pop-tart addiction when he was summoned.
Peggy pointed over the ramparts above them where a glass window had been blown out by the initial assault. "Throw me through that. Now."
Thor didn't hesitate. He'd heard that tone from his own mother enough times to never question it. Instead he gripped her by the shoulder and hip and tossed her with considerable strength. As she sailed through the air to barely squeeze through the opening he mused that it was a good thing for all her muscular bulk that the woman was still smaller than the average Asgardian warrior. The walls were holding better than expected and he never would have made it in that way.
A second later his musings were interrupted quite completely as an entire section of the defensive wall blew outward by the force of an exiting glacier. The jaw dropping display of arctic power was accompanied by a bestial roar that set the god of thunder's blood racing. The last time he'd heard that sound….
A Few Moments Before
Harry's heart was racing, his eyes moving back and forth at a rapid pace taking everything before him in that he could. Was this a panic attack he was feeling? No, he'd stopped having those years ago. What was happening? The lights had gone out but he could still see. A strange goblet coated in magical energy, a weird guy with a beard looking at him in a way that utterly creeped him out, a hall full of students, and a…film crew? What the hell?
He'd already called for Heimdall, so help should be coming. But he could not just sit here patiently waiting. No… Memories surfaced in his mind, flying by at a rapid pace. A small boy locked in a cupboard, knowing pain was coming soon… a slightly older boy in a reinforced glass cage as an older man enjoyed his torment and took the very air from his lungs… Now, being taken again from his home, a place he had actually believed he was safe… His eyes began to glow, and with a twist of his wrist his walking stick flattened and sharpened as it turned into a sword. Rage, pure, burning hotter than a forge, lit inside him.
Someone had summoned him here. Someone had the gall to kidnap a prince of Asgard! Harry had decided long ago that no one would ever hold him against his will again!
The lights finally returned as the castle began to shake and shudder under the assault of his rescuers, but Harry did not care. He only had eyes for the group of adults all pointing wooden sticks at his chest several feet away.
"Who dares!" He yelled, taking a step forward, the ground cracking beneath his feet. The students were on their feet now, murmuring and backing up. Meanwhile the camera crew couldn't believe how lucky they were for getting all of this streamed out live!
"Who dares!" This time it was a scream, primal, terrible, and full of power beyond the comprehension of mortal men. Suddenly, the air began to chill, breath began to mist, and red eyes burned with unrestrained hatred. Harry leaned back, breathed in deep, and roared!
The air around him froze in an instant and as the wizards watched on in horror a massive glacier burst into being behind the Frost Giant, shattering the ceiling, walls, and floor in the process. Light and the screams of war from the outside blew in through the new opening.
"Shields!" Dumbledore wasn't sure what was happening with the boy, or why this one in particular had been summoned, but he knew a rampage when he saw one. Luckily his professors did as well because they raised their wands with his. A moment later the air in front of them and the students was filled with several layers of shimmering light. It wasn't a moment too soon.
"Raghr!" The prince of Asgard launched himself at the teachers and collided with their magical barrier. The force of the impact knocked several of them off their feet entirely, and pushed Albus, Minerva, and Severus to their knees. But they held on, each terrified to know that they weren't going to survive another hit like that. They were right to be afraid. Harry charged once more and this time he broke through every one of their spells, the blowback sending the professors flying back into the tables of the great hall. Food clattering to the floor at their passing.
The prince's head was low, moving from person to person like a rabid bull, until his gaze finally landed on Dumbledore. Something inside him letting him know that this man deserved his anger. "You dare!" He roared again before charging at the old man, only to get sent flying back into his glacier with enough force to lose the grip he held on his sword by a round shield that rebounded back into the hands of his mother after the impact. The woman in question had finally managed to navigate her way into the hall after making her entry only to find her son acting rabid and attacking people. Clearly something strange was going on.
She turned to the nearest adult, a rather short man with a twirled mustache and monocle. "I'd suggest evacuating the children to a safe distance. Between my son and our men there isn't going to be a castle standing here much longer."
The short man took her words to heart and rushed off to harry the kids from the hall. A much older man with a long beard tried to step forward to talk to her but she simply pushed him aside to advance on the glacier, she could see some of the loose ice beginning to shift.
A crash behind her signaled the arrival of Thor as he rushed to her side.
"Lady Peggy!" He ran in front of her and raised his hands. "Please stay back. Harry has gone berserk-" His words were cut off as the boy in question exploded from his miniature crater with a howl before running back at the person that had attacked him.
Thor, unwilling to let his nephew fight his own mother, ran to meet him and the two collided with enough force to drive everyone else present to their knees."
As the god and Frost giant traded blows a massive groaning sound came from the walls causing all still present to look up. The heroes in pride, and the wizards with open horror. Before their very eyes the ceiling was rising away from the rest of the structure, slowly revealing the floating forms of Wanda and Magneto as they manipulated the mass of metal and stone away from the rest of the structure. With it gone the great hall was immediately flooded with flying and agile superheroes that moved to secure the great hall's occupants.
Iron Man and the War Machine floated above the crowd, ready to lay down suppressive fire, Loki and Frigga stood before the adult witches and wizards with their magical defenses raised, the warriors three barreled in to keep a watch on the retreating children, and all around the perimeter of the structure the Asgardian army laid a defensive circle to hold off any aggressive acts that might follow.
It was utter chaos, and into that chaos erupted a massive bird of flame. All motion ceased, all shouting cut down to a whisper, and even the berserking prince Harry halted a punch at his uncle's face to stare at the strange sight with interest.
The massive bird looked around for several moments before it's head locked onto Harry, then it shifted, coalesced, and shrunk in on itself until it finally disappeared, revealing in its place four very worried teenagers and one woman. As one they ran forward, past the adult heroes screaming to stay back, past Peggy who tried warn them of the danger, even past Thor, who to be honest seemed like he didn't really know what to do with a bunch of young women, and as one they all barreled into the crazed prince of their dreams with open arms and warm hearts.
Even then the heroes were planning the best way to get them out of the rampaging Frost Giant's path until as one they heard Luna's voice in their heads. "It is alright. Our Harry would never hurt us."
Slowly, against all odds, the group hug of his girlfriends and bodyguard seemed to have the desired effect, and Harry fell to his knees as the light in his eyes returned to a normal level. He took one look around before turning to face his uncle fully and asking, "What happened, Uncle Thor? These guys raid your pop-tarts stash or something?"
The god of thunder raised his hammer menacingly. "No one would be that foolish." As he spoke Peggy ran past him to add her own arms to the mix as she quickly checked her boy for injuries and explained all that happened, including his temporary loss of sanity.
"Well that is certainly worrisome." He muttered before standing. As he did he noticed that every one of his girls were managing to keep hold of at least one part of him. He rather liked that, but now that he was thinking clearly again he had some questions that needed to be answered right away.
Before that though Yuriko separated herself from the group and knelt before him. "Harry, my prince, I have failed in my duty to protect you. Please, please forgive me."
The prince placed his hand calmly on top of the woman's head. "There is nothing to forgive. No one could have anticipated a portal opening out of thin air. You weren't even in the room."
Yuriko's expression became fierce as she stared up at him. "Then from now on I will be in the room." She reached to her head to cover his hand with her own, "I was scared for you Harry. I worried I was going to lose my little brother."
Harry smiled warmly at his companion and pulled her up to stand beside him again. "You couldn't lose me if you tried."
"Jean." He addressed the redhead that was currently forcing his arm over her shoulder. "Scan this crowd. I want to know exactly who brought me here."
The girl in question shivered at that tone. She'd never known Harry to be so… commanding, and despite their current situation a part of her really liked it. Notes for another time she supposed before opening her mind to encompass the crowd. As everyone else worked to get the situation more under control and detain the magicals present, she drifted through their thoughts like a leaf on the wind.
While all this was happening the teachers were being segregated and detained away from the students by the warriors three. Sif especially was enjoying putting her boot in the asses of those that had thought to kidnap her prince. Harry had done a lot to help her people and she was taking this capture personally.
One person that was not having as much of a good time however was Albus Dumbledore. He was just staring in openmouthed horror at what had become of his once great castle. Massive holes littered its walls. Debris and stone lay scattered in all directions, and the entire roof had been removed as if it were child's play! Literal tons of rock and stone enhanced by centuries of magical defenses had been broken through in minutes by this force. What in magic's name were they?!
Though even the despair he felt at the loss of the closest thing to a home he had paled in regard to the shock that was starting to bleed into his system from a very clear fact. The goblet did not make mistakes. It could not, especially when blood was involved. That object had brought Prince Harry Carter of America forth when Harry Potter's name had been called. Thus, Harry Carter had to be Harry Potter.
But that made no sense. Albus knew he had seen the boy before at the Queen's state dinner and he had not shown any resemblance to Lily or James and he had not borne the curse scar upon his head. HE HADN'T BORNE THE SCAR! Did that mean Riddle had already escaped the temporary cage and taken hold of him? That would at least explain his red eyes. This was a disaster, and for more than one reason.
Harry Potter was supposed to be a meek, weak willed boy that was easy to manipulate. He was supposed to be moldable! But Harry Carter had beings of immense power supporting him, an army at his back, and a literal country under his control already. By sweet magic herself the boy had the potential to be the worst dark lord to have ever lived. Well it was a good thing Albus had entered his name then. By the laws of the goblet and tournament he'd be forced to compete and with how dangerous the challenges were he was sure to be killed in the attempts.
It was as the headmaster was having this final thought that he felt the tiniest breeze rustling past his mental barriers. In an instant he reinforced his shields but by then it was too late.
Across the room Jean's eyes snapped open and her finger pointed unerringly toward the bearded man as she proclaimed, "That man is our culprit. He placed Harry's name inside a magical artifact with the express intention of kidnapping him to this location!"
At once Dumbledore found himself restrained by the warriors three and dragged forward to the front of the hall where up until a few minutes ago the head table had sat. What was most telling to the old man was that not a one of his professors, except for Snape, made any move to aid him. For his part Severus had tried to follow and been kneed between the legs hard enough to make a giant cringe.
When the group reached their destination Albus found himself forced to his knees and made to look up into the cold eyes of Prince Harry, his mother Peggy Carter, and five women he had no names for.
For his part, Harry was trying to decide the best course of action here. Oh, he knew how this man's fate would end, but there was something else he wanted first. "Why did you summon me to this place?" He ground out.
Dumbledore's mind was racing. Even now, especially now, he knew he could not reveal the existence of the prophecy or the fate required of the boy who lived. If Tom was in control then it would spell immediate doom for the world, and if he was not, then the still filming camera crews would broadcast the information to anyone with an active television. So instead he replied, "I summoned a boy named Harry Potter."
Immediately Harry's sword was at his throat. Yuriko had helpfully retrieved it for him. "Where the hell did you hear that name?"
Albus gulped slowly and found the motion caused a small swell of blood to trickle down his neck. That blade was no joke. "I knew your parents, Harry. They trusted me with your care and I was unable to bring you to this school when you were supposed to arrive. This summoning was my last chance to do so so you could experience the world your parents loved enough to die for." All technically true, if far from the full story.
Harry looked over to his redheaded girlfriend. "Thoughts, Jean?"
"He isn't lying, but he's telling an altered version of the truth to hide his true intents. There is more to this man than meets the eye and when I found him originally he was thinking about some sort of challenges that were sure to kill you. He was relieved by that fact. He has some kind of mental barriers that stopped me from digging in further at the time."
"Hm." Harry handed his blade to who the old man now recognized as Luna Lovegood from Minerva's recollections before kneeling to be at eye level and gripping his skull with both hands. "Then let's take a closer look."
An instant later Albus felt a metaphysical battering ram slamming against his mental barriers. It took everything he had, and near a century of practice, to hold it off, and even then he could practically see the cracks developing in the walls.
Harry meanwhile was getting peeved. This bastard had the audacity to kidnap him and then deny his mental probe? The balls! He prepared to delve in again when a solitary voice rang out, "Prince Harry! I implore you stop!"
The prince jerked out of his trance and looked to the side where a posh looking man in a suit was being held back by Quicksilver. He stared the man down as his mother and father walked to stand at his side. "Who are you to stop my interrogation? Who are you to side with my kidnapper!?"
The man gulped, seeing the heated stares of all the near godlike beings arrayed against him. Nevertheless, he mustered his courage and replied, "I am Anthony Goldstein. Her majesty's representative to this tournament. I stopped you because…" and here he paused again, knowing that what he was about to say was only going to come across horribly, "as a judge of the triwizard tournament Albus Dumbledore has diplomatic immunity for the duration of the event. All the judges do as a matter of tradition. As a result anything he has done since the lighting of the goblet cannot be prosecuted."
"Including kidnapping me? An act that one of my greatest telepaths has confirmed was his doing?"
Anthony was getting more and more terrified as the glares piled up on his back. The "K" word had terrible implications for his country, considering the fact that the last time someone had the gall to abduct Harry Carter America itself had been conquered, but he was sworn to uphold his country's laws. "Invading his mind any further will be an act of assault and due to his status could result in war. I'm sorry Prince Harry, but please, cease attacking him and order your men to stand down. Before this situation gets any worse."
Harry glared the man down for several seconds before noticing the still filming streaming crew. He waved his hand and Iron man blew the monitors and cameras. Then he turned to his best male friend in the world. "Kurt. I want Elizabeth here. Now. Bring her to me."
Unwilling to deal with a murderously angry best pal, the other blue skinned man nodded quickly and bamfed away.
Meanwhile
"Get me the chair of parliament, General Marcus, Captain Britain, and legal! Right now!" As the queen of England finished her ranted orders a swarm of people left her office to carry them out. She'd been watching the broadcast of the champion selection with her family and several important aides when the worst possible scenario had come to pass. The prince of Asgard abducted, again, and this time by an English citizen!
"Mother?" Prince William asked shakily, "What does this mean?"
"What the bloody hell do you think it means?" She seethed. "The last time this happened the strongest military power in the world was subjugated in a matter of days! I swear when I get my hands on Albus fucking Dumbledore-" as she was speaking a blue skinned man poofed into her office crouching on her desk.
"Damn but your office is hard to find fraulein. I had to bamf zrough eight different halls to find it." He bowed lightly and in a rushed voice he started speaking. "Your Majesty, Prince Harry has ordered me to bring you to him. I vould like to do zis peacefully."
Elizabeth shakily nodded her head. She didn't like it, but this might be her only chance to settle this peacefully and perhaps maintain a hold on her crown. "Very well."
"Mother!" William tried to argue but his mother raised her hand to stop him.
"I must do my duty as a queen. And that includes meeting with a hostile monarch." She took the strange young man's hand and an instant later found herself in the great hall of Hogwarts, staring down the furious visage of a literal army of superheroes. Prince Harry at their head with a sword leveled at Albus Dumbledore's neck.
Mustering all of her queenly dignity, she stood tall and faced them all as the young man that had brought her disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke only to reappear by the young prince's side.
"Prince Harry." She began, "I would first like to offer my sincerest apologies for your abrupt summoning. It was not an act in any way supported by my government."
Harry, red eyes unblinking replied, "Yet this bastard apparently has diplomatic immunity supplied by your government isn't that right? So even though we know for a fact he is responsible for this current circumstance, you expect me to do nothing to him?"
It took everything the queen had in her not to gulp at that statement. She needed to tread carefully. "That man is one of the organizers of a multinational tournament. All of the organizers were provided immunity. It is part of the traditions founding it. No one could have foreseen he would act so horrendously, but yes, his immunity is legal. To kill him would be an act of war, and not just against my nation, but the other countries committed to this tournament as well."
"And what do you call this!" He gestured to the devastation surrounding him.
"Rightful retribution." Elizabeth was more than willing to ignore this incursion into her territory if it avoided a war. "You were taken and your forces did what was necessary to retrieve you. We understand this. So let it end here. We are willing to meet any demand to make it so."
For a moment it looked like the prince was going to take the old man's head anyway, but after a looking into the eyes of all the women behind him, two of which Elizabeth recognized as Peggy Carter and Queen Frigga, he nodded and lowered his sword. Then promptly side kicked the old geezer across the room to slide to a stop amongst his faculty. Well, the queen wasn't going to fault the boy for doing something she herself dearly wished to. His next word stopped her from smiling at the act though.
"Control."
"What?"
Harry reverted his sword into a walking stick and descended the steps to stand before her. "I want control. You said you were willing to give me anything to cease my vengeance on your country, yes?"
The queen of England nodded shakily, already having an idea of where this was going.
Harry looked her in the eyes, "We agreed that Wakanda would build our orbital defense fleet, my country would fund it, and yours would staff it with experienced naval officers. You, me, and T'Challa were to have equal votes in how they were deployed so as to avoid stalemates. I. want. yours."
Elizabeth stood very still. The Asgardian army was the single greatest military land force on the planet. The spatial fleet, armed with Wakandan weapons and Asgardian runes had the potential to be the only thing that 'might' be able to stand against them should the need arrive, and if she gave over her vote then Harry would have overall command of both. But how could she refuse? If she said no then it was very likely her country, and others, would be consumed into the Asgardian empire before the day was out. And she wouldn't be able to blame them for the act.
Sending a hate filled glare at the gasping headmaster she slowly nodded. "You have my vote, Prince Harry. My officers will send the fleet where you direct."
"Good." Without another word the prince turned around and started back towards his people. "Right all, time to go! Her majesty and I have reached an agreement and I want to get the fuck up out of here." Looking back over his shoulder at the monarch he added, "I mean no offense, Lizzie, but if you want to meet again for any reason… you'll come to my country. I never want to see English shores again."
"I don't blame you for that." The queen replied evenly.
Meanwhile Albus was panicking further. Harry could not be allowed to leave. If he failed to participate in the tournament he'd lose his magic for sure, but the odds were good that he would still survive the experience, and with the clear might displayed here he'd be no less dangerous without it. No, he needed to compete in the tasks for even a chance of his necessary demise. "Wait!" He exclaimed, earning stern glare from his deputy in the process. Minerva could tell where the wind was blowing. "Harry cannot leave! His name came from the goblet of fire. An act that constitutes a magical contract. If he does not participate in this tournament his magic will be forfeit."
Silence met his proclamation before Loki himself stalked over, gripped him by the collar of his robe and snarled, "Show me this object." The two made their way to the dulled wooden cup, now sitting on its side in the corner of the hall. A few minutes later Albus earned a god tier punch to his bits and the god of mischief stomped back. "He's not wrong. You are tied to that piece of filth object. Whose bright idea was it to use a relic that basically enslaves people to choose contestants?"
None of the ministry personnel would look the enraged god in the eye, so he got in Elizabeth's face. "What are you going to do about this?"
The queen was at a loss. She herself was not magical, so a lot of this information made no sense to her, but she was getting the gist of it. "Prince Loki, to my knowledge there is no rule that states Harry needs to stay in England or even try to win this tournament. Only that he attempt the tasks provided."
In the corner he'd been left in Albus groaned. He'd hoped no one would mention that part.
"Fine." Loki seethed. "Prepare your 'tasks' and notify us of the date and time. "But know that though Harry has made peace with you, Asgard will never forget this slight." So saying, the god disappeared into thin air. Harry, his girls, and the others following suit in a massive array of rainbow light. When it was finished, Elizabeth stood alone amongst the rubble and hundreds of scared students and visiting dignitaries. It was time to be a queen.
She quickly ordered hundreds of magical tents to house the children, ordered those government officials and guards she'd stationed in the school to look after the visiting foreigners, and stalked over to the teachers.
Dumbledore was just standing up, with Severus Snape's help of course, and appeared to be trying to stave off his faculty's questions.
"Former headmaster, I assume you have an explanation for why you kidnapped the heir to the most powerful empire in our world?"
The older man stared down at her with the most infuriating look. As if even holding his stomach as he was the man was still above her. His queen!
"I am sorry, Your Grace, but I cannot tell you why it was necessary, too many lives rely on that secret. And what do you mean 'former'?"
"It goes without saying that you are fired for this mess. I expect your deputy to take over you school duties from this point forward. And you will tell me or I will have you up on charges for withholding state secrets from the head of your government the moment this tournament ends and your immunity is dropped."
The old man's left eye was twitching following that statement. "Surely you cannot mean that."
The lack of honorific was clear for all to hear and the queen was having none of it. She waved down the nearest parliament representative and intoned, "Take note. Albus Dumbledore is removed from his position as headmaster of Hogwarts school immediately. What is more, upon the conclusion of the final triwizard task he is to be arrested for treason."
"I cannot be arrested for things done during the tournament's duration!" Albus exclaimed.
Elizabeth however was smiling, "Are you going to give me a magical vow here and now that you did not begin planning whatever is in that dark infested head of yours before the tournament started?"
When the old man said nothing the queen turned to the annoyed looking scotswoman standing off to the side. "Minerva McGonagall. You impressed me at the state dinner and your students speak exceedingly well of you. I pray you will do a better job as headmaster than your predecessor."
"It shouldn't be that hard, Your Grace." Minerva groused before curtsying politely.
"I shan't imagine it will. Now get to work." Before leaving for good Elizabeth addressed Dumbledore once more. "You don't even have a grasp of what your actions have potentially cost us as a nation and perhaps a world. You are a disgrace to this country, and wizards everywhere. I look forward to seeing you rot."