NOTE:I am going to skip Beast Within for now. It just isn't clicking in my brain. I started writing this to keep the creative goo flowing and found it fun. If it's cool with you all, I'd like to continue it among the other stories.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanaka, Blessed Yule, and all that stuff
4.
Ben relaxed in his cube. He floated, reclining while he tried to think about things. The final count had been thirty dead by his hand. Real people. He didn't feel bad about killing them. Their blood was on his hands. Literally until he took a shower. He discovered a chopping motion was as effective as a blade against humans. A punch would turn them into misty chunks. His laser vision had been accurate up to about a mile away. Any farther than that and things got wobbly. That method was faster and cleaner. He had allowed himself some distance after the first few and decided to use to practice his powers on a lethal level.
There were dimensions where his superpowers wouldn't be as impressive. He thought he was roughly on the level of a Kryptonian. The superpowers were a punchline in the movie, not the focus. He needed to figure out how truly powerful he actually was.
One Punch Man had the Hero Association that would measure abilities. Saitama proved that physical prowess didn't translate to the end rank. He couldn't recall if My Hero Academia measured things that way. The only way to figure out how he measured up was to give it a shot. Another issue was that they both were anime, which he hadn't tried to travel yet. He was going to hold off on animation until he had some more experience.
Choice paralysis was hitting hard when it came to superpowers. DCEU, MCU, The Boys, Hellboy, the Sony Spider-Man movies, the various X-Men movies, and those were just the live-action ones he could think of off the top of his head.
Having one shot to enter the timeline was what was causing the trouble. There were plenty of things he wanted to do in the MCU, the point of entry was very important. Hopping into the TVA to grab a time-travel thing would solve that for Marvel. He wasn't going to count on it working in other dimensions. It could put him on their radar, but that would probably happen regardless of it once he arrived.
Only one way to find out.
Marvel Cinematic UniverseTVA, ??? - ???
Ben wore a white button-down shirt and tan slacks. He strolled through the halls carrying a clipboard. No one had stopped to ask him who he was yet. The halls were idiot-proof with large text labeling every point of interest. He found the equipment room and walked right through, giving the bored clerk at the desk a polite smile as he walked by.
He started making little marks on the paper as he slowed to examine the items. There was an entire shelf set aside for the TemPads. He took one, turned it on, and began to flip through the settings. It had yet to be adjusted from the default configuration. The process was user-friendly to the point of insulting. Ben set it to Administrative Level, disabled the tracking, removed the link to Miss Minutes, and then synced the settings with three others. Ben stopped before he could spiral too far into the settings. He pocketed all four then disappeared.
The power of a clipboard and confidence was truly staggering. He stashed the three others in his cube, then decided he wanted some breakfast.
The CircleAtlanta, Georgia, USA – 2024
Ben took a seat that the diner. The waitress was busy with another table. He opened the TemPad then activated it. The interface appeared only to display an 'Unable to Connect' message. That answered that. The MCU dimensions weren't connected to this one in more than a whisper of a dream. He wouldn't be able to travel through time elsewhere, but the MCU was open to him.
"What can I get you, darling?" An older woman asked as she walked over to his table.
Ben smiled at her, "scrambled eggs, bacon, and a coffee." He paused. "An order of biscuits and gravy as well."
"You're a big eater," the lady laughed.
Ben slid a couple of hundred-dollar bills on the table, "I'm a big tipper too."
Marvel Cinematic UniverseAsgard – 2010 on Midgard
Iron Man 2 was released in 2010, followed by Thor in 2011. He thought that a year would be enough time to get things in order without changing too much. His plan was simple in theory, get a sword from Asgard. The movies had proven that Asgardian weaponry was capable of killing Thanos with proper aim.
The strange thing about Asgard is that it's basically a post-scarcity society. The money they do have is usually only used when dealing with other realms. Even then, most of the time a service could be paid with a favor or job. For instance, if someone needed a sword, they would go to a smith, or quartermaster if they were a soldier, and request one. A soldier would be issued one. A smith would either have one on hand or need to craft a sword. Payment would be given through some sort of service such as acquiring the required components, working the forge, or something of the sort.
Ben had to get some appropriate clothing before he could freely walk among the Asgardians. The futuristic flavor to the clothes made it a little easier to fit in. A pair of quality leather boots, a lace-up tunic, linen pants, and a cloak helped him blend in without having to worry about being historically accurate.
He could feel eyes on him the moment he appeared. Ben sighed. He had forgotten about Heimdall.
"Better to get this over with," he muttered to himself.
It was easy to find the Rainbow Bridge. A large, glowing iridescent road stretched out over water wasn't exactly subtle. There was an ornate staircase from the wall to the bridge. Ben kept his speed on the edge of normal limits. Asgardians weren't shown to possess super-speed, and he didn't want to draw too much attention to himself.
The sound of something approaching at high-speed told him his arrival had already been noticed. He stopped, turned around, and watched as Thor landed in the superhero pose not far from him.
"Identify yourself stranger, or test your mettle against the god of thunder," Thor announced.
Ben couldn't hold back the smile, "did you practice that?"
Thor's arrival was loud and drew attention, which provided cover for Loki to sneak around without being noticed. It would have worked as intended if Ben didn't have enhanced hearing.
Thor glared at him. The sound of his fist tightening on the handle of Mjolnir was audible.
Ben held up a hand, "my name is Benjamen Andersson. I am a simple traveler."
"Your name is not one I know," Thor took a step forward. "Asgard is beyond the reach of a simple traveler."
Ben nodded, "true, for most."
"Are you a wizard?" Thor asked.
Ben sighed, "I don't think so. That would be awesome if I did."
The Warriors Three and Sif arrived as we were speaking. An illusion of Loki appeared behind them, stepping out as though he had been with them the entire time.
Ben held his hands out, palms up to show he was unarmed, "the method isn't simple, but my reasons are."
"And those are?" Thor asked.
Ben smiled, "I need a sword."
"A sword?" The illusion of Loki asked, clearly disappointed.
Ben shrugged, "I need to kill a titan." He paused. "A dagger would do if I'm fast enough. I'll be one my way once I have one."
"You can kill a titan?" Thor chuckled.
Ben crossed his arms, "I'm stronger than I look. I'll prove it if you'd like."
Thor and the others laughed, even Loki amused. The god of thunder placed Mjolnir on the bridge.
"Pick it up," Thor stepped back.
Ben shook his head, "I doubt I'm worthy."
"You know of Mjolnir?" Thor asked raising his eyebrows.
Ben let out a dry chuckle, "I was serious about testing my strength. I'm curious how I would measure up against an Asgardian."
"Come along then," Thor picked up Mjolnir. "Let's test your strength. Where are you from? Vanaheim?"
He shook his head, "before I was a traveler I was from Midgard."
That made all of them laugh.
"And you intend to kill a titan?" The big guy from the Warriors Three bellowed.
Ben shrugged, "random chance changed me into something that isn't human anymore."
"Random chance?" Loki asked.
Ben nodded, "do you have any games that test strength? I would be up for a spar if you would rather."
"Would you care to make it interesting?" The blond guy from the Warriors Three said. "How about a wager?"
Ben raised an eyebrow, "I didn't catch your name."
"Fandral the Dashing of The Warriors Three," the blond bowed. "Pleasure to meet you."
Ben nodded, "pleased to meet you as well. The wager?"
"A friendly spar, you and me," Fandral said. "If you win, I'll give you my own sword." He held up the longsword. "If I win, you tell us your entire story."
"Sounds good," Ben replied. "Rules?"
"Standard," Fandral said.
"Yield or not able to continue?" Ben asked to clarify.
"Those are the ones," Fandral smiled. "As you don't have a weapon, we'll do this the old fashion way."
Ben looked around at where they stood, "here?"
"No better place," the other chuckled.
Ben shrugged off his cloak. This was going to be strange. He had spent the last few days fight the undead, which was closer to yardwork than an actual fight. Flying, super speed, and laser vision would be in bad taste. He would use this to gauge his strength against enhanced beings. From what he could find online even a normal Asgardian could lift a few tons with ease.
He bounced on the balls of his feet and shook out his arms while Fandral shifted to a stance that looked like wrestling. Ben dropped into a loose stance with his feet shoulder-width apart slightly angled and with his hands up. Fandral stepped closer, tentatively testing Ben's reactions. The Asgardian was a few inches taller than him with a similar build meant for agility and speed.
Fandral, contrary to his stance, came out swinging. Three quick punches aimed for Ben's ribs, which hit with practiced accuracy. He felt them, just not nearly as much as he had expected. Fandral took his hesitation as a sign of weakness rather than confusion. He latched onto Ben's shoulders trying to pull him close into some sort of hold.
Ben shifted his feet to gain room then sent an elbow into Fandrals' gut. The blow pushed the Asgardian to the tips of his toes. He didn't let the man settle, using the hold to his own advantage and twisting to slam Fandral onto the bridge in a textbook hip throw.
The Asgardian let out a little 'oof' as he hit the floor. He didn't let the man rest, lifting him up in an overhead press just to see if he could. It was easier than he had expected telling him a bit more about how his strength measured.
He set Fandral on his feet and took a step away, "do you yield?"
"Do you think I'm so fragile?" The Asgardian laughed.
Fandral sprang forward, slipping behind him and somehow getting his arm twisted up almost between his shoulders. Ben answered with an elbow, rocking the Asgardian back making him lose his grip. He turned to the side planting a kick in Fandrals' gut. Changing direction, he twisted around landing a solid kick to the side of the Asgardians' head. Fandral went down, skidding a little along the bridge. He didn't move to get up.
Ben could still hear a heartbeat and see their chest moving as they breathed. The spar had been informative. He wasn't even winded. The impacts were jarring in the fact that he hadn't braced for them, but they resulted in discomfort rather than pain.
He turned to face the other Asgardians, "could we continue this on normal ground? I'd rather not fall off."
Thor and the others cheered. A friendly brawl with a stranger was practically a greeting.
~
An our later and Ben had sparred with the entire group, Loki and Sif included. They swapped between unarmed and with weapons. Fandral with a sword was an absolute menace, wielding wit along with speed and agility. Hogun wielded a mace which influenced his hand-to-hand style meaning he didn't bother with flourishes or unnecessary movement. He focused his attacks in sharp, strong strikes that hit hard. Relatively speaking. Ben quickly learned that the hits that he did take were annoying rather than painful. Volstagg used an axe but fighting him barehanded felt more akin to professional wrestling without the failsafe of scripting. He was a wildcard, moving faster than his size let on and improvised when needed. Loki was a rough fight due to his integration of magic into when using his daggers or unarmed. Lady Sif was a skilled fighter that taught him more about fighting with a sword and shield during their spar than he could probably learn from a year of instruction. She was a menace when unarmed as well. Sif had earned her spot among them and was accustomed to fighting stronger opponents.
It wasn't until the fight with Thor that the blows that landed actually hurt. They weren't bone-shattering, but he felt them for a while afterward. Mjolnir was impossible to stand against which led to a lot of dodging.
The fights proved a great learning experience. Fandral gave Ben the sword as promised, then spent the next hour instructing him on its use and care. The others stepped in to provide lessons as well. After everything, Ben found himself sitting at a large table among the group as well as a collection of their friends and family.
"Does the drink not meet your standards?" Volstagg bumped his shoulder.
Ben shook his head, "I don't drink alcohol."
Everyone in the room paused.
"Not even wine?" Loki asked barely above a whisper.
Ben nodded.
"Were you cursed?" Volstagg sounded serious for the first time since they had met.
Ben chuckled, "it is a personal choice."
"I don't understand," Volstagg said after a moment.
He shrugged, "I made a vow."
That seemed to help them understand.
"What are your plans now that you have the sword?" Lady Sif asked.
Ben grinned, "I need to find the titan, then I will take his head."
"I rarely find a titan that does not need killing," Thor toasted Ben.
Loki rolled his eyes, covering it by taking a drink.
"Tell us your tale, Traveler Ben," Volstagg called. "Tales are best shared among friends and good food."
The others cheered along with him.
Ben sighed, "I was a normal human from Midgard until I died."
"You do not look like any Draugr I have ever seen," Fandral chimed in.
Ben smiled, "I am dead where I was born. Something other than a god killed me on accident. To make amends they gave me a portion of their power. Now I walk between worlds. I have a few that are close enough to my home to pretend I am there as long as I don't look too hard at the details. This is only the third world I have traveled to for an extended period. Before this, I did what I could in a doomed world for the people there to survive. Hopefully." HE paused. "I have searched for my family in each world I've visited, but I haven't found them yet. Hopefully I'll find them when I have more experience."
"What is this doomed world?" Thor asked sensing a challenge.
Ben nodded to Fandral, "imagine a world filled with a sort of Draugr. Every single person will become one once they die. The dead walk, driven by an unending hunger that can never be sated. People that survivor are forced to be the best, or worst, they can be to stay alive. I gave supplies to the groups I could find." A sad smile crossed his face. "I had to leave or I would be stuck there forever to keep them alive. They needed to be able to stand on their own. I'll check back in on them again."
"What other worlds have you visited?" Another at the table asked.
Ben wasn't paying attention to whoever spoke, "A few worlds like my own with small changes. I don’t plan to stay for long in those worlds. There are others out there that I want to see that are just stories where I am from."
"And what of Asgard? What of our people? Are we stories?" The same person asked.
Ben pulled himself together enough to identify who it was. Odin had joined them at some point. He thought it may have been around the second main course, but the stories and good cheer made the night seem to be blurred.
"Many, many stories," Ben nodded. "There are sagas told in epic poetry, stories, plays, and others. Some have the edges blunted for a wider appeal while others have exaggerated intensity. They change by region, translation, and whoever is telling the story."
Odin seemed to understand even if he wasn't exactly pleased.
"Let us retire," Odin stood. "My steward will show you to a room for the night."
Ben stood and bowed, "thank you."
~
Sunrise in Asgard was, pardon the pun, a religious experience. The landscape and buildings glowed in various colors reflecting and merging in a way that took his breath away. He had never been a morning person before he had been reborn. This new body didn't need nearly as much sleep. He was fully rested after a couple of hours. The longest he had slept so far was five and he had felt sluggish for a good chunk of the day.
This stop had been much more pleasant than he had expected. Thor and his friends welcomed him with open arms after their sparring. Loki had a dry wit that cut through the more boisterous jokes. He had tried to stab or ambush Thor at least three times since Ben had arrived. Each time was taken in good jest, especially the times he succeeded. It was obvious that Sif had a crush on Thor. She would never admit it and he was oblivious. Instead, she focused on scouting the realms for potential troubles. The Warriors Three were more than just comic relief. They worked alongside Sif while having lives of their own. Volstagg had three children, Hogun moved among mercenary companies as an instructor, and Fandral was a bard of some renown.
More than a week had passed before he knew it. Ben trained his swordsmanship with Sif and The Warriors. Loki tried to teach him some basic magic. He could summon a flame comparable to a disposable lighter after a solid minute of concentration. Thor was busy with an endless series of patrols, emergencies, and peace-keeping missions. He was smarter than expected but still needed to mature a bit.
Ben finished up another long day of training, today with a group of soldiers since the others were busy, to walk into a low conversation between Odin and Frigga. He didn't want to interrupt and quickly redirected his path. Even then his enhanced hearing caught the words 'next king' 'our son' and 'Thor'. It was getting close for his time to leave.
He had given his involvement in the overarching plot to the MCU quite a lot of thought. It was one of the reasons he arrived during Iron Man 2 rather than saving Tony in the desert. Thor didn't learn to be a better person until he was banished to Midgard. The Avengers would never gather without the Invasion of New York. He hadn't intended to stay so long in Asgard, the people were just too damned friendly.
His best idea was to show up on Earth shortly before Loki arrived. If memory served, Hulk and Abomination would be duking it out across Harlem soon too. In fact, it might be a good idea to get involved now to prevent some damage. The TemPad could jump him back a bit if he got the timing wrong.
Ben made his way to the guest room. They had provided proper Asgardian clothing as well as the outfit he had been wearing when he arrived hadn't survived longer than a couple of spars. He paused in front of the wardrobe. Was he supposed to take it?
"You're leaving, then?" Frigga asked from the door.
Ben turned to face her, he bowed, "yes, Lady Frigga."
"Enough of that," she waved away his words. "We save the Lord and Lady for special gatherings."
Ben nodded, "thank you."
"The things you are not saying speak volumes," Frigga stepped into the room.
Ben sighed, "my time here was wonderful. It was unexpected and I didn't realize how much I needed it."
"But?" Frigga prompted.
Ben flashed a tired smile, "but the titan is still out there."
"We will understand," Frigga nodded. "Take the clothing, we will have a feast in your honor tonight."
Ben felt a lump in his throat. He didn't trust his voice going with a bow in reply. Frigga gave him a motherly smile before she walked away. He washed himself off and came to a stop when he entered the guest room once more. A finely made leather pack rested on the bed with some traveling clothes folded neatly beside it. He took a deep breath then got dressed. These people were not making it easy to leave.
No one came by to talk to him or rope him into some random adventure, a first since he arrived. Ben headed to the dining room once he was dressed and packed. He found everyone waiting for him. They cheered as he entered. Frigga and Odin sat at the head of the table with an empty chair next to them.
"Ben!" Volstagg roared. "Come, my friend, take your place of honor."
The big man led him to the open seat. Ben blushed brightly as he sat. Food and drink were served, some sort of hot cider that tasted like honeyed-apples, respecting his vow to avoid alcohol. Many toasts were given. Stories were told of his brief time in Asgard, mostly those of the humorous variety.
Towards the end of the night Odin stood, silencing the group, "Traveler Benjamin Andersson, your time here has been brief, but welcome. You have learned from our people, ate our tables, and shared your stories. We are proud to have met you and hope to see you return. As you continue on to your goal, we cannot let you leave unprepared."
Ben cocked his head to the side in an unasked question. Frigga stood from her seat. A thick bundle appeared beside her that he had not seen before. Either hidden by illusion or overlooked by the celebration. She placed it on the table in front of him.
"Go on," Frigga smiled.
His hands shook as he untied the bundle. The 'wrapping' was actually a cloak of dark brown. It held a suit of Asgardian leather armor complete with boots and a scabbard for his sword. The armor was not nearly as ornate as the sort that Loki wore, but similar in make. It was dark brown tanned leather with iron accents rather than emerald and gold that the prince preferred.
"It's beautiful," Ben managed to say even though his throat was tight.
Frigga patted him on his shoulder, "one cannot face a titan without armor."
"Thank you," he looked from Frigga to Odin, then to the others gathered. "My time here with all of you is something I will treasure. I would be honored to return once this step in my journey is complete."
"And we would be honored to have you," Frigga said softly.
The woman radiated a motherly aura that made him feel welcome and loved even though they had hardly met a week ago. Her strength and skill were present in everything she did, hinted at in the subtle way she moved, her sharp eyes, and the hum of magic around her. Ben could see why she was the Queen.
"Go on!" Thor yelled. "Put it on!"
"Read the room, brother," Loki muttered.