"Yes, I can see you're doing all you can," he says, looking pointedly down at the sprawl of electronics on the table. "I was never a warlord," he continues after a moment's pause, "but I am still a prince, though Asgard is..."

Then he stops, because how does he explain? It's been easier to speak of the fate of Asgard and its people to those here who have no knowledge of his world. Stark had never seen Asgard, but he knows of it, he knows Thor, he knows at least something of Odin.

"Gone. Asgard is gone. Its people are safe, but Asgard is fallen."