The Dark Pressing In

It was dark. It was cold. He could feel his lungs filling with water and he could feel the crushing weight of it. Things started fading. He tried to hold on, he needed to hold on.

But he couldn't. He just fell down,

down

down

down until everything faded away and he was left in the dark with no memory of anything except his now crushing fear of what he was feeling.

It was too tight. He needed to get out. And suddenly he was rising. He was finally able to breathe. He felt the openness around him and he heard someone saying Jack Frost.

He noticed the stick on the ground and grabbed it, shooting ice on the now frozen lake. He felt pure, undiluted joy and moved around experimenting with his newfound powers, quickly forgetting the crushing sensation he felt earlier.

~~~~~

First he was bantering with Bunny and trading insults like it was nothing and then he was being forcefully grabbed and stuffed in a bag.

He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe. All he could do was remember that first night and the feeling of being crushed, his surroundings closing in on him.

He began to breath faster, searching desperately for a way out. He breath became erratic, hands pushing, clawing, at the sides, trying to keep it from pushing in.

Not soon enough he was thrown on the floor and his hands finally found its way out of the bag. He scrambled out and tried to control his breathing.

He vaguely felt something wet sliding down his cheeks before registering it was tears and he was crying.

As soon as he realized this they froze on his cheeks, his powers acting on their own. He felt hands wrapping around him and heard noise coming from somewhere telling him it was alright and he could breathe.

But it wasn't alright. They couldn't feel everything closing in, the desperate need for space.

Frost started growing from him, causing the others previously hugging him to back away. A window burst open and the wind came in. Jack could feel a comforting sensation around him, not closing in but just there, and the barest hint of someone saying it's okay, I'm here, except it wasn't a voice more like a feeling.

Gradually, his breathing slowed back to normal and the frost that had appeared slowly retreated back towards him.

He took one more deep breath, gave the wind his thanks, and prepared to face the four beings staring into him like he was a glass window about to break.

"Mate... are you alright?"

"Why would you care?" Jack asked, laughing without a trace of humor.

"You were just crying." Bunny pointed out.

"Ah yes thank you for that reminder." Jack bit back sarcastically. "Now if you don't mind I'm leaving."

"Leaving? But we haven't even told you why you're here in the first place?" Toothina asked worriedly.

"I don't care. I'm leaving. Goodbye." Jack said with a note of finality to his words. He flew out the open window leaving the Guardians staring where he was last standing.