Pale White Iron

chapter Three: Ice caves

         I looked at Steve, and then around the surrounding area. Everything was either dirt, or whatever the hell these plants were, or large rocks. Had he been hallucinating or something?

        "I'm going to hate myself for this..." He muttured under his breath, walking towards one of the large rocks that was nearby. Jen and I watched him closely as he went around to the other side. The both of us waited a moment, and I wondered if he was just messing with us, not coming back around. I hesitated a moment, but then it was as if there had been a chain wrapped around my neck that had pulled me in. I found myself following almost exactly in his foot steps. My head started hurting again, and I listened carefully as Jen followed. She sounded shaky, as if every fiber in her body was telling her to run. Why had she the urge to run, but me to only come closer to whatever it was?

       My heart nearly jumped out of my chest as I looked down at Steve, who stood on what looked like stairs leading underground. I tried everything to resist running inside. It was illogical to do such things, and may have dire consequences. "You comin'?" He called back at me, and I followed him, Jen behind me of course. A sudden chill came over us all as the tempurature had suddenly dropped the further we ventured. About three minutes later, we finally reached the bottom of the mysterious stairway.

      By this point, Jen had been nearly freezing to death and cuddled up next to me. Her skin felt cool, and hard, as if she really were freezing. I couldn't allow that and did my best to conjure a jacket of some sort for her. It wasn't much, but it helped, and she finally stopped shaking. However, she still stuck to my side. I didn't mind, either, I actually liked it. "How much further?" She whined, tightening her grip on my arm.

      "I'm not sure but..." He almost stopped dead in his tracks, stumbling a little before continuing, "Maybe this was a bad idea..." He looked at one of the walls that was on either side of the three of us, and then refocused his attention to the tunnel before us. I glanced at the wall as well. It was strange, I hadn't noticed all of this before.

       The walls, the floor, and the ceiling were literally covered in  ice, and everything seemed unrealistic. It was like something you'd see in a movie, but certainly not in person. I shook my head, maybe I was crazy. The walls were actually glowing; creating their own light. What were these things, ice caves? And what were we doing in an ice cave for? We went out looking for my father, and we end up in a New Mexican desert, underground in some sort of ice cave. Maybe he really had been hallucinating.

        "I-Impossible." I quickly followed Jen's gaze and took a look around. The both of us froze and tried to take it all in. It was a beautiful place. Everything was covered in ice still, but the hall had opened up into an unspeakably large room. Strange carvings seemed to slowly be manifesting themselves even as we stood there. Not to mention it was almost bright as day in here. I heard a slight growl come from infront of us and snapped out of my trance.

       Steve stood there, muscles tensed, shield in hand, and ready to pounce. "What is it?" I asked, before almost stumbling over my own words which were now stuck in my throat. I was practically choking on them. My head started hurting even worse than before, and this time, my heart nearly stopped. "D-Don't." My father's weak voice traveled from the other side of the room. He was in his suit, but somehow managed to get himself stuck up to the waist in ice. He struggled to break free, and I wondered why he hadn't just used the repulsors.

       I took a small step forward. "Don't take another damn step, you hear me?!" Again, I froze, what could I possibly do? I didn't know what was going on; why we were in this underground place of mystery. He stopped struggling and looked straight at me. The look in his eyes was that of a man who wanted to kill. His face confirmed it, and he was pissed. The headache got worse.

      "Steve, I'm going to kill you if the four of us get out of here alive!" He barked before leaning on the ice infront of him, trying with all his might to catch his breath. This must've been why mother wouldn't let me see him. He was sick, and weak, and was most definately crazy. "If we get out alive?" Jen let go of my arm, and took a step back. She began looking around, probably hoping to find another exit point. "Yes, if..." Steve nudged me, and I looked at him. "This is nonsense," I walked towards my father, "I'm going to help you, and the both of you are going to tell me what the hell this is all about."

       I felt a burning fire come from within the pit of my stomach, and the hair on my neck stand on end. I banged on the ice as hard as I could. But none of it seemed to help. I'd never beat on a piece of ice that was this strong. My head started hurting even worse than before, and now I was certain it couldn't hurt anymore.

He looked at me, eyes glowing green, it was almost like standing in a mirror. But this time, my reflection was in control. "You dare hurt my family?!" I looked quickly over to the entrance of my room. HE had discovered me; what was HE doing here? "I swear, if you get near my family, I'm going to break every bone in your damn body!" I laughed. "A mere mortal challenge me? You may have married my sister, but I still have not the respect for you!" I smiled, sitting down on my throne of ice. It was nothing like the throne in Juttenheim, but it would have to do. "I'm going to get Thor, and have both him and Loki come down here and help me do it too! The three of us want you dead!!!" He looked like he was ready to kill, and the smile of mine faded away. My 'brothers' couldn't possibly have mercy on me, so now this man, Tony Stark, imposed a threat to me. I jumped down from my perch high above, bringing down my staff hard against the ground. Again, I laughed.

        "Elias!" I looked to see Jen above me, a worried look on her face. My head hurt, but differently this time, as if some one had thrown a brick at the back of my head. I tried to pull myself to my feet, using the wall behind me as leverage. Everything hurt and I found myself falling back to my knees. I grabbed at my chest, realizing that my suit had gone... what the hell was I wearing? My clothes had been replaced by some sort of... wierd clothing. Of course, I'd seen this clothing before.

       "Don't touch me." I looked back up at her, and she immediately let go and jumped backwards. "Y-You're..." She looked at me funny a moment. "I what?"

"You're bleeding... she resisted the obvious urge to touch my forehead. Yes, I know I'd bee nbleeding. I'd felt it, and i most certainly smelt it as it rolled down the side of my face. I looked past Jen, and noticed Steve pounding out the last bit of ice that had covered my father's feet. He struggled, looking back and forth from his feet to me.

        A horrible laugh sent chills coursing through my body. "I love this family reunion! And it is much better now that Loki should have his hands tied with his inferior children, and Magnum soon to join us!" Magnum? Who was Magnum? "Elias! Don't move!" I froze in the wake of my Father's voice, and felt that burning feeling rise up in me again. "Why? Why the hell should I listen to you?! You kept this  a secret from me?!! I am your son, and I have a right to know what is going on!"

       I leaned against the cold wall. "Yes, yes rebel! Rebel against him and all that he is!" My God, everything hurt, as if I'd just been thrown through a blender and pulled back through. "Shut it Quill!!!" I jumped at dad's voice, but immediately regretted it, falling over and grabbing at my sides. "Q-Quill?" I managed. I looked back up to see if my dad was okay, but instead I saw something else. A man who was dark and tall knealed beside me. He smiled slightly, and that burning feeling came back again. "Yes, I am here," he held out a hand as if to help me. I thought about it a moment... NO! Quill was my mother's brother. Both my mother and father told me stories about him, and he just wasn't right in the head.

       He stood immediately, as if by command. "How dare you?! You dare refuse me?! And after all I have just offered you?!" His smile faded and turned into a frown. He scrunched his eyebrows, struck with anger. "I offered you a new look, a new life, a new family!!!" His pale face turned bright pink with fury and he pulled back his hand. For some reason it looked as if he were conjuring something that resembled a weapon. "Now you pay!!!" I saw the weapon drawing closer.

        A bright light suddenly burst through, attacking everything around me. Bright white light that drowned out every image; every sound. White light that made everything disappear, a beautiful light bringing me peace. Sweat, sweat peace...