The Iceman

Obligatory Disclaimer : I do not own anything (except maybe OC characters) all characters, places, worlds, universes…etc mentioned here belong to their respective owners and/or companies.

This is purely a work of fiction. Not meant to offend or incite, but to entertain and maybe inspire.

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FROST BITTEN

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The meeting with the environmentalists went imennesly well, as predicted. They were quite excited and thrilled about it. This is why I love scientists and rational people, they weren't strapped to the norm. They had the ability to think objectively and outside the box. Ok, maybe I'm patronizing them.

The date for operation "Cold-day" would be two days from today. They wanted to get as many people as they could, involved in the operation. They wanted to make it a media sensation and raise awereness at the same time. It worked out even better for me, who knew that there was a bounty for solving environmental problems?

It's a whole five hundred thousand dollars!! God bless the Stark foundation for research and innovative solutions!

It's a lot of money, but hey to billionaires like Tony it would barely even cause a ripple in their pockets. As for me, I have never even made anything remotely close to that much money before. Yes, poor me, but not for long.

Right now, I had to focus here. I was currently in the danger room, trying to figure out new ways to utilize my powers, not neglecting improvements to the ones I already developed.

I tried creating fire using my powers, I still haven't been successful yet. It's like pushing a boulder up a cliff face. Son for now I focused on the oes I could.

I was trying to create Eyce beams. Get it, it's ice beams from my eyes so I combined both words and…forget it. It's just icebeams.

It's a way for me to project freezing rays directly from my eyes. I'm sure you're asking, we all know you don't have to use your hands when creating ice, so why would you want to make it look like it's coming from your eyes? First, theatrics. Don't underestimate it, when my enemies who've seen me use my powers, plan counter measures against me, they'll probably go with the thought that I need some type of bodily movement to get it done.

The icebeams are a type of long range attack: the beams are supersaturated with  cryonic energy. (No, I'm not making that up, it's the only way for me to somewhat accurately define what I'm experiencing with the words I have on hand.) When this cryonic beams move through the air, they sap out molecular motion, causing the air in immediate contact with the beams path to get immensely colder and hence solidify. I can use that to create sharp ice spears directly originating from my eyes, by amping it further. Or, I can cause the beams to freeze the target upon contact.

Like so: I stared at target #1, and focused the energy into my eyes and then out in straight lines. Intangible blue lines shot through the air, detailing the path of the beams as they impacted the target.

Fooossllchhk! Crystal blue ice rapidly formed over the target, starting from the point of impact.

I then moved my gaze over to target #2, this time I added a bit more boost to the beams. It produced a silent whip like sound.

Solid ice formed over the beams and then through the target. They were like thrown crystallized spears, rushing through target #2 and impaling it all the way, freezing some parts of it.

What would happen if I amped it up some more?

"Create a new target box, make this one metal" I spoke to the room. The green lights blinked and a seamlessly smooth solid metal box was conjured out of thin air. "Heh"I chuckled staring the the square box, there was an AcDc rock stamp on the side with the words 'metal!' Printed above it. I have this nagging feeling that the danger room isn't all that it seems. I couldn't go telling everyone that the room was weird and the only proof I had being my 'feelings'.

I refocused in the objective at hand. I glared at the box, I gathered the cold energy, radically amping it up higher than the two previous two, I shot out through my optic organs.

Vvvvpp!

The sound was audible and sharp, like a streamline humming bird rapidly cutting through air.

The blue freezing beams impacted the box, sending it tumbling all the way back. That was just the start. Ice spread across the whole surface area of the tumbling box.

Bang! Frozen chunks of steel exploded out with a fury, decorating the smooth floor with metal shrapnel, ice specks and cold fog.

That was damn awesome. I know I should get less surprised by these powers by now, but I just can't help being amazed or stunned.

I'm sure the underlying physics would probably make no sense, this universe's science is just that fantastical.

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After leaving the dangeroom, I went to the cafeteria to grab some lunch. Approaching my normal spot, I saw Hisako sitting alone on another table.

"Hey Hisako, what's up" I approached her setting my tray down across from hers.

She looked up from her food and nodded at me. "Oh, hi Drake" she then went back to her food.

"Is it just me or are you giving me the cold shoulder these days, maybe I'm just imagining it, but you seem to be almost avoiding me"

"What? No, I'm…I'm just busy"

"Really? With what?"

"Stuff" she replied.

"Are you sure? If it's me, you should let me know and I'll apologize. You're one of the very few great friends I have, I care about you" Wait a damn minute, did I just shounen? Did I really just say that?

"Did you just say that?" her eyes shot open.

"I hav--"

"Do you mean it?" she asked.

"Yeah I --"

"Calm down cassanova, I'm messing with you. But it's nice to know, that I've got a caring friend like you. You know what?"

"What?"

"I'm not going to give up! Yeah, it's not like I lost right? Right. It's still fair play, she hasn't even…." she muttered the rest of her words.

"What are you even talking about?"

She just smiled at my question. "Thanks for cheering me up. I needed that"

"I didn't do a thing tho?"

"Oh, you did more than you know" her whole disposition changed to one of confidence and assurance.

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In the undisturbed snow white landscape, multiple black dots appeared over the horizon akin to blotches of blank ink on a black canvas. The fleet of helicopters, gradually neared their destination. Kicking up gales of snow as they landed.

People alighted from the marked vehicles, unloading various devices, instruments and equipments.

Me? I was the snow around them, literally. I came here before anyone else, there was an indescribable urge driving me insane, telling me I had to go through this, pushing me to step away from the watching eyes. As soon as I reached a spot without surveillance, I melted. I literally assimilated into the landscape itself. It felt like returning to a long lost home. It was so cozy, I almost didn't want to leave. I became the icy tundra. I became the condensing clouds..

I was every speck of snow in the air, I was the specks stuck on the jackets of the workers. I was the ice cave a polar bear currently slept in.

I was the icy cold waters, penguins dived into, the deep blue where streamlined fishes swam in. I was the snowball a child threw at his friend.

I was everywhere. I lost myself. And then I gained myself. I was everywhere. I have trouble defining it.

I was experiencing things a human mind shouldn't. That wouldn't be a first, I did die once after all.

But this, this was very, very different.

I didn't have flesh. The cold was my being. The ice was my composition, the snow was my tissue and the waters, my blood.

I know it sounds trippy, that's because it is. I don't know what to do, I don't know how to go back to being normal after seeing, no, being all this.

I didn't want to be stuck in this. I pulled, the arctic winds roared. I pulled my drifting disembodied being from the snow, ice tornadoes formed on that other side of the planet, I pulled with everything I had. An uncharted island somewhere was swallowed by the great waters.

Ice crystals gathered and clumped together, slowly piece by piece a shape began to take form.

"Haaa!" I took a deep breath into my reforming lungs. My n.a.k.e.d form shivered in the snow, I was shaking, not from the cold, but fear. I was utterly scared of what just happened. I was shocked. I don't know how else to react to this.

Clones made of snow brought my discarded clothes and gear.

I had to calm down. 'Panic over lo-- no, logic over panic. Logic over panic!'

One step at a time. First, do what you came here for, the reporters and the scientists are waiting. Then panic after. I didn't know when, but I instinctively lit a cigar and stuck it into my mouth. The stick froze crystal solid.

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A figure expertly surfered atop snow ramps gradually approaching the through  the designated location where the people were gathered at. Dr Mccoy, his fellow scientists and the various newscasters perked up at the figure's arrival. The reporters had their cameras pointed and ready, set to capture every single detail in picture perfect quality. The scientists had their various instruments and delicate devices up and running, not intending to miss a single measurement.

"....welcoming you all to a live broadcast of historic event about to unfold, as the sixteen year old Robert Drake, otherwise known as the Iceman, attempts to create the greatest environmental impact against global warming by increasing the now vividly depleted ice expanse on the earth's polar regions. We have a plethora of scientists with us, to give solid evidence if the mutant can truly achieve what he has set out to."

"From channel 6, Melissa Martin reporting live; the leading environmentalists all over the globe are gathered here today to witness a monumental effort to refreeze the polar ice caps and the arctic biomes by the mutant called the Iceman. In hopes of finally combating global warming and the environmental issues surrounding the planet…."

The teen for once had his jacket zipped up, he waved to the reporters and scientists now focused on him, their cameras and instruments prepared for all to come.

The teen stood on a pillar of ice, his gaze roaming over the vast icy tundra. He steadily raised his hands, his eyes closed as if to concentrate. At first there was nothing but silence and the howling of the cold winds.

Then came the rumblings, starting small at first, only noticed by the special instruments and their precise readings.

The rumbles deepened, the ground shivered and quaked, like the angry stampeped of a mammoth herd was upon it, the accompanying winds howled to the voice of thunder. The ice beneath them shook at its very foundations.

And before their eyes they witnessed something nothing short of a miracle. Icy landmasses began to form out of thin air. It seemed similar to a grand opus illusion, as crystal foundations and masses appeared over what once was blue waters, they rose

up from the deepest reaches of the cold seas. Icebergs reformed over the white cliff faces. Snow ferociously rained down, as if to respond to the call of the teenage mutant. The waters raged thunderously as its space was taken by another. The boy made a gesture and the very waters themselves calmed. The mighty waves stilled, the thunder was silenced — an icy calm spread over the atmosphere.

The crystal ground they stood on was being syeadily elevated the devices clearly confirmed such—as the once depleted icy foundations were being replenished. And not just on this location, but places all over the earth. The cameras situated in those locations brought live footage, next to the very visible proof and the readings of the instruments.

People who stared at the scenes displayed on their TV screens rejoiced, those who knew what this truly meant. The depletion of the ice caps was something that was supposed to be irreversible, the facts backing it up were solid and sound. The earth was on a course of environmental disaster that would slowly eat away at it, it's impact would be far reaching as delicate ecosystems would be disrupted and the resulting effects would lead to catastrophic results. Mass extinctions of floura and fauna, depletions of the protective ozone layers, increases in global warming…the adverse effects went on and on. But now, before them, was a miracle. A way to reverse all those effects by first starting with the ice caps. It would result in an advantageous cascading effect. A ripple spreading out, that would cause amazing changes to the world at large.

All at the hands of a mutant. A shift began to take change, the thoughts of some normal people took on a more positive outlook, maybe they weren't the monsters bent on destroying humans as they were painted out to be. Maybe they weren't all terrorists trying to destroy all life on the planet. Maybe they weren't disasters waiting to happen, or even a set of individuals who thought that they were the master race. Maybe, they were just as human as anyone else.

Others took on a more bleak outlook, fearing for the amount of power held in the hands of such a young person. Fearing for the day it would turn against them. Others, not accepting of the abominations called mutants, devils and beings of the unclean who did things things only God should be allowed to.

For this moment they all had one thing in common. They knew that change was coming. Whether good or bad, only time would tell.

For now they focused on the boy.

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Surprise world! Didn't see the chapter coming did ya! Boom right at ya! Ok, enough rain.

People you know the drill. Hit that favorite tab, smash that follow button. Raise the story like it's a diamond egg.

Let us get it to the top!!! Whooo! I need to calm down.

Big shoutout to moi patrons, SKULLY, BIGTOFU, JEP148 and KEVIN J ROSARIO. Thank you all very very much!

Rain away!