Ice Princess

23

Melinoe asked Rocket questions about the food they were eating. It didn't taste bad, it was just unusual textures and colors. Bucky grumbled about it. He grumbled about a lot of things. At the end of the meal, Rocket went to go wash their cooking items in the stream. Melinoe tried to make conversation, but Bucky was cold to her. Instead, she wrapped herself up and leaned against the spelling listening to the strange beat of its multiple hearts. She did say good night to Rocket when he came back. In her dreams that night, she was arguing with herself. What Melinoe that was the normal her and what her appearance was now. The following day, went the same. Coldness from Bucky and nightmares in the evening. She was so relieved when they finally made it to the quarry.

Quarry was a loose term. It was more of a dome with levels that went up. The walls were smooth so climbing would be out of the question unless someone tied a rope off above. But this was an abandoned quarry. They didn't have any transportation what would raise them up to even the first level. Rocket said due to the various mineral deposits left, they would have interfered with the engines anyway.

"Great, how are we going to get up there?" Bucky complained.

"Wait a second, she's thinking." Rocket told him.

"How far can you throw something that's about a hundred pounds?" She asked Bucky.

"Probably up to the third level, but it's not going to do any good. We don't know if anything will be able to get a hold up there." He said back.

"Yes, we do." She said getting a length of rope and tying it around her waist.

"No, no. Absolutely not." He told her.

"Oh, we are so doing this." Rocket told him.

"Just give me a boost as hard as you can, I can stick the landing." She told him. "You don't have to like this, but there is no other way." She saw his reluctance. "What's the worse that can happen? You'll be rid of me. Bruce wouldn't have to do this project which he doesn't want to do to begin with."

"Or you could get up there, not find anything to tie the rope off with and be stranded." He told her.

"It's her choice." Rocket told him. "You don't have to like it, but we are kind of out of options here."

"Great." Bucky told her, she was already taking off everything that wasn't necessary and leaving it on her mount.

"Good," she looked at where she could enter considering the angles. "Ok, make a foot hold. When I plant my foot, give it all you got."

"This isn't going to work." He told her.

"Just tell me when you're ready." She backed up a hundred meters. When he nodded, she ran towards him, planted her foot between his hands and he hoisted her up. Reeling her arms and legs through the air, he over shot it by a level, but she did land safely. Peeking over the edge, "See? Told you it would work. Give me a minute to find something to tie the rope off to."

"You said a hundred pounds, you weigh less than that." He told her. Bucky couldn't believe she was ballsy enough to try it and be successful.

Melinoe lit the flare she had in her belt. She found a piece of old machinery. It looked like it would support more than their weight, even combined. She tied it off and waited for them to come up.

"Ok, you're good to go." She yelled down to them. Rocket was up first and handed her some of the instruments she would need for finding the mineral. Bucky was up next.

"These tunnels aren't exactly your size." Melinoe said. "Sorry about that." Bucky would have to hunch down the entire time.

"Let's get what you need and get out of here." He told her.

As they walked, Melinoe marked the direction they were going on the walls and kept an eye on the meter of the instruments she was carrying. Two hours later, they found the vein they were looking for. Taking out the tools, Rocket helped her extract what they needed. They placed the chunk they extracted into a container that would keep it stable and dry. They made their way back out. Going down was much easier than going up. Rocket and Melinoe talked about the project and how it would work. Rocket had questions, which she answered. Bucky was silent. Not that it bothered her, it just didn't feel right. Occasionally, she would ask him a question and was either ignored or answered with a grunt. On their last day of traveling, she just gave up. They returned the spelligs but Rocket said he needed to get some supplies before they left. He handed her some credits to shop with.

"Here, you deserve it. Just don't bring any food along, ok. We don't need something growing on earth that shouldn't." Rocket told them.

"Thanks, Rocket, I appreciate it." She looked at several vendors. Bucky was at a respectful distance, following but not crowding. Melinoe felt it was ridiculous, he could stand beside her and they could shop together. Even though they weren't getting along, they weren't leaving any time soon. She found a pretty bracelet for herself and Love, placing it in her pocket. As she started to move to the next vendor. Two large men crossed spears in front of her. Thinking nothing of it, she turned and two other men did the same thing.

"Highness, your father wishes your presence immediately." One of them said.

"Highness? Father? I think you have the wrong woman." She tried to slip past them, but they barred her way, she had a confused look on her face.

"Let her go." Bucky told them.

"Stay out of this Terran." The leader says. "Highness we must be off. Zeus expects us to...."

"Zeus?"

"Yes, King Hades has asked for the assistance of Lord Zeus in bringing you home." He continued.

"What's going on here?" Rocket asked.

"I think they think I am THE Melinoe." They continued to herd her towards another ship.

"Yes, Princess Melinoe. Daughter of Hades and Perspephone rulers of the underworld. Goddess of ghosts and nightmares." This time he bowed before her.

"Don't go with them." Bucky told her, now he looked worried. The spears could shock people and he had already been shocked twice. She knew Rocket was too small to take that shock.

"Look, stop hurting my friends." She told them.

"Yes, highness."

"Would there be any harm in them coming with us?" She asked.

"No, however they will have to follow in their own ship. It would not be proper for you to be unescorted with them." He told her and hurried her off to a golden colored ship.

"Just follow, I'm sure we can work this out and it doesn't have to come to blows. I need more information first." She told them over her shoulder.