Within the Arctic Circle, there was a desolate island that appeared on no map, not even in satellite imagery.
The sky here hung low, so low it seemed you could reach up and brush the ribbons of green aurora overhead.
The faint green light, accompanied by countless stars, kept the ice field—which had not seen the sun in ages—from sinking completely into eternal darkness this time of year.
Crack, crack, crack. Crack, crack, crack.
The crisp snapping sounds grew more frequent across the permafrost ice sheet. With a deafening roar, a gigantic hemispherical structure burst open the silent ice field, looking like a huge black-shelled turtle crouching on the ground.
Snow sifted down as a massive metal door trembled and slowly swung open.
Bucky Barnes emerged alone from the Wolf Tower's only entrance. Wearing nothing but a thin shirt, he stood silently on the snowfield with his arms folded, as if waiting for someone.
After a while,
a soft hum trembled through the air, and a black-and-red glowing rift suddenly split open. The White Queen stepped gracefully through, arm in arm with James Howlett.
"Professor, Emma."
Bucky bowed slightly to James, then continued with a grin:
"You really didn't have to come all this way. I could've sent a squad of guards to escort them to the Wolf Nest."
"Heh. It gave me an excuse to see you, too. Steve complained to me that even though you take plenty of girls out during your annual leave, you've never seriously pursued any of them. What's the matter? Do you really want to guard the Wolf Tower forever?"
James gave Bucky's overly broad chest a casual thump. The energy of his student seemed to be growing attuned to the vast, frozen landscape. He had made more progress than expected.
The man feared