Marvel: Vulkanicus

Chapter 6

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Tony's senses returned like bad reception on a busted TV.

Static behind his eyes. Pressure in his chest. A vague scent of ash and molten metal that clung to the back of his throat.

He blinked.

Then again. Slower this time.

Warm, orange light flickered across his HUD — hazy, dancing. Shapes loomed above him. For a second, he thought he'd woken up inside one of those old-school lava lamps.

> "You are awake, sir," came the familiar voice, soft and crisp in his ears. "Try not to panic. You suffered a significant impact and lost consciousness for approximately twelve hours and forty-three minutes."

"…Jarvis?" Tony rasped, voice hoarse.

> "Yes. You are currently inside a subterranean chamber of volcanic origin. Oxygen is stable. External temperatures are hostile, but localized shielding has kept your body within safe tolerances."

Tony groaned and sat up slowly. Plates of the suit shifted and hissed as he moved. His bones ached. His head felt like it had been used as an anvil. But he was alive.

That was something.

He looked around — and froze.

A towering stone figure stood a few feet from him, caught mid-snarl. It looked almost alive, frozen in the act of charging, its sword raised high and jagged. Bulging muscles, gnarled armor, and a face twisted with fury.

It took a second longer than it should have for Tony to realize it was just a statue.

"Jesus…" he muttered, instinctively reaching up to power his repulsors. "Almost took a swing at the local art."

> "The structure you're observing is a stone replica. There is no immediate danger."

Tony stood, boots clicking against the black stone beneath him. He squinted upward.

The thing was massive. Maybe three times his height. The detail was insane — every scar, every dent in the armor, every wrinkle in the creature's snarling face was captured like a moment frozen in time.

"Okay," he said under his breath, "that's… a little terrifying. And impressive. Mostly terrifying."

> "There are more," Jarvis added, helpfully.

He turned — and nearly lost his breath.

Statues lined the chamber walls, each one unique. Warriors, monsters, titans locked in frozen battle. There were depictions of brutal duels, quiet moments of reverence, even a few showing what looked like ordinary people — or maybe soldiers — standing beside larger, godlike figures.

And the craftsmanship…

It was unreal.

Like someone had poured centuries of obsession into each one. Nothing was rushed. These weren't decorative. They were tributes. Memories carved into stone. Legacy and loss etched in every line.

"Whoever made these," Tony whispered, stepping closer, "wasn't just a sculptor. They *knew* these people."

> "Correction: he did not sculpt them. Scans indicate that the figures were shaped by intense, localized volcanic manipulation — heat and pressure acting as a sculpting medium, likely under direct psychic control."

Tony raised an eyebrow.

"…He forged statues out of *lava*?"

> "Essentially, yes."

His mouth went dry.

He kept walking.

Deeper into the chamber, the statues changed. Became… grander. Not just warriors now. Icons. Legends.

There were nine of them in a circle — each standing tall, their armor vastly different in design and expression. Some wore serene visages. Others wore scowls and menace. But all of them radiated something Tony couldn't name.

He turned slowly, taking in each one with widening eyes.

And then, at the center of the chamber, directly under the shaft of light that poured from the volcano's peak, stood the final statue.

Taller than the rest.

Majestic.

Almost divine.

A man — no, a *king* — draped in flowing armor with an eagle-winged helm, one hand resting on a sword buried in the ground, the other raised as if to command the stars themselves.

The presence it exuded…

Tony stared for a long while.

"…He's beautiful," he murmured. "In a 'will probably fry you with a look if you disappoint him' kind of way."

> "Analysis suggests this is a representation of a central figure — possibly a ruler or deity — among the others."

Tony smiled faintly. "Jarvis, remind me to build a hall like this one day. Y'know, when I'm not crashing into volcanoes."

> "I'll add it to the queue, sir. Shall I label it 'egomaniacal shrine' or 'slightly ominous pantheon museum'?"

"Dealer's choice."

But the moment didn't last.

Behind him, something shifted.

The air grew heavier. Warmer.

Tony turned, heart thumping.

A massive figure stood at the chamber's entrance, framed by the soft red glow behind him.

Blackened skin like cooled obsidian. Eyes burning softly like coals. Shoulders broader than any man Tony had ever seen. And yet — he moved with a quiet, deliberate grace. No hostility.

Just… presence.

The same figure from his memories. The one who saved him from the heat.

Tony instinctively brought up his gauntlet, repulsor whining to life.

"Okay, big guy — I don't know who you are, but thanks for the rescue. Now, unless this is a weird way of saying 'welcome,' I'm gonna need you to not look at me like you're deciding where to mount my skull."

The figure said nothing.

Didn't move.

Just… stared.

Tony's finger twitched on the repulsor control.

"…Seriously. You're kind of killing the vibe here."

Still nothing.

Then, a deep, slow step forward.

The sheer *weight* of it echoed across the chamber like a drum.

Tony's stance tightened. He flicked his wrist slightly. Ready to fire.

But just as he was about to let it loose—

> "Sir," Jarvis interrupted quickly. "I strongly advise against it."

Tony froze. "Why?"

> "Based on thermal scans and energy readings, any hostile action would be unwise. Very unwise."

"…You're telling me I can't even singe him?"

> "I'm telling you that if you fire, we may not *survive* the response."

Tony hesitated.

The figure still hadn't moved past that one step. Still just watching.

He slowly lowered his arm, tension thick in his spine.

"…Okay. No zapping the lava giant. Got it."

> "Much appreciated, sir."

The man — or whatever he was — finally blinked. Then turned, slowly, and began walking back the way he came. The chamber grew dimmer as his silhouette vanished down the corridor.

Tony exhaled.

Hard.

"…Jarvis?"

> "Yes, sir?"

"…What the hell did we just get pulled into?"

> "Something ancient. And possibly, sir… something extraordinary."

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