Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

Icy Winds of Change(Dr. Freon and Gunner)

Jenny did like how things seemed to grow more quiet the closer she got to the station. Not much longer and she could take her heels off, put on pajamas, sip wine and stare at her phone like a damn fool. Or watch Netflix, whatever. Jenny was pondering what she would do with her limited evening when something caught her eye. Not far ahead a little blue ball rolled ominously slow out of an alley. Her feet skittered to a halt. She had seen her fair share of horror movies and this was definitely chalking up to one. Like IT or something. The fine hair on her arms stood up and tingles zinged through her body. Her heart quickened in pace. Even more so at the wet slapping echoing off the surrounding brick. Her breath caught in her throat. While her brain screamed for her to run she couldn't seem to get her legs to work. Closer and close the wet slapping drew. A shadow loomed again the brick.

She screamed as the head poked out, raising her arms in defense. Though the scream was more of a shout of surprise and it dwindled down to an 'ahhh' of question. "A...a penguin...Oh thank God." It felt like her guts fell out of her butt. Blood rushed through her iin relief. Just a penguin. "Wait..." She looked back up as the penguin waddled its painfully adorable, squat, little body to the ball and stooped down to pick it up with shining flippers. So cute and so confusing. "What the hell is..." she stared but the penguin turned its beady, yet somehow still adorable, little eyes at her. The little shout it made forced her head back in jerking shock. Then it just left. Given that she lived in a world of men and women with super powers that was the strangest damn thing she had ever seen in her life.

Of course she had to follow. "Hey wait..." She said and kicked up her feet to follow the penguin. Awfully foolish and clearly forgetting the number one rule of a horror movie: just walk the fuck away. Run if you can. No, she followed instead. "Hey little guy maybe we should call the zoo..." Strange though, she hadn't heard about escaped penguins. How the heck would penguins escape a zoo. She hesitated and laughed at a passing thought. "You wouldn't happen to live in a toilet and want to deliver a message right?" She laughed again though it was still a painful remind she hadn't contacted Nick. Maybe this was some odd way of him trying to reconnect? "Ok come on back now," she said as she followed the penguin, completely and dangerously oblivious of anything else around.
 
The penguin scurried back to his group, and once he was out of the way, the others hurled the net over Jenny., then hopped out of the van to surround her. They began securing the net to make sure she was securely bagged and carried her back to the vehicle. A pair of them closed the vehicle doors with a loud, metal "Thud!", signaling the truck's ignition.

After a bumpy drive to the docks, Emperor killed the engine and stepped out of the vehicle, walking up the ramp to board his ship. Behind him, the gang of penguins collectively hoisted their netted captive and carried her on board as well like a bunch of concert goers lifting up a crowd-surfer. Once they were all on board and the ramp was lifted, Jenny was unsheathed from the net, a grinning Emperor Penguin staring down to greet her.

"Oh," he cooed, heartstruck, "you're even more lovely in person. Anyway, hello. I'm the world's first," he explained as he held up an index finger to demonstrate the number, "ice-themed superhero. You may call me Emperor Penguin." His tone became sadder, more sympathetic. "I'm sorry that that silly imitator had you fooled, but I can't really blame you- the rest of the world seems more comfortable ignoring my exploits, no doubt jealous that unlike the goofballs in this city, I have a whole continent under my protection. I thought you might prefer to see what the real King of the Antarctic looks like, and rescue you away from the horrible influence of the tasteless guardians of this claustrophobic city. You should feel honored, my darling, for I've selected you to be my Empress Penguin!" He helpfully removed a piece of the net from her shoulder.
 
“Hey come on, come back,” she called out to the penguin. It all happened so fast. A dark abyss in the ally. Something flew at her. Jenny screamed, again, though it was more a shriek of surprise and terror. The net hit and wound around her body. It reeked is fish. She wriggled against the bonds but the more she struggled the harder it seemed to hold. Surrounded by...more penguins? “What the...” her words cut off as she was hefted up by the group and heaved into a creepy van. Most vans were creepy. The doors slammed shut and they were off. “Stop this! Let me go!” Struggling was useless but she couldn’t help but try. Her heart hammered hard against her breast, breath heaving from effort. Terrified and completely confused. Since when did penguins kidnap people? This was Madagascar!

After a trip that took eternity they came to a stop. The group hoisted her up and waddled off woth her. She struggled to look around. A wharf with a ship...made of ice? She could see flashes of a blue leotard but it was hard to turn her head to get a better look. Right up onto the ship and she was gently release from the net. She scrambled to sit up but stopped when a man dress in a blue and white leotard leaned over her. Her red brows quirked in confusion. More lovely in person. Stalker much? The befuddlement and confusion only grew. First ice hero who lived in the Antarctic. Well that explained the penguins. He went on with his monologue, Nick never monologues as far as she knew. Her eyebrows narrowed. This dude thought he was a hero? Hero’s didn’t kidnap people with a group on penguins. Thought her heart stoped and migrated to her throat. Empress Penguin? Boy that had no ring to it. She flinched as he leaned down but just to move a bit of net still over her bared shoulder.

“Oookay...” she said as she slowly got to her feet. “I’m really flattered and all but...no thank you. I mean...not sure if you seen any movies but kidnapping isn’t exactly the way to a girl’s heart. And I don’t think heroes are supposed to kidnap people.” Luckily her bag had made it in the journey to the old docks. She unzipped it as she moved away from the strange ‘hero’ and grabbed her phone. “If you don’t drop the...plank...thing I’m calling one of those tasteless goofballs.” She only hoped they would answer if he didn’t believe her threat. Nick would probably answer. Grate way to rekindle. “So let me off this ice boat and we can just...go about outlet way or you can go to supers prison. Your choice.” It sounded good assuming she could get ahold of someone.
 
The lower eyelid of Emperor's right eye began to twitch. "I'm not going to do that. The only one dropping anything is you. Give me the phone..." In case she still didn't take him seriously, he extended a hand to her purse. On the floor beneath the bag, a pillar of ice shot up, piercing it at the bottom, skewering it in place. "I can admire you up close, or from inside a giant jewel of ice. Your choice, my dear. Now please, the phone..." He pointed to one of the penguins, who waddled over and held out a flipper for her cellphone.

"You're right though, this boat isn't a very glamorous place for your transition into my Empress. Vincesno, start the engine, take 'er a mile or so out into the open ocean. The rest of you, take her below deck and get her dressed in her new outfit. The sooner we're away from the docks, the sooner I can get to work on my majestic wedding gift for my lovely bride, where she can begin her conditioning to withstand our Antarctic kingdom." A few penguins tugged at her legs to lead her below deck to get changed. As the boat moved away from land, Emperor Penguin held his hands out again. Moments later, they were sailing toward an iceberg. But had it always been there, or was its growth due to a more unnatural reason than their approaching it.

As Emperor flicked his wrists, looking almost like a conductor ordering a symphony, the iceberg began to shift and move, growing branches and towers until at last it looked more like a crystal palace from a fantasy illustration than a hunk of ice. As a finishing touch, Emperor pointed to the summer sun and twirled his fingers. Gusts of wind blew over him, and a massive, light gray cloud formed between the sun and the icy island, offering it shady and a steady snowfall to keep it out of the summer heat. "Here we are, Vincesno, home sweet home...."

Some hours later, well after nightfall, Emperor climbed a flight of stairs to a tall tower of the ice castle. The stairs ended at a room of ice with a slanted ceiling. The furniture within- a covered bed, an easy chair, a vanity- were all crude formations of snow, save for some amenities, such as a polar bear skin rug and a blue comforter draped over the bed. The window on the opposite side of the room was barred like that in a jail cell (though with bars of ice instead of metal, obviously). This is where Emperor had instructed the penguins to leave Jenny to rest for a few hours after her ordeal today. He peered in to check up on her.

"Good evening, my love," he greeted. He set a plate of literally frozen shrimp on a snowy nightstand. "I thought you might be hungry. Tell me, how are you feeling? Do you like your new room?"
 
Jenny clutched the phone tightly in her hand. Well fine she would call. Just as she was reaching to unlock it the spike of ice drove through her bag. "Hey!" Of course it ripped and its contents scattered on the deck. His threat was well understood. Would he really do it? She wondered if she would even survive being frozen in a block of ice. Her eyes drifted to the penguin holding out a flipper for the phone. With a low sigh she slowly handed her phone over. As she did she hit the side button in rapid succession. A feature released a couple of years prior, it would call emergency services. It was something at least but they certainly wouldn't get there in time. If they even got the call. Her phone was taken away as penguin man started talking again. A chilly, sick feeling filled her stomach. What was this guy's deal? She didn't even know him! Clearly he had been isolated for way too long and it had unhinged him. Wedding gift? Bride?

"You could at least propose properly," she said snidely as the penguins started ushering her away. "Quit pushing," she snapped and walked on her own below decks. She kept looking around, trying to find some way out even if she had to jump into the harbor. Though they hadn't gotten far when the boat lurched and they were away. Despite her snide and snappy attitudes she was growing scared. How would she get out of this? Who knew where the nutcase was taking her or what exactly he might to do her. All the talk of bride and Empress made her feel nauseas. The penguins ushered her into one cabin and shut the door. Hanging up at the opposite end was, arguably, and exquisite gown. It looked as though it were made of crystal, glinting and sparkling in the light. Beside it a pair of white shoes, cur lined of course, and long stockings. Her eyes narrowed at the outfit. "I'm no wearing that," she huffed. A sudden slam into her legs nearly knocked her down, and angry honking screech came from behind. "Alright, alright...shit...rude penguin."

Undressing and dressing on the icy boat was a miserable affair. Her feet suffered especially, standing bare on the frozen deck. Jenny was wracked in shivered as she wriggled herself into the gown. It was especially creepy how well it fit. A little tight for her taste but the fabric was out of this world. If she wasn't so angry and disgusted by the ordeal she might have liked the dress. Around her shoulders were draped with warm fur even if the neckline plunged uncomfortably, her sternum exposed to the cold. It had long, translucent sleeves with what looked like rhinestones or something but might be ice crystals. The dress hugged her body tightly from chest to hips but splayed out from there. Not to far, far enough to let her walk comfortably especially with the split at her knees creating a half foot train behind her. Soft white legging crawled up her calves, the tops sitting just over her knees and were, again, studded with glittering crystals in the shape of snowflakes. The shoes were more like boots with only a small heel, which she was thankful for at least. The boots were warm and helped defrost her frigid toes.

It wasn't too long of a trip and eventually the penguins ushered her back topside. Her steps faltered when she was the massive ice palace. While beautiful it looked miserable and foreboding. "Wow...ok Elsa..." she said under her breath as she was ushered forward by the jailor penguins again. Up and up to the tallest tower. Of course it was the tallest tower. Dude really needed to get himself something besides fairy tales. Right into a room where she was left alone and locked in. Jenny huffed a sigh as she looked around. Every surface was made of snow. Super comfy. At least there was a blue comforter and the white rug, the only things not made of snow. Jenny snatched the comforter off the bed and wrapped it around herself. Much better. Acclimate to the arctic her chilly butt. She went to the window and examined the bars. Just ice, maybe she could work them to melt and climb down. Though she pressed her face against them to look down. Just a sheer drop. Way further than the top of CHKD. "Great..."

Hours passed. Jenny had alternated between pacing and sitting on the bed. She had moved the fur rug to the bed so she wasn't sitting on the snowy surface. Fear gnawed at her guts, anger too. She wanted to cry but fought the urge. Penguin man might be driven to follow fairy tales but she wasn't about to sit around and cry like some forlorn princess. How to get out though. She was pacing again, clutching the comforter around her when the door swung open. Her feet slid to a halt as she looked up to see the lunatic appear with a plate of frozen shrimp. An eyebrow raised at the plate but she cringed at his greeting. His love. Gross.

"Famished but not enough to eat frozen seafood," she said with a roll of her eyes. "And I'm not that well to be honest. Being kidnapped, forced into a dress, and tossed into a freezing cold room with no where to sit by some looney toon doesn't make me a particularly happy girl." Her ire was clear even if her voice waved with her nerves. She wasn't entirely sure what he was capable of just yet. How far could or would he stoop? "Why me, huh? I don't even know you. We've never met before so why me?" Of course her face had been all over the news and social media not long ago. A weird way to pick out someone to kidnap. "You won't win you know. People will realize I'm missing." Of course how the hell would they figure out she was in the middle of the ocean in some crazy ice palace with captain crazy?
 
"'Looney toon?'" His face scrunched with rage as he answered her question as to why he'd picked her. "Because you were with... him! That villainous knockoff who stole my power and my place among the ranks of the world's greatest defenders! Don't think I didn't see the news reports! I saw you cling to him for dear life. I saw you celebrate his arrival at that hospital. I saw you holding his hand!" His angry demeanor softened. Perhaps she was right. Maybe he was being selfish. Maybe the decade of isolation from other human contact had left him out of touch and alien to sympathizing with the wants and needs of others.

No, he reasoned, it couldn't be him who was out of line. He was a hero! He'd saved countless penguins from seals, eggs from gulls, even contained an oil spill once. He deserved this. He deserved more than this, but he would gladly settle on one beautiful bride to cheer him on in his future endeavors as king of the South Pole.

"Don't you see? He's got all of you brainwashed. You and the rest of the costumed adventurers in this city. I wish there was a way I could rescue everyone, but I'll settle for just you. And soon, you'll come around and thank me for your wondrous new life. Tell you what... This room is at about thirty degrees Fahrenheit now. We'll see how you feel in the morning. Maybe that hot temper of yours will be cooled down after a night to think it over. Until then- Monica!"

Another penguin waddled in. "This is Monica, your handmaiden. She will tend to your needs." the penguin bowed its head. "But I warn you, she's also one of my top guards, so any funny business, and..." Monica turned to a "vase" of ice sitting on the snow "vanity". She lunged forward, her beak crushing it, shattering it into a hundred shards of frozen glass. "Sleep tight, my queen. I'll be back tomorrow..." He slammed the door shut, leaving Jenny alone with her new friend (who was currently helping herself to the plate of shrimp.)

The morning sun cut through a window peering into the Emperor's chamber- rather, what little light from it could squeeze through the wintry, artificial cloud outside. The light brushed Emperor's eyes, and he opened them hazily. He strolled into the kitchen of his floating mansion, and from a cabinet pulled out a jug of iced coffee, pouring some into two ceramic mugs. He sipped a bit from one and put the other in a very out-of-place microwave mounted to one of the walls. After the one-minute-and-fifteen-second timer reached zero, he pulled the now steaming beverage out and took it up to Jenny's bedroom. "Good morning, Miss Jenny..." he greeted. "And how are you feeling this morning?"
 
Jenny’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Easy enough to understand who ‘him’ was. So captain crazy was jealous that she had been near Nick? He couldn’t know about the dinner so he was simply angry with the events at the hospital. Cling to him, holding his hand. Ok the hand holding was a bit much but the clinging...not much option when suspect a story and a half in the air. The reason question was if this had more to do with her or Nick. While he was clearly fixated on her as some kind of prize he talked about Nick a lot. He wasn’t angry about Wreckluse being the one to grab her and trap her.

Her questions were answered as he prattled on. Rescue the brainwashed masses. Settle for rescuing her. So she ended up his target by proximity to Nick. Super. Her eyes narrowed at his co disenchanted she would come around to his mindset. That she would get used to the frigid temperatures. The comforter was doing well enough to keep her warm, at least there was no breeze but thirty degrees was far too cold. Cool her hot temper. Being locked in a frozen room was only going to make her madder! She had to find a way to escape. But then what? Swim home? She didn’t even know which direction to go.

Hopes of even attempting to escape were thwarted as he shouted out a name. Waddling came, of course, another penguin. Monica. Her destructive demonstration didn’t scare Jenny. It wasn’t like she was a vase made of ice. Though that beak would probably still hurt. The only response emperor looney got was an angry scowl. With a dramatic slam she was alone with Monica the penguin who was helping herself to frozen shrimp. “Have at it girl...” Jenny said with a wry sigh. She paced a little, pausing at the barred window. “Long way down isn’t it Monica? Probably hurt,” she said with a snort. What the hell was she going to do. There really was no way out. Jenny wandered back to the bed and sat on the rug. There was no way she could sleep in such a cold room. Probably die in her sleep.

Through the night she forced herself to stay awake. She paced around more because she kept nodding off if she sat. Exhausted and growing more scared she spent time staring out the window into the darkness. The moon’s pale light could’t penetrate the dark clouds. As morning came Jenny was an exhausted mess and couldn’t help a few woeful tears. “What am I gonna do Monica? Suppose you don’t really care huh? Cant even understand me.” The tears stung her eyes in the cold. Her hair collected ice crystals from the constant heating and melting of sweat, her lips pale. Even with the comforter she shivered though not near as bad as when in Nick’s warehouse.

Jenny was seated on the bed, curled up as much as she could be in the comforter but still shivering. She looked up at the door opened. It seemed crazy hour was back. Her eyes darted to the steaming mug but she pulled them away. Her eyes hard dark circles from not sleeping and her hair was a disheveled mess from hiding beneath the comforter. “Fine,” she snapped turning away from the wannabe hero. “Just a normal day, kidnapped and locked away with a penguin for company.” A long, restless night and no food since lunch the previous day had only stoked her ire. Plus her head ached from the crying.

-*-*-

All the while, back on shore, police and EMS had arrived at the docks. Of course they found no one. The signal had definitely come from that location but it was empty. Jenny’s number was tracked down and two police were sent to her apartment. They knocked politely at first but eventually broke down the door. Dark and empty. They scratched their heads. Maybe it had been a false alarm. Though the apartment wasn’t entirely empty. One occupant watched curiously, listening to the cops talk. How very odd. Yet they left. He stayed put, no need for alarm yet. Though Jenny never came home. Morning came and she didn’t show up for work. Coworkers appeared, seeing the door broken into, and called police. Two more cops arrived and explained the situation. Her cell had sent an emergency SOS but she hadn’t been at the location. Clearly not at her home either. The quiet, sole occupant rubbed his mandibles together. Now this was news. Before the police left he was gone.
 
He eyed her now slightly-frozen features. She was somewhat chilled, but not nearly at her breaking point. Still, he may as well demonstrate his benevolent side in order to establish the clear choice for her to make in case he had to up the stakes and really get her chilled. "Well," Emperor teased, "if you come join me for breakfast, I'll let you have this coffee." He moved the steaming mug a little closer to her, waving it about to let the smoke (much more prominent in this icy environment) move about in a tempting dance. "I know it's been a rough night, but you'll get used to the temperature in time." He pulled the mug back away from her. "Come on, dearest, join me downstairs..."

-*-*-

Another day, another marathon of old sitcoms. Nick was pretty set for now thanks to the haul he'd made before meeting Jenny, and even if he was going to run out of cash any time soon (he wasn't), he didn't want to steal anymore. as odd as it sounded, he knew Jenny would be watching, and he would be so embarrassed, maybe even ashamed, if she learned that he went right back to committing crimes. No, he wanted to make her proud, and had spent a lot of hours planning on positive things he could do, things he would be proud that she learned about, and maybe give him a call to congratulate him about. Needless to say, he had hoped to see her again, but not in the way that he was about to, clicking on another tab and seeing her picture in a news ticker.

"Jenny?! Oh no..."

Panic began to swell within him as he read the article- Not much was known, just that she had gone missing and had sent an SOS from her phone. There were only a few images to go by, but when he saw a video taken from afar of cops raiding her apartment, he decided to do some amateur sleuth work. He looked up a few apartment complexes in the area, using image search to find which building matched hers. It only took him about twenty minutes to find a winner.

He snuck around the parking lot stealthily, though it appeared all the cop cars were gone. His amnesty had ended at midnight on the day of his big adventure, she the police couldn't find him here, especially considering his connection to their missing person. He wasn't exactly sure what he was doing here in the first place, but if Jenny was in trouble, he knew he wanted to help. Maybe he could spot something the cops couldn't. In the back of his mind, he imagined it was Wreckluse, but he knew he'd have to back the claim up. He made his way to her broken down door, ducked under the police tape "X" blocking it off, and started looking around, careful not to touch anything...
 
Jenny’s face flared in raw ire and indignation. Have breakfast with him and receive something warm to drink. When did her life become some Grimm Brother’s fairy tale? He teased her with the hot coffee and it was a strong tease. She was chilled to the bone and exhausted. For a moment she looked away and clutched the comforter tighter. Maybe, for the time being, she should play nice. Just a little. Bode her time. Someone was bound to find her. At least that was her hope. “Fine...” she finally said with a small sigh. “Just stop with the dearest and love stuff...please.” It was downright creepy if she was honest. She was clearly not planning on relinquishing the comforter. The dress might be a bit warmer but the comforter helped a lot. Clearly not enough given that she was still wracked with occasional shivers.

*-*-*

The apartment was fairly sparse but very clean save for the door splinters and boot prints. A simple enough and small layout, perfect for a single woman. Random bits of art adorned the walls, mostly reprints of famous works like Starry Night and some prints from local less famous types. Most thinks were a shade of purple with some pink and blue for accent. A fairly feminine apartment but somewhat industrial and Nordic minimalism. The police had at least shut off her purple crock pot, the chicken still sitting in it for the dinner she hadn’t made it home for. Her bedroom was no different though she wasn’t keen to make her bed, the blankets thrown off haphazardly. On a desk sat an array of odd items: a crack hand mirror, a small Kirin statue with oddly glowing eyes, a very old journal with a blood red quill, and a frighteningly realistic kitten plush.

As Nick snooped a shadow cast across the balcony. Long and gangling. Wreckluse slid the balcony door open and stepped in. “Easy,” he said in his low, hissing voice. “I’m not here for you.” On his should rode a large black and grey spider. It looked as if a tarantula and a common garden spider had a baby and it grew triple in size. Her reached up and stroked the spider’s back affectionately. “I was alerted that something was wrong, police were here, Jenny never made it home.” His beady yellow eyes fell on Nick. “Guess you didn’t decide to keep her then,” he said with a wide grin, his fangs glistening in the night.

Just then a loud stomping could be heard, the heavy falling of stone. Igneous tromped I to the room, the flimsy tape breaking easily before him. His breath fell in heavy pants and he double over a moment to catch his breath. “Figures...girl has....no elevator,” he huffed put. “How she stays...skinny...”

Wreckluse cackled in amusement. “Exercise more old man.”

Igneous glared at Wreckluse as he stood up, chest still heaving. Only then did he notice Nick was there. “Oh...kid. Figured I’d see you,” he said with a wry grin. “Noticed ya haven’t knocked over more banks. Girl set ya straight?” He chuckled at his own wit. “Ahhh don’t worry, not here to get you. Wreckluse told me, saw the news reports. Strange ain’t it?” Of course no less strange than a man made of stone with a volcanic core. “She able to get ahold of you?”
 
"Very well," Emperor shrugged. "In time, you will grow to welcome my little pet names for you. But for now, what should I call you then?" He handed the mug to her and led her down the tower's stairs to a dining room with a lonng, elegant table made of (of course) ice. Monica followed suite, and pulled a chair out for Jenny to sit. "Though obviously there's not much room for a kitchen here, there's a small one on the ship," Emperor explained as a few more penguins brought trays of oven-blueberry muffins, a dish of butter, plate of sausage links, a bowl of scrambled eggs, and a pitcher of orange juice in and set them on the table. "I think you'll find that I've trained them well, and they'll make excellent servants to us both. Can we get you anything else my de-... Empress?"

*-*-*

Nick jumped back at the sight of Wreckluse, immediately on the defensive now. The spider-like humanoid tried to assure Nick that he wasn't here after him, but Nick was weary all the same. If he wasn't here for Nick, how did he know Nick wasn't the bad guy? What was he doing here in the first place. Nick's unease grew at the sight of Wreckluse's minion. Though he wasn't arachnophobic, the size of that bug was bound to make anyone nervous. As Wreckluse further explained, Nick felt even more skeptical. The bug man vaguely mentioned being 'alerted' about trouble, but didn't elaborate. That was sketchy. Even if he wasn't involved somehow, how did he find out? Was that hideous, giant spider spying on Jenny? Nick didn't like it. He knew better than to try to provoke Wreckluse here, but if he or that pitbull-sized bug came any closer, he'd make a popsicle out of them.

Nick spun around at the sound of something barreling up the steps, but sighed in relief when it turned out to be Igneous. He never thought he'd be relieved to see Igneous. He gave a breathy chuckle at him. "Yeah- I, uh, I guess she did. Wreckluse told you? But..." he looked back at Wreckluse, then returned his gaze to Igneous, "...you two are awfully chummy considering what he pulled the other week. I know this is pretty strange coming from me, but, are you sure we can trust him?"

Nick shook his head, "No, she hasn't called me since that night. I just saw the news and came over. I don't even know what I'm doing here. Looking for clues or something, I guess..." He looked over at the Kirin statue. "Any idea why that dragon dog thing's eyes are glowing? It's giving me the creeps."
 
"Well my name would be a good start," she quipped right after the mug of steaming goodness was tight in her hand. A shudder rushed through her at the feel of heat coursing through her hands and up her arms. She took a sip of the hot drink, uncaring if it burned her tongue. The warmth spread quickly through her as the hot coffee, however odd tasting, trickled to her stomach. Jenny heaved a small sigh of relief, the shivering momentarily ceasing. She followed the crazy man down the stairs to a dining room. Everything made of ice and snow of course. The table was beautifully elegant. If nothing else she could say he had decent taste and clearly a good imagination seeing as how he made everything. She looked to Monica was the penguin pulled out her chair. "Thank you," she said politely and sat down, glad to still have the comforter. Sitting on the ice chair wouldn't help with the chill she felt.

Breakfast was served. Jenny was a little shocked to find a hot meal presented for them. "Uh...no this is fine..." she said quietly. Her stomach gave a loud squeal as the sweet and savory scent wafted towards her. Jenny didn't wait to help herself wanting to eat before the food got too cold. "So can you like...understand them? Like Wreckluse can understand his spider?" She asked with raised eyebrows and a cheek full of egg. "Though servant is a little...domineering isn't it? Do you at least pay them? I guess in...what? Fish? Otherwise it's kind of like enslavement."

*-*-*-*

Wreckluse put two hands on his hips and another laid across his chest, the last hand still affectionately stroking the large spider, in mock offense. "Trust me? I am the only one keeping watch on her," he said with wide, wounded eyes. "Unlike some who needs a...push." His mock offense melted away to a sinister and amused grin as he eyed the other two. Nick needed the news to tell him something was amiss with the girl he was very clearly attracted to. He even admitted to not speaking with her since that day. Igneous needed to be told, buried in his own little world of fine bourbon and cigars.

"Can it creepy crawler," Igneous grumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck. Even he didn't really get Wreckluse's insane behavior at times. Still he had been the one to alert him about Jenny's disappearance. Igenous lumbered to where Nick was looking and picked up the Kirin statue. "Red Dragon....the hero...probably listening for some key word, or just listening at all." He said as he looked at the other objects. "Some heroes aren't keen on cells and emails or what have ya. Prefer to use more secret means. Guessing they gave Jenny these items so she could contact them. Think that mirror is for Gladatrix...the journal is Raven, creepy goth bastard." He turned and looked at Wreckluse, his molten eyes falling on the spider. "And I'm thinkin' that spider lives here. Right?"

Wreckluse grinned again and picked up his companion, letting the spider scuttle down his arm and up to the corner of the balcony where he made his home. "My messenger, her guardian," Wreckluse said as he turned his gaze back to Nick. "With her connections to us she was bound to encounter trouble. She needed protection. Told her to carry him always but...many find him terrifying." He chuckled as he stared at Nick. Oh he could see the way Nick was frightened of his little friend. "The question is...where has she been taken? And who has taken her?"

"And why," Igenous added, rubbing his chin. "A real mystery. Don't worry kid, we'll find her," he said with a pat to Nick's back. He tried to be gentle but having a palm of stone whack the back couldn't have been pleasant.
 
"Not in any comprehensive way," Emperor laughed at her question. "I can understand their tone, they can understand certain words or phrases I use. We've had nearly ten years to perfect it though, so it turned out pretty well. You're exactly right- I pay them in fish. As well as watch over them and protect them from predators or trespassers." He had heard of Wreckluse in small mentions on the news, but hadn't heard of this talking spider of his. "Wreckluse can talk to his spider? How do you know that? Have you seen him do it?" Just how many heroes did she know, he wondered. He figured her job brought her to meet a good many, but to hear her mention them so casually... Maybe she would be his foot in the door to the superhero party after all. Once he had frozen all the fight out of her and she could vouch for him genuinely, that is.

*-*-*-*

"Ack!" Nick gulped as the pat on his back from Igneous' rocky hand slapped some wind out of his lungs. "It's not that I doubt you... Well, most of you..." he paused and gave a glance over his shoulder to Wreckluse before turning back to the molten vigilante, "...but I want to help. I know it sounds hokey but she kind of gave me a new lease on life, you know?"

Nick was surprised at how many heroes were keeping tabs on Jenny. It made sense, given her connections with them all, but he also felt a little left out, which put a damper on his (admittedly pretty high) hopes of hitting it off with her again. He wouldn't exactly call it jealousy or anger- he wasn't going to be an asshole about it. Still, it was disheartening knowing that he was last to the party and didn't have that to offer. Then an idea came to him.

"So, all these people have surveillance on her here," he began as his eyes darted between all of the trinkets, "but have any of them given her anything to keep on her person? Anything that might give us a signal or we might be able to tap into?"
 
Paid in fish. Well for a penguin she supposed that was as good as gold. If any of the nature documentaries could be believed the life of a penguin was pretty harsh. In a weird way she slightly understood why they might look to someone to be their hero, help them and feed them. Though his questions about Wreckluse gave her pause. Maybe she shouldn't be talking so openly about the heroes she had more consistent contact with. "Uhhhmm..." she hesitated to respond, taking a bite from a muffin to give herself a little more time. "I mean yeah I've seen him talk to the spider. Seemed like they had a conversation...but maybe he's just crazy," she said with a slightly forced laugh. Definitely couldn't tell him that one of Wreckluse's minions lived on her balcony and was the messenger if she had need of him. Already the food was getting cold, sitting in the frigid room. Jenny slowed down eating, no longer enthralled by the quickly cooling food.

"So what now? Just sit around until...what? I agree to...whatever it is you want? Is that the master plan?" Her tone was a little goading but irritated. Better to stay put if anyone at all might come looking for her. Fat chance of course. She wasn't even entirely confident anyone knew. "Maybe play Uno?"

*-*-*-*

Igneous gave Nick another wry grin while Wreckluse's grin of near insanity never ceased. A new lease on life. Well it wasn't like Nick had delved too far into the life of a villain. Igneous thought there might be hope for the kid yet. Wreckluse was simply enjoying the game being played. It had been getting very dull dealing with the same super powered megalomaniacs for all these years. Time to spice things up. Nick's suggestion about the items made both heroes turn to look at the desk and the few items sitting there.

"I...don't really know kid," Igneous said with a small shrug. "Wouldn't really call it surveillance, except Wreckluse's spider. More like...what's that thing...Alexander? Alejandro?"

"Alexa?" Wreckluse piped in with a laugh at the older hero.

Igenous glared at Wreckluse and huffed a short, grumpy sigh. "Sure sure...that. Supposed to speak some kinda code then whatever it is works like a phone. I guess anyways. Take a regular old phone any day." Old phone was right, Igenous still had a decently large and heavy cordless phone in his home. Mostly for it durability. He wasn't known for a gentle touch. "But something she kept on her? Couldn't really say kid. Could ask around, it's a start anyways. Should check out the docks too. Hear that's where her phone signal came from. Cops ain't found nothin' but...eh...not always the brightest bunch if ya ask me. Probably best if you lay low though kid, let Wreckluse n' me handle finding her. We're not about to take ya in but...never know about the others."
 
Emperor stood up and slowly made his way to her side of the table. "That's the idea. This palace will drift slowly toward the South Pole, where you will rule with me as my empress. Once you've learned to love me, you'll contact your hero friends and help build my reputation among their ranks. And then I'll bring you back with me to thaw out once I'm officially accepted into their league as a reward for your loyalty. We can have a nice little vacation. But if you ever want to be warm again, you'll have to drop the chip on your shoulder and give in." Now standing next to her, he reached down and placed a hand on her blanketed shoulder. "In the mean time, I don't have Uno, but I did procure a few other board games if you're interested."

*-*-*-*

Nick frowned in befuddlement. He knew Igneous was older, but not so behind with the times that he didn't know what Alexa was. He became worried by a new thought: "If she was at the docks, she might have been taken out to sea. You guys don't happen to have a fish hero or something on call, do you? Or maybe, some kind of device that can trace any phone's presence." He knew he was coming off as rambling ideas, but he didn't care how desperate he looked. If she was out at sea, the chances of finding her slimmed. And who knows where she was being taken.

He nodded at Igneous' allusion to his still being a wanted man. "Right. I'll, uh, I'll hang back. Not a lot of good I could do if I got arrested."
 
Jenny tensed as duke doofus sauntered his way close to her. Her eyebrows furrowed at the slightly more detailed scheme he had. So part of it was a desperate attempt to get him into the Hero League? She shuddered at the thought of being trapped on a floating hunk of ice, drifting their way down to literally the coldest place ever. Nick's warehouse was nothing compared to what she was in for if she didn't get out. Even still his threats and attempts at coercion fired an angry in her gut. Not one to keep her warm sadly. She shook his hand off her shoulder with his mention of a board game. Clearly he didn't grasp the simple concept of sarcasm. "Fat chance...you don't just learn to love someone. Especially when being tortured by them," she said with a furious little snort as she got to her feet suddenly. "When I get off this stupid floating piece of hellscape I'm gonna make sure that not only will you never, ever, never get into the league but they throw your frosty butt into jail." Not the wisest move she had ever made given she hadn't a damn clue how she could escape.

*-*-*-*

Both Igenous and Wreckluse chewed on Nick's thought. Taken out to sea. It was entirely possible. Whoever it was had to be a super of some sort. Igneous tapped his chin thoughtfully making a dull clinking with each tap. "A fish hero...well there's this one fella down in the antarctic. Penguin guy...but that's kinda far. Been trying to get into the league but...we're a bit bigger than one oil spill and a few rescued penguins." He noted Nick's slight demeanor change at being told to hang back. He reached out and laid a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Ah don't be so down kid. We'll let ya know if we find anything. Keep behavin' and we might let ya do the rescue on your own," he added with a loud guffaw, patting Nick's shoulder again.

Wreckluse snickered. "Save your lady fair again," he chimed in with a sly laugh. "I will check the docks for signs. Perhaps some friends might have seen anything...strange." With that he simply backed up and tilted himself backwards off the balcony. Free falling a moment he turned over and slung a web to swing himself through the city.

Igneous heaved a loud, heavy sigh, "show off. Alright get yourself home kid. We'll take it from here. Get enough damsel rescues under your belt and we might just induct you into the league." He laughed at his own jokes again before lumbering off to the league headquarters, find out if she had any talismans on her or if anyone had any information.
 
Shocked with awe and disgust at her disrespect, Emperor recoiled the hand Jenny rejected, closing the fingers into a fist as if the hand was hardening into a protective cocoon. "You're not going anywhere, it would be a waste of energy to try. This 'stupid, floating piece of hellscape' is your new home, and you'd better get used to it. In fact, I think we should make the rest of you match that cold shoulder you insist on giving me." He whistled for two penguins, who slid in on their stomachs. Then he gestured to Jenny's blanket. The penguins gave it a tug, ripping it off her back.

Emperor Penguin reeled both arms back over his head, looking something like a wizard casting a spell, and a gray cloud appeared a few feet above his head. He then flung his arms forward, pointing to Jenny. A powerful gust of wind erupted from the cloud, first just air, but after a split-second, it began to carry thousands of specks of sleet and snow. The gust funneled itself, literally targeting Jenny, sweeping up and down her body with a dusting of icy coating. After about fifteen seconds or so, EP waved his hands to signal the cloud to disburse. He smiled smugly as he eyed her up and down, admiring his handiwork. "Maybe we'll just keep you like this for now, darling. When we're all home, safe and cozy, we'll heat you back up a tad and see if you've had a change of heart yet."

The penguins were a little shocked, having never seen this feat performed on anything but creatures that posed them immediate harm. EP signaled to them again and ordered, "Take her to the main hall for decoration." The two penguins looked at each other, still stunned, but when their emperor belted out a "Now!" they scurried over to comply.

*-*-*-*

Though Nick had concluded his meeting with Igneous by giving him a compliant nod and a "Good luck!", he had no intention of going home. Giving the professionals a few feet of space ahead, he followed behind them to the docks, ducking and covering to be sure they didn't seem him. Scaling behind neglected boats and crates, he crept closer to their rendezvous point to listen in and watch to see if they came up with any leads.
 
Well she definitely knew she fucked up. Maybe she should have followed her own advice and just been nice. She most certainly would be going somewhere. How she would do that she didn't quite know yet though. Make the rest of her match her cold shoulder? What exactly did he mean by that? Though her curiosity was quickly answered. She jerked when the penguins yanked the comforter off of her. A furious shiver raced through her at the sudden contact with the cold air. "Hey...what are you..." But she stopped when his arms rose up and a cloud gathered over him. Jenny took a hesitant step back. Was he seriously going to kill her? Just like that?

Before she could try to bolt the icy blast raced over her body. She raised on arm as if it would be a good defense, the other slung across her chest. The effects were nearly instant. She couldn't move her arm, couldn't move her body. Frozen completely in place. Jenny waited for her mind to go, fall into oblivion. Death or sleep she didn't know. Yet it didn't come. Her eyes opened, the only part of her that could move. Frozen solid in her defensive pose. She strained her eyes to look at the penguins with their emperor's command. They, strangely, hesitated but snapped to at his sudden shout. With gentle care she was moved to some large, grand hall. Of course there was a grand hall. It was a castle and the dude called himself emperor. It was the strangest feeling in the world. Being fully awake and aware but her body couldn't obey her in the least. Oh she tried but the ice held firm, keeping her utterly still. Even her face couldn't move, stuck in a frozen expression of surprise. Yet she could move her eyes at least, likely because the muscle were protected from the ice deep in the sockets.

*-*-*-*

Wreckluse went to the docks immediately. Abandoned by mankind they might be but not by his kind. He seemed to wander aimlessly at first, looking around for anything of interest. Then he halted and bent down. The true trick was finding a larger spider. They had a little more capacity to notice things. Brown recluses were his favored sort, aggressive and attentive. Though the large 'dock spiders' that lived around the area might have some information. He let the large female crawl into his hand and he lifted her up to ask some questions. It was less word perfect speech and more the understanding of a few sounds and some pantomime. Nothing like his large messenger spiders. A ship of cold, water birds, red lady in a net. That was the most he got form the spider, at least as far as useful information. He politely thanked the spider and sent her on her way.

Igneous finally lumbered up to the wharf in the late afternoon and found Wreckluse. "Anything?" He asked the arachnoid.

Wreckluse shrugged, "some...but not very informative. Just confirmed the theory. The girl was taken on a ship. Though...a ship of cold and water birds..." He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully with a small frown. "Do you think it is the same one? What about you?"

Igneous gave a slow nod, "could be him. Strange though, never figured him to do something like this. Still can't figure the why. Why take her specifically?"

Wreckluse frowned with all hands on his hips. "Don't know...the sea is vast, it will be hard to find them."

Igneous nodded in agreement, "we need more help but...not sure we'll get it. One missing woman...not really tops for most of the league."
 
Some hours later, as it was becoming dusk out side, Monica waddled up to the statue that was formerly her mission and the emperor's would-be bride. She tilted her head, examining the poor woman, putting a reassuring flipper on her knee. She shouldn't linger here too long, lest the emperor or one of the others sees her pitying the human woman, but she had to do something. But she had spent the afternoon racked with guilt and fear about this little endeavor, contemplating putting a wrench in the whole thing herself. She wished the emperor would forget all of this ridiculous bride business and just take them home. Everything was so peaceful before, but now it just seemed cruel and terribly inconvenient. If another human caught them, they could all wind up in cages, or at least, that's what Monica feared. She had a family back home and wanted to see them again- impossible if she was in a cube of metal wiring the rest of her life.

Plus, that store-bought shrimp was awful. She missed the krill and fish from the South Pole.

"Muh-reh!" she softly croaked to assure the frozen woman, then looked around to make sure no one was watch and scurried off. The palace had a fairly simple floor plan, having only been made in a matter of minutes, and it was only a few corners and stretches of halls until she was at the ship's dock- the only exit. She slid on her belly, ramping of of the ice, zipping through the air, over the deck of the Antarctic research boat, and diving into the water on the other side with nary even a splash.

Monica wasn't quite the swimmer than Archibald or Vincesno had proven, but she was decently quick, and it was only about forty-five minutes before she was back at the place they had docked the ship before bagging that poor woman. When she rocketed out of the water, hoping she could remember the way back to the building where they'd spotted the woman, she was surprised to see two new, strange looking people inspecting the dock. Did every human look so weird, she wondered to herself. Nevertheless, made they would help and save her some time.

"Graweeeh!" she cawed as she waddled up to the rocky, warm giant and the much leaner, fanged monster. She flapped her flippers up and down and she continued to explain. "Greck-eck! Mwah! Greh! Reeeah!"
 
Igneous and Wreckluse were at a loss. They were at a dead end in their search with not much to show for their efforts. Igneous had lit a cigarette and sat down on a bollard to smoke and think. Wreckluse was staring out at the open water. The ocean was vast, making up the majority of the earth, it would take a miracle to find one person or even two in such an expanse of wild water. Plus he wasn't particularly fond of water. Not much to swing from with no trees or buildings. Bad as Kansas. He huffed a long sigh and turned to Igneous.

"Maybe we stop today...sitting here won't get us more answers," he said in a low, somewhat defeated voice. He was honestly surprised Igneous was still there. The old timer wasn't what he would consider especially caring. He remembered his spider's reports about Igneous not even showing up at a kid's funeral. He smirked to himself. Jenny had an odd way of bring out something new in people he supposed. Even the small time villain seemed to have changed his tune a bit after meeting her. He glanced towards the boxes Nick was hiding behind. Oh his spider friends had told him about the presence of another. Igneous was too much of a blockhead to notice much beyond his own nose.

Just as the pair were about to leave a black and white blur flashed into view. Igneous fired his core, the molten strips of lava rising to the cracks in his flesh. Wreckluse raised his arms, ready to shoot webs if need be. Both, however, immediately stopped at the sight of the penguin. A brave things, waddling right up at them, croaking and cawing at them. Both held still a moment before relaxing their defensive stance.

"Uh...sorry...don't speak much penguin," Igenous said as the lava died back, scratching the side of his jaw.

Wreckluse's yellow eyes widened. "Water bird," he said distantly before crouching down before the penguin. "You...you know where Jenny is don't you?" He didn't bring up the fact that penguins might have had a hand in her kidnapping.

"Come again?" Igenous questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Ice boat, water bird, woman in a net...the spiders told me. I think that one from down south might have been a good clue," he said with an aggravated sigh. "Trouble is...I can't swim. You?" He asked Igneous.

"Me? Nah...sink like...well...a rock," he said with a gruff chuckling snort.

"If only we had a boat...or an ice bridge," Wreckluse said unusually loud, looking towards the crates Nick was hiding behind. "You know...from someone who can make ice."

"You loose yer mind?" Igenous grumbled at the arachnoid.
 
From his hiding spot, Nick leaned in, fascinated at the site of a talking penguin. It was getting weirder by the minute now as he watched the penguin frantically squawk whatever it had to say. After a moment, he had to move his hand to a more comfortable spot (as it was starting to cramp from gripping the edge of the crate), only to feel the tight thread of a strand of spider web brush his hand. He quickly retracted and watched the alarmed spider scurry away. Not long afterward, he heard Wreckluse shout to him, alluding to his abilities. He slowly raised his head from behind the crates and gave an apologetic smile.

"Hey..." he greeted, and approached the odd trio. "Yeah, I can make us a trail to wherever this dude has Jenny." He was at a loss for exactly what to do next. Master of cold he may be, he wasn't an animal trainer. He looked over to the penguin and shrugged. "Uh, lead the way?" He pointed half-heartedly to the ocean. To his surprise, it actually worked. The penguin spun on its heels, ran off to the docks, diving into the water then poking its head back to look at the three men on the dock. "Gul-ah!" it cried, then began to swim onward.

Nick looked at Igneous, then Wreckluse, then followed the aquatic bird, leaping from the dock but spraying a cold gust at the water, freezing it into a thick pathway of solid ice. He kept this up for awhile until the surprise of what was in front of him caused him to skid to a halt, slipping on the ice road and into a boat. Yet, it was the massive ice structure beyond the boat that took him aback. After a moment of marveling over the structure, he saw the entryway on the other side of the boat, where the little penguin was now waving for him and his compnions to enter.

*-*-*-*

Inside, EP had just finished a wonderful shrimp dinner, sipping on a vodka martini. He strolled into the main hall and eyed his human-popsicle of a prize up and down. "Enjoying yourself, my dear? I'm sorry I had to ice you like this, but when we talk out of turn, well, we have to face the consequences. But soon, I'll be able to defrost you, and then, like a butterfly leaving its chrysalis, you'll emerge with a little more respect and adoration for your new emperor." He lifted his fingers, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand.
 
Igneous nearly leaped out of his skin when Nick emerged from behind the crates. Even with the quiet greeting. A hand rushed to his chest as his breath calmed down. "Jeeeeezus kid ya nearly gave me a heart attack," he said with a heavy sigh. The molten man, however, was quick enough to calm down as Nick explained her could make a bridge. His eyes jumped to Wreckluse who was grinning like a madman once again. "Coulda warned a fella we had company." His only response, however, was a shrug from the arachnoid. They both watched as Nick approached the penguin. It seemed a smart enough creature and hopped into the water to show them the way.

The pair looked at one another as Nick was quick to follow, creating a thick sheet of ice for them to walk on. Wreckluse gave a shrug and jumped to follow. He only hoped there might be more use for slinging where they were going. Stall some engines or whatever. Igneous was slower. He eased himself off the dock, checking to see if the trail would even hold his weight. Very slowly, very carefully, he put his weight on the ice. He gave a little 'huh' when the test was satisfied. It supported him just fine. He trundled along at the back of the group, his footing unsteady on the slick surface. Wreckluse was close behind Nick, uneasy but well enough balanced on the ice.

At a distance they could see the palace though it loomed, more massive and more impressive as they drew nearer. The boat was a telling clue. Ice boat. Both were slow to stop, sliding along the ice and bumping into the boat. The penguin wasn't hesitating and waving for them to keep following to an entry way. The pair looked at one another again but let Nick take the lead. His speciality was ice after all.

"I'll be damned," Igneous breathed. "Ya ever seen that Disney movie? With the girl with cold powers? Think he sang a song as he made this?" Igneous sniggered quietly at his own joke while Wreckluse rolled his eyes and hushed the old man.

*-*-*-*

Jenny looked up at the lunatic as he spoke. Only her eyes could possibly bely her feelings on the matter. Fury and disgust. Emerge in love with him her frigid butt! The second she got out of there she was going to kick him square in the balls. If she could even move. The chill went right to her marrow, it was like even her blood was frozen. Miserably cold and aching. At least she couldn't feel the creepy stroke to her cheek. Dude was definitely more villain than hero. Yet a small part of her mind just wanted to get out of the ice. Maybe she shouldn't have been so harsh, bide her time more. Hope was sinking fast that she would get out of that mess. If they made it to the antarctic that hope might fizzle out like a candle in freezing winds.
 
The helpful penguin disappeared into the entrance, and when Nick followed, he couldn't find her. He stiffened his shoulders a bit at the drop in temperature. He could probably get used to it quicker than most, but even he was feeling the change from the summer heat outside to the cold air of the icy hallway. He proceeded further looking for the little penguin, or jenny, or any sign of life at all, really. Eventually, he made his way to a huge, important-looking room. It looked like something from a fantasy movie (as Igneous had even noted outside. Pillars, chandeliers, floor, arches in the walls- all made of ice.

In the center of the room was a man dressed as what Nick assumed was supposed to be a penguin. Well, it was more like... if somebody had to play a penguin in Cirque du Solais. Was this the dude Igneous and Wreckluse had been discussing? Whoever he was, he was tending to what, from a distance, looked like some kind of sculpture. Nick came closer and shouted, "Hey!" causing the man to spin around and immediately, the penguin fanatic went from shocked to pissed, standing in front of his art project to obscure it.

"You!" the penguin said with disgust, narrowing his eyes. "How did you find me?"

"I'm sorry..." Nick said, puzzled. "Do I know you? And, well, you kidnapped somebody and made an iceberg castle off the shore. If we didn't find you, somebody would. So where's the girl, goofball?"

"She's where she belongs!" the kidnapper stated, reaching behind himself to cling to the snowy formation behind him. "Out of your influence!"

"Wait..." Nick said, eyeing the man suspiciously. "What... what do you have there? What are you hiding?"

"Uh... none of your business!" the penguin man said. He switched positions, getting into a defensive pose and taking a few steps toward Nick. "If you don't leave now, I'll give you a taste of your own medicine, criminal!"
 
Igneous has to tread carefully. The floor supported him well enough but he couldn’t ignite himself. He assumed so anyways. Last thing he needed was to melt the floor right through and drop into the ocean. He hadn’t been kidding, swimming wasn’t an option for him. His head was on a swivel, checking for any sign of life. Despite the surprising, icy, beauty of the place it was desolate. At least he wasn’t cold, his volcanic core keeping him plenty toasty. Wreckluse was a shivering mess. All four arms cross over him as he hunched over. He was starting to think going with them was a painfully stupid idea. Though he was curious how ice versus ice would pan out.

Finally the group came to a grand open room. Wreckluse and Igneous stared around in a wide circle, taking in the grand sight. Nick’s shout snapped both their heads his direction and to the man in blue. Igneous snorted in amusement. So that was the fella wanted to join the league. His eyes narrowed some as the man argued that the girl was where she belonged. “Yeah where’s that exactly,” Igneous growled to himself. The way the man clutched at the odd statue behind him was suspicious. Both Igneous and Wreckluse squinted, trying to see what the man was trying to hide.

Jenny’s eyes widened at the shout, turning toward the group. Her heart gave a hard, excited this against her chest. Someone came! Not just any someone’s either. Nick, Igneous, even Wreckluse! Relief flowed through her in a painful rush making her throat tight and her eyes burn. It seemed like they didn’t realize she was the statue. She wished she could call out, let them know she was there.

“Keep him distracted Doc,” Wreckluse whispered, casually moving around. The man’s behavior with the statue was suspicious enough he wanted a better look.

“You got this kid,” Igneous cheered him on.
 
Emperor sneered over to Igneous and Wreckluse as they entered. "And you! Seeing you take this little weasel's side hurts me more than anything. You're traitors to your profession, and you ought to be ashamed. To think I wanted to fight alongside you and your corrupt club." His angry grimace only worsened as Igneous cheered Nick on. "Yeah, kid," he said with a venomous sarcasm, "'You got this'..."

Immediately, spikes began erupting from the ground around Nick, who had to dive and dodge to evade them, much to the giggling EP's amusement. One zipped up behind him, almost slicing into his back. He squirmed forward, only to have to reel back as another jutted up centimeters from his nose. Left, right, east, and west, they came at him from all angles until he got a good look at the taunting penguin-man, and his fear began to turn to frustration. He reached out, his gloved fingers starting to smoke. He flung a blast of icy smog at the penguin creep, sending him backward and covering him in frost. That's when the horrible hunch came to Nick about the statue. Now that EP was out of the way, Nick got a better look at the sculpture, and his eyes widened in fear at its struggling pose and open eyes.

"Jenny!" he shouted, and ran over to her. "Oh my god..." He clutched one of her icy hands in his own. "It's going to be okay, Jenny. We're going to get you out of here, okay?"

"You're going to do no such thing..." Emperor Penguin barked as he strolled back over. The frost and icy that would've immobilized most targets was falling off of him as if it were bits of paper emulating snow for a theater production. "I'm master of the element, and you're just some little punk with trick gloves. Now get away from her, you amateur. I don't want to accidentally hit her when I skewer you..." He raised his hands to ready another attack.
 
Igenous's eyes flashed with flame at the derision cast his way. Calling them traitors to their profession and his mocking tone with the words of encouragement. The man who had once nearly pleaded to join the league was spiraling into madness. Perhaps they had done wrong in not accepting him. Living in solitude with birds for company had clearly addled his mind. Enough so he kidnapped an innocent for some twisted reason. He stood back, however, as lances of ice burst forth and attacked Nick. His heart hammered to watch as the kid ducked and dodged them. One wrong move and they'd have a kebob on their hands. He had to stay calm, keep the fires at bay. Last thing they needed was the floor melting away. Though he realized something odd, Wreckluse was suddenly nowhere to be seen. He was the only real back up they had.

Jenny watched the fight, the pounding of her heart ringing in her ears. Guilt weighed heavily on her as Nick barely managed to dodge the lethal spikes. Her throat twitched and undulated with a desire to shout. To scream encouragements at Nick and the most hateful words she could think of at captain crazy. A warble reverberated in her throat with Nick's attack, sending the looney flying back and covered in frost. A taste of his own fucking medicine. With the moment Nick went to her making her heart give a little flutter. She couldn't feel his hand as he touched hers but her muscles twitched with the desire to take his hand. Her face still frozen she could at least lift her eyes up to look at Nick.

Though the crazy man wasn't downed for long. Her eyes snapped over when he spoke. The frost falling off of him with ease. Why wasn't Igenous doing something to help? Surely his abilities would be able to stop the insanity! The threat was well understood but she prayed Nick would just stay close. She wouldn't mind being a bit of a guard. Looney toon wouldn't try anything is Nick stayed near here. Oh for the power of speech! Her throat worked hard, jaw aching with the effort to speak but only a muffled sort of grunt came out for all the attempt.

Out of no where a thick rope of sticky webbing shot out from high above. It wrapped around the 'emporer's' neck, a second snapping to the small of his back. Wreckluse jumped down, holding the webbing and it gave at hard yank at the villainous 'hero.'

"Get him doc! Get him with everything you got!" Wreckluse shouted as he descended gracefully to the icy floor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom