DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of DC's concepts.

Cold Chronicles

Cold, that name has had a few owners. By far the youngest is the most interesting. I earned it after my sister died. After she died my foster dad beat me up, shipped me off to another home blaming my injuries on the attack that killed Cara.

At my new home I met Miguel Connor Mendez-Rory who was on the edge. We both could've died, we had nothing to live for. We started a trend that makes our stories worth reading.

I won't bother with a dreary turned inspirational how we met and saved each other, that's for Connor. The need to know is we became friends in an abusive home. We ran away.

Me "We should stick to the suburbs."

Connor "Right. How are we going to make it?"

Me "We'll find a way. Got a problem stealing?"

Connor "No."

Me "That's how we survive."

Connor "As criminals?"

Me "How else?"

Connor "I guess you got a point."

Me "Who's first? Let's find an empty house to crash. Maybe a residence if there's no model homes."

Connor "Residences have valuables."

Me "Yes but we lack use for them. Find a home and food. Don't stop moving."

Connor "You're good. Sure you're new?"

Me "This is just instinct let's say. We need food, shelter and freedom."

Connor "Got it. I think I see our mark ahead." We saw a house with no sign of anyone home.

Me "Check the mail. I'll find a way in."

It was midday, safe to talk in a housing neighborhood. We split up. I'm not surprised our fathers are criminals the way crime comes naturally to us. Connor found no mail but that only means someone is picking it up or it's being held. I broke in and found signs of absent residents. I let Connor in through the front door.

Me "What do you think?"

Connor "Nice place."

Me "Ours, for now."

Connor "Model home? Any food?"

Me "Pictures. Not model."

Connor "Food?"

Me "Check. Kitchen that way."

Connor went in "Score."

I followed him "Not so loud. If we want to stay we'll need to hide." I looked around "Maybe we could use some of this when we leave. Let's make packs."

Connor "Go bags? Okay. Can we eat first?" I nodded.

We ate at the table, Connor "What do we need to make the big bucks? While we're young I mean."

Me "People to sell what we steal and trust us. Somewhere to keep the money. A way to stay out of prison."

Connor "Wow. Is it worth it?"

Me "Depends."

Connor "On?"

Me "I can't decide what's worth it for you. "

Connor "I was asking your opinion."

Me "Is it worth it? We'd be criminals. We'd live on crime. We wouldn't have lives. Foster care, ends. We can grow up to escape this. It's really your choice. Do you want to go there?"

Connor "Can we go there?"

Me "What do you mean?"

Connor "Can we do this?"

Me "You'd be amazed by what people can do when needed. Yeah, I think we can."

Connor "Cool. When do we start?"

Me "Let's rob this place. We have to cover our tracks. Make the owners think it's them. That'll buy us time. Believe it or not this is still instinct."

Connor "Not."

Me "We'll have to clean up and clear out. Can't leave evidence. We don't want a trail, just as runaways we don't want that." We robbed those people blind.

Still midday, Connor "How many can we rob if we find an abandoned place to crash?"

Me "A base is a game changer. Let's find one."

Connor "Think you can hotwire a car?"

Me "Find a car." We came across one by an empty. house.

Connor had a hungry look in his eye, me "They won't think it's their mistake. We need a permanent ride."

Connor "It's perfect."

Me "What we need is bus fare. Let's clear out."

He followed me. I picked my first pocket when we hit the city. Connor and I robbed quite a few people on our way to the bus station. We did it for the IDs as much as we did for the money, we just didn't know it yet.

At the bus stop I sat down while Connor looked at maps "Where to?"

Me "Easy pickings. We need to know that real estate market for our school project."

Connor "What sch-? Right. We should've done our homework." I got up and walked over to a woman with a briefcase, Connor tailed me.

I sat down "You a real estate agent?"

Her "You're too young to buy."

Me "School project, a challenge really. My friend and I tested out of classes a lot. We need information on the real estate market. Where's it good? Where's it bad? We could ride the poles until we get lucky and find somewhere but if you're an agent, an interview would be great."

Her "Yes I'm an agent. You should tape down the information for posterity."

I'll admit I didn't know the word, I was bluffing like crazy. Me "Ever heard of a smart phone? They're great for recording."

Her "Right." She gave me everything, she only asked for questions. We rode the poles on the bus to the bad places until we found a set of abandoned homes.

Connor "Now can we start? How many can we hit? Plenty of space."

Me "We need to make this place a base. For that we need money. To get money we need people. People who know the market."

Connor "I know. Are we ever going to live with this stuff?"

Me "It doesn't have to be our base. We need guns, ski masks and fear."

Connor "For what? Let me in."

Me "We scare a few criminals into doing our bidding, maybe some deadbeats."

Connor "I see where you're going with this."

Me "Good. First, guns."

Connor "How?"

Me "Same way we got bus fare."

Connor "Steal guns?"

Me "Yes. Not from cops."

Connor "From criminals?"

Me "They can't report the theft."

Connor "You steal guns. I'll focus on food."

We split up. I hit the city. Criminals are easy to spot, for what I needed. No holsters. Connor hit empty homes. He stole food, clothes, valuables and bags to carry the loot. He tricked a few people into carrying his loot close to the abandoned area we were staying in without looking inside the bags. Connor actually stole lighters, knives and guns when he found some; not many guns, that would be reported fast.

At the day's end we regrouped at our home. Connor "Well now we have the masks, guns and plenty of loot."

Me "You stole all of this from empty houses in one day?"

Connor "I got a few people to help carry it without looking. I tricked them. I didn't scare them."

Me "Maybe we can use that instead of gun to the head trick."

Connor's eyes widened "That was your plan!"

Me "Let's get some sleep. Plan tomorrow." I laid down. We learned fast that keeping a house abandoned looking is good practice. The next morning Connor poured cereal.

Connor "What's our move?"

I started to realize something, Me "We're not TV villains." To Connor this was real life TV, we were living a TV plot by living off crime.

Connor "I get that." He didn't.

Me "We need to lay low. Hide our loot and cool that milk."

Connor "What's that mean? Cool the milk?"

Me "It means milk goes bad. Milk as in what you just poured into our cereal. It's not a code. This isn't TV."

Connor "Got it." Smiling idiot.

Me "We have the street to ourselves. Citizens will be working not to be evicted. That's not a code either. Eviction is where people get kicked out of their homes by landlords who own the buildings. It's a word in the dictionary."

Connor "You lost me."

Me "We have multiple abandoned houses. Let's hide the loot in them, not just here. We don't have to sneak because our neighbors are working so they don't get kicked out."

Connor "I'm bilingual you know, that takes some brain cells."

Me "You're bilingual? I did not know that. What's language 2?"

Connor "English. It's not my first language."

Me "You speak English and what?"

Connor "Spanish. Connor is my middle name. My mom was an immigrant. Her family spoke Spanish. They were deported because my biological dad is Mick Rory, some big criminal. When I was born she asked for a test for my dad's name. The good guys hunting my dad didn't believe my mom knew nothing so she was shipped home and here I am."

Me "I had a twin. She died soon before we met. She's the only family I ever knew. Our mom didn't want us. Don't know about dad."

Connor "In Spanish culture a child is given their parents' second last name. Their mom's is their first last name. Mine is Mendez-Rory."

Me "That's beautiful. I think. I'm not even sure what my mother's name was. It's probably on my birth certificate."

Connor "I don't know why I'm telling you this. My mom named me Miguel Connor Mendez-Rory. Connor for an American sounding name."

Me "Okay. Why are you called Connor? Why is that treated as your first name?"

Connor "After my family was deported I started hating people calling me Miguel. Guess they noticed."

Me "Guess they did. Let's start stowing our stuff."

Connor "This is so much like TV. We're pirates."

Me "Pirates did exist. Just not the kind TV shows. That's crazy extreme."

Connor "How do we remember where we hide stuff?"

Me "Don't go off the deep end with this pirate stuff. Let's hide it in the walls. These boards look finger loose. Let's tighten them when we're done." I don't think anyone found our treasure. We hid the treasure under and behind boards.

Connor "What now?"

Me "Save our food then talk codes while we have time."

Connor "Really? Codes?"

Me "No. Save the food."

Connor "I figured." We ran around our homes, hiding food.

Connor "Can you tell me about your sister?"

Me "She and I weren't the same. She was nice, beautiful I guess. Glitter and blood, that's how we'd be like today. We were attacked by armed goons. She died in my arms."

Connor "I hate Americans calling me Miguel. It's not because they're American, I don't blame all Americans for my family. If it's not said with a small laugh then it's with a look down like I belong in Mexico or something. You can call me Miguel if you want but never act like I'm less than you."

Me "Never. I'll never treat you like less just because you're named Miguel."

Connor "Almost night."

Me "I know we just got here but in the morning we'll have to leave."

Connor "The food will spoil."

Me "Bag it before we bolt."

Connor "You got it." We had a natural rhythm. I was always the brains and he was the muscle. It wasn't some deal we made, it just happened. He's my brother. We're not friends, not partners. Those bonds shift and change. We are brothers for life. He was with me almost every time I encountered a super powered thing. I won't pretend to know the order our odd encounters took place in, my order will be based on the effect each encounter had.

My third brother for life: Max Scudder the man in all mirrors. I met Max when Connor and I were running after picking pockets too close to a cop. I screamed at Connor "You should've spotted that cop. He was in full uniform and everything. What is the point of having a partner who screws up a misdemeanor job?"

Max appeared "That policeman was inside a bakery ordering his wife's birthday cake. Connor could not have seen him."

Me "Who are you supposed to be? Some magician? What number am I thinking of?" In all fairness I spent most of my life outside Central City, not many Mirror Master mischief outside the Flash's hometown.

Max "I want to help you. I can remove your darkest nature so you can melt any jury's heart. Juries control the courts."

Me "Your name is?"

"Max Scudder. Call me Mirror Maestro or don't, that's stupid." His first instinct wasn't copying his father's name.

Me "I will call you Rumpelstiltskin if you help me out like that. What's the catch?"

Connor "We'll call you a brother for life. That's the only thing you get."

Max "Deal."

Me "Three way. We're all brothers and equals." We shook. Max drained the darkness from me. In truth that is all he did for us, take my dark side away as a mirror replica which is an amazing trick.

Next we encountered a white-martian-human hybrid, again we hadn't lived in the major invasion target cities long enough to recognize the power set. The kid's name was Kurt Charles Warren. His power appeared to be much like those Connor acquired from the royal alien Atren Ker. In peak physical condition Connor can hit and kick with upto 8 times an average human's strength. Kurt gets stronger as he shrinks. He can also grow, with his strength diminishing accordingly. At his proper size he has no super strength. At the size of a penny he is stronger than Superman. However tall he is without using his size altering powers is his proper size. When he adds a few inches to his height he can't hit hard. Kurt was a runaway we as runaways encountered, his parents took him back when he was caught. Kurt joined the government's covert version of the Bandits Brigade, sometimes it's called the Bridge Brigade for irony.

Connor and I had a very full life. By the time Star Labs created their legacy program and recruited us for it we had more arrests on record than some career criminals. I still flashback to Cara's death today. She wasn't a normal damsel in distress. Cara was trying to break free from the attacker's grip. For months I couldn't sleep without a flashback. That last burst of superpowers I used to reach her, she died in my arms but did anyone in the foster care system bother trying to help me handle it? Nope.

For a few months Connor and I trained under the tutelage of the Justice League while acting as teen superheroes. I trained under the best human heroes: Batman, Green Arrow; Wildcat and Black Canary did most of the program's fight training but I only worked with Canary once and never trained under Wildcat. Scientifically inclined I did some work with the Atom, and helped Star Labs engineer the special equipment the program uses. In truth I worked with half of the Justice League.

I was Cadet Cold back then. Unless I was working as Captain Cold's criminal son then I used the Captain Cold name. Connor was Heat, his villain name was Flamethrower not Heatwave. Connor and I were the first members of the legacy program inducted into the League.

One of the things Batman did for the Justice League was act as a strategist, I had that job too. What it means is telling Leaguers how to handle specific problems and deciding who to send to what Leaguer as backup when requested. I spent hours in one room of the Justice League's HQ watching feeds from all over the world. I waited for something to go wrong and need the Justice League's attention then decided how the League would respond. Heat and I shared the same room in the Justice League Headquarters.