One Month.
It had been One Month exactly since this whole shit show had started when Cold had opened the doors of his once-secret hideout and let more people into his life than he was truly comfortable with. Cold genuinely couldn't believe it, but then again he couldn't believe a lot of things he'd gotten up to recently.
It didn't seem like something he'd do, but here he was, standing in the middle of his apartment and looking around it with a small smirk gracing his usually emotionless features while he watched his 4 companions all get themselves ready for a night out to celebrate their new living arrangements, or as Lisa had ever so elegantly put it, one whole month without them killing each other. Cold would never admit it, but it was pretty appropriate all things considered. After all, they weren't the most... agreeable bunch at the best of times, so really if surviving one month without any of them murdering each other wasn't something to celebrate, then what was?
Cold however, seemed to be the only one who was actually almost ready on time. No surprises there. Dressed in a tight fitting black t-shirt and dark colored jeans, Cold walked across his apartment and grabbed his parka off the hook and carefully slipped it on before doing the same for his black boots. He was now 100% dressed and ready to hit the town, shame about the rest of them, who judging by the looks of things weren't quite as prepared as he was. On the top landing, he was sure he could make out the broad shape of Mick darting back and forth between his own room and the bathroom dressed in nothing but his underwear while looking oddly stressed out. He wasn't going to ask. Lisa looked the most put together, although the bewildered look on her face while she feverishly dug around her bag told Cold a different story. Much like with Mick, he wasn't even going to ask. To his left, Mark was wandering around shirtless and looking confused, mumbling something about how he was sure he had laid his shirt on the armchair next to him. Across the living room, Axel was sitting staring at Mark with his eyes glazed over like some sad little lovesick puppy and Cold was almost 100% sure he could see the ends of a Dark Blue shirt poking out from underneath his butt on the seat.
"Well played Axel" Cold whispered to himself as he too looked towards the shirtless male with an appreciative nod. "Well played indeed."
Shaking away any lingering feelings of, well, whatever the hell that was, Cold raised his right wrist up closer to his face and looked at the time on his watch. 8:17pm. They only had 43 minutes to get out of here and make it to the movies. Anyone who knew Cold knew he was a stickler for specificity and being late - even to a movie - simply was not an option. Turning his attention away from the watch and back to his roommates, Cold straightened his back and placed a hand on the door handle for dramatic effect.
"C'mon people, we only have 42 minutes until the movie starts and I for one refuse to be late" Cold announced while tapping his foot impatiently. "I mean really, how long does it take to get ready?" In the living room, his words seemed to be going unnoticed if the incredibly slow pace at which they were all getting ready was anything to go on.
"Do you really want an answer to that?" Lisa said with a undeniable sharpness to her tone as she walked up to the coat hooks and removed her black leather coat, slipping into it with grace while she walked on by Cold and playfully jammed her elbow into his side. Cold winced aloud and jumped back out the way of his sisters reach while Lisa turned her body around and looked back into the apartment with a less than amused look on her face. Sighing aloud, Lisa reached into her handbag and withdrew her infamous Gold-Gun, aiming upwards and firing a warning shot up onto the roof of the apartment with a heart-stopping clang as the gold bonded with the painted white ceiling. All three men came to a complete and sudden halt and looked towards the door with their eyes wide and shoulders tensed, anxiously waiting for the Brutnette's next move.
"Right, here's the deal. If you assholes aren't ready and waiting by the elevator in the next 10 seconds then i'm gonna need to come in there any 'help' you. And you better believe NO ONE is gonna be happy if i need to do that!" she barked at the 3 dumbstruck men who all instinctively glanced at one another then back to Lisa. "Any questions?" she spoke in a sickening sweet tone as she aimed her gun in the general direction of the three men, her finger hovering dangerously over the trigger.
Without another sound the 3 men began to tear around the apartment wildly and finally began to finish getting themselves ready. Behind the gun-wielding brunette, Cold stood with an eyebrow raised and an impressed look on his face. When Lisa had first asked to join his gang, Cold would be the first to admit that he had his doubts. For a start she had no absolutely experience whatsoever, she hadn't even had a damn Saturday job for Christ sake never mind experience in robbing banks and the like. Second of all, she was prone to not listening to him, which given the strict nature of their vocation was a big no-no. Truthfully that was all bullshit as deep down Cold knew the real reason he'd rejected her requests to join his gang was more to do with a fear for his sister's safety than her apparent lack of experience but that was something he'd be sure to take to his grave, after all, he wasn't called 'Captain Cold' for nothing.
For the second time this evening Cold pushed down all feelings of emotion and placed a hand on his sister shoulder, giving it a supportive squeeze as he looked at her with a proud looking smile.
"I've got to admit sis, i'm impressed." He announced with a chuckle. Lisa looked back over her shoulder and flashed her Older Brother and genuinely pleased looking smirk. Removing his hand from his sisters shoulder, Cold gestured into the now chaotic living room and more importantly, the 3 men who within seconds had somehow managed to get themselves ready and were quickly making their way towards the door. "Never knew you had it in you! Y'know, you're quite scary when you need to be."
"Well Lenny, i did learn from the best." Seeing the approaching Stampede, Lisa grabbed her brother by the shoulders and pulled him out of the apartment, narrowly avoiding the other 3 men as they charged out of the open door and into the hallway. Laughing to herself as she looked from the three out of breath men and towards her brother, Lisa grabbed the door handle and slammed the door to their apartment shut with a deafening thud.
"That you did sis, That you did!" Cold laughed proudly as he locked the door to the apartment, thrusting his hands back into the pockets of his famous blue parka and starting towards the gaggle of miscreants before him, unsuccessfully trying to hide the happy smirk on his face. He hated to admit it, but he could get used to this.
This was unbearable. Truly unbearable. The damn film hadn't even been on for 30 minutes and already Cold felt like he was going insane. In front of him on the gigantic screen was some sort of C.G.I Kids film about a talking Squirrel and what he thinks was meant to be a turtle of some sort, although the way it was standing made it look more like some kind of demonic scaly dog with a severe hunch. Cold mashed his palm into his forehead and cursed under his breath, this was the last time he trusted Axel to do anything. He couldn't even pick a decent movie to watch for Christ sake. Deciding that enough was enough, Cold got up out of his seat and pushed his way out of the row and into the isle, quickly making his way out of the pitch-black movie Theater and into the Lobby. In their seats, Mick and Lisa high-fived each other and tried their best to suppress their laughter. Next to them, Mark and Axel seemed to be way too deep in conversation to even bother noticing their self-proclaimed leader had left the movie.
"Looks like i owe you $20 Mick, i didn't even think Lenny'd make it past the opening credits before he walked out." Lisa whispered to Mick, failing spectacularly at actually holding back her laughter. Next to her, Mick cackled aloud and shoved a fist full of popcorn into his mouth.
"Told ya didn't I? Len's a real pussy when it comes to all this fluffy shit. I practically know Len better than he knows himself." Mick replied with a sneer as he shoved yet another mouthful of popcorn into his mouth.
"Well i'd certainly hope you do. After all, you've been 'Off Again On Again' dating him for like 15 years now or something." she whispered, still trying her best not to bother the other people in the theater.
"Closer to 17 years actually, but yeah, suppose you're right." Mick said with a shrug.
"'Suppose you're right'? Is that all that statement warrants? C'mon Mick, don't be like that." Lisa said, unaware she was speaking louder with every word.
"Then what exactly does it warrant Lisa?" He replied, the indifferent in his tone was almost palpable.
"You're really asking your boyfriends little sister that? Mick, you're a complete fucking dolt sometimes..." Lisa said with a huff.
"Sometimes?" Axel said much louder than he intended to, much to Marks amusement. Mick stood up in his chair and growled over at the two cackling rogues, his fists balled tight and body language radiating an unmistakable aggression.
"Oh, you think that's funny? How funny are you gonna find it when I grab your stupid fuckin' mousy face and smash it into the seats in front on ya until you look like you've stared into the Arc of the Covenant!"Mick spat while he lurched forward towards Axel, stopping dead in his tracks when both Lisa and Mark jumped up out of their seats and to The Tricksters defense.
"Mick, back off!" Lisa said, her hand placed firmly on Mick's chest.
"Lisa's right. Enough already Mick. Sit DOWN!" Mark said menacingly.
"WILL YOU THREE JUST SIT DOWN ALREADY! I CAN'T EVEN THINK STRAIGHT NEVER END MIND PAY ATTENTION TO THE DAMN MOVIE!" screeched one of the movie-goers.
"HONESTLY WILL YOU ALL JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP! MY KIDS ARE TRYING TO WATCH THE FUCKING MOVIE!" Chimed in another.
"YEAH! IT WAS BAD ENOUGH WHEN THAT STUPID CUNT IN THE LEATHER WOULDN'T STOP YAKING TO WRECK-IT-RALPH ON THE END, BUT NOW YOU'RE ALL INVOLVED? SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY!" screamed a male voice with venom dripping off the icy tone.
Both Mark and Mick turned and looked towards Lisa with a fearful look in their eyes. The last time someone had called Lisa the C-word it hadn't ended well, in fact last they'd heard the man was still in a coma and it didn't look like he was waking up any time soon. And they were right to be worried if the look on Lisa's face was anything to go on. Staring at the faceless voice before her as her own face quickly began turning into a deep shade of purple, Lisa opened her mouth to say something before she was ever so rudely interrupted by none other than Axel leaping over several sets of seats and hooking the the man who dared to call Lisa that absolutely despicable name right across the face with a bone-shattering wallop.
"Didn't anyone tell you it ain't nice to talk to a lady that way?" hissed Axel in a demonic tone as the man before him wheezed aloud and spat out a mouthful of blood and teeth. Axel didn't have much time to revel in his victory before another one of the Theater goers jumped into the fray, slamming his fist into the smaller males nose with as much force as he could muster and successfully knocking Axel to the floor with a loud and painful sounding grunt. Before Axel had even hit the floor, Mark too had begun leaping over the rows of seats to defend his fallen comrade, drop kicking Axel's attacker right in the chest and sending him flying backwards and flipping over the row of seats behind them.
"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HIM YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" roared Mark as he quickly regained his balance and leaped forward and onto the stunned male, throwing punch after punch into his slimy face, oblivious to the escalating drama around him.
Lisa looked up at Mick and flashed her honorary older brother a quick smirk. She had to admit, watching Mark and Axel jump in to defend her honor without even really thinking about it was oddly flattering. Reaching into her bag with withdrawing her signature weapon, Lisa clicked the gun off of standby and prepared it for action. Placing a hand onto Mick's shoulder, Lisa gave it a small squeeze before she too took off like a bolt of lightening towards the increasingly wild fight up the back of the dark Theater.
"We can continue this little conversation later, now are you coming or what?" she bellowed back at Mick as she fired a shot from her Gold-Gun into the crowd, the shot connecting with one of the brawlers chests and almost instantly covering him head to toe in a thick layer of solid gold.
Out in the Lobby, Cold handed over a crisp looking $5 note and thanked the cashier as she handed him his light blue slush-drink. The irony wasn't lost on him. Grasping it firmly in his hands, Cold ducked his head down and quickly made his way through the packed Lobby and towards the doors leading back into the Theater and more importantly, that god awful movie. Feeling his chest tighten with every step he took, Cold quickly upped the pace at which he walked. Cold had never been a big fan of crowds. They made him feel uneasy and the lack of control he felt in them wasn't something he was comfortable with, but hell, he'd deal with a million crowds with a damn smile if it meant not having to watch another second of this fucking movie.
Pushing past the final few people with mumbled apologies and sympathetic glances, Cold just about threw himself through the double doors and into the Theater. Against all odds he'd survived the crowd and safely made it back to the movie, and he genuinely couldn't be any prouder of himself.
"God, that was tougher than dealing with that fucking Gorilla" he muttered to himself as he stalked forward and re-submerged himself in the darkness of the Theater and unfortunately made his way back to that damn movie, but before he could breath easy just yet he froze on the spot when he got a good eyeful of the chaos that had descended upon the room in the whole 5 minutes he'd been away getting a damn drink. Up the back of the Theater he could spot Mick, Lisa, Mark and Axel all slap bang in the dead centre of a massive brawl that seemed to include everyone currently being subjected to the awful movie. Cold had to admit, from a distance his little team's ability to work together was extremely impressive. Their flow was air-tight and their communication skills seemed to be top-notch if the way they were playing off of each other was anything to go on. How things had changed since their first foray together just over a month ago. If only Grodd could seem them now.
Placing his still full slushie into one of the cup-holders on the arms of the Theater chairs and sliding out of his parka, Cold delicately placed his jacket down over the same chair and let out an exasperated sigh as he cracked his knuckles. Oh well, one for all and all for one, or whatever that bullshit saying was. Roaring like a spartan warrior as he charged towards the manic fight before him with reckless abandon, Cold tackled one of the taller men to the floor and began smashing the males face into the sticky floor while his fellow rogues continued to hold their own around him. He had already thought it once tonight, but this only made it official. Captain Cold really hated to admit it, but he could get used to this.
Back at the apartment, The infamous Central City Rogues all moaned and groaned as they trudged into the apartment, looking incredibly worse for wear. Cold was the first to stumble in, his completely melted slush-drink pressed against the side of his now massively swollen face, grunting every few seconds as he slowly made his way up the stairs and towards his room. Behind Cold trailed Lisa and Mick, both already sporting painful looking black eyes and Mick missing one of his front teeth. Lisa said nothing as she walked straight past the living room and into her bedroom, slamming the door shut without even so much as a good night to the rest of them, although from within her room a painful groan could be heard she she flopped down onto her mattress. It wasn't going to be an easy night.
At the bottom of the stairs, Mick look up towards Cold and thought about the conversation he and Lisa had earlier on that evening. Mick squirmed uncomfortably on the spot and bit his bottom lip anxiously. He sure hoped he wouldn't regret this. Taking off up the stairs and after the man he called 'Len', Mick sped up in an attempt to catch Cold before he locked himself away for the night.
"Yo Lenny, wait up, i uh, i gotta talk to you."
Also eventually edging his way into the apartment was Mark, with a fast asleep Axel being carried in the taller males arms like some kind of precious cargo. Out of the 5 of them Mark seemed to be in the best shape as besides a scratch or two here and there he looked perfectly fine. The smaller male bundled up in his arms however wasn't doing quite as well if the broken nose and slick trail of blood coating the bottom half of his face and most of his t-shirt were anything to go on. Kicking the front door shut behind him and somehow managing to lock it without dropping the sleeping male in his arms, Mark carried on to Axel's room at the end of the hall. Silently pushing the door open, Mark softly tread forward towards the bed and carefully lay the still sleeping Axel down gently on the comfortable spongy surface. Looking down at the sleeping male and smiling to himself as he did, Mark began to step back and towards the door when Axel's hand shot up and grabbed Mark's, a small wiry smirk clearly visible on Axel's exhausted looking features.
"Yo Mark, thanks for tonight man. I had fun." Axel said, his voice wavering as he stared up at Mark with heavy-lidded eyes.
"Besides the whole 'Broken Nose" thing i'm willing to bet, right?" Mark whispered with a chuckle as he sat down on the edge of Axel's bed, his eyes still firmly locked with with tired looking males and their hands still entwined.
"It wasn't ideal i'll admit, but you get what i mean. Thanks for sticking up for me back there. It means a lot dude..." Axel muttered as he rolled around in his bed, desperately trying to get more comfortable before allowing himself to fall asleep. There was a few moments of silence between the two men, although it wasn't awkward. Clearing his throat and sniffing breathlessly, Axel sighed to himself and sat back up in bed before leaning against the wall behind him. He looked towards Mark and felt his confidence waver, his body language shifting from exhausted to nervous almost instantly. Axel was almost 100% sure he'd come to regret this, but here goes nothing.
"Listen, Mark. I dont suppose you'd, y'know... wanna grab a drink some time? Or maybe go out to dinner or something like that?" said Axel, his fingers drumming along his knees nervously while his eyes glanced around the room, looking anywhere but towards the man sat in front of him.
"What? Like a, uhh... like a date?" Mark said, an unmistakable redness slowly beginning to creep onto his cheeks as they spoke.
"Yeah, like a date" Axel said, swallowing loudly, the silence in the room around them seemed much more oppressive than it had just a few moment's ago. Mark looked at Axel with wide-eyes and opened his mouth to say something before slamming it shut again, instead simply nodding at the other male. A wide infectious smile slowly began to surface on the taller males face as he continued to nod, apparently unable to stop.
"Yeah. That uh, that sounds really good" Mark said nervously. Across from him, Axel looked ecstatic at Mark's answer.
"Awesome. Fuckin' awesome man. It's a date then." Axel said in a hushed tone as he too began to turn a marvelous shade of red. Across from him, Mark leaned over the bed and planted a gentle kiss onto Axel's forehead before he rose to his feet and made his way towards the door. Axel blushed and collapsed back into bed, immediately wrapping himself up tight in the covers and facing the wall to hide the massive grin that refused to leave his face from Mark. He didn't want to embarrass himself by looking like a lovesick teenager, so facing the wall was the best alternative.
"Night Axel" Mark whispered as he stepped out into the hallway, looking back in and towards the now perfectly still frame laying underneath the covers.
"Goodnight yourself hot-stuff" Axel whispered in a cheeky tone as Mark carefully shut the bedroom door behind him.
Upstairs in Cold's bedroom, the only noise that could be heard penetrating the total silence was the sound of Lenny's deep snoring as both Mick and Lenny lay under the covers the massive king sized bed, with Mick playing the part of the big spoon and Lenny effortlessly slipping into the role of the little spoon. While the grey-haired male slept peacefully in his arms, Mick looked up towards the ceiling with a content smile on his rough features and thought on the conversation he had with Lisa earlier that evening. After all the time they'd spent together over the last 17 years, Mick truly wasn't sure what he and Lenny considered themselves anymore. To say it was complicated would be the biggest under-statement of the millenium. But none of that mattered really. As he lay in the warm bed with Lenny's slender frame pressed against his own, Mick finally closed his eyes and surrendered his body to sleeps warm embrace. Mick honestly couldn't care less about name-tags. He was happy, and that was all that mattered.