"Bring in the prisoner!" Flurious bellowed.

His chillers, the icy rock foot soldiers that he employed, shuffled the struggling prisoner in tattered clothes into the frost-covered throne room. They forced him to kneel on the icy ground in front of their master.

"Heh, if you wanted me on my knees, you only had to ask," Daken replied weakly. "I'm already curious to see if the tundra matches the iceberg."

Flurious sneered and motioned for his chillers to punch Daken in the nose. Daken could feel his nose breaking. It would heal, but that didn't stop it from hurting like a bitch.

"You stand here accused of stealing my gyroscopic technology," Flurious said. "Given that I saw you doing it with my own eyes, I won't be requiring a plea from you. It's your accomplices that I desire. Where are they?"

"Long gone by now," Daken said mournfully.

"No honor amongst thieves I see," Flurious remarked. "How unfortunate for you."

"You're wrong about that," Daken remarked.

"Oh am I?" Flurious asked. "Your friends abandoned you and allowed you to be captured by me. Knowing myself as well as I do, I can say with absolute certainty how horrible a fate they've left you to."

"I asked them to," Daken said.

"And why would you ever do so fool a thing?" Flurious asked.

Daken smirked. "Let me tell you the whole story. It all started when Steve and I got to this world and met Trakeena. She seemed like a threat at first, but she actually proved quite helpful..."

"Remind a tiger that he can't change his stripes?" Trakeena asked. "Only tiger around here I can think of is Benglo, one of the Fearcats. He and his partner Mig used to work for Imperious. He liked how treacherous they were."

"Fearcats? Really?" Daken asked. "I think I just got cancer from that pun."

"Imperious must want his old allies back," Steve remarked. "He's building up his forces to take down the Overtakers."

"The Fearcats are powerful and devious," Trakeena pointed out. "Whatever Imperious is planning, he'll be able to accomplish it easily with the Fearcats by his side."

"I think the Queen of Darkness and the God of the Underworld will be fine against a couple of cats," Daken pointed out.

"You have no idea how many planets they've destroyed singlehandedly," Trakeena argued. "Don't underestimate them."

Steve sighed. "Well no matter how powerful these cats are, we're gonna have to get them to Imperious. His blackmail over me is too strong to ignore."

"I can take you to their base," Trakeena offered. "On one condition."

"You want us to bring you back to the living realm too," Daken guessed.

"Exactly, though I actually really like the sound of these Overtakers," Trakeena replied. "I'm more than happy to be a team player. If you let me."

"If your information pans out, you got it," Steve said.

"Of course," Daken continued, "you already know what we found when we got there."

The Fearcats' lair was freezing cold. Daken hugged his jacket closer to feel warm.

"I didn't know cats like the cold so much," Daken quipped.

"They don't," Trakeena said. "Something's wrong."

Daken, Steve, and Trakeena rounded the corner into the main part of the lair to find an immense ice formation with frozen fractals protruding in every direction. Though their image was blurred by the ice, Daken could make out the two Fearcats frozen solid within the ice.

"This is bad," Trakeena said. "Flurious must've gotten to them once Imperious wasn't around to protect them."

"Flurious? Again with the puns?" Daken asked. "Who is this creep?"

"An ice elemental, obviously," Trakeena said. "He's a powerful warlord. Not as powerful as Mesogog or Dark Specter but-"

"I AM TEN TIMES MORE POWERFUL THAN MESOGOG OR DARK SPECTER YOU INSOLENT MOHAWKED MORON!" Flurious interrupted.

"Hey, hey, who's telling the story here?" Daken asked. "Chill out!"

Flurious growled at that pun but remained silent.

"Now then," Daken said. "Where was I?"

"Not as powerful as Mesogog or Dark Specter, but he's trouble," Trakeena finished explaining.

"Well that's just great," Steve sighed. "The Fearcats were the WHOLE REASON we got sent here, and now I have NOTHING to bring back to Imperious."

Steve started pacing frantically.

"I'm fucked," Steve said. "Royally, thoroughly fucked. He's gonna show that video to Maleficent, and then I'm gonna be dead and then Russell's probably gonna be dead. Everything I've worked for will be gone!"

"Look, Steve," Daken chimed in. "Maybe you're missing the direct alternative: just kill Imperious and be done with it."

"Oh, yeah, sure Daken," Steve said. "I'll just walk up to Imperious, one of the most powerful dark sorcerers in the universe, and snap his neck. Brilliant! Why the fuck didn't I think of that before, Daken? Oh yeah, because it's a fucking BAD IDEA!"

"Somebody's cranky," Daken grumbled.

"Actually, killing Imperious isn't that bad of an idea," Trakeena remarked. "I could do it, though I'd need something first."

"What's your price?" Steve asked with a sigh.

"No, not that kind of 'need something'," Trakeena clarified. "I mean, I'm not powerful enough to defeat him right now, but I can be. My green insectoid form is more powerful than Imperious could ever hope to be! But I can't take that form again without some form of power-up. The cocoon I used the first time is gone."

"Anything we can get while we're here in this world?" Steve asked.

Trakeena thought about it for a moment. The last time she'd tried to take that form again, it involved stealing the souls of innocent civilians, but that would take time and a lot of machinery. Her eyes drifted to the Fearcats cased in ice, and an idea struck her.

"Flurious's gyroscopes!" Trakeena said. "He used them to make the Fearcats even more powerful than before. I'm sure they'll work for me, and I know for a fact that he's still got some tucked away."

"Then that's what we've gotta do," Steve said. "We need a plan."

At that moment, Daken noticed a trickle of blood pouring from Steve's ear.

"You're bleeding," he pointed out.

"It's just the bleeds," Steve said as he wiped it off. "When a vampire hasn't gone to ground in over twenty hours, they bleed a bit from their ears and noses. It's not a big deal. Just means I haven't slept. It's easy to forget to do when you can daywalk."

"If we're going to attack Flurious, you need to be sharp and well-rested," Daken said. "Let's make camp here for a few hours, and then we can proceed with our mission."

Trakeena nodded in agreement. "I'll take the first watch."

"Trakeena's green form, eh?" Flurious asked. "That's why you stole my gyroscopes?"

"Yes," Daken said. "But let's not get too ahead of ourselves with the story. After Trakeena tagged out and I took over the watch, something happened that I didn't count on."

Daken was warming himself by the fire when he saw Steve get up and approach.

"Have a nice nap?" Daken asked.

"Yeah, I'm feeling better now," Steve said as he sat next to Daken. "Trakeena still asleep?"

"She is," Daken answered. "I'm gonna give her another hour before I wake her."

"Do you trust her?" Steve asked.

"I don't trust anybody," Daken said. "But do I believe that she's being honest about her intentions? Yes, I do."

"Good enough for me," Steve said.

Daken noticed that Steve was twiddling his fingers anxiously. It was almost cute how nervous he was.

"Relax," Daken said. "Everything's going to work out fine. You and I've made it out of worse situations than this together. After what we went through with the goblins, stealing some shit from Frosty the Snowman should be a cakewalk."

"But killing Imperious?" Steve asked. "Covering up for what I did? Eventually someone's gonna find out, and then I'm through. Maleficent's wrath'll be quick and painful."

Daken eyed him suspiciously. "What exactly does Imperious have on you?"

"Can't tell you that," Steve said.

"Why not?" Daken asked.

"Because I know your type, Daken!" Steve said. "You're dangerous. You're the type of guy I'd be stupid to trust. I'd just be swapping out Imperious for you."

Daken hadn't expected Steve's reply to hurt the way that it did. It was true, sure, but that made it all the more painful.

"You really think so little of me?" Daken asked. "After everything we've been through?"

"After everything we've been through?" Steve asked with a cynical laugh. "Shall we take a walk down memory lane? You were manipulating me constantly when I was in charge of the Overtakers, you baited me into using the dragon tooth, and you only saved me because you knew Russell would kill you if you didn't. That history is why I'm supposed to trust you? HA! Give me a fucking break!"

Daken shrugged. "Nobody's perfect. And I thought we got past that in the Kingpin's cell."

"We did," Steve said. "But there's a difference between forgiving someone and trusting them."

"I'm here with you, aren't I?" Daken asked.

"Yeah, and I still don't fully know why," Steve said. "Are you being sincere or is this the pheromones? Are you just using me and manipulating me? Probably so given your track record."

"If I was using my pheromones to that extreme, you'd have already told me what Imperious was blackmailing you with," Daken said dead seriously. "It's not mind control. It's a manipulation of emotions through scent. I can lead your actions and push you in specific directions, but it's not like I can just order you to do some things and then not do it for others."

"Then why, huh?" Steve asked. "Why did you come along?"

Daken smirked. "Come on, you can't tell me what you don't feel that spark between us."

Steve was silent for a moment before replying. "I'm with Russell."

"That's not a no," Daken pointed out. "Besides, are you and Russell even still semi-functional?"

"I'm not denying that we've been kind of distant lately," Steve said. "But that doesn't mean that I don't still love him."

"Well I don't see Russell here with you now when you're dealing with all of this bullshit," Daken said. "Just like he wasn't there when we were in the Kingpin's dungeons. I was. The way I see it, you'd be much better off with me than Russell."

"Russell may not be perfect, and our relationship might need some work," Steve replied as he stood up. "But Russell's got a good heart. He loves me, and I love him. He'd do anything for me. But you? All you care about is yourself, Daken. And that's why you and I could never work out."

Steve walked off, leaving Daken with a lot weighing on his mind.

"I don't care about your SOAP OPERA!" Flurious yelled. "GET TO THE PART THAT CONCERNS ME!"

"Well you already know what happened next," Daken said. "Trakeena, Steve, and I infiltrated your igloo and stole your gyroscope. You saw us, bellowed some angry curses, and sent a bunch of your snowflakes after us."

"The return point is just over this ridge!" Steve said as the trio ran across the dark plains.

A squadron of chillers roared as they surround the trio. Trakeena blasted through the chillers with her staff. Daken sliced the ones closest to him into ribbons. Steve ran at vampiric speeds through the crowd, ripping them apart faster than they could react. Yet every time one of them was destroyed, it simply respawned again.

"No good," Trakeena said. "This is where all slain monsters end up. We kill them, they'll just keep respawning."

"We've only got three minutes until Broodwing beams us back," Steve said as he checked the time. "We're not gonna make it!"

Daken looked over the hoard of chillers then back at Steve. He knew there was one possible outcome where Steve could make it. Steve's words from earlier rang in his ears. "All you care about is yourself, Daken." If there was any time to prove him wrong, now was it.

Daken turned around and pulled Steve into a passionate kiss. At first Steve seemed resistant until finally he melted into it. As Daken pulled out of it, Steve's expression was confused. Daken smirked as he shoved Steve and Trakeena towards the return point.

"Go, I'll hold them off," Daken said.

Steve's confused expression became a hurt-puppy expression. "But Daken-"

"You said it yourself," Daken said. "It never would've worked out between us. Now GO! You don't have much time left."

"Come on!" Trakeena said, grabbing Steve by the hand and pulling him along.

The chillers tried to follow Steve and Trakeena, but Daken blocked their path. Daken cut down every chiller that even got close to making it past him. He turned around just in time to see Steve and Trakeena vanish into Broodwing's portal. Daken gave them a coy wave as they disappeared.

"Don't ever say that I'm predictable," Daken said to no one in particular as the chillers swarmed him.

"Well aren't you quite the hero," Flurious teased.

"I'm not a hero," Daken said. "Just a bastard."

"Well have it your way," Flurious said as he tightened his grip on his ice staff. "I hope they remember you fondly."

Daken smirked. "Let's just get on with it, shall we?"

With a thrust of his ice staff, Flurious unleashed a bolt of freezing ice energy that engulfed Daken. When the magic cleared, Daken was frozen solid in a block of ice, still wearing his trademark smirk. Flurious couldn't shake the feeling that the bastard had somehow won in this outcome. Never-the-less, Flurious refused to deny himself the pleasure of what came next. Flurious brought his ice staff down onto Daken.

Daken shattered into a million pieces.