Black Ice

Author's Note: Hello to all my fans! This is L1701E! Sadly, due to new rules, authors are no longer allowed to write responses to their reviewers, so there will be no more review responses written by me. I hope this doesn't stop anyone from reviewing my stories, because I do appreciate them. Thank you for understanding, and enjoy this new chapter!

Disclaimer: "I want more POWER!" Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), from Green Lantern #48

Chapter 2: Sapphire Twilight Part 2: Frozen Rage!

Freedom Force HQ

FWAM!

In a flash of white light, Lila Cheney appeared in the middle of Bobby Drake's room. Her arm was wrapped around the waist of a struggling Bobby, and she had one of his arms wrapped around her shoulders.

"Uhhhnh!" Bobby howled. He struggled out of Lila's arms, leapt into a dark corner of his room, and started rocking again, moaning. "Uhhnh! Uhn! Nuh!"

"YOU GUYS!" Lila yelled as she ran out of Bobby's room.

Some time later

"How could you let him walk into a situation like that, Lila?" Karma snapped. She and the rest of Freedom Force were gathered in the living room, except for two.

"I didn't intend to, Shan!" Lila snapped back. "That robbery just happened! I don't know what made Bobby act like that, but I tried to stop him from getting hurt."

"Great job, Cheney." John grunted on the couch, crossing his arms.

"I'd like to see you try, Proudstar!" Lila snapped at the Apache powerhouse. A growling John got up.

"Hey, cool your jets, you two!" Ace got between them. "Let's try not killing each other, huh?"

"I still say we should throw the little loon out on the street." John grumbled.

"That's cruel, John!" Lila snapped in Bobby's defense.

"Why are you defending him?" The Apache warrior snapped at the dark-haired interstellar teleporter. "Are you crazy, too? When we last battled Virus, he was willing to attack us just to get at him!"

"I think it's because she likes him, that's why." Rictor snickered. Lila glared at the young Hispanic sonic generator. "Oh come on, Cheney! We all know you've been leaping to that guy's defense ever since he first came here!"

"I feel sorry for him, okay?" Lila grunted. "Unlike that jerk Proudstar, I think he's just got a lot of issues."

"Straying from his path, the Jedi is." Kyle quipped. "Get back on the right track, we must help him."

"Oh, stop Yoda!" John groaned. "You think he's nuts, too!"

"Hey, that may be true, but the Thunderbolt likes the guy, jabroni." Kyle shrugged. "He reminds the Thunderbolt a lot of Anakin Skywalker. You know, young and troubled." Meanwhile, Gina was standing at the door of Bobby's room, staring. She actually was staring through the door, thinking.

"Penny for your thoughts, as the Western saying goes." Shiro looked at the plant manipulator. Gina turned and looked at the Japanese solar generator.

"What happened to him?" Gina wondered.

"I do not know. But I can deduce." Shiro shrugged. "My guess is, Bobby had gone through another emotional meltdown."

"Another meltdown?" Gina's eyes widened. "Oh, God…"

"When I first met Robert Drake…he was a lot like you, Gina." Shiro remembered. "His eyes revealed an intense fire. Like you, he desires vengeance. In your case, against the Hellfire Club. In his…no one knows but him. His anger has grown like a cancer. He refused to let go of it…and I fear it may have consumed him."

"Shiro…I was thinking." Gina wondered. "I feel so guilty about what I did under Shaw's control."

"It was not your fault-"

"Yes it is, Shiro." Gina sighed. "Their blood is on my hands. Shaw didn't kill anyone, I did."

"You were a puppet, Gina. Nothing more. You were not responsible." Shiro countered. "Something about your ordeal confuses me."

"What?"

"Why did the Hellfire Club use you?" Shiro wondered. "There are lots of mutants out there. Why you? What was so special about you?" Gina sighed.

"My uncle Daniel joined the Hellfire Club, that's why." Gina growled. "He killed my grandmother, and then offered me up to Shaw, and they turned me into an assassin." A tear went down the Italian girl's cheek. "I murdered people, Shiro. I'm a killer. That's all I can do with my powers." Shiro shook his head.

"And you think you can redeem yourself by destroying the Hellfire Club?" Gina nodded at Shiro's question. The Japanese mutant shook his head. "I cannot allow you to continue down your path."

"Why?" Gina growled. "It's the only way!"

"It isn't, Gina. I have been there myself." Shiro explained. "Revenge only destroys. Bobby wanted revenge against Virus, and look at him now. Do you think murder is the answer? You did kill, but because you were not in possession of your own free will."

"When I look at myself in the mirror, I see a monster." Gina admitted. "Not Gina Tolensky. I don't see Gina Tolensky. I see an inhuman creature who wiped out innocent lives."

"You believe your honor is stained." Shiro noted.

"This isn't about honor."

"Yes, it is." Shiro stopped her. "This is about the fact that you were dishonored. You were under mind control when you first killed. You will have your free will when you go seek your revenge."

"I-!"

"Let's say that you do achieve your revenge." Shiro suggested. "What then? What'll your future be?"

"I'll have my life back."

"No, you will not." Shiro warned. "You will be hunted. You will have become a murderer. You will have sunk down to their pathetic level and become no better than they were. Can you imagine it, Gina? Can you imagine yourself living on the lam? Living as a fugitive all your life? And if you get caught…you'll spend the rest of your days in prison. Or perhaps get the needle, as it probably would work in your country. Your precious revenge will have destroyed your life. Do you want that?" Gina opened her mouth, but she stopped herself.

"…What do you mean?" Gina asked.

"What I mean is, revenge has a price, Gina." Shiro explained. "A price too high to pay."

"But they made me into a killer, Shiro." Gina remembered. "I couldn't fight it!"

"You couldn't." Shiro knelt down and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "No one is angry at you. I do not think you're a monster. You have a soul. The Hellfire Club will pay, but not like this. Gina, they used you as a sword. When a sword kills, the swordsman is held responsible, not the sword. You may have caused their deaths, but they were the ones who caused that to happen. You couldn't do anything to save them or stop yourself."

"But…" Gina sighed. She looked down. "How can I live with what I've done?"

"Learn from it." Shiro answered. "Turn your tragedy into triumph."

"How?"

"That is up to you, my friend." Shiro's face let out a small smile. He walked off. Gina sighed.

Maybe Shiro has a point. Gina admitted to herself. I hate the Hellfire Club for what they did to me, but…Shiro has a point. If I did kill them of my own free will…I'd be no better than them.

"Hey." A familiar Boston-accented voice piped up. Gina turned and saw Kyle standing there.

"What do you want, Kyle?" Gina grunted. Kyle shrugged.

"Just to tell you that Sushi over there has a point." Kyle added. "He and the Thunderbolt may not agree often, but he does have a point. As Grampa Wildfire once said, 'Revenge is like a lemon car: it looks great, but the inner workings are terrible and the price is too much'." Gina blinked. "Yeah, Grampa Wildfire was always pretty wise." Meanwhile, in Bobby's room, something bad was going down. The ice-maker was sitting in the corner of his room.

Not again…not again…Bobby whimpered. Not again…I got hurt because of Elizabeth again…Why? Why does she haunt me? Why did she turn on me? God, it hurts…I got betrayed over and over…No more. Bobby's eyes narrowed and started to glow. Never again. I will not be betrayed. Never again. My family betrayed me…the X-Men betrayed me…Elizabeth betrayed me…Sam betrayed me… An evil smirk formed on the ice-maker's face. I'll make them pay…It's time for them to face my wrath…I think I'll pay my old buddies a visit…they're not going to like me when I get back to Bayville… He started to cackle.

A few minutes later

"Humph!" John Proudstar huffed in indignation as he sat on the couch, watching TV. "The others get to go out on a mission and possibly kick some butt, and I'm stuck here babysitting Mr. Crazy the Snowman."

"Tell me about it." Ace sighed. The feral mutant sat back in his chair and dialed up a number on a cordless telephone. "Now I gotta cancel that date I had tonight!" John smirked.

"Now you know how every other male on earth feels, Starr." John chuckled. "Which girl is it? The redhead? The blonde?"

"The one from Monaco." Ace answered, putting the phone to his face.

"Oh, man…" John rolled his eyes. Meanwhile, Bobby was watching them from his room. He was peeking at them through his door.

Fools… Bobby smirked evilly. Stupid fools…they have no idea what I have become. His body went through a transformation…

Next: Sapphire Twilight Part 3: Return to Bayville Bobby returns to Bayville, intent on enacting his revenge on those who have hurt him…