Black Ice

Disclaimer: "Well, don't blame me. I voted for Kodos." - Homer Simpson, The Simpsons.

Author's Note: Hey fans! L1701E here! Basically, in the chapter, I took the history of one of the members of Freedom Force from the comics, and made a couple slight alterations, due to the character's age in the fic. I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 41: Sapphire Fallout Part 2: Shiro's Story

Bayville Mall

The building that was once the Bayville Mall was a wreck. The glass panels were shattered, stores were wrecked, walls were frozen, and people were frayed. The local police were gathered around the area, and with them was Contessa Fontaine, the adult caretaker of Freedom Force. She was explaining to them what was going on, and how to deal with the situation. Meanwhile, in a nearby alley, a figure dressed in a hat and trenchcoat was watching the scene, the darkness obscuring the figure.

"Perfect…" The figure grinned widely. "Absolutely perfect. This area will be a great spot to begin. Those X-Men clowns are down, and Freedom Force and those rejects Nightshift are also unable to do anything at the moment. I can destroy them all with practically one blow." The figure's eyes started glowing electronic green.

Freedom Force HQ

"I knew this would happen." John "Thunderbird" Proudstar groused. "I knew this would happen. We let that twisted psycho Drake into the team, and look what happened." The young mutants were recovering at Freedom Force headquarters. They were feeling pretty dismal. After all, not too long ago, one of their own went mad and went on a rampage. They were sitting in their meeting room.

"Don't start, John. Please don't start." Lila grunted, lying back on her chair.

"Oh, come on, Cheney!" The Apache powerhouse snapped at the dark-haired interstellar teleporter. "You can't be telling me that you're still sticking up for him!"

"Man, this is bad. Real bad, man." Rictor sighed, shaking his head. The Mexican sonic generator was sitting on the couch, a bandage around his head. "What did this to him?"

"Whatever it was, it screwed ol' Drake up badly." Ace "Wildstar" Starr sighed. He was sitting with his feet up on the table, his normal position. Terrell "Velocity" Mason sighed.

"You know, I think Bobby is a bit of a jerk, to be honest with you." The Compton-born speedster admitted honestly. "I really did. But, my grandma is a church-goer, and she would tell me that forgiveness is an important virtue."

"Sounds like your grandma was a good woman." Lila nodded.

"She is." Terrell nodded. "I get in trouble, she put me in line."

"I hate this." John growled. "We let that lunatic Drake run around and look what happened! Mr. I'm-An-Angry-Jerk goes insane, and tries to kill us!" John angrily slammed his fist on the table, nearly breaking it. "I thought he was a little punk from the moment he nearly let me fall off a cliff!"

"The Thunderbolt thinks that something is seriously up here." Kyle crossed his arms and shook his head.

"Don't tell me you're still on the Bobby Bandwagon." John groaned.

"It's just the Thunderbolt thinks that this whole thing with Bobby is kinda like Star Wars." Kyle noted.

"Yeah, that's why you kept calling him Anakin." Lila noted. Kyle nodded.

"Yeah." He confirmed. "Iceman reminds the Thunderbolt of Anakin Skywalker."

"Great, the sci-fi geek speaks." John praised sarcastically. "We have all just grown a little wiser by being in his presence." Kyle glared.

"Don't you start knockin' sci-fi, jabroni! The Thunderbolt has seen you watch Star Trek, and he knows you envy Captain Kirk, Birdbrain." Kyle shot back. John growled.

"Alright you two, break it up." Shan "Karma" Coy held out her hands to keep them in their seats. "Bobby's locked up at Stokes now."

"It's not right, Karma." Lila sighed. "It really isn't. Poor guy is in there all alone."

"It's more than what he deserves if you ask me." John groused. Ace got up.

"I'm going over there to pay a visit to him." The feral announced. "He needs a friend." Kyle noticed something.

"Hey, where's Gina? And Sushi?" Kyle noted.

"Awww, you miss Gina." Shan teased.

"Oh shut up." Kyle growled, cheeks slightly reddening. On the roof of the headquarters, one Gina "Botanica" Tolensky was sitting cross-legged, staring up at the night sky.

"As you Americans would say, penny for your thoughts?" A voice piped up, unintentionally interrupting Gina. The Italian-American girl looked to the side and saw Shiro hovering nearby. He bowed. "Forgive me for interrupting you." Gina blinked.

"It's okay." Gina nodded. "I wasn't doing anything."

"Something bothering you?" The Japanese solar-powered mutant sat down next to Gina.

"Just…" She shook her head. "Just all the stuff today. With Bobby and all the stuff he did…" She sighed. "Why? I knew him before all this. What did all this to him?" Shiro sighed.

"I wish I knew." The Solar Samurai admitted. "But I can imagine why." Gina blinked. "I saw it in his eyes. He wanted revenge. He let it consume him. I've seen eyes like his before. A long time ago. It started many years ago." He looked at Gina. "Do you know how the Second World War ended?"

"Not really." Gina shook her head. "I was never a history fan." Shiro nodded.

"The war ended when the United States dropped two atomic bombs on my home country of Japan. In particular, on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombs devastated my country. It destroyed cities, killed innumerable amounts of people on impact and later on due to radiation, and wounded Japan's pride. It forced Japan's surrender. One of the survivors was my grand-uncle Tomo."

"It must've hurt him deeply." Gina sympathetically put her hand on the older mutant's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"You do not need to apologize. It was not your fault." Shiro reassured. "Let me continue. Anyway, my grand-uncle was a nationalist through-and-through, a proud supporter of the Emperor. He had lost his immediate family due to the bombs, and he was angered by Japan's surrender. He eventually grew to hate the United States. He had a nephew."

"A nephew?"

"Yes." Shiro nodded. "My father, Saburo Yoshida. In a twist of irony, he ended up becoming a diplomat. He was a good man. He raised me and my sister alone for a lot of our lives."

"You have a sister?" Gina's eyes widened. Shiro's face formed a small smile.

"Yes. Her name is Leyu. She's a mutant like myself with the same powers I have. Perhaps I will let you meet her sometime. Anyway, Leyu and I pretty much grew up without a mother. She died of cancer when we were very young. My father and grand-uncle Tomo did not get along too well. They always disagreed. Tomo accused my father of being a traitor. My father told Tomo that the past should remain in the past. Anyway, despite my father's influence, Tomo convinced Leyu and I of his beliefs and that our father was wrong." He looked at Gina. "As you can see, I have quite a family." Gina nodded.

"Yeah." Gina blinked. "I guess he didn't take it too well that you were mutants."

"My father mostly never knew." Shiro responded. "Tomo first noticed that we may have been mutants when during a fire, he noticed that me and Leyu seemed rather unaffected by the heat of the flames. One day, he took us to Hiroshima, and he had us touch some of the soil."

"Why?" Gina blinked.

"Because even though it has been decades since the bombs were dropped, there are still traces of radiation in the area." Shiro explained. "Anyway, when we touched the soil, our powers emerged."

"How…how did Tomo react?" Gina blinked.

"He was thrilled." Shiro remembered. "He believed it was divine. He found his way to get revenge: Use the power that his grand-niece and grand-nephew possessed to attack the United States in the name of Japan. My father never knew. Tomo secretly taught us how to use our powers and he gave us our costumes and codenames of Sunfire and Sunpyre." Shiro looked up at the sky. "The moment I shall never forget. Tomo took me and Leyu and secretly followed my father to Washington, D.C. My father was there for a conference. To make a long story short, Sunpyre and myself attacked the United States Capitol, where the conference members were at the time. They had to call the National Guard on us."

"Wow." Gina blinked.

"During the battle, our masks got blown off. Saburo recognized us and he was horrified. He told us what were doing was wrong, and we were just furthering the dreams of a bitter old man. Of course, being as young as we were, we ignored him. We told him he had forgotten about Japan. He countered that there were mistakes, but the time had come to forgive, learn, and go on. After a conversation, we realized he had a point. Tomo couldn't let go of his anger at America. He…" The Japanese mutant drooped his head. "He leapt out of the crowd, and cried out that my father was a traitor." A small tear dropped down Shiro's eye. "He…he shot my father and killed him. Right in front of us. As he laid dying in mine and Leyu's arms, he forgave us and told us to use our powers for peace. He also told us that he loved us, and to not let revenge take over our lives like Tomo did. Overcome by rage, I incinerated Tomo." Shiro sighed sadly. Gina couldn't believe it.

"Didn't you get in trouble?" Gina blinked. Shiro shook his head.

"No. Diplomatic immunity." Shiro sighed. "After we returned to Japan, Leyu and I became Japan's National Heroes as a form of penance we put upon ourselves. That's one of the reasons I joined Freedom Force, despite my initial desire to refuse." There was silence between the two for a small while.

"Do…do you miss them?" Gina wondered. Shiro nodded silently.

"Yes. I sometimes think about them. I did love them." Shiro sighed. "I do miss them very much. At some time, Tomo was a good man. And my father was a good man himself." He looked at Gina. "You see? I know what revenge can do. It nearly destroyed my family." Gina nodded.

"Yeah." The Italian-American girl agreed. "I see that now. Your grand-uncle Tomo wanted revenge against America, and it consumed and killed him. Bobby wanted revenge, and now look at him." Shiro nodded. Gina sighed. "I guess revenge isn't worth it."

"No." Shiro shook his head. "It's not." Gina nodded.

"I see what you're trying to do, Shiro." Gina sighed sadly. She looked up at Shiro, a tear in her eye. "I get it. I'd be no better than the Hellfire Club if I went after them for revenge."

"Indeed." Shiro smiled. "I'm glad you understand now."

"I do." Gina nodded. "I see it now. I really do."

Next: Sapphire Fallout Part 3: Confrontation Ace pays a visit to Bobby Drake in Stokes, and Elizabeth confronts Lucas over an incident at the Institute a long time ago.