Black Ice
Disclaimer: "Which is why they focused on you and your yellow sheet." – Det. Ed Green, Law and Order
Author's Note: Sorry about the long delay, folks. My laptop got busted, and I had to get a new one. It took me a while, but I managed to get me a brand-spanking new laptop computer.
Chapter 44: Alliances
Freedom Force Headquarters, Los Angeles
Lila Cheney, the interstellar teleporter and Freedom Force member codenamed Starway, walked into Freedom Force Headquarters. She wiped a tear from her eye as she walked into the living room.
"About time you showed up!" Terrell Mason, the Compton-born speedster and aerokinetic codenamed Velocity zipped up to her. He was in costume. "Where have you been?" Lila sniffed.
"Just…" Lila sighed. "I just went to visit Bobby in Stokes."
"Oh." Terrell nodded. "I see. Had to visit, huh?" He noticed Lila was rather downcast. "You alright, girl?"
"Yeah." Lila nodded, wiping her eye.
"Bobby didn't do anything, did he?" Terrell asked. Lila shook her head at his question.
"No. No, he didn't." Lila sniffed. "Let's just say…I had to go to some rough parts of my past." Terrell nodded.
"I see."
"Yeah." Lila sighed. "I just had to be there for him. Just to show that he wasn't as alone as he believed."
"If you say so." Terrell shrugged. Lila then noticed something.
"Terrell, you're in costume." Lila noted.
"Thanks for pointing out the obvious." The African-American speedster snickered. His face then turned serious. "You'd better get into costume, too."
"Why, what happened?" Lila wondered.
"Well, we heard the Virus was in Bayville. Something weird is going on down there. And big." Terrell explained. "Come on!"
"Wait a minute." Lila stopped the speedster. "Bayville. Isn't that the X-Men's territory?"
"Yeah, but thanks to the Iceman, they aren't exactly in top fighting condition. We gotta go down to Bayville and try to hold the fort. But Karma is trying to get some help in taking him down."
"Who?" Lila blinked.
Dark Hollow
Knocking was heard from the front door of the home of Elizabeth Guthrie and Lucas Haller-Xavier.
"Alright, alright! Keep your pants on!" Elizabeth called out as she went to the door. "Alex, did you bother Lorna again…" Elizabeth opened the door, revealing Shan Coy, the Vietnamese mind-controller code-named Karma, standing there in costume. "Oh…Do we know you?"
"Elizabeth…" Lucas called. "What's going on here?" He walked up to the door. "Is it that blasted…Oh…" The telepath narrowed his eyes. "I recognize ye. You're in that group of mutants that attacked Bobby in the mall."
"Freedom Force." Karma explained. "I came simply to talk."
Some time later
Shan, Elizabeth, and Lucas all sat at a table.
"What do ye want, Miss…" Lucas scowled, crossing his arms.
"Karma. Call me Karma." Shan answered. "And there's a big problem in Bayville."
"What happened?" Elizabeth inquired.
"What didn't happen?" Lucas snorted. "That psychotic self-centered jerk Drake tried to kill us, and now we got you here…Karma."
"Yes." Shan nodded. "I lead Freedom Force. A team of young mutants trained by S.H.I.E.L.D. to handle superhuman crises."
"Ah, I see." Lucas smirked. "Ye work for the government. I bet they keep ye on a rather…short leash."
"Lucas!" Lizzie hissed.
"It's alright." Karma waved. "I'm not offended."
"Are ye here to recruit? Or are ye here tae possibly take us in?" Lucas scowled. "Because let me explain to ye something. Nightshift is not a group of mutants interested in playing 'superheroes'. Nor are we a bunch of criminals."
"Lucas!" Lizzie hissed louder. She turned to Shan. "Ah'm sorry about that. You see, Nightshift is just a bunch of mutants who just want to live quietly."
"I understand that." Karma sighed. "But…we do need your help."
"Why?" Lucas wondered. He quickly scanned Karma's mind, and he was able to tell she wasn't lying. It allowed him to relax a little, but he was still suspicious. After all, Lucas did know of S.H.I.E.L.D., thanks to his mentally scanning members of the X-Men during Nightshift's brawl with the X-Men and the Hellfire Club. (1)
"Well…I have to ask you." Karma leaned forward. "Have any of you heard of Virus?"
"Virus?" Lizzie blinked.
"English mutant." Shan explained. "Real name Vincent James, little, if anything, known about his past. He has the power to interface with electronics. He also has a mutant talent for invention, like the X-Man called Forge."
"Sounds like a real winner." Elizabeth crossed her arms.
"You wish." Shan shook her head. "He also happens to be an insane terrorist. He believes that he is a messiah. He thinks that machines once ruled the earth."
"Machines?" Lucas's face showed astonishment and slight disbelief. Shan nodded.
"Yes." Shan explained. "Virus believes that machines are on the verge of revolt. Machines want to rise up from the oppression of organic life and re-take the earth."
"Sounds like that Virus guy watched one too many of those strange Japanese cartoons as a kid." Lizzie shook her head.
"Probably." Shan nodded. "Some suggested that his mental state is partially a side-effect of his powers. Anyway, that's not why I'm here. Virus is initiating a master plan as we speak that could affect the entire world. Virus stole two important machines, and with them, combined with his powers…he plans to remake the world in his image. And he can, too."
"I'm sure ye can deal with him." Lucas grunted. "Or maybe ye can ask the X-Men. They specialize in that kind of stuff."
"We can't." Shan shook her head. "Bobby Drake…the Iceman…he attacked them. They're too injured to help." Lizzie's face dropped. Shan noticed this, and her face formed a sympathetic expression. "Are you alright, Miss…"
"…Guthrie. Elizabeth Guthrie. Call me Lizzie." Lizzie sighed sadly. She looked at Shan. "Is Bobby alright?"
"I cannae believe this!" Lucas grumbled. "That lunatic tried tae kill us, Lizzie! He's a monster!"
"It wasn't his fault, Lucas." Lizzie countered. "How is he, Karma? Do you know where he is now?" Karma sighed.
"Yeah. I do." Shan answered. "He's locked up in the mental ward at Stokes."
"The nuthouse is the least he deserves." Lucas scowled. "If I had my way…"
"Stop it, Lucas!" Lizzie snapped. "Ah feel bad enough about this whole Bobby situation without you acting like that!"
"Lizzie, ye didn't do anything." Lucas groaned. "It's Bobby's fault. Him and him alone. He was the one who went mad, he was the one who tried to slaughter us, and he…"
"And we were the ones who caused it!" Lizzie argued back. "Ah broke his heart, you attacked him, and that's how this whole business started!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Shan quickly put her hands up. "Look, I know this is a tough time for you two. Lizzie, you aren't the only one who failed the Iceman. I did, too."
"What do ye mean?" Lucas scowled. "Unless…" He put two and two together. "He was one of ye, wasn't he?"
"Yeah. He was." Shan admitted. "As the leader of Freedom Force, I tried to help Bobby out. However…" She drooped her head. "I wasn't able to."
"No kidding." Lucas grumbled. "Ye let that psychopath run around free. No wonder he…"
"Lucas, stop." Lizzie commanded. "Ah'm sorry. You have to forgive Lucas. He was some trust issues. Look Karma, if you guys need our help, we'll give it to you. AH'm sure our powers can help bring down this Virus guy."
"I dunno…" Lucas shook his head. "Karma, ye're telling the truth, and you're being honest, but I'm nae sure I trust ye're judgment. After all, ye allowed that madman Drake in your ranks."
"Ah want to help them, Lucas. We should." Lizzie told her telepathic boyfriend.
"We're nae superheroes, Lizzie." Lucas reminded. "And besides, what makes ye think that Freedom Force won't get us killed? They nearly did once by letting Bobby into the ranks."
"We found him wandering around in Canada. What were we supposed to do?" Karma sighed. "Look, I know you don't like us. Believe me, I wouldn't ask for Nightshift's help if I didn't think we needed it."
"I do." Lucas nodded. "I am a telepath, ye know. I can sense if ye're lying…and ye've been telling the truth all along. What I'd like to know is what were ye thinking, allowing Drake into your team?"
"He seemed to have nowhere else to go." Shan explained.
"Ye should've left him there to rot!" Lucas snapped.
"That's cruel, Lucas!" Lizzie snapped back. "Lucas, these Freedom Force guys…they need our help. Maybe we should this one time."
"Why should we?" Lucas scowled.
"Because Virus is a very dangerous mutant." Shan answered, slightly raising her voice. "He's right now in Bayville. He is now using his talents to start to remake the world in his image, and he's not going to care if you are one of the good guys or the bad guys. He'll kill you anyway, simply for not being a machine. I got Freedom Force out there trying to stop him, but it's not enough. And the X-Men can't help." Lucas sighed.
"Look, Karma…" Lucas tried to calm down.
"We'll do it." Lizzie interrupted. She turned to a shocked Lucas. "We'll help. Ah want to help, Lucas. Listen, if this Virus guy is as dangerous as Karma says, we can't just sit back and do nothing!"
"Lizzie…" Lucas started.
"Lucas, please. If we help out, then maybe we will be given a chance to live in peace. We won't have to worry about being the object of suspicion. And besides…" Lizzie drooped her head. "Ah want to make up for what Ah did to Bobby. Ah've felt really bad about it."
"Ye didn't do anything, Lizzie." Lucas groaned.
"Exactly. Ah did nothing." Lizzie sighed and got up. "Ah didn't even give Bobby the decency of a let-down that respected his feelings. Ah had to act like the big ol' 'bad girl' of the Guthrie family, and look what happened as a result." She left the room. Karma went after her.
"You know, you can go and visit Bobby in Stokes. Maybe make your peace with him." Karma offered. Lizzie shook her head.
"Ah don't think that'd be wise right now." Lizzie shook her head. "Ah'm probably the last person on Earth he wants to see right now." She looked at Shan. "But maybe sometime, Ah'll see." She went back to her seat, Shan taking her own. "Lucas, you know she isn't lying. Ah want to help. Besides, it's only one time."
"Yeah." Shan nodded in agreement. "Just one time, and you never see us for a favor again." Lucas thought it over.
"Ye've been straight with me so far, so I have no reason tae think ye're lying tae me now." Lucas looked at Shan firmly. "Fine. We help ye. But just this one time. That is it." Shan smiled, showing her satisfaction.
"No complaints here." Shan agreed.
"I'll go gather the others." Lucas got up and left. "God, they're gonna think I've gone bloody mad…" Lizzie watched Lucas leave, and then turned to Shan.
"Ah'm sorry about Lucas. He's really a good guy." Lizzie apologized. "He's had it rough."
"He's not the only one who's had a difficult life." Karma reassured. Lizzie nodded.
"Is…is the Iceman alright?" Lizzie asked.
"He's being treated well." Karma replied. Lizzie sighed.
"God…Ah had no idea he felt that way about me." The blonde Southerner sighed. "Ah do feel like it's mah fault he's in a nuthouse."
"There was nothing you could've done to help Bobby, Amazon." Shan reassured. "Freedom Force tried. We weren't ready for someone like him."
Stokes Maximum Security Facility
Bobby Drake sat in his cell, looking down at the floor. Lila had just left after her visit. He had grown a lot quieter. He appeared to be very deep in thought.
No surprise. All alone again. Bobby mentally muttered to himself. No surprise. He sighed. I guess this is my destiny now. Might as well get used to this. I got nothing left in my life. I guess that's all there is for me. Bobby let a small quiet sigh escape his lips. It's all over. I got nothing left. The X-Men most likely hate me, Elizabeth hates me, and Freedom Force…I doubt even the Morlocks would want me now. Sure, Lila understands, but she got a second chance. After all I did…I shouldn't get a second chance. I won't be surprised if I didn't. I don't deserve a second chance anyway. A tear went down the ice-maker's cheek.
Bayville
People fled the town as every electronic device in town seemingly went crazy. Fridges started shooting freeze beams at people. Stereos started firing razor-sharp CDs. Cars went wild and started trying to crash into people. And Freedom Force was desperately trying to stop the mad machines from hurting anyone.
"ARGH!" John Proudstar, the Apache powerhouse codenamed Thunderbird, roared as he hefted up a wild car and flipped it over. "Blast it! Where did all this come from?"
"Where do you think?" Ace Starr, the LA-born leonine mutant codenamed Wildstar, rolled his eyes as he blasted several blenders with his blue claw-lasers, and then used a combination of his enhanced strength and glowing claws to slash a laptop to shreds. "Man, this is worse than a boy band concert!"
"Look at the mall!" Gina Tolensky, the Italian-American plant-manipulator codenamed Botanica, pointed at the mall. The Bayville Mall, which was already wrecked by a rampaging Iceman, was being rebuilt and modified. What appeared to be a shining silver liquid erupted from the wrecked mall and covered it. The liquid-covered mall then started to grow and change shape. "Oh mio Dio…"
Next: Battle in Bayville As Freedom Force and Nightshift desperately fight to save Bayville from the mad plan of the Virus, Bobby Drake comes to a realization and he makes a big decision.
(1) – I'm assuming Lucas did this when Nightshift confronted the X-Men and the Hellfire Club during the big three-way fight in "To Err Is Human".