Black Ice
Disclaimer: "Sweetie…our house…"
Chapter 48: Sapphire Redemption
Virus's Lair
"Aw, great…" Lucas Xavier grunted as he saw Bobby Drake. "I thought ye were still in the madhouse." The rest of Freedom Force and Nightshift slowly got to their feet. Virus was still, excepting for his releasing Lila. The mad mutant was in shock. Where the heck did Bobby Drake come from?
"Oh, no…" Alex Summers growled.
"Great." John Proudstar grumbled. "Already bad enough that we gotta deal with Virus here…now we gotta fight Bobby again."
"I'm not here to fight you, Thunderbird." Bobby shook his head solemnly.
"Then why are ye here?" Lucas snapped at the mentally-scarred young ice-maker. "Ye come here to watch Virus take us on? How do we know that ye're not here tae-" Lucas didn't get to finish that sentence. Bobby narrowed his eyes at the telepathic pyrokinetic. He swiped his hand, and a bolt of blue energy hit Lucas in the mouth, freezing his lips together. The Scottish mutant fumed indignantly.
"I'm not here to fight you either, Legion." Bobby answered.
"Bobby…" Elizabeth whispered. Bobby looked at the blonde sadly.
"I'm here to redeem myself." The ice-maker explained. "I'm here to help. The stuff I've done is nothing compared to what this creature has planned." He transformed into his ice form and glared at Virus. "Unlike him, I can regret. I regret what I've done." He looked at the assembled Freedom Force and Nightshift. "Leave this place. Let me take him on alone."
"Bobby, you can't!" Lila exclaimed. "It's suicide!"
"Aw, let the little ice cube try, me dear." Virus laughed. "I'm not afraid of him." Lorna looked at the Iceman, and then scowled at the electronics controller.
"You will be, Virus." She scowled. "You will be."
"You all believe that he wants to help?" Alex exclaimed. "Don't you all remember what he pulled not too long ago?" Shan Coy smirked.
That distrust runs in the family, too. She mentally chuckled. Just like her brother Logan told me about.
"I don't expect you all to forgive me." Bobby answered, not even looking at the plasma generator. "I came here because I want to be able to forgive myself." Lucas fumed.
"Lucas, don't." Lizzie put a hand on his shoulder, holding him back. "Ah believe him."
"So do I." Karma nodded. "If he's here to help, then let him help."
"If you got here, then that means…you busted out of Stokes." Ace deduced.
"Great. The psycho busts out." John scowled. Bobby dropped his head shamefully.
"…Because I wanted to help." Bobby sighed. "You guys would need me."
"Heh." Virus laughed. "Touching. You nearly made me shed a bloody tear. You see, I know about you, thanks to me hacking Stokes's records. Do you really think you stopping me will earn you redemption?" Virus smirked at the ice-maker. "I know about you, and what you have done. And your breaking out only made your situation worse. And you call me a monster." Virus laughed at the Iceman. "You think you can beat me on your own? Heh. Your friends here couldn't do it. Face it, mate. You do this, you'll only die. Is that what you want?" Bobby narrowed his eyes.
"…I don't know. But at least I know what I did was wrong!" He blasted Virus with an ice beam, sending him flying across the room. "Everyone get out of here! Let me deal with him!" He created some blizzard winds, which levitated the members of the two mutant teams. "If I don't stop him, the world will need all of you to take him down!"
"Bobby…" Lila started. The icemaker looked at the interstellar teleporter sadly.
"I'm sorry, Lila." Bobby apologized. "I hope you understand." She bowed her head.
"…Bobby, I…"
"Just let me do this, Lila." Bobby begged. "I need to do this."
"What? Get yourself killed?" Lila exclaimed.
"At least you'll be safe." Bobby answered. "Ace!" He called up at his feral friend. "Take care of her." Ace nodded. He used the blizzard winds to help them out.
"Please make it through, Bobby." Elizabeth told the ice-maker. "No matter what, just know this. Ah forgave you for everything." Bobby let out a small smile and sent her out. "Make sure Virus doesn't pull any tricks outside! I got him in here!"
"May the Great Spirit watch over you, Drake!" John waved. Bobby nodded.
"In case we do not see each other again…" Shiro took off his mask and looked at Bobby. "May you find the peace you have been searching so desperately for." He then sealed the hole with a very thick wall of ice. Virus broke out of the ice that held him to the wall.
"You're a bigger fool than I thought, Iceboy." Virus smirked. Bobby scowled.
"You won't hurt anyone anymore, Vincent James." The ice-maker snarled. "You're dealing with the Iceman now." A blizzard started to form in the room.
Outside
"HOW COULD YOU?" Lila Cheney, clearly hysterical, screamed at Shan. "YOU'VE DOOMED HIM! YOU'RE LETTING HIM COMMIT SUICIDE IN THERE!" She was being held back by John, Terrell, and Ace.
"Lila, calm down!" John exclaimed.
"HOW CAN I?" Lila screamed. "HE'S IN THERE ALONE WITH THAT MANIAC!"
"He knows what he is doing." Shiro explained calmly.
"If he doesn't make it, we'll still be here to take him on!" Shan told the interstellar teleporter in an attempt to calm her down. "Lila, you have to calm down and listen to me!" She grabbed the dark-haired girl by the shoulders. "Bobby didn't want us to get hurt. What he needs from us now is hope. Just keep thinking positive, Lila." Lila started to calm down.
"It's not fair." Lila shook her head. "Why is he doing this? This is suicide!" She looked at the three boys holding her back. "I'm alright. I'm good. I'm good. You can let me go now." They very carefully let her go.
"Lila…" Ace sighed. "I don't like it either. But I'm sure Bobby did it for a reason."
"…He did it for redemption." Gina answered. "He did it to redeem himself." Lila sighed.
"But does he think he can do it this way?" Lila sighed. "And does he really think h can take on Virus by himself?"
"If that guy can smack around the X-Men by himself, the Thunderbolt thinks he can handle the little psychotic Brit up there." Kyle rolled his eyes.
"Yech!" Lucas snapped as he finally got the ice off his face. "Ye know what I think? I think he did it just to show off! I hope they end up destroying each other! That way the world will have two less psychos tae deal with!" Lila glared at the telepath.
"Why you-!" Lila made a move to punch him out, causing John, Terrell, and Ace to jump back into restraining mode. "Come back here and say that to my face, you cold-hearted jerk! You wouldn't be saying that if she was in there!" Lila turned her head to Liz.
"She's right, Lucas!" Lizzie agreed. "Bobby's fighting Virus in there alone."
"For what?" Lucas sneered. "Tae prove he's 'better'? Tae prove he's worthy of ye?"
"He said it himself, Lucas: For redemption." Lizzie answered. She looked at the castle. "Ah hope he does make it, Lucas. And Ah hope he finds some form of peace. You know why? Because unlike you, Ah understand, and Ah know how Ah unintentionally helped cause Bobby to end up in the situation he was in." She sighed. "God, Ah hope he makes it…"
"Man, jabroni…" Kyle shook his head and looked at the castle. "This has got to be the craziest thing the Thunderbolt has ever gotten himself involved in."
"Man, I really can't stand this melodrama garbage." Wild Child groaned.
"You and me both, brother." Maggott agreed. "You and me both."
Inside Virus's lair
"RAAAAAARGH!" Virus roared in frustration. The metal-skinned nanite-dosed teenage madman fired his arm cannons all over in frustration. "HOLD STILL, YOU BLOODY SON OF A-!" Explosions rocked the room. However, he wasn't able to blast the young mutant called Iceman.
"Why don't you make me hold still?" Bobby jeered. He was in his watery form. In that state, Virus's weapons were easier to dodge. The blizzard also made life difficult for the English mutant. Bobby dodged another energy blast by sliding under it. "Heh. What's the matter, Virus? You snow-blind or something?" He formed a fist made of ice. "I seeeeeee yooooou…" Bobby taunted. He threw the fist, nailing Virus across the jaw, the fist shattering.
"AUGH!" Virus screamed. The punch didn't really hurt him, as it was ice hitting metal, but it was able to knock him back a bit. "Grrr…how is he doing this?"
Heh. Bobby mentally smirked. Good thing my mutation allows me to be able to see in the infra-red range. (1) That idiot doesn't quite realize that unlike the others, my powers can be used in so many ways. Bobby pitched several razor-sharp discs made of ice. Virus barely managed to dodge them. The discs hit a power line, causing it to fall from the ground, sparks flying from the wire. Virus noticed the wire and grinned. "What're you grinning at, Virus? Met the microchip of your dreams?" He stopped the blizzard, and turned into his watery form. "You'd only be able to get a microchip. I doubt you could even build yourself a girlfriend."
"I'm not licked yet!" Virus smirked, racing towards the downed live power line. He managed to grab it. "Heh." The arrogant mutant smirked. "Time for you to fry!" With a cry, he charged towards Bobby, holding the wire like a lance. The ice-maker groaned.
"Do you clowns always have to be so melodramatic?" Bobby sighed. Just before the sparking wire could touch Bobby's body, the ice-maker dodged the wire by flattening into a puddle. Virus ran over him, but it didn't harm the ice-maker. When he gained enough distance, watery tentacles erupted from the puddle, wrapping around the wire. He gave a tug.
"Wha-?" Virus blinked.
"You're not the only one who is vulnerable to electricity!" Bobby scowled. "Come 'ere!" the tentacles thrust the wire upwards, throwing Virus off. "Just because you got stell skin doesn't mean you are indestructible!"
"Ha!" Virus laughed. "I know what you're trying to do! Me metal body was able to withstand the charge of the Thunderbolt!" Bobby reformed into his normal shape, clutching the wire under his arm.
"True…" Bobby smirked. "But Ol' Kyle didn't have me backing him up. You see, it's simple science. The reason why I am so vulnerable to electricity in water form is simply because…" Bobby fired a jet of water at Virus. It caught the surprised mutant off-guard, knocking him into a wall. "WATER CONDUCTS ELECTRICITY!" He stuck the wire into the jet. With a loud buzz, electrical current raced along the jet. The water, combined with the metal in Virus's skin, made the mad mutant super-vulnerable to electricity. The mutant howled in pain as electricity coursed through him.
"NYEARRRRRRRRRRRGH!" Virus roared in pain. Bobby diverted the jet away. Virus was left a shuddering husk, forced back into his human form. His clothes were tattered, he was burned in some places, blood came from his eyes, ears, and mouth, and electricity still ran up and down his body. "Nn…uh…mm…" He started whimpering. The ice-maker scowled.
"Look at you. The mighty Virus." Bobby scowled. "Reduced to nothing but a whimpering pathetic pile of nothing. And you want to rule the world and remake it in your image." The ice-maker snorted. "You couldn't rule an anthill." Virus looked up.
"I'm…n-n-not dead…y-y-yet…" Virus scowled, or at least tried to. "You…c-c-can't…k-k-kill a god…"
"Even the reigns of gods have to end some time." Bobby growled. He used a wave to throw Virus into the power core in the room. He then threw a couple ice blasts, pinning Virus to a wall. "But I'm going to make sure yours never begins." He walked towards Virus, forming a long spike made of ice. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was trying to do.
"You fool…" Virus snarled. "You do what I think you plan to do…you'll destroy this entire complex!"
"Good." Bobby nodded. Virus chuckled weakly.
"Th-th-they say you-you-you're a monster. Heh." The English mutant smirked, as his body started to repair itself. "C-can't blame them. Y-you think th-th-they'll forgive you…heh. Th-th-they never w-w-will." Bobby's scowl deepened. "Heh heh heh. You're g-g-gonna burn, Iceboy."
"At least I'll be taking a real monster with me!" Bobby yelled. With a cry, Bobby reared his arm back, and then plunged the spike right into Virus's heart, making him scream. The console exploded, engulfing Bobby and Virus.
Outside
"We gotta get back inside!" Lila exclaimed.
"And how in the name of God are we supposed to get back inside?" Lorna pointed out. "We have no idea where the front door is! We were teleported in!"
"Hey, you guys hear that rumbling?" Ace wondered.
"Yeah, I hear it." Wild Child nodded. The two ferals' stronger senses were able to pick up the noise first. Eventually, it increased in volume so the others could hear it.
"It sounds like an earthquake!" Siryn noted.
"Don't look at me!" Rictor held up his hands. "I'm not doing anything."
"It's coming from the castle!" Lizzie realized. The mutants looked up at the castle. Several explosions erupted from the castle like blooming flowers on a vine.
"Oh, man…" Lucas's eyes widened.
"Oh, mio Dio…" Gina mumbled.
"No…" Lila whispered in horror. The castle then went up in a huge explosion, the shockwave causing the members of Freedom Force and Nightshift to fall to the ground. "No! BOBBY!" Lila screamed. "Did anyone see him escape?"
"…I don't think he could have escaped it." Shiro answered solemnly. The mutants got back to their feet, and looked at the smoking wreckage.
"Nobody could've survived that!" Ace gasped.
"Oh my God…Oh my God…" Lila fell to her knees. Elizabeth looked at her. The blonde went over to her.
"Are you alright?" She asked. Lila just stared at the wreckage.
"At least he went out with a bang." Kyle whistled, showing he was impressed.
"Kyle!" Terrell admonished. "That's not cool, man!"
"Just sayin'!" Kyle protested. Ace looked at the wreckage.
"You went out a hero, buddy." The leonine feral mumbled. "You proved yourself."
"Why?" Lila mumbled, a tear coming down her cheek. "Why? Why? Why?" She broke down and started to cry. "Why'd he do it? Why?" Lizzie sighed.
"Ah guess he just wanted to show he could still be a hero." Lizzie sighed. "She looked at the wreckage.
"Look at it this way, Lila." Shiro told the dark-haired girl in an attempt to reassure her. "Bobby may have finally found the peace that he was looking for after all this time." Lila whimpered. Lucas groaned.
"Come on, Nightshift. Let's get out of here." He said. "The job's done. Both those psychos got what they deserved."
"Lucas, Bobby gave his life to stop the Virus!" Lizzie snapped. "He gave his life to redeem himself! The least you can do is just admit that Bobby saved your life!" Lucas grunted, and started to leave.
"Hey, look!" Ace pointed out. "The wreckage! Something is happening!" The mutants ran closer to the wreckage. They noticed that water appeared to be dripping from the wreckage.
"Is that…" Lila blinked. The drops of water that fell to the ground started to move closer and closer together.
"Ho-lee…" Kyle gasped.
"B-bobby?" Lila stammered. The water formed a large puddle, and a figure started to from it. A human figure. The figure grunted and yelled in effort as it slowly started to freeze into ice, and from there, change into the human form of Bobby Drake, clad in the makeshift costume he had. "Bobby?"
"Bloody…" Lucas blinked. "He's like a cockroach." Bobby had no expression on his face. He took a couple steps forward…and started to collapse. However, Ace was able to catch him. He quickly took Bobby's pulse.
"He's alive!" Ace announced.
"He must be exhausted." Shiro reasoned.
"Yeah." Shan agreed. "It must've wiped him out to reform like that."
"…what'll you do with him now?" Alex wondered.
"The nuthouse can nae hold him." Lucas grunted. Lila knelt down next to Bobby and brushed some of his brown hair from his face. "What are ye gonna do with him? Ye cannae seriously be considering taking him back. Not after all he did."
"We can worry about that after he gets some rest." Karma answered.
Next: Sapphire Rebirth As the Iceman rests, he gets a chance to start making peace with his past. Plus, Freedom Force undergoes a change in the roster.
(1) – I think this was established in the comics that Bobby can see in the infra-red range. Infra-red light is basically heat.