A/N
Thanks to Acetoorion, quite possibly my most loyal fan...
Yo, there was some confusion about Evan... the thing is, Valzinameku thinks he's possessed Evan's body, but ~something~ saved the real Evan, dumping him in the tunnels beneath Bayville in the process. Hmm. I wonder why. You'll find out. Eventually.
Never fear, I'll put an extra thinger in to explain where everyone is.
~~ Bobby ~~
(Several Minutes Before)
As he ran with the others he thought about what he would have to do. He had always thought Evan was cool, no pun intended- really, and wondered if he'd be able stop Valzinameku even if it meant killing Evan. The thought chilled him. Okay, it also bothered him how ice and cold were used to describe feelings like that. Bobby stayed in the background as Jean and Logan sailed through security at the Mason Mansion, a ghost that was determined not to force himself into a position where he had to make that decision. Even Kitty showed more enthusiam than Bobby.
"Hey, it's alright kid. We got ya' covered." Lance muttered to him as they raced up the stairs. A man who everyone assumed was a guard had passed through just recently, and Logan said he had a bad feeling about the whole thing.
"Smells like a set-up to me." He growled at Jean.
"I'll stay focused." She returned.
They rounded the corner just in time to see Evan turn on a dark haired guy, probably around his early 20s. Evan glanced over the guy's shoulder just as General Matthias yelled at the dark haired man to duck. Time seemed to slow for Bobby as the bullets sped from half a dozen guns and the man dropped to the ground.
~ Bobby. Will you trust me?~
It was Todd. But he was gone. Or was he? What had happened?
~ Bobby. I need you to trust me. I need you to use your power. Freeze him. Freeze the whole city if you have to, just keep him there Bobby. Don't lose him.~
"Okay." Bobby whispered.
~ And Bobby. You're doing great. Evan's alright. He's with me and Scott. Haiden too. Don't worry so much.~
Bobby took a deep breath and looked around.
"So. Let's get started. I've decided that you're bothering me." The fake Evan gave a smug grin.
"I got this covered." Bobby said stepping forward. If that wasn't really Evan, then there wasn't any reason not to fully explore the potential power of subthermal control.
"Do you really?" the demon asked. Yes, thought Bobby. As a matter of fact I do.
He really wished the other X-Men weren't there. He didn't want to risk hurting them. After glancing around the old Hall, he decided that he could crush Valzinameku without hurting anyone. He used his power, stretching his consciousness into the little drops of water that filled the air. Giant icicles formed on the ceiling in a ring that could fall at a moment's notice and trap the demon within a cage of ice. Of course Valzinameku didn't realize. No one did. Who looks at the ceiling of old places like that mansion? No one, because it's just a jumble of wood that's been covered with mouldy tapestries to hide it. A side effect of this silent operation was that the air around Bobby grew noticably colder. In fact, the temperature dropped almost twenty degrees- Bobby felt it.
Valzinameku said something, it sounded unpleasant, but Bobby smiled- frostily.
"The Iceman cometh." Logan said clearly.
On your marks, get set, go. Iceman surfed a wave of ice directly towards Valzinameku. The cold made most people sluggish, and that was exactly what he was counting on as he rushed for the demon. Because Bobby's wave wasn't headed for Valzinameku. He had no intention of taking on the creature that had nearly killed Todd, who was still near God in Bobby's eyes. Bobby only needed to get the icicles, tentatively hanging from the ceiling, to drop and trap the demon in place. He could hardly go shooting beams of ice at him... Bad things happened when solids like wood and stone were frozen.
Bobby sped up as Valzinameku crouched down. Was he going to jump and throw Bobby off his trajectory? Did he realize that he was all but trapped?
~ Bobby, do you have him? Pietro's coming. We're both coming, Bobby.~
Bobby curved the wave of ice so he sailed around and above Valzinameku. All eyes followed him up, up and then they saw it.
Krack--Boom.
As one, the circle of icicles fell around Valzinameku exactly as planned. The stone floor prevented him from escaping downwards and the points of the icicles made perfect bars. The widened tops all but sealed the top of the makeshift cage with only one hole in the center, just large enough for one more icicle. The problem was that he was moving too slow to duck out of the way. Bobby couldn't drop the last icicle because if it didn't kill the demon it would punch him straight through the floor and he could escape, and that wasn't a risk worth taking.
"Freeze him, Bobby! Freeze him!" Pietro called from the stairwell. He was riding something like a snake with dozens of legs and pincers on the top of its head.
Bobby tore his eyes away from the creature and redirected his attention to Valzinameku who had cleverly retreated under the overhang of the bar icicles. Of course, that was exactly what Bobby wanted him to do, so he dropped the center icicle and sealed the cage.
"Brilliant. Never thought a X-Man would come up with a good idea." Pietro stepped off his snake-lizard thing and grinned wildly. "Couldn't have done better myself."
"Pietro! Where's Todd?" Lance shook off the cold as soon as he recognized Pietro's voice.
"Todd's on his way. You know how he gets."
"What is that thing?"
"It's reptile, that's for sure. I can barely get it to move in this cold. Well? Freeze him you idiot!"
Bobby started at Pietro's tone. He had been checking out the... thing. It was pale, like a light brown color and for all the world, looked like a snake that sprouted 30 legs. Bobby counted again, just to make sure. Without looking, he cast a stream of ice towards the trapped demon. He didn't freeze, just screamed horribly and shuddered.
"I don't think demons can freeze." He said as he gave the thing a poke.
"It's not a demon." A hoarse voice whispered. Everyone looked up.
"TODD!!!" Pietro yelled and swept him into a bear hug.
"C'mon 'Tro. He's wasted. Give it a rest." Lance said, face marred with worry.
"Yeah, don't wanna kill me or nothin'. I think it's just something that evolved. My spell should have weakened, if not killed it if it was a demon. Nothing happened. So it's completely organic. That thing was born like that or it mutated while it was stuck in the cavern. All this stuff about magic is nonsense. Remember, the earliest societies believed their god created them as they were. He probably thinks that all his kind look that way and he's confusing his mutant, or natural abilties as a god-gifted magic."
"But we can't beat him."
"Look at him. It's so simple. The cold. That reveals its weak points. Otherwise it would have run like hell by now." Todd sat on the immobile creature's back. "By the way, I think this is called a Skyza. Vicious little beasts. Or maybe not little."
"So. Its vulnerable now?"
"No. Freeze it completely. It'll put up a fight, but once you freeze it completely you can collect samples and cart it off somewhere. With Mr.Freeze I guess. Wonder how Batman's doing these days..."
"O...kay. I'll work on that." Bobby said as Todd began rambling. "Hey, what about Wolverine?"
"Leave the bastard. Don't like him anyhow." Lance muttered.
A growl drifted from the far end of the hall where Logan was still trapped.
"Yeah, I'm talking about you furface. You're even hair-ier than that blue freak."
"Jus' wait 'til I get out, bub. I'm gonna pull a Creed and use yer hide fer a coat."
"If, Mister Logan... If..."
"Hey, guys, um. There's a slight problem with Todd's plan." Bobby called.
"What? What did I miss?" Todd asked, suddenly alert.
"Well, how about the part where he catches on fire and burns a hole through the floor?"
"You're kidding."
Muffled screams permeated the silence that followed.
"Ah. I'm really really sorry about the floor." Bobby said to the security guard, who merely stood staring at the hole.
"Let me out!!!" Logan roared. "Out! Out! Out!"
"Sorry to you too, Logan, but you'll have to find your own way out." Called Bobby as he followed the other mutants out of the building.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ERRRGGG!" Logan beat on the sides of his cage, but couldn't even get them to rattle. "This sucks."
Thanks to Acetoorion, quite possibly my most loyal fan...
Yo, there was some confusion about Evan... the thing is, Valzinameku thinks he's possessed Evan's body, but ~something~ saved the real Evan, dumping him in the tunnels beneath Bayville in the process. Hmm. I wonder why. You'll find out. Eventually.
Never fear, I'll put an extra thinger in to explain where everyone is.
~~ Bobby ~~
(Several Minutes Before)
As he ran with the others he thought about what he would have to do. He had always thought Evan was cool, no pun intended- really, and wondered if he'd be able stop Valzinameku even if it meant killing Evan. The thought chilled him. Okay, it also bothered him how ice and cold were used to describe feelings like that. Bobby stayed in the background as Jean and Logan sailed through security at the Mason Mansion, a ghost that was determined not to force himself into a position where he had to make that decision. Even Kitty showed more enthusiam than Bobby.
"Hey, it's alright kid. We got ya' covered." Lance muttered to him as they raced up the stairs. A man who everyone assumed was a guard had passed through just recently, and Logan said he had a bad feeling about the whole thing.
"Smells like a set-up to me." He growled at Jean.
"I'll stay focused." She returned.
They rounded the corner just in time to see Evan turn on a dark haired guy, probably around his early 20s. Evan glanced over the guy's shoulder just as General Matthias yelled at the dark haired man to duck. Time seemed to slow for Bobby as the bullets sped from half a dozen guns and the man dropped to the ground.
~ Bobby. Will you trust me?~
It was Todd. But he was gone. Or was he? What had happened?
~ Bobby. I need you to trust me. I need you to use your power. Freeze him. Freeze the whole city if you have to, just keep him there Bobby. Don't lose him.~
"Okay." Bobby whispered.
~ And Bobby. You're doing great. Evan's alright. He's with me and Scott. Haiden too. Don't worry so much.~
Bobby took a deep breath and looked around.
"So. Let's get started. I've decided that you're bothering me." The fake Evan gave a smug grin.
"I got this covered." Bobby said stepping forward. If that wasn't really Evan, then there wasn't any reason not to fully explore the potential power of subthermal control.
"Do you really?" the demon asked. Yes, thought Bobby. As a matter of fact I do.
He really wished the other X-Men weren't there. He didn't want to risk hurting them. After glancing around the old Hall, he decided that he could crush Valzinameku without hurting anyone. He used his power, stretching his consciousness into the little drops of water that filled the air. Giant icicles formed on the ceiling in a ring that could fall at a moment's notice and trap the demon within a cage of ice. Of course Valzinameku didn't realize. No one did. Who looks at the ceiling of old places like that mansion? No one, because it's just a jumble of wood that's been covered with mouldy tapestries to hide it. A side effect of this silent operation was that the air around Bobby grew noticably colder. In fact, the temperature dropped almost twenty degrees- Bobby felt it.
Valzinameku said something, it sounded unpleasant, but Bobby smiled- frostily.
"The Iceman cometh." Logan said clearly.
On your marks, get set, go. Iceman surfed a wave of ice directly towards Valzinameku. The cold made most people sluggish, and that was exactly what he was counting on as he rushed for the demon. Because Bobby's wave wasn't headed for Valzinameku. He had no intention of taking on the creature that had nearly killed Todd, who was still near God in Bobby's eyes. Bobby only needed to get the icicles, tentatively hanging from the ceiling, to drop and trap the demon in place. He could hardly go shooting beams of ice at him... Bad things happened when solids like wood and stone were frozen.
Bobby sped up as Valzinameku crouched down. Was he going to jump and throw Bobby off his trajectory? Did he realize that he was all but trapped?
~ Bobby, do you have him? Pietro's coming. We're both coming, Bobby.~
Bobby curved the wave of ice so he sailed around and above Valzinameku. All eyes followed him up, up and then they saw it.
Krack--Boom.
As one, the circle of icicles fell around Valzinameku exactly as planned. The stone floor prevented him from escaping downwards and the points of the icicles made perfect bars. The widened tops all but sealed the top of the makeshift cage with only one hole in the center, just large enough for one more icicle. The problem was that he was moving too slow to duck out of the way. Bobby couldn't drop the last icicle because if it didn't kill the demon it would punch him straight through the floor and he could escape, and that wasn't a risk worth taking.
"Freeze him, Bobby! Freeze him!" Pietro called from the stairwell. He was riding something like a snake with dozens of legs and pincers on the top of its head.
Bobby tore his eyes away from the creature and redirected his attention to Valzinameku who had cleverly retreated under the overhang of the bar icicles. Of course, that was exactly what Bobby wanted him to do, so he dropped the center icicle and sealed the cage.
"Brilliant. Never thought a X-Man would come up with a good idea." Pietro stepped off his snake-lizard thing and grinned wildly. "Couldn't have done better myself."
"Pietro! Where's Todd?" Lance shook off the cold as soon as he recognized Pietro's voice.
"Todd's on his way. You know how he gets."
"What is that thing?"
"It's reptile, that's for sure. I can barely get it to move in this cold. Well? Freeze him you idiot!"
Bobby started at Pietro's tone. He had been checking out the... thing. It was pale, like a light brown color and for all the world, looked like a snake that sprouted 30 legs. Bobby counted again, just to make sure. Without looking, he cast a stream of ice towards the trapped demon. He didn't freeze, just screamed horribly and shuddered.
"I don't think demons can freeze." He said as he gave the thing a poke.
"It's not a demon." A hoarse voice whispered. Everyone looked up.
"TODD!!!" Pietro yelled and swept him into a bear hug.
"C'mon 'Tro. He's wasted. Give it a rest." Lance said, face marred with worry.
"Yeah, don't wanna kill me or nothin'. I think it's just something that evolved. My spell should have weakened, if not killed it if it was a demon. Nothing happened. So it's completely organic. That thing was born like that or it mutated while it was stuck in the cavern. All this stuff about magic is nonsense. Remember, the earliest societies believed their god created them as they were. He probably thinks that all his kind look that way and he's confusing his mutant, or natural abilties as a god-gifted magic."
"But we can't beat him."
"Look at him. It's so simple. The cold. That reveals its weak points. Otherwise it would have run like hell by now." Todd sat on the immobile creature's back. "By the way, I think this is called a Skyza. Vicious little beasts. Or maybe not little."
"So. Its vulnerable now?"
"No. Freeze it completely. It'll put up a fight, but once you freeze it completely you can collect samples and cart it off somewhere. With Mr.Freeze I guess. Wonder how Batman's doing these days..."
"O...kay. I'll work on that." Bobby said as Todd began rambling. "Hey, what about Wolverine?"
"Leave the bastard. Don't like him anyhow." Lance muttered.
A growl drifted from the far end of the hall where Logan was still trapped.
"Yeah, I'm talking about you furface. You're even hair-ier than that blue freak."
"Jus' wait 'til I get out, bub. I'm gonna pull a Creed and use yer hide fer a coat."
"If, Mister Logan... If..."
"Hey, guys, um. There's a slight problem with Todd's plan." Bobby called.
"What? What did I miss?" Todd asked, suddenly alert.
"Well, how about the part where he catches on fire and burns a hole through the floor?"
"You're kidding."
Muffled screams permeated the silence that followed.
"Ah. I'm really really sorry about the floor." Bobby said to the security guard, who merely stood staring at the hole.
"Let me out!!!" Logan roared. "Out! Out! Out!"
"Sorry to you too, Logan, but you'll have to find your own way out." Called Bobby as he followed the other mutants out of the building.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ERRRGGG!" Logan beat on the sides of his cage, but couldn't even get them to rattle. "This sucks."