The following is a non-profit, fan-made work of fiction. RWBY and Iron Man are the respective trademarked properties of Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC and Marvel Entertainment, LLC. Please support their respective franchises and releases. This means I own jack, so don't sue me, it's all for fun. (And practice, I just wanna be a better writer.)
The Invincible Whitley Schnee
Chapter 20: Melting the Ice
September 1, 2008 KC
Mantle United Hearts Hospital
6:30 PM
Mary Shapanka had been in a coma for close to three years. In all that time, her husband, Greg, had worked tooth and nail to pay her medical bills. With his reputation as a cryogenics expert were destroyed by his former employer, Justin Hammer, the man had been forced to work different jobs. No matter how degrading the task or how demeaning the company, he worked himself to the bone. From substitute teaching to even custodial work, he did everything that he could.
But not once did he give up on finding work as a researcher for any corporation that would take him.
And all his hard work had finally paid off. Just yesterday, he had received an offer from Yashida Industries in Mistral for their R&D division.
And the salary they were offering him was more than enough to pay his wife's fees for five years. They even offered to have her transported to the best hospital in Mistral.
Naturally, he had to share this news with her. He hopped into his car, drove through snow, ice, and traffic jams, all to deliver the good news to his comatose love. When he reached the hospital, he practically flew out of the car and into the facility, paying no mind to the patients, nurses, and doctors scurrying about its halls.
Upon reaching his wife's room, the man pulled up a chair next to her bed. Greg gazed lovingly upon his wife's resting face, a small and wistful smile on his own. She had always looked so beautiful asleep. But she was practically angelic when awake. And with this new opportunity, perhaps she'll finally wake from her coma.
Taking ahold of his wife's limp hand, Greg softly spoke. "Hey, Mary, I've got some good news. I finally found work as a researcher again. Yeah, I know, what exactly will I get done without my best research partner?"
He let out a small and hollow chuckle, completely free of genuine mirth. This was supposed to be a happy occasion. But how can he be happy with his wife unconscious and his daughter practically hating his guts.
The man let out a tired sigh, "But honestly, honey, I don't know if I can do this without you. You were the one who brought the passion to our work. I had the technical knowhow, and you had the spark. Without you, I just don't think I can find the same success we usually got together."
"And what good is success when I can't share it with you and Donna?" He asked, more to himself than his wife. Tears welled up in his eyes at the thought of his daughter. His lips quivered as his broken voice belted out, "If there was one question that I wish you can answer, it's just this one. Am I a terrible father?"
Over the past three years, while working to pay off his wife's medical fees, Greg found himself drifting further and further away from his daughter. Before the lab accident, Donna was as close to him as any child would be to their parent. She always thought of him as an infallible titan, able to brave the worst of what life had to throw at him, all while using his genius to help improve the lives of others. Of course, when it came to her college studies, she followed after her mother and took to studying chemistry.
It all came to a head three years ago. He and his wife had made a breakthrough in their cryogenics technology. Donna was only a year away from graduating ATI. And he sure their discovery would have impressed their employer, Justin Hammer. He was sure that the then-newly anointed CEO of Hammer Industries would actually promote either her or his wife to head of research and development. Everything seemed to be falling in place.
Until the day it all crumbled...
Fast-forward to now, and all the breakthroughs he made were buried under red tape by Hammer. Donna dropped out of college, to use what remained of her tuition to pay off her mother's hospital bills. And what did he do? He had completely shut down. Throughout the year following his wife's accident, the man did nothing but wallow in his grief and self-pity, numb to everything around him. His daughter left after the first three months, unable to stand the sight of this wretched, hollow shell that had once been her father.
By the time he finally picked himself up from his pity, the damage had already been done.
"You know, don't answer that question. I already know it." The man glumly remarked. "And it's probably too late to fix everything. Donna made it perfectly clear she wanted nothing to do with me after taking your family name."
"Excuse me, sir?" A man's voice called out to him. Shapanka looked to the opened door behind him and saw a nurse standing there. The nurse walked in and said, "I'm sorry, but visiting hours are almost over."
Not willing to part with his wife just yet, Shapanka pleaded the nurse. "No, please, it'll be dark soon and snow hasn't let up. Can you let me stay her for the night? I promise I'll leave first thing in the morning."
The nurse frowned apologetically and shook his head, replying, "I'm afraid that won't be possible, Mr. Shapanka. We can't allow visitors to stay after hours. The Chief-of-medicine was pretty clear. Even if I did help you, it'd cost me my job."
"It's alright, young man. I'll leave the moment visiting hours are over. Until that time, can you give us some privacy? Can you give use that, at least?" Shapanka asked the nurse, who nodded in affirmation and moved to exit the room.
But before the nurse could leave, Shapanka asked him. "Oh, and has anyone else visited my wife today? Specifically, a very tall woman about your age, with platinum blond hair cut into a pixie bob?"
"Hmm... She wouldn't happen to have a certain vibe about her, would she? Oh, how did the other nurses describe it?" The nurse wondered aloud before snapping his fingers in realization. "Oh, yeah, they said she was, and these are their words, 'scary beyond all belief'."
"I wouldn't exactly describe her like that..." Shapanka said warily, not chancing the risk of drawing his daughter's wrath.
"No, she never came in."
If she were around, that is.
But just as he felt relief, the older man processed the nurse's words.
Donna didn't come to visit today...? He thought in shock.
From what he knew, his daughter always visited her mother on Mondays. He knew this as he made sure to steer clear of the hospital on that particular weekday. From what other nurses had told him throughout the years, Donna always visited Mary every Monday, at exactly the same time, like clockwork.
Just what exactly was his daughter doing that warranted throwing off her visit?
Suddenly, there was a sound like thunder coming from deep in the hallway, growing in volume and intensity with each passing second.
"Gangway!"
A group of nurses run past the opened doorway, stampeding like a herd of single-minded bulls.
"Outta the way, I said, get outta the way!"
Just what warranted such disruptive behavior?
"I'm not missing this!"
As the horde of manic nurses stormed their way down the hallway, one broke away from the pack to enter the room. The nurse looked the room over, only to stop when her eyes came upon corner furthest away from the bed. Seeing the room's three other occupants, the nurse quickly shut the door, protecting the room from any more prying eyes. For further protection, she locked the door.
Satisfied, she addressed the two conscious occupants. "Are you using that television there?"
She pointed to the flat-screen monitor situated on the wall, next to the furthest corner of the room.
Though bewildered by the nurse's odd behavior, Shapanka still answered her question with a firm no.
The male nurse, also unnerved by his colleague's strange temperament, asked in turn. "I'm sorry, is something going?"
His question fell on deaf ears as his colleague simply approached the nightstand and opened the drawer, revealing the remote to the television. Quickly, she snatched the small device and aimed it toward the television. Her thumb pressed down on the 'on' button, the small red rubber stub sinking deep into the remote's crisp, black plastic surface. The television immediately lit up, showing that it was now tuned to a children's education network. The first image shown was a rather generic puppet show.
"Hey, kids, do you know what time it is?" One of the puppets asked, its big, beady plastic eyes looking to the camera.
"Yeah, but I don't have any for you." The female nurse remarked before holding a button down on the remote.
The television screen began to shift through different channels, each one transmitting different programming. Ranging from cartoons to home improvement, the images lasted only a mere second before switching to another.
All Gregor could do was watch in silence.
A silence had settled over the battlefield. The gunfire had ceased, as cop and crook alike stood stupefied. Once, their anguished screams and furious cries polluted the air. Now, only hushed murmurs and awed mutterings. The many witnesses that remained, hiding either in buildings or behind cars, were just as befuddled. The few brave souls who haven't lost their senses had taken their scrolls out, wanting to record this incredible sight.
But what could inspire such awe and terror?
"Speechless? Yeah, I tend to have that effect on people." Spoke Iron Man as he hovered above Blizzard. "You, on the other hand, well, not so much. I'm pretty sure most people ask for shaved ice when they see you."
Blizzard let out an annoyed growl as they stared at the vigilante. The criminal, though mostly silent, was fuming in rage at the sight of her current nuisance. He was hovering right above their head, just far enough away to be out of the reach of their colossal hands. And to top it all off, the annoying golden gnat was taunting them.
Blizzard raised their left arm and held their palm out, aiming it right at the vigilante.
As she knelt from behind the lumbering larcener, Winter Schnee took a peek at her savior/target. As her icy blue eyes observed the hovering metal man, the specialist was honestly surprised by the vigilante's appearance. Not that he had actually appeared, but whether that he looked quite different from the few photos taken of the armored man. The color of his exterior shell, which had once been a metallic silver, had become a glimmering gold. While the golden armor was a bit gaudy for her tastes, she knew that there had to be a reason behind its use. She surmised that the armor was composed of a special alloy designed to withstand extreme frozen temperatures.
If this weren't a life-and-death situation, she would have taken a moment to compliment Iron Man on his ingenuity... after arresting him, of course. The mission always comes first before anything else.
But right now, all that mattered was subduing Blizzard. Once the freezing felon was apprehended, she can take down the real target.
She reached for her rapier and knelt, making sure not to disturb her would-be murderer. With Blizzard's attention fully on Iron Man, the specialist now had an opening for a sneak attack. Slowly, she crept up to the criminal, whose back was still turned to her; the perfect opening for a sneak attack. Wasting no time, she readied her blade and put herself into a leaping position.
She tightened her muscles and the grip on her sword. With one final calming breath, she forced herself off of the ground...
"Not so fast, Schnee!"
Winter felt the wind knocked out of her as one of Blizzard's arms slammed into her stomach.
"Heurk!" She grunted in pain, despite being shielded by her aura.
The specialist was sent flying back at great speed. Despite still having her aura, she knew that her imminent crash-landing was not going to be pleasant. She braced for impact and summoned her aura, readying herself to experience solid ice or crushed metal or cracked cement. A moment later, she felt something she hadn't been expecting. Feeling something wrapped around her waist, she looked down and found she had been caught by a golden arm. Suddenly, there was a shift in the air, which was now pushing against her instead of vice-versa.
She looked up and saw that the tops of the buildings were getting closer, and fast. And then she flew right over them. Suddenly, she felt solid ground beneath her feet, and the arm releasing its hold around her waist.
When she heard the hard clatter of metal feet next to her, she looked to her right and saw the one who caught her.
"Iron Man..." She greeted her savior coldly, her eyes narrowing at the vigilante. She pulled her weapon up and spoke in a commanding tone, "By the power vested in-"
The vigilante held one of his hands up, cutting her off. With an annoyed tone, he told the specialist, "Yeah-yeah-yeah, no need to say it. I'm under arrest, blah-blah-blah."
"Why you impudent...!" Winter snarled, only to be silenced by a golden finger pointing at her face.
"Save the speech for later. I didn't come here to be treated like a criminal, especially when the real one is down there, about to make copcicles out of your entourage." The armored vigilante pointed to the street below them, right at Blizzard, who had shifted their focus from them and onto the police.
Winter's eyes went to the cop's lines and saw her partner, Detective Coal, trying to pry the two frozen officers from their patrol car's windshield. The man was picking at the ice with a knife, desperately trying to free his comrades before they freeze to death. Unfortunately, the detective may not have the time to save the two men, for Blizzard was just minutes away from reaching his position.
She had grown fond of the old detective and didn't want his death on her hands. And she certainly didn't want to be the one to break the news of his death to the Coal family.
With much hesitance, she sheathed her weapon. She looked to Iron Man, albeit with some suspicion, and asked. "I take it you have a proposal?"
"Yes. For now, a truce. We work together to take Blizzard down." The vigilante replied, his glowing optics looking her dead in the eyes.
"And I suppose you have a plan?" Winter asked with a skeptical tone.
"It's more like the beginnings of one... but I do have the first part down." He replied as his optics turned to Blizzard. "For now, we divide and conquer. You take out Blizzard's men and I take him on from a distance, to gauge the full extent of his abilities."
Winter stared intently at the vigilante, discerning whether he was to be trusted or not. His proposal sounded too good to be true. Iron Man was a criminal by the definition of kingdom law, and as a Specialist, she was duty-bound to arrest him. Even now, as Blizzard rampaged below, she was fighting against every instinct in her to just subdue him and take on the bank robber by herself.
But Blizzard had proven to be unlike any opponent she's faced before. When she fought a human or Faunus opponent, she typically had to rely on her skill and semblance to secure victory. That all went out the window with the ice-blasting crook. And the Schnee doubted she can defeat Blizzard without ensuring the safety of the officers. Her decision was made when she saw that Coal had finally noticed the approaching criminal and took his gun out; readying himself for what might be his final stand.
"I accept your terms... for now." She told the armored vigilante, before adding. "Draw Blizzard's attention away from the police, while I take out his men as you suggested. Once I am finished, I will help you."
"Thank you, Specialist." Iron Man said, only to add cheekily. "Don't worry, once this is over, you can go back to hating me."
Not in a joking mood, Winter sternly retorted. "Just try not to die."
With that last remark, she leapt and summoned a gryphon. Landing on the ethereal Grimm's back, the specialist used the creature as a flying surfboard to carry her to the endangered officers. As she flew away, Iron Man fired his thrusters and propelled himself upward. Now hovering over the street, he beheld his target.
It ends now. The vigilante thought resolutely.
He raised his repulsor and took aim at Blizzard's back.
"What was that?" Flynt spoke in surprise, his scroll pressed to his ear.
After waiting six hours for Neon to arrive, the young huntsman began to worry for his partner. He knew that Neon was not the type to let a little snow get in her way. Especially when she had the chance to just kick back and relax with her best friend. Knowing this, he decided to call the girl, hoping that she was safe. To his immense relief, she answered his scroll the moment her own started ringing.
When he asked if anything had happened to her, the usually energetic let out an uncharacteristically somber sigh. She went on to explain why she hadn't left her home. To his utter shock, he learned that she had been snowed, with about three foot of snow blocking her front door. To make matters worse, the streets and sidewalk had yet to be cleared of snow and ice. Obviously, she wasn't going to risk traveling through the mess, nor was she going to risk her little brother getting sick.
Flynt was disappointed to hear this, but he understood where the girl was coming from. As an older sibling himself, he understood the burden of looking after their younger kin.
"Flynt, where's the food! I'm dying of hunger out here!" Gyttja Coal shouted from the living room, the tween's voice scratching his ears like nails on a chalkboard.
Flynt let out an annoyed grumble. On the other hand, Neon was lucky to not have a hell spawn like Gyttja for a sister. Still, said spawn was family, and he'd do anything to keep her safe.
Until he can finally move out, that is.
"It's coming, Geet. Just be patient, I'm on the scroll with Neon." He shouted to his sister, covering the speaker piece of his scroll.
"Okay. Just make sure you bring me my food!" Flynt groaned at the demand. He quickly replied, "You have legs! You can get them yourself!"
"But you're already in the kitchen!" She whined.
"Well, then I guess you'll have to go hungry for now!" Flynt retorted with a smirk, his defiance rewarded with an indignant squawk from his sister. He removed his hand from the speaker and said to Neon, "Anyway, I didn't quite catch what you said. What did you say?"
"I asked; are you and Geet watching TV?" The Skater girl replied, a nervous tilt in her tone.
The trumpeter answered, "Well, she is. I'm trying to get dinner ready. Why do you ask?"
He was unprepared for her deathly serious tone when she said, "Whatever you do, don't let Geet watch any news!"
Perplexed, Flynt asked, "And why can't she?"
Before he can hear Neon's answer, Flynt heard his sister shout in alarm. "Flynt, get in here! There's something happening uptown!"
"Sorry, Nee, I gotta see what's bothering Geet. I'll call you later, bye." Flynt bade his friend goodbye, his partner's desperate pleading cut short by the pressing of a button.
The young man pocketed his scroll and rushed out of the kitchen, curious as to what his sister was so worried about. While he was genuinely concerned by her almost panicked shout, a small part of him wondered if this was just another one of her pranks. The instant he entered the living room, his eyes locked onto his little sister. The middle schooler, who had changed into his pink pajamas, was curled up on the couch in a fetal position. Her teeth were chittering like crazy, as though the temperature in the room had dropped. But it was her eyes that worried him. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, terror and apprehension evident in her gaze as she watched the television.
Flynt directed his eyes toward the television, to see what was making her panic. The moment they landed on the screen, he nearly gasped in shock.
Broadcasting live on channel 16 news, shot from what appeared to be hovering bullhead, was a gunfight between the Mantle police and a group of armed crooks. But the combatants were but extras to the one who held the spotlight. Trudging across the frozen battlefield was a person, or a creature, inhumanly tall and built like a tank, dressed in an oversized blue parka coat. This figure was approaching a squad car, one that had what appeared to be two officers frozen to the windshield.
And they were not alone, for another officer stood beside the car, firing his pistol at the approaching giant. Flynt's eyes widened in horror upon recognizing the policeman.
"DAD!" Flynt shouted, fear taking hold of his heart.
It took a lot to faze a man as implacable as Detective Flynt Coal. Years spent patrolling the harsh streets of Mantle, bearing witness to the absolute worst people were capable of, had hardened the man. The man believed his experiences had dulled his capacity to feel fear or even surprise when on the job. He had thought this assignment would have been like any other.
"Damn it, why won't you fall!" The detective roared in anger as he fired his weapon into the approaching enemy.
Even during his first tenure as an officer, he had tangled with criminals, rogue hunters, and even the occasional Grimm that had snuck into the city. But nothing could have prepared him for facing down a seven-foot-tall crook with the ability to freeze anything.
And he had thought that with a specialist like Winter Schnee aiding them, they'd be finished with this case right before dinner. If the operation went as planned.
And at first, events played out just as predicted, like as though rehearsed with a script. That proverbial script was tossed out a window the moment Blizzard appeared and froze two officers to their car's windshield. Immediately, the Schnee went on the offensive and confronted the freezing felon. The detective, thinking she had things under control, sought to free the two officers from their icy imprisonment.
It was to no avail, as the ice was too thick to break through, leaving both men trapped.
"Puh-Puh- please, Guh-guh-get us ow-outta here!" The younger officer chattered in panic.
"Hurry it up already! I can't feel my toes now!" The older officer screamed.
Although it did not stop them from loudly pleading for assistance; unfortunately for both men, their desperate cries for help were drowned out by the sound of gunfire. But Detective Coal had stayed by their side, unwilling to abandon the two men.
Of course, this had the unintended benefit of drawing Blizzard's attention. The bank robber was now approaching their position, stomping on the iced-over street with enough force to shatter the ice.
But this did not frighten him in the slightest.
"Come and get me, you overgrown icebox!" The detective taunted as he fired his sidearm. "You want to pick on somebody? Then pick on the guy with the gun!"
The moment those words left his mouth, the pistol fired its last bullet. Uttering a short curse, he ducked into cover, pressing his tired back into the car's cold rubber wheel. Quickly, he replaced his spent clip for another. With his weapon reloaded, the detective took a deep, calming breath to calm his nerves. As he held his breath, he thought over his current situation.
The situation, as it were, was dire. He was alone, with no back-up, and all of his comrades were busy exchanging fire with Blizzard's cronies. As for the aforementioned criminal, they were just a minute away from crushing his bones into dust. He had taken cover behind a car with two cops frozen to its windshield, both of whom were practically sitting ducks. It had also just occurred to him that he had just loaded his last clip into the gun.
Things were not looking good for him.
And it has to be only me. He concluded, thinking of the two downed officers. I've got Blizzard's attention, so I need to draw him away from the car. It's the only way to keep them safe.
With his mind made up, Detective Flynt Coal exhaled, steeling himself for what might be his last act on Brother's Green Remnant. He crept to the edge of the car, his head poking from behind its bumper to see the route he had to run. Readying his body into a starting position, the man mentally prepared himself for what was to come.
Ash... Kids... I'm sorry, but daddy's not coming home today.
And so, with a guttural roar, the middle-aged detective sprang into a dead run. And boy, did he run. Despite his heavy and cleated boots, he sprinted with a speed uncommon to men his age, flying like the wind across the street. As he ran, he pulled up his sidearm and aimed for Blizzard's head. The criminal reacted by turning their head to look at the running man, their fluorescent blue eyes locking onto him. Without any hesitation, the officer pulled the trigger.
Bullet after bullet blasted out from the handgun's barrel, their target whipping its head to look upon its wielder. If their target had been an ordinary person, they would have fallen dead. But Blizzard was anything but. The moment the cryokinetic crook heard the gunshots, they instinctively raised their left arm to guard their face.
In spite of using up all of his bullets, Detective Coal kept running, his boots keeping him from sliding on the ice. Determined to keep the criminal's attention upon himself, he came to halt and chucked his sidearm at them. Blizzard saw this and grabbed the weapon just as it came within arm's reach. The bank robber gave the man an eerie and unreadable glance. But Coal felt it in his gut that the giant felt nothing but contempt for him.
"That wasn't very smart." Blizzard coolly reprimanded, crushing the pistol with its metallic hand like it was a plastic toy. "Do you know what happens to idiots who leave themselves exposed?"
The criminal raised their arms and opened both palms, directing them at the detective, who didn't waver from his position. The man knew this was it for him, but he wasn't afraid. He was not going to give this bastard the satisfaction of watching him squirm in fear. As he stared down his would-be killer, he saw two small lights lit up on their palms. Suddenly, two thin beams of light shot out at the man. To Coal, the two beams seemed to be targeting lasers.
But just as he was about to muse on this, he felt a pair of cold, metallic arms wrap around his waist. Before he had a chance to look at whoever embraced him, he heard a loud hum.
And then he let out a frightened scream as he felt his body being lifted, before shooting right into the air. The wind blasted into his body, causing the man to close his eyes. He didn't know what was happening, but he knew that he wasn't standing on solid ground anymore. Seconds later, that weightless feeling vanished, as he felt his feet landing on what felt like concrete.
He opened his eyes and saw, to his shock that he was now standing on the rooftop of a building. From where he stood, he saw more rooftops stretching out into the distance, where he saw the faint outlines of the city's skyscrapers reaching into the heavens. As he marveled at the view before him, he felt the metal arms release him from their hold.
After what had just happened, Detective Coal knew immediately who was behind him.
"So, I guess I should thank you for saving my life?" he asked his rescuer.
His rescuer replied, "I don't do this for the thanks."
The detective turned around and beheld the glimmering golden body of Iron Man. The vigilante looked back at him with his brilliantly blue optics. While a part of him wanted to marvel at the sight of the high-tech hero, the man felt that was it better to get down to business than to gawk like an idiot.
"So, I need to ask this. Before you saved my ass, did you see what I saw?"
Iron Man nodded, "Yeah, it was a split second, but I saw it. Blizzard's weapons have a targeting system. I also noticed something else after I picked you up."
"And that would be?" The detective asked in interest.
"Just after I saved you, Blizzard used his weapons. But they didn't shoot any vortexes out until three seconds after they locked onto you. And while that happened, Blizzard didn't move at all, like he was locked in place."
Upon hearing Iron Man's words, Coal's mind flashed back to Specialist Schnee's fight with the Blizzard. From what little he saw of the engagement, the bank robber never once moved while using their weapons. They only moved when trying to engage in hand-to-hand. The realization dawned on him immediately.
"Of course... For Blizzard to use his weapons, he has to ground himself. And because they create a powerful force..."
"Yep, third law of motion. Action and reaction in equal magnitude; though I suspect Blizzard has some sort of shock absorber in his boots." Iron Man concluded, before telling the officer. "You know your stuff, Mister...?"
"Coal; Flynt Coal, Sr. it's also detective, not mister, actually." The man replied proudly. The man didn't notice Iron Man flinch at the mention of his full name. "Also, I sold Dust awhile back. When you're selling to Huntsmen and Huntresses, you have to know everything about weapons."
"Noted..." Iron Man nodded. "But we can talk about that stuff later. Right now, all that matters is taking Blizzard down. Now that I know he has a weakness, I can exploit it."
"What about his hired guns?" The detective inquired.
"Oh, they're being taken care of." The vigilante answered
Winter needed this. After having her own posterior handed to her, she really needed something to vent her frustrations on. Thankfully, Iron Man had found the perfect outlet for her. And they numbered about a dozen or so. Despite wanting nothing more than to arrest the vigilante, she knew incapacitating Blizzard's men was a priority.
And she did so with great efficiency.
The first target had been easy, being that she had taken cover behind a newspaper box. While the gunwoman focused on the officers in front of her, she didn't the specialist stealthily sneaking up on her. She was taken out with a quick chop to the back of the head, followed by a swift bashing of her masked face into the frostbitten pavement.
The next three targets were grouped together behind a parked car, which took the brunt of the police's gunfire. They were just as easy to take out as their fallen comrade. All she did was use the Ice dust in her sword and froze their bodies to the car. For good measure, she clonked each and every one of them on the head with the arm of one of her summonings, knocking them out.
The rest of their compatriots followed soon after. The fifth gunman, she froze his feet to the street and punched his lights out. Numbers six and seven, she summoned a flock of Nevermores to peck at them, distracting them long enough for her shove their heads into the ice-covered street. Eight, she unmasked, put in a chokehold, and shoved face-first into the ground, force-feeding him snow, ice, and road salt. He gave up the second she threatened to use him as a chew toy for one of her Beowolf summons.
Was it excessive? Yes, she can admit that. But these were the same people who didn't hesitate to start a gunfight in a densely populated street.
It was only after she had taken out the ninth criminal that Blizzard's remaining goons turned their attention onto her. Quickly, she formed a barrier of ice to separate them from the police, giving herself her own arena to use. The moment the three remaining gunmen took aim at her, she used her aura-enhanced speed to dodge their gunfire. Seeing that she was now on the offensive, the criminals quickly adopted a defensive formation, all while making their way toward their getaway vehicle.
As if she was going to let them get away.
As she hid behind a parked truck, she willed another Grimm summon into existence. From the rotating snowflake-shaped crest behind arose a Boarbatusk, its glowing white eyes brimming with anticipation and tusks ready to hack. And she spoke only one command.
"Sic' em."
The Boarbatusk roared and rushed away from her, its ethereal hooves clopping on the ice!
One of the gunmen saw the approaching beast and fired his rifle, his comrades joining after to lay down suppressive fire. The tusked terror-pig snarled as the bullets pelted its skin and went to ramming speed, enraged beyond all belief. This quickened charge caused the already desperate robbers into a panic, which in turn worsened their already itchy trigger fingers. Quickly, they loaded their last magazines into their guns, shooting from the hip, no longer content to simply take aim. Bullet after bullet was fired, peppering the icy street and the monster.
It was only after they fired their last bullet did the Boarbatusk shatter into a billion blue particulates. The gunmen watched in collective relief as the beast's spectral essence billowed into the air like dust in the wind.
For a brief moment, the gunmen thought they were in the clear.
Suddenly, they felt a cold chill down their spines. It was as though the very specter of death had seized their hearts. They heard the crunching of snow and shattering ice. And these sounds were coming from right behind them. Despite wanting nothing more than to follow their instincts and run, they slowly looked behind.
When they awoke hours later, they remembered the very last thing they saw before everything went dark.
A shining steel blade held aloft, hair white as snow billowing in the wind and cold blue eyes that put the fear of the darkness into them.
And when all was and done, Winter Schnee stood victorious.
"That takes care of them." She said. Now, all I need do is take care of their leader... with Iron Man's assistance...
She may have accepted the vigilante's offer to aid in defeating Blizzard, but Winter was not proud of that fact. She came to defeat two criminals, not to help one take down the other. But prior circumstance had forced her to make this admittedly unorthodox alliance. Speaking of said alliance, she wondered what her current ally was planning. He said to wait for his signal, but he had neglected to share what it would be. All he told her was that she'll know it when she sees it.
CREE-EEE-ACCKK...
The specialist blinked as her ears picked up a rather disconcerting sound. And it was coming from the wall of ice she had created. She turned to look at her contrast and saw that it was beginning to crack. Seconds passed as the cracks increased, splintering across the wall's surface, the construct looking like glass ready to shatter.
SHREEEACK!
And shattered it did!
The wall collapsed, shattering into a million tiny pieces of ice. But the destroyed fortification wasn't the most worrying sight.
"SHE PUNCHED ME IN THE FACE!"
It was Iron Man flying over her head, his appendages flailing about as he sailed through the air like a baseball.
"I AM 100 AND 10 PERCENT DONE WITH THIS SHIT!"
And she didn't need to guess who had pitched the proverbial baseball. She looked ahead and saw Blizzard stomping their way toward her, metal fists clenched and grey eyes filled with unadulterated rage, looking very much the monster the media described her as...
Wait, I can see her eyes... Wait, HER...?
How she hadn't notice that in the first place, Winter did not know. Maybe the shock of actually seeing a face on such an inhuman frame was too much for her. But there was no mistaking what she was seeing. Blizzard was staring right at her and she can see their now unprotected face. To her honest surprise, Blizzard had unblemished pale skin, steely grey eyes and pale blond hair styled in a pixie cut; But what was it that really shocked the Schnee?
"Blizzard... is a woman?" Winter asked more to herself.
"Ooh, plot twist!" An excited Justin Hammer giggled. "Oh, am I glad I chose to watch this. I mean the action! The drama! The suspense! Gods, this is better than whatever crap's being shown on daytime!"
The businessman took a fistful of popcorn and shoved it into his mouth, chewing on it like an overexcited child would cereal on Saturday morning. To say he was enjoying what he's watching would have been an understatement. When he looked upon his cousin and bodyguard, he saw faces bereft of joy or entertainment. Sasha in particular looked distressed, the color having drained from her face and her eyes wide open in shocked horror.
"Sasha, why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" He asked only to be answered with silence.
He looked to his bodyguard, Boris, and inquired, "Boris, can you explain why my cousin looks like she's stared right into the face of death itself?"
The burly man narrowed his eyes at his employer, restraining himself from letting out an annoyed growl, and replied. "Do you seriously not recognize Blizzard?"
Hammer blinked and glanced back to the screen, his eyes focusing on the criminal's now-exposed face.
He didn't know why, but he could have sworn he's seen that face before. He turned back to Boris and said, "She looks vaguely familiar. Tell me, have I fired her in the past or did she quit?"
The young entrepreneur shuddered as an even worse thought came to mind. "Oh, Brothers, please tell me she's not one of my exes!"
Boris gave his boss an unamused glance, "Boss, trust me when I say this... If she gets her hands on you, you're going to wish she had been one of your exes."
"That still doesn't answer my question."
"Her name is Donna Shapanka... though she uses her mother's maiden name now." Hammer's eyes darted toward his cousin, who had finally found her voice.
"Shapanka... wait, that rings a bell..." Hammer wondered aloud, only for his eyes to widen in horrified realization, "Oh, shit, that's ringing lots of bells!"
He remembered the name Shapanka very well. Gregor Shapanka had once been employed under him, working on a project that would have advanced Cryogenic technology. Of course, much of the actual science had been worked out by the man's wife, Mary. She developed the theories, and he built the machines that use them. There were many applications for the technology, ranging from combatting wildfires to even medicine.
He, on the other hand, thought it more profitable to have their research weaponized. But they drew the line at making weapons, spouting out nonsense such as "Science is for the betterment of the world" and "The purpose of our work is not to make a quick lien".
Unfortunately (For him), their project was losing more money than it made. With their work going nowhere, he deemed the project a failure. He chose to terminate their grant and their employment. When they had been informed of his decision, they were... less than pleased.
There was nothing personal about his decision. It was just business.
It became personal when he learned what his now-former employees had done behind his back. And while under his employ. As it turned out, the Shapankas had been selling company secrets to many of his competitors, and the money they made was mostly used to keep their project afloat.
They did all of that and then they had the gall to try and sneak off with their research, which was company property.
He promptly sent a security team to escort the couple out of their laboratory, but not before ensuring their research remained in his possession.
What he hadn't counted on was Mary Shapanka locking herself within her lab, intent on erasing their research data from the lab's servers. And Hammer, in his infinite wisdom, had deigned to tell his men to NOT use excessive force.
That lack of foresight resulted in a catastrophe. The gung-ho guards blew open the lab doors, the explosion rupturing one of the machines inside. This machine promptly exploded right next to the desperate woman, grievously wounding her and leaving her comatose.
Naturally, Hammer went out of his way to pay for her initial medical treatments, in order to buy her husband's silence. And as he was still enraged at their underhanded and illicit dealings, he ensured to destroy what little credibility Gregor had as a researcher. The last he heard about the man, he was living paycheck to paycheck.
His daughter, from what he heard, had dropped out of college in order to support her mother's medical expenses.
And she did this for years, all while nursing a grudge against him. A grudge that led to her becoming a dangerous criminal that robbed from him...
Terror gripped Hammer's heart as he realized that she probably wouldn't stop at just bank robberies.
"She's going to pop my head like a zit, isn't she?" He asked fearfully, breaking into a cold sweat.
"But not before making you suffer indignities that even I dread to imagine." Sasha commented, adding on to his fears.
Knowing full well the fate that awaited him should Donna Gill continue to roam free, Justin Hammer did something he never imagined himself doing.
Cheer for someone else.
"Kick her ass, Iron Man!"
"I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR SHINY METAL ASS, IRON MAN!" Blizzard roared in rage, her voice somehow echoing throughout the neighborhood.
The bank robber turned her attention onto Winter and snarled in contempt. "You think I don't know what you're thinking? Yes, I'm a woman, you trust fund tramp! Not all of us have a filthy rich daddy to buy our way to a better life!"
Winter felt like she had been punched in the gut with that remark. The young specialist knew she wasn't some ditzy, brainless heiress coasting through life on her family's wealth. How dare this criminal accuse her of climbing through the ranks by using her father! She had not earned her rank without so much as pulling any strings, but by her blood, sweat, and tears!
She raised her sword toward Blizzard and bellowed, "Come and say that to my face, you frosted floozy!"
Suddenly, she heard the soft hum of thrusters behind her. She turned and saw Iron Man floating toward her, floating as softly as a leaf on the wind. Landing right next to her, the armored vigilante stared at their mutual opponent.
"So, late spoiler alert, but she uses a specialized suit like mind." He spoke before adding. "Though it's obvious hers is not as refined as mine, given her, well, blocky figure."
Winter could sense the smirk on the man's face with that smug tone of his.
Raising his right hand to where his mouth should be, Iron Man insultingly called out to the criminal, "Hey, Blizzy, your suit's looking a little worse for wear. How's about you call it quits, slap some cuffs on, and call it a day?"
"Keep making those jokes while you can, hero!" Blizzard angrily retorted. "This thing's still got some fight left in it, enough to take you and that arrogant little hussy out!"
Shielding her face from any possible attacks, Blizzard broke into a dead sprint, her heavy footsteps kicking up ice, cement, and asphalt. Her opponents, not wanting to be steamrolled by the advancing crook, quickly leapt to safety in opposite directions. When their would-be assailant didn't hear the sounds of flesh being ripped followed by crunching bones, she promptly slid to a scratching halt, her metallic feet audibly scraping the ice.
She turned to the direction where her opponents hid and shouted. "Come out here and fight, you cowards!"
"Then why don't you come and make us, Snow Crone!" Iron Man taunted back, eliciting an enraged growl from her.
Blizzard growled in rage, fully aware that the vigilante was trying to bait her; to try and have her slip up and make a mistake for him to exploit. She was using all of her willpower to keep herself from rising to the bait, though the temptation was strong. She knew that things were going well for her.
Unlike the last time they fought, Iron Man had the advantage of a more spacious arena to freely maneuver. He no doubt had learned from his prior defeat and reworked his armor to counter her tech, while also building on his combat skills. Not to mention he wasn't fighting alone this time, as he had a specialist and nearly a dozen cops backing him up. It was a complete inverse of their prior confrontation, and it was maddening.
The odds were stacked against her. If the criminal didn't do something to even them out, everything she had done will mean nothing.
She thought up a plan and quickly put it into action. She gazed up and saw the rooftops and sky above her. With a malicious smirk, she held her colossal, armored hands into the air, palms open and facing the sky.
"Increase power output to 100%!" She ordered the computer operating her suit.
Suddenly, the lenses on her palms lit up and a brilliant and blinding white, shining brightly like the sun. The vents in her gauntlets opened and spun, their turbines spinning wildly and powerfully in spite of their miniscule size, sucking up the crisp cold air. Two beams of light shot out from her glowing palms, hitting both sides of the street.
As he watched this scene unfold from his hiding place, Iron Man realized what was about to come. He looked to the other side of the street at Winter and shouted, "Take cover, the big one is coming! Tell your men to stay back!"
The specialist nodded and relayed the order through her earpiece. With that out of the way, Iron Man readied himself to attack Blizzard. He knew he had a short time window and he had to act now. Just as he was about to fly, he felt something grab hold of his shoulder, holding him down. He turned his head around and saw a spectral clawed hand on his shoulder, the appendage attached to an ethereal Beowolf whose torso jutted out from a glyph on the street. He knew immediately that this was his sister's doing.
He looked over at Winter and saw she was shaking her head, her features fixed in a stern gaze, subtly telling him to maintain cover.
Does she know something I don't... or does she have a plan? He wondered to himself before being caught off by a loud and menacing roar.
Despite choosing to hide behind the car, the vigilante took a quick peek over the trunk. His optics landed on Blizzard, whose arms were still aloft and shooting her targeting beams. But as he gazed at the two lines of light, he noticed something peculiar. The last time he had seen them, the beams had looked solid, like thin corporeal spikes piercing the air. These were big and barely visible, seen only by the light of the lenses that made them.
It was then he realized in horror. She doesn't have a target locked.
And just as realization dawned on him, Blizzard brought her hands together, the wrists clicking together with both palms still facing outward. The beams converged and coalesced, increasing in size and becoming as solid as light could be. The fully formed targeting array shot down the street, nearly encompassing the whole neighborhood.
Seeing this, Iron Man finally knew what Blizzard's target was.
The beam collided with the wall of a building at the end of the street, right where the police barricade had been set up.
And with one final guttural roar, Blizzard fired her weapons!
A powerful vortex of wind shot out, barreling down the street with all the speed of a hurricane! Windows were shattered, cars were turned over, and streetlights were sent flying from their spots. Even the news bullheads struggled to stay in the air, as the wind currents became turbulent.
The air became heavy and cold, like death itself had come. The vapor in the air solidified and became snow that billowed out in waves, covering the whole neighborhood. Large clumps of ice shot through the neighborhood like bullets, pelting the street and buildings. Everything within the vortex's path was frozen, the frost spreading like flames on paper.
Those who witnessed the arctic onslaught from a safe distance were rendered speechless and stunned. Some would later liken this powerful display to that of fabled Winter Maiden. Those watching this chaotic scene unfold on television were just as shocked.
Thankfully, the attack didn't last long, as the arctic vortex slowly weakened before petering to a halt.
With her attack finished, Blizzard was free to move her arms once again. She disconnected her wrists and brought both appendages down, the gauntlets weighing heavier than before. That final attack had nearly drained all of the power in the suit, with the exoskeleton possessing barely enough energy to keep her standing. If the suit's power had been lost completely, she would've been rendered immobile, her body weighed down by the heavy equipment she wore. She was strong, sure, but even she couldn't lift all that heavy hardware strapped to her body. That was what she needed the suit for.
By her estimate, it'll be ten minutes before the suit lost all power.
But if Iron Man and that annoying little Schnee bitch were dead, it'd have been worth it.
Wanting to ensure her opponents fates were sealed, she took a look at her handiwork. She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight before her. She knew her weapons were powerful, but she never imagined they could freeze an entire neighborhood.
What had once been any other city street in Mantle now resembled a winter wasteland. Icicles of varying size poked the air, rooted in the streets or hanging from the rooftops. Ruined vehicles were strewn about the street, turned over or lying on their sides, buried under a few feet of snow and ice. Father back, the police barricade had disappeared, obscured by an ice formation resembling a frozen ocean wave.
Blizzard took in the sight of her handiwork and let out an exhausted but content breath. She had won. Against all odds, she had triumphed over her opponents. The target had been eliminated, there were no witnesses, and she was sure her employer was satisfied.
Clad in full armor and sitting on his throne, the Mandarin watched the projected feed with immense satisfaction.
Gill had gone above and beyond in completing her mission. He knew the young lady possessed conviction, but to see the true extent of her technology's abilities was a testament to her strong will. Most people would deign to unleash their full potential, but only the truly great chose to transcend their inhibitions. Clearly, Donna Gill was one of those willing few.
If he had decided to fully integrate her into his ranks, she no doubt would've become one of top enforcers. A small part of him considered making that offer to her.
But then he remembered the small trigger clutched within his left hand.
Despite Blizzard's success as an asset, her services were solely dependent on the state of her family. Such an attachment made the young woman a liability. One he couldn't afford to have when his true ambitions were finally gaining ground. Thankfully, for all Gills' brilliance as a scientist and engineer, she wouldn't have gotten far without her partner, Randall Macklin.
And Macklin, as it turned out, was not as loyal to her as she believed. His services were dependent on whether he felt his life was threatened or not. It only made sense that the crime lord exploited the man's desire for continued existence. The man quickly acquiesced to his request, given that the alternative was tantamount to suicide.
The fact he offered Macklin copious amounts of money might've helped in influencing the man's choice.
And so, with the aid of her once most-trusted companion, the Mandarin now literally held Blizzard's life within the palm of his hand. Of course, her survival was dependent on whether that armored nuisance had finally met his maker. And until he saw the vigilante's frozen corpse, Gill's life was his.
For now, he will wait and see.
A satisfied smirk spread across Donna Gill's frostbitten features. At long last, she had avenged her mother and rectified her father's mistake.
All she had to do now squeeze Justin Hammer's head like the little zit it was.
Right after she had fled the scene, obviously.
She turned to move, the gears and hydraulics of her suit groaning. It appeared that she would not be able to make a speedy getaway. If she wanted to escape with her freedom intact, she'll have to abandon the suit.
I'm sure Macklin can build another one. She thought. But still, I can't just leave it here.
"Hey, Assicle, where do you think you're going?" She was roused from her thoughts.
She looked back and saw, much to her shock, Iron Man standing tall and unharmed, his legs buried up to the knee in snow. Outrage quickly settled in, as she stared incredulously at the metal man. Just how could he have survived? She poured everything into that final blast! She had effectively frozen over the whole neighborhood, yet somehow there wasn't a single scratch on him.
"The party's just starting!" He called out mockingly. "And like any good host, you can't just leave a mess behind!"
Blizzard growled in rage, completely indignant that she hadn't frozen this annoying pest to death. Her attack didn't even appear to faze him, given that he was still mouthing off at her like there was no tomorrow. Iron Man, it would seem, was like a cockroach, stubborn and hard to get rid of.
Of course, there was something she knew about cockroaches.
"You think this is a game?!" She snarled back. "We'll see if you're still laughing after I bash your head in!"
When all else fails, just squish them!
Having lost the advantage of ranged attacks, Gill realized she had to rely on physical combat. But her limited power didn't leave much in terms of mobility. She had to make the vigilante keep his distance from her as she formulated a strategy. But as the woman's mind pondered, her eyes wandered to her immediate surroundings. Her steely grey eyes landed on an object next to her. It was a parked SUV. Given the very thin layer of snow coating its body, it appeared that it had been spared her arctic assault.
She knelt beside the vehicle and looked through its windows, to make sure it was unoccupied. When she saw that it was, she promptly gripped its undercarriage with her big metal fingers. She stood and hefted the sub-utility vehicle over her head. With a sinister and excited chuckle, she worked out her trajectory, aimed, and with great force, chucked her makeshift projectile into the air!
And its target was one flabbergasted Iron Man, who quickly leapt aside. The SUV passed its intended target buy mere inches, its metal form skidding across the frozen street. Safe for now, Iron Man looked ahead and saw Blizzard was now preparing another throw, this time with a dumpster. He quickly rolled to a frozen truck and hid behind its tailgate.
As the vigilante worked out his next plan, he suddenly felt a hand tap his left shoulder.
He looked to his left and saw Winter Schnee, who had also escaped the Blizzard's attack in mostly one piece. Of course, her hair had been undone, the fierce winds having freed her snow-white locks free of its typical bun. In her right hand she held Carte Blanche, which was no longer separated into separate blades. The now singular blade was planted into the ground, piercing the ice.
Iron Man quickly asked, "How much Aura do you have left?"
The specialist pulled out her scroll and frowned, "I have less than a quarter of my aura left. Blizzard's attack really took a toll. I'm afraid I am unable to use a powerful summon."
"Can you summon anything?" He desperately inquired.
Winter thought about her options. With her aura nearly depleted, she couldn't summon anything like a Goliath or a Beringel. The most she can manage now without draining her remaining aura would be to summon either a small pack of minor Beowolves or a flock of fledgling Nevermores. Of course, she doubted such small summons were strong enough to take Blizzard down. That is, if she were use her semblance at all.
"Your eyes are shifting..." Iron Man remarked. "That means you either have a plan or you've finally lost it."
Just as she was about to retort, Winter saw the hero's head tilt to the side. That's when the specialist saw his blue optics started flicker. Watching this odd display made her worry his suit had malfunctioned. If they weren't both in danger, she'd have exploited this possible flaw to defeat Iron Man. Her fears were assuaged when she noticed the flickering followed a pattern.
Suddenly, his optics ceased flickering, returning to a constant glow. He looked over to the specialist, "I was just talking to a pal of mine about some options. He said he might have a plan... or at least the beginnings of one."
"Pardon me if that doesn't exactly fill me with confidence." She deadpanned.
Iron Man snapped back. "And do you have something else in mind?"
She opened her mouth, ready to argue, only to find that she really had no plan. With a resigned groan, she gestured the vigilante to explain his plan.
"Well, first, do you have any fire Dust on you?" He asked to which she nodded.
The specialist promptly pulled out five glowing dust vials, red and radiating warmth, and held them out to the armored man. He took the vials and inspected them before bringing up his right arm. She watched in fascination as a small induction port popped out on his wrist, followed by a panel on the forearm sliding back to reveal a hidden black nozzle. Before she can ask about this instruments function, he jabbed the vial into the port, its metallic needle piercing the container's plastic lid. The vial's supply of liquefied Fire Dust was promptly drained.
As he readied the next vial, he explained his plan. "Blizzard is on the ropes now. That last attack no doubt consumed much of her suit's power supply. With her weapons out of commission, she's going to be relying on brute strength now. But we have an advantage over her."
He popped in the third vial, "When she threw that SUV- hope the owner's got insurance for that- she saw only me. She has no idea that you survived too. That gives us the opportunity to take her down by surprise."
He tossed the third vial away and inducted the fourth, "I'm going to draw her attention. While she's preoccupied with me, you're going to sneak up on her. Once you're in slashing distance, you're going to use what's left of your aura to enhance your strength. You're going to slash her power supply open, which is no doubt stored in that metal pack strapped to her back."
Noticing a slight flaw in that plan, Winter piped up. "A sound strategy, but what about that coat she's wearing? It's strong, bullet proof, and it holds strong against fire."
"I've got a plan for that." He spoke as he finished draining the fifth and final vial. "But it all depends on your cooperation. Do you trust me?"
Winter spoke bluntly, "No... but I don't really have choice."
"Good enough answer as any." He stood up and peeked from behind cover. He looked back to the specialist and nodded.
"Let's do this."
Blizzard stood her ground as she surveyed the area. Her steel grey eyes roamed over ruined cars and snow dunes searching for signs of Iron Man's presence. It had been a minute since she last spotted him, and her patience had already been lost. A small part of her wanted to march over and look for him herself, but she knew such an act would be playing into his hands.
She opted to draw the vigilante out by taunting him. "Come out, Iron Man! This little game of yours is only prolonging the inevitable."
As the wind carried her words, she heard something shuffle to her right. Not wanting to risk getting ambushed, the criminal stomped over to where she had heard the disturbance. She came across an ice-covered van that had fallen onto its side. She searched it, even breaking the vehicle open, only to find nothing.
"I'm getting really tired of this!" She roared in rage. "Either you come to me or..."
She was cut off by the sound of a humming thruster. She promptly turned and covered her face with her arms. To shield her face proved to be a good choice as a blue burst of energy collided with her forearms, dissipating into the luminescent vapor. When she brought her arms down, she saw Iron Man hovering across from her in mid-air, his glowing left palm aimed right at her.
"Did you really think I'd fall for that again?" She snapped at him, an annoyed sneer spreading across her face.
"Honestly, no, I didn't think you would. But I do know it's annoying." The floating hero blithely replied.
"Oh, it is, immensely so." She answered back, her sneer becoming a vicious smile. "And that's why It's going to make what I'm about to do next extremely satisfying."
She knelt down and scooped up some snow into her colossal metal fist. She promptly shaped the frozen mass into a spheroid as big as a basketball. In layman's terms, she had made a snowball.
A soft chortle escaped Iron Man's hidden lips, "A snowball? Ooh, I'm so scared. You really think- OOF!"
Iron Man was cut off by the snowball flying into his helmet. The sudden force sent him flying into a nearby wall, shattering the ice and snow coating it. As he regained his bearings, Iron Man realized that he had been felled by clumped mass of snow. And it had hit him hard, harder than he had expected. But as his mind tried to cope, his memory brought up one of the first things he learned about physics, specifically kinetic energy.
Any object moving at twice the speed will hit four times harder.
Yep, really should have considered that. The hero thought as he peeled himself off of the wall.
He looked over at his opponent and saw that she was preparing another snow projectile. He saw that this new clump contained small black particulates, no doubt bits and pieces of asphalt. If her last snowball was hard, this one was no doubt going to hurt quite a bit. Iron Man knew his armor was tough, he took great care in strengthening it, but he definitely couldn't handle a continuous barrage of hard-hitting snowballs.
But they were only effective so long as she had a stationary target. Her augmented strength may enhance her throwing speed, but he doubted her reflexes were just as elevated. So long as he kept zipping from one position to another, Blizzard will have lost her last advantage. And it'll keep her attention on him, just as he planned. He just had to wait for her to trip up and he can follow through with his part of the plan.
He shot upward and landed on the rooftop of a nearby building. He looked down at his attacker and called out mockingly, "That was a lucky shot! But I bet you can't get me up here!"
Blizzard glared intensely at the metal nuisance, her teeth gnashing and eyes twitching from rage. With a clear view of his position, she readied her arm for another throw. Like a baseball player, she wound her body up for the pitch, calculated her trajectory, and threw with as much force she can muster. The snowball sailed through the air with the speed of a bullet, its target being one vigilante.
But said target anticipated this and quickly shot into the air, the projectile passed his hovering feet by a foot, landing on the rooftop. Now in the air and with more room to maneuver, Iron Man flew off to another spot. Blizzard followed the flying hero, her eyes darting as quickly as they were able. But his repulsor technology was faster.
And he didn't stay in one spot for long. For every landing he made, he launched himself just as quickly. No matter where his body was in the air, it always moved to another. Minute after minute did this game of visual cat-and-mouse went on, with Iron Man bypassing his opponent's field of range. All while Blizzard lobbed one snowball after another in a vain attempt to ground him.
Eventually, Blizzard lost all semblance of patience and cried out, "This would be much easier if you just stayed still!"
"And it would be easier for you to just give up!" Iron Man retorted, earning an anguished scream from Blizzard.
Now hovering several dozen feet in the air, Iron Man saw that he was now in the best position to initiate his plan. The vigilante adjusted his body for the trajectory needed for his next act and he readied himself mentally for the coming attack. This sudden shift did not go unnoticed as Blizzard fixed her eyes on the hovering hero and recognized that he was readying a strafing run. Knowing now that he was far too fast to be hit by one of her makeshift projectiles, the embattled bank robber opted to stand her ground.
Whatever he was planning, she was sure it involved getting close to her.
And once he was within grabbing distance, she'll pluck him right out of the air and smash him to bits!
And as she predicted, the vigilante fired up his thrusters, rocketing toward her at high speeds. The armored warrior flew like a bat out of hell, streams of brilliant blue light shooting out of his feet. Ice and glass shook in his wake, rattled by the g-forces generated by his speeding metal body. But Blizzard was not bothered in the slightest.
Readying herself for the imminent impact, Blizzard crossed her arms across her chest. She smirked triumphantly, assured that victory was finally at hand.
Suddenly, Iron Man did something completely unexpected. Rather than collide with his opponent, he instead killed the power to his thrusters. As his body started free-falling, he hugged his knees to his chest, as though he were to cannonball a pool. He crashed onto the ground, his metal body straightening itself on impact. But the impact did not stop his body, which slid across the icy street at high speed, like a metallic hockey puck. Although confused by this strange maneuver, Blizzard kept her guard up.
It didn't matter what the fool was planning, he had just made himself more vulnerable.
Little did Blizzard know that she was the vulnerable one!
Just as Iron Man slid within grabbing distance of her arms, he shot his torso up and raised his right arm. His golden fingers folded into a fist as his gauntlet slid back, revealing the hidden nozzle. He aimed his fist at his enemy's folded arms and with a single thrust of his wrist; the nozzle unleashed a large and powerful stream of fire at the criminal!
The flames lashed at Blizzard's body like the breath of a dragon. Blizzard brought her hands up to shield her face from the flames, causing her to lose sight of her target. Though unable the hero or his flames, she felt the intense heat radiating off of them. Though surprised by the sudden blast of fire, she wasn't worried in the slightest. Her coat was mostly impervious to fire, and it took a very high temperature to wear it down. She doubted Iron Man's itty-bitty flame thrower had enough fire dust and time needed to reach that burning point.
Eventually, the heat subsided, with the cold Solitan air cooling her off. Taking a chance, she brought her armored hands down, revealing her face to world once more. She looked down, expecting to see Iron Man cowering beneath her. To her complete shock, she saw that he had vanished. She saw the scrapes in the ice his body made, yet his physical form was nowhere to be seen.
Her rage returned tenfold and she yelled in a shrill voice, "WHERE ARE YOU!"
"Right behind you..." She heard his voice intone from behind her.
Hearing the vigilante's voice so close to her sent a jolt of fear down her spine. The little bastard had used his flamethrower as a diversion and slid under her legs! He played her like a damned fiddle!
Her fear subsided and her rage boiled over. She was not going to be humiliated by some idealistic fool playing superhero!
Blizzard cocked her fists and moved to turn, intent on smashing the gold-plated gnat to dust. But her movement ceased when she felt her feet leave the ground. She hadn't planned to jump. That was when she noticed that the buildings around her were starting to sink. When her eyes drifted to her feet, she saw that they nearly encompassed the entire street, like as though the neighborhood was shrinking. It was only when she felt her body lurch forward, her face looking down at the ground, did she realize that her body was being lifted into the air.
And she didn't need to guess who was doing the lifting.
Her head turned and in the periphery of her vision saw a golden form floating above her.
Outraged, she screamed, "Let go of my coat!"
"Only if you say please," Iron Man quipped as his hands gripped her coat's lower back flap.
Blizzard growled as she flailed her arms and kicked her legs in an attempt to loosen her captor's grip. As the seconds ticked by, she realized that he was picking up speed and gaining altitude. The street below her was now far enough away for the vehicles to resemble matchbox cars. She knew that if they got any higher, she wouldn't likely survive the fall. If she fell from her current height now, her suit will absorb much of the impact.
But what choice did she have?
With shaky fingers, Blizzard began undoing the clasps holding her coat together. With each clasp released, she felt her armored form shake. Eventually, her hands found the final clasp. She swallowed her pride and the growing lump in her threat and unhooked the clasp. Her body shook as the coat opened out, with the criminal slipping out. Gravity did the rest.
Blizzard landed on the iced over street with a thunderous crash, shattering ice and leaving a crater. Fortunately, she had been able to land on her feet. Unfortunately, her armored boots, having taken the full brunt of the impact, were now damaged. From what she saw, her ability for bipedal movement had been hindered somewhat.
But that was the least of her worries.
Her suit, once shielded by her protective coat, was now exposed to the world. The recycled and plated dive skin, colored a faded blue, was now visible and vulnerable. The exoskeletal frame that enhanced her height and physical prowess was exposed. Her large cylindrical gauntlets, housing her once-functional freezing ray, were open to attack; along with the tubes connecting them to the engine pack on her back.
Despite the loss in protection and mobility, Blizzard wasn't ready to call it quits just yet. She had an obligation to see this job through, even if it killed her. She didn't care what happened to her so long as her mother was well-cared for.
But she'd be lying if she said killing that annoying little tin man wasn't on her bucket list.
The sound of roaring thrusters caught her notice. She looked up and saw none other than Iron Man slowly descending to the ground. When he landed, his blue optics took in the sight of Blizzard's suit.
"Hmmm... Not bad, I guess. Had to work with what you had obviously. Still, not too shabby at all, in all honesty. I'd gladly shake your hand for such an innovative design... if you hadn't tried to kill me with it." He spoke in a way that was simultaneously complimentary and scathing.
"Spare me the hollow praise, shit heel!" She snarled back as she settled into a boxing stance. "Come on, just try and finish me!"
"I'd like to... but I don't need to."
Irritated by the vigilante's casual indifference to her challenge, Blizzard chose not to not dignify that comment with a question.
Not that it mattered, considering those were his final words as far as she was concerned.
Despite the damage to her boots, she can still stomp her way toward her imminent victim. She readied herself for the coming confrontation, preparing for what might be victory or her death. But just as she was about to take her first step, she heard what sounded like metal grinding against metal. Surprised, Blizzard stood still, unsure as to what was going on. She looked at Iron Man and saw that he hadn't moved an inch.
Suddenly, she felt something fall off of her back. Whatever it was, it was large and metallic given the sounds it made once it landed on the ice. Before Blizzard had a chance to investigate this strange occurrence, she felt all her strength leave her body. That loss was immediately followed by her falling to the ground flat on her chest.
"What the hell is this?" She wailed as she tried moving her limbs.
But it was to no avail. No matter how much effort she pushed into the act, her body just refused to move. The exoskeletal frame that supported her body now felt like a constricting body brace! Her large spherical gauntlets that were once light as a feather now weighed her arms down like sandbags! Even her ruined metal boots ceased to function. She likened the experience to having her feet trapped in cement blocks. The mighty Blizzard, who had Mantle in a grip of fear, was now as vulnerable as an upturned turtle.
How can this be? The only way this could happen is if someone... disconnected the suit... from its power source...
"Oh, you have got to be shitting me..." Donna Gill groaned as the full gravity of the situation finally hit her.
"I wouldn't use such a crass expression, but yes, it is indeed so." Said Winter Schnee as she pressed a heel onto the criminal's now exposed back.
The specialist took her sword and pressed the blade against Gill's neck. "Blizzard, by the authority granted to me by the Atlas Council, I hereby place you under arrest."
Gill's response was to bury her face in the ice.
A victorious smile stretched across the Schnee's face as she stared down at the defeated form of her perp. She felt immense satisfaction watching this accursed woman squirm like a worm. It hadn't been easy, considering the circumstances and costs. But somehow, she had been able to arrest the notorious Blizzard, and without much loss suffered by her comrades.
"Now that wasn't a chore, was it?"
And of course, she had help from Iron Man.
"Indeed, I must say so... However, I have to say- and it pains me to admit it- But your assistance was very much appreciated, Iron Man. If it hadn't been for you, who knows how many lives would've been lost." She said though gritted teeth.
"Oh, it feels so nice to be appreciated now and then." Iron Man took one of his metal fingers and wiped an imaginary tear from his faceplate.
His mostly heartfelt appreciation vanished when he saw that the specialist's sword was now trained on him.
An incredulous Iron Man shook his head, "Really? Are we seriously doing this now? I helped you not three seconds ago and now you're trying to arrest me? Does the word "Grateful" somehow not exist in your admittedly impressive vocabulary?"
"It isn't personal; I can assure you of that. But I came here on a mission and i am duty-bound to finish it." She replied in an even tone.
"I know it sounds ironic coming from me, but... wow, spoken like a good little robot. Just have to please whoever's pushing your buttons, don't you?" He retorted without a hint of fear.
The vigilante's insult struck a chord with her. She didn't know why, but it felt like she had heard those words before. She didn't dwell long on it as she entered into a lunging stance. Iron Man noticed her shift in posture and promptly brought his armored hands down, the repulsors in his palms whirring to life, ready to launch him into the air.
But before either combatant took the first move, they heard what sounded like a ticking clock. Surprised by the sudden sound, both Iron Man and Winter Schnee lowered their guards.
"Are you doing that?" She asked, her eyes scanning her surrounding for the source of that mysterious ticking.
"No, this isn't me. And considering you're just as lost as I am; I can say you're not doing it either." He replied before turning his gaze onto Gill.
He knelt down beside her and demanded in a harsh voice, "Is this your doing?"
"I can't lift my arms, let alone my fingers. What makes you think I can make that noise?" She replied in an uncaring tone.
Undeterred by Gill's admission, Iron Man rose to observe the area. Determined to find the source, he increased the strength of his audio receptors.
Singling out the mysterious ticking, the vigilante listened carefully to discern its exact source. It was close, of that he can tell. Like following breadcrumbs, he followed the ticking. With every step he took, the intensity and volume increased, a sign that he was close to finding its origin point. He stopped when the ticking became too much for him to bear. He looked down and saw the pack that had powered Blizzard's tech.
He knelt down and inspected the high-tech backpack. Aside from its sliced straps, the device's exterior was undamaged. He deduced that the noise was coming from its interior. Wasting no time, Iron Man took one of his fists and lightly punched one of its metal panels, his enhanced strength caving it in. He peeled the ruined metal sheet off, revealing the inner workings of the machine that had terrorized Mantle.
His fingers combed through wiring and picked apart components, intent on finding the source of that ticking.
When he found what he was looking for, he felt his heart stop and his blood run cold.
Nestled within the pack, hidden in a small compartment, was a bomb. And it had already been armed, with less than thirty seconds to go.
"Get down!" He shouted in alarm.
Winter heeded his warning and ducked, covering her head. Iron Man pried the bomb from its hidden compartment. As he didn't know its exact payload, the metal man didn't want to risk having the bomb go off in such a heavily populated area. Left with no other choice, he rocketed into the air, bomb in hand, his repulsors firing at top speed.
Once he reached a safe enough altitude, he chucked the explosive into the sky!
Winter looked up and saw the distant hovering form of Iron Man in the sky.
Suddenly, there was a sound like thunder and a fireball ignited in the sky. She averted her eyes and waited for the coming shockwave. A powerful wave sailed through the air, the ground shaking briefly and violently.
When the shaking had finally subsided, she looked up and beheld a big ball of smoke. A part of her dreaded the devastation that could've been wrought had the bomb exploded in the city. She wasn't sure if her aura would have protected her.
But as she gazed on the slowly spreading mass of ash, she noticed something that filled her with dread.
There was no sign of Iron Man.
And here it is, the fully completed chapter 24. Honestly, writing this chapter took a lot of me. Hell, I don't know if I can publish the next chapter of Revenants before the end of the month. But I'll try.
And yes, I am writing an MHA/Ghostbusters story, which is titled, Something Strange.
I am also considering writing a Spider-Man and MHA story. Thought I give that a shot.
Stay tuned, dear readers.