Question Let the Storm Rage On

Let the Storm Rage On
A Whateley Academy Vignette

Born of cold and winter air
And mountain rain combining
This icy force both foul and fair
Has a frozen heart worth mining

Cut through the heart, cold and clear
Strike for love and strike for fear
See the beauty sharp and sheer
Split the ice apart
And break the frozen heart

Beautiful, powerful, dangerous, cold
Ice has a magic can't be controlled
Stronger than one, stronger than ten
Stronger than a hundred men

Born of cold and winter air
And mountain rain combining
This icy force both foul and fair
Has a frozen heart worth mining

Cut through the heart, cold and clear
Strike for love and strike for fear
There's beauty and there's danger here
Split the ice apart
Beware the frozen heart

/Lyrics from "Frozen"
Music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez/

~*~

Saturday, June 2, 2007 - Early Night

Samantha watched as the wizard she had hired carried a glowing crucible, careful not to spill the precious molten Mithril, from where he had melted the metal to the edge of the working. She was standing naked at the center of a complex mess of circles and straight lines made of mixed materials. She felt disgusted with herself, and tried not to look at her exposed flesh with it's acne scars and blotches. Across the blemished canvas that was her body, the wizard had painted symbols that made her head hurt if she looked at them to long. Her hair, now a washed out brown instead of the pure white she had adored, hung in her face and angrily she swatted it away,

“Do not break the lines yet.” her hireling scolded in a soft voice, “Else the spell will not transpire correctly and the results will end up... tragic.”

“So you keep reminding me. Just hurry it up, I'm paying you good money for this procedure.” Samantha snapped.

A disgruntled, unladylike as her mother would say, snort of disgust escaped her nose as she sank back into her thoughts. Her parents hadn't even realized she had been gone the whole time she was running with Cobb!! Her family wasn't as rich as the Walcutts, her oblivious parents did make good money and had thrown it at her to keep her quiet. Lack of money was the one thing she'd hated about being with Cobb, as it was a real step down from what she was used to. She'd even contemplated robbing the house, she never felt like it was her home, more then once during her time with the Monsters, but one of the compulsions that had been laid in kept them from seeking out their families. How that little boy-bitch Gwen had managed to blog to her father... Her fist clenched and part of her vowed to seek that upstart out and make her bleed. Then she'd find that shadowy little brat and do the same to her, maybe leaving both their broken bodies where the Crusaders could find them easily...

Black candles flared, seemingly in response to her mood, their smoke adding a metallic taint to the air as the blood-infused wax burned. Inter-spaced between the candles where rounded stones with a spell painstakingly chipped into their surfaces just for this ritual.

The wizard pausing for a moment to order his thoughts, clearing the client's grumblings from his mind, to review the summoning he had had chosen for this girl. She bore the remnants of a previous binding, but if she was to be believed the one who had done it was that no-talent scientist! Dr. Macabre... this whole thing required study, and he made a mental note to look into the matter. Still the girl had a good Hollow, hardly damaged by having what had been there before removed by force... Another thing to look into. If he could replicate the extraction method...

“All right, I am about to begin. Do as I instructed you, and do not deviate from it no matter what might happen.”

Samantha nodded, biting back the urge to snap at him for repeating himself again. The wizard took a deep breath and began to chant in a language that seemed to scrape out the inside of Samantha's skull as he tipped the crucible, letting the molten silver flow and finish the Seal that she stood at the center of. Samantha had taken a look at a sketched out version of the working and it had resembled a Star of David in a circle, and that had surprised her. She'd figured the wizard would have used a five pointed star. The whole thing was set up so two of the points where aligned North and South, and at the center where she stood where two circles that touched creating a figure eight. She stood in the Southern circle, and the Northern one was empty. Were the lines of the circles touched the material used was glass with silver mixed in...

Samantha's attention was drawn away from her study of the working as reality seemed to wobble within North circle. Hoarfrost began to spread from the wobble, coating the stone in the circle in seconds then some how spreading into the air like ice forming on a plane of glass. She watched in fasination as snow began to swirl within the circle creating a snow globe like effect. She shivered as she felt her nipples pop erect as the chill and frost from the Northern circle spread into her circle.

Samantha gulped, for the first time beginning to wonder if it was a good idea to be trusting a dark wizard who went by the name Devilmaster. Or really any 'wizard' who's name she had gotten off a Dark Web for Hire site that also sold the services of Sabertooth squads. As the chill of the North circle crept into her bones Samantha tried to step out of the circle by crossing one of the pure silver lines.

It was like the one time she'd let one of football players have his way with her while she was pressed against a window of his house. Just a zillion times colder.

In a part of his mind that was unoccupied with the Workings the Devilmaster awarded himself a stop at Mac's for a case of his micro brew ale, as the girl had begun rethinking the deal and panicking exactly where he had predicted she would. Still, they where at the point of no return as reality ripped allowing a spirit to begin to manifest, the spell pulling out it's fee from Devilmaster's store of Essence. The chill deepened and a phantom wind began to howl as the snow flakes within the Northern circle became a white out.

“What is that?” Samantha hissed as a figure seemed to step regally into the circle, though nothing more then a vague serpentine shape could be seen swirling around the circle within the mini blizzard.

Devilmaster started to open his mouth to answer the girl when the snow just dropped to the floor revealing the spirit within the circle. It hung in the air like an exquisitely carved ice sculpture of a nude woman. There was nothing gentle or soft about her; her fingers and toes ended in cruel looking claws, and the smile the spirit flashed Samantha was all predatory teeth. Her ears where pointed, though there was slight scalloping along the upward curve, and her eyes where large, almond shape, and a cold silver gray. Even from where he stood well outside, and protected by, the working, Devilmaster could feel the chill of the spirit drawing his life force from him so she could be birthed into the material world. Her sheer power resonated with his own and he trembled in fear.

He'd only felt power like that once before; Parents Day at Whateley when a group of girls had handily dealt with a pack of ninjas. Afterward Lindsey had pointed out the girl Fey, and he had Seen the ancient spirit of the Queen who Was housed within the youngster who had become the Queen to Come.

“What am I child? I am the Eldest Daughter of the Raging Storm, Keeper of the Silver Ice, One with the Raging Wind and Shrouded Sky, War Leader of the Damned Legion, She who brings the Eternal Winter. My name is Lumikkainorjaisa and I offer you power, child. Power to correct the wrongs done to you, power to carve out a piece of this land and hold it under your banner...”

Devilmaster did his best not to look scared at the dragon spirit in sidhe form. He spared a glance at Samantha who was staring transfixed at the spirit. He mentally lowered the girl's chances of survival in his head, thanking what ever dark deity he believed in that he had gotten the girl's money in advance of the ritual. Though he had to admit that he was worried about his own chances of survival. He hadn't tried to real in a spirit on par with the Queen who Was, he had aimed to snag a simple ice spirit which would have made the girl over as a Yuki-Onna, an ice maiden barely as powerful as she had been with Cobb. But with Lumikkainorjaisa inside her Samantha would be an Ice Queen and a serious power house.

“Yes, this is what I wanted.” Samantha breathed eagerly as she edged closer to the line separating the pair.

The spirit turned to Devilmaster and purred “Finish the ritual, so I may feel the pleasures of the flesh again.” Left unsaid was was 'if you don't you will have a hard time dismissing me, and I will kill you before I depart this plane.'

“Do it. Do it now!” Samantha ordered.

Devilmaster inclined his head to her. “Very well then.” he replied before he picked up his chant again. Samantha felt the spell working it's way into her body, and it reminded her of the when Dr. Cobb had put her into his machine. Her jaw clenched against the feeling of her body being changed, of something being stretched and prepared. In a way it kind of reminded her of the first time she had ever had sex... Samantha's musing was cut off as the Devilmaster signaled for her to do her part of the ritual. Without hesitation Samantha slammed her palms down on the glass portion of the working's lines. Her flesh was pierced, her blood offered as the glass shattered.

The spirit inhaled sharply as it's form morphing into a blend of Sidhe and Dragon, frost patterned scale armor sparking with the manna build up. Samantha screamed as Lumikkainorjaisa embraced her, the spirit's touch ripping the living warmth from the girl's body leaving her flesh corpse pale and her hair white as snow. The circle's lines flared as they strained to contain the power held within, and Devilmaster had to look away.

Even with his eyes averted Devilmaster had to blink away the spots once the light faded, belatedly realizing he had some how ended up on the floor pressed against the wall farthest from the Working. Shivering from the bitter cold that permeated the lair he forced himself to his feet, and over to where the circle had been. He was more then a little surprised that the lines where all still intact and had managed to contain most of the energy released as the spirit bounded with the girl.

At the center of the Seal, where Samantha and Lumikkainorjaisa had been now stood a pillar of ice with a circumference large enough to swallow a small car. He could just barely make out a form encased within the pillar, and he shook his head. “Well, that's it then. I suppose I should clean up what I can and call the Syndicate to get a disposal team over here to deal with the body.”

Just as he was reaching for his phone it began to ring, playing the tune he had programmed in for his daughter. “Lindsay? Hey, slow down, what's wrong?” he asked, the hardened black magic wizard falling away to reveal the loving father within. “Your Combat final? Ok, Lins, take a deep breath...”

A crack like a cannon going off drowned out what ever Lindsay was trying to tell him, and as he spun around the phone dropped from his hand.

“Daddy? Daddy, what's wrong?”

~*~

Sunday, June 3, 2007- Late morning

Sunny let out a whistle as she hovered over the 'deserted' warehouse that every hero group in the area knew was really one of those timeshare lairs, looking over the destruction that had been called in. Touching her ear she said softly. “Hey Big Dawg, what's Chiller been up to for the last twenty four?”

She could hear the bewildered look on Beauregard's face as he accessed the computers at their base, likely stunned by how serious she sounded. “Home, work, PR thing, here... was never even close to where you are. Why, what are you seeing?”

“Ice. Lots of ice.” there was a pause and a soft curse. “And the MCO are arriving with the police and rescue squad. Keep Chiller out of sight, or better yet in sight so they can't snatch him up on us. And see what other ice throwers are in town at the moment.”

“Understood. I have a few things I can rope him into helping with.”

“All right Bee-Dee, I'll keep an eye on things here for a bit then see what doesn't get trampled. See if Swash is available and can swing through here or maybe the PD or MCO office to see what they find.” Sunny replied as she watched the responders break out sledge hammers, chisels and a few higher tech methods of dealing with the ice.

~*~

Mister Cool, aka Brian Chupp, looked around like the tourist he was, grinning as he soaked in the California sun. Sure he was an ice villain, but he wasn't like Mr Freeze (Even if he had cribbed some of Freeze's aesthetics for his Mark III suit) and needed the cold to live. No he was more Captain Cold and some times he just needed to thaw out and relax for a change. While he and Amber couldn't afford, Yet!, one of those Karedonian time share vacation properties, they could afford a few days on the west coast in a decent hotel in LA. Ok so it was a working vacation for them as he had to hit a place sometime in the week. He'd used the advance towards Amber's ticket and upgrading their room from the flea bag to something decent. However if he didn't have a few decent jobs when he got back he'd be eating Ramen noodles for the next few months. But the huge smile and barely there bandanna top that covered breasts Amber was pressing against his arm was well worth it, even leaving out the sex. Which was freaking amazing! In the first place, but got super hot after a job.

“Whacha thinken?” Amber purred as she twined her fingers with his, knowing full well what he was thinking about with just a look at the front of Brian's shorts.

“Just that we needed this.” he confessed as he spun her around and kissed her soundly on the lips. As they did so Brian's thoughts drifted to the small velvet box hidden in his suitcase.

~*~

“B.D. Sunny here. They're making good progress with the ice. Looks like they've found a... Shit!” Sunburst winced as something like a dragon out of a nightmare broke free of the mini glacier and went on a rampage. With their focus on the beast the first responders didn't see a man stagger out of the building and disappear down a storm drain. Sunny hesitated, torn between helping with the dragon thing, or going after the runner. The MCO goons opening up with some serious weapons, which blew chunks out of the creature's flesh, made her choice for her. Tugging her Dynamorph's powers around her, she cloaked herself as she dropped to the ground. Moving as quietly as she could manage Sunny slipped into the storm drain after the fleeing figure, her nose wrinkled at the thought of what was in the drains with them. The chunks of slush laid out an obvious trail, and Sunny didn't have far to go before she found her quarry slumped against one of the cement walls, shivering, eyes half closed, lips blue from the cold that had bit deeper then the flesh.

“Shit.” Sunny swore again as she knelt next to the man, praying her bare knees didn't end up in something gross. “Hey, stay with me fella. Let me get you warmed up.” she ordered as she concentrated her power and began to radiate light and heat like a woman shaped sun.

~*~

Sunday June 3, 2007- mid-afternoon

“Ladies and gentlemen, meet Professor Dorian Fellows, aka the Devilmaster.” Swashbuckler said as most of the Cali Crusaders gathered in the security room of their headquarters. On one of the monitors was Devilmaster's rap sheet, and on the one next to it was a view of the hospital room where he lay swaddled in warming blankets and under heat lamps. “Man is damn lucky he survived that mess. Most of the ice still hasn't melted, and it is in the high nineties right now. He is also, according to an 'expert', highly manna depleted.”

“I manged to get a few things out of him before we where picked up.” Sunny offered. “He was a bit incoherent though, so some of this might need taken with a grain of salt.” she shrugged.

“Well don't leave...” Daybreak said, pausing and then looking a little miffed that her sentence hadn't been finished do to Nightfall being absent because of a court summons. “... us hanging.”

Sunny nodded and brought up another file. “He was hired by an old friend.” A mugshot of a girl with bad skin and washed out brown hair filled the screen. After a few moments of muttered confusion, Sunny brought up another picture, this one taken from security footage, showing an attractive, if cruel looking white haired girl pointing a staff and apparently shouting something. “Samantha Grant, aka Icy.”

Big Dawg nodded slowly. “One of Dr. Cobb's minions. What is she doing out already?”

“Prison over crowding, so a judge let her loose early.” Swash grumbled.

“What? I thought...”

“She's powerless now, or was any way, and her lawyer managed to argue putting her in with super powered inmates was risking her life. So she went to normal jail, and like I said, out early do to overcrowding after a whole three weeks.” Swash explained.

“So she used that chump to get a power up?” Chiller asked looking from Icy's pictures to the live shot of Devilmaster.

“Devilmaster is hardly a chump, as he has a solid B rating. But, yeah, that would be correct Chill.” Sunny said with a nod. “He said something about binding a new spirit into her. That was about all I got out of him.”

Brujah cocked her head eyeing Chiller like a snake eyes a tasty rat. “I wonder...” she muttered, tapping her chin, as he began to squirm.

“Why's she looking at me like that?” Chiller asked with a gulp.

“I was thinking that maybe some Bastions and the like are really artificial possessions. The lab accidents and what not allow a spirit to slip in and take up residence.” Bru explained as she began to walk around Chiller.

“Nah, I got checked out six ways to Sunday, an there was nothing mystic around me. Remember? Seeing how you did the checking.” Chiller sputtered. “Hell the docs say my blood can be used for antifreeze now... they also babbled somethin about partially artificially activated gene complex. Kind of got lost in the medical babble.”

“I'm surprised you got even that much.” Skyrider opined. “Even I have trouble making sense of the theory behind where powers come from. But we're getting off track. Back to Miss Icy Tits...” Sky flinched as Daybreak smacked the back of his head.

“Minor.” Daybreak snapped. “But he does have a point. What do we think Icy will be up to with this new power up?”

“I hate to say it, and I will deny I said it if anyone breaths a word to her, but I wish Kate was here.” Chiller offered up. “She knows her shit... Ah, anyone ever think of giving her the same deal I got?”

“She kind of sort of does.” Sunny explained after a few moments. “She's not just into the whole idea of being a hero. I think more then anything Kate would really like to just be normal. She's told me what her powers feel like to her... and I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy let along a little girl.”

“A little girl who has a record as thick as she is tall.” Brujah pointed out.

“A record she got due to the Bell Witch forcing her into the Life.” Sunny countered, a hint of an unsaid 'shut the hell up, and drop it. Bitch.' in her tone.

~*~

“Ooo! Lookie Puddin Pop!” Amber purred as she pressed her hands against a shop window, nose almost smooshed against the glass between them as she gazed longingly at the outfit on display. “It's just what I've been looking for!”

“Huh?” Brain asked in true male fashion as he tried to work out why his girlfriend and partner in crime was drooling over a jacket that looked like it would barely cover her from neck to just past her breasts with a collar straight out of the disco era. It also seemed to missing a third of the sleeve length. The pants paired with it he couldn't fault as they looked like they where designed to be sown onto the wearer. And while Amber didn't have much up top, she was developing a very nice and toned booty from all the running and what not that happened when they went out in costume.

“Uhuh. That cat suit I've been using is ok, but... a girl likes to have more then one option when she's out on the town!” She grinned and skipped into the shop, throwing over her shoulder, “Wait here, I'll be right back!”

Brain let out a groan, as 'Right back' could mean him standing there for a few seconds to waiting until night fell.

~*~

Icy smirked as she strolled along the street enjoying the looks she drew from men and women alike. Her magically good looks where back! Her nearly impossible measurements, her silver white hair (which now had minor streaks of faint blue), the perky bust line! Men wanted to do her, women wanted to be her. And a few women likely wanted to do her as well. She felt better then she had since she had that piece of herself ripped out. Hell she felt better then she had with it in. She felt more powerful, more alive!! She couldn't help laughing out loud over the feeling. So what if now a few people where now looking at her like she was crazy?

Still with all the power flowing through her now, her three weeks in jail had taught her thing. She'd watched the real power players in the joint. Ok she'd tried to horn in on their place and she'd been beaten down harder then Cobb had ever done to her. Apparently minion of a C-list villain did not trump hard core bangers. But she had watched and learned. And one of the things she had learned was she would make no serious moves until she had her own minions.

Step One; track down Darcy, maybe a few of the other ex-monster kids. Just not Top Dog, Vic, or any of the ones who had tried to horn in on her place as leader.
Step Two: figure out how to power them up.
Step Three: get revenge, starting with...

“Give me your cash bitch.” a male voice growled drawing her out of her musings. Icy turned slowly, her amused look giving the scruffy, chess club build black kid with dark curls cropped close to his skull, pause. The ridiculously large gun he was holding sideways in one hand began to shake under Icy's gaze.

Slowly Icy stalked around him, licking her lips slightly as she did so. As she walked she wove a spell to influence the shlub's thinking, and bind him to her will. “My, my... I think I can work with this.”

“Wha...?” the young man gulped as Icy's eyes, and fingers shimmered with a cold light. Icy wasn't sure how she was doing what she was doing, but she felt compelled to run her fingers through the nebula she could now see and touch.

She smiled devilishly and licked her fingers seductively as she finished up back in front of the young man. He was nearly hers, as far as she could tell. Darcy had been better with the mind magics then she had ever been. Another reason to try and win her back. “I like the taste of your aura. It tastes like ice and death. Ah ha! That's how I can find them!” she added brightly, more to herself then her puppet.

She crooked a finger and he followed obediently. “Oh, what should I call you?”

“Jefferson... Jeff.” and with that he was hers.

“You have potential, Jeff. And I can unlock it once I have time to bring it out. Come, puppy, let's go home and tomorrow we can drop in on a few of my old friends.”

~*~

June 3, 2007- late afternoon
Cali Crusaders HQ

“Got an update.” Swash called as he walked into the general living space of their building, a ream of paper in his hand. Big Dawg, Miz Biz, and Chiller looked up from the contracts they where looking over. Skyrider stopped in mid-bite of a pastrami sandwich, which was enough of an opening for Sunny to snag the other half, and his pickle, from his plate. “Devilmaster's flown the coop. Left a... ketch?” he cast Bru a questioning look.

“Fetch. Think decoy bot.” the magic user explained. “Just magically made.”

“Right. Well he left one of those in his place and they didn't realize until they tried to take him in. Thankfully hospital security an the boys in blue is getting shit about it, not us. Down side is the MCO is on high alert now. Which will make it harder to do our jobs the next few days.”

“Joy.” the team chorused.

“Also, as Fellows wasn't talking, and the MCO wasn't willing to take our word on Icy being the doer, they have a line on a frost flinger, who they think was likely the doer; New Yorker who goes by Mister Cool. Not that he has any form of motive. Got in the day of, checked in with a girl at a tourist hotel, and wasn't seen again until after. Also they still want to 'talk' to Chiller, so Big Dawg, Miz Biz, you two feel like dealing with that? With what ever lawyer bull dogs you have on the leash? See about having it at the DPA offices, not the MCO base.” The pair nodded and Miz Biz pulled out her cell to make the necessary calls.

“How'd they get here?” Sunny asked. “I know he's on a few watch lists...”

“Apparently he flew under a fake name; a Bert Mallard.”

“Bert Mallard?” Chiller snorted a laugh, which earned him a “huh?” from around the room. “Bert is short for Robert, and a male mallard is a drake. Bobby Drake. You know, Ice Man from the X-men? What? I was doing research.”

“Any way...” Swash said drawing things back to him. “We haven't yet identified the woman with him, but Cool has a female accomplice of late, so this could be her civilian ID. I kind of think we may want to find the pair and keep an eye on them least the MCO does something rash.”

~*~

June 3, 2007- Early Evening

Brian flopped back on the hotel bed with a weary sigh; Amber had worn him out that afternoon, between the tourist thing, the shopping, and a little public nookie in the restroom of the restaurant they'd stopped for lunch at... they had just barely avoided being caught by the staff. They'd also dinned and ditched, which had been Amber's idea, though he had slipped a substantial tip to their waiter. He could remember waiting tables to make ends meet...

“Hey, looks like we missed something interesting this morning.” Amber said as she plopped down on the bed next to him, remote in her hand. Brian smiled as he looked up at the side and undersides of her breasts, as she had shed her top almost as soon as she was in the room.

On the tv was an African American cop with captain's bars on his dress uniform was standing at a podium, a dark haired woman with glasses looking uncomfortable behind him. A banner labeled him as Captain David Stokes, LAPD Public Relations Officer, “LA's Para-Crimes squad, lead by Captain Granger, is working hand in hand with the MCO and DPA to figure out the cause of the massive amounts of ice that destroyed the warehouse...” the camera shifted focusing on the woman, labeling her as Deputy Chief Katheryn Granger.

“Captain Stokes, is it true that the Devilmaster has escaped custody?” a Latino reporter called out cutting through the captain's obviously rehearsed speech. “And was he likely the one who did it?”

Stokes grimaced slightly. “Yes, the man known as the Devilmaster has left the hospital, where he was being treated for hypothermia, without doctor's approval. However at the time he was not in custody, as currently there are no warrants out for his arrest.” that prompted a murmurs of amazement and confusion in the crowd of reporters. “I was as surprised as you are by that news. But unlike the MCO, the LAPD was not willing to trump up charges so as we could lock him up. With the evidence we have currently there is no proof that he was doing anything illegal, and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and was caught at the fringe of the ice incident...”

Amber muted the tv as the press conference was opened to questions, and looked down at Brian. “That wasn't you? You didn't go out to cause a little havoc with out me?” she pouted, her breasts distracting him as he realized she had painted the areolas with laughing smiley faces wearing dark purple and light blue jester caps. Her nipples where their noses.

“Za? No, no I didn't go out. You were wrapped around me all night. So, even if I had wanted to get out of bed I couldn't.” he replied as he reached up to run his fingers up the bare skin of her side. “Not that I wanted to.”

Amber flashed him a huge smile before planting a kiss on his lips. “I'm gonna grab a shower. You can join me...” she purred as she stood and shimmied out of her shorts, taking with them her panties (if she had been wearing them in the first place, Brian couldn't tell).

“Go get it warmed, or cooled down, which ever, and I'll be in in just a moment.” Brian replied as he sat up on his elbows to watch her. With a 'suit yourself' shrug Amber strutted into the bathroom. Smiling at the sight Brian pulled the jewelers box out of it's hiding place behind the ice in the mini bar. Palming the items withing, Brain left a trail of clothing behind him as he joined Amber in the shower stall.

“I got you something...” he said into her ear as he slipped his arms around her from behind.

“Mmm, I can tell.” she giggled, prompting a laugh from him.

“Not that. These.” he brought his hand up, palm flat to show her his offering.

Amber's eyes went wide as she picked up the little bits of sliver and pale blue stone, her free hand going to her lips in shock. “They're beautiful...” she breathed.

“I bought them from a... business associate. They aren't hot or anything... Um, I know you don't have pierced ears, but I was thinking we could find a place...”

Amber turned around in his grasp, the soap suds making it easy for her to do. “Oh honey, yes. But these aren't for my ears.”

“They aren't?”

“Nope. Ones is a tongue stud, and the other one goes a bit lower.” her eyes went half lidded as she coyly glanced down.

“Oh? OH!” Brian gulped and his thighs clamped together, prompting a laugh from Amber.

“Not for you. For me.” she laughed, as she threw her arms around his neck.

“Oh, thank God.” Brian said, wilting against the glass, pulling Amber with him. “I worry about what would happen if I had metal stuck in me and I cooled down...”

~*~

“Ah crap.” Chiller groaned as a subtle alarm began to go off in the base, where he had been left alone as the rest of the team had been called away by a two different accidents; Sunny, as well as Day and Night were off helping with a boat fire, and Big Dawg, Brujah, and Swash where dealing with a bank hold up turned hostage situation run by a theme gang calling themselves Dead Man's Hand. Scooting his chair away from the laptop he had been working on he called up the door camera. His cursing got even more creative when he saw several light power-armor suits that appeared to equipped with an assortment of anti-ice weapons. With the armor were two guys in suits no where near as good as Big Dawg's where flanked by Still-looking-for-a-name-other-than-Blockbuster and Tech Star. From what he could see of the two heroes, Tech looked to be enjoying this, and Not-Buster was looking bored and maybe a little insulted. A quick check of the other perimeter cameras found Stunt, SPFX and Star covering the other exits. Chiller was more then a little relieved to not see Major Gravity lurking around. That suggested that MG had made good on his threatened contract break at Christmas and it hadn't just been a stunt to get a better contract. Which also meant that the All Stars might have a wild card in the form of MG's replacement...

One of the suits looked up at the camera and held up a folded piece of paper. “Open the door, the California Crusaders are wanted by the MCO on charges of assisting the Devilmaster's escape from custody, and hampering our investigations. Don't make us break down the doors, it will only be worse for you.”

Grimacing Chiller pulled out his phone, and found that he didn't have any bars. A quick check of the teams coms also showed those channels had been cut off as well. “Why don't we have a telepath on this team?” he asked to no one in particular as he tapped a button. “We're sorry, no one is here to open the doors for you. If you enter your name, contact information, and the reason for your visit on the computer next to the door, one of our members will get back to you shortly. If your emergency is something that can not wait, select option Two now, and we will reroute you to one of the other super teams in the area.” he said into the intercom mike, knowing that the voice scrambler on the system would make his words sound computer generated.

The suits didn't look amused and they signaled for Tech Star to deal with the doors. “Crap, crap, crap.” Chiller swore as he tapped in the base's lock-down codes which would lock everything up until someone from the Crusaders canceled the program. If anyone else tried it... well he wasn't sure what would happen if they did, Sky had been rather vague about that.

“Ok... do I try and run, or do I find a rat hole to hide in? What would the team do if they were here?” Tyrrel muttered to himself as he locked the security center's door and then iced over the door, deep freezing it so it wouldn't thaw anytime soon. “Dawg and Sunny would try and do the frontal break out, which isn't an option for me. Spooky-butt would just scare the snot out of those dinks... and now I am thinking of Kate's butt, damn it.” Chiller paused frowning as he considered his other options. He glanced down at his frost blue dress shirt and white dress pants. “Swash. He'd change into something a little less eye catching, arm himself with some good hold outs, and try and sneak out. Bet he has a half dozen escape routes from this place that aren't marked on the emergency plan maps.”

With that plan firmly in place Tyrell hurried for the armory, planning on hitting Swash and Sky's work areas on the way to see what useful items he could find.

~*~

June 4, 2007- late morning

Icy stretched lazily, enjoying the play of the sun's warm rays countering the arctic chill of the air conditioning over her nude form. She and Jeff had gone to her home, and she hadn't been surprised to find her parents had taken off on some trip or other. So she was home alone yet again. She had spent an enjoyable few hours the night before awakening Jeff's gifts, the spirits inside her guiding, teaching her how to use her magic, unlike her first spirit. Once his powers had been unlocked, with the insertion of a spirit of his own, she had sent him out to recruit a few more minions.

Icy a 'these are not the droids' hand motion, creating an ice mirror on the wall so she could take in the changes to her body. A purr of appreciation escaped her lips and she ran her hands over her upgraded body. Her skin was pale, as white as snow a voice whispered in her mind, and flawless. Her eyes where large and almond shaped. They where a pale silver like shade of blue-gray and set into a sharp elfin face. Her hair was a tumble of silver white fibers, some of which seemed almost transparent. Her legs seemed to go from the floor to her neck without robbing her of a shapely butt, trim waste, and perky bust. Eyeing the door frame as a reference, Icy suspected she was now close to 5'8”, maybe even as tall as 5'10”. Model tall.

“Mmm.... Icy likes.” Icy stated, exposing slightly elongated incisors with her smile.

With another tug of magic, a dress began to form on her body, starting at the ground and growing upward like frost on a window pane. Icy frowned slightly as the pale blue skirt rose to her hips, a slit allowing her right leg to slip free. She didn't bother creating undergarments. “Heels or kick ass boots?” she mused as she turned her right foot at the ankle debating her options. Smirking she diverted a little of magic clothing her, swirling it around her feet and legs. “Split the difference.”

She 'borrowed' a classic look Cinderrella as the base, and caused crystal heels to form around her feet, and then caused the ice like material flow up her legs to just below her knees. As this happened her forming dress reached her chest, and then the magic flowed down her arms creating translucent silver white unattached sleeves. Somehow her hair styled itself, creating a topknot braid that fell down between her shoulders. Swirling Icy took in her bare back, suppressing the impulse to add a cape to the look.

“I look like a damn Disney princess... still I make it look good.” she purred, as on a whim she added a crown of inverted icicles. “Now... I'm hungry, but I really don't feel like cooking.” Smirking she wove another spell, creating a brief indoor blizzard before condensing the swirl into a solid form. With an evil smirk Icy looked over the newly formed Snowman which bore an unflattering version of the boy-bitch Gwen; tiny tits, scrawny limp dick instead of a slit between it's stick like legs, a dumb bimbo expression on it's face. “You pathetic snow ball, go make me breakfast. I want waffles. And when you're done, stuff yourself into the big freezer in the basement.”

Snow-Gwen nodded and bowed before ambling towards the kitchen. Icy followed it out of the room a minute or so later and drifted into the living room, flipping on the TV out of habit so the house didn't sound and feel so empty.

“... we continue with breaking news; the Hollywood All Stars working with LAPD representatives and MCO agents attempted to take into custody one Tyrell Banks, aka Chiller, last night. The troubled young man is wanted for questioning in the recent Devilmaster case. However, it appears that the Crusaders are obstructing justice by hiding him from law enforcement.” the network reporter stated, standing a few blocks from the Crusader's HQ, though in such a way that the building was visible behind her low cut blouse. “We have unconfirmed reports that some of the people who attempted to serve the paperwork were injured due to active resistance by members of the California Crusaders...”

There was a thump from her room and Icy turned to the door in time to see Jeff wander out adjusting his boxers, trying to get used to the changes that had happened in his pants overnight. Icy let out a soft purr of delight seeing that the spirit she and Lumikkainorjaisa had implanted in him had taken hold, and was already improving it's host's form. He had started a growth spurt, and she could tell he had gained an inch or three in height over night. His curls had faded from glossy black to a dirty snow gray-brown. His eyes where the most noticeable change as they had become mirrored orbs. She was debating about having him wear sunglasses when out in public to hide them, or to have him display them for all.

“Mistress, I just got a call from an old friend who's in trouble.” Jeff stated looking a lot more confident then he had the night before. “Mind if I check into that?”

“I suppose we can work that into our day after we find Darcy.” Icy said with a nod as Snow-Gwen hobbled in, looking a bit melted, with a plate of waffles and the fixings for them. “But first we eat.”

~*~

Dr. Anna Patil let out a disgusted grumble as she looked around the black clinic the Syndicate had been willing to place her as her services were to valuable to let go to waste. Curse that Wilkin's bitch for somehow black balling her from working as a legitimate medical doctor. Still, the clinic did pay well, and most of the stuff she had to deal with wasn't that bad. Then again she hadn't been on duty when Devilmaster had been brought in after his check out from the real hospital.

Picking up the 'emergency room' sign in chart Anna noted that they had had a quiet night and the only ones waiting were a couple who wanted some minor wounds patched up, and relief from some swelling. “Likely rough sex and to many happy pills. Thank God the Gimp isn't in here again this morning. If I have to remove another rubber chicken... All right; Bert Mallard and Jody Putt.” the disturbingly cute pair of kids stood, the young woman looking uncomfortable as she did so. “This way, please.”

Once they were in exam room four Dr. Patil looked them over. “So... what seems to be the trouble?”

The woman stuck out her tongue, which looked inflamed and swollen. Then she pulled down her sweat pants enough to expose another piercing. “They hurt. And we have plans for tonight.” the girl lisped, trying not to move her tongue to much.

“What?” Anna asked looking confused.

The man, Bert, let out a sigh as he reached over and pulled up Jody's pants. “I got those for her for an anniversary gift, and instead of waiting to get pierced after the j... later, Am...Jody, wanted to get them done right away. And... yeah. Can you do anything for her so she can comfortably go to our event tonight?”

“Let me take a look and then I'll let you know.” Anna replied as she picked up a medical scanner that she'd had a friend cobble together. It wasn't as compact as a tricorder from Star Trek, but it did the same job. “Ok, this is an easy fix. Hmm, the jewelry is rather interesting. Not sure what the gems are, likely paste, but they're set in 30% pure mithril which is plated over regular silver. Which in turn is plating a steel shaft. Very strange construction.”

Brian's jaw dropped at that bit of news. While he didn't keep track of the precious metals market, he suspected that between the real silver and the special silver he likely could get about five times what he paid for the set if he turned around and resold them.

“Cool. So, can we, do this already?” Amber whined.

“Yes, yes, give me a moment.” Anna replied as she pulled out another Trek inspired device; a dermal re-generator, which was designed to heal skin wounds with minimal scaring. A few passes over the girl's tongue and lower had the irritation and swelling taken care of. “Your bill will be mailed to your registered Syndicate drop off location, on it will be a contact so you may set up your payment method, either in cash or services.”

“Thanks Doc!” Amber chirped as she hopped down from the exam bed, then hugged Anna tightly. “Give me a call if there is some way we can personally pay you back...”

Anna was a little taken aback, and Bert's expression suggested that he was as well, by the proposition, so she just stood there as the pair walked out. Absently she undid the top few buttons of her blouse and pulled it open enough to peer into her cleavage. “Where did my bra go?

~*~

“Regretting doing away with the secret identity?” Miz Biz asked Sunny as the blonde hero slipped onto a bar stool next to Big Dawg's partner at the counter of a beach front bar that given the choice neither one would be drinking at. Sunny was wearing a black wig and sun glasses, and real clothes that hid her figure and shared no colors with her costume. Keshawana was equally unrecognizable with her hair down, wearing only a bikini top, some short shorts that showed off her legs, and a pair of in line skates.

“Little bit.” Sunny admitted as she signaled for a beer. “The media was camped out all night. My... land lord wasn't amused and told me I needed out by tonight. And I haven't been able to find a new place...”

“Beau had a feeling that might happen.” Keshawana nodded as she fished into her waist band and passed Sunny a house key. “This is one of his investment properties, it's on the books as being condemned and waiting to be demolished, but it is habitable and on paper has no connection to the group or any individual. You should be fine there. Alarm code is the crew's anniversary.”

“Thanks Kesha.” Sunny said giving the other woman a smile. “By the way, how have you an Beau not hooked up? He blind or something?”

“My choice Sunflower,” Keshawana replied, prompting a wince from Sunny. Curse her hippy phase. One should not be allowed to change their name legally while high. But she had been young back then... and really she couldn't remember the incident, though some where on the books was a ruling or something that blocked her from changing her legal name again. Apparently she'd changed it several times before an official said enough was enough leaving her stuck with Sunflower. “Honestly... he intimidates me.” Sunny raised an eyebrow and motioned with her hands, prompting a nod.

“Yikes...”

~*~

“Hon, where did that bra come from, and why are you wearing it on the outside of your clothing?” Brian asked as they pulled into a Syndicate shipping center, disguised as a UPS store, to pick up the gear they had shipped from the East coast.

“I got it from the nice doctor, and it felt right to snag it.” Amber replied with a grin as the pair stepped out of their rental car. “And I'm wearing it cause it's pretty and shouldn't be hidden.”

Actually she was wearing it because since they had left the black clinic her chest had been feeling uncomfortable, like it was getting heavier, and needed the support. Which hadn't been there as she'd gone bra less again today. And while they had passed other people changing in their cars, even while behind the wheel, Amber wasn't comfortable doing a strip tease in public which didn't involve her costume. In costume, and behind closed doors with Brian, she felt she could let loose, do all the naughty and kinky things that her Bible Belt upbringing had made her repress. She'd slip into the ladies room and fix things in private. And check the label to see where the nice doctor had bought it from. Maybe she'd send Dr Patil a new one...

“Ooookay.” Brian drawled as he approached the clerk pulling out the shipping information from his wallet. The transaction was completed before Amber came out of the restroom. While he waited his phone chirped with a message about where to meet for the job briefing. “Jody, hon, we need to go if we're gonna make our meeting.”

“Keep cool.” Amber replied as she stepped out, frowning a little as she made a few adjustments to her top. “Fits better then I expected...” Brian wisely kept his mouth shut as he wheeled their gear out and put it into the trunk of their car. “Oh, hey!! Herowatch gave me a code name! They're calling me Giggle Girl. I like it!” Amber chirped as Brian pulled away. “So who are we to work with?”

“Not sure who the whole team will be yet. I do know the principal is a guy called Jay Hopis.”

“We need to be in uniform?”

“Yes. We'll be meeting at a place that is the West cost version of Superbad.”

~*~

“I thought you said this place would be like Superbad.” Giggle Girl whispered as she and Mister Cool strolled into the 'Usual Suspects'. In someways it was like Superbad with costumed villains, free flowing drinks, and there where pool tables and card tables. But the place had a slightly higher class vibe, more like Giggle Girl thought the mythical Black Mask or Moriarty's would feel like. The place had an old Hollywood feel to it, rather then the converted sports bar feel Superbad had. The walls where lined with glamour shots of villains, and a few heroes, of yesteryear.

Cool shrugged as he removed his outer coat and handed it to the coat check girl, along with his cold gun. “I thought it would be a little less as well.” he admitted as Giggle began removing her own hold outs, filling two trays with an assortment of Sin d'Romes and Cutting Edge bought supplies and a few things from a really good gag shop she knew. Somehow the check in girl kept a completely bored look on her face at the amount of gear Giggle had apparently hidden in a skintight catsuit.

“Your party is in the back room.” the girl stated once Giggle Girl finished. Cool nodded and drifted back that way, Giggle Girl falling in on his right. To Cool she looked a little uncomfortable as she kept fidgeting with the top of her purple and light blue Harlequin knock off cat suit. He had to smile as he took in the way Giggle looked in the costume; it fit her like a second skin, and when they had started out three months ago there had been some unfortunate bulging and other stuff Cool was smart enough not to point out to her. But after they started doing jobs together Giggle had been spurred to start working out so she could keep up with him. As a result she was starting to look a little like her inspirational character. And proving in a move that proved she deserved her place at SEAS, Giggle had decided to take advantage of her modest bust and her desire to fill her suit properly by building a weapons rig that she wore in that area. In fact she had some how tracked down some really convincing synthetic skin and coated the whole thing so that they looked like part of her. Cool hadn't gotten a clear explanation form her as to why she'd done things that way, he'd chosen to just shrug and chalk it up to a women thing men where not meant to understand.

“Mister Cool, good you could come. Who's this?” a bald man asked as he stood, offering his hand as the others around the table shifted to take the new arrivals in. Cool recognized Starstone and gave her a nod which she returned. The others he assumed where local hires, an older man in an ugly turban and a girl who looked to young to be on a job caught his interest. Including him and Giggle Girl there where a total of eight high C to low B list villains around the table.

“Giggle Girl, Lady of thousand gags. Nice to meet cha.” Giggle said with a grin as she slipped her hand past Cool's and took the bald man's offered appendage. “Paperwork's been slow. My fault really. Couldn't come up with a good handle. So we're not registered in the database as being a package deal yet.”

“I see. Well, if you two would have a seat, you're the last to arrive.” The bald man waited just long enough for Mr Cool to settle into the last seat, and Giggle Girl to drop onto his lap before walking over to close the door to the main part of the business. “All right ladies and gents, I am Joe Hopis and this is not quite the job you where hired for. This isn't a heist, it's a rescue.”

“Start talking.” Starstone sighed as she went to the door and signaled for another round.

“It's really rather simple; even though we are villains and members of the Syndicate, we have standards and lines most of us won't cross.” Joe explained with a grimace. “Well we where informed of someone who is crossing several of those lines...”

“So why not inform some of the goody goodies, why call us in?” asked one of the local hires Cool didn't recognize. He was wearing a body suit with little connectors spread out over it, suggesting that the suit wasn't his full working costume.

“Because he is one of our own and we need to clean up after ourselves, Terror-pin.” Joe replied. “He's a Whateley grad, and a Devisor...”

“Oh hell no, I'm out! I am NOT dealing with Wilkins' brats again!” Starstone snapped as she jetted up into the air. “I may have made off like a bandit from that job, but I...

Joe gave her a 'do you think I'm nuts?' look, and growled “Sit down. Jobe is still at Whateley, though only for a few more weeks. Also she hasn't graduated yet. And she normally doesn't use children in her experiments. We're going after a guy called The Sculptor. He's a healer with really good control.”

“So how's this guy worse then Doctors Cobb an Venus who both mess with kids?” the teen girl asked looking like the question was personal to her.

“Because after they makeover their kids they don't then turn around and sell the kids that live through it into the sex trade. And their changes eventually fade. This guy's work doesn't. Also he some times adds in some nasty surprises.”

“Ok, I'm good with messing this guy up.” Giggle Girl said as she played with a dinner knife. “I say we use blunt instruments...”

“That was kind of my plan. So, Mister Cool, I brought you in for your knowledge of cryogenics as my sources say he prefers to keep his play things on ice while not working on them. People, you need to avoid letting him touch you. If he does, he will fuck you up bad. Which is where Terror comes in as containment. Now, here's how this changes the rest of your jobs, and we work in our extra body...”

~*~

Darcy shivered as she walked from the bus stop to the Andy's Retro Doughnut job her parole officer had made her get after her release. Her officer wanted her doing something constructive with her time, and she was more then happy to be out of the house and away from her step-father and her unbelieving mother. Step was a surgeon to the wanna be stars, waiting for one of his projects to make it big so he could ride their stitches to the spot light, who could and did bring home very young bimbetts to share the bed with him and her mother. Or with her. More often with her.

God, she wished her real father was still alive so maybe she could have lived with him, but he'd ended up wrapped around a tree before the divorce papers could be signed when she was four. Her mother had moved her boy toy up to husband a few months after that. Hell, Cobb was better then the shit she'd run away from and then got dumped back into, even with the torture chamber and the other crap...

“Well don't we look... stylish.” the words froze Darcy in her tracks, and she turned slowly to look for the speaker. While the side walk wasn't empty, the crowd wasn't so dense that she would be able to miss the speaker. But Icy was no where in sight.

A wadded up paper napkin bounced off Darcy's head. “Up here, loser.” Darcy looked up at the retro giant doughnut sign, and up at where Icy perched in the doughnut hole sipping an iced coffee.

“Well now, you'd better have a damn good reason for violating my parole, bitch...” Darcy huffed, putting her hands on her hips, trying to look intimidating in the orange striped white uniform shirt and brown slacks.

“Only the best reason.” Icy replied as she pushed off and floated to the ground, skirt billowing up indecently, the sidewalk frosting over before her 'crystal' boots touched down. A gangly young man with sunglasses stepped out of some where and moved up beside Icy.

“You got them back.” Darcy breathed, a gleeful and evil smirk etching itself on her face. She could almost feel the power flowing in Icy, feel it trying to touch, to link with her like it used to when they ran with Cobb. She could also sort of sense a small trickle, like a leash, connected to the young man.

“Yup. And I should be able to give you back what the Crusaders took from you, and then some.”

“Let's go, I never liked this job anyway.” She sidled up to Icy's man on a leash and conformed her body to his cool to the touch form. “And I wanna piece of this.”

“Let's get you out of that insult to fashion first.” Icy laughed.

~*~

Icy flipped through the book she had recovered from the warehouse were she had been reborn, her spirit translating the various languages Devilmaster had inscribed his spells in. If only Cobb had seen fit to let them seek out an actual practitioner they would have been so much more effective! And.. Icy was now willing to admit to herself that she should have been a bit less of an arrogant screaming bitch. Her spirit, will a screaming ice storm bitch, was showing her that planning and occasionally listening to those under her allowed for better returns. In other words; watching her mother scream at the hired help had been a really bad example of how to run things.

Who knew?

“So how did you find me?” Darcy asked as she moved through the racks looking, and drooling, over the high end fetish fashion. “Ooo, corset top, sweet.”

“It was easy enough. I can now sense the connection we still shared and I followed it right to you. I should be able to do it to the boy-bitch as well.”

“What's your plan for her?” Darcy asked looking around at the mostly deserted store. When the pair had entered it, it had been bustling, but now there where only staff, and most of them looked like they wanted to flee like the other customers had. Shrugging she shed her top right there in the open. The ugly shirt made a 'thunking' sound as it landed in a decorative trash can. The uniform pants followed the shirt.

“Crotchless panties? Where you really working at an undercover porno studio?” Icy asked with a raised eyebrow when she caught a glimpse of Darcy's underwear. “I was thinking of giving her back her dick. My problem is I have no talent with that kind of magic.”

“I thought she said...” Darcy sputtered as she looked up from fitting the corset top around her torso. “Lace me up, will you? As for my choice of...” she tried to stay haughty, but crumbled under Icy's gaze, which some how packed more power then it had in the past. “They're all Step will let me wear besides thongs. And even those are somehow crotchless. Soon as we power me up, the man is getting what he deserves...”

Icy wanted to pounce on Darcy's showing of weakness, but Lumikkainorjaisa stopped her. Huffing Icy instead did as Darcy asked and pulled the lacing tight. “I don't care what Boy-Bitch claimed. You saw how she looked at us when we first met her. Only someone born a guy stares that hard at boobs. Even a second rate rack like you where sporting back then. Nice upgrade by the way.”

“Watch it witch, they where not second rate, they where all natural. As for these, Step 'gave' these to me for my birthday.” Darcy huffed, making it clear she had not wanted to extra cup sizes, as she shimmied into a latex short skirt. “So why we not making with the mojo and getting me back into the game?”

Icy tapped her temple with a smirk. “I am. Lumikkainorjaisa...”

“Lumikkainorjaisa? God that's a damn mouth full.”

“Yeah... but it's my spirit's name. She's some old queen from way back when fairy tales where real. I call her Iza for short. Anyway she's working on the spell to find your perfect spirit.”

“You can't use the one the Popsicle used on you? Or the one you told me you used on the Toy? Where did you send him off to by the way?”

“Nope.” Icy said as she flipped a few other pages. “Mostly cause I would need crap I can't get a hold of at the moment to make the first one work. And the second one was sloppy, and really only good for weak spirits. Give us a little bit then we'll be witching it up like old time. Well not quite old time; we got cash now unlike with Cobb. As for Jeffy, he had personal business with his old crew. Kind of hoping it will net us minions.”

“You gonna be sticking with the Trix thing or...?” Darcy inquired as she located some kinky boots that fit her.

Shrugging Icy shrank the book down and disappeared it into her cleavage. “I do feel like three is the right number, and Lumikkainorjaisa agrees. She even says she has a good idea what spirit will work best for you. Thing is the spirit might offer different powers then the one Cobb forced into us.”

“So, maybe no Trix. I hate to agree with the boy-bitch, but the Winx marathons with no pee or snack breaks were a bit much.” Darcy snipped returning Icy's glower with one of her own. “Ok, I'm properly fashionable...”

Icy's hand snapped up silencing her as the store's radio switched to an emergency broadcast with the annoying triple bleat. “This is an emergency broadcast; local authorities have received word of an attack in progress targeting people in the Disneyland Amusement park. While it is unclear if this is basic terrorism, or an act by a super powered individual it is know that several people have been killed and civilians are requested to evacuate the area around the park and take shelter. Para-crimes, SWAT and heavy armor officers have been called in. There are unconfirmed reports of a Knights of Purity armor lance...”

Icy shivered slightly, and Darcy saw something change in her posture and manner; she became more regal, more deadly. “I think our third has just been found for us. Come sister, it has been far to long since I had a good fight.”

With a wave of her hand Icy, or Darcy realized, Lumikkainorjaisa constructed a chariot made of ice drawn by large gargoyle looking creatures that blended cat, ape, and bat. Ice flowed over Icy's form, becoming armor as she stepped into the vehicle, and a long glass like spear grew up into her hand. “Are you coming sister?” she asked over her shoulder to the gaping Darcy.

“Sure, sure I am.” Darcy replied as she took her place beside Icy just as she clicked her tongue and the beasts surged forward, wings flapping, yanking them into the air, leaving Darcy's stomach behind them on the ground.

~*~

Chiller shivered, trying to rein in his powers which where quickly turning the warehouse he had been outfitting as a crash pad for his crew back in the day. Before his boy Clear had given him the dunking that had given him his powers. Chiller still wasn't sure why he had agreed to that particular job; they hadn't had any way to fence that kind of merch at that point, and really, none of them had a clue what they should have grabbed that would have brought the big bucks.

“Come to think of it, that was all Clear's idea...” Chiller muttered with a frown as he dropped into a gamer chair and picked up a scrap of paper on which he'd jotted a number of emergency numbers the team kept. “Ok... which to use? All Stars are out. Westies?” a check of the news showed that the West Cost League where mixing it up with the Radical Pack of all people. “Ok looks like I need to make a call I don't wanna make. Time to call sec-spooky butt's school...”

He was cut off as the door thumped open and a voice he recognized called out. “Yo, T-dawg, you here? What's this about you being on the run?”

“Jeffy, good to see you bro.” Chiller said as he used a little ice power to shove himself up for the low slung chair to meet Jeff on his feet. The hairs on Chiller's neck prickled as his old friend came into view. “Jeffy? You all right?”

“Never better Chill.” Jeff said with a grin as he slapped Chiller on the shoulder. “So why you callin out of the blue like this? With you being a big bad hero an all, I would have thought you'd forget about us street types.”

“Never man, never. So you haven't seen the news late?”

Jeff shook his head. “Been busy with my new shorty. She's an ice cold fox from the Hills so my lot in life's come up a bit since last we talked.”

“You, with a girl? Who'd a thunk it. I always figured you for...” Chiller fluttered a hand in the air, leaving the comment unfinished. “Well any ways, I need to lay low for a bit. Damn MCO is after my ass for somethin they ain't got shit to suggest I was the doer. Any of the old crew likely to be able to help?”

“Sucks man. Mmm, let me think... things kinda fell apart here after you went all respectable. Clear wasn't half the planner you where. He threw out your rules and started usein jackers, and moved into drugs and protection. He disappeared when he tried to lean on some beauty shop...” Jeff frowned slightly. “come to think, I think my girl would wanna hear about the Sculptor...”

Chiller frowned at the name drop, wondering where he had seen or heard it. “The who?”

“The Sculptor. Does body mod work that is bleeding edge from what I heard after Clear poofed. Got a bit of an underground following, called the Freak set. Those that think Monster is the new Sexy...”

~*~

Gwen let her eyes close as her father drove their rental car towards her mother's condo, letting the briefing replay itself before her mind's eye. This was most definitely a 'don't tell mom' father/daughter outing, and Gwen again couldn't help wondering just what was in her mother's past that short circuited that parental protocol to keep their kid out of a life of crime. Ok so her mother hadn't been happy when her and Pop had started going out on jobs when she was being “Artie”, but the 'let's meet your father' thing had been all her mother so she knew what Pop did for a living...

“Hey, we're almost home kiddo.” her dad said as he tentatively reached over to pat her thigh. Gwen gave him a warm smile even as she mused on the fact that since her big reveal that she'd always been a girl, her father seemed to hesitate to touch her now. “Not a word to your mother about...”

“That I'm playing bait to get a look into this yutz's operation? Yeah I know Pop. I'm just gonna tell her we had a lovely lunch, we hung out and that's it.” Gwen replied as they pulled up to the front of the complex Gwen and her mother lived in. “Um... you know you can come up and see mom. I'm pretty sure she's over the whole Cobb thing and won't throw anything at your head this time...”

Mr Magic gave his pride and joy a sad smile as he shook his head. “I know what you're trying to do Gwen, but your mother and me... we had fun...”

“But things have changed, Pop.” Gwen insisted.

“No they haven't. Gwen, it's like this; I'm just not worthy of being with your mother, and her... friends made it clear after she left me that I shouldn't come looking around.”

“What friends?” Gwen asked, eyes narrowing.

“Ahm. I've said to much. Now remember, you and that charming... Giggle Girl are going out clubbing tomorrow, so I want you to find something suitable to wear in your closet that shows off a lot of skin and a lot of leg...”

Laughing Gwen lend in to give her father a hug. “Most fathers have this things about their daughters not looking like cheep hookers or going out half naked when they're at the club.”

“Yes, well... I can count on you to defend yourself. Now scoot kiddo, I can see your mother glaring from the window.”

~*~

Swash tugged his cap lower over his eyes as he strolled the halls of the local MCO offices. He'd been in a lot of police precincts in his life, and he found the set up reassuringly similar. Big Dawg had unleashed is his legal dog pack on the All Stars for the invasion of their headquarters, though Swash suspected that the Stars and MCO wouldn't have attempted it if they hadn't had some backing from the administration of the city, if not state. Still, Dawg was having his people try the incident in the media, the place that would hurt the All Stars the most. Sunny was still laying low and couldn't be much help at the moment. He'd warned her about going open with her identity, but once she got something into that blond head of hers there was no dislodging it. Night and Day where putting their ears to the ground, and Bru was doing something mystical in hopes of locating Devilmaster or Chiller. The level of Grump she was putting out indicated things where not going well on that front.

And he had been given the most dangerous job; make sure the damned MCO wasn't lying out of their asses about having Chiller. Coming to an empty office Swash ducked in and closed both the door and the blinds over the small window that looks into the bull pen. Going to the computer he jiggled the mouse bringing the screen back to life. What he saw made him smirk; operational security here sucked as the machine hadn't asked for a password before bringing up the desktop. Swash pulled a jump drive from his belt pocket and slipped it into the corresponding port. It took a moment before the auto-run began and the programs on the drive swept through the MCO's system looking for anything useful.

“Oi, what are you doing here?” a fit looking man with a graying crew cut and a decent suit demanded.

Swash jumped and swore to himself for getting distracted. “IT department sir. We had reports of network slowdowns and what not...” Swash could see his BS wasn't working, and he let out a sigh. He had hoped this would be a clean operation.

“Ok, fine, I'm a PI. I was after whatever dirt you might have on the Radical Squad, as my client thinks one of those jokers is their runaway daughter.” he said pulling out a private investigator license with the name Griffith Andrews on it.

Crew cut scrutinized it and let out a grunt. “Out from behind my desk, and I'll see what I can find for you.” Swash let out his held breath as palmed the drive and secreted it back into his pouch. “They aren't mutants, but I believe we do have files on them...”

~*~