Of Ice and Men (Young Justice. Icicle Junior SI.)

[Flightless Man]

Right, but Crazy Quilt's main strategy is hypnosis. And misdirection for illusions. I could imagine Doctor Light, the malicious ass, blinding people without a care to prove his superiority. Crazy Quilt intentionally terrifying people and injuring cops and heroes who try to stop him? Sure. Some direct civilian injuries and some caused indirectly by stampedes? Sure. Property damage? Yeah. But raw cornea damage from his "performance of a lifetime," with batteries full power, doing that much damage in so little time? Your reasoning just doesn't satisfy my skepticism. I don't have a better complaint than that…

Icicle Junior's disco ball enhancing the strength of Crazy Quilt's blasts? Sure, I could see that being a factor. But gangsters were rampaging the heart of the city and cars were apparently crashing.

It is just… the scale is no laughing matter, if 20k are the actual numbers. DC comics and shows rarely put firm numbers on civilians harmed by a villain plot. There are cases in Young Justice specifically where millions of civilians were likely hurt, absolutely, but it is hard to imagine someone ever making up for harming that many people.

Click to shrink...

It was just wide scale snow blindness. It's really not that hard to pull off. The scale is relatively small for what happened and I've shown it with math. A single flash of bright light is enough to blind anyone looking at it.


Except I didn't give exact numbers in the story. I gave the answer in an offhand comment about how much damage was done.
Icicle Jr is running one of the Ice Fortresses, how many people do you think died from that? Several states got covered by a sudden blizzard. Hundreds, maybe thousands of homeless people died.

People want Harley Quinn redeemed and she's taken part in how many thousands of deaths (by being involved in the Jokers plans?). The fact that she's in the running the become the 4th pillar of the DC universe, is all the proof I need that people will forgive any super villain.

I've kept it so all the big damage is not planned, so at least the SI doesn't have evil intent. He's a dick who's going to be faced with consequences.

 

[Oliham23]

The Si has already caused more damage than his father has. Almost 20'000 people got blinded in vegas and lots were driving at the time (J'onn only caught the closest helicopter.).

Click to shrink...

Permanently blinded?

 

[Flightless Man]

Permanently blinded?

Click to shrink...

No. Only a couple dozen have long term blindness. Most will recover within a few hours, the rest a few days. The plan was to basically snow blind the strip for a few minutes but it went off a little too well.

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 7: Fools Cold
​

Salt Lake City, Utah
July 19, 1:06 PM MDT​

"You just want us to pull them to shore?" Tommy grunts in disappointment when I explain the plan.

"Shipwrecks aplenty down below and I'm going to float one of them up." I'll even let you play battleship when we finish sorting through the crates.

All we had to do was lay low after our little scuffle and Young Justice didn't even stick around long enough for an interview this time. The Martian on the team gives me pause though, because that's one of my greatest fears.

Changing a persons memories is the effectively the same as killing them and then replacing them with a copy from an alternate universe. The more you change the memories, the farther out you grab the new version from.

With cold realization sinking in, I start to worry about my own sudden arrival here. Is that why the guy Psimon was with dad a few months ago? Did he want a better version of his son and replace the original?

No all powerful entity took credit for me being here and I haven't found any other kind of clue. Are all the memories of my other life just figments that Psimon threw together? Am I even a person, or will I unravel at the slightest mental tug?

With no desire to find out, I start wondering if an icy version of Magneto's helmet would work. Guess I'll find out when we fight.


But as I swim down into the murky depths, a sudden stroke of brilliance fills me. Oh... that would really piss off Red Arrow.

The boat I want to bring back to the surface, sunk with several hundred bars of gold back in eighteen ninety four. So far no one has claimed the wreckage even though the site is marked as a hazard on several maps. The city should be paying us to clean up this mess.

Tommy might have been satisfied with his life and the promise of pay for now, but his sister was savvy enough to insist on a payment rate. They've pretty much stuck to robbing jewellery stores so far and it has left them with an impressive haul. But neither had more than a hundred in cash and that left me negotiating from a position of strength.

The low ball offer was rejected like I knew it would be, letting the pair think they had some power in the situation. But when I went from one to twelve grand instantly, I saw the dollar signs distract them from thinking it through.

Once I get my bars of gold, we can hide all of our loot in one secure place. Preferably not one marked done on the cities heritage website.

Tommy seems to love the idea of being some kind of reverse pirate. Not that I can really blame him. Sailing the land and burying our treasure in the water is kind of funny. Tuppence doesn't really seem to care, not as long as I pay her in cash.

As the silt gets stirred up by my passing, the head lamp is almost entirely useless. Waiting until I can actually see again, I kick myself inside the wreckage with far less enthusiasm.

Just need to find somewhere strong enough and I'm almost done. I'm not really that claustrophobic normally. But this is eerie as all hell and I just want to get back to the sunlight.

Finally breaching the surface, plenty of shocked voices can be heard from the boaters around us. Just glad I didn't flip anyone over on the way up.

"What are you waiting for, start pulling!" My screech is shrill enough to carry to the beach.

We need to be gone in under eight minutes, which gets me to start throwing bits of debris overboard. The layers of silt are nearly waist deep after a century under the lake, forcing me to search blind for anything solid.

The pair prove themselves to be worthy minions, with the boat dragging on the sand before I know it. "Get in here and help me look!" We don't have time to waste patting ourselves on the back.

"Why doesn't Tuppence have to help?" He grumbles back at me, but does climb inside.

"We need to know if a cyclone starts to head right for us." We'll only have about thirty seconds to deal with him before the rest of the team arrive on the scene. "Unless you want to fight Superboy and Kid Flash again." You will, just not yet.

"We can take them," He counters with an eager grin. "All you need to do is flash freeze them."

"I'm not looking to start a blood feud with Superman!" One family member as a target was enough for me. "I just want to make a lot of money for very little effort." And powers make that a very real possibility. "If I had your kind of muscle, I'd probably hire myself out as mining equipment for a few months each year. Some of those things cost millions."

"And get ordered around by some jerk I could snap like a twig?" The idea doesn't sit well with Tommy at all. "No thanks."

"You'd only need to do it for a year or two and then you could start your own company. Hire your own crew to do all the boring stuff, while you can just be the muscle."

He doesn't answer right away, instead his face contorts into a scowl. "I think I found something." Bending at the waist, Tommy's arms disappear into the muck.

Instead of flailing around blindly like I have, he soon pulls out a mostly crate. The wood is old but well treated, keeping the bars of gold all in one place.

"Pass that off and keep looking for the other three!" His suddenly excited sister snarls. "You already wasted half our time finding this one."

In the end one crate is left behind, either on the lake bed or the boat on the beach. But now with a seven person team, I really don't fancy a fight. Though maybe I should leave Roy a message?

If I told him how impressed I've been with his team... Maybe he'll stop looking like he wants my head removed.

"Hold on!" The cyclone is streaking right towards the beach just as Tommy slams the door behind him. "And tell me if he follows us." If he does, the rest of the team will already be trying to cut us off.

"We can take him," Tuppence gripes from the backseat, the armrest crumpling to her anger. "It's just the scrawny twerp."

"I'm not stopping you from getting out." Neither of them makes a move to get out and I finish with a wink. "But I'm not waiting for you either." I only have a few more weeks of freedom and I'm not cutting that any shorter than I have to.

No more argument rises and I peel out of the parking lot just as the speedsters cloud of dust arrives. I don't speed and signal when needed, making sure not to draw any extra attention our way.

"Not a bad haul actually," Tuppence finally admits as she holds one of the bars up for a closer look. "But I still think you should have hit the Mormons."

"Same reason I'm not in a rush to fight Superman's kid." I know he's a clone but that's not the kind of information I should be spreading. "Don't want to get smited by someone all powerful."

I know the gods are real in DC, but I'm not actually sure about the ones with a capital G. Not something I'm willing to risk though for just a simple score.

"Can you turn some kind of actual music on?" Tuppence whines at the radio and the ska blaring through the speakers. "Or do we have to listen to these drowning cats the entire way?"

"Songs not nearly long enough for that," I assure her with a growing smirk. "Unless you want me to put it on repeat?"​

 

[Oliham23]

Just looked up the terror twins in fandom and tuppence is hot enough to be a sexy minion.

 

[Akatsunami]

Funny thing is, as far as the world at large is concerned the Only thing that was holding back Icy boy here from being a Major nuisance was his daddy dearest, cause as soon as Mr. Cold Shoulders got out of the picture the kid went of the charts in how much More he seemly became able to.

Kinda makes Icy Sir look bad really.

And the most the Light will be able to be anoyed at him with, is that all this teenage rebellion caught a lot of attention, otherwise, he has been keeping the heroes on their toes and very much distracted which is only a plus to them.

 

[SIDoragon]

Leave a frozen sculpture of Roy, his head thrown back in a laugh with one leg popped up on the broken bodies of the rest of the team like a demented Captain Morgen.

 

[Flightless Man]

Just looked up the terror twins in fandom and tuppence is hot enough to be a sexy minion.

Click to shrink...

Very True, but I personally think she's also into the ladies.

Funny thing is, as far as the world at large is concerned the Only thing that was holding back Icy boy here from being a Major nuisance was his daddy dearest, cause as soon as Mr. Cold Shoulders got out of the picture the kid went of the charts in how much More he seemly became able to.

Kinda makes Icy Sir look bad really.

And the most the Light will be able to be anoyed at him with, is that all this teenage rebellion caught a lot of attention, otherwise, he has been keeping the heroes on their toes and very much distracted which is only a plus to them.

Click to shrink...

This is exactly how the world will see it. Sr's rep is taking a real hit.

The Light is seeing a whole lot more potential uses out of the SI now.

Leave a frozen sculpture of Roy, his head thrown back in a laugh with one leg popped up on the broken bodies of the rest of the team like a demented Captain Morgen.

Click to shrink...

Well this has inspired my next Statue.

 

[Flightless Man]

Interlude 3: Club House
​

Star City, California
July 21, 9:14 AM MDT​

Kid Flash just shrugs back at his not so temporary house guest. "It's not really normal to be missing a name at your age."

"But if parents name their kids, why is she making me choose my own?" With the pair approaching the bowling alley only a little late, Superboy still feels like he's the one at fault for the stress at breakfast.

"Because you aren't a baby," The red head snorts back and decides to spill the beans. "No matter what the calendar says."

Guilt fills the clone's face as he thinks back to the prior afternoon. "I may have over reacted..."

"Ya think?"

"I just wasn't expecting her to talk in our heads." The explanation doesn't really make sense to the speedster. But he does put on an understanding face to fake it.

"Just try not yelling at either of the girls today and I might be able to score us a double date." Wally assures his friend arrogantly and leads him inside the hideout.

When they meet Guardian at the desk, it's to his very disappointed stare. "You're late. Again."

"Mom wants you to come by and talk to her about Superboy. She can't really sign him up at my school without some personal information getting filled out." Wally gives the clone a look of pity and shrugs. "Sorry dude. But she seems pretty determined to make you as miserable as me."

"I don't mind." Superboy admits softly, as Wally streaks across the room to check Robin's monitor.

"Why are you looking up ski lodges?" Teases the speedster. "Already want to go on another vacation?"

"Green Arrow and Black Canary keep taking all the good cases here." Chiming in from the farthest lane turned shooting range, Roy helps Zatanna with her quick drawing and aim. "We need our own city to patrol."

Kaldur finally back from his return to Atlantis adds firmly. "I would still prefer the light house or at least the summer camp on the lake."

"How much trouble did you get in?" Pries Wally with a wince. "Because you've been gone a while."

"Since I chose to go independent, I have been required to enrol at the conservatory once again." Embarrassment flickers on his face for a brief moment, but only Robin catches the expression before it's gone again. "I am now a year behind my friends and have been required to catch up."

"Is that going to interfere with you being on the team?" Of course that's all Roy cares about and he makes that clear with his tone's lack of empathy.

"No more than everyone else going to school." Assures the Atlantean with an attempt at a calm voice.

"You mean the magic school, right?" Interrupts a very eager Zatanna. "I would give anything to see that one day!"

Smiling down at the very clear excitement shining in her eyes, Kaldur just nods back slowly. "We would need a way to keep you from being crushed first."

"Dad has to know a spell that would work." Zatanna brushes off the concern easily and scowls over at Wally's leering. "That's going to get old fast though."

Directing her thoughts towards M'gann, she reminds her friend what needs to be said. <We talked about this. Say something, or I will.>

"Are you hitting on me Wally?" Succumbing to her best friends prodding, M'gann interrupts the speedster's retelling of an adventure with the Flash. "Because Zatanna says you're saying the same things as the guy in Las Vegas."

"...Uh." Gaping like a fish at being called out so openly, Wally takes a moment to recover.

A moment Robin uses to ridicule him of course. "Busted!"

"Because I'm sorry." Not wanting to be the reason that Zatanna is taken off the team, M'gann tries to break the news easily. "But I'm just not ready to date yet. I don't know enough about Earth and humans yet."

"Oh..." Wally seems to accept the news with grace and just smiles back at the girl. "Well thanks for not laughing at me."

Exchanging equally shocked and impressed looks with the Boy Wonder, Zatanna suddenly snorts with laughter. "Wasn't expecting you to take rejection nearly so well."

"I was expecting at least a little bit of pouting." Adds Robin with his own confused expression. "What gives?"

"My uncle said that we don't have time to play games with the heart." Wally explains with a fading blush. "The faster you get turned down, the faster you can move on and find one of your someones."

"That's surprisingly mature." Admits the only adult among them. "And honestly..."

Robin takes over for Guardian, smirking over at Wally. "Not the response anyone expected."

"I make my intentions clear from the get go," Starting to get annoyed at all the staring, Kid Flash gestures for Kaldur to join him in the ring. "All Megan had to do was give me a red or green light. It's not like I was smacking her butt or ogling her every time she bent over."

"So what have we learned?" Guardian tries to salvage to discussion even the slightest.

"KF likes butts?" Chimes in Robin between his snickering.

M'gann is more focused on what someone is lacking and turns to the silent clone. "Superboy doesn't have a name yet."

"Do I really need one?" Blinking with discomfort as all the eyes slide over to him, Superboy finally speaks up. "Robin doesn't have one." Awkward silence greets that comment. "... What about Superman?"

"Does Superboy even legally exist right now?" Robin realizes the uncomfortable truth before anyone else.

"That's why my mom was yelling at Uncle Barry!" Slapping his thigh in sudden understanding, Wally proves he isn't just a fast mouth beneath his mask. "And why she wants you to get a haircut before she takes you to lunch!"

Yellowstone, Wyoming
July 23, 11:39 AM MDT​

"What are those hooligans doing?" Dr Thomas Morrow scowls at his left most monitor. The three teens causing having a snowball fight in the middle of July is enough to get his right eye to twitch.

"Brom!" His holler echoes through the secret base beneath Old Faithful. "Get your suit on and go deal with our trespassers!"

With the order given, the surprisingly spry man goes back to work on his greatest creation. "Your brother will be finished soon and then we don't need to hide anymore." Red Tornado doesn't respond vocally, with only his eyes flashing back dimly.

"Oh don't be like that my son," Chides Morrow sadly. "We're finally together again and you only want to give me the silent treatment."

Action on the screen draws the doctor's gaze away and he frowns in recognition. "Is that Makhent's boy? The one whose been causing such a stir this summer?"

Stroking his chine as the ice user manages to hold his own against Mister Twister, Morrow allows a smile to grow. "It would seem the project wasn't a complete failure after all. Your cousin just needed time to come into his own."

"The amount of energy needed to freeze a geyser spout in mid air..." Almost drooling with glee, Morrow's mind begins to pour over his abandoned projects.

Black Lightning might still be functional. Now if I could just remember where I left him.

"Don't hurt them too bad Brom," Realizing he might not have to limit himself to his line of Red Robots, Morrow stops his attack dog from finishing off the male twin. "Just chase them off and get back in here. I need to send you to Metropolis, Tornado can recover his siblings instead."

 

[Xbure]

The amount of energy needed to freeze a geyser spout in mid air

Click to shrink...

More like absence of energy needed.

 

[ThedudeManBro]

So... I didn't detect nothing in the last episode, but... Does Red Tornado continuing in Morrow's robot groping hands fit in Kid Kold's "People I Screwed" corkboard?

 

[Ct613hulu]

It also says some uncomfortable things about the Justice League for them to apparently miss out on Red Tornado going missing.

 

[Flightless Man]

More like absence of energy needed.

Click to shrink...

True, but I was already running high on words.

So... I didn't detect nothing in the last episode, but... Does Red Tornado continuing in Morrow's robot groping hands fit in Kid Kold's "People I Screwed" corkboard?

Click to shrink...

Very tertiarily. The Team wasn't covert and has been getting missions, so didn't get called in on Mister Twister. He was designed to tke down Red Tornado and was captured.

It also says some uncomfortable things about the Justice League for them to apparently miss out on Red Tornado going missing.

Click to shrink...

Since the team never met Red T, they don't really have a special interest in looking for him. The League are looking for him. But like in the cartoon, it doesn't go well and they don't really talk about it.

 

[Mithantrope]

More like absence of energy needed.

Click to shrink...

Not really. Can't explain it properly in english, but to change state of matter you have to spent energy anyways, even if you technically have to decrease it. Otherwise, getting energy would be as easy as sucking it as heat from the air and there would be no need for engines.


So the author is correct in that it's what a scientist would say, is what I'm getting at.

 

[NightmareWarden]

Black Lightning? Is the name a coincidence or is this going to be another incognito android situation? Also I think the italics at the end of the chapter are a mistake, they don't seem to signify anything.

So, Cameron is one hard working butterfly. He has stirred up a lot of air. I wouldn't be surprised if this version of Tornado dies from the junior team's incompetence. I'm intrigued by Kaldur's troubles though. Perhaps he will meet his papa early this time around if he keeps getting frustrated.

 

[Flightless Man]

Black Lightning? Is the name a coincidence or is this going to be another incognito android situation?

Also I think the italics at the end of the chapter are a mistake, they don't seem to signify anything.

So, Cameron is one hard working butterfly. He has stirred up a lot of air. I wouldn't be surprised if this version of Tornado dies from the junior team's incompetence.

I'm intrigued by Kaldur's troubles though. Perhaps he will meet his papa early this time around if he keeps getting frustrated.

Click to shrink...

Not a coincidence.

Totally a mistake. Thanks for catching that.

That's a good point. Cameron is going to have an easier time than he would against the characters at the same time in canon time line. The team has had far easier fights and aren't anywhere near as experienced.

Kaldur really couldn't just disoby his king and get no punishment. He had to be reenrolled in the magic school, get turned into a surface diplomat, signed up in the Atlantean army officially. And his daddy issues give some nice comparisions with the SI.

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 8: Say Freeze
​

Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
July 25, 3:20 AM MDT​

After another all nighter, my greatest masterpiece is nearly ready for the world to see. As long as Tommy doesn't screw up my smile that is.

I don't know why they stopped at four measly heads. But as I watch Tommy chisel off one of my last chunks of ice, the outline of my grinning head puts them all to shame.

"Don't rush it!" My voice cracks just a little as I shout over from Lincoln's head. "We only have one shot at doing this right!"

"Yer still paying us fer these 'Art Attacks', right?" Tuppence stops her own work with a chisel shaped tree and frowns at me.

"Of course I am." The idea of not paying them actually gets me a little upset. "Have I been anything but straight with you two?"

She thinks about it for a few seconds and smirks. "I dunno Boss. I did catch you checking out Tommy." Her tone is sarcastic and the title mostly mocking.

"Because I thought he was you!" And it was before I decided I liked you enough to not screw over. It doesn't feel right doing that anymore.

I'm responsible for the both of them now and it's shocking how much help they really need with everyday life. Being raised in a little farmhouse without cable really kept the pair sheltered. And probably explains why Bonnie and Clyde is one of the only four movies they've ever seen.

"You could also just get a job in private security. You could get paid the same as an entire squad with those muscles." Lots of people would pay for that and they aren't even all bad guys.

"But I want to make real money, like we did back at the lake." Whines her brother as he finishes with his section.

With a victorious smirk, I slowly turn towards Tommy. "You mean the one day we didn't actually commit a single crime?"

"Uh..." He frowns at the reminder and hesitates. "Yeah?"

"Want to know what I learned after a lifetime in the business?" I'm not going to give them a chance to say no, speaking right over Tommy's attempt to open his mouth. "Only one percent of criminals actually get to enjoy the money they steal."

"What do you mean Cam?" He wrinkles his brow in confusion.

"My dad's made at least thirty big scores over his career..." I watch the twins' eyes shine with greed and prepare to dash those hopes. "Guess how much money he has right now."

"A few million?" Not sensing the rhetorical part of my question, Tommy chimes in with his guess.

Shaking my head at that pipe dream, I share exactly how rough our career path is. "He owes the IRS six hundred thousand and is currently serving three consecutive life sentences."

"... Oh." Finally understanding the message I'm trying to get across, Tommy gives his sister a concerned look. "Maybe we should-"

Whatever he was about to suggest gets cut off when a red and yellow cyclone slams into him. Tommy gets sent right over the edge and I barely create a slide in time to break his fall.

"Ow." Kid Flash is on his hands and knees, panting in the spot Tommy was only a second before. "That was like running right into a tree."

I've seen Justice League Unlimited and have absolutely no desire to fight him fairly. So I encase him in a hamster ball of ice before he can stand.

"Hey!" I can hear him slam his fists against the inside, but the blue ice I've started creating is a hell of a lot stronger. "Let me out of here!"

Gasping in disbelief, I waste no time in shoving the sphere with all my weight. "Hope you figure out how to steer this thing before it stops!" Or the landing is going to really hurt.

A suddenly spotlight comes out of nowhere, lighting up the crown of Abe's head with a fluorescent white glow. In my moment of confusion, five figures leap out of some kind of aircraft.

"Miss Martian, grab KF before he ends up in Canada!" The very familiar voice of Red Arrow calls out as he lands. "Icicle is mine. The rest of you pair up and take down his help."

"I already told you that's not my name anymore!" I might not have decided what the new one is yet, but I'm getting close. "Or do you want me to call you Speedy forever?"

He likes that comment about as much as the statue of him kissing my feet and I realize I might have tweaked his nose a little too much. When his eyes narrow with very angry intent, I barely get a wall of ice up in time.

"Dude, you need to chillax." Sending out a storm of marble sized hail, I catch Tommy and Superboy clash over on Jefferson. "All this anger is not good for you."

"Shut up and let me hit you!" Roaring back at me with far more rage than I find comfortable, a salvo of arrows explode at my feet.

The blast sends me rolling backwards and nearly off the edge. Only a last minute grab saves me from tumbling into the air.

"Give up yet?" Roy snarls at me and I wait for until he's almost on top of my to act.

"Nope." Cupping my hands like an anime character, a torrent of blue energy sends my flipping over Red Arrow's head.

My foot slams into the middle of his back, with him being the one to stumble off the ledge. He doesn't scream like I would have and manages to save himself with a grapple line.

Peering down at him, I try not to laugh at how close he is to Lincoln's nose. "I really need a camera, this is priceless." A quick blast of pal blue light later and the archer is frozen like snot.

A scream of terror makes my head snap back towards Tuppence. Aqualad and Zatanna are facing off with my smarter employee, though the Atlantean found himself quit outmatched physically.

A swarm of shadows skittering is what has her terrified and given Aqualad some much needed breathing room. When I check Tommy's situation, I find it's even worse.

The battle has left a massive crack in Jefferson's neck. But Superboy either doesn't notice it, or doesn't care about the danger.

Each of his leaping attacks shakes the entire head and it's lucky to still be attached at this point. Well... this is really going to build our reps.

"Get my sister out of here!" Tommy shows one of his rare moments of insight and realizes he's not getting out of here with us.

"You better damn well get Tommy first!" She fires back despite the terror in her voice.

Tommy makes eye contact with me and raises his foot. "Go!"

With that final roar, he brings his heel down on the crack, sending Jefferson's head tumbling into to darkness. Superboy and Tommy go with it, though I do catch sight of Robin's gloves pulling himself up.

Decision made for me, I streak towards the panicking Tuppence. It's to dark too go my top speed. But without Kid Flash chasing me, this should be more than enough.

Slamming into Aqualad from behind with one of my boxing gloves, I cheer when he goes tumbling back into the dirt. "Let's go Tuppence, we're a little outnumbered."

"Go back for Tommy you bastard!" She snarls in my ear and I'm forced to bind her wrists or wrist a head injury.

"I'll get him out." I promise her with a strange feeling of guilt building inside me. "But we need to lay low for a while first." With her constant growl my only company, I skate silently towards the rising sun.

 

[NightmareWarden]

Hot diggity, two in a row. It is too bad Cameron didn't pull this one on July 4th… but he is an American.

Congrats to Kid Flash, he got to Zorb on the northern border, what a precious memory. Hopefully doing repair work on the monument ALSO becomes a precious memory.

I reckon Cameron is going to reveal his new name as soon as the teams fight again. Now is the time to place bets, folks. I'm curious if he will be captured in said fight due to an actual loss or by surrender.

 

[Warlord D Thorin]

it be interesting he resueces tommy, as he is on his way to court by ruppering a sewer line and dousing the heroes in its content.

 

[ThedudeManBro]

Hot diggity, two in a row. It is too bad Cameron didn't pull this one on July 4th… but he is an American.

Congrats to Kid Flash, he got to Zorb on the northern border, what a precious memory. Hopefully doing repair work on the monument ALSO becomes a precious memory.

I reckon Cameron is going to reveal his new name as soon as the teams fight again. Now is the time to place bets, folks. I'm curious if he will be captured in said fight due to an actual loss or by surrender.

Click to shrink...

It would be amazing if he does the thing where "when they where where fighting crime he was studying the Cold", and he actually beats them by taking advantage of their many flaws.

And then he approaches Icicle Speedy MENACINGLY, passes him by and surrenders to Magical Girl Z.

 

[Flightless Man]

Hot diggity, two in a row. It is too bad Cameron didn't pull this one on July 4th… but he is an American.

Congrats to Kid Flash, he got to Zorb on the northern border, what a precious memory. Hopefully doing repair work on the monument ALSO becomes a precious memory.

I reckon Cameron is going to reveal his new name as soon as the teams fight again. Now is the time to place bets, folks. I'm curious if he will be captured in said fight due to an actual loss or by surrender.

Click to shrink...

I see no reason to hold chapters back once I finish one. If he was in the area he would have, but he's been making his way here since he woke up pretty much.

Hopefully M'gann catches him before he hits the prairies, or he's going to really tke off. Zatanna is really going to get good at "riaper eht egamad ew desuaC"

It's 2 chapters away from being revealed.

it be interesting he resueces tommy, as he is on his way to court by ruppering a sewer line and dousing the heroes in its content.

Click to shrink...

That is part of his plan, though not the same series of events I must admit. I do have plans to freeze a sewer at one point oddly enough.

 

[Oliham23]

So I encase him in a hamster ball of ice before he can stand.

Click to shrink...

He likes that comment about as much as the statue of him kissing my feet

Click to shrink...

Beautiful

 

[Flightless Man]

It would be amazing if he does the thing where "when they where where fighting crime he was studying the Cold", and he actually beats them by taking advantage of their many flaws.

And then he approaches Icicle Speedy MENACINGLY, passes him by and surrenders to Magical Girl Z.

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He he. That was really close to what I was first going to do. But my second draft of notes should be just as amusing.

Beautiful

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Thank you. I thought those were some really nice touches.

 

[Siiracai The Supernal]

I kinda want his new name to be Cold Front, or he could go with Fractal. Fractal would work with the art thing, and frost is all fractals so it fits his theme.

 

[Flightless Man]

I kinda want his new name to be Cold Front, or he could go with Fractal. Fractal would work with the art thing, and frost is all fractals so it fits his theme.

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If Captain Cold didn't exist in DC, I would 100% use Cold Front. Since he's faking being evil, it would be perfect.

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 9: Unbrrrlievable
​

Gotham City, New Jersey
August 2, 5:47 PM EDT​

No matter how many times I promise to get her brother out, Tuppence doesn't give me more than a few grunts the entire ride to the Atlantic. Hiding the truck a few few miles away was a smart idea and we didn't have to waste anytime stealing something new. Something is always going to go wrong, may as well just start planning for it.


We already had to waste three days hiding out from the search parties and I'm very happy to finally be here. Once I drop Tuppence off, I can finally stop worrying about Sportsmaster hunting me down.

Pulling to a stop outside the Iceberg Lounge, I give her yet another sorry look. "I still have one more thing to take care of first. So let Cobblepot know he still has a few hours to decide on his commission."

It wasn't hard to get his number out of the book and he's expecting me around dinnertime. "But if you don't want to work for him while you wait for your brother..." Shifting awkwardly in the silence, I hand her the spare key for the truck. "You're free to go wherever you want. Just give this number a call when he's ready for me to get started."

"And the cash?" Her glare snaps behind me to the three garbage bags filled with bills.

"You can have it. No way the cops will let me keep it after tonight." That seems to finally convince her I'm not going to bail and she holds out a stiff hand.

"Thanks fer doing this Boss." She still hasn't called me by name and I'm starting to think it's just to maintain distance. "I kept expecting you to turn out like Pa."

Once my own farewell is given, I grab the suitcase with my share of gold bars. "Better not got caught while I'm in the slammer. You'll be on your own for that breakout."

"Don't get turned into somebodies bitch while yer in the big house." Her warning is delivered with a friendlyish sneer. "I won't be around to laugh at it."

"Glad you care so much." My dry response just gets a few dark chuckles.

"Can't pay me in Belle Reve, can ya?" Her hard stare makes me snort in laughter and force myself to march towards a neighbourhood I haven't seen in years.

Gotham is by far the roughest city I've stopped in so far and I'm forced to remove my hood within a few blocks. I'm too scrawny to make the gangs back off without a good look at my blue-grey skin and this just makes things easier.

I don't really have anyone I can trust. But Artemis comes the closest to a good person that I know and if she ends up stealing the gold... at least it's going to someone in need.

Can let her dad know I'm fulfilling my obligation at the same time. Really don't want that bastard coming after me.

The apartment is the same rundown piece of crap the Crocks have always lived in but the street has noticeably less gang colours on display. Guess Sportsmaster doesn't want to worry about his place getting shot up.

"And looks like he's going by a fake name." My eyes focus on the P. Crock with amusement. Wonder what she's using?

Ringing the buzzer before I talk myself out of it, I wait with baited breath for an answer. The cities smog billows around me and makes it feel like perpetual dusk.

"Hello?" The middle aged woman's voice that answers, is definitely not Artemis.

"I think I have the wrong number," Sportsmaster wouldn't let one of his scores answer for him. "Sorry for disturbing you Mam."

The intercom crackles with static for a second and I'm about to walk away when she speaks again. "... Cameron? Is that you?"

"Uh..." I'm caught flat footed and have no idea how to respond. Is Artemis using a voice changer?

"You better get up here and tell me what he wants." That command ends the call, with the buzzer letting me know I can enter.

Inside I try not to stare at the various stains on my way up to the third floor. Because once I do notice a weird one, I start to wonder if it's from blood.

I can feel eyes watch me from nearly every door and it's with great relief when I finally reach the apartment. It swings open when I'm only a few feet away and the woman calls out at me to close it behind me. I recognize that voice.

The light in the kitchen illuminates the speaker and I blink in shock at the sight of Paula Crock. She's out already?

"What do you want Cameron?" Artemis snarls before her mother has a chance to speak and I'm shocked to find an arrow pointed at my temple.

"I just wanted to see my only friend before I got locked up." Trying to play the bow off as a friendly joke, I point a cautious finger towards a chair. "See if you wanted to look after my sunken treasure for me. I'll even pay you a storage fee for doing it."

"We don't want your stolen money here!" Slamming her closed fist on the table, Paula draws my gaze back to her very angry face. "We're not living like that anymore."

"This gold isn't stolen, I swear!" I explain about my dive before Artemis' fingers slip, making sure they know it was unclaimed salvage. "I gave all the loot to Tuppence as a severance package before I came here."

The wheelchair bound mother scowls at me for almost five whole seconds before speaking again. "Would you like to stay for dinner Cameron?"

"Mom?" Gasping at the invitation, Artemis lets it slip she's been keeping tabs on my road trip. "After what he did in Vegas, how can you even be considering this?"

"Your friend is trying to do something nice for you before he serves his time." Paula seems to have figured something out from my tone or body language and I can just shake my head in amusement. "Let him and we can confirm his story once he leaves."

"... I guess." Sighing in frustration at that final word on the matter, Artemis makes me take the seat farthest from Paula. "But we aren't friends."

That rejection actually hurts and my face puts that on full display. "Ouch. That's colder than I am."

"You aren't just your dad's henchman anymore." Artemis finally gives me a reason for her disgust with me. "You chose to hurt people this summer and that's all on you."

She's not completely right about that. "I did come here for a reason you know." But also not absolutely wrong either. "Your dad didn't really give me a choice." I mutter the last part under my breath and miss Artemis' alarmed look.

The spaghetti chills with each bite, my mind unable to focus with so many hard questions sent my way. Artemis' are a lot more pointed, with her blaming me fully for my choices. But Paula's tone softens by the time we start eating.


"I'm proud of you." Admits Paula with a sad smile directed my way. "You're trying to get away from the life and I only wish I did the same thing at your age."

"But what about all the-" Artemis tries to argue with that comment, but her mother silences her with a single fierce glare.

"Not now Artemis." The debate is ended with those words and Paula scoops a third helping onto my plate. "Eat up. You really aren't going to enjoy meals for a while."

Gotham City, New Jersey
August 2, 10:04 PM EDT​

When the phone finally rings and Tuppence lets me know what Cobblepot wants, I give fond frewell to the Crocks. Of course when I ask to leave through Artemis' window, she decides to follow behind me with a stern glare.

"What are you going to do?" She blocks the window with crossed arms, waiting for something she knows I can't say.

"Something dumb enough to get the bats called." Getting arrested by a 'real' hero should really piss off Young Justice and I can't help myself from a final tweak of the nose.

"I can't let you do that." She informs me with no room for debate.

I really don't have time to argue so I distract her the only way I can think of. Thrusting my head towards her, she doesn't have enough room to back away from my peck on the lips.

"What are you going to do about it?" I have yet to turn around and see the vigilante gear in her closet. But I can tell by her expression she indeed has some very painful ideas.

Shoving the reddening girl to the side before she can show me, I roll out onto her fire escape. "Wait for me!"

That last comment only draws a scream of fury as I skate back towards the Iceberg Lounge at full speed. A giant penguin snatching a bat out of the air isn't going to be very hard. But it's only going going to piss Batman off once he sees it.

Grinning with anticipation, I decide to add an egg laying robin free of charge. He's already going to make me pay for entering city limits. May as well earn the black eye with something special.

Completely distracted by the time I reach the skating rink set aside for my work, I don't notice a costumed Artemis watching from the shadows. "He better keep his promise."

Cobblepot said he would provide my legal team for the sculpture and I don't have any better ideas. With more care than I've put into any piece of art so far, I create a nearly three story emperor penguin.

I also miss the bat signal lighting up briefly before getting shut right back off. But when I finish the eggs beneath the nesting bird, I do notice a shape approaching in the smog. "What's keeping the Bat? I didn't come all this way just to let Red Arrow catch me."

"How about me?" An arrow nicks my right ear as Artemis finally reveals her presence.

"You're perfect!" I recognize my childhood friend instantly and smirk at the bow in her hand.

I throw the fight by a country mile, making sure to leave the street covered in ice by the time I'm 'panting' on my knees. When the onlookers gasp at the suddenly visible aircraft, I swiftly raise my hands over my head.

"Clear the streets, we have this handled now!" Orders Red Arrow the second his feet touch the pavement, only to snarl in fury. "Who is she?"

"A real archer." I wink at her before turning back to my summer long pursuer. "It took me a while to finally find one.:

Pointing finger guns at the sputtering Red Arrow, I allow the cops to cuff me. "Hope you didn't waste too much gas on the trip. But Young Justice just didn't have what it takes to catch me."

 

[ThedudeManBro]

Pointing finger guns at the sputtering Red Arrow, I allow the cops to cuff me. "Hope you didn't waste too much gas on the trip. But Young Justice just didn't have what it takes to catch me."

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Ooof. That's Ice cold.

Really giving your stalker the cold shoulder, leaving him out in the cold like that. Gives me the chills!

Also Artemis Best Girl. Excellent choice Flightless Iceberg.

Now if only a Californian hotel wins the crib vote so we can put "Hotel California on full blast every time YJ is inside...

 

[Akatsunami]

Ooof. That's Ice cold.

Really giving your stalker the cold shoulder, leaving him out in the cold like that. Gives me the chills!

Also Artemis Best Girl. Excellent choice Flightless Iceberg.

Now if only a Californian hotel wins the crib vote so we can put "Hotel California on full blast every time YJ is inside...

Click to shrink...

Icy what you did there, we are about to winter a new age of ice puns, the time for hot jokes snow more!

I'd bet arrowlad is frosting in the mouth at this point, I mean, that didn't make him look cool at all, he didn't get the closure he need, so now he can't star a new icicle.

 

[NightmareWarden]

That was a lot of surprises in short succession. And, though it is clever given what he wants to accomplish, it felt anticlimactic. It did feel in-character though. Does Cameron know Cheshire's secret identity too? Hitting on both sisters, oh my… Oh! I'd love for Cameron's first purchase when he gets out of prison to be a set of earrings, something to help him remember Artemis's "present."

Now this next part could be where Cameron's plans go off track. Is Speedy angry enough to break some morals, perhaps by attacking a restrained criminal? I certainly doubt the old Speedy would do such a thing. Is Penguin going to keep his side of the deal or is he going to try to stay in contact with Cameron going forward?

So. We probably have a court case coming up, if an abbreviated one. A reminder of how much damage our villainous teen has caused. Afterwards we will have some prisoners commenting on the "show he put on," making heroes look like chumps. And then the Icicle Sr reunion, oof. Afterwards… who knows? We could have a whole arc prior to the actual prison break.

 

[Flightless Man]

1: That was a lot of surprises in short succession. And, though it is clever given what he wants to accomplish, it felt anticlimactic. It did feel in-character though.

2: Does Cameron know Cheshire's secret identity too? Hitting on both sisters, oh my… Oh! I'd love for Cameron's first purchase when he gets out of prison to be a set of earrings, something to help him remember Artemis's "present."

3: Now this next part could be where Cameron's plans go off track. Is Speedy angry enough to break some morals, perhaps by attacking a restrained criminal? I certainly doubt the old Speedy would do such a thing. Is Penguin going to keep his side of the deal or is he going to try to stay in contact with Cameron going forward?

4: So. We probably have a court case coming up, if an abbreviated one. A reminder of how much damage our villainous teen has caused. Afterwards we will have some prisoners commenting on the "show he put on," making heroes look like chumps. And then the Icicle Sr reunion, oof. Afterwards… who knows? We could have a whole arc prior to the actual prison break.

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1: I did almost split it into two chapters.

2: Yes he does. They grew up together until Paula went to jail. He'll have to buy Artemis and her mom dinner at the very least.

3: Speedy's probably ready to forgive Green Arrow at this point (likely can't even remember why he was mad at him in the first place by now.). Cobblepot is going to love the clout of having the statue (not to mention a superstrong bodyguard.), he's hired a whole legal team to handle things.

4:About 4-5 chapters before Belle Reve. And I'm really looking forward to writing the reunion with daddy-o.

Ooof. That's Ice cold.

Really giving your stalker the cold shoulder, leaving him out in the cold like that. Gives me the chills!



Also Artemis Best Girl. Excellent choice Flightless Iceberg.

Now if only a Californian hotel wins the crib vote so we can put "Hotel California on full blast every time YJ is inside...

Click to shrink...

Red Arrow is fuming at this point and will be even madder when the team insists on recruiting Artemis immediatly.


As I was writing it, the scene just appeared in my head. So I went with it.

Icy what you did there, we are about to winter a new age of ice puns, the time for hot jokes snow more!

I'd bet arrowlad is frosting in the mouth at this point, I mean, that didn't make him look cool at all, he didn't get the closure he need, so now he can't star a new icicle.

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You used like 80% of the puns. A couple I was even going to use as chapter titles eventually