Defrost my Heart Part Seventeen: A Hidden Door and a Connection!

Infernox:

“Mom! Dad! I met the cutest boy today!” I called out cheerfully, ruby splashing onto my polished dress shoes. Coming upon their bodies, men in a variety of masks whisked me away. Struggling in their arms, a jab in my neck shut it down. Blurring preceded the wave of blackness stealing me away.

Groaning awake, a glass cell kept me contained. Months of numbness passed with bitter resentment, thousands of tests not registering. A masked doctor marching in to draw my blood shook me to my core, his brows furrowing. Talking into an earpiece, a shimmer of lights danced across the cat mask. Every breath grew shorter, Lord Goldenheart shoving his way through the gathered scientists outside the door. Begging for him to stop, a blood filled needle glittered in between his fingers. Hovering it over my face, his perfect waves floated with every malicious laugh. A chill shot up my spine, his wicked sneer growing into a sick Cheshire Cat grin.

“I am going to use you for a bit. I hope you don’t mind!” He chuckled darkly, the needle sliding into my neck with incredible force. Heat coursed through me, hot flames crackled to life. Howling in pain, the image of Lady Nitro’s smile cooled me down. Memories had me sinking to my knees, none of them belonging to me. Nitro’s mouth moved upon the last scene, a male version of her dying.

“Look, he didn’t die!” Lord Goldenheart gloated with twisted glee, his meat hands picking me up by the collar of my simple ivory uniform. Tossing me through the glass, glass crunching caused time to slow down. Raising his fist behind his head, a throat clearing shut him down. Lowering it with a huff, his fist dragged me away from the chaos. Verbal abuse mixed with physical abuse, the job of being his assistant zapped any life I had left from me. Wading through the torture, the big day came. Dropping us off in front of a jewelry store, something felt off. Breaking in with a single punch, shrill alarms paralyzed me.

“Thank you for being the bait, brat. See you never.” He taunted me cruelly, his brass knuckles shattering the back wall. Escaping with a wink, intense heat swelled with my anxiety. Lady Nitro pushed her way to the front, compassion causing tears to drip off my chin. Words faded in and out, my fingers grasping at her desperately. Cooling down instantly, exhaustion swept me away.

Groaning awake, an older male version of her paced at the end of my bed. Running his hand through his hair, a deep sorrow haunted his kind expression. Approaching my side cautiously, his head in a rubber suit didn’t look as such. The dress boots and gloves were more obvious, an alarm causing him to snap his head in the opposite direction. Demonico, her sidekick, zoomed past the door with a surgical team working on him. Lady Nitro was being guided into a room down the hall, frozen tears clinking down the strange man’s metal mask. Too paralyzed to move, silence swallowed the hour. A nurse poked their head in, something seeming off. Cracking into those hard shell monsters, a smash of the red buttons had a thick metal door shoving them out. Sinking to the floor, ice crept up the walls.

“Are you her father?” I asked politely, his head nodding dejectedly. “If she is the hero I think she is, Nitro and Demonico will be able to handle it.” Glancing over at me, a bit of life returned to his eyes. Picking at the ice around him, his next words stunned me.

“You have my son’s blood coursing through you.” He informed me brokenly, the frozen tears forming at a rapid speed. “I couldn’t save him. Forgive me if I try to help you out in his place. Every day, my daughter goes out there and risks her life for the population. What if I lose her? I can’t lose her!” Cupping the sides of his head, his voice reminded me of Master Elements’. Fuck, this guy was broken beyond the normal limit. Sliding out of the bed, the needles had been taken out upon my request. Plopping down next to him, respect showed in his eyes.

“I may not be your son but I lost my father. Would you be mine?” I requested between violent sobs, his arms burying me into a desperate embrace. My grandmother always taught me to find the light and gravitate towards it. Snapping fingers whipped me out of it, the edges of my memory beginning to fray.

Sucking in a deep breath, Emberox’s fireproof gloves flashed in front of my eyes. Peeling off his gloves, the back of his hand felt my forehead. Tugging it back on with a satisfied grin, the material groaned as he lowered his hand to his hip.

“Demonico is training with me today. Would you like to come?” He offered sincerely, his comforting smile reminding me of my old man when I did something well in his eyes. “No rush. Watching would be fine. Nitro and her father are on some diplomatic thing and I am bored as shit.” Giving off big brother vibes, his new navy firefighter suit looked heavier with the seconds slower the fellow had moved.

“The suit is taking some time to get used to. My wife is handling it like a charm. Then again, super strength is her second power. Judging by her brother’s profile, that could be yours. Maybe speed. Fire usually comes with speed if I am being honest.” He continued with a twinkle in his eyes, the bed creaking announcing me saying yes. “That is what I thought. Put this on. It is your new suit.” Thrusting a pale orange Victorian style suit into my chest, the material matched his. Closing the door behind him, the borrowed clothes hit the floor. Tugging on the ornate suit, golden scales shimmered along the surface. Pale orange gloves granted me a bit of solace, the weight of the suit throwing me off. Considering who Lord Goldenheart was, the precaution was necessary.

Coming out to an eager Demonico, his new suit was a scarlet version of mine with his own taste mixed into it. Dropping a pale orange dragon mask into my palms, Demonico lowered his raven mask over his face. Embroidered feathers shimmered on his suit, the ruffles around his neck matching Nitro’s. Emberox put on my mask for me, something in the gentleness telling me that he was a father of his own children. Waving for us to follow him, the elevator ride proved to be rather awkward. The dings echoed in my ears, Demonico and him exchanging looks with each other.

“If you need anything, you can ask me.” Demonico pointed out simply, a friendly energy floating around him. “A year may separate us but one thing unites us. That is our new family. Bask in it. If I know anything about Nitro, they are trying to find your parents’ bodies.” Time slowed down, his comforting smile stealing my heart away. Don't think that he could ever love you, you fool. Hurt dimmed my eyes, a couple of girls waving from the window as we stepped onto the street. Noting their matching features, one would assume they had to be his sisters. Strolling down the sidewalk, people waved at them with polite smiles. The smiles disguised the distrust poorly, many citizens seeming unsure of the political atmosphere around the heroes. Our president made sure to make them look horrid, the propaganda not helping out. Crunching into an alleyway, a wall of brick confused me. Moving a few bricks around, a door groaned open. Stepping through, a loud bang had me leaping into the air. Landing clumsily, bright lights hummed to life. Stairs twisted into a large metallic gymnasium with an incredible amount of sprinklers.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Emberox joked blithely, his hand lifting up his mask. “Nitro made it for us. No chaos and bullshit. Ready to train?” Raising my hands in protest, a brisk no problem flooded from Emberox’s lips. Sinking onto the bench against the furthest wall, Emberox and Demonico sprinted to the other side of the room. Navy flames curled around Emberox while scarlet flames danced to life in Demonico’s palm, the cracked concrete floor groaning as they charged at each other. Smoke curled into the air, pure energy rattled the space. Becoming balls of flames, childlike wonder rounded my eyes. Skidding to a rough stop, scratches and burns dotted my skin. Raising a wall of brimstone, a wave of flames had it crumbling to dust. Shouting out suggestions, an eerie silence tainted the room as I rose to my feet. Maybe I could get more feelers on him if I actually tried.

“May I try?” I choked out awkwardly, Demonico moving out of the way. Communicating with a couple of glances, a feeling of being left out bit me in the ass. Tripping into his view, Emberox approached me with his hands up. Pushing a button on the wall, several targets dropped down. Positioning me, his palm lifted up my trembling hand. Working through what to say to me, a pleasant smile slowed the trembling to a near halt.

“As aware I am of you getting these powers, stress is detrimental to any amount of control.” He informed me in a fatherly tone, his energy reminding me of my parents all over again. Hurt dimmed my eyes, a quick flit of his eyes picking up on the shift in my expression. White hot flames crackled to life, the good memories of Nitro and his memories tearing me apart from the inside. The door clicked open, Nitro poking her head around the corner had them fizzling out.

“Those pesky memories won’t go away will they?” She queried warmly, her wink matching all the ones growing up. “If only they left those behind.” Crunching over to me, the gentle graze of her palm along my cheeks woke up a wave of painful familiarity. Steam curled into the air, Emberox backing off.

“We are working on a way to dissolve them, so please be pat-” She continued sweetly, my hand grasping hers desperately shutting down the sentiment. Wet eyes met a genuine gentleness, the fondness of it all making it worth holding onto. Frozen tears shattered at her boots, mixed emotions flashing in her eyes.

“Please don’t. Every time you comfort me, a naturalness has risen from it.” I pleaded with a bright smile, her hand dropping limply to her side. “Family hasn’t always been great for me. Any connection is better than no connection.” Caving to my request, Demonico’s brighter smile spoke of a happier guy. Spinning up to her side, her slender hand ruffled his hair. Breaking into a pleasant chatter, Emberox hung back to observe them. Focusing on my palm, ivory flames spun into a neat ball. Any talking ended abruptly, a blast sending the door tumbling down the stairs. Stepping in front of me, ice swirled around her body. Golden masked men rushed in, Lord Goldenheart throwing people onto the floor on the way to the front.

“Give him back!” He demanded hotly, his lion mask glinting in the lights. “You have no right to keep him!” A fit of laughter burst from her lips, her hands cupping her stomach as she bent over with every chuckle. Sucking in a deep breath, ice crept out from underneath her boots.

“Like hell I would hand him over. Fuck off!” She barked firmly, her brow cocking. “Were you afraid that you couldn’t take him yourself? I didn’t take you for a team player!” His composure slipped, his knuckles cracking. Charging at her, a thick wall of ice sent him smashing into the wall. Spinning on her heels to face me, every breath shortened. Snapping her attention back Emberox, an exchange of looks had him dragging me away. Demonico stayed behind, Emberox yanking me through another secret door. Protests fell on deaf ears, his hand pinning me to the wall silenced me. Fear mixed with sadness, thumps and crashes pausing any thought for him.

“If you were to get taken or die, she would never be the same. Tears dance down her cheek every night, this fucking battle taking is damn toll.” He hissed impatiently, his teeth gritting with another wave of anxiety. “Unless you have a plan.” Tapping my chin, his weaknesses had presented themselves several times. Noticing a couple of sparkling stones, a bemused grin danced across my lips. Plucking them out of the wall, a bit of heat melted them into makeshift daggers.

“We can use the vents.” I began cautiously, his sharp eyes darting up to the closet vents. “Melting this should weaken him enough. Sorry for turning them into daggers.” Hoisting me up, a couple of whacks had the cover clanging to his feet. Clambering in, a few crawls later resulted in him being behind me. Listening to the chaos, the turns grew more desperate. A blast of ice informed me of which way to go, the armor in Nitro’s new suit absorbing the blow. Shock rounded his eyes, Nitro shattering his mask with an ice covered fist. Hitting him with all she had, the blows dealt little damage. Clearing my throat, her eyes met mine. Melting the material into her palm, the drops froze into a scarlet dagger. Mouthing the words thank you, joy twinkled in her eyes upon the sharp edge cutting into his skin. Kicking it deeper into his arm, Demonico popped up above him. Taking an uppercut to her jaw, pieces of her mask clattered to the floor. Flicking the other dagger into his free hand, a blast of brimstone shattered the other blade. Rage and horror haunted his eyes, his left arm dropping to the floor. A cry of rage exploded from his lips, his order for the others to get them bounced off the walls.

‘Going down, kiddo!” Emberox announced with a nervous laugh, a whack to the side of the vent sending us crashing to the floor. Popping to his feet, a wave of flames prevented them from getting to Nitro. Scooping her up, anger simmered within me at him warming her up. Passing out in his arms, enough was enough.

“Lily of Flames!” I shouted over the chaos, white hot flames crackling into a lily. “Blast him to Hell!’ The training space rattled violently, Nitro groaning awake at the sound of Demonico landing behind her. Wondering where I learned it, nothing came to mind. A crackling heat melted the ice crystals off her face, ice struggling to form in her palm. Realizing the wave coming back at us, a ray of ice from the top of the stairs froze everything in front of us. Master Elements rushed up to me, frozen tears shattering by his boots.

“That was my wife’s move.” He choked out through a wall of sobs, his trembling hands gripping my shoulders. “Please be careful when you are using that. The damage is immense. Do you want to do the honors of melting them down enough to bring them in? Emberox, bring her home to cool her down.” Exhaustion stole Nitro away, Emberox pounding away. Peeling off my gloves, a simmering heat defrosted the men. Scanning the room, Lord Lionheart was nowhere to be seen. Catching several sets of handcuffs, Demonico and I apprehended them for him. Red and blue lights painted the walls, officers and Master Elements chatting pleasantly as they got dragged away.

“Good job.” Demonico complimented me with a big grin, his shoulder nudging mine. “Let’s go get some noodles or something.” Nodding my head shyly, it felt like a new friend had been made. Following him, Elements thanked me on the way out. Coming upon a noodle shop, the owner rushed off to make something without a glance at the menus. How could he be so freaking epic?

“Are you okay?” He inquired with a goofy grin, his hand lifting off my mask. “That expression is a bit frightening in my opinion.” My heart skipped a beat, his twinkling eyes stealing my heart away. Why was I this way? Choosing to say nothing, his palm rested on the top of my head. Gazing warmly into my eyes, his lips parted to speak.

“I like guys!” I blurted out awkwardly, scarlet painting my cheeks. “Sor-” Covering my mouth with his hand, a tenderness washed over his features.

“I don’t care.” He returned with a dashing smile, a lump forming in his throat. “I don’t really like girls, either. Tons of girls throw themselves at me and I feel nada. You seem cool.” Pecking my forehead, shock widened my eyes. The guy came back with our noodles and a to-go container, Demonico plopping down with a pleasant thank you. Kissing his lips passionately, time stopped. Our hearts beat to the same beat, a deep blush flushing his cheeks upon my relief. Too scared to move, his finger lifted up my chin.

“There you go. Live life as you want. At least that is what everyone tells me. I like you. Enjoy the date.” He chuckled heartily, my breath hitching as he passed a pair of chopsticks over to me. “If this goes well, then we can be as happy as Nitro and Emberox. Love at first sight is what claimed me after all.” Pulling my stool closer, the other patrons barely batted an eye. Was this the zing my mother talked about? All of me wanted to be by his side, a warmth coursing through me. Please grant me that much joy.