Defrost my heart Part Twenty-One: A Fond Kiss and a Disaster!

Master Elements:

Change dawned on my life, love biting me in the ass. Emberox entered my office with an impatient what do you need, his arms folded across his usual super suit. What did I do to deserve that attitude? Fuming visibly, shouting bounced off the walls last night. An argument placed him in a foul mood, my former husband skills pushing me to fight the urge to dig around for the cause of their fight.

“How about you join me today? I want you to meet my new lady friend before Nitro. Then you can tell me if she is worth a meeting between the two of them.” I blurted out underneath my mask, a thin layer of ice creeping up the wall. Slamming his palm onto the wall, steam curled into the air. Not good, my son-in-law was burning a little hot today in the temper department. Melting the ice in seconds, every step towards me seared a boot print into my floor. Leaning down close, navy flames flickered to life on his sleeves. Maybe letting him cook for a moment would be the best thing to do.

“Why can’t you bring her yourself!” He barked hotly as his current temperature, boiling temperatures threatening to cook me from the inside. “She is driving me crazy with her recklessness. No matter what I fucking say, she keeps pushing herself. Did you know that she couldn’t wake up for twenty minutes this morning after the rescue last night! Even with our usual support the endless of shit is drowning her alive. When is this going to end! Tell me!” Punching my desk, rattling pens bounced onto the floor.

“I don’t know but the trouble is merely beginning.” I explained calmly, his wet eyes averting to the floor. “Trust me, I want her to be healthy as well. Locking her away would do more damage. Use this trip to clear your head. Please come with me. Would a weekend of grandfather time make it worth it? Vacation time with just the two of you?” Relaxing visibly, a shadow of his usual smile returned.

“Fine but I expect you to honor your word. My wife is also your daughter, remember that!” He snapped sharply, the flames dying down. “Get some more heroes! We are running ourselves ragged here! Hire some villains if you have to.” Breathing slowly to keep my cool, my temper was best kept in check.

“I wasn’t going to ask but why were you two were really arguing last night?” I shot back just as sharply, flames warmed up the room by twenty degrees. “Maybe a former husband could help you fix it if you told me what the hell it was all about. Don’t spew that same old bullshit.” Huffing with an impressive eye roll, the fellow had to know that he was like a son to me.

“She wants me to go along with a crazy plan that she doesn’t want you to know about. President D-bag called her in today and her fantastic idea was for it all to be a secret.” He confessed with an honest grimace, his hands dropping to his side limply. “Every cell in my body wanted to go but he requested her and her alone. What do you want me to do?” Tapping my chin, too many heroes would sound the alarms. What was she thinking?

“Let’s see my friend and then we will stop by to surprise him.” I suggested with a fiery growl in my voice, neither of us wanting to risk her safety. “Demonico went with her, right?” Shaking his head, a chill shocked me to my core. The door to the office burst open, my heart skipping a beat at my dear Amber Coals skidding in in her usual brown plaid fifties' style dress. Her fluffy bright orange waves floated down, her bright red cat-eye glasses accentuating her stunning ruby eyes. Clicking up to me with panic written all over her features, my goofy grin dropped underneath my mask.

“Kent kidnapped her while I was waiting for you. I used my flames to try and stop them. She used her ice to prevent them from getting to me!” She sobbed uncontrollably, Nitro’s mask shimmering in her palms. Popping to my feet, Emberox didn’t need to be asked. Opening my window, a disc of ice formed underneath my palm. If I knew Kent, one place would be his torture chamber. Expanding it into a slide, Emberox and Amber leapt down after me without a second thought. Racing after me, dread sank into my stomach. What compelled her to go alone? Skyscrapers flashed by me, unbridled rage burning in my heart. No one kidnapped my kid and lived to tell the tale. Skating past the city limits, a rotting amusement park came into view. Ice shards shot into the air upon a smooth halt. Waving them over to me, a single glow came from the house of mirrors. Of course, the narcissistic bastard would barricade himself into a place full of mirrors.

“Be careful once we get into the house of mirrors. Leave with her without aggravating the situation.” I commanded through gritted teeth, my mask hiding it. “Let’s bring my daughter home.” Pointing out that she was his wife as well, scarlet flushed my cheeks. Men in suits approached our area, Amber melting the ice slower to avoid an obvious steam. Shoving them behind a decrepit snack shack, walkie talkies worked non-stop. Forming a ball of flames in her palm, a blast in the opposite direction had the maintenance shed exploding into the sky. Rushing off to explore the cause, the clack of dress shoes became background noise. Sprinting in the opposite direction together, gaudy red paint announced the crumbling house of mirrors. Creeping into the entrance, lights flickered to life. Nitro’s scream shattered my heart, Emberox’s flames roaring out of control. Calming him down with a grasp on his shoulder, steam curled into the air. Seconds from bitching at me, his behavior mirrored hers. Pun intended!

“Use your head!” I whispered harshly, a low growl rumbling in his throat. “If we play this wrong, we look like the villains. Most of us don’t want that. Her press conference didn’t aid in that situation. Charging in would be stupid on our end.” Accepting my key points, Kent’s voice rang out loud and bold. Listening closer, a hum spoke of a camera. Nitro came prepared to bring him down, Emberox’s phone vibrating. Pulling it out of his pocket, shock contorted his features. Showing it to me, a live feed exposed his true colors. Loose strands fell from his slicked back hair, a crazed expression contrasting his usual showman smile.

“Soon the villains will run the city. With every bad story I create about you heroes, faith in you lessens. No one likes you and I get re-elected. That is all.” He bragged with a proud grin, the comments ripping him shreds. “Time to die, Lady Nitro.” Taking that as a sign to get a move on, the live feed cut out with him injecting her with concentrated saltwater. Crashing through the halls, reflections blurred into one. Both of them managed to keep up, tortured wails informing me of which way to go.

“Shit!” I cursed with pure frustration, a dead end blocking me from my daughter. Kick after fury filled kicks failed, Emberox cracking his knuckles on the way up to the wavy mirror. Igniting icy blue flames, determination had him heating up his core more than we could imagine. Glass glowed bright red, sludge pooling around his boots. Silent tears dribbled off of his chin, a limp Nitro hung in four chains a few feet off the ground. Noting the lack of rising in her chest, one closer feel with my fingers on the nape of her neck brought me to a dark place. Such a faint pulse was a bad omen, Amber melting the chains without thinking. Dropping into her arms, a peck on my cheeks assured her love for me before she escaped with Nitro. Seeking out Kent, a vibration had me plucking my phone from the inside of my jacket pocket. A simple text alert had me grinning sadistically underneath my mask, his warrant for an arrest coming to me and me alone. Messaging them back that I had it, payback certainly bit back twice as hard. Thank god for my connections! Spinning on my heels, Emberox bounced a ball of nearly white flames off of his palm. Someone was ready to play!

“We need to capture him, preferably alive.” I chuckled excitedly, my palms pressing together. “Dirty secrets made their way out of the bag.” Shaking his head with an equally sadistic grin, one common goal had been reached. No wonder I thought of him as my son, I thought gleefully to myself. Darting along the wall of varying reflections, sounds of dress shoes echoed down a nearby hall. Bullets ricocheted by my head, a second one heading for my throat. Blasting it with his flames, Emberox’s discreet grunt shattered me to my core. A bullet struck his leg, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Sorry but I can’t have you getting shot. Nitro and the kids love you too much for that. As much as I give you shit, I do happen to think of you like a father.” He choked out between gasps of pure agony. “Shall we get him?” Demonico stumbled in a chaotic scene, a wall of brimstone blocking another barrage of bullets. Touched by his confession, my mental capacity struggled to accept it. Digging the bullet out of his leg, Demonico tossed him a piece of brimstone. Shoving it into the hole with hisses, guilt ate at me. Catching them running out the exit, Emberox groaned while limping behind me. Bursting from the entrance, Demonico slammed his palms onto the dry sand. A cage of brimstone cracked into place, steady curse words announcing Kent's entrapment. Mouthing the words thank you, Emberox kept up with me. Assuming that adrenaline shut the pain down, a closer look revealed brimstone shifting into muscle and skin. Realization dawned on me, the healing properties of lava explaining why his wound was sealing shut into a dull black circle.

“Do you mind freezing it so he doesn’t have to strain himself?” He requested politely, one touch stabilizing the structure. Marveling at the glistening surface, Demonico caught up to us. Wiping the thin river of blood from his nose, an eagerness to avenge Nitro shimmered in his eyes. Spikes of brimstone spun behind him, flames of Hell flickering on his sleeve. Thankful for his presence, a task was at hand. Playing with his horns, an icy gust blew the ash off of his shoulders.

“On the way here, there were several bombs I had to diffuse.” He informed us with an annoyed huff, Emberox looking seconds from berating him. “That being said, I made this on the way. Bring him to a spot where I can drop it over him. After that I want to see Nitro!” Showing off a net of wires connected to a bunch of engines, his time with Nitro had awakened his genius side. Climbing up the cage, Emberox took off in the opposite direction. Skating forward, the rat had to be scampering about. Sculpting an ice bat in my palm, large spikes cracked into place. Uppercuts knocked out the men in suits, a flash of wrinkled skin woke up the wolf in me. Changing directions, Emberox seemed to be on his tail. Where else could I block him off? Snapping my head up, Demonico had the net in his teeth. Using his special vision to track our movements, a large wooden post captured my attention. Blasting it with a chunk of ice, dirt and dust blew into the air. Obscuring my view, the net floating down had me smiling to myself underneath my mask. Blasting the area with a cold blast of icy air, an irate Kent wiggled in the makeshift net. Clicking into a tighter trap, his cocky grin befuddled me. What did he have plotted?

“Master Elements, you are simply touching the tip of the iceberg. Goodbye.” He spoke with his politician grin, his steady hand injecting himself with some sort of milky liquid. Foaming at the lips, any color drained from his skin. A waxiness thickened his skin before it began to bubble, Demonico dropping down next to me. Burying his head into my shoulder, horror rounded my eyes at the small pop. Blood and guts rained down, a rough nausea wracking my body. Emberox stared numbly at the empty net, a quake claiming his hands. How the hell did he get a hold of that venom?

“What the heck is that shit?” He choked out while pinching his nose, the sulfur stench getting to me. “Please tell me that I didn’t imagine that.” Flitting my eyes around the space, more blood and guts soaked us to the bone. If anything could be said about him, loyalty to him certainly was earned by his men.

“Do you remember that book that I brought back when I hung out with Nitro?” I queried while watching him spit out a piece of a heart, disgust joining the green on his face. “That monstrosity of a drug is in there. Curiosity leads me to wonder who the frick made it for him. Not to mention, he mumbled something about this being the tip of the iceberg. What a shit show. If you can excuse me, I have a few phone calls to make on the way to the hospital. The construction team can clean this up. Yummy!” Flicking body parts off my suit, nothing came of this encounter. Demonico vomited behind me, the reaction proving to be fair. Rubbing his back, a feeble thumbs up informed me that he was okay. Kicking the cage with built up rage, ice shards danced in the air. Tossing my bat behind me, a small crash broke my finest work of art. Stomping once, a bridge made of ice crackled to life. Hopping on, time slowed down. Adrenaline wore off with every skate towards my daughter, every breath shortening. Both boys weren’t doing much better than me, our hands clutching our chests. Tripping into the hospital, a single smash destroyed my bridge.

“Daughter, now!” I pressed impatiently, their eyes taking in our disgusting appearances. “I said now!” Refusing to let us by, a whistle had us spinning on our heels. Goldenheart tossed us clean uniforms, the nice blonde nurse shoving thick bio-hazard bags into our chest. Shouting change into our faces, Goldenheart shrugged with a nonchalant attitude. Grumbling behind the frustrated nurse, her throat cleared as she shoved us into specific shower slash changing rooms for us. Turning on the boiling hot water, our bad day washed down the drain. Drying off before I froze, a few tugs had me dressed in my usual suit. Emberox cursed under his breath, his death glare frightening the shit out of me. Goldenheart dusted off his suit, his fingers snatching our bags of filthy clothes.

“Time to see the woman of the hour!” He chirped cheerfully, the nurses flirting with him. Scoffing with disbelief, public opinion had certainly changed of him. How peculiar! Unlocking the cryogenic chamber, a sweating Nitro slumbered in the cooling hospital bed with my blood pumping into her veins. Machines beeped around her, his smile falling. Approaching her side cautiously, the level of concentration had to be beyond what they could manage here. Crying out in her sleep, a nightmare plagued her.

Snapping awake, her fingers snatched my wrist. Pleading with me to make the agony stop, violent sobs wracked her body. Flipping through the knowledge in my head, direct freezing saved my life before. Sculpting an ice knife, unpleasant nausea threatened my composure. Emberox froze in his tracks, Demonico cupping mouth. Hating myself for what I was about to do, the years of medical training were about to come in handy.

“Lock the door and let no one in.” I commanded in a low tone, Goldenheart not having a problem with it. “This is going to hurt like a bitch but I need to frost over that core. Can you manage to relax?” Nodding her head, clammy sweat glistened on her brow. Hovering over her ribs, a slight tremble gave me pause. Demonico stepped up to my side with the stitching supplies, his confidence giving me a boost. Emberox cupped her hand, his lips brushing against her forehead. Making the incision, wet noises and wild beeps had frantic knocks rattling the door. Goldenheart stepped up, his gloved hands holding the flaps of skin open. A raging fire ate at her core, one touch cooling it down. Relief mixed with wonder upon ice coursing through her body, the beeping dying down. Sweat froze into crystals on her face, one final crack solidifying her core into a ball of ice. Closing it up, Demonico had the curved stitching needle ready. Moving in and out with ease, exhaustion stole her away. Finishing up the last stitch with a neat knot, a gentle pull had the rubber hospital gown covering my handiwork. The door hissed open, any anger fading at her stable vitals and the ice crystals on her body. Staring down at my gloves, the one great thing about our body was clean as hell surgeries. Crashing into the closest chair, Demonico hugged her desperately. Emberox kissed her feverishly. Happy to see that she was loved, my own love came into the room. Sauntering up to me, her arms draped around my neck. Steam curled into the air, her slender fingers untying my mask. Pressing her lips against mine passionately, time stopped. Releasing me from her spell, my other wife never came close to this. Thank you for this slice of paradise. Change dawned on my life, love biting me in the ass.