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

Chapter 40: Fierytale Ending
​

Catacombs, Paris
October 17, 10:14 AM CEST

When the silver disc disperses into a cloud of sparkly dust, I try not to freeze my ‘cousin’ with my frosty glare. “Thanks for doing this.”

I swallow the hurt and let my expression soften as she accepts the gleaming ruby. She takes it, hesitating with her own conflicted look.

“You said nothing untrue.” It’s nice to hear her admit that, even if it’s really Artemis and Roy who I’m the maddest at. “I’m sorry for not reaching out to you before this. I was... worried.”

“That I’d want revenge?” Her tone is enough to get me to peel of another layer of anger. “I don’t blame you for ‘Grandpa’ Morrow’s plan.”

“Red Arrow has a very hard time letting anything go and he’s the one I spend the most time around socially.” She tilts her head to the left and I’m starting to recognize it as a nervous tic.

Well that explains a few things. “He’s just obsessed with me. Still not sure why, I’m not that good looking.”

“He’s worried the Shadows will recruit you.” My ‘cousin’ peers around the ancient laboratory and the several golden knights frozen in terror.

The sound of shattering ice echoes from the corridor we entered through. “Boss!”

“Are you alright?” Tommy’s voice is nearly drowned out by the sound of his pounding footsteps. “I’m coming for ya!” At least I have one real friend.

The entity in the shape of a blonde girl smirks. “You have great taste in minions.”

“Tommy’s my friend.” The words sound hollow even to my own ears. Hard to convince myself when he calls me boss.

“Oh come on Glenn. We both know you don’t have any of those.” She slaps her thigh at such a hilarious joke.

Tommy dashes into the room before I manage to utter the most brilliant response known to mankind and saves the powerful being from my wrath. Just keep telling myself that and I don’t have to break down at how helpless I really am.

The strongman is ready for trouble, only to be disappointed at only finding the two woman. “... I thought you needed me.”

“Didn’t I tell you to go call the League?” Crossing my arms, I find it nearly impossible to keep a stern face.

Jade answers for the both of them, arriving at a far more casual pace. “You do remember that I’m still a wanted criminal. Not going to just call up the Justice League and invite them over for lunch.”

“That actually makes a lot of sense.” The assassin smirks at my admission of the facts.

“Which is why I said it.”

“Is that Ratcatcher?” Tommy interrupts as he notices our one companion who still refuses to go by his given name. “What happened to him?”

Scanning the room and putting the pieces together far quicker than I would have, Jade jerks her chin towards Danette. “Looks like they found the stone.”

“And a way to use it.” I give my cousin the go ahead and watch her press the ruby to her chest.

The artificial skin peels away and a cavity opens for the crystal. I get knocked off my feet by a burst of energy, groaning as I watch the transformation take place.

The still visible bits of machinery inside my cousin, reshape before my eyes into actual flesh and blood. The ruby rests where her heart would be and closes up the torso without leaving a scar.

Danette turns to me with vibrant orange irises, the intensity of the sun behind them. “I know how to revert them all back to normal now.”

“Maybe you should start with the rats.” They are a lot less complex for a first attempt.

“That is probably a better idea.” Her hair trails behind her like a comets tail, shifting between all the colours of a campfire. “Thank you.”

As I watch the rodents get restored back to normal, the thing that looks like a little girl jabs me in the ribs. “Well this is getting boring. I’ll drop by the next time you find something really interesting.”

She doesn’t create a portal or any noticeable means of transportation. One moment she was standing beside me and the next she wasn’t.

“So I’m guessing she’s not human?” Jade’s eyes trace the outline of the vanished entity.

“She just showed me that I don’t have nearly as many friends as I thought I did.” Scowling as the emotions start boiling inside once more, I try and focus on watching Danette work.

“The heroes will never really let you walk away from the life. They’ll always have one more emergency to call you with.” She isn’t saying anything I’m unaware of, it’s just the stuff I didn’t want to admit to myself.

Turning the scowl on her, I point out why she’s here. “And the Shadows will?”

“We’ll at least be honest about what we want from you.” Unlikely. “The Great One is pleased with your work and would like to keep you on as a private contractor.”

“If he gives me Psimon wrapped up with a bow...” I let the words hang in the air. “I might consider it.”

“Not the hard ‘no’, that I was expecting.” Her eyebrows rise enough to make it seem genuine. “Something must really be pissing you off.”

“Just found out my heroes are only human.” And we all suck.

Danette finishes with the rats and they lead her towards the form of Ratcatcher with desperate squeaking. “I’m ready to help you friend now.”

“Do it.” I don’t hesitate in the order, the weight of the envelope filling me with guilt.

A flash of gold light later and the buck toothed man is shivering on the stone floor. Kind of like Han Solo after he was thawed out.

“Martin!” He gasps with joy at the rat on his chest. “You saved Martin!”

“That would be my cousin Firebrand.” I point to the girl I’m not even sure is a gynoid anymore. “She owed me a favour.”

Danette’s head tilts with habit as she smiles at me. “I believe we shall go be Firestorm now.”

“We?” I notice the pronoun and need to clarify this before I screw up.

“Red Inferno was meant to replace the Firebrand operating system. But the code was locked behind a firewall and not completely deleted.” Before I can get concerned, Danette explains exactly what she means. “What was left of her program merged with my own. When the stone made me what I always thought I was.”

“Even hotter?” Ratcatcher stares up at her with adoration in his eyes.

“Human...” Her lips quirk in amusement and she corrects herself. “Mostly.”

Once more needing things spelled out for me, I speak up again. “You mean mostly human like Black Lightning?”

“That would be an apt comparison.” The newly dubbed Firestorm nods with a warm grin. “Shall I restore the rest now?”

Taking a little longer to consider the question, I eventually respond with a wary nod. “May as well. They know what happened down here.”




Notes: I’m almost out of ice puns, so I’ll be starting to sprinkle so other relevant ones in.​

 

What I'm using as my sources of inspiration: The Dreamstone is 3 different things in DC, I took bits of each origin for my own version. In one version, it's Dream of the Endless' and is split into 12 gems. In Wonder woman 1984, it was created by the Duke of Deception and granted monkey paw wishes. And the original version was Doctor Destiny's philosopher's stone version.

Sometimes the Duke of Deception is a roman god, sometimes he's a Martian one. Which is why I gave the Dreamstone a Martian origin.

The Martian's used to be sociopathic megolomaniacs with flaming heads. The Guardians transformed them into the Red/Green/White martians and gave them an innate fear of fire around 50'000-30'000 years ago. Vandal Savage is also 50'000 years old in Young Justice canon.

Vandal Savage encountered one of the only Burning Martians to survive the purging of Mars. It killed Vandals entire tribe over a few weeks (with only Vandal and I think it was 3 of his friends surviving out of hundreds.)

Gnarrk and Kole from the Teen titans cartoon.

MYCLIFF NOTES VERSION:

Spoiler

I made Gnarrk one of the Cro magnons who attacked Vandal the night he got his immortality. Gnarrk as the only survivor and "dead" Vandal floated away and couldn't find his way back. Gnarrk lived in the cavern with the shiny rock that talked(The Guardian inside trying to keep the Male and Female martian asleep.) The psychic energy combined with the Guardian's willpower to turn the asteroid prison into the dreamstone on the way to Earth.

It responded to Gnarrk's wish for family while he slept for years at a time in the cave (same metagene as Vandal Savage and is immortal.). And when Gnarrk woke up, he had 12 crystal friends who took turns singing a lullaby.

Knights arrived in the 8th century and started capturing the crystal kids. All but Kole got removed from the cavern and it woke up the female Martian. She killed most of the Knights and went East on a rampage. ONly the Ruby child was brought to Paris and turned into the philosophers stone.


The blonde girl is a Chaos Lord Child and hasn't revealed enough for me to share more.

 

Chapter 41: Colden Touch
​

Catacombs, Paris
October 17, 11:03 AM CEST

We wait for Tommy to move all sixteen knights all into one place, before my upgraded cousin works her literal magic on them. When the gold is replaced by steel and flesh, I scowl at the vaguely French cursing.

“Does anyone speak-” My snarky comment is cut off as the knights finally notice who we are.

“Démonz!” All of us recognize the intent of the word, though it’s Tommy who reacts with the most anger.

“Shut up!” He roars at the medieval men, making all of them reach for weapons. “Don’t talk about the Boss that way!”

The warriors mutter a few more curses to each other and seem to come to an agreement, bracing themselves to charge. The most loyal person I’ve ever met however, doesn’t seem to care in the slightest.

Tommy grabs the nearest stone table and heaves the entire thing at the French knights. Most manage to leap aside in time. But three are pinned under the debris and groaning in pain.

“I got this, just need to teach the boys some manners.” He shakes his head when I offer to help, his neck cracking in anticipation as he stalks towards the knights. “Isn’t going to take long at all.”

It really doesn’t. In less than three minutes, Tommy has the armour peeled off of each man. Easier than I can crush a beer can, which is a little hard to admit.

“Say sorry and I’ll let you up.” He pulls on the leaders earlobe, twisting the same way I saw Tuppence do to him a few times.

“Je suis désolé!” The knight with the bushy moustache wails in pain, his men shouting similar sentiments in a cacophony of voices. “Clémence!”

While Jade snorts at the scene, I start to feel bad about how much I’m enjoying it. “I think they got the message Tommy. Thanks for taking care of it.” I probably would have done more than bruise a few egos.

It doesn’t take much effort for Tommy to make it clear I’m in charge and the one on fire is my family. This does nothing to dissuade the earlier opinion of being demonic. But it gets the warriors to leave the swords on the floor.

Tommy somehow manages to start a dialogue with nothing more than grunts and pointing. By the time we’re emerging back into the sun of Paris, I’m being asked to arrange an identity for each.

“Boss, they can look after the gallery for you.” Explains my right hand man, proving he really does have a knack for middle management. “I’ve been knighted by a Queen, I can keep them all in line.”

“Are you going to keep learning French once we go back to Gotham?” I barely know enough to ask where the bathroom is.

“Of course I will,” He promises instantly and I have no reason to doubt his word. Unlike some people I know.

If the Justice League can get actual aliens a fake identity, I have no issue getting a few for some time travellers. “I’ll call Oswald and have him get the paperwork started.”

The rough explanation we manage to work out while we wait for Young Justice, is that these are the only survivors of the thieves. The knights claim hundreds went to recover the Dreamstone from the demons’ mountain. But only three of the order returned with the ruby child. So not exactly good men.

I give the knights a stern look as they peer around the modern city in amazement. “If any of them cause trouble Tommy, I’m going to be pretty disappointed in you.”

“That’s never going to happen.” He promises with pure loyalty and I don’t doubt him in the slightest. “You pay us, break us out, and you even bring us back to life!”

Ratcatcher holds up a hand and adds his own frantic agreement. “I thought he was just a crazy kid you had wrapped around your finger. But I’m breathing again because of you.”

His words ring with honest devotion and I catch Jade’s expression shift ever so slightly. The ever present smirk of superiority is replaced with considering eyes.

It only lasts a couple seconds and I nearly convince myself it was a trick of the light. But now I have proof Jade’s not as indoctrinated as she claims. She really is just doing everything to keep her dad as far away as possible.

“Huntress refused her orders to place a tracker on you.” Danette suddenly taps me on the arm and I frown in confusion. “I just thought you should know, it was her sister she was following.”

It’s not a very big difference to most people, really just semantics. But to me... That tiny detail means everything in the world. Artemis was just worried her the Shadows wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

“I’m still mad at her...” But I’m going to get over it eventually. “It’s just too soon to forgive anyone yet.”

“Red Arrow will most likely continue his interest in you,” Danette admits after a few seconds, her cheeks strangely going pink. “Would you like me to keep you informed.”

“No.” The response is so automatic, it actually takes me a little while to figure out why. “... I want to trust my friends.” This is just the last chance I’m giving him to prove he really is one. “And I’m never going to ask my family to betray the people close to them.”

The glow of Danette’s eyes reminds me of what powers her at the moment and I realize what I gave up without a second thought. Unlimited wealth was in my hands and I didn’t even care.

“You know if you really want to try making things better between us...” I conceal a smirk as Danette nods eagerly. “You should drop by my gallery and make some of the pieces permanent.”

“I’m invited?” She smiles at the offer.

“You’re family and so is your brother Tornado.” In my first life, more half of my family was related through adoption or multiple marriages. “I’ll even give Jefferson a call and invite him and his wife to the grand opening.” It’s really not that big of a stretch for me to add the Reds and Blacks.



Notes: The french knight said “Demons!” “I’m sorry.” “Mercy!”​

 

Interlude 23: Diamond Mine
​

Womb of the Earth, France
October 17, 11:04 AM CEST

Blinking away the pain in her head, Rocket lets her astonishment come out to play. “I know I’m the new girl and everything. But why did you all let him yell at you like that?”

“Because he was right about all of it.” Rubbing her temples, Huntress has a voice bathed in bitterness.

Frowning at the defeated heroes who inspired her own journey, Raquel doesn't hold back herself. “It’s not like any of you to just take that kind of tongue lashing, not even from the Justice League.”

“He’s the first person who really took us seriously as a team,” Admits Robin with a guilt ridden sigh. “Even named us.”

Angry at himself for screwing everything up, Red Arrow agrees. “And he just blew right past the kiddie leagues. But I’ve done nothing but distract you all, when I should have been leading you.”

“You’ve been doing a great job!” Sonic tries to defend his friend from himself.

“I’ve been mediocre at best,” Counters the red headed archer. “I’m taking some time off when we get back. I need to figure myself out, before I try teaching you lot anymore terrible habits.”

Hex Girl crosses her arms and frowns at who her dad may try replacing him with. “And who exactly is going to take over?”

“Firebrand and Captain Marvel are still on the team,” He reminds the magician with a tired smirk. “They can take over.”

“... Actually, I haven’t been perfect either.” Captain Marvel has managed to calm down the caveman Gnarrk, rejoining the conversation with a guilty expression. “I’m not the one looking after you.” He hesitates for just a moment, before screaming ‘SHAZAM’.

The lightning forms inside the cave and slams into the hero with the build of Superman. He doesn’t scream in pain like the teens expected, instead being transformed into a blushing ten year old boy. “You guys are babysitting me.”

“Whoa...” Gasps Sonic as his mind scrambles to connect the dots. “You’re even shorter than Robin.”

“And you’re even dumber,” Retorts the suddenly far less mature Billy Batson.

“Who’s the one that recreated the Flash formula?” Chest puffed out in pride, the speedster’s eyebrow creases.

Snorting at the bluff, Billy dares him to prove it. “One time lab accident, that you could never in a thousand years reproduce.”

“And when I do, how are you going to pay up?” Sonic smirks back, even as his mind scrambles to remember any tidbit from that day. “I don’t gamble with pocket change anymore.” Going to need Megan to do a deep dive tonight.

“I’ll bring you to the Wizard and let him explain magic to you.” Everyone can hear the capital letter in wizard.

“We kind of have a bigger problem right now.” Robin jerks his thumb towards the watching pair. “What are we going to do with them?”

A frown grows on Zatanna’s face. “Are we even supposed to?”

“The Shadows are going to come looking eventually. We need to get them somewhere safe.” Red Arrow closes his eyes to think. “Any ideas?” I really don’t think we should stick them in an active superhero base.

“What about the animal sanctuary?” Remembering the invitation to visit at Easter, Superboy thinks it’s far enough away from any crowds of people.

“You just want to go see Cassie again,” Teases his brother.

Megan gives the speedster a pointed look and supports the clone. “Doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea.”

Billy transforms back and starts talking to the locals. With Gnarrk amazed by the magic, it’s very easy for the divine champion to get the pair to agree.

“It’s not going to be safe here anymore. But we can take you to a really nice place, it has lots of animals for you to play with.” Everyone hears the explanation, though is lost with Gnarrk’s single word vocabulary. “You think that sounds like fun?”

“Gnarrk?” The large and hairy cro-magnon man, grunts warily at the translator.

Nodding with an understanding smile, Billy reassures the primitive. “I promise to try finding the rest of your family. But you need to keep Kole safe until we do.”

The diamond girl lets out a trilling sound, getting a thoughtful look from Captain Marvel. Able to understand her perfectly, Gnarrk adds his own vigorous growls. Complete with pantomime that has Sonic snickering.

The duo tell Billy everything as they all start the long trek back through the tunnels. He doesn’t interrupt the flow to translate, only asking a few seemingly unrelated questions.

“You slept beside the glowing rock after the Neanderthal killed your tribe?” Billy nods slowly, trying to put the whole puzzle together out of ancient memories. “And when you woke up, the stone was a dozen crystal children. They followed you back to your tribe’s cave and took turns signing to the monsters?”

“Gnarrk,” Agrees the rather innocent brute. “Gnarrk.”

“You played and slept for a really long time. But bodies started appearing in the cave after some of your naps?” Billy is finally starting to have a rough timeline and leads the pair onto the bioship with little fuss. “So you started leading people away from the mountain. Wow, I think that makes you the first human hero Gnarrk.”

The words make the caveman smack his chest with pride and Kole lets out a happy sounding chime. Glad that someone else finally knows ho great her protector is, Kole trills out even more of the mystery.

“This guy Rip was the first person who woke up and he even left the cave. He was nice, but not the people with shiny rock clothing.” Billy parrots the words for the rest of the team. “And they took away the rest of your family, waking up one of the monsters.”

Gnarrk wails in sorrow, confirming the words as the crystal girl pats him consolingly. “I’m so sorry Gnarrk. That sounds terrible.”

“Um...” Sonic gets everyone’s attention as he points out the window at one of Paris’ most famous landmarks. “I’m pretty bad at geography. But how long as the Eiffel tower been made of gold?”​

 

Chapter 42: Such An Ice Night
​

Paris, France
October 17, 4:28 PM CEST

It takes Danette longer than a mere touch as she flies by the tower, with it taking nearly ten whole seconds of contact. But once the pulse of gold light covers the tourist trap, my cousin rockets towards us.

Ratcatcher has dressed the knights in whatever he could grab from street vendors, the group now looking more like football hooligans. And I know we got overcharged for all of it.

The molecular reshaping of the tower is enough for the casual viewer to think it’s solid gold. But Danette had to inform me how soft the metal is. Giving it a titanium core, should just drive up the value even more.

The miracle is enough to convince the knights of how powerful we really are and only one still retains shifty eyes. Sir Philip de Mille, I believe you need to be watched a little more closely.

“You will forgive the team now?” She lands in front of us, drawing the flashes of cameras as people realize who as the cause.

“I told you I’d give them all the chance to apologize themselves,” I remind her with a scowl. “It’s up to them, to make the words mean something.”

Sighing at the best offer she’s going to get, Danette knows not to push right now. “That will have to be good enough.”

“Just make sure to drop by for dinner next Sunday.” That will give me time to get some of my best work ready for the transmutation. “I’ll be heading back to Gotham once Oswald gets some passports lined up for the guys.”

As Firestorm rockets up towards the cloaked spaceship, Jade gives me the most incredulous stare. “... You just gave her the god damned Philosopher’s Stone?”

“I don’t really want to destabilize the world’s economy right now.” How would I sell any of my art? “I’m more than happy letting her practice different molecules at my gallery.” As long as she does a couple precious ones each visit. “It’s win-win.”

Snorting in disbelief, Jade scans the knights for something. “So if we can’t leave the country yet, what’s the plan for tonight?”

“I’m disappointed in you Jade.” Trying not to let the anger take hold, I force a playful grin onto my face. “Where do you think we bring a bunch of knights?”

“You’ve had a bunch of pretty stupid ideas. For all I know, you want to take them mini golfing.” Crossing her arms, the assassin doesn’t even bother looking back at me.

“That’s tomorrow.” Good idea. “We’re going to a nightclub!”

“You’re going to start at least a dozen bar fights.” She isn’t against the idea and seems eager for the theoretical action. “Sounds like fun.”

“Tommy is going to keep a tight leash on his boys, right?” I really just want to relax after today.

The southern twin cracks his knuckles, making the knights all take a half step back in fear. “You know it Boss. No one is going to start any trouble until you say so.”

“Not really what I meant,” I have to remind Tommy we aren’t the ones who cause the mischief anymore. “We can find out if they have any living family later. Tonight, we party.”

I need to show these guys the benefits of working for me and it’s pretty hard with only a hundred words of French. Getting them all drunk seems like my best bet.

“Not going to let me pick out something nice?” Jade reminds me of her missing luggage, with only her mission clothes on hand.

“If you wanna stand in line all night.” I have no intention of doing so, not when I have the super power of company sponsorship. “We show up and sign some autographs. Turn it into an impromptu publicity stunt with a few free ice sculptures, we get let in easy peasy.”



Paris, France
October 17, 11:41 PM CEST

It really isn’t as easy as I claimed, as the bouncer so smugly informs me at the door. “What do you mean France banned the game for excessive violence?” I didn’t know that!

“We don’t want our kids tearing peoples spins out.” The bald man isn’t moved by any of my pleas.

“Isn’t that the guy who smashed one of the heads of Mount Rushmore?” A drunk girl exclaims suddenly, even holding up a picture of my mugshot with her phone. “See, it is him!”

That’s what finally gets the rope lifted and my whole posse escorted inside like royalty. “Have a great night Mister Friese.”

“That’s my dad.” The joy I feel at being able to say that, is almost impossible to describe. “Just call me Glenn.”

Marching right up to the bar, I order the first of many drinks tonight. “I want something that will make my whole face feel fuzzy and one for everyone in here.”

The bartender counts the wad of bills I slam down and I smirk at her growing shock. “This is...”

“A hell of a lot of money.” A whole thirty thousand in fact. “So make sure you give me the top shelf stuff. But you can water all the other drinks down if you want.”

“Yes Sir!” The curly haired woman gives me a bow low enough to see right to the bottom of the treasure chest. “Only the best for you and your friends.”

The first drink is down the hatch before I can even taste it, which has me waving for a second already. I know I should be more responsible. But after what the ‘not a girl’ offered... I’m in serious need of mind numbing.

I lose myself in the rhythm of the music and the pulsing lights, working my way onto the dance floor at some point. And after the amount of dance classes I took in high school, I know I’m not embarrassing myself.

She said the restored Dreamstone could reshape reality. That means I could make it like the last four months... Really all was just a crazy dream.

Yesterday I would have turned it down with barely a second thought. But it’s amazing what being betrayed will do to your emotions.

It’s what they all expect from me. Why disappoint them with this pitiful attempt at redemption?

I catch sight of a stunning woman and my thoughts are stalled. Her ethnicity is vague enough that I’d have a hard time guessing while sober and I’m far from that at the moment.

“Hey.” Moving closer, I leave enough room for her to back away. “I saved the world you know.”

She laughs at what must sound like a ridiculous claim. “Sure you did.”

Even though she rejects my bragging as nothing but a lie, she doesn’t move away. “Well... I guess the Justice League helped. But I was the one who stopped Yellowstone from popping like a zit.”

“That’s a pretty impressive story.” Moving closer, she makes it clear we’re dancing together now. “Got any proof?”

“I do.” I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her right against me. “But it sounds even better when I embellish it.”​