Arsenal: Legend Watcher #10

[Glippernip]

Arsenal: Legend Watcher #10

How to Catch a Cold

(Continued from Legends of Firestorm #10)

Written by Jim Crawbuck
Edited by Joel Sawyer


In his high-rise luxury apartment in Manhattan Roy Harper slides open the secret compartment that leads to his arsenal. He’s wearing his red and orange body armor and sporting his favorite red sunglasses.

>>This looks very expensive, Ronald<<. Ronnie Raymond is just taking it all in. ]>>The place, the view, the décor is all very impressive. I had no idea the government could be so generous.<<

Hey! Yeah, how does he pay for this on a government salary? “ So Agent Harper, moving on up I see”, observes Firestorm.

Arsenal laughs as he puts on his boot. “Are you referring to my deluxe apartment in the sky?”

Firestorm nods.

“Well don’t get your panties in bunch. I’m an inventor. Other government agencies are constantly buying my inventions. Look it up, hero. I have a ton of patents. I’m like James Bond and Q all rolled into one”. Arsenal smiles. “So you can concentrate on the real bad guys”.

Arsenal picks a bow off the wall. Then he goes to an empty quiver. He starts filling it with different arrows from different sections like a man picking do-nuts at a do-nut shop.

"You're going after Frost with arrows? We're not exactly trying to bag the Christmas turkey, you know. She's very dangerous,” Firestorm warns.

“I want to give the lady a chance,” Arsenal boasts.

“I’m not kidding. I’ve seen her power. I think you are highly under estimating her,” argues Firestorm.

Arsenal scoffs, “I think you are highly under estimating me. Now stop standing just there acting like a candle and let’s go apprehend some Meta criminal.”

This guy's pretty funny, Firestorm laughs internally.

>>He certainly is confident, Ronald. Let’s hope he can live up to his self-perception.<<

“How do we find them?" asked Firestorm, "We lost them because you had to come home for some fresh undies.”

“You are dealing with government now, Matchstick. Big Brother is always watching.” Arsenal puts an earpiece in and says, “Arsenal to Sugar, Spice and the hope you’re not that nice. Come in, Beautiful”.

“Well, Yeehaa!”, cries the voice in his ear, “It’s my eyelashes, ain’t it? Watch’ya need from home, Arsenal?”

“Longhorn?” Arsenal asks.

Longhorn is Dustin Garrett, a former Superstar Strong Safety for the Texas Longhorns. Then he spent some time with the Navy Seals before the DEO snatched him up. The only DEO agent that is as young as Arsenal, his handle comes from his former Football Team’s name. They often tease him about how funny it sounds. His reply is “It coulda been worse. I coulda been a Trojan.”

“That’s a ten-four. Boss Lady had a date with the geek squad about the Glass boy. I’m your eyes for the evening,” replies Dustin.

“Awkward!” says Arsenal.

“Nah, I get that a lot. Due to my long eyelashes, chiseled abs and overall youthful good looks. I’m sorry to tell ya that this current is purely AC, no DC. If you catch my drift.”

“Funny. How about you leave the wise cracks to me and give me a twenty on the Ice Queen,” flatly says Arsenal.

“That’s a can-do and Ten Four, Good Buddy” enthusiastically answers Dustin.

Arsenal sees Firestorm shaking his head in disapproval. I think he’d make one hell of a sidekick.

>>Stay focused, Ronald.<<

“It’s under control. We still got her. Now give me a lift out here before you set off the sprinklers,” defensively demands Arsenal.



^

[Glippernip]

In the basement of a small house in Nassau County, Long Island, Plastique and Killer Frost are about to part ways.

“So you’re just going to hide away in a rented house? That’s your plan,” asks Plastique.

“I help you do what you wanted to do. You don’t need to know what I do from here,” answers Killer Frost.

“Fine. I was just trying to part friends,” says Plastique.

“I don’t need any friends,” Killer Frost spits back.

“Fine. I don’t need any unnecessary attachment either. I have places to go. People to see,” Plastique replies.

“So what are you waiting for? You want me to show you out?” asks Killer Frost.

“I have to make sure the walking ice sculpture wasn’t followed. Give me a few minutes and I’m gone. Trust me I want to leave just as bad as you want me to”.


^

[Glippernip]

Its mid-afternoon at the intersection between Nevada Street and Montana Street and not much is going on. The kids are in school; the parents at work. There’s an elderly couple outside on their front porch watching the birds and chatting about thier Grandchildren. Nassau County Long Island is a typical suburb.

“Uta, you see that?” says the elderly man pointing into the sky.

“My goodness Philip, I believe its one of those Metas that are all over the news lately,” answers Uta with a small amount of concern.

“He’s carrying another person. I think they are going to land across the street,” Philip mutters in a confused awe.

“Cheese and crackers! Is he on fire?” cries Uta.

“Flippin’ flapjacks! The boy is on fire!” Philip grabs his cane and hops to his feet. “Uta, get me the hose”. Philip hops down the three steps that separate his porch and walk way as fast as he can. “Stop. Drop and role, my boy,” screams out to the men across the street.

“You must get that a lot,” smirks Roy as Firestorm places him on the ground.

“Fire? No. Hot, sometimes but mostly from the ladies,” retorts Firestorm.

>>Ronald.<<

Sorry Prof. I couldn’t resist that one. Plus I don’t want this guy thinking he verbally bullying us.

>>Please try and stay focused on catching up with Crystal.<<

Arsenal smiles at Firestorm “Look at you making with the wit. That was pretty quick.” This walking lit matchstick can’t be Stein, but Stein is connected somehow. Arsenal draws his I.D. from one of his many compartments on his armor. He holds it in the air high. “It’s alright, sir. I’m with the government. This guy is with me and he is okay. He just has a very creative hair stylist.”

Uta comes hurrying from around the side of the house holding the hose. Phil stops running to his own relief and scratches his head. “Its alright Ut. He’s alright”. Phil walks over to Uta and they return the hose to its place together.

Uta follows but keeps looking back at the two men over her shoulder. “What do you mean he’s alright? The boy’s head is clearly on fire,” asks Uta in a low tone.

Phil shrugs, “It’s the style”.

“Kids today,” huffs Uta.


^

[Glippernip]

Calling back down the stairwell Plastique bellows in a hard whisper, “Frost! They’re down the road. One of them is Firestorm. Get up here”. She's beginning to shiver from the rapid decline in temperature that the house is going through. It must be ten to fifteen degrees cooler inside than outside. If the temperature continues to drop at this rate, the house will be a refrigerator in another fifteen minutes.

Frost lazily pulls her self from the furnace. The whole basement is iced over and she’s wearing a sinister smirk. She cracks her neck as she approaches the stairs. “Good,” she says when she reaches the bottom of the steps. “You take the cops. Firestorm is mine."

[Glippernip]

“Thanks, Longhorn. Get that containment unit on the move now. You’ll have to do it by helicopter. I’m going radio silent until it’s done. Arsenal out,” he says to home base. Arsenal then turns to Firestorm. “It’s the next house.” Then began slowly walking down the street getting temperature readings from Longhorn. “You take to the air and be my back up”.

“What are you going to do knock on the door?” asks Firestorm.

“No. I’m going to break in. Try to get the drop on her,” answers Arsenal.

“And how do I know if you are in trouble?” questions Firestorm.

“I have a feeling it’s going to be apparent once I’m in trouble. Something like the house freezing over. Or there’s always me screeching in pain,” replies Arsenal. At least I hope it’ll be obvious.

“It could be way too late by then,” Firestorm voices his displeasure with the plan.

“Nay,” Arsenal dismisses, “I know what I’m doing.” I hope. “Trust me.”

>>He’s the professional. I guess we do this his way, Ronald.<<

You don’t think this is a stupid plan? Firestorm thought back.

>>It seems a bit impulsive but we must bow to his authority and experience here, Ronald. Our main goal will be keeping him alive. Let’s stay alert just in case our new friend is biting off more then he can chew.<<

Okay, if you say so, Professor Stein.

Firestorm takes to the sky hovering directly above Arsenal and just over the rooftops.

Arsenal crouches below the window line and sneaks up to the home. He is underneath a window on the side of the house and slowly sliding across the wall toward the backyard. He is listening through the wall with some electrical device. He pauses half away to yard. He flicks a switch and turns a knob on the device. Then looks to Firestorm. He puts two fingers up.

Professor, what does two mean? In basketball it would mean for me to set a pick.

>>I don’t know, Ronald. I assume that is not it.<<

Arsenal motions to 'come here' and just as he does the wall explodes. Arsenal is swept up in a wave of splintered wood, plaster, and chunks of concrete. His body is slung across the alleyway between the houses.

>>OH, my! How?<<

While the Professor was momentarily frozen in shock Firestorm was already in action. He swoops from the rooftop rapidly, closing the distance between him and the explosion. He simultaneously changes the debris into feathers and the wall on the opposite house into a mattress.

Arsenal sinks into the newly formed mattress. He tries to keep his feet under him off the rebound but fails and slumps to the ground. A rain of feathers sprinkle over him as he searches like a blind man for something to pull himself up on. The back of his body armor singed and melted to a thin glossy layer. He faces the source of the explosion out of instinct to protect himself.

[Glippernip]

“Not so sneaky, punk!” shouts Plastique who stands in the hole in the wall. She places her hands on the insides of the wall. There are two more explosions, shooting more debris across the way toward Arsenal.

Firestorm again turns the debris into a huge clump of feathers. Before the feathers can disperse they slam into Arsenal like a bundle of hay. “Oof,, leaks out of Arsenals mouth when the dense bundle of feathers connects with his gut forcing him to once again slam into the mattress. He staggers two steps forward off the rebound before his legs turn to jelly and he collapses.

>>Ronald, I think it’s the woman from Concordance Building. Where is Krystal?<<

Not a good time, Prof. We’re a little busy.

Firestorm sends himself at Plastique like a two fisted missile launching her back into the house. Plastique quickly recovers. She wonders if she is out-matched in this one a runs for the front door.

>>Ronald, stop her.<<

We’re on it.

Firestorm blindly races her to the door. As she goes to open the door it turns into a wall.

“Not so fast, Missy. I think we need to talk,” says Firestorm triumphantly.

“Why waste your time with her when you can have me?” Asks Killer Frost.

Firestorm failed to notice her creep up from the side. She turns his head toward her and plants one on him. Firestorm pushes and pulls trying to break her grasp, but with each second, he gets weaker and weaker.

>>No! Not again. We must fight through this Ronald.<<

I know. I’m trying.

Plastique sees her opportunity and blows a hole into the wall that once was the front door. She runs away.

Killer Frost mumbles while she’s sucking the life from Firestorm, “Mmmm. Young and hot, just the way I like them. I was hoping we could do this again.” Her own energy builds and the flame on Firestorm’s head flickers and slowly begins to fade. With that mumble, a small opportunity is created.

>>Ronald now!<<

Firestorm gives a burst of raw energy, pushing the two of them in opposite directions. It was such a weakened blast that neither of them are even knocked over. Firestorm tries to front by standing tall with his chest out but Killer Frost could see the strain in him and the dying flicker of is fire.

She laughs. “You like rough boy? I can play games.” She swipes her hand across her body projecting a swarm of ice daggers that knocks Firestorm to the ground. In the distance the hum of a helicopters rotors can be heard.

“Is that for me?” she asks as she struts over like a model on a runway. “You order us delivery? How thoughtful”. She picks him by the sides of his face and kisses him again. This time ice starts to form on his frame.

Work with me professor. If we do this together we might have enough juice left to phase right through her.

>>Yes Ronald. Good idea. Now!<<

Killer frost stumbles as the person she was leaning on becomes intangible. Firestorm could only hold the form for seconds. He props himself up on a wall and tries to regroup.

In frustration, Killer Frost sends a pillar of ice at Firestorm. It smashes him through another wall and into the kitchen. The roar of the helicopter's motor is directly above the house.

Firestorm once again gets to his feet holding himself up on the kitchen table. “This is your last chance to give up, Killer Frost.”

An arrow shoots past her face and hits the sink. The sink explodes and water sprays from the pipes giving a heavy rain to the kitchen. She laughs when she sees Arsenal standing with his bow.

“An archer with poor aim has come to save you. Did you get here on horse-back?”

Arsenal sends other arrow into her shoulder that pushes her back a little. The arrow releases Freon gas the freezes the air and water around her. “Everybody is a frickin’ comedian today,” he says, knocking the next arrow.

“You plan on freezing the Ice Queen,” taunts Killer Frost. Then she’s hit with another Freon arrow. She can feel the heat escaping from her body.

“Yep,” Arsenal simply replies send another arrow into his target.


“I’ll suck the life right out of you, Peon.” She musters up strength to hurl more ice daggers at Arsenal but as fast as she creates them firestorm turns them into more Freon gas adding to her misery. “No!” she cries as spies the smirk on Firestorms expression. Her energy is rapidly draining and her conciseness is slipping away. Nearly all the heat she recently absorbed is neutralized. Out the window see sees what appears to be a mix between a coffin and a refrigerator suspend in the air swaying in the backyard. “I’ll remember you,” she mumbles right before she slumps to the floor.

The local law enforcement arrives and begins slowly creeping into the damage household.

“Quick. Give us a hand. We have to get her into the containment unit fast. I’d don’t know how long it takes her to recuperate,” orders Arsenal to some cops while flashes his ID.


^

[Glippernip]

Minutes later Longhorn is throwing a rope ladder out of the side of his helicopter. Arsenal grabs it, after making sure the containment unit is firmly fastened. Firestorm flew in after a quick recon, looking for Plastique.

“Are you okay?” Arsenal asks.

“Yeah. I bounce back quickly. How about you?” Firestorm asks.

“My heads ringing and my back is killing me, but I’ll live. I tell you, I never want to get into a pillow fight like that ever again,” Arsenal smiles.

>>Ronald, I believe that’s a thank you.<<

“You're welcome. You saved my flaming posterior as well,” Firestorm says.

They shake hands.

“I don’t suppose you'd like to come with me? Just stop by say “Hi” to the nice government agents,” half-heartedly asks Arsenal.

“I thought we’d go after the other one,” Firestorm replies.

“I was here to pick up Killer Frost and make contact with Firestorm. Check and check. Mission accomplished,” Arsenal brags.

“Do you need me to come with you?” asks Firestorm.

“Nay. Go get her tiger. I have enough info to make a report on you and the new Meta we found. We’ll have our hands full for a while with the one in the box,” says Arsenal. “And I think I can find you if I need to in the future”. Arsenal motions to the pilot to start moving and begins to climb the ladder.

Firestorm screams as Arsenal gets lifted away, “What makes you say that?”

“We have a mutual friend now”.

“Oh yeah. Who?” asks Firestorm?

“Professor Stein”.

“Who?” replies Firestorm pretending he doesn’t know him. Arsenal doesn’t respond at all, just climbs the ladder pretending he didn’t hear the question.

That could end up being trouble, Professor.

>>Only time will tell Ronald.<<

The end.