[spoiler]<o1 Valiance>
Vance had picked up the slack on his current project because in recent months, a great change came over the man. Something marvelous, something promising – really, it was something otherworldly. Only, as a sound minded scientist, he knew better than to ever assume something could go unexplained. His new found ability was no different from anything else he’d stumbled across in his studies, and though the byproduct of a freak occurrence, he felt the powers suited him. Vance, no… Scratch that. Mr. Freeze had been born to harbor dark secrets and this was probably the most strange and fulfilling one he had. Cryokinesis, a term he’d coined to sum up what he could do, was an ice breaker for an otherwise stagnant life – a way to get out of the rut Noel’s death had left him in.
Oh, if only she could have lived to see it; the things he could do. Every strange manipulation of elements, each odd ice sculpture he made of the shower water, all the hail storms and sleeting rain he’d forced to flutter about for hours on end like he’d walked into a snow globe – these were the things he’d have shared with his deceased wife. But to Vance, he had shared them, just like now he was sharing coffee with her instead of going to that gala. He figured it best to just avoid the mainstream parties entirely, otherwise he was likely to slip up and show off too much in the company of the city’s hierarchy. They didn’t understand him anyway, not his research or his needs as a person, or even his sense of humor.
Really, only Noel seemed to get him. Only, she was dead – though that hadn’t stopped their talks. Actually, they talked more than ever now that she lived inside his head, though he wasn’t at all oblivious to how strange he must have seemed speaking with an empty seat in front of him. Thinking ahead before he’d come into the café, Vance wore a blutooth headset on one of his ears and each time he’d been sent a strange look by other customers, he had simply motioned to the electronic device before continuing to chat with his lovely wife.
“You didn’t order me anything.” Noel said after a moment, though that coy smile across her faint pink lips seemed to scream the joke the two of them shared. Still, it brought a small frown over Vance’s hunched figure and he gazed blandly into the tar colored cappuccino he’d received. They both knew she wasn’t there, and he wasn’t one to believe in ghosts, so the trauma of her death had likely left him with delusions of her presence. How he saw her then was how he remembered her, no more or less, with that grey cardigan and powder blue shirt, a pair of jeans and her favorite well-worn flats. Perfect golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, spreading like a sun ray across pale skies. Her cobalt eyes still sent chills through the male, because each time he looked into them, he believed her to be real again. It was dangerous business, talking to hallucinations, but Vance couldn’t deny Noel anything – not even in death.
“You shouldn’t tease me like that.”
“Why not? You need to relax, Vance. Who cares what the people here think?” Presenting her portrait, Noel seemed preoccupied glancing around the small café, her voice a tad distant as she added, “Unless you’re worried they’ll tell on you.” Maybe she’d been right and he just didn’t know it, subconsciously projecting deep seated fears through the conversation of his imaginary wife, or maybe he knew and just couldn’t admit it. All the same, Vance shook his head and raised the small cup to his lips in hopes of enjoying the overpriced beverage. One cool breath along the top of the liquid and suddenly it was chilled; almost an icy slush instead of the steamy drink he’d recently been given. Parlor tricks that seemed to amuse only him, especially with Noel’s attention elsewhere.
“I wish you were here.” He managed softly before continuing to down his cappuccino, face somewhat hidden behind the rim of the mug.
“Don’t be silly. I’m always here…” Noel stopped suddenly and pointed one slender, manicured hand to the tv the waitress had turned on, and Vance followed her finger to the image on the screen. A message flashed across the bottom of the news report, and the words almost sent the scientist into a fit. TERRORISTS AT LARGE IN WINDSOR MANOR – HEROES ON THE CASE. Heroes? Cursing softly, the professor could only shake his head and sigh, muttering something under his breath. Disappointment seemed to wash over him briefly, silencing the rest of the room and it’s chattering while he tried to figure out just why he’d passed up this opportunity in the first place. Really, it wasn’t like there wouldn’t be other opportunities for the male to make his introduction to the world, but this would have been a greatly publicized venture and his name would be known instantaneously.
“But are you ready for them?” Noel asked in her usual cool manner, smile ever present on roseate lips. “I don’t want you going in unprepared.”
“Who knows? This city is a nest of masked vigilantes it seems, and every day another one introduces themselves. I need more information on the big players though…” There was a pause as he set down his empty coffee vessel and brought his hands together to steeple his slender fingers. “I’m sure they all have weaknesses to exploit.” And if there was one man to find these flaws, it was Vance, because for how methodical and deep thinking he came off, that was only the tip of the ice berg. Everyone had dark secrets after all, but no secret every stayed quiet for very long…
“Why do you hold such a grudge against them, Vance? Really, what did the Justice League ever do to you?”
“They didn’t save you - of all the people in this filthy hell hole… And for that I’ll never forgive them. They might as well have pulled the trigger, the phony fucks. To say they’re fighting for good, but all I see is one big publicity stunt after another. That isn’t justice, Noel. That’s a joke. They’re all a joke.”[/spoiler]
Vance had picked up the slack on his current project because in recent months, a great change came over the man. Something marvelous, something promising – really, it was something otherworldly. Only, as a sound minded scientist, he knew better than to ever assume something could go unexplained. His new found ability was no different from anything else he’d stumbled across in his studies, and though the byproduct of a freak occurrence, he felt the powers suited him. Vance, no… Scratch that. Mr. Freeze had been born to harbor dark secrets and this was probably the most strange and fulfilling one he had. Cryokinesis, a term he’d coined to sum up what he could do, was an ice breaker for an otherwise stagnant life – a way to get out of the rut Noel’s death had left him in.
Oh, if only she could have lived to see it; the things he could do. Every strange manipulation of elements, each odd ice sculpture he made of the shower water, all the hail storms and sleeting rain he’d forced to flutter about for hours on end like he’d walked into a snow globe – these were the things he’d have shared with his deceased wife. But to Vance, he had shared them, just like now he was sharing coffee with her instead of going to that gala. He figured it best to just avoid the mainstream parties entirely, otherwise he was likely to slip up and show off too much in the company of the city’s hierarchy. They didn’t understand him anyway, not his research or his needs as a person, or even his sense of humor.
Really, only Noel seemed to get him. Only, she was dead – though that hadn’t stopped their talks. Actually, they talked more than ever now that she lived inside his head, though he wasn’t at all oblivious to how strange he must have seemed speaking with an empty seat in front of him. Thinking ahead before he’d come into the café, Vance wore a blutooth headset on one of his ears and each time he’d been sent a strange look by other customers, he had simply motioned to the electronic device before continuing to chat with his lovely wife.
“You didn’t order me anything.” Noel said after a moment, though that coy smile across her faint pink lips seemed to scream the joke the two of them shared. Still, it brought a small frown over Vance’s hunched figure and he gazed blandly into the tar colored cappuccino he’d received. They both knew she wasn’t there, and he wasn’t one to believe in ghosts, so the trauma of her death had likely left him with delusions of her presence. How he saw her then was how he remembered her, no more or less, with that grey cardigan and powder blue shirt, a pair of jeans and her favorite well-worn flats. Perfect golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, spreading like a sun ray across pale skies. Her cobalt eyes still sent chills through the male, because each time he looked into them, he believed her to be real again. It was dangerous business, talking to hallucinations, but Vance couldn’t deny Noel anything – not even in death.
“You shouldn’t tease me like that.”
“Why not? You need to relax, Vance. Who cares what the people here think?” Presenting her portrait, Noel seemed preoccupied glancing around the small café, her voice a tad distant as she added, “Unless you’re worried they’ll tell on you.” Maybe she’d been right and he just didn’t know it, subconsciously projecting deep seated fears through the conversation of his imaginary wife, or maybe he knew and just couldn’t admit it. All the same, Vance shook his head and raised the small cup to his lips in hopes of enjoying the overpriced beverage. One cool breath along the top of the liquid and suddenly it was chilled; almost an icy slush instead of the steamy drink he’d recently been given. Parlor tricks that seemed to amuse only him, especially with Noel’s attention elsewhere.
“I wish you were here.” He managed softly before continuing to down his cappuccino, face somewhat hidden behind the rim of the mug.
“Don’t be silly. I’m always here…” Noel stopped suddenly and pointed one slender, manicured hand to the tv the waitress had turned on, and Vance followed her finger to the image on the screen. A message flashed across the bottom of the news report, and the words almost sent the scientist into a fit. TERRORISTS AT LARGE IN WINDSOR MANOR – HEROES ON THE CASE. Heroes? Cursing softly, the professor could only shake his head and sigh, muttering something under his breath. Disappointment seemed to wash over him briefly, silencing the rest of the room and it’s chattering while he tried to figure out just why he’d passed up this opportunity in the first place. Really, it wasn’t like there wouldn’t be other opportunities for the male to make his introduction to the world, but this would have been a greatly publicized venture and his name would be known instantaneously.
“But are you ready for them?” Noel asked in her usual cool manner, smile ever present on roseate lips. “I don’t want you going in unprepared.”
“Who knows? This city is a nest of masked vigilantes it seems, and every day another one introduces themselves. I need more information on the big players though…” There was a pause as he set down his empty coffee vessel and brought his hands together to steeple his slender fingers. “I’m sure they all have weaknesses to exploit.” And if there was one man to find these flaws, it was Vance, because for how methodical and deep thinking he came off, that was only the tip of the ice berg. Everyone had dark secrets after all, but no secret every stayed quiet for very long…
“Why do you hold such a grudge against them, Vance? Really, what did the Justice League ever do to you?”
“They didn’t save you - of all the people in this filthy hell hole… And for that I’ll never forgive them. They might as well have pulled the trigger, the phony fucks. To say they’re fighting for good, but all I see is one big publicity stunt after another. That isn’t justice, Noel. That’s a joke. They’re all a joke.”[/spoiler]
BDRP Admin. Writer. Villain. Personal Blog.
I tried running from the memory and the mourning.
I tried running from the memory and the mourning.