Mr. Frost sat alone in his dimly lit living room, nursing a beer as he watched the late-night news broadcast. And suddenly on the tv, a somber-faced reporter appeared, delivering the tragic news of the death of the famous swimsuit model from Ethereal Swims.
And in a shocking turn of events, the reporter announced gravely, "it has been confirmed that the victim is none other than the daughter of the renowned Tier A hero, Mr. Frost."
Although he has already been told of his daughter's death from his wife, hearing it a second time on the news felt as equally devastating.
Mr. Frost fell asleep without noticing, and in the darkness of his nightmare, he found himself face to face with his daughter, Suzy. Her voice echoed hauntingly in the shadows, filled with anguish and accusation.
"Daddy... Daddy..." her voice echoed, each word tinged with despair. "Why couldn't you save me? You can save everyone else but me... Why, daddy?"
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Mr. Frost whispered, his voice heavy with remorse.
"No, you're not!" Suzy's voice grew deeper, more menacing with each syllable. She floated closer, her form shrouded in darkness as she reached out towards him.
As she drew near, a cold dread gripped Mr. Frost's heart. He struggled to move, to speak, but he was paralyzed by fear. Suzy's hands closed around his throat, squeezing tighter and tighter until he was gasping for air.
Mr. Frost jolted awake, his body drenched in sweat from the terrifying dream. The echoes of Suzy's voice still lingered in his mind, leaving him shaken to the core.
Even a man with the power of ice can still sweat.
He rose from the couch and ascended the stairs to check on his wife, peering into their bedroom to find her sleeping with tears staining her cheeks, her face etched with sadness. After taking his clothes off, he stepped into the shower, bowing his head against the wall as he pondered to himself. With a surge of frustration, he unleashed a burst of icy energy, effortlessly freezing the entire bathroom.
The next day, with the news of Mr. Frost's daughter's death already sending shockwaves throughout the Blue Star Nation, the board of directors of the Association of Heroes (ASH) swiftly convened for an urgent meeting. In the association's designated conference room, ten Tier A heroes and the Tier S vice president gathered, their expressions grim and determined.
"Not all of us are here today, but I believe you all know why we're here," the vice president began, his voice carrying the weight of the somber occasion. "Yesterday, one of our very own, Mr. Frost, daughter was assassinated." As the words hung in the air, a palpable heaviness settled over the room, with some of the members of the board grappling with the gravity of the situation.
"Today, we are going to discuss the perpetrator responsible for this heinous act," the vice president continued, his tone resolute.
In the center of the desk, a hologram flickered to life, illuminating an image of Inferno Ghost, the one who performed the act of assassinating Mr. Frost's daughter, displayed from all angles so that every individual seated at the table could see.
"What you see before you is the infamous assassin known as Inferno Ghost," the vice president explained, his tone grave. "He's been responsible for countless assassinations over the past decade. Despite our efforts, his identity remains elusive, and his information is nowhere to be found in our databases. To this day, we cannot confirm if the face we're seeing right now is really him, due to it being sent to us anonymously four years ago. However, one thing is certain: he exists."
"Tch... This is ridiculous..." muttered one of the Tier A heroes under his breath, his frustration evident.
"Electrum, do you have something to say?" the vice president addressed the hero, his tone firm.
"Yeah... For one, we shouldn't be wasting our time here discussing about a phantom assassin nobody ever captured before," Electrum replied, his voice tinged with impatience. "As heroes, we should be out there right now saving lives. People are currently dying as we speak."
"Ohh, why don't you shut the hell up..." Electrum's remark was interrupted by Phoenix Fury, her tone sharp with irritation. "Don't think you can fool anyone."
Electrum side-eyed Phoenix Fury, who sat a foot beside him. Phoenix Fury was a true friend to Mr. Frost and his family. She continued, her voice rising with determination, "People die every day. We can't save them all, but today is a special day for us to focus on hunting this bastard down and stop him from hurting anybody else!"
"Who are you trying to fool, Seraphina," Electrum retorted, his smirk evident. "We all know you're only this tense because of your so-called bestie. Like you said, people die every day... What makes this day so special, huh? Because of him?"
"YOU BASTARD!! EVERYONE KNOWS THAT YOU'RE JEALOUS OF FROST BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST A SELFISH SON OF AH BITCH WITH A BIG EGO AND THAT DIRTY ELECTRIC MOUTH OF YOURS..."
Phoenix Fury's retort cut through the tension, igniting a heated argument between the two heroes.
"Stop..." The vice president's voice echoed in the room, cutting through the heated argument and bringing an abrupt halt to their exchange.
"Electrum, despite your behavior and manner of speaking, what you say is true," the vice president acknowledged, his tone measured. "But just bear with it for now."
Turning his attention to Phoenix Fury, he continued, "And Phoenix Fury, you need to calm that temper of yours. We all know he's your best friend, but right now, the best way you can help him is to remain composed."
"The worst thing for a superhero is to get emotional and start throwing a tantrum," the vice president emphasized, his words carrying weight.
As the room fell silent once more, the discussion of the perpetrator and the incident resumed, the members of the board refocusing their attention on the task at hand.
The scene transitions to detectives Lennie and Anna, who are deeply engrossed in reviewing the footage of the taxi bombing repeatedly since their return from the Frost estate. With unwavering determination, they meticulously analyze each frame, hoping to uncover any overlooked detail that could provide a breakthrough in the case.
"We've been over this so many times... There's nothing..." Anna expressed her frustration, her voice tinged with disappointment.
"I know it feels like we're hitting a dead end, Anna, but something in this video might hold the key to uncovering more about Inferno Ghost," Lennie reassured her, his tone resolute.
Then, Lieutenant Hodge knocked on the door before letting himself in unannounced.
"You guys still got nothing?" Lieutenant Hodge inquired as he entered the room.
"No, sir," Anna replied, her tone tinged with frustration. "But we're trying."
"Well, I guess you won't mind if I intervene," said Lieutenant Hodge.
"You're the boss," Anna responded.
As the footage continued to replay, Lieutenant Hodge observed closely.
"What's that right there?" he asked, pointing to a distorted area in the corner.
Lennie examined the anomaly. "Those are just shock waves from the blast," he explained.
"No, right there at the corner," Lieutenant Hodge insisted.
Upon closer inspection, they noticed the warped area.
"That doesn't look like part of the shock wave. It looks too distorted," Lieutenant Hodge remarked. "I don't want to think I'm seeing things, but I think we might have something here, fellas."
"But it could just be an effect caused by the blast," Anna suggested.
Lennie pondered for a moment before a realization struck him. "Or maybe not," he said. "How much do you guys know about spatial abilities?"
"Why do you ask?" inquired Hodge.
"What if Inferno Ghost has two abilities, and this effect we're currently seeing here is what was caused by him using spatial powers?" Lennie proposed.
The scene then cuts back to the board of directors meeting, coming to an end.
As the heroes began to leave, the vice president called out to one of the Tier A heroes before they could depart, prompting the hero to pause and return to his seat. The hero sat back down, his expression tentative as he awaits for what the vice president is about to tell him.
"It's regarding your brother…"