Taming the Ice Queen

1)

1)Alex was just getting on with his life, keeping an extra low profile, and going to school for a normal boring masters degree.

No apparent powers or anything interesting, he just maintained an uninteresting 'normal' human air. He kept thinking that to himself until he felt like the last normal guy on the planet. Because he did not display any capriciously powerful or flashy talents many women roundly ignored him, too busy fawning over the low-end powered with pretty parlor tricks.

He was completely content in their ignorance.

The proposal of the 'Super-Villain Rehabilitation Program' news story was a welcome break. Once introduced it offering trade skills to powered men and women with an interest in an instant parole, probation and job training to creatively redirect their energies into something useful.

It was almost comical the number of prisons cracked open from the inside out around the world by powered inmates doing as they pleased.

The whole rest of the news cycle kept playing over and over again the same dross about the mysterious invaders who attacked, gutted and nearly wiped out the black flag Islamic terrorist group in Syria and Iraq. Broken fragmented stories from maimed half-crazed survivors relayed second hand through the victorious recounts of the Kurd and Iraqi forces, before to a man they executed the remaining Islamic state terrorists that they caught. The reports were frantic and colored by the dark humor of embattled solders retelling the misfortunes of their enemy.

During the news cycle they kept whispering of several thousand powered rampaging American crusaders invading and gutting the terrorist defenses. They killed every man who carried a rifle or the banner of the Islamic state without thought, fear or hesitation.

While half watching and pretending to do anything but watch, Alex heard his own unsolicited snarky and sarcastic reply to the unhearing television was, “Yeah, try a hundred and fifty.”

The part that perked Alex's attention was the part about how the newscaster mentioned that there was video of the event. After that palpitation passed, it turned out to be a distant cell phone video showing the waning fury of the attack that destroyed the last enemy stronghold. There was no video of the actual attack, just distant blasts and guttering flames on the horizon. The last thirty-six hour news cycle loop analyzed ever bit of sketchy information they could get, constantly rehashed the same rumors and the only real calling card was the hastily scrawled 'death visited' on each of the dozens and dozens of sites. The calling card warning was carved into rocks by flame leaving gutted and melted black glass runnels, or scratched deeply into sandstone with some traumatic force leaving ugly white hack marks. The styles, methods and handwriting were all different, so it was pretty obvious that more than one person was leaving those common calling cards.

The news crews were finally getting into the area to interview people there though.

When asked why there were 'no more special ISIS fighters opposing to counter balance the attackers special soldiers,' the locals commented, 'Allah does not favor them and they had none to oppose our offensive! They had them a few weeks back, but Allah saw fit and stripped their powers and allowed us to be victorious!”

Alex grunted a long irritated growl in his throat.

The news coverage was droll.

He knew she was there long before he looked at her directly, but the stunning creature strutting her stuff, confidently swaying her womanly form, openly tempting anyone to challenge her, was much more interesting than recycled news bits.

He could tell right away this woman was trouble. She had an attitude that dared anyone to try her. But she was so pretty it was near impossible to look away. Her capricious display and maintenance of her frosty power in the summer heat was indicative of her fierce innate power. Her strength and power burned within her like a well maintained and amply fueled pyre.

She was impossible to miss!

He did not know who she was but meeting was on his mind, and Alex refused to look away.

She was wearing long frosted white hair and icicle fingernails. Her black leather jacket, tee-shirt and leather pants were almost impossible to notice through the layer of prickly frost she maintained along seems and buttons, like spiky white thread.

She was such an alluring creature doing such a mundane task, strutting across a dining area with a tray of food balanced on one hand. He still could not look away from her as she carried her tray of food in the food court.

His gaze apparently led her to challenge him first with her eyes. She altered course modestly, sporting her feral scowl, as she vivisected him with her eyes.

She took the table next over and diagonal across the thin space between the two four seat tables, so she could stare at him openly.

Alex could not look away. His fabricated façade could not hold back his nature as he dared her. Alex had to slip her a sly smile and wink. He might look normal and act normal, but hadn't forgotten how to flirt.

The daring creature rolled her eyes and hurtled the barb, “And what are you looking at?”

Deliberately not mentioning her impressive display of powers, Alex shrugged noncommittally and just told her, “A pretty lady.”

She looked a little taken aback for a split second, before she recovered, and squinted through her lush lashes, analyzing him briefly. She was silent for a while, but actually they chatted together a little as they finished their lunches.

Alex was well into his meal but she actually caught up and almost passed him to completion. She ate like he used to in the Army, fast and with a purpose, like someone would steal what she did not finish immediately. Once the conversation ended, with a slightly awkward but casual handshake greetings and an exchange of names, she ended up introducing herself as ‘Rose’.

She of course scowled down her nose at him for asking, but that did not faze Alex. They were both in school at the beginning of the new class semester, so there were lots of new people and introductions going on all around campus.

The introduction lingered, and turned into an even more awkward pairing. They were both walking the same direction. Her trying to be a tough little hard ass, who wanted to blow him off, ended up backfiring on her, frustrating her and endearing her to Alex even more. She was a feisty and independent little thing, she was trying to casually blow him off and maintain the upper hand, setting the tone, tempo and availability of the conversation, but failed as she was forced to stride along.

The more steps they took together, the more her lips loosened a little and Rose chattered a little about how she was in a business and economics program as part of her core curriculum. She shrugged and told him that she was studying sculpting and architecture. She said something fast that she seemed to blurt out quickly so he would lose what she said, about how her career counselor suggested she try redirecting her energy creatively.

Alex had to admit to himself that it was not all his ringing ears failing him, but his balls talking to him while the cute little woman chattered next to him. She was short, but had a great curvy body, and Hispanic features. She was really fun to walk next to and watch. She could have remained totally silent and watching her ass and t**s would have entertained Alex for a week.

They had a distance to walk and Alex deliberately talked to her like a normal woman, instead of some super powered freak or as him acting like one of the sycophantic power-worshipers so common everywhere.

She smirked a sexy, daring little smile and explained that she is in the villain rehabilitation program. She challenged Alex and asked, “Does that frighten a good boy like you?”

Alex just raising his brow at her.

She threatened with a wicked smile and playful eyes, “I could freeze your balls and make them fall off!”

Alex nodded calmly at the threat, kept walking and bit his lip to suppress the reply that was scratching at the back of his teeth.

She seemed to have mistaken his face for fear and realized she was over playing her hand in the civilian world, so she scoffed, “I'm just playing! Come on! Quit bein’ so sour! Say it!”

Alex diplomatically offered, “I'm sure you can do everything that you say you can. I'm just boring, and can do no such thing. I could not freeze any part of you under my own power.”

She skipped lightly and challenged, “What? You don't have powers?”

Smiling at his odd but strangely endearing and charming companion, Alex obliquely told her, “Nothing like that! The whole 'freezing your balls off' thing that you are talking about is beyond me. I couldn't even chill the water in your drinking glass.”