Chapter 6 - chapter 6

Another snowstorm was threatening to appear. And in a matter of minutes, it did. The snow came in fast and strong, immediately affecting a city. Strong winds and heavy snowfall caused the entire city to shut down. 

There were power outages and people were stranded in their homes. Cars were stuck on the roads and the streets were covered in snow. The storm was a perfect cover for Veddeh to initiate his master plan. It was a good distraction and a way to lure the three heroes in. Not just that, but also the Justice League.

Veddeh had taken the time to create an ice creature that was large and powerful. It would be a challenge to the superheroes. The icy creature was massive and towered over the city. Its claws and teeth were razor-sharp and its breath was a freezing blast that could freeze anything in its path. Veddeh had planned to use the creature to distract the Justice League, while he and the Icenauts would carry out his plan to freeze the city and add more fuel to the crystal.

And this was to apply to other locations just to have the Justice League scattered. However, for this particular location, two members of the Justice League had already arrived, here to put an end to the snowstorm as soon as possible.

"Look at all of this." A girl with a green jacket and green hair spoke, just having a green aesthetic all around. As she put her hands in her fists, she smirked, green fire emanating from her body. Her name, fittingly, was Fire. Real name was Beatriz da Costa. A Brazilian super model turned government agent turned superhero after an accident granted her the ability to generate green flames. "Consistent snowstorms early into summer. I'd say some would be grateful to have something so cold in the heat, but not really."

"If you want me to, maybe I somehow have the innate ability to speak to creatures of ice. Maybe." And right beside her was a woman opposite to her element entirely. A woman of ice with white hair and a white plus blue bodysuit combo. Fittingly named Ice. Real name was Tora Olafsdotter. A Norwegian woman with cryokinetic powers. Fitting for the scenario.

Maybe." Fire lightly nodded. "I won't be too interested in seeing if it works. I just want this thing gone."

"And will you go through the Snowstorm? See where it leads to?" Ice questioned, knowing that the snowstorm acted as a portal for the Icenauts.

"We'll see." Fire smirked as she had her eyes glow. And from it, her body would ignite with fierce green flames, melting the snow that she stood in the process. Her body was unleashing the power within known as Pyroplasm which caused her body take on a fiery form at will. Out of the flames, she became a green flaming being, constantly burning but never in pain.

Once in her Pyroplasmic Form, she took flight, soaring into action. She flew over the city, using her powers to create a shield to protect her from the snow and cold. As she soared through the city, her powers created a bright green light that could be seen from miles away.

Fire flew right into the town, engaging with the Icenauts present there. Pulling her arms back and swinging them forth, she released flaming projectiles at them, striking them against the Icenauts.

The Icenauts would find themselves being knocked back or down by the flames. They were not immune to her attacks and had to keep their distance. Some would throw ice blasts at her, attempting to slow her down and put out the fires that she had started. But they were not successful. Fire was too fast, too agile, and too powerful for them to stop.

She then got to a lower level, descending and spreading her flames across the ground. Green flames set the streets ablaze, melting the snow and causing the Icenauts to flee. "Where are you going?!" But Fire was a persistent and aggressive one. As soon as she saw them trying to gain distance, she shot off more projectiles, incinerating them on contact, destroying them.

She would even divekick into one of the Icenauts, forcing it to hit the ground hard while having its body melt away from the flames. Standing up, she looked at the creature that had been summoned to wreak havoc, her eyes narrowing.

As for Ice herself, she was casually walking through the snowstorm. Naturally, she was practically immune to it, so the harsh cold and winds wouldn't affect her. She'd summon ice beneath her feet, sliding on a trail of it and using the wind to her advantage. All to catch up to the source of this winter wonderland. If she had a guess, it was an alien of some sort. What else could be behind the sudden snowfall in the middle of the summer?

Upon entering a certain area, the Icenauts would spot her. And once they did, they began to target her, firing ice at her. But to no avail, as the ice simply bounced off her. These Icenauts were no match for her.

Ice would suddenly leap upward and land on a lamppost, grabbing hold of it with her ice-covered hands. She used the lamppost to swing around in a circular motion before jumping off, flying through the air and landing on the roof of a nearby building. The Icenauts pursued her, following her lead. They climbed up the side of the building, using their icy powers to cling to the walls.

But once they got to the top, she was already waiting. With her arm extended out to the side, she'd create an icy wall in front of her, causing the Icenauts to crash into it. They would topple over, hitting the ground. From there, she'd jump from the wall, landing on the ground below. And with that, she continued to pursue the source of the storm.

Fire was already making progress, melting and destroying Icenauts left and right, and keeping the citizens safe. The flames she left behind even kept them warm after their bodies were freed from the Icenauts.

As Fire ascended to do more, she was suddenly pushed back by a great gust of wind. She grunted, feeling the gust that almost knocked her off balance. She looked right ahead, seeing that it was the larger Icenaut responsible for it, having swung its arm to generate that wind pressure.

"So, you've finally showed yourself, huh?" Fire asked. "Was getting tired of your little minions. Now that the real fun can begin!"

With a grin, Fire would unload a large stream of flames at the Large Icenaut. The flames struck it, causing the icy creature to roar in pain. The flames burned through the icy exterior of its body, leaving the inside vulnerable. The icy creature would attempt to counterattack, but Fire was quick to dodge its attacks. She flew up and down, side to side, and even backwards and forwards, all to avoid its icy blasts.

It was a game of cat and mouse, and the cat was winning.

"Fire! Fire!" Ice called for her from below. "The snowstorm, remember?!"

"It's fine. All of them are down, so there's no chance for them to leave here. This is the last one and it won't be leaving either. Not even fo ra moment." Fire smirked, clenching her hands. As she did, by releasing fiery streams from both sides, she would attack the snowstorm itself. Or more specifically, the surrounding area of this town.

Her green flames rose high, encircling the whole town and creating a barrier. She was determined to keep the creature from escaping. It was trapped within her fiery ring and would not escape. Not without a fight, at least.

"There's no way out of this one." Fire menacingly said to the Icenaut. "You're done."

The Icenaut was noticeably intimidated by this. In response, it attacked as aggressively as it could. It roared, unleashing a flurry of spiralling cold winds and ice at her. But Fire was ready for it. She unleashed her own fire, and the two clashed in mid-air, resulting in a huge explosion of fire and ice. The force of the blast caused the Icenaut to fall back, landing on the ground. It was stunned, and its icy form was cracking and breaking apart.

"Ice, now!" Fire yelled, looking at her teammate. Ice was quick to act, shooting an icy blast at the creature. The blast froze the Icenaut, turning it into a statue of ice. With a smile, Ice nodded.

"Good job, Fire." Ice gave a thumbs-up to her friend. Fire landed next to her and turned off her Pyroplasmic Form, standing in normal clothes.

"Great. That's over." Fire smirked, looking at the frozen Icenaut. Despite it being a creature of such chill, Ice's Cryokineses was able to freeze it regardless.

And with that, the snowstorm was starting to subside, slowly fading away. The sky was beginning to clear up, and the sun was shining down once again. "Do we go through it?" Ice asked Fire.

"They said that we're allowed to if we're careful...I bet if I go through there, I'll melt whatever's waiting for me." Fire suspected. Now was a good time to try and see what was on the other side. To see where that snowstorm led to. She didn't waste anytime and went back into her Pyroplasmic Form once more. Quickly, she rushed before the snowstorm could truly vanish.

But as she approached it, once she got close to it, the outcome was an unfavorable one. Fire flew straight through the snowstorm as it died down, unable to pass through. She ended up crashing to the ground, the snowstorm having dissipated at the exact moment, preventing her from passing.

"Ugh..." Fire stood up, her body having transformed back to her regular state. "Guess that's not possible, huh?"

"Maybe you were just a bit late on the mark." Ice said. "Or maybe we just can't go through it at all."

"It's probably the first one. I'll go with it being the idea that I was just late. Next time will be different then." Fire sighed. "Let's head out though. There'll be more snowstorms around. Let's see if we can pass through those ones next."

The Justice League were very much hard at work trying to stop this cold issue, doing the best that they can and succeeding well. And naturally, all their hard work would be recognized by everyone and made far more known via other sources. Especially one particular source in a particular city.

At yet another small town, another snowstorm came with its fair share of Icenauts. And yet again, the Justice League were present. But this time, arriving here was none other than the Flash. He was already in the midst of dealing with the Icenauts at this very moment. 

Utilizing his super-speed to avoid their attacks and to take them out at the same time. His speed was far beyond that of any human and he used it to his advantage. 

He ran circles around the creatures, causing them to become confused and disoriented. Then, he'd strike them down one by one, using his fists or his legs to send them flying. As soon as one was taken down, the rest would come at him, but they couldn't keep up.

"What do you think, Batman? Think I can go through that Snowstorm?" Flash asked, communicating with Batman via comms while dodging a downwards slam from an Icenaut.

"I just got word from Fire that she couldn't get through that snowstorm at all. It's either she was too late or its impossible us to do so." Batman replied.

"Well if it's the first one, that's no problem. Let me clear things up here first!" Flash was ready to test it out. But he couldn't do that when people are still in peril. Granted, once all the Icenauts are dealt with the snowstorm will vanish swiftly. But that's why he was the Flash.

Some Icenauts released sharp ice projectiles from their eyes and mouths, the projectiles being as large as bookshelves. The Flash approached it, leaping onto each and very icicle that was shot. Using his super speed to move from one to the other, he would leap from the last one to the largest Icenaut. With a strong punch to the face, he'd send it tumbling to the ground, knocking out a couple of Icenauts in the process, breaking them. Once he landed, he would use his enhanced speed to create a shockwave, knocking the remaining Icenauts away.

"Now that that's done...Let's see if I can get through that thing." Flash would turn his attention to the snowstorm. Right away, he would zoom off, running towards it at a fast rate. He would reach it in a matter of seconds, and he'd try to pass right through, just to see if that would be possible. However, as soon as he tried, he ended up going through it just like Fire. But as he did, for a brief moment, he felt a strange vibration through the snowstorm before crashing into the wall of the snow, falling to the ground. "Ouch."

"Did you get through?" Batman questioned.

"Argh no...Just fell through like any other regular snowstorm." Flash groaned. "But...I felt something in there. No doubt, it's still a type of portal like what Superman said. I felt some vibrations through that snowstorm. Maybe it's possible for us to actually go through it normally, but not with those vibrations active."

"Vibrations?" Batman was intrigued. "You'll have to test that out again. Is it gone yet?"

"Almost." Flash looked at the snowstorm, seeing it fade away more and more. Any second now, it'll be long gone. "Let me see if I can work my way through those vibrations." With a smirk, Flash ran at the fading snowstorm yet again before it could vanish.

And once he was in it again, this time, he would stay in one spot and try to interact with these strange vibrations. Via his own. If he could cancel them out, maybe he'll have a chance. So, he'd start to rapidly vibrate his hand, his arm moving at an incredibly fast pace. And the moment that the two collided...

"Hey, I got it! It's working!" Flash yelled. But the snowstorm was vanishing faster. "Uh oh." Eventually, the snowstorm vanished and he was left standing in the normal air. "Great. Well, I was close at least." He said to himself, realizing that he was indeed close. If he could somehow cancel out those vibrations, he could potentially go through that snowstorm.

However, despite him making progress, the snowstorm was still fading away at a fast rate. Flash hadn't managed to really tap into its inner workings yet as the snowstorm was now gone. But as it vanished, the spot of vibrational interference Flash left behind would linger there for a second. It too was on the verge of fading, but it remained, appearing in the form of a pulsating blue mist.

Flash gawked at this pulsating blue mist, realizing that it was the remnants of his attempt to make it through the snowstorm. "Well look at this...a piece of it stuck around." He smiled a bit. He had to admit, he was impressed with his own work. "Batman. I've managed to isolate some of it with my vibrations. But I think it's still going to vanish anytime soon."

"Then get back here right away so we can contain it." Batman ordered, and the Flash listened, taking off in a blur of red and disappearing from sight. For the isolated piece of mist, he was managing to carry it in his hands, keeping a constant vibration field around it which consisted of him constantly moving his hands around it. "This is great. This could be our ticket to solving this case."

From the West, another snowstorm issue had been dealt with. This time via the efforts of Superman yet again. He had just gone done freeing the citizens that were frozen. But this time, he did not go through the snowstorm, receiving an update from Batman.

"So I can't go through it regardless." Superman said, carrying one of the frozen people in his arms.

"Not yet. Flash might've found a way past it. He's just returned with the isolated part he gathered. I can see us managing to enter that portal once we figure out how it works."

"Well, you do that. I'm going to keep moving and stop these other snowstorms." Superman smiled, placing the man down safely. "By the way...Killer Frost managed to escape from Stryker's Island. Faster than usual. The cameras ended up catching what happened there. Guards say someone managed to manifest inside the containment cell and broke out."

"And you're thinking its whoever's teaming up with Killer Frost." Batman added.

"I do. Whoever it is, he can probably go through the snowstorms as well. If Killer Frost is detained again, he'll show up a second time. Or..."

"We could anticipate him." Batman finished Superman's sentence. "If we can manage to track his movements, or his energy signature, then we can find him and intercept him. But we'll have to be quick, or else he'll disappear into the snowstorm before we have a chance to catch him." Batman was always on point.

"Don't worry about that. He's trying to blindside us, isn't he? There are more frantic snowstorms appearing left and right." Superman smiled, figuring that Veddeh was trying to cause enough chaos to stall and occupy the Justice League. "Then let's make it interesting for him. By cleaning up faster than we usually do."

With that ,Superman accelerated off to the next area with a fierce snowstorm going on.

Florida. The Arcade Hideout.

Koriand'r had just awoken to a new day. Her first day waking up on Earth and being on a bed far different from what she has back home. This was a very soft mattress that made it hard to believe that it was a simple couch. Not really any other beds available in her. Ben didn't really account for two more people to be present here so quickly.

Koriand'r sat up on the makeshift bed, yawning a bit and stretching. After a few seconds, she finally opened her eyes, floating off right away. As she floated out of the room, she already saw what Ben and the others were doing. With Gwen looking at the laptop, it was revealed that a total of at least 15 places were experiencing sudden snowstorms.

"Good morning, humans!" Koriand'r said to them both, grabbing her attention. "You are all awake so early in the morning. Do all humans wake up this early?"

"Morning." Nightwing greeted back. "Slept well, princess?"

"I very much did. That thing you call a mattress is amazingly comfortable." She responded, getting closer to the two. "What is that you have? What are you looking at?"

"This." Gwen pointed to the laptop screen. "We're just looking at a problem we've been dealing for a week now. Some ice monsters have been spawning snowstorms around different towns and cities across the states as of recently. And now, the most amount of them have shown up today."

"Snowstorms?" Koriand'r replied.

"And that's our cue. 15's a lot, but I think we can handle it. Plus, they'll probably go down the more the Justice League takes down some of them." Ben said with a smirk, looking at Nightwing. "I'm excited to work alongside you, Nightwing. I wonder how good you are compared to when you were Robin?"

"Oh, so you know what I've done as Robin, right?"

"Well...not really. I don't pay that much attention." Ben shrugged with a grin.

"Then you'll see. I can say that I'm a step above what I used to be as Robin." Nightwing proudly pointed at himself.

"Are you all perhaps heading out into battle? Oh! Would you please take me with you?" Koriand'r suddenly requested to come along.

"What? Are you sure?" Gwen looked over.

"Oh, very much so! Normally, I would never request such a thing...but my time with the Citadel and my breakout from the Psions' ship made me awaken something. Not just the new power I have now..." Koriand'r looked at her hands, generating the Starbolt energy around them. "DI helped to free myself and all the other prisoners from the Citadel and Psions. And during the 6 years I was a slave to the Citadel, I wanted to break free in any way that I could. I use to be rather meek prior to that."

"Being captured give you inspiration, didn't it?" Nightwing said back.

"Yes. I was afraid of what would happen to my home planet and my sister during that time. But I also wanted to give my fellow prisoners freedom from the Citadel. Eventually, that day did come just recently and now here I am. If it isn't a bother, may I please come and assist you?"

"Sounds to me like you want to be a Superhero?" Ben replied.

"A Superhero?"

"They're all over the world. I'm a Superhero. Gwen's a Superhero. So is Nightwing and just recently Raven. Uh, I think she sees herself as a hero though."

"Mm." Raven lightly replied while in the distance.

"Not quite Super though. No powers on me." Nightwing corrected. "Still a hero regardless. And now you wanna be one too. Are you sure about that princess? You just got to Earth after all. You're not really fully adjusted to it all."

"It is fine, really. My time on the Citadel made me aware of what a true fight is. And to be honest, I am a tad tired of running." Koriand'r admitted. "After being a slave to the Citadel and a prisoner of the Psions, the only other thing to do was run. Run and not look back. And in the end, I would always find myself in a situation that would require a bit of combat. But now, I wish to act on the offensive, instead of defensive. I would like to be a Superhero, Friend Nightwing!"

"Hm." Nightwing smiled. "Batman was hesitant on letting me fight rime with him when I was just Robin. Why do the same to you? Sure thing. Fellow Hero."

"Oh! My many thanks to you, Friend Nightwing." She was happy. "I believe we'll all become great friends starting today! Is that not right?" She then looked at Raven with a grin. Raven was a bit caught off guard by that wide grin.

"I'm...not your friend." Raven rejected in the kindest way she could, turning around.

"Oh, but can we not be friends with are working in unison? Are we all not friends?" Koriand'r questioned.

"When we get this done, we'll have to teach you a thing or two about friendship, princess." Nightwing put his hand on her shoulder. "Now, let's hurry. The longer we talk, the worse it could potentially get."

"There's three snowstorms Northwest." Gwen pointed to the spots on the map.

"Alright. Then let's get going." With that, Nightwing ran ahead and the rest followed him. It was off to the RV yet again.

They were all inside, Raven using magic to float as she knew the jet boosters were about to come into play for this one. Gwen and Nightwing strapped their seatbelts on while Koriand'r was just now figuring out how to use seatbelts in the first place.

"But be careful anyways, princess. Things get hectic here on Earth." Nightwing warned.

"I will be as careful as I can possibly be. Perhaps staying beside you will make me safe. You are capable, aren't you?"

"Well...I am pretty capable." Nightwing chuckled a bit.

"Alright. We're ready!" Ben said, starting up the RV and the jet boosters right away. The vehicle revved up, building up power and speed at the same time. "By the way, last night as Gray Matter. I did some fine-tuning with the RV. It's a bit faster now."

"What?!" Gwen gasped, realizing the speed was about to be greater than ever. Hearing this made her grip onto the seats as tightly as she could. Raven was prepared, keeping the spell active to float in the air and remain in one place. For Koriand'r, she was a little confused as to what the big deal was.

And once the RV finally activated the jet thrusters, it blasted forward, going from 0 to 100 in a matter of seconds. It was a rough start, and everyone inside felt the force of the acceleration. 

The RV was moving at an incredibly fast pace, even faster than before, and the trees and buildings were blurring past them. Ben was grinning, loving the fact that he could have such an amazing vehicle, and the others were feeling a combination of fear and exhilaration. 

Koriand'r was still a little lost on what was so surprising, not really bothered at all by the intense speeds. In space, there were a variety of ships that moved far faster. That, and Tamaraneans are built for speed and endurance. A few bumps wouldn't faze her.

Though, Raven was the least thrilled about this. She hated how fast the RV was now, even more than before. Better than nothing anyways. And in a short while, they were quickly reaching their destination: the snowy areas that were experiencing sudden coldness.

The first location that they had arrived at was in the state of Georgia. After driving for a while, they had reached a small town that was covered in snow. The streets were empty, and the houses were all dark, except for one house that had its lights on. There were people inside, and they were trapped by the Icenauts that were outside. They had frozen the door shut and were preventing anyone from leaving.

But the two Icenauts there weren't just any regular Icenauts. They were the two special ones made for Killer Frost. There they stood, saying nothing. Not even a growl from them like the other Icenauts.

Inside the house, a family of four were huddled together, trying to stay warm. They had been in the house since the morning, and they had no idea what was going on. The mother was trying to comfort her children, and the father was trying to figure out a way to escape. But no matter how much they tried, they couldn't get out. They were trapped.

Just then, the first Icenaut could hear the RV approaching in the distance, having heightened senses compared to the rest. And once it sensed it, this Special Icenaut would move back slowly, its body vanishing into the icy mist. As the RV stopped, the five of them were already out of it. However, the temperature here compared to the others was noticeably much colder. It was certainly the coldest they've had to come across thus far.

Nightwing took a deep breath, his breath being shown via the chill of the atmosphere. "This superpowered thing still isn't my style. Not yet at least. But I can handle getting everyone else out of here. You all can just deal with those monsters."

"I'm sensing how things are right now. So far…no one's been frozen." Gwen was able to sense the Mannas and they were all in check. Not a single person here has been frozen yet. They got here rather early.

"Can you even survive this temperature, Friend Nightwing?" Koriand'r asked.

"Who knows. But someone has to get to those people." He said. "I just have to stay out of trouble for the most part. I'll be fine." Nightwing was confident in himself. He then pressed on his comms, speaking to Batman. "Hey, Batman. Thought I'd just update you here. Right now, my new team and I already at one of the towns with a snowstorm.

"Are you now?" Batman replied. "Look alive then. We know what our culprit behind this looks like. Be on alert if he manages to show up there. See if you manage to spot someone with a hood." With that, he ended the communication. Nightwing nodded, looking back to the others.

"I'll be extra stealthy about this one then." Ben would hold out the Omnitrix, propping it up. And upon seeing it, Korinad'r's eyes would suddenly widen and gasp.

"Oh, X'Hal! The Omnitrix?!" Koriand'r exclaimed. Ben and the others were shocked by this. She actually recognized the device?

"You...you know the Omnitrix?" Gwen was baffled. Just where was the Princess from again?

"Of course, I do. The ultimate device created by First Thinker Azmuth." Koriand'r would float over. "I did not think I would ever see it a second time in my life but here it is. And you are the one to have found and wielded it, Friend Ben?"

"Uh, yeah..." Ben confirmed. "Found it 8 years ago and all. And ever since then, it's been a part of me."

"You are in possession of the universe's peace treaty. To promote inter-species understanding by allowing other beings to experience different ways of life. You are lucky, Friend Ben!"

"...This thing is a peace treaty?" Ben blinked in bewilderment while looking at the Omnitrix. He never knew that. "Then in that case...do you know how to manage this thing? Cause sometimes it feels like its messing with me. Think you can pick the right alien for the job?"

"Azmuth came to Tamaran years ago when he was still in the process of completing the Omnitrix, gathering DNA for it. But I am afraid I do not know how it works fully. None of us do." Koriand'r shook her head as Ben sighed. "But I do know a special activation pattern for it."

"You do?"

Koriand'r would show what she meant by that. By putting her fingers on the Omnitrix's she would start turning it left and right in a specific pattern. Then, after a certain amount of turns, the Omnitrix's faceplate was pushed in, making a clicking noise. Koriander's eyes were bright, seeing the Omnitrix's inner workings in action. This was the first time that the Tameranean had seen the device in action.

"Whoa." Gwen was impressed. "How'd you manage that?!"

"Tamaran was one of the planets that First Thinker Azmuth intended to bring the Omnitrix to so that someone could wield it. First Thinker Azmuth wanted the Omnitrix to be worn by those of peaceful planets first and my home planet was among one of those selections. So, he gave us a small bit of information about some of its functions. Not many, I am afraid." Koriand'r explained.

"Oh, that's awesome, princess!" Ben whistled.

"Now, Friend Ben. I have chosen an alien that will be, as you all call it, stealthy. You are guaranteed too become it." Koriand'r nodded her head.

"Hm." Ben would take a crack at it, slamming down on the Omnitrix hard as the green light enveloped him as always. And from the green light, out emerged the alien that was very much stealthy, just like Koriand'r intended.

Out emerged the alien Ghostfreak.

"An Ectonurite from the Anur Phaetos. This will do, yes?" Koriand'r questioned.

"Oh, it'll do just fine. I've finally got tech support on this thing." Ghostfreak replied before floating off, ready to catch the Icenauts by surprise. At the same time, the others were off to do the same thing before anyone could be taken away.

As they went, Ghostfreak was using his intangibility to phase through the wall and sneak into the house. He was invisible as well, being able to bypass the Special Icenauts. He appeared behind the family in the house, being invisible for a while before showing up. Once he did, they turned around, screaming in fear of the sudden appearance of a ghost.

"Hold on. No need to be freaked out." Ghostfreak reassured. "I'm a hero, not a villain. Trust me, I'm on your side. Everything will be fine, alright?" The family were a little more relaxed now, realizing that he wasn't going to hurt them. "No one here's been turned yet, right?"

"Not yet. Everyone locked themselves inside. As soon as we saw the snow appearing, we all did." The father said as the entire town was in lockdown.

"The whole town, huh...Works in our favor. I'll get you out of here. And out of sight too." Ghostfreak would be the one to guide them away from here. Of course, he was on a time limit, so he had to guide as many people as he could outside of the town as he left the action to Gwen and the others.

Speaking of which, despite being out in the town, Gwen's group hadn't spotted any Icenauts yet. Not just because no one had been frozen yet to become an Icenaut, but because pre-existing Icenauts weren't even out and about. All that was present was the fierce snowstorm and snow-covered buildings and streets.

"This is strange." Raven commented, looking at the surroundings. "There's nothing happening in this area."

"Where are these monsters you speak of?" Koriand'r added. "I do not like the silence. It is unsettling."

"They're definitely here. I'm just not sensing them nearby at the moment. They could be waiting in ambush or something." Gwen responded. There weren't a lot of places to hide. If these things were here, then where were they hiding?

"Well if they're not gonna show up soon, might as well cover ground and make progress while we're at it." Nightwing would go to the right with Koriand'r, intending on saving others in need before its too late. Raven and Gwen would go to the left, seeking out any Icenauts. But as they moved along, within the harsh icy mist, yellow eyes would gleam through for a moment, eyeing them down before vanishing. This was the work of the two special Icenauts that were here. The only ones that were here. And with special heightened senses from one of them, the Special Icenaut could sense the Manna and Magic that both Raven and Gwen were emitting. With a low growl, the creature would vanish into the icy mist once again. But the growl wasn't loud enough for the girls to hear.

Gwen and Raven were moving through the area, searching high and low. But it didn't seem like they were getting anywhere. The town was empty, and the only sound was the howling wind. It was almost as if the two of them were the only ones there. And that was when the eerie feeling came to her. Gwen's gut was telling her that the enemy was nearby. But she couldn't see them or feel their presence, and neither could Raven. Wherever they were, it wasn't in their immediate vicinity. And that's what made it so unnerving.

"How about this? Maybe some of them already entered one of the buildings." Gwen suggested. So, they would enter the nearest building, a small convenience store. The shelves were lined with snacks and drinks, and the cashier was nowhere to be seen. The girls looked around the store, hoping to find a clue or a lead, but there was nothing. The store was empty, and the girls were no closer to finding the enemies than they were when they started.

However, as the girls were in the store, the Special Icenaut was still in the mist, observing their movements and calculating. This was the perfect spot to launch an attack, and the Icenaut knew it. Suddenly, the temperature would drop further and frost would begin to form on the windows and walls. The girls would feel the chill and realize that something was wrong.

An Icenaut was near.

Gwen and Raven looked around, trying to locate the source of the sudden coldness. They were prepared to fight, but the Icenaut was nowhere to be seen. Just as the two of them were on the move, the Icenaut revealed itself, but not through physical form. Rather, one that blended well with the thick mist.

The yellow eyes were seen, rapidly moving out of sight within the mist. "There!" Gwen spotted the yellow eyes for a moment, but they went out of view for her just as quick. She quickly turned her head, trying to spot it again. However, her focus was on the wrong thing.

Suddenly, the Icenaut emerged from the mist, grabbing hold of Gwen and lifting her off the ground. The Icenaut's grip was strong and Gwen struggled to free herself. But the Icenaut was too powerful and its grip was too strong. 

As the monster opened its mouth, it was ready to freeze her solid. Raven would respond to this, casting an energy spell to send at the beast. And in the last minute, the monster let go of Gwen, dodging the black magic. Gwen would land on her feet, glaring at the monster. But just as quick, the monster was back in the mist, its eyes fading away.

"Where is it?!" Gwen yelled, not liking that she was attacked in that manner. Both of the girls were on edge, and the Icenaut was proving to be a challenging opponent. They couldn't see it, and its ability to blend in with the mist was making it difficult to track.

The Special Icenaut rapidly moved around in the mist, making it difficult for the girls to properly keep up. And it also allowed for sneak attacks. Behind Raven, the Icenaut leapt out of the mist, slashing her back. "Urgh!" Raven grunted in pain as the Icenaut went right back into the mist, hiding yet again. She was able to heal herself rather quickly though, not taking much damage in the first place.

"Are you alright?" Gwen asked, concerned. But Raven didn't have a chance to answer, as the Icenaut was now targeting Gwen. It lunged at her, its claws extended and ready to strike. But this time, Gwen was prepared. She summoned a magical shield, which the Icenaut's arm hit. With the force of the blow, the monster was sent tumbling backwards. Using this opportunity, Gwen launched a barrage of spells at the Icenaut.

However, the spells would vanish into the mist, just as how the Icenaut managed to vanish as well. 

At this point, it practically felt like a game of cat and mouse.This speed that they were not used to proved to be highly difficult and opportune for this Special Icenaut.

While Raven and Gwen were fighting against the Icenaut, Koriand'r and Nightwing were working their way across the other half of the town. They were checking every house to make sure that no one was in trouble or needed help. So far, everyone was safe. Each house they went to, the families were fine, with no sign of the Icenauts. But the two of them knew that the monsters were still out there, and they had to be ready. It was a tedious task, but the two of them were committed to helping everyone they could. There was a certain house that had a family of four. A father, mother, a son and a daughter.

"Good morning to you, humans. It will be alright." Koriand'r said to them upon appearing. Nightwing was beside her.

"Is everything okay here? You're all safe and sound, right?" He questioned, making sure of their safety. Thankfully, they were all fine. No Icenauts in sight. The little girl was a bit startled by Koriand'r, seeing her alien appearance, and not knowing that she was a good guy.

"Who are you?!" The girl exclaimed, a bit frightened. But her parents reassured her that these two were heroes, here to help them in the cold weather. Nightwing and Koriand'r would escort the family out of the house, being careful to watch their backs and scan the area. As of right now, no Icenauts were to be seen. Still, this did not ease either of the two heroes.

"Here. It shall be alright." Koriand'r said while carrying the little girl. "So far, no conflict, Friend Nightwing."

"Yeah, so far. You're doing great so far, princess." Nightwing replied, guiding the family away from here. "Looks like you're some what of a natural-born hero. Just like a Firefighter and the like."

"A Firefighter? You have beings that can combat fire itself?" Koriand'r gawked.

"Well, yeah, but not in the way you think. Just like the name Superhero. Nightwing's not even my real name." Nightwing chuckled.

"Oh..." Koriand'r paused, looking to the side for a moment. "Then in that case, could I have a name of my own? One that is not my real name but one of a hero?"

"Right now?" Nightwing said while helping one of the people out of a house nearby.

"Very much so. Being referred to a princess is not terrible that is. Neither is my real name. But if I am to be a hero, could I have an alternate name?"

"Well, Ben and Gwen don't really have hero names. And I'm not sure about Raven. But f you want one, go ahead. Its your name." He shrugged.

"Then...If I were to choose. I shall be called-" But before she could finish, a sound suddenly came through, interrupting her. It was a powerful howl through the chilling air. Nightwing and Koriand'r were alerted to this, and the citizens of the town were scared at the noise. The howling was fierce and loud, and it made the temperature drop even further. Everyone was huddled together, trying to stay warm. "What was that awful howl?!"

"It's one of those monsters." Nightwing looked onwards, gazing at the fierce mist that was coming closer to the town.

And Nightwing's prediction was correct. From within the mist, the second Special Icenaut would emerge, growling viciously as its yellow eyes glared down at the crowd of people. This one was the more bestial of the two, being a quadruped creature and having a more wolflike appearance. The Icenaut was massive, standing over 8 feet tall.

"Princess. You're the one with powers. Think you can handle this one while I keep everyone safe?" Nightwing asked.

"Will you not fight alongside me, Friend Nightwing?"

"I'd love to. But right now, I'm not sure I can take on something superpowered at the moment. Unless it comes to me." Nightwing chuckled a bit. But he wouldn't have to wait for long. This Special Icenaut, with its powerful howl yet again would take action. And that was from its whole body. From its body, something would fly out.

They all watched as smaller Icenauts spawned from its body, starting out as projectiles of ice and soon breaking out of them to appear as small, blue creatures, built the same way as the main one.

"Nevermind." Nightwing added, readying his weapons that were known as Escrima Sticks. A pair of melee weapons just for him and relatively new too. "We'll both deal with this thing. But I'd still like to see everyone out of here right now!"

They didn't need to be told twice as the people started running for their lives, not wanting to stick around for the mess that was about to come. The Mini Icenauts snarled, ready to pounce on them all and even chase some of them down.

"I see you do not posses anything that concerns ranged attacks. But that means my presence here is all the more important." Koriand'r would walk forward, clenching her hands. And as she did, the Starbolt energy manifested around them as well as making her eyes glow. "From this day forth, I would like to by the hero name..." She spoke once more, her feet leaving the ground as she started levitating, all that energy within growing and growing greatly.

And as the Mini Icenauts approached, running like wolves towards Koriand'r and Nightwing, the Princess of Tamaran's energy would reach its apex as she declared her hero name at this very moment.

"Starfire!"

The Mini Icenauts got close, ready to tear into the two. But with the name declared, a flash of bright green energy would suddenly engulf the area, sending the smaller beasts flying from the blast of power that Starfire has unleashed. Nightwing was unharmed due to the fact that her power was not used offensively. She was simply demonstrating her strength to him, showing that she can handle her own. And the demonstration certainly worked, the Mini Icenauts blown back. Nightwing was a bit surprised, not expecting that much power from her. But he was happy that it was a good amount of energy.

"Whoa." Nightwing laughed. "Nice, princess."

"You may address me as Starfire from now on, Friend Nightwing." She smiled back at him briefly. While the Mini Icenauts were sent tumbling, the Special Icenaut was the one that remained unscathed. At least, the most. That was when a snowball would hit the creature on the chest, exploding upon impact. It was a minor attack, but it was enough to grab its attention. Nightwing was impressed to see that the Mini Icenauts were blown back, and that the Special Icenaut was still standing. He was glad to see that Starfire had some power behind her, and that he didn't have to worry about her getting hurt too easily.

Nightwing was ready to fight, and he was confident that he and Starfire would be able to take down the Special Icenaut. And that's exactly what the monster would do, charging at them at full speed. The ground would freeze beneath the creature's steps, and the coldness would rise.

Nightwing would lead, swinging his Escrima Sticks at the large beast, managing to land a few hits on the creature's legs. However, the Icenaut's skin was tough and its hide was strong. Not even the electrical shocks from the weapons did much to stun the Icenaut, making the creature flinch at best. So, the next move was to go for the head. With the Special Icenaut's focus on Nightwing, Starfire would fly above the two, raining down a barrage of her Starbolts on the beast. These were the equivalent of missiles or explosions, and they would cause damage. Though, not nearly enough to put the Icenaut down.

"I don't do so well up close with things like this!" Nightwing grunted, promptly tying to distance himself as he would backflip away from a swing. The Icenaut roared, chasing Nightwing down.

But as it did, it would be pushed back by Starfire's Starbolts in the form of a powerful beam of energy that the Icenaut could not hope to defend. This forced the creature to fall back and howl as parts of it would be blown off, showing how successful the attack truly was. The Special Icenaut would even stagger and stumble back as its left arm and a side of its face were blown right off.

"Whew. Nice hit." Nightwing said, perched on top of a roof.

However, despite how impressive the attack was and how effective it was, there was something to practically undo it. As the Icenaut stood there staggered with a part of its body gone, snow particles started flowing towards it, collecting on the wounds. And just like that, the missing pieces of the Icenaut were regenerated in the form of icy replacement limbs. It wasn't a perfect fix, but it was good enough to get the Special Icenaut moving once again.

"Regeneration?!" Starfire gasped.

And upon regenerating, the Special Icenaut made sure to pay Starfire back. With another howl, it controlled the snowstorm itself to attack the surrounding area.

The snowstorm was pulled towards the area with its ferocity intact, a sudden wave of coldness hitting Nightwing. He had to brace himself from the force of the wind and the cold that was being brought on. Starfire grunted, feeling the intense chill directed towards her. She attempted to hold it back, firing Starbolts at it, but that was to no avail.

"Starfire! Fly away!" Nightwing yelled out but it was too late. Starfire screamed as the snowstorm enveloped her entire being. And soon, it was approaching Nightwing as well, already covering many buildings in the process. Nightwing tried to run away but there was no other rooftop to land on. The only thing he could do was to try and hang on to the building he was on. But even then, the frost would creep up to the rooftop. He could feel the coldness, and he was worried that he would be frozen alive. The snowstorm was becoming more and more intense. Finally, he could hear the crunching of the snow, and the coldness of the wind. He felt the cold, and the darkness, and the pain. He knew he would not survive this.

Raven and Gwen were having an equally difficult time fighting against the other Special Icenaut. The two girls were still struggling to find a way to defeat the creature. All that vanishing was just frustrating to deal with, especially since the Icenaut had perfect control of all the mist. And speaking of mist, due to the fierce snowstorm outside, the ferocity of it was affecting this building.

Raven and Gwen looked over, seeing and feeling the snowstorm aggressively hitting the building. The windows broke, allowing the snow to enter and blow inwards, the coldness of the room increasing rapidly.

Once inside, the duo groaned, feeling the unrelenting chilliness. Not only did they now lack the proper aim to strike at this Icenaut, their focus had been greatly disrupted. Rapidly, the snow would pelt their bodies. The Icenaut saw its opening, leaping through the mist and landing behind the two. Raven and Gwen turned to the monster, but it was too late. Its mouth was opened and the girls were met with a freezing cold breath that struck the both of them. They were encased in a thick coat of ice, and they were stuck in place. Unable to move, unable to speak, and their bodies were beginning to feel numb.

"Rrr!" Gwen grunted, her body unresponsive at the moment. Raven felt the same. She could barely move her arms or even her legs. It was an intense struggle even trying to get her right arm to rise.

"Look at you two." Just then, as they were frozen, a voice spoke to them.

The girls couldn't turn their heads, so their eyes would move to spot the figure that appeared here. Form the icy cold mist, a figure would walk out. It was the one behind these Cold Cases to begin with.

The one called Veddeh.

"You and these hero types on this planet, interfering with my plans. But now, I finally have two of you restrained." Veddeh spoke, revealing himself to the duo. "You're both quite the nuisance."

"You...Are you the one behind all of this?!" Gwen exclaimed while having her teeth clenched, still trying to move.

"But of course. Pleasure to meet you, humans. I am Veddeh. Hailing from Planet Criea HQK." He would introduce himself, even having the nerve to bow. "I have come to your planet to realize my goal. A goal that you and others have been interrupting too much for my taste. And now look at you. Within the embrace of Criea's ice."

"What are you doing here?!" Gwen groaned. "Why attack our planet with all this snow?! Plus you don't look like you're from any ice planet!"

"Oh, I most certainly do not. My blazing red appearance does not help at all." Veddeh snickered a bit. "But that is only because of my biology, human. A biology that you two will help to spread across the planet. The crystal. She hungers for more frozen victims and now you two are to be next."

"What Crystal?!" Gwen questioned.

"Why, the Crystal of Nilaa. The Goddess of my home planet. And she is to make this Earth into a new Planet Criea. After all, we've recently turned five planets into extensions of Criea HQK."

"That's your goal? To just add it your collection?" Gwen gasped.

"And it will be glorious. Worry not. You will be freed from the crystal once all is said and done. My hard work will pay of, having this Killer Frost work for me. A shame she will not get the ultimate satisfaction of her goal." Veddeh reached his arm out, bringing the snowstorm closer in here, ready to push Raven and Gwen through to the other side.

It approached rapidly, the energy within pulsating and ready to take them through to the other side. And poor Gwen just couldn't find the strength to break free in time. She just wasn't quick enough. But Raven was.

"Azarath...Metrion..." With her hands, she was able to conjure a shield to protect them both. "...Zinthos!"

The snowstorm hit her shield head-on and was repelled away. Veddeh was surprised by this, not expecting anyone to have the power to repel the power of the crystal.

"How amusing." Veddeh laughed. "But one is most vulnerable after a powerful action, aren't they?" This did not matter to him as he put his arm forward. When he did, he thrust it forth, unleashing a fierce gust of cold air. One that would push Raven into the snowstorm, taking her to the other side. And the barrier of hers could not last long against the force of the cold air. As the shield would begin cracking and shattering, Veddeh would call her out. "See you on the other side. And before long, the rest of you will join us."

"RAVEN!!" Gwen yelled, seeing her ally taken away. But now she was on her own, looking right at Veddeh and the other Icenaut. With clenched teeth, Gwen's Manna would suddenly rise rapidly.

Veddeh and the Special Icenaut would brace themselves from a great explosion, the whole building and surrounding area engulfed in a burst of Manna. From the blast, a chunk of the building was blown away and the ice that held Gwen in place would melt away. She would emerge from the dust, standing on top of a piece of debris that levitated as her body was surrounded by a bright pink light, her eyes glowing and her hair floating upwards.

"Your little plan isn't going to succeed since you're in my sights right now. You should've just stayed behind! Now bring Raven back!" Gwen glared.

"But I came out here, confident in myself, human." Veddeh snickered, rubbing his hands together. "Why bring her back when you can simply join her? Speaking of which. Perhaps I should check on her now. Her power does worry me a bit. Can't have her escaping after all." Laughing away, Veddeh would move back, his body vanishing into the snowstorm.

It just left her and the special Icenaut that was one with the mist itself. But that didn't intimidate Gwen at all, especially after hearing what was at stake here and seeing Raven be taken away.

Yet again, the Icenaut was moving across the mist at swift speeds. Its yellow eyes would appear and vanish, making it difficult to track. Gwen didn't have to worry too much. She was a master of tracking magical and energy signatures. 

Even the smallest of them could not hide from her. So, with a hand forward, her Manna would manifest and extend outward, creating a field of energy that would be cast around the Icenaut. And as her magic was, it would wrap around the beast. The Special Icenaut would try to resist, but Gwen's power was greater. It was trapped, and she had the monster at her disposal.

With a grunt, Gwen was about to have the Manna combust with intense power, which the Icenaut saw coming. Intimidated by this, Icenaut would suddenly split a part of its body off. Right in the nick of time as the spell erupted in a surge of magical power. The whole building would be engulfed in the blast, the Special Icenaut's eyes and mouth widening in fear as the explosion consumed it. Only bits of it were saved. As the smoke cleared, Gwen was standing on the ground, lowering herself from her hovering position.

But the Icenaut was promptly recovering, using the snow itself. The snow would flock to it, its power beginning to regenerate its entire body. Just like that, the Icenaut's body had been restored to its full glory, with only the missing pieces of the face being gone. It would howl at her, the ferocity of the howl pushing the snow in Gwen's direction. But she didn't budge from the force, keeping her footing. The Icenaut would then launch the rest of its body at her, sending a barrage of icy projectiles at her. But that wouldn't do much either, the projectiles bouncing off her shield.

Gwen grunted, being pushed out of the building as he shoes slid across the snow. Seeing how much of a struggle this was, Gwen knew that a new approach had to be taken. One that still involved the explosion of Manna that destroyed its body briefly. She had to get rid of all that mist and ensure the Special Icenaut has nothing to regenerate its whole body.

"I can see right through your weakness. You're done for!" Gwen spoke, her eyes glowing a bright pink. Clenching her hands, she used formed a Manna Construct around the Icenaut's entire body, holding it in place.

The Manna construct would glow a bright pink and the Icenaut would roar and struggle to break free of the restraints. However, the Icenaut would eventually manage to escape, breaking the bonds that held him in place. But that was only because it was a distraction.

As the Icenaut was breaking free, the Manna that surrounded it was not just a restraining mechanism. Rather, the Manna was the start of her attack. Once the Icenaut broke free of the Manna, the magical energy would explode, blasting apart the mist that was surrounding the Special Icenaut.

But to ensure it was successful, Gwen had formed an extra layer of Manna, using it to contain the Icenaut so that its body would not be sent flying. She could not afford to let it gain any distance. So, the Manna would hold the creature in place, and the explosion would destroy the mist, giving the Icenaut no chance to regenerate its limbs. And within the Manna, the blast was contained. This allowed for the destruction of the mist without the Special Icenaut being able to reform. And thus, the Icenaut was now completely exposed to Gwen, the girl ready to end the fight.

An even more powerful barrier was formed as with a yell, Gwen would unleash a massive explosion of raw Manna that would engulf the entirety of the Special Icenaut, ending the fight in one fell swoop.

The explosion was a powerful one. The whole town would feel the effects of the powerful spell that was cast. And when the dust would clear, the Manna Construct that was in the form of a bubble would disappear, leaving nothing behind. Not only was the Icenaut destroyed, but the mist would have disappeared. There was no longer that chilling presence, and the temperature would gradually return to normal. With a sigh of relief, Gwen would fall to her knees, panting after that intense battle.

"Raven. Where did he say he took you?"

Within the secret location that Veddeh used, Raven found herself in a cold area, lying on the ground. But she managed to open her eyes promptly, seeing where she was. Nothing but a dark cave with glowing crystals of snow and an even larger crystal that gathered frozen victims. The Crystal of Nilaa.

Raven looked to the side, seeing the crystal for herself and even managing to see the people inside. Their body was visible in the crystal, albeit rather transparent. She was confused and a bit dazed, but a voice would speak to her, alerting her to someone else's presence.

"Oh, welcome to my humble abode." Veddeh's voice rang out. He was on the other side, and the only thing that could be seen was his piercing blue eyes. "Well, eventually, it will become humble. Cold enough to feel like home." Veddeh laughed, his eyes narrowing.

Growling at Veddeh, Raven then noticed that thanks to her spell from before, the ice had some cracks along it, being rather fragile. She used that to her advantage, using more magic to shatter the ice around her, freeing her from her confinement. "You brought me right where you were hiding. What is that thing over there and what have you done to them?" Raven asked, getting up and glaring at the alien.

"Those are the ones who will help bring about a new age of coldness to Earth, little human. That is the glorious and perfect Crystal of Nilaa. It has been absorbing the life energy from humans and is preparing to make this planet a new extension of Criea." Veddeh explained. He had his hands behind his back as his full body would come into view. "My home was once a barren wasteland, void of life. My species had to evolve. To adapt to the harsh climate and conditions. As a result, our world became a place of cold and darkness. In the depths of our icy hearts, we craved the warmth and vitality of other worlds. Our goal is to bring the chill of death to the cosmos. To freeze the universe in our image."

"So you're trying to make Earth like your planet? That's stupid." Raven scoffed.

"Perhaps to you. But not to me. Not to those back home. For you see, Criea would've been lost indeed. We would've surely perished on that planet. But...she came. The Cryo Goddess Nilaa. Her and her crystal was the key to saving our dying planet. By freezing it, we would be granted a new lease on life. An adaptation. Something that would allow us to thrive in those conditions." Veddeh grinned, rubbing his hands together. "So, the least we could do was spread the blessing of Nilaa throughout the cosmos. Our gratitude and devotion to our Goddess. But alas, she lacks all the power she needs to fulfil her goal. Right now, she is but a crystal after using her power in great amounts previously."

"That's your Goddess?" Raven looked over at the crystal. It wasn't just a crystal. It was Nilaa herself.

"You can feel it, can't you, Lady Criea? As soon as 100 people are within you, you can have your body return to you soon. Killer Frost has been playing her part well in this. A shame she cannot be rewarded with eternal warmth, but she will be graced as a new Icenaut. Just like the rest of the people on this planet will be!" Veddeh expressed greatly.

And indeed, the crystal did reply. Raven saw how it would glow in response to Veddeh's words, showing that Nilaa was still alive and well. And eager to continue her ultimat emission.

"Then that means you're next, human. You will become a new Icenaut. A powerful one. I can sense it. And once you are frozen in ice, your powers will serve the Goddess." Veddeh said, approaching her slowly. "She can already sense your power, and knows that if you are to be taken in by her, her powers would grow exponentially. No one can stop her then. This is the first time she has sensed such potential. So, she is very eager."

"Trust me. You wouldn't want my power." Raven shook her head, knowing what kind of power she had deep within. "No one would."

"I doubt that. Now, do not resist, human. Let the Cyro Goddess embrace you!"

"Not if I destroy her first." With narrowed eyes, Raven had the intent of ending this as soon as possible. She would attack the Crystal, firing magic right at it. However, Veddeh would stand in her way and defend the goddess. He would block her attack by conjuring a wall of ice, preventing contact.

Raven didn't relent though. She continued her assault on the alien. Her magic was strong, but Veddeh had the ability to absorb her attacks and redirect them. He would do this, having his hand touch the beam of black magic, and have the attack turn against Raven, sending the beams flying back at her. But she would deflect each attack, having her cloak cover her body as the attacks would phase right through her.

"How dare you attack someone so perfect?!" Veddeh aggressively yelled as in the next moment, a large ball of ice would appear and float above him. With a gesture of his arm, the sphere of ice would split and scatter, transforming into hundreds of smaller shards of ice that would fly at her at high speeds.

"Get real." Raven sighed, summoning a shield around her that would take the brunt of the attack. But the shards of ice would strike her, causing her to stagger a bit. Still, Raven was able to maintain her composure, not allowing the attack to break her barrier. After a while, the attack ended and the ice shattered. And Raven would go on the offensive again.

With the cry of her spell, Raven would launch a powerful wave of dark energy in the form of a beam. The beam would hit Veddeh, sending him flying backwards. He was sent tumbling, and he would quickly get up, hissing at her. He would vanish into the darkness, and in the next moment, a barrage of icicles would shoot out of the ground. This was an ambush from him and Raven would not have enough time to react. She would grunt as her cape would cover her, making her intangible. The spikes of ice would pass through her harmlessly.

"Where are you?" Raven muttered to herself, looking around for the alien.

From the shadows, Veddeh's glowing golden eyes would be visible. He was watching her, and then, without warning, he would reappear behind her. With a swift motion of his arm, he would unleash a powerful gust of wind that would send her flying. Raven would yelp as she was thrown to the ground, the impact of the fall taking the breath out of her. And in her vulnerable state, the alien would dash towards her. His fist was clenched tight and his speed was incredible. Raven was not prepared, and the punch connected. She was sent flying yet again, crashing to the ground. The force of the impact caused the earth to crack. The area around them was now littered with cracks.

"Ugh..." Raven groaned, turning over a bit.

"I am one of Nilaa's greatest soldiers." Veddeh walked over to Raven, preparing to freeze her. "Did you think you would even lay a finger on her while I was present? An insolent human indeed. You will be made an example of!"

Right as he went to freeze her, Raven would promptly defend herself. Around her body, a swarm of raven's made out of her own magic appeared, flapping their wings aggressively. They got in the way of the chilling wave, pushing it back.

And because of this, she was able to escape from Veddeh's sights, the abundance of ravens acting as a distraction, their darkness covering Veddeh's sight for a bit. Veddeh hissed, raising his arms as the ravens would fly past him. Once he could see properly, Raven was gone. She had retreated.

"Show yourself! Show yourself, human!!" Veddeh angrily exclaimed. But as he was about to rant, the Crystal of Nilaa would call out to him, Veddeh able to hear Nilaa's voice. "Lady Nilaa?" As he looked over, Nilaa told him something simple that would ease his anger. "Ah, yes. Of course, my Goddess. Your own power will ensure she never leaves this place at all. I assume you have enough of it in this state, yet?"

Indeed she did. Nilaa knew Raven was still in the underground system. And she was not about to let someone as powerful as her leave. Using the power she had from all the energy she's received, Nilaa would have the many smaller crystals spread across the underground area glow. And soon, they would fire off beams of light, all of them aiming for different directions.

As for Ben, still as Ghostfreak, he managed to get as many people away from here successfully, pulling it off well. He looked out in the distance, seeing and hearing the conflicts happening up ahead.

"Hope I'm not too late to get involved." Ghostfreak said, having the last person here reach the outskirts with all the other people available. "All of you should stay here. It's safer and far from that storm. I promise. Just keep going." Ghostfreak assured as they all thanked him, leaving the area in a hurry. "Now, I better get to it."

He was about to rush back in, right as the Omnitrix was timing out. His time as Ghostfreak was up, the red flash going off and bringing regular old Ben back. He groaned a bit. "I hate the timer sometimes. I'll just run the rest of the way." 

But, when he turned to look at the town, he felt a strange chill. One that wasn't from the snow. And that was due to a sudden beam of blue light coming his way. "What in the-?!" The beam would almost hit him, just narrowly missing his body. But the surprise alone was enough to knock him over, the boy falling to the ground. He watched the beam of light fly upwards, disappearing.

"Tch. Missed." The culprit of that sneak attack spoke, coming into view. The mist in the area would clear, showing who was present there. With her arm out, Killer Frost appeared.

"Killer Frost!"

"What? Surprised to see me?" Killer Frost replied with a sneer. "I was here the whole time, you meddler."

"The whole time?"

"Oh, yeah. I just didn't want to show myself. Not yet. I was already expecting a hero to show up, but I got irritated when I saw you appear again. For a third time, you're getting in my way. I stayed out of sight and just let my two special Icenauts get into the action instead. I figured I'd wait until I had a good window to attack you. Looks like I missed it."

"Yeah. Bad aim. And I just timed out too." Ben taunted with a grin.

"Whatever. I can see that you run on a time limit now. I would say I'll remember that for next time, but there isn't going to be a next time. These two Icenauts are doing a great job keeping your friends occupied. They're just as effective as I wanted them to be."

"Do you really think you're gonna feel warm forever doing all of this? Wasn't Heatblast's heat enough anyways?"

"It'll be for a month, yes. But I want eternal warmth. I want to be rid of this curse to my body but I still wanna keep this kind of power. The one I'm working with can grant me that wish."

"Come on. There has to be another way or you just can't be bothered to find one?"

"If there was another way, I would've sought it out by now. But I haven't found anything. Nothing at all. And this deal is the only chance I have at being free of this curse. So unless you know of another option outside, you can gladly freeze over!" Killer Frost lashed out against Ben.

And she most certainly lashed out as much as she could. She despised Ben right as he had defeated her twice now. She wasn't going to let it happen again. Ben grimaced, seeing Killer Frost launch an onslaught of ice shards at her. He had to run to get cover and find a hiding spot. He managed to do so, getting behind a building.

Ben peeked from around the corner, watching Killer Frost approach the area. But her anger was showing itself. She aggressively smashed the buildings with hard ice shards, destroying the structures. She was trying her best to find Ben. "Where are you, brat? Come on out!" Killer Frost shouted. "You can't hide from me! I've got an eternity of coldness to catch up on and I won't stop until I get it!"

"Man...I should ask Koriand'r if she can get rid of this timer too." Ben asked himself. "But with everyone else out of town, I've got all these houses to myself." While thinking, Ben realized that he could use items from the many buildings to his advantage. And that smile on his face basically meant he was eager to do just that. First, he had to get the villain's attention.

So, Ben would move from the corner, jumping through the window of one of the houses. The sound of the glass would attract Killer Frost, causing her to look over. She had a smug expression, seeing that Ben was trying to hide from her. With the time he had right now, Ben had to improve with whatever he could grab while also staying out of sight for the time being.

Killer Frost broke the door to the house down with clusters of ice, walking in and scanning the rooms. Ben was nowhere to be seen thus far. "Come on, brat! Stop hiding and fight me!" She yelled, firing blasts of ice at the walls and furniture, causing them to shatter. Her rage was growing, and she wasn't going to stop until she found him.

He was in the room over, and once he heard the crashing of furniture, he hurried along. Looking around, he decided to make some traps. Since she had the power of cryokinesis, he'd have to get crafty. And what better than an intense heat? That'd at least sting a little bit.

So, Ben would quickly grab a blowtorch from the kitchen of the house, a lighter from the living room, and a propane tank from the basement. He could tell that they were about to have a BBQ before the snow came in. That was a lucky break for him. As for the lighter, he hoped that whoever owned the house would not miss it. He took it anyways, and in a flash, he was ready to go.

Ben would take the propane tank and the lighter, and then he would head out to the garage where the car was parked. He was hoping to use the car to his advantage as well. He opened the driver side door and hopped in, grabbing a few things from the glove box and console. Then he grabbed a screwdriver from the toolbox in the trunk, and used the tool to remove the gas cap on the fuel tank. Then he would put the propane tank in the passenger seat, and then placed a rag under it, as he was sure to make sure that the cloth was not touching the metal of the tank. After that, he pulled the hose from the propane tank, and shoved it in the gas hole of the car.

He was glad that this kind of knowledge was possible because of a certain alien in his Omnitrix. Now all he had to do was start the car and let the propane flow into the tank. He would have to act quick because he would have to shut the car off at the right moment to avoid an explosion.

"Let's see how you like this!" Ben exclaimed as he started the car and drove it forward, the wheels screeching on the pavement. He then turned the wheel sharply, making a U-turn and driving back the way he came. He was going to ram the car into the house, and then turn the car off to avoid a premature explosion. Then he would throw the blowtorch in, and the gas and the propane would explode in a giant fireball. And hopefully, Killer Frost would be caught in the blast. If not, she'd at least be distracted.

"Heh. I don't know if I should thank Gray Matter, Brainstorm or Jury Rigg for letting me think more out the box?" Ben grinned.

As the car approached the house, the front door was kicked down, and out stepped Killer Frost, a smirk on her face. She had a feeling Ben would try to distract her, but she was prepared. When she saw the car coming at her, she raised her hands, and a large wall of ice was erected in front of her. It was a thick wall of ice, and it was strong enough to withstand the impact of the car.

But that didn't mean it was immune to the force of the impact. The wall cracked and shattered upon contact with the car, the vehicle being pushed back slightly. Ben yelped, the car stopping in place. He had to act fast. So, Ben quickly reached over and turned the engine off, and then he threw the blowtorch inside. It landed on the passenger seat, and the gas ignited. An explosion occurred, and the whole car was engulfed in flames. The explosion was huge, and the heat was intense. The blast sent the car flying backwards, the vehicle flipping over and landing on its roof. The car was now a burning mess, and the flames were spreading to the rest of the vehicle. And Killer Frost was in the middle of all of this.

She was in the epicenter of the blast, and was blown away, the villainess being thrown into the air. But the blast didn't seem to faze her as much as Ben had hoped. While her clothing was damaged, she was still standing, albeit a bit singed. "YOU!" Her rage showed.

"Hehe...Thought that would be a total knockout." Ben chuckled sheepishly. But it did leave Killer Frost staggered and bewildered, and he had a window of opportunity to escape. So, Ben would run for his life, dashing across the snowy street. He ran to a nearby building, hoping to lose the villainess and find a hiding place. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't able to hide very well. Killer Frost would spot him, and would follow him. "Get back here, brat!"

Killer Frost's would soon create a path of ice in front of her. This allowed her to move faster, and to catch up to Ben, sliding on it as if she was an ice skater. Ben was on the run once more, running to yet another building.

But instead of just continuing her pursuit of him, she stopped for a moment. A thought came to Killer Frost's head. She knew that Ben had gotten many people to safety. Enough people to bring the crystal to 100% power.

"Tch." Killer Frost grit her teeth, calming down. Her rage towards Ben almost made her bypass such an opportune moment. She had enough. All she had to do was get the people at the outskirts while out of Ben's sight. And once they were frozen, she could leave here, even though she wished to exact vengeance upon Ben.

So, quietly, without having Ben notice that she was gone, Killer Frost took a different path. One that would take her directly to the outskirts and the hundreds of people that were waiting to be saved.

Meanwhile, from the massive pile of snow around, the Icenaut that unleashed it on Nightwing and Starfire was looking for the duo. It snarled, trying to spot where they went, their bodies most likely buried in all that snow. Its eyes would glow as the beast searched the area. However, it couldn't find them just yet.

As for where they were, with light movements, Nightwing moved the snow off of him, his mask coming into view. He managed to look through, seeing the Icenaut prowling around.

"Ugh...That wasn't so bad." He groaned, moving the snow off his body. "Starfire." Nightwing was concerned, looking for his new ally since she took the full brunt of that snowstorm.

But his worries would subsided quickly. A sound was heard. One that was of a power building up.

The Icenaut would hear this build up too, stopping its movement. The sound kept rising and rising as it turned its head to where it coming from. And it was near. Very near, in fact.

And just then, right beneath the Icenaut, a green energy was showing through the snow. And in the next second, the energy was released, sending the Icenaut flying. The monster would roar out, being pushed high into the air.

From the burst of power, Starfire would rise up, having let out her starbolts to break out of her containment. She was panting a bit, but was fine.

"Nice hit!" Nightwing grinned, hopping out of the snow entirely. The Special Icenaut spun around in the air, bewildered and unable to defend itself.

Perfect for Nightwing.

"I've got a clear enough shot..." He readied his Escrima Sticks, aiming it at the spiralling Icenaut. Once he had it within his sights, with all of his might, Nightwing threw one of his sticks, watching it spin in the air. The stick would hit the Icenaut dead in the chest, and then, a loud beep was heard, causing the two to look at the other stick in his hands. "Oh. Right. Forgot to mention that." He pressed a button on the stick in his hand. Suddenly, an electrical shock was sent through the weapon, and it was conducted to the stick that was stuck in the Icenaut's chest. With a loud growl, the Icenaut was electrocuted, and its body would begin to crack and crumble. Then, the Icenaut would fall to the ground, completely immobilized. "Gotcha!"

But even though it was down on the ground, there was still the problem of the snow coming over to restore is damaged body and most likely bring it back to full strength. But Nightwing wasn't foolish to let that happen twice.

"Starfire! The snow!"

"The snow...The snow!" Starfire was quick to remember as well. The snow was already beginning to approach the downed Icenaut. With that, Starfire would float above the Icenaut's body. Focusing her powers, her fists would start to glow bright. And in the next moment, Starfire would unleash every ounce of her Starbolt energy against it in the form of a massive beam. A beam large enough to engulf its entire body.

And because of the attack, the Icenaut's body was not only blasted apart, but the remains of its body would also catch fire, the flames burning the rest of the ice. And any snow that was approaching would be burned away, preventing the Icenaut from getting back up.

Nightwing grinned, giving a thumbs-up to Starfire. She smiled at him, and flew down to meet him on the ground. "Nicely done, Starfire. Not too bad for your first hero act on Earth." Nightwing complimented her.

"Oh...Thank you very much, Friend Nightwing." Starfire said with a relieved sigh. And that sigh soon turned to exhaustion as she did exhaust herself a bit with that final attack. She stumbled, almost falling over, only for Nightwing to rush over and catch her in his arms. "Sorry. I have used too much of my energy. I am not yet used to this new power of mine."

"It's okay. You did a great job." Nightwing assured her. "Not too shabby since its new to you, apparently. I'm sure the others are doing fine right about now. Do you wanna head back to the RV to rest?"

"Yes. That would be wonderful."

"You guys! You guys!" But before they could go, up ahead and running as fast as she could was none other than Gwen. She bolted towards them, here to tell them about what happened to Raven.

Ben kept running, expecting Killer Frost to catch up in some way. But she didn't. He looked behind him, not seeing a thing. He was confused. Why was she taking her sweet time? Surely, she wasn't planning something. "What is she thinking? Did she really have a brain-freeze or something?" Ben asked himself. He was running low on options at the moment, and was growing a bit tired from all that running.

Thankfully, by this point, the Omnitrix had finally gained full power, ready to be used. Ben would stop running, propping the Omnitrix up, expecting a sneak attack of some kind. "I better change. Who knows what she's planning. But...where is she even?" Ben would have to wait patiently for this, listening for any sound cues. The only one here was the sound of the snowstorm.

So he waited..

and waited...

until...

"AAAAAAAH!" A scream was heard. Multiple of them. All of them from the outskirts. It was the screams of people, and it was loud enough to reach his ears. His eyes widened, turning to where he heard the screams.

"Are those the people from the town?! No way..." As if to confirm his suspicions, Ben saw a light-blue coming from that direction. It wasn't hard to see from here and that could only mean that someone was being frozen. Ben knew who was responsible. "Killer Frost!" He pressed down on the Omnitrix hard, taking form in the flash of green. In his place was XLR8. Just the alien he wanted. One with speed.

Once he was XLR8, he was off. Running as fast as he could towards the source of the screams. Towards the outskirts of the town. XLR8 would move so fast that everything would be a blur to him. He was moving at top speeds, and he was going to get to the outskirts of the town and hopefully save everyone. As XLR8 was nearing the area, his vision would clear up and he could make out the figures of the people that were frozen.

Killer Frost looked over at XLR8 approaching, having a smirk on her face. She knew that she was close to her goal. "Too late, brat." She said, having a smug look on her face. XLR8 accelerated, hoping to get to them in time.

But with a wave of her hand, Killer Frost summoned a cluster of ice that would push them all into the snowstorm. She could freeze the rest of them inside of the storm, making sure that they were all trapped within. The screams of terror would fade, indicating that the people were now deep in the snowstorm.

"Later~" Killer Frost taunted, promptly moving into the snowstorm herself. The blue aura would fade, leaving nothing but the intense coldness of the blizzard. And in a few seconds, XLR8 would arrive, trying to go through the snowstorm to follow them.

But just like Flash, he went right through the snowstorm, unable to enter the other side. His body would be sent flying, landing on the ground with a thud. His head was spinning, and he was disoriented. He could hear the sounds of the blizzard around him as he groaned.

"No way...I was too late..." XLR8 stood on his feet, hissing to himself. He would try to run into the snowstorm again, but to no avail. It was the same result. He could not pass through. He tried his hardest to do so, but it was futile. XLR8 could only stand there, looking at the snowstorm.

But right now, the snowstorm had dispersed, coming to an end now that the two Icenauts were defeated. The last of it had vanished, and the sky was clear once more. XLR8's vision was clear, and he could see that the town was slowly becoming visible again. XLR8 stood there, feeling defeated.

To fail at saving people was something that hit him hard. They were right there in his sights, and he had the chance to save them. But that chance was lost. He looked to the ground, and then to the distance. This type of defeated was something Ben hated greatly.

"Darn it!"

All those people encased in ice were brought over by Killer Frost. That right amount needed to fuel the crystal to 100% of its power was reached. Veddeh watched as they had all appeared.

"Oh, Killer Frost! What an amazing find!" Veddeh happily said. "This is perfect. Now, we can begin.

"I'm expecting permanent heat for my body. Got that?" Killer Frost said.

"Oh, yes, very much so. But there is one person in this underground area I will need you to take care of. She has managed to evade my clutches and is moving across the area. But she cannot break free. Regardless, I cannot risk her destroying the crystal if she gets the chance." Veddeh referred to Raven.

"Someone broke in here?"

"It is one of the girls that hero who has defeated you twice was with."

"Hmph. Well I beat him for the first time. Well, I beat him emotionally anyways." Killer Frost smirked, looking into the distance. "And it's just the one girl? That's no problem. I'll make this quick."

Now Killer Frost would be the one to pursue Raven. She made an ice path for herself to glide on, the villainess going on ahead to find her. Veddeh was relieved, and would have the group of people be encased in ice to stay put. Soon, the Crystal of Nilaa had begun glowing brighter. The power was reaching its peak, the crystal's true form was ready to appear once again. The power was nearly at the peak of the Goddess' might. And soon, her physical form would return as well.

The people that were captured would start to give off that energy that was absorbed, feeding the crystal with their life force. The people were screaming, their bodies shaking in agony. They were being drained of their strength, but they would not die. For Nilaa, they would become servants in her new world.

Their screams echoed throughout the chamber, and their cries were not in vain. Because the crystals that were spread across the area would glow with that same bright light, and they were the ones that were absorbing the power from the crystal in the center of the room, and the power was being transferred to the many smaller crystals in the system, causing the whole place to glow brightly. 

Then, a pillar of blue light would rise in the middle of the room, and the light would be seen from the surface above. From the outside, the light could be seen rising from the ground. An indication that the process was underway.

"Yes! YES! Be restored, my goddess! Return to us!" Veddeh cackled, seeing the crystal shine and glow. In the next moment, the smaller crystals would glow brighter in response, shining a blinding light. And in the center of the large crystal, the silhouette of Nilaa could be seen. She was ready to awaken from her slumber. Her power was reaching a level where she was about to gain her body back.

Washington D.C. The Hall of Justice.

At the Hall of Justice, the isolated mist from the snowstorm had been contained by Batman after Flash brought it back. And currently Batman was examining it with Flash, seeing what they could accomplish.

"Well? Any luck?" Superman asked, having just returned from saving another town.

"Great luck. I figured we'd have it after I managed to isolate a part of that snowstorm." Flash smiled back.

"It looks like the only way we're going to get through that snowstorm is if we increase the vibrations." Batman observed the isolated snowstorm in a large glass container with mechanical parts around the container, keeping the inside chilly. He was studying it. "It's the same principle of how Flash was able to go in and out of that storm." Batman would explain further. "The reason why is because of his vibration technique. So, in order for anyone of us to enter the snowstorm, we'd have to apply the same method. Which means, increasing our natural vibrational frequencies. Once that's done, we can pass through."

"So, we're gonna have to vibrate ourselves like Barry does to enter that snowstorm?" Superman asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's the gist." Batman nodded. "But only the two of you can pull that off. I called you back here just for that. But the vibrations need to match perfectly. You two need to be in perfect sync. If not, you'll either bounce off the surface, or get stuck between the two dimensions. Either way, your bodies would receive consequences most likely."

"Oh, trust me. I'll get us in there." Flash assured.

"We'll take it from here, Batman. Where's the nearest snowstorm?"

"Well from the looks of it, its starting to sprout up everywhere else." Batman pointed to the massive monitor in the room. Just as they had dealt with the snowstorms, more of them were suddenly popping up rapidly out of seemingly nowhere. Superman was surprised to see this sudden increase so quickly.

And there was a reason for that.

It was the power of Nilaa.

"Urgh!" At that town once more, Ben smashed his fist against a tree, angered that he had failed to save all those people from Killer Frost. And now, he was learning that Raven had been captured too by the one known as Veddeh. The mastermind behind this attack. "Raven too...You gotta be kidding me!"

"I wish I was able to break out in time." Gwen sighed, lowering her head in sadness.

"I promised Superman we'd protect her." Nightwing clenched his fists. "And we let her get taken away." He was disappointed that his promise had been broken. Superman trusted them to keep her safe, and they were unable to do that.

"It's not too late, you two." Nightwing spoke. "There has to be a way to bring them all to safety."

"Even if we did have a way, how are we supposed to find them?" Ben asked. "We'd have to know where the entrance to the underground would be. And that'd be impossible. Not even the snow could cover that up. And if the people are frozen, they'll be hidden in the storm. There's no way to get to them. I couldn't even enter that stupid snowstorm."

Ben was usually optimistic. He didn't usually let things like failure or loss get the best of him. However, this was a new kind of situation for him, and it was a tough pill to swallow. The fact that the snowstorm was covering up any potential entrances to the underground meant that they wouldn't be able to find a way inside.

"Oh goodness. But I am not one to lose hope so soon. Surely, we can find your friend and the people that were taken." Starfire put her hands together, holding out hope that Raven could be saved. "What do you think, Friend Nightwing?"

"I'm on the same page, Starfire. Hopefully, Batman can tell me something. So much for not needing his helping for a while..." Nightwing turned around, activating his comms. "Batman. We've got an issue. Things were going swell so far here but..."

"You're looking for a way to get through that snowstorm, aren't you?" Batman said, already knowing what Nightwing was going for.

"Wow? That fast?" Nightwing was amazed, and then remembered who he was talking to. "Never mind. Please tell me you have a solution."

"We're working on it. Superman and Flash are taking a crack at it, but we've come up with a way. Vibrations that excel the snowstorms are potentially the best way to enter into wherever that snowstorm leads. But, we've found that the vibrations need to be at a precise level in order to achieve that. They're acting fast since snowstorms are starting to appear rapidly again. "

"Vibrations, huh...So it's possible. Any chance those vibrations involve speed? I mean...since Superman and Flash are involved."

"What else would it be?"

"Fair enough. Thanks for the info. I think I can take it from here."

"You think you can create vibrations? Be serious?"

"Not me." Nightwing smiled, looking back at Ben. He then ended the comms with Batman, approaching Ben. "Chin up, Ben. It's not too late to reach them."

"Huh?" Ben looked over with glazed eyes.

"Curious. You got an alien with super speed?"

"Yeah...I do. But...I was just XLR8 just recently. The Omnitrix is recharging too and I don't know if I can get XLR8 a second time." Ben replied, looking at the device. "But...did you find a way to get inside?"

"You heard me on the comms, right? Vibrations, man. Vibrations." Nightwing shrugged. "Once that thing's at full charge, I'm gonna need you to do use that super speed the best way you can."

"You will not have to worry about not becoming the one known as XLR8 a second time, Friend Ben. I will gladly enter the code for you a second time to give you the alien you need." Starfire smiled, being there to chime in with her minor Omnitrix knowledge.

"Huh..." That did make Ben feel a bit better. A light smile formed on his face. "Thanks for that. I was losing hope pretty fast, honestly . Kind of a weird feeling, really." He stood up. "Guess I should get used to having a few fails. Not always gonna have a perfect win, huh? I just hope I didn't let Raven down already. It's only been a few days."

"I'm sure she'll understand, Ben." Gwen put her hand on Ben's shoulder. "You haven't really given her a reason to let her down. It's not too late to make it right. Hopefully. " She smiled, giving her cousin some confidence. 

"Glad to hear it, Gwen. But I won't be all smiles until we get those people and Raven safe. Away from Killer Frost and that Veddeh guy." Ben narrowed his eyes, getting intensely serious. "I don't know how long the Omnitrix is gonna be...but I'm gonna make the most of XLR8 when I get the chance."

"Nice." Nightwing smiled, nodding in understanding. "I'm gonna enjoy working alongside you a lot. I can tell."

And as if it heard his plea, the Omnitrix would activate once more, being at full power. Everyone would look at the device, and then at each other, knowing that it was time to act. "Let's do this."

Within the underground area, the light from the crystal would finally diminish and out of it emerged the being herself. The one Veddeh worships as she descended lightly, like a petal fall from a tree.

Nilaa.

With a skin as blue as ice and a regal dress that represented all things chilly, there was she was in all of her chilling glory, her empty white eyes glowing and her hair flowing in a cold breeze. She was beautiful and majestic. Yet also intimidating and fierce. Her body radiated an aura of icy power. 

Unbridled icy power. 

One to freeze an entire planet.

All for her rule.