Several blocks away, a large police truck especially designed to contain metahumans drives through a mostly empty avenue. The inner walls of the truck are covered with several layers of an artificial meta-inhibitor alloy, ineffective in small quantities, but able to supress the abilities of almost any metahuman if directly exposed to large amounts. This, in addition to the steel restraints and the reinforced exterior, make the locked-down truck practically impossible to break out of. Now, breaking in, that's another story.
The officers never even knew what hit them. All three had been crushed to death before the truck even landed on the street, colliding headfirst into the pavement. Ice Queen wasn't that lucky. The impact woke her, and before she could realize what was going on, the metal doors that contained her were being torn out and tossed away by a hulking figure. The massive being standing outside the vehicle stares down on her.
"Well, that didn't take long..." she somehow manages to say despite her barely counscious state. Her forehead begins to bleed, having been impacted by some part of the truck during the landing. "Are you gonna take me out of these shackles or--"
"Shut up."
She suddenly notices the much smaller man standing between her and the giant, feet firmly planted on the back of the truck (now its upper side). Of course, "much smaller" compared to a giant probably means he's regular sized, but she's in no position to assure that right now. The streetlight that partially blinds her while obscuring the features of both man and creature isn't helping.
"Thank you," the man says. "Now, just what in the hell do you think you're doing?"
"I was tr--"
"I said SHUT. UP." The man stomps what must be a military boot on the truck, making the delicately balanced vehicle tremble. This one, she realizes, is the scary one in the bunch.
He begins pacing back and forth in what little walking space he has. "Did we tell you to go and attack those kids?" He stops and looks down at her. "You may answer."
"No," she replies. "We--I just..." He menacingly raises his boot, and she silences.
"So then, if you don't mind tellin' me, exactly WHAT gave you the impression that you could go an' do something like that WITHOUT EVEN HAVING THE COMMON DECENCY TO CONSULT US?" Agitated after screaming, he breathes heavily until he calms down. "You may answer."
"Y... You sent the Time Stopper...! I thought..."
"We sent dear old Martin for a very specific reason, one that played out beautifully, if I do say so myself... And you, you MORONS, came THIS close to ruining the whole thing! Oh, yes. We know your two little partners were in on this. They're gettin' what they deserve. Needless to say, so are you."
For a second, she almost looks sad. "Okay. So kill me. I knew what I was signing up for."
"Kill you?" He produces a raspy, joyless chuckle. "You ain't that lucky, little lady."
Without turning, the man speaks to the thing behind him. "Bruno. I'm done here."
She watches a giant hand reach into the truck to grab her, unable to do anything but close her eyes and hope the concussion she's been fighting off takes her first.
END OF ISSUE 2
