Tempered in Cold flame

Flynn Estate

"So, Janice, how has life been treating you?" Sonia asked as she slowly ate.

"Not that bad," Janice replied, not even looking up.

"Leaving the millions we're worth to go live with those pigs—guess your self-gratification wasn't really worth it," Sonia continued.

Janice hesitated for a second before resuming her meal.

"She still hasn't forgiven me for not saving that kid," Harvey said.

"I still don't understand why you'd be mad about something like that," Josiah, the last of the siblings, added as he poured himself a drink.

Janice's fork hit the plate with a clunk.

"Since it's because of me we're having this family dinner—"

"Don't let it get to your head, baby sis," Sonia interrupted. "We just want to know if you still stand by your 'hero' ideals."

"I was once like you, Janice," Josiah said. "I believed everyone could be saved. I was actually more stubborn than you. But I'm so glad I realized the truth before it was too late—not everyone can be saved."

"That's because you weren't strong enough," Janice shot back.

Sonia chuckled.

"You do realize you're the weakest one here, right? Apart from Father, who's barely a bottom-tier Dominion class, the rest of us are Vanguard-class heroes. Do you really think we haven't taken the strength route?"

"Not everyone deserves saving," Josiah continued. "You were old enough when Mother died. She tried to save everyone—but she saved the wrong people. And that mistake cost her her life."

"If it had been for Sierra, maybe her death would have meant something. But since she died rescuing those pigs, her death was mourned less than a peasant's. And now you question how we treat them? It almost feels like you're against our family."

"Not everyone from Nova is bad," Janice argued. "They're just misunderstood. How would you behave if you were suddenly segregated just because you couldn't afford the life we live?"

"Not everyone, you say?" Harvey interjected. "I suppose that Novan kid you've been spending time with has brainwashed you—made them look like the victims." He smirked. "And I hear he's quite the powerhouse. Unfortunately, you're the one holding him back."

Janice shot him an annoyed glare.

"Don't look at me like that. As the new General of the Hero Organization, I inherited quite the personal assistant—Helen. I'm sure you're familiar with her," Harvey said, leaning back in his chair. "She told me a lot about the battle you both had with her. I couldn't shake the feeling that she was holding something back, but who cares?"

"I knew calling Janice to this meeting was pointless," Sebastian suddenly roared. "First, she refuses to stand by us as a family, and now she's weaker than a Novan!"

Janice gripped her fork tightly.

"He's stronger because he is—" she lashed out reflexively.

"He is what?" Josiah asked, his voice sharp.

"He is…" The words caught in her throat.

"Whatever he is, it shouldn't be an excuse for you to be weaker than him," Sebastian snapped. "You have Flynn blood in you. Power runs through your veins."

Sonia let out a light chuckle.

"Coming from someone who lost to Giovanni? How could you even lose to someone like that?" she laughed.

A vein bulged on Sebastian's forehead.

"You think Giovanni is weak? No one here could take him on in a full-force fight," he shot back.

"Now you're just being defensive," Sonia said between bursts of laughter.

Janice suddenly pushed her chair back, the legs scraping against the floor. Without a word, she turned and strode out of the room. The laughter and bickering behind her died the moment she slammed the door shut.

Alfred stood by the entrance, watching her, but she ignored him. Without hesitation, she walked out of the mansion.

Giovanni and Isaac sat inside a black car, parked just outside a large warehouse.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Isaac asked.

Giovanni, peering through a pair of binoculars, didn't lower them as he responded.

"Yes. The Red Veil surveillance team is the best when it comes to espionage and sabotage. Questioning their intel is kinda insulting."

Isaac rolled his eyes. "Let's just get this over with, shall we?" He paused. "And don't go overboard."

Giovanni grinned, giving him a mock salute as they both stepped out of the car.

"The stars sure look real from here," Giovanni mused as they walked.

"You always pick the weirdest times to notice irrelevant things," Isaac muttered.

They reached the large gate, and Isaac placed a hand on its cold metal surface. Closing his eyes, he sent subtle soundwaves through it, feeling the vibrations ripple back to him.

"Six inside," he said after a moment. "One mutant—the rest are just normal foot soldiers."

"Whoa, you can do that now? You've gotten better," Giovanni remarked.

"Shut up," Isaac scoffed, pushing him lightly on the forehead. "Shall we?"

Giovanni nodded. The air around his hand twisted as intense heat swirled to life. With a single punch, he melted a gaping hole into the gate, its edges glowing before liquefying completely.

Inside, the guards spun toward the sudden breach.

Isaac moved first. In a blur, he dashed through their ranks, leaving afterimages in his wake. Two men dropped instantly. He grabbed another by the shirt, but the soldier wrenched himself free, stumbling backward.

Isaac caught the quick glint of metal—a button from the soldier's uniform. Snatching it off, he examined the insignia before tossing it to Giovanni.

"Guess you were right after all," Isaac muttered.

"See? Vostara spies," Giovanni said, twirling the button between his fingers.

One of the remaining spies sighed, stepping forward. "This really is a bad day for me," he muttered.

He emerged fully from the shadows—a lanky man with the stench of tobacco clinging to him. His tank top did nothing for his wiry frame, and his camouflage baggy trousers only added to his disheveled look. A tattoo of a coiled dragon and snake intertwined ran down his right shoulder.

"Go on ahead," he told the others. "I'll stall them."

The remaining spies pressed a button on their wrist devices. Space warped and twisted in front of them, a shimmering wormhole appearing. Without hesitation, they leaped through it.

Giovanni and Isaac clicked their tongues in annoyance.

"That's some high-tech toy you're playing with," Giovanni said.

The man exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. "Vostara always saves the best for its soldiers. We of Blackfrost? Our arsenal is endless."

Giovanni frowned. "You talk like you know us, but you act like you don't really know who we are."

The man grinned, taking another slow drag from his cigarette. "Oh, I know you guys. Maybe a little too much." He exhaled a thick plume of smoke. "I've just been hearing a lot abou—"

Isaac was on him before he could finish speaking, his arm cocked back for a devastating punch. But Vladimir leaped just in time, his movement eerily weightless, as if he were floating. Isaac's fist struck the ground, leaving a deep dent where Vladimir had stood.

"Woah… you are fast," Vladimir mused, landing effortlessly. "Guess talking won't waste your time, then. Let's get to it."

"What's your name?" Giovanni asked.

Vladimir smirked. "What's it to you?"

"Just curious. In case I run into any more Blackfrost members, I can use it as bragging rights. You understand, don't you? Blackfrost fighters are obsessed with combat. This would definitely bruise a few egos."

"Hah… that's true," Vladimir admitted. "The name's Vladimir. Not that you'll need to remember it."

"Oh? You think you can take both of us?"

"Individually, I could last a while. But together…" Vladimir cracked his knuckles. "Seeing your flashy entrance and usual tomfoolery, you underestimate us. But in Vostara, when our strength is questioned, we prove it—because strength is tempered in the coldest fire."

Isaac and Giovanni exchanged a glance before dashing toward him.

Ossified Spires

Bones erupted from the ground in jagged spires, shooting outward like a defensive wall. The sudden attack forced Isaac and Giovanni to retreat. But the bones didn't stop—they followed them like living spears.

Isaac countered with precise, razor-thin soundwaves, slicing through the approaching spikes. Meanwhile, Giovanni instinctively activated Scorched Veil, the air around him distorting with heat as the bones melted before reaching him.

Vladimir seized the moment. He closed in on Giovanni, his arm covered in creeping bone plating.

With a sudden punch, he sent Giovanni reeling back.

"How did you—?" Giovanni turned to where Vladimir had stood.

A figure of solid bone remained in his place.

"A bone clone?"

Adamant FrameIsaac moved fast, his punch connecting squarely with Vladimir's back just as his bone armor was forming. The impact shattered the developing defense, sending Vladimir crashing into the warehouse wall.

But almost immediately, he was back on his feet—his body now fully encased in bone armor. Twin bone swords extended from his arms as he dashed forward with surprising speed.

Sonic MovementIsaac and Giovanni vanished just before he landed, reappearing a few feet away.

"Tch. Stay still, would ya?"

Vladimir launched a barrage of bone shards at them. The two dodged effortlessly before charging again.

Isaac fired thin soundwaves at Vladimir, but they barely sliced through the thick armor. Giovanni followed up with a precise, searing line of flame.

Vladimir dodged.

In an instant, he was on Giovanni.

Isaac intercepted him—his fist slamming into Vladimir's chest.

Shatter The bone armor cracked, then disintegrated into dust.

Vladimir's eyes widened. In that brief moment of vulnerability, Giovanni struck, landing a solid punch that sent him flying across the room.

Vladimir coughed as he struggled to his feet. "The stories are true, aren't they?" He let out a breath and pressed a button on his watch.

A wormhole materialized at his feet.

"Let's meet on the battlefield someday… and fight for real this time," he said before disappearing into the portal.

Isaac and Giovanni collapsed onto the floor, catching their breath.

"We took him for granted, didn't we?" Isaac muttered.

"Yeah… but even still, he's pretty strong."