Instant Freeze

Reunited

Looking at the teeth marks upon the right hand of the henchman holding Miao, Henry looked at her with a raised eyebrow. The gagged damsel could do naught but shrug.

"Well, well, Mr. Branagh, it seems you have brought backup." Uttered Ward, somewhat amused. "You intended to keep us distracted while these two rescued Miss Sharp." Looking over Miao he then commented: "Certainly small for thirteen years."

While Miao glared at Ward, Ku said: "They've got Katharine in the basement, Henry, bound, gagged and suspended from the ceiling. The Black-Eyed Teen is down there with her!"

Taking a few steps towards Ward and completely ignoring Dido, Henry demanded: "Let them all go! Katharine, Ku, Miao, let them all go! Take me to Moloch alone!"

Ward merely stared at Henry, staring at him as the cruelest of people would have stared at a carriage horse: with critical eyes. Henry had no idea what was going on in the lich's head, only watching as Ward placed himself in his humanoid body and flipped a nearby switch. Immediately the red light around Henry turned blue and everything got cold. Being dressed for summer, Henry was not suited for such cold, especially not the cold that prevented Ward from decaying.

Backing away into the red light, Henry stared at Ward, the mad scientist, the lich as he said: "Every switch, every button in this house is designed to accommodate both myself and people such as you, your companions and my henchmen, Mr. Branagh. I quickly start to decompose in the heat you need to survive. What would happen to you I wonder in the cold that keeps me alive?"

Turning to Dido, Henry implored: "Please! Let them go! Just take me to Moloch!"

Chuckling, Dido replied: "Mr. Branagh, Moloch wants both you and Miss Sharp. You are the first two he encountered here in Actaea he will not have only half of you brought to him. As for your companions..." She looked over Ku and Miao, her expression one that told Henry she was thinking of what would be done with them. He could only hope that it would be nothing bad. "Uses will be found for them."

Henry did not like the sound of that. Looking over to Ku and Miao, he saw that the younger of the Sheung Siblings was staring with a horrified look in her eyes, while the elder cleared his throat and inquired: "Will this require an interview, because I don't have a resume handy?"

Raising a hand, Ward ordered his henchmen to take the three to the cellar. While Henry and Miao did go quietly, Ku on the other hand did not, insisting that he be answered, but alas, he was, so he was dragged to the cellar demanding an answer.

To Henry's surprise, the cellar was exactly as he expected it to be. It was not some fancy place, it looked run-down and looking like it had seen better days a decade prior. At the back of the basement was an open door where the Black-Eyed Teen stood waiting and behind him was Katharine, just as Ku had said, bound and gagged and suspended from the ceiling, but Henry never would have imagined she'd have been suspended from her wrists.

As the three were forced into the room, Henry quickly looked Katharine over. She did not seem to be harmed, but she did seem frightened. Wrenching free from the grasp of the henchman that was holding onto him with one hand, Henry ran over to Katharine, stood onto the tips of his toes and proceeded to untie her wrists.

Landing upon her feet, Katharine did not even wait to remove the cloth that was tied over her mouth. Throwing her arms around Henry, Katharine held him close, not wanting to let go, listening as he whispered to her "It's alright, Kate. I'm here." Followed by him giving her a kiss on the forehead.

Emerging from the embrace, Katharine stared at Henry with tears in her eyes, holding onto his hands tightly while he untied the cloth that was over her mouth. Once it was untied, she quietly asked: "Are you alright?"

Henry could only nod and jokingly say: "Well, a bit disappointed that a mad scientist whose getaway vehicle is an ice cream truck never offered me any." A thought then entering his mind, he then turned and faced the henchmen and the Black-Eyed Teen as the former shoved Ku and Miao into the room. "I'd like to place an order for me and Katharine, a banana-split for two with strawberries. Ku, Miao, would you like anything?" Though gagged, Miao gave a muffled response, to which Henry replied: "A small bowl of strawberry ice cream, got it. Ku, what about you?"

"Oh, I don't know..." said Ku, looking to the ceiling for a moment, before asking: "Can I have a sundae?"

Ward's two henchmen both stared with eyes glazed over before one of them growled: "We are not room service!"

"Then why do I get the feeling I saw you two last summer at the Arden Hotel in Stratford as employees?" inquired Henry. He had not actually seen them at the Arden, he was just joking with them, but even then, he acknowledged he was playing a risky game.

The other henchman rolled his eyes and commented: "Come on, Bitter. Kids' gotta eat, might as well get them something, even if it is not what they asked for."

Sighing, Bitter nodded and said: "Yeah, sure. I need something to eat too anyway. Let's go, Bitterness!"

The two henchmen departed and so that left the four under the watch of the Black-Eyed Teen. While Katharine untied Ku and Miao, the latter first resulting in a very disgruntled expression upon the countenance of the former, Henry took a few steps towards their guard. He did not look that dangerous, but looks could be deceiving. He may have been pasty skinned and have enormous eyes that were completely black, but Henry did not see a build any different than his own and the Black-Eyed Teen did not look much taller either, however it was entirely possible the Black-Eyed Teen had some sort of weapon in one of his—

Henry's thoughts were interrupted the moment Katharine's remaining shoe went flying through the hair and hit the Black-Eyed Teen square in the face. Though not seeming harmed, the Black-Eyed Teen was still taken aback, looking almost offended. Half-amused, half-surprised, Henry turned to look at Katharine, Ku and Miao now untied and the latter turning the cloth that had been used to gag her into a kerchief.

"That is for kidnapping me, you jerk!" Katharine shouted. "And this!" She walked up to the Black-Eyed Teen and slapped him across the face. "Is for smacking my rear while I was bound!"

Alas, there was no indication that the Black-Eyed Teen had even been slapped. There was no handprint across his face or anything. His only response was to slide the door to the room over all the way and lock it.

Smiling at Katharine, Henry took her by the hand and whispered: "It is good to see you are alright for the most part, Kate." He wanted to do more than just that, he wanted to give her a kiss on the lips, but alas, it was too early in their relationship for that. He then jokingly asked: "Are you alright with me ordering something for the both of us?"

Returning the smile, Katharine put her hands on her hips and replied just as jokingly: "Henry Branagh, if you did not order something for the both of us, this would have been the worst date anyone ever took me on!"

Again, the two redheads embraced and when the embrace had ended, they proceeded to get up to speed. There was so much that needed to be told.