Lr stories part 1: Power royale

Chapter 28: Ice Age Part 2

The snow crunched underfoot as William, Angelo, and Kindliker made their way through the dense white fog. The cold air stung their faces, but the trio pressed on, their senses heightened, knowing that the calm wouldn't last.

"Keep your eyes peeled," William muttered, his breath visible in the frigid air. He flexed his hands, ready to manipulate the metal around him at a moment's notice.

Angelo nodded, his eyes scanning the snow-covered terrain. The icy wind ruffled his coat as he tried to maintain focus. The snowfall made it difficult to see far ahead, but Angelo's animal instincts kept him alert to any movement in the distance.

Kindliker, lagging slightly behind, grumbled to himself. "Why do I always end up in these situations? I'm not built for this... I should be at home, under a blanket, not freezing my butt off in a death match."

Before William could respond, a shadow darted out from the snow, moving with incredible speed. The figure was upon them in an instant. It was Tommy Tomorrow, his face set in grim determination.

"Look out!" Angelo shouted, but Tommy was already in motion.

With a swift movement, Tommy shot a bone from his forearm, the projectile whizzing through the air like a bullet. Angelo tried to dodge, but the bone lodged itself deep into his stomach. The impact knocked him back, and he fell to the ground, clutching the wound.

"Angelo!" William yelled, rushing to his friend's side. He turned to face Tommy, his eyes narrowing in anger. "You're going to pay for that!"

Tommy, breathing heavily, stepped back, his eyes flickering with a mix of regret and resolve. "I didn't want to hurt him," he said, his voice strained. "But I can't afford to lose. I need that money... I need to save my mom."

William hesitated, seeing the desperation in Tommy's eyes. "We all need the money, Tommy. But that doesn't mean you have to kill for it."

Tommy shook his head, guilt weighing heavily on him. "You don't understand. My mom... she's dying. Cancer. The treatment... it costs more than we could ever afford. This is the only way."

William gritted his teeth, torn between empathy and anger. "That doesn't justify what you're doing."

Tommy took another step back, his hand hovering over the bone protruding from his forearm. "I'm sorry... I don't have a choice."

Before William could react, Tommy fired another bone, this time aiming at the ground in front of them, creating a distraction. In the brief moment of confusion, Tommy turned and sprinted into the snowy haze, disappearing from sight.

"Dammit!" William cursed, watching Tommy vanish. He turned back to Angelo, who was wincing in pain but still conscious.

"I'll be okay," Angelo said through gritted teeth. "It's not as bad as it looks... just need to pull it out."

William nodded, reaching down to help Angelo. "We need to get you patched up. Kindliker, find something to bandage the wound."

Kindliker, still shaken from the encounter, scrambled to find anything usable. As he did, William and Angelo exchanged a glance, both knowing that the battle was far from over.

"Tommy's strong," Angelo said quietly. "But he's not evil. He's just... desperate."

"Yeah," William agreed, though his mind was already racing with thoughts of their next move. "But desperation makes people dangerous. We can't afford to let our guard down."

As they patched up Angelo's wound, the snow continued to fall, thickening the white veil around them. The cold seeped into their bones, a harsh reminder of the relentless environment they were trapped in. But even more chilling was the knowledge that Tommy was still out there, driven by a cause he believed was worth any cost.

"Let's keep moving," William said finally, his voice steely. "Tommy's not the only one who's got something to fight for."

As they trudged forward through the snow, the chapter ended with the three of them disappearing into the icy mist, the stakes higher than ever.

To be continued...