Cody Hollywood adventures

Chapter 6: Frozen Fates

The desolate expanse of the Void remained eerily quiet as the portal Glacius Maximus had opened began to sputter out, leaving only a few shimmering flakes of frost in its wake. Cody Hollywood and Jack "Blackthorn" Connolly stood amidst the remnants of the Shroud Legion they had just finished off, both of them breathing heavily from the exertion of battle. But before either could celebrate, a sharp, mocking laugh rang out from behind them.

"Well, well, well, look who's playing hero in the middle of the Void," a cold voice sneered.

Cody turned around, squinting against the harsh light of the endless desert, to see a figure emerging from the horizon. It was a hulking man, clad in dark, icy armor that glimmered in the sun like frozen steel. His face was pale, framed by a messy mane of silver hair, and his eyes gleamed with malevolent glee.

"Ivan Volkov," Glacius Maximus muttered under his breath. "Frostbane."

Frostbane strode forward, his movements slow and deliberate, like a predator sizing up his prey. "I must say, Maximus, it's always a pleasure to see you. And by pleasure, I mean it's always delightful to see you fail."

Glacius Maximus squared his shoulders, his icy blue eyes narrowing. "You better turn around right now, Volkov, or I'll knock your d*ck in the snow."

Cody raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Glacius Maximus with a confused expression. "Wait, what did he just say?"

Jack "Blackthorn" Connolly, still swigging from his flask, looked equally puzzled. "Yeah, did he just-?"

Before they could finish their thought, Glacius Maximus, clearly unfazed by their confusion, turned his attention back to the growing threat. "It's time," he muttered to himself, a glint of determination in his eyes.

Cody's eyes widened in anticipation. "Oh, he's gonna say it!" he yelled excitedly, like a kid at a fireworks show.

Jack blinked in confusion. "Say what?"

Cody leaned closer to Jack, a wide grin plastered on his face. "He's gonna say it! You know, the thing all gods say before they unleash their powers!"

But before Cody could finish his sentence, Glacius Maximus cut him off by roaring, "Frost forth!"

Cody blinked, his excitement quickly turning into bewilderment. "Wait, what? That's it? That's the line?"

Glacius Maximus was now encased in a shining suit of ice armor, sharp icicles jutting from his shoulders, gauntlets, and helmet, like a walking glacier ready for war. He looked majestic, fearsome even, for all of about two seconds-before Frostbane, with a mocking grin, knocked him out with a single brutal punch to the face.

Glacius Maximus fell to the ground in a heap, the ice armor shattering like glass around him.

Jack and Cody stared in shock.

"We don't know him," Jack said, deadpan.

Cody nodded solemnly. "We thought we did, but we didn't."

Suddenly, a booming voice echoed from across the battlefield. "I KNOW YOU THOUGH!"

Both Cody and Jack spun around to see a towering figure charging toward them, his crimson armor gleaming in the pale Void light. It was Gabriel "The Crimson Duke" Lancas, his sword drawn and ready to strike.

Cody's eyes widened, and for the first time, he didn't have a snarky comeback. "Who the hell is that?" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

Jack, however, didn't wait to ask questions. He drew his revolver and charged toward the Crimson Duke, his boots kicking up clouds of sand as he moved with surprising speed for a man who had been drowning his sorrows minutes ago.

The two clashed with a resounding clang, the Crimson Duke's sword meeting Jack's bullets in a storm of sparks. But before the fight could escalate, Jack rolled under the Duke's next swing and fired a point-blank shot into the armored man's chest. The bullet pierced through the Duke's crimson armor, and with a grunt of disbelief, Gabriel Lancas staggered back, blood staining the sand beneath him.

Cody watched in stunned silence as the Crimson Duke collapsed, his body hitting the ground with a dull thud. He glanced at the reader-yes, you, dear reader-and broke the fourth wall again. "Wasn't this in a movie?"

Jack wiped the sweat from his brow, holstering his revolver as he turned back to Cody. "Who's next?"

Before Cody could respond, a sudden rush of movement from behind sent both men sprawling to the ground. Out of nowhere, they were struck by something-or someone-they hadn't seen coming.

Jack groaned as he tried to push himself up, but his vision was spinning. Cody, equally disoriented, blinked the stars out of his eyes, only to find himself staring at the boots of a group of Frostbane's soldiers, all dressed in similar icy armor.

"Well, ain't this a fine mess," Cody muttered as he struggled to sit up.

But there was no time to react. A powerful force hit them both from behind, and the next thing they knew, everything went black.

---

When Cody finally came to, his head throbbing, he found himself inside a vehicle, the walls vibrating with the low rumble of its engine. The interior was dimly lit, and cold, like they were inside some kind of armored transport.

He glanced to his left and saw Jack "Blackthorn" Connolly, still unconscious, slumped against the wall of the vehicle. Across from them, sitting with his back against the opposite wall, was Glacius Maximus, his once-mighty ice armor shattered, and his face bruised from where Frostbane had knocked him out.

Cody rubbed his temple, trying to make sense of the situation. "Great. Just great. Now we're prisoners. Again."

Jack stirred beside him, groaning as he blinked himself awake. "Where are we?"

"In Frostbane's ice-mobile, I think," Cody replied with a shrug. "Not sure. But it smells like villain in here."

Suddenly, a familiar voice crackled through the vehicle's intercom system, deep and dripping with malice. "I hope you're comfortable back there, gentlemen. We're on our way to meet my boss, and trust me-he's very interested in seeing you."

Cody groaned again, glancing over at Glacius Maximus, who was still unconscious. "You know, this whole 'saving the universe' thing really isn't going the way I thought it would."

Jack rubbed his face, grimacing. "Well, it ain't over yet, partner. But we're gonna need more than a snowman with delusions of grandeur to get us out of this one."

The vehicle jolted as it hit a bump, and Cody sighed, leaning back against the cold metal wall. "Yep. Just another day in the life of Cody Hollywood."

As the rumble of the vehicle's engine grew louder, carrying them deeper into the unknown, Cody and Jack could only wonder what kind of twisted fate awaited them at the end of the road.