Salix

Chapter 3

"I have to fight Frost alone?" I said incredulously, voice echoing loudly through the conference room. Chairs surrounded a large, round table that was draped in red silks. A golden emblem was emblazoned in the centre of the table. It was the symbol of the Heroes Unity League, or as we were more affectionately called, HUL. Currently the room was empty, but it could hold up to one hundred heroes and sidekicks, each with a place at the table.

Jade blinked at me, unimpressed by my outburst. She pursed her plump, red lips together, and reached over and planted one of her sharp claws in the middle of my forehead. She shoved forward, and using a single nail, sent me toppling backwards into one of the silk chairs.

Her jade coloured, skin-tight costume glistened and shimmered when the light caught it. It looked so different from my own green and brown costume. My official sidekick costume was much more sedate than hers.

I wore a light green bodysuit with a brown, leather tunic, and a brown cape and sandals. On my chest rested my emblem, a willow tree. The meaning behind my plant given name of Salix.

Jade prowled forward and planted two clawed hands on either side of me. Her nails dug into the chair's upholstery, leaving sharp indents behind.

"You can, and you will, go fight Frost. Mars is currently in hot pursuit of West Witch, and all the other heroes and sidekicks are trying to curb the break-out of the other super-villains from High-Max that she caused. I need to stay here and offer technical and audio-visual support. You're the only one." Her tone brokered no-nonsense, her eyes hard. Yet, I could see the stress that was carefully concealed beneath her dark glare. She was worried we wouldn't be able to return all the villains released from High-Max.

There was no point in arguing.

I was literally the only one available to fight Frost.

I gulped, and quickly slid under Jade's arms and out of the chair. Prancing away from Jade, I whirled around to face her.

"I'll do it." I said resolutely, not taking my eyes off her claws. She scoffed.

"Of course you will. You have no choice." She made a shooing motion at me and turned back to the large row of computers located at the back of the conference room.

I slowly turned around and walked out of the room, heart thudding with every step taken. My breath was loud in my ears, and I could barely gulp with my mouth so dry. No amount of training had prepared me for taking out a supervillain alone. Sidekicks were supplementary help to heroes. They did not fight alone. Ever.

I left the HUL building. It was in the downtown centre, right where Frost was reeking havoc on innocent citizens because all the heroes were busy. I could hear the sounds of screams, and as I continued forward in the desolate streets the air became chillier and chillier. The world around me had been transformed. Ice glistened, running down the sides of buildings and through the streets. Cold snow fell seemingly from nothing, and the air froze in my lungs before being exhaled as small clouds of condensation.

Whereas before there were cries for help, now there was nothing. It was eerily silent, sound dampened by snow and cloud cover. Frost was near.

An icicle whizzed by my face, slashing me across the cheek. A warning shot. Frost was nice like that. Alarmed, I twisted around to see where the icicle came from, but there was nothing. Only white and blue.

I shivered from the cold and could feel my powers weakening. I was intrinsically connected to the sun, to warmth, and it generated my ability to create plant forms. Without it, I was useless. And dead.

This was a suicide mission.

Another icicle shot forward, but this time I anticipated it. I threw myself to the side, and it nicked my shoulder. If I hadn't moved, I would've gotten that icicle to the heart.