At the Mountains

The job had first been offered to Victor at his doorstep by way of a letter. It was a simple, ordinary type of letter. One that any person could've delivered by mail, which was certainly an odd way to get a job, at least for someone in Victor's line of work. It was also strange that it arrived at his personal address where he and his family resided. All jobs usually went through Menace's secret lair and were discussed amongst himself and the other villains who found employment there. He supposed it was for that reason that he even decided to take on such a job. The strangeness of it and to get answers as to what exactly it would entail.

The letter had come from an individual known as the Overseer and he informed Victor of a facility where there would surely be something interesting to Menace. The details of exactly what it was were left vague. The facility itself was located in a mountain area of Antarctica and was being used to create new and power robotics meant for war. A rare new material that would surely act as a feasible energy source for the base or perhaps some new invention that he or his peers could use. The facility was recently built by another criminal organization known Chimera and had been heavily guarded by a small number of genetically enhanced humans and a large collection of robotic protectors. This Overseer person also provided the means to take control of said robotic protectors and turn the facility into his own, should he choose.

The most interesting part of it all, though, came at the end. The Overseer, whoever this mystery person was, also had informed a few heroes around the world, all of the varying powers that one: this base in fact did exist and was controlled by a criminal organization. And that two: another villain would be making an attempt to claim this facility and its power source, one who would be much more of a menace to society. This incredibly amusing to Victor and part of the reason he did his job. It was exciting and interesting. Not only would he be able to take down another criminal organization a notch or two, but he'd have the chance to beat in some random heroes from around the world. Surely, this was a job to relish in.  Even beyond that, there was something to be gained, not just reputation but profit. Either a new facility (which honestly wouldn't be all that grand since heroes now knew of it) or a power source which he did already have a few ideas on how to utilize.

So, after a quick costume change, an alert to Menace about what he was going to be doing, and kissing his wife and son on the cheek he set off! The journey would be long, but he would soon be there, ready to take another step into the field of villainy.

---

The Overseer, whoever he was, had indeed sent letters all around the world and to people of extraordinary power. Most, however, would overlook such a call to action due to the strange nature in which it was delivered. Hero jobs rarely presented themselves as nicely typed letters and mainly were left uncomfortable by the fact that someone out there had known how to reach them in ways of the personal addresses or by just knowing where they would be. Some letters were left at the scenes of crimes they had cleaned up, conveniently placed so that they would find them.

One who did not overlook such a letter, however, was one Samuel Grayson. Of course, more people knew him (mind you not that many) as the hero Odd, sidekick to the much more famous Rabbit Punch. The letter in itself was strange for Sam, but...it seemed legit, it included pictures of the base and if it was the den of villainy it was his job as a hero to act upon such things. The letter also included tickets for a ship ride to Antarctica. It'd be long, but it was free and it came with a return trip. Usually, he would talk to Rabbit Punch about going on something like this, but she was away on vacation and there was no one else to consult.

So! After long internal debate and the buying of some heavier duty winter clothes, Sam made his way to the transport and began his journey to Antarctica, where, he would hope that this wasn't just a ruse. Something in his gut told him it wasn't though, there was something about the whole situation that didn't sit well with him and he couldn't help not going to investigate. So, for the long trip over, he would spend pondering about what he would come to find in this cold wasteland and training for what was to come.

The morning started as usual, the apartment was filled with the sound of food being cooked, more specifically the sizzling of bacon and the scraping of a spatula against an iron pan as it scrambled eggs. Most of all these sounds, the sound of snoring also filled the small living room adjoined to the kitchen. Pyrrha’s mismatched eyes slowly began to open, her sense of smell picking up on the food, but her mind shifted to her left arm that was hanging off the sofa. There was an odd tickle, and all it took was a glance for Pyrrha to see a fluffy black cat licking at her hand.

Following this, Pyrrha attempted to move her legs but could not. Turning her gaze to the end of the couch, her mismatched eyes took note of the stout young woman blocking her movement. Olive sat at the edge munching down on breakfast while watching the news, something that Pyrrha had just noticed. The young woman turned to Pyrrha and flashed a smile, her cheeks all puffed up no doubt with food, much like a chipmunk. “Morning Pyrrha!” She said cheerfully before glancing at the aliens back. “I know you’ve been with us for a while now, but I still can’t get over how many scars you have.” Her voice dropped in tone, sorrowful at the site before her.

“Well I’ll be, the mighty Warrior of Light has finally be roused from her sleep!” exclaimed another voice from the kitchen. It was always such an odd sight to Pyrrha to see how differently Olive and Johanna’s personalities differed and yet they both seemed nearly like opposites behind closed doors.

“Ok, ok I get it, I sleep in a lot.” Pyrrha said with a yawn, as Olive stood up so Pyrrha could sit up right. No sooner did she sit up completely, Sharook bolted off into the hallway and then bolted back before leaping up onto the arm chair in the corner where he curled into a ball and fixed his gaze on the tv. Typical cat stuff. “It wasn’t really a jab at you. I mean if I did half the shit you’ve done in your lifetime, I’d be tired all the time to.” Johanna said with a chuckled before turning the pilot off on the stove and filling two plates with food. One for her and one for Pyrrha.

Johanna would hand a plate off to Pyrrha before shooing Sharook out of the armchair and taking his place. Reluctant to give up his spot, the cat would instantly leap onto the girls lap and curl up into a ball. “Smug little shit” Johanna would mumble before turning her attention to her food. She would be abruptly interrupted however as her phone began to vibrate. She’d give the phone an odd glance as she noticed the text message she had received. *Who the fuck?* She thought to herself reading over the message. It was perhaps one of the strangest she had ever received and she felt like ignoring it, if the context didn’t slightly peak her interest.

She’d quickly shake her head. “Nope. Not falling for it. Promised myself I’d take a break.” She quickly rolled her eyes, knowing both Olive and Pyrrha were giving her a confused stare. “It’s nothing. Just spam or something like that!” She tried to turn her attention back to eating but still couldn’t shake the stares she was getting. “Oh for the love of! Here!” Johanna would reluctantly toss her phone to Pyrrha. Both she and Olive would crowd together to read the strange message. “See, like I said, its a scam”

There was a moment of silence before Johanna shouted out “OH no! Don’t you dare!”

Olive would quickly lean back to get a full view of Pyrrha and echo Johanna’s words. “She’s right. Don’t you go getting any ideas.”

“To late I’m afraid. I’m totally going.”

“For all you know it could be a trap. This is stupid. I can’t believe you’d fall for that!”

“But what if it isnt? What if someone else got this message and walks into this ‘trap’? Someone’s gotta check this out.”

“Oh for the love of god! If someone is dumb enough to fall for that, then they deserve to be captured.” Johanna would furiously retort, while stuffing food into her mouth.

“That’s just one part of it though. If this message is authentic, then think of what could happen if a baddie got a hold of something like this.”

“Pyrrha, this isn’t where you’re from. There are tons of heroes here to take care of that sort of thing. Can’t you just let it slide?” Olive would try to plead with the dragon girl, but Pyrrha’s mind was already set. Both Johanna and Olive would let out simultaneous sighs as Pyrrha rose from the couch. “You gonna go fight crime in your PJs? Go on and get cleaned up. I’ll pack some stuff for you.” she’d say reluctantly.

“Thanks.” After getting herself ready and saying her goodbyes, Pyrrha now found herself Antarctica bound. She slightly couldn’t believe how easy it was to secure passage to such a remote place, especially for so cheap. It was so odd to her that, the money she had brought from home held such value in this world. A trip that easily could have taken a decent gash to her savings, simply took one coin here. Perhaps it had something to do with the metal it was made of, but that was something Pyrrha didn’t feel like pondering at the moment.

Instead she took her place on board a private plane, thanks to Johanna’s connections and she set about her next adventure. Hopefully Olive and Johanna’s suspicious would be true and this was all some big prank, but if it wasn’t, then Pyrrha needed to be ready for anything.

He knew it was going to be cold. He knew. He knew he knew. He knew that Antarctica was cold. Anyone with half a brain, and he was sure that he had a bit more than that, knew that the Antarctic was the coldest place on earth and that one could expect the cold upon arrival. BUT HOLY HECK! To say Sam felt cold would be an understatement. To say he was freezing would be so far from the truth that you’d be on the moon! Even under all the layers he wore, the thick coat, he shivered and sneezed at the cold breeze. He could feel his bones rattle and shake, ready to come out of him. He was far from ready to endure all the north had to offer him.

As he stood at the stairs leading down into the artic it was quite clear that this was in fact the right place. He was sure to have left notice at the base so at least someone would know that he was here, although finding him, getting into touch with him would be troublesome. That was if this was a prank or a false lead or anything like that. It was honestly impossible to tell what kind of experience this would be, but he wanted to be ready in case this was just an attempt to put some random heroes out in the frozen rear of the world.

He didn’t quite have connections, or at least he thought he didn’t, but whoever gave him this lead did at least provide further means of getting to where he was supposed to go. Through the snow he could see a plow of sorts, outfitted for the artic. He thought it was a bit too close to the of the ice, too near the water and that it was threatening to fall in, but…it was a ride and if his guess was right, it’d also have the means of navigating. Something about it all still didn’t sit right with him, but…there was no helping it for now.

So, with a slow trudge through the ice and snow, he made his way over to the plow. Entering, he did find, as he guessed, a sort of gps device that already have the destination plugged in. There was also a note, a strange one at that. It was just one word, “Toothless”. He had no clue what that meant or why it was put here, but he assumed that it was placed here with a purpose so he shoved it in his coat pocket and started the plow. It turned on with a loud reverberation, the lights cutting through the falling snow, and, as he pressed down on the peddle, went off with a loud clattering.

He was on his way, at a good pace, to the outpost. It was a good thirty minute drive at his pace, a good few miles, but soon…soon he’d rightly know if this was just a hoax or...or if this would actually be a situation that needed a hero.

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Not too far from where the young hero had dropped off, another had begun making their way over to the facility that was sent to him. The Crimson Reaper, the role he had now taken, soared through the air in his capsule like device. It was cramped, but it was cozy enough for him and more importantly it was warm. It sheltered him from the cold and ice. This was the way to travel, away from all the hardships of the arctic. He didn’t consider himself an upperclassman, or even someone who enjoyed an abundance of luxuries, but he did enjoy this.

On a small handheld device he pulled a map of the artic and of the location he was headed to. After numerous scans and a great deal of research he had found anomalies in the geography around the area the facility was supposedly at. Of course, this could’ve been any number of things and if it was anything but a facility where he would find his treasure than the one who sent that note would pay in the most satisfying way. He was always sure to make up for such offences to him, his organization, or, in the rare case, his family. The fact that the letter arrived at his home meant that someone knew about his family, and that was more than enough to arouse suspicion and distrust. However, an opportunity was, well, an opportunity.

He’d soon be there, any moment now, he’d be standing on a cliffside, mace in hand and ready to plunder whatever awaited him there. He wondered who else would be there, what kind of villain they may be, and…what treasures awaited them and what would stop them from said treasures.

The plane ride from New York to Antarctica was a long and boring one indeed. The small private jet had to make several stops along the way for refueling. Had the young adventurer not been presently occupied, she might have taken the time to explore the few locations the plane had landed each time. Though the flight was a long one, it was the last stretch of the trip that made Pyrrha the most restless. She couldn’t wait to get to work doing what she loved, adventuring. Though this trip wasn’t one of leisure, it was still a chance for her to do what she loved, what she felt the most at home doing.

Getting a rough estimate of how much longer the trip would take, Pyrrha decided to rest up for the last couple of hours. Almost like clockwork, she’d find herself waking up just as the plane was touching down. Hearing all she had about the south pole, and how frigid it was, Pyrrha was taken by surprise as the plane had no trouble landing. The private jet had landed at a small research outpost. Whoever owned this place certainly had money, the buildings all looked state of the art, almost futuristic. The technology on display here reminded the young hero of the ruins of a certain civilization from back home.

Obviously they were not the same, but the way the tech was being put to use was far beyond what Pyrrha could comprehend, at least for now. And she didn’t need to know any more. Whoever owned or ran this place was indebted to Johanna in some way, and the fact they honored their debt was enough to get Pyrrha to trust them. No sooner had Pyrrha stepped off the plane she was taken inside the facility where a man would approach her, he wore heavy weatherproof clothing but was visibly still freezing in this environment despite being well dressed for it and being indoors. “I assume you’re Ms. Sharpe’s friend? We’ve prepared a vehicle and a driver to escort you to your destination.”

Pyrrha would give a slight chuckle and a wave of her hand. “That wont be necessary. I appreciate the offer though!”

“Miss I insi-”

“It’s quite alright I assure you. This weather is noting for me. I’ve been through quite worse. Besides I’ve been sitting for nearly a whole day, I would prefer to stretch my legs.” She gave a slight tug on her oversized poncho and made for what she assumed was the exit. Luckily for the moment, the winds were calm and visibility was decent. She’d reach inside her poncho and pulled out the cell phone Johanna had purchased for her before she embarked upon her trip. Navigating the menus to where messages were stored, Pyrrha would find a single message from a strange number, that wasn’t even a number at all, but instead a series of scrambled letters, numbers, and symbols. The message contained a program that when accessed, fired up a gps which would lead Pyrrha to her destination.

With her barrings now set, Pyrrha couldn’t help but crack a smile. This environment, it wasn’t unlike the frozen wastes of falcons reach. Closing her eyes she could almost picture it. The sprawling land scared by a thousand years of war. Weapons, armor, and the bones of slain dragons littered across the land. It was a sombre memory. She had lost many friends to that frozen place. The rebel leader looking to reunite two lost loves and bring about the union of man and dragon. Her master that taught her the way of the samurai. And not to far from that place, the location where she single handedly brought an end to that thousand year war.

Now she was by herself, but this was a new land, only sharing minor similarities to that place. Here she was about to set out on another adventure and she couldn’t wait. Humming a tune to herself, Pyrrha would begin to trudge and push through the snow on her way to this strange facility out in the middle of nowhere.

It the snow that had fallen, Sam continued to make his way to the facility. It was times like this he wished he had more means to keep himself entertained. The plow had no radio, as was to be expected from the middle of an ice covered wasteland, and he had no device to play music on either (he wasn’t all that wealthy himself). So, as he drove along he kept himself occupied by trying to think of new ways to use his abilities and potential names for said abilities. He always wanted to be a hero who called out his attacks, like in the comics. There was something really coo-

His trained of thought was broken before he could even start thinking on abilities or names for cool moves. His eyes were suddenly fixed on the rearview mirror of the plow, looking at something off at the distance. At first, he was completely convinced that it had to be some kind of artic creature, maybe a penguin (in which case he wanted to stop even more because he had never actually seen one that wasn’t on TV). However, as he continued to stare at the mirror he became more and more sure that whatever it was he was looking at wasn’t actually an animal.

The figure in the distance looked taller than any animal out here, except for maybe a bear, but he doubted a bear would walk on its hindlegs for so long. He brought the plow to a stop and now looked over his shoulder at it, peering through the back window. That had to be human…maybe another hero that he had missed? It could…it could be a villain? Someone sent to go check on what he was doing out this way. Melody was always telling him to be cautious of anyone while on the job, you could never know who people really were. Of course, if they were another hero that means they didn’t have any means of travel and were just trudging through the snow.

Even instead the heated plow, Sam felt the cold of the outside. A guilt soon replaced that cold and he could bear the thought of just leaving behind someone in the cold. With a sigh, he turned the plow around and began heading towards the lone figure walking in the same direction as he was going. He would drive until he was close, close enough to better make them out. It was a woman, but it was hard to discern whether or not she was a hero or villain. He was still a good thirty feet away from her when he stopped and it’d be so clearly obvious that he was there looking at her.

After a few moments of consideration Sam felt as though it’d be best to address the woman. So! Opening a portal in the plow and the connecting point behind the woman, Sam would stick his head in. Behind the woman, Sam’s head would come out of the black hole upside down and he’d raise a hand through it, giving a wave along with a clear smile. “Uhh, hello? What are you doing out here, ma’am?” He’d ask simply, “Are you here on that job too? If so, do you want a lift?”



Meanwhile, Reaper’s pod had finally landed.

He had arrived a good mile away from the base, and while it was a long walk it’d be better to approach on foot rather than via Eclipse. Out here, though, it was cold and it did sting his flesh, even beneath his padded armor which he had brought just for this. Even his Skull Crusher was ignited, blazing with heat in an attempt to keep him warm, but still…here the cold was all too persistent. It’d feel good to get inside and actually get to work.

As he came to the peak of the hill, he could now see the steely facility that stuck out like a sore thumb. It was a large block of a building with a small extension to its side. From that smaller extension there looked to be a few booths in front of it…watch posts for the entrance. Extending from the top of the building there were a few towers that extended upward, lights signing down from them. There were also tall smokestacks at the back of the building, small puffs of smoke rose from them. All in all, it looked pretty secure. He was also confident that there would be other security measures both inside and out.

All of this left the single question of…how…how was he going to do this. He gripped his hammer a bit tighter, grinning wide. Stealth was an option, but no…no, that wasn’t the style of this supervillain, this wasn’t going to be a quiet how-do-you-do, he was going to do it in the style of an old school villain…

This was going to be worth the trip.

Pyrrha had spent her time trudging through the snow, humming to herself and just thinking about how much this place gave her nostalgia for her home. Her heavy poncho coupled with her natural resistance to the cold went a long way to making the on foot journey more tolerable. She had trekked through the snow for quite some time before she noticed something just past the frayed edges of her hood. There were tracks in the snow. While the snowfall had pretty much started to cover the tracks, they were still slightly visible. Was someone headed to the same destination as her?

She thought about it as she kept walking. Occasionally she’d check her phones gps, and the directions the tracks were going in. There was no doubt about it, at least for know, that they were headed in the same direction. It was during one of these checks, that Pyrrha received a slight fright. A voice rang out behind her, which cause the massive mound of clothe to leap forward a few feet and spin around sharply. Her right hand was drawn back, and in it she held her gunblade. With how large her poncho was, all that was visible to the now seemingly disembodied head before her, was a straight blade with a slight blue glow around it.

Despite the harsh weather and the large hood covering her face, Pyrrha’s white right eye would be visible since it glowed. She took a moment to catch her breath and assess the situation. Easing up, Pyrrha would return to a neutral standing pose. “Who or what, the hell are you?” She said looking around, half expecting a pack of mobs with a similar appearance to spawn all around her. If she had learned anything from everything she had been through, the main take away was to not let your guard down. Her hand tightened around the grip of her gunblade as she awaited the heads response.

Sam took a few moments to rightly process the woman’s reaction to him. Honestly, he wasn’t sure what was wrong at first. He didn’t think he had done anything overly threatening, but eventually dawned on him. Shadowy person in the middle of the artic who just made a portal and popped through it. Yeah, no…that made sense now. And for the next few moments Sam hung upside down looking at this woman, wide eyed, and not fully sure on how he could answer the question in a way that was believable.

Deciding that anything would be better than silence, well…he gave a cheery wave and smiled wide. “Oh! Hello, sorry! Yes, uh…the name is Blackjack, was previously Odd, this is new superhero name I am working on, let me know what you think! If ya got a better suggestion I am all ears. But yes, hi…” He trailed off a bit, then cleared his throat as he tried to think of where to go from here. “Uh…oh! Yes, I was sent a missive that there might be some kind of base out here, so I took a ride out here to try and stop it!” He gave a nod to confirm this.

He stared at her for another moment, trying to judge exactly what she was or what she could do. She wasn’t the sort he expected out this way, which probably meant hero. “So…uh…you doing the same? Also, I didn’t catch your name!” He smiled warmly at her, something that seemed almost foreign in this place. There was a good patience to it as he hung there upside down, doing his best to ignore the cold wind that blew against them. His eyes, did, however, noticeable keep drifting down to the strange looking weapon she had. It looked as though he had something more to say, especially on that, but for now he kept his mouth shut.

Pyrrha arched a brow in slight confusion as the boy introduced himself. “Blackjack huh?” she’d say questioningly. *Odd seems more fitting somehow* she mumbled to herself has he explained his moniker. Impulsively, Pyrrha found herself giving either a slight wave or nod any time he said hi. She allowed herself to relax a bit and lifted her arm to sheath her gunblade on her back. A combination of the wind, and the angle of her arm allowed her poncho to roll up a bit, revealing the strange weapon in all its glory. For the most part it almost looked like a normal straight sword, but where the guard would have been, instead was a revolver barrel. The handle had a slight curve to it and even had a trigger.

Though her face was still hidden in the dark recesses of her hood, her eyes would narrow a touch at the mention of the strange letter and the base it described. This was proof that Pyrrha had made the right call to travel out here after all. Johanna wasn’t the only one who had gotten this message, it seemed to have been sent to a variety of people. The young hero would nod “I am indeed on my way to check this base out. My name is Pyrrha. Its nice to meet you.” she’d offer her hand for a moment before realizing she was still pretty much speaking to a floating head.

He had made an offer to give Pyrrha a lift, and with this in mind, her gaze shifted from side to side. She then turned in the direction she had been walking, and remembered the fading tracks she had seen. *Right, that must be what caused the tracks. But how is he speaking to me over here?* She thought to herself. “So, about that ride?”

He gave a nod and slight smile at her. “Yeah, Blackjack, unless ya got a better name in mind. I am still honestly workshopping it a bit.” As he went on, he got the sinking realization that he was saying hi a lot as she nodded and waved in response. Probably not the coolest of introductions, but…well, there was no changing it now. Just stay the course, he reminded himself. As she put away her gunblade his eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to it for a moment. It was a weapon the likes of which he had never seen, and as a hero, he had seen quite a few weapons. Probably more weapons than he’d have liked to see, but well…such is the work.

Sam’s grin seemed to brighten as she introduced herself, this time waving at her as she spoke her name. “It’s a real pleasure, Pyrrha, happy to be working with someone." As she offered a hand, another portal would open up soundlessly and from it he’d stretch his hand, also the same blackened color as his face and hair. He would give her a firm shake, though nowhere as near as strong as what hers could be.

He’d draw it back with another nod and then his head would dip through the portal once more leaving her alone for but a moment. Then, in front of her, a much larger portal, better equipped to fit her, would open. If she passed through it, it would lead her to the back seat of the plow where he would be looking over his shoulder at her, grinning with a good deal of warmth and welcome. “Hey! Welcome aboard! I think according to the gps its not too far…another five minutes or so?” He looked back to it, tapping it with a finger, though the ETA kept changing, so it was hard to tell exactly how far they were. If she had entered and given the okay, Sam would set off with this new hero, starting towards the base.


Meanwhile, at the base itself, Reaper was already at the door. The front door to be exact, he wasn’t the kind of villain who tried to sneak in or burst down a wall. This would potentially be a new headquarters after all and he couldn’t go trashing it. What kind of villain would trash their own dwellings after all. He could hear stirring going on from the other side. Of course, no facility out in the middle of nowhere would expect someone like him there and what few humans laid inside were probably panicking or scratching their heads at this. He couldn’t help but grin at the idea.

Once more, he lifted a hand and knocked, waiting for a reply. This time, when he did, the door opened a large, bulky android opened the door. It looked like a larger man, maybe seven feet tall, blocky, and with a dome shaped head that had a red light glowing at its center. One of its hands was a normal blocky fist while the other had what looked to be a huge cannon in place of its arm. He looked up at it, gripping his hammer a bit harder. With a sickening grin, he step forward.

Pyrrha still couldn’t believe that she was essentially talking with a floating head. Not that she hadn’t seen her fair share of them back home. But those were nefarious and usually the result of necromancy or some other form of dark magics. She had to constantly remind herself that no matter how far she was from home, no matter how different this star was to her own, that there was plenty of room for the strange, mysterious and wondrous. “Yeah, likewise. Strength in numbers and all that.” she sheepishly said, shaking the young man’s hand. After their brief exchange the head and its accompanying appendages would vanish from sight.

Pyrrha was momentarily left alone with not to occupy her except the howling winds of the ongoing blizzard that surrounded her. The loud roaring of the wind was interrupted for a moment as a portal opened up before her. A slight bit of warmth leaked from the gaping tear in space, no doubt from the running heater used to keep the cabin of the vehicle warm. There was no turning back for the adventurer now. Not that she cared much. This new acquaintance seemed trustworthy enough. So with a slight huff, Pyrrha would move through the portal.

To her immediate left was the bench seat located in the back of the snowplows cabin. Pyrrha would unsheathe her weapon so that she could sit more comfortably. She’d rest the weathered relic across her lap, placing her hands atop it at both ends. Her eyes took a moment to look about the interior of her new ride. It was almost similar to being at the helm of an imperial ship or transport. “Its still fascinating to me that there exists modes of transportation that don’t need to be drawn by an animal of some kind.” she mumbled to herself as she removed her hood, finally revealing her face to the boy, horns, scales, and all. “So what’s your stake in all this, if you don’t mind me asking?” she asked Blackjack.

While his new guest was getting cozy, Sam had begun to drive forward again, heading to...wherever it was they were going. He still didn't quite know all the details, but it was Antarctica, so he figured it'd be pretty obvious when they got there. Even still, as they drove his mind was elsewhere, as it usually was, and where it was was nowhere productive, which was also the usual for him. He was back thinking on the name Blackjack and if that really was the best choice for him. Maybe it wasn't...

He was brought back to reality as his companion in the back began to speak again, causing him to perk up some. He looked over his shoulder as he spoke, not really concerned with keeping his eyes forward as, well...there wasn't really anything to hit out here. When he spoke, he did so with a smile that held a pleasant cheerfulness. "Ah, well...uh..." That was a question that gave him some pause. "I uh...hmmm....I'm here because I got a letter and...someone needed my help, because someone is doing something bad." He shrugged, "It seems like the right thing to do, ya know? Can't let someone get away with something...bad?" He wasn't actually sure what was going on here. Maybe it was mentioned in the letter, he wasn't sure. "Even out here, ya know?" He finished, turning to look forward again.

He wasn't sure, but he was swear something was sticking out in the distance. Something large, like a large gray block of a building blending in with the storming snow. He would've missed it if not for the few lights that blipped in and out, breaking the obscurity of the camouflage.

With a slight clear of his throat, but not looking back, his eyes fixed on the building ahead. "What about you? What brings you out this way?" He asked, trying to sound casual, though it was obvious his attention was slightly taken by what he saw ahead. "And I hope you're ready...I think we'll be there pretty soon."

Even as Sam stared at the large building ahead, there were things he didn't notice. A stem of smoke rose from the side of it and the door in which the Reaper had entered through was in shambles, rubble. It was more of a hole where the door used to be, honestly. He also didn't know that the blipping of those lights was actually an alarm being tripped, signifying that there was an intruder on the premises.

Pyrrha couldn’t help but crack a smile as the young man fumbled with his answer. It made her think back on her adventures and all the young budding heroes who wanted to do what was right and just, but needed something or someone to guide them. Many times that was her and other times it was her most trusted friends. Hell there were times when Pyrrha had felt just as lost as those young adventurers and her friends were their to act as her anchor, her north start by which she moved ever onward. Keeping that in mind perhaps Pyrrha would have to be that anchor for this young man as they ventured forth.

After stumbling to find his answer to Pyrrha’s question, blackjack had fired back in kind wishing to know Pyrrha’s reasoning for being in this hellish icescape as well. “Adventure. Plain as that.” Pyrrha said with a smile. This wasn’t wholly true and before her new companion could give her a concerned glance she felt inclined to answer properly. “Ok, truthfully. A dear friend of mine received the same invitation as you. She naturally blew it off, but I accepted it in her stead. Didn’t feel right knowing there was a possibility that someone else could be walking into a trap of some kind. And it turns out my intuition was right!”

As Pyrrha finished rambling, her gaze shifted past the dashboard of there vehicle. It was hard to see much with the blizzard raging as hard as it was, but Pyrrha could tell something was off. “I’ve definitely seen my fair share of alarm signals before, something isnt right here. We best be on our guard as we approach.” she’d say, putting a hand on blackjack’s shoulder, and pulling her hood up with her other hand.

While Pyrrha had been lost in her train of thought, Sam had been caught in his own, partially unaware of the cracked smile in his direction. He was back on the name train. Maybe Blackjack wasn’t it…maybe Odd was? Or maybe…what was a good name? This was always the hardest part for him. It wasn’t fighting or being a hero, it was choosing the small things and he seemed to be internally struggling with it, his face slightly scrunched as he tried to put it all together, like he was focusing on something that wasn’t actually there. This was gonna eat at him for a bit now and there was no helping it. Well, there was probably helping it, but it was still stressful. Maybe he’d spitball ideas to Pyrrha later.

It was only when she replied to his question that he seemed to snap back to realty, broken from that painful train of thought. He gave a simple smile, nodding as if he understood, though not actually understanding. Heroing for adventure? That seemed…odd? Not unfitting, but in the modern day you never really heard people say that. It was always for specific reasons or for the want to do good or simply the want to be a hero. Still, the answer did make smile genuinely as it was a nice answer at the very least.

And then she went on, which made him laugh as honesty came forth. He was more so laughing at his own naivety that he had been quick to believe it. He understood this a bit more and nodded with slightly more confidence. “Well, here’s hoping you and I can manage it ourselves! Though, to be walking out here in this storm I have to imagine you can throw quite the punch!” He commented in a playful, friendly tone. Though, as the tone shifted, that playful expression of his did fade a bit. It was still present, but there was a seriousness in that glowing gaze of his.

There wasn’t really a way to be stealthy or careful in a vehicle like this, but he pushed forward on the wheel and stepped on the gas, causing the vehicle to go forward, though there was some tension in that, the young man’s eyes never leaving the building. They would be there within the minute, and soon they would be face to face with a large hole in the building, where, probably, a door should’ve been. In the door’s wake there was the rubble of the door and the remains of something mechanical or multiple mechanical things? It was hard to say exactly, but it certainly was the telltale signs of a fight. There was someone else here and then with another crash even further in the building, the person was still going at it.

Pyrrha would tug on the rim of her cloak, pulling it tighter around her to fend off some of the cold she was feeling as the cold arctic air washed over her when she departed the vehicle. Visibility was still poor, but Blackjack had pulled close enough to the isolated building to reveal the cause of what triggered the facilities alarm. There was a large hole where an entry way once stood. She approached the rubble with her companion and surveyed the damage. The young woman would run her hand along the jagged edges of what was now their point of entry into the building. She would proceed with caution and examine the scene a bit further to find thrashed metal strewn across the floor, as well as pieces of what was probably the door.

“Hmm Seems someone got here before us.” Stating the clear obvious, Pyrrha would take the lead. Whoever arrived before them could still be lurking close by, and she’d rather put herself in harms way, instead of her new acquaintance. Her grip would tighten around the handle of her gunblade, which was just barely concealed within the confines of her cloak. The very tip of the blade almost visible near her ankle.

Tip-toeing around the rubble, Pyrrha would advance a little further into the building, so far nothing from the area they were in gave her any clues as to what this building was exactly used for. Not that she’d know all that well even if it told her. She was still getting used to this world after all. Just as she had begun to move, there was a loud crash from further in the facility. With a quick glance back to her companion, she’d do her best to follow the noise and more than likely find the forceful trespasser. “Stay close. We don’t know what to expect in here.”

Despite the heavy coat that he wore, Sam had spent much of his time in the relative warmth of the boat and of their ride over, so stepping out in the frozen expanse was like a slap in the face. He also wasn't sure how the snow effected his power either as he usually had trouble with water and snow was just...well, yeah. Regardless of his ability though, it was clear by the expression on his face that this was the last place he wanted to be and was more excited to be nearing the rubble than how a normal person might look at rubble.

At her statement, he nodded, kneeling down and running a hand along the stone. It wasn't an explosion...not exactly. There wasn't burn marks, which meant...he stared back at the snow and only saw one set of tread tracks, so no one drove something through. That only meant. He looked back to Pyrrha, giving her a small grin. "Someone forced their way in. Physically, I mean." He said, holding up one of the smaller pieces of rubble to her, before letting it fall into the snow as it was not really relevant.

Sam had thankfully been used to following someone's lead and he took a place behind her, though not without keeping an eye over her shoulder as she went, watching out for anything that could catch their gaze. The first room had at one point seemed to be a checkpoint of sorts. There was the remains of a device not unlike a metal detector, but now just a broken heap on the floor. There were also several small barriers to hide behind, but they had massive chips taken from them. In addition there had been a desk with a computer, though that was still in relatively good shape.

"How do you think we should handle this?" Sam asked, giving her a wary look. "I would usually just rush in and see if I could find whoever did this..." But his voice trailed off as his eyes went down to the flood.

There what stuck out were the remains on the floor. Vaguely humanoid, but all metallic, greyed metal bodies and black screens for faces, though some had those shattered in. They were roughly human sized, but all were down on the ground, sparking from severe wounds in their chassis. Not too far from them, though, there was a human, an actual human, hunched over on the floor, not dead, but certainly not in a good place.

(Also, if you want to handle any of the things we see in here, by all means! I had a robotics facility in mind, but whatever works! Can also control whoever ya want too)

Further in the facility, Reaper was standing in an elevator, going down as rather pleasant music was playing overhead. It was...lounge? No, jazz. Maybe a cover of a popular song? He could never keep up with these modern artists or their music, but this was at least pleasant to listen to. It was just what he needed after his pursuits through the upper levels. He was sure there were a few more humans around, though there was a surprising lack of them. The robotic guards placed throughout were a a bit of a challenge for him, but they lacked that human element that made villainy fun. There was no terror or emotion behind them, they were just mindless bodies you could put down with no regrets.

He sighed and looked at his hammer, lifting it up to inspect a bit. "Ah, would you look at that." He said, running a finger over the slightest scratch in its rather smooth surface, "They're sturdy." He commented idly, just as the doors opened into a large chamber where the lights slowly came on.