Previously on Blessed Inversion Golden Age…
Hal Sharp, now the superhero Black Ice, has helped save RajTEK from an attack by several dangerous Inversions. After a night on patrol, he encounters two of the Inhibitors, Granite and Mach. They have a brief discussion and he agrees to get an Inversion Registration Card which will allow him to act freely as a hero. But while he waits for it to arrive he is unable to act as Black Ice…
*Note: The events of this take place after Blessed Inversion Golden Age Chapter 5- Registration but before Blessed Inversion Rise of the Pheromaster Part 1
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Henry “Hal” Sharp/Black Ice |
Two days have passed since Hal met the Inhibitors and it felt like an eternity. After losing his job when his powers manifested, being a Superhero was one of his main forms of distraction. But now that he couldn’t do anything he felt restless. While he wasn’t a particularly anti-social person, most of his old friends and associates worked at Gunma Inc. and visiting there was awkward at best. Jey, similarly, was at work today which meant he had to fly solo. As much as he enjoyed laying on the couch with nothing on, he decided to attempt to be productive. Putting on some jean shorts and a black short sleeved shirt. Donning his old inline skates, he decides to ride around Silver Plains. While he skated around normally using his powers it had been some time since he did it with his skates. The tension of his wheels on concrete was far different than sliding around on ice he generated on his own. It was an oddly nostalgic sensation to feel the resistance as he moved. The hardest thing to get used to was not skating in and out of traffic haphazardly. For today he was a civilian and had to act as such.
“Where should I go today…” Hal thought as he waited at a crosswalk for the light to turn red. “Jey’s at work so I shouldn’t visit him…Arcade maybe?” he begins skating once more as the light changes. “Probably crowded today…Could go to the park…” Hal continues to skate while in thought. His shoulder bumping into a passerby. “Sorry!” he calls as he spins around and skates down the sidewalk backward. It doesn’t last long as he trips backward after hitting a stray can of soda. Falling flat on his back. “Ow…” he groans. Slowly sitting up as the pedestrians pay him no mind and step around him. “This wouldn’t have happened if I could just use my normal skates.” he grumbled under his breath. Hal gets on his feet once more and skates off. Gradually making his way to a skate park.
There weren’t many skate parks in Silver Plains, but every so often there were days like today where it was full of life and activity. While he stood out as the darkest person around it never stopped him from having fun. Though in this case, his fun was mostly getting used to skating again. Resisting the urge to just use his ice skates instead. He could still grind, do the butterfly, and when he was prepared he could skate backward without running into anyone.
“Maybe I should add these to my costume.” Hal thought as he went down the bowl. A massive enclosed area in the ground made of several quarter pipes one could skate in and out of with relative ease. Performing a handstand as he reached the opposite end and going back down. “Or maybe I should keep my ice skates on all the time.” he grinds along the edge of the bowl seamlessly. “But then I won’t be able to do kicks like that. Then again it’s not like I’ve been doing capoeira in a while…” Hal ends his grind, skates down the bottom of the bowl, and flip out the other end. Landing on his wheels and sliding to a stop. Sitting down next to one of the fences that separated it from the rest of the park. “Maybe I should start practicing again. Probably could mix in my ice skating to make a really cool fighting style…Till I get shot at anyway…”
“Hey man, you’re pretty good!” A skater asks as he rolls up to Hal. He wore full-length jeans and a short-sleeved white shirt. Arm and knee pads were worn atop them for protection. Straight blond hair sticking out the front of a backward cap while a ponytail sticks out the back. “You come here a lot?”
“Thanks, I mean I used to when I was younger. Haven’t had much time recently. I’m a little rusty.”
“Yeah, you were pretty bad when you came in here.” he sits down next to Hal. “Chase.” he extends his hand.
“Hal.” he responds and shakes his hand. “What about you?”
“Me? I basically live here. I know all the regulars. I’d love to go pro someday.”
“Sure you should be telling a stranger your dreams so casually?” Hal jokes.
“You don’t seem like a bad guy. My superpower says so.”
“You have superpowers? What a coincidence, I do too.”
“What do you do?”
“I freeze stuff. You?”
“I see the truth.” Chase responds to a blank stare.
“That just sounds fake.” Hal says unconvinced.
“Tell me about it. Not as glamorous as your ice powers but it has its uses.”
“I was joking.” Hal lies seeing his joking confession being taken seriously.
“I can see the truth remember? Don’t worry, you’re secrets safe with me. Honestly, part of me came here to thank you. For helping out around the city all the time.” Chase says to no response. “You probably don’t remember but one of those fires you put out was at where my sister worked. If it weren’t for you she’d probably be dead…So, thanks. Just uh…just wanted to say that.” he stands up and begins to slowly skate away.
“If I was a superhero…and I’m not saying I am…I’d say you’re welcome. I was just doing the right thing. I’d also say I’m glad I could help and if you need me. I’ll do my best as long as I live.” he says accompanied by a cold breath of air.
The pair exchanges a smile and wave before Chase went about the rest of his day. As Black Ice, Hal had saved numerous lives but he never stuck around to receive any form of praise. Always being active and leaving shortly after. Even after helping save RajTEK he didn’t stay around to receive thanks. Having someone thank him for the first time in person was an uplifting experience. It was one thing to do what was right just because it was right. It was another to actually see how those actions affected others for the better.
“Okay, back to practice.”
Even if he didn’t change the world overnight. At least Hal knew he could change one person’s world a day at a time.
Ultronimus Gaming 