A Cold Date at Waldo's Pond

To catch you up to speed, here is the adventure leading up to today...

"...YOU beat Shark and a Great White Shark; AND rescued a fishing vessel to boot? That's our Aquamarine!"

Vance Harper (Teen Justice's "Golden Glider") was the speaker as his gold-generated platform carried him through the sky. Maureen Tosh (the aforementioned Aquamarine) was laying in Golden Glider's arms with an arm wrapped around his neck for support. Between her position and Golden Glider's flattering words, the super-powered teenaged heroine blushed. Vance Harper still had that effect on Maureen Tosh. As for Aquamarine's effect on the Golden Glider, well, the two of them were out traveling together and in this position now, weren't they?

"Well, it wasn't like it was a real shark or anything; it was another of Shark's subs." she replied in faux modesty.

"Oh, that changes everything, then." Golden Glider retorted. "Pardon me; you sunk and exposed an electronic submarine, kicked Shark's teeth in for good measure, AND rescued a fishing vessel. And they call ME 'golden!'"

"Vance!" Aquamarine answered, playfully swatting him on the back. "Well, you know that Steelor's the one who actually repaired the vessel in drydock."

"Steelor." Golden Glider answered. "I suppose that he swam out there to retrieve the ship in the first place; IN his armored state that naturally increased his strength."

"Okay." Aquamarine answered, faux flexing her muscles, "I did do that part."

"Good because you're more my type anyway." Golden Glider answered. "So, why the false modesty? You accomplished something mighty big out there!"

"Vance, it's not false coming from me!" Maureen answered. "You know me; I'm not all that big on self fanfare."

"So LEARN; we're HEROES!" Vance retorted, setting Maureen down on her own two feet. "What WE do with our powers MEANS something!"

There were so many conversations that Maureen and Vance enjoyed having; they'd had many of those conversations over early breakfasts by the bay or candlelit dinners. Today, the picnic basket on the back of Golden Glider's travelling platform answered what he was up to. However, the conversation about "egos and powers" was never a conversation that Aquamarine would personally pick with her escort.

"So where are we going for this picnic, anyway?" she asked. "A hot beach with mounds of golden sand, I take it."

"No, ma'am, my Little Mermegastar!" Golden Glider answered. "We are taking this getaway to my buddy, Nikolas Waldo's, park; and his great big pond. You were the heroine this celebration's all about after all; and don't you forget it!"

If Vance didn't need partially his body and mostly his mind to steer the platform, he and Maureen would have collapsed into passion then and there in midair. She loved him when he did things like picking his rendezvous based on making sure that she had fresh water access; and the fact that he made these kinds of sacrifices meant that he loved HER too!

A sudden cold snap blanketed the world around them in ice and snow; in the middle of July. The sudden cold snapped Vance out of his concentration; the weight of ice on his created golden platform caused it to crash. Golden Glider was face down in the snow, Aquamarine had landed on her back a few feet away, and the picnic basket was upended and its food ruined.

"Ungh!" Golden Glider grunted in exasperation over the ruined romantic lunch. "Who turned down the world's thermostat, anyway? Aquamarine, are you okay, baby girl?"

Aquamarine picked her nimble frame up out of a snowpile. She knew that it was alright to be vulnerable with Golden Glider; as the youngest and least physically imposing member of "Teen Justice," she still didn't like to. How would he communicate what came next again...?

"I'm okay; but I feel like a bag of frozen fish sticks." she retorted of her own predicament.

Golden Glider pursed his lips at the young heroine and shook his head even as he used his powers to produce a pair of golden binoculars.

"First, leave the quips to me; secondly, I don't find you in harm's way to be a joking matter; lastly...okay, I'll give you that one; that was funny." he informed her. "Now, who do we have...wouldn't you know it?"

In the distance, a slender man in frilled parka, sparkling ice goggles, cape, and full lips aimed what looked like a squirt gun to form an ice slide. He then sprang nimbly onto his new ride.

"Count Cool himself has come to play on our date!" Golden Glider grumbled, settling a hand on Aquamarine's shoulder. "One side, my darling of the deep; I'll handle..."

"...We'll handle this TOGETHER." Aquamarine insisted. "You just said it yourself; we're BOTH heroes!"

At that instant, the villain stopped in his tracks right in front of the heroes and aimed his gun menacingly.

"Your insolence still insults me, Gold Guy!" he spat in a chilling voice. "My name is Luther Vanderice[1], the MASTER of Cold!"

"Whatever you say, Fridgerace[2]; I'm still digging the cape." Golden Glider answered. "Very stylish. And those goggles bedazzled???"

Dr. Vanderice gnashed his teeth in anger and fired from his Freeze Gun again. Both teens dodged to either side.

"Seriously, lay off the quips!" Aquamarine snapped. "His Freeze Gun just iced an entire pond, the land, and the air in a single shot! We're just two people."

The gun went off again and Golden Glider barely ducked.

"Point taken." he answered, forming a pair of golden boxing gloves at the end of his gold arms. "Get this guy aiming at you; I'll knock him...uh, cold."

"Thanks a lot!" Aquamarine answered as Vanderice did pivot toward her and took aim.

As Aquamarine dodged, Golden Glider did project a golden shield out toward her and flexed his golden gloves.

"Okay; I've had better ideas before." he admitted. "This ice and snow is just frozen water, right?"

Aquamarine flexed her hands for a moment and a bit of slush flew up into her palms before forming spheres of its own accord.

"Good enough." Golden Glider declared. "Now..."

Suddenly, an ice blast struck Golden Glider directly in the face and coated his golden body down to the shoulders. The ice over his golden skin did leave behind a blemished complexion. Across the way, Vanderice gloated in satisfaction. From nearby, Aquamarine gasped. Golden Glider took in that gasp at his new looks and launched one of the golden boxing gloves like a missile.

The golden glove hit home and struck Vanderice in the face. As the villain spun in place for a moment, he did release the trigger on his Freeze Gun.

"That takes care of that for a moment." Golden Glider mumbled as the ice finally vanished from his complexion and he dropped the golden shield from Aquamarine. "Seriously, where's Solara when you need her to raise the thermostat out here?"

"Solara?" Vanderice repeated, scratching his chin in faux innocence. "Why, Ms. Myles is currently engaged with the Living Lazer. Shall we wait for them?"

"Zoe; great." Golden Glider grumbled. "I should have...HEY!"

A slush ball had dented the side of Golden Glider's face. Nearby, Aquamarine glared daggers at him.

"Zoe, huh?" she spat.

"Okay, okay; Living Lazer then." Golden Glider answered. "Can we save the slushballs for the real bad guy here?"

"Yes, the Living Lazer; she does so look forward to her conversations with you, Mr. Harper; and I'm sure that she'll have something to share with your betrothed as well!" Vanderice retorted.

Suddenly, a giant, golden fishbowl materialized over Vanderice's head to block his speech.

"You're not helping." Golden Glider told him.

Instantly, Vanderice angrily fired from his Freeze Gun yet again. This time, the ice did freeze Golden Glider in place and silenced him.

"Good; arguing with you wasn't helping me much either." Aquamarine pointed out, chucking the spare slush ball and striking the golden projection that had covered Vanderice's face.

The bowl shattered into golden light and Vanderice could see once more. What he saw was a single heroine.

"Catch me if you can; without your protectors!" Vanderice gloated as his Freeze Gun went off like a jetpack and propelled him away until he reached the frozen pond.

"With pleasure!" Aquamarine replied, giving a mighty lunge of her own until they both hit the frozen pond away from the land. Vanderice saw the water heroine land with her footing still in place and backed away some steps.

"Not bad." he answered. "But there's still only one wisp of a heroine standing in between me and sending this world into a new ice age. You're a fish out of water here, girl!"

Aquamarine spread her arms as if trying to summon her water powers from somewhere. Before long, the ice began to crack beneath Vanderice's weight.

"I've been meaning to explain something to Vance." she declared. "You and he both talk too much."

Suddenly, the ice did give way beneath the startled crook. He promptly vanished into the frozen water and emerged as a victim of his own powers. Aquamarine observed the ease of beating the villain and nodded at her own handiwork. She then snapped her fingers and the waters of the frozen pond lifted the frozen villain to the solid ground of the ice covering.

Aquamarine grinned at her handiwork one final time and turned on her heels. She discovered Golden Glider flying toward them on a golden platform again.

"Okay, Aquamarine; you tell Mr. Ice Cream Man that this time, I'm playing for k...huh?" Golden Glider spat.

"So sorry to disappoint you, Vance, dear; but..." Aquamarine answered, gesturing at the frozen statue. "...The Ice Cream Man Frozeth."

Golden Glider took in the frost covered form and the hole in the ice that was fast healing in the cold.

"That was Vanderice?" he demanded.

Aquamarine casually dusted off her hands.

"Boom; FROSTED!" she declared.

From his place next to her, Vanderice elicited a groan. Golden Glider draped an arm around her.

"Attagirl!" he declared, scooping her up and the two of them twirling on the frozen pond until Golden Glider lost his footing.

"Oh, Vance!" Aquamarine giggled from her new position on top of his collapsed form.

"Yeah; you never saw that." Golden Glider grumbled.

"Hey, the cops should be well prepared to pick Dr. Vanderice up and the park and pond aren't about to naturally thaw anytime soon." Aquamarine declared, getting up surefootedly and helping Golden Glider back up as well. "There should be plenty of time for turning this wrecked picnic date idea into an ice-skating date!"

"Well, I guess if anyone's going to teach me to skate," Golden Glider retorted, using his power over golden projection to turn his boots into skates before doing the same for Aquamarine, "I'd just as soon pick up that lesson from you."

Aquamarine nodded exuberantly over a gorgeous grin and the two heroes took one another by the hand as Aquamarine led the way around the pond while the two heroes waited for Nikolas Waldo to get in touch with the authorities about Vanderice...

Here's MORE from "Teen Justice" as well!

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Author's Notes:

1). There is so much to do with "Luthor (Vanderice)." (Lex) Luthor was Superman's historic arch nemesis. Luther Vandross was an R&B singer. So many DC villains were "ice" related (Mr. Freeze, Killer Frost, Captain Cold, etc.)

2). "Fridgerace" was a a play on Liberace, the pianist/musician; probably a dig on his garish, colorful clothing style.