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Prompt 12 (Cold Blooded): Pearly white snow is a common sight in Destiny City, so seeing, ivory lumps around the city really isn’t so strange. Until they move. The ones the size of an iguana, or the mountains of small, gecko-like lizards that travel together, probably aren’t that intimidating. The ones the size of a komodo dragon? Those are scary. Though they range in size, they have a few things in common: sharp nails that let them climb up nearly any surface, sharp teeth that feel like being gnawed on by icicles, and scales so cold that it feels like being freezer-burned. All lizards seem to like sleeping in the snow, but the larger they are, the more solitary they travel. It isn’t uncommon to see one very large lizard, a handful of iguana-sized lizards, or two or three dozens (or more!) smaller lizards in a single grouping. They seem to mind their own business unless they are hungry, or if you get too close. It’s just, it’s hard to avoid them when they look just like snow--or when they fall out of trees on top of you? These lizards love the snow, and they love chewing on people, too. Whether it’s out of hunger or agitation, if you make the mistake of getting too close to one, they will attack–even if unprovoked. They’re fast. They’re vicious. They have a strange habit of disappearing mid battle with a camouflage you just cannot detect. It’s impossible to kill or capture one, and strangely enough there doesn’t seem to be any reports of these lizards anywhere. They seem like ordinary lizards, just very cold blooded. They don’t have an aura or seem to be magical, but something just isn’t adding up here, anyway.
Note: The lizard is not a youma but can be used as a battle requirement for a character. It can only be used as a battle if there are two powered characters involved; you cannot write a solo and count this as a battle, and your character must be powered to meet battle requirements. You can use the prompt for as many characters as you like and it will count as a battle requirement, however if you repeat the prompt with the same character, only the first time will be usable as a battle.

It was dark, it was cold, and it was stupid that she was out here this late at night. The sun had gone down HOURS ago, who cared if it started to set at like 4 pm, as far as Strengite was concerned no sane person went out this late at night in the dead of winter. Sadly, she had a job to do, quotas to meet, and honestly she wanted to get some ‘boots on the ground’ research for her next big project. Especially since she hadn’t expected her last project to end up the way it did.

She was still salty about that. She will continue to be pissed about it for the foreseeable future. Strengite had put so much time and work into it! How dare those little shits burn it down. Even the paltry sum from the insurance couldn’t take the edge off of her anger.

Still boiling with anger the Captain stomped and steamed and finally kicked a discarded can as hard as she could, absently watching it as it bounced and clattered across the street into an empty lot covered in snow.

This was the first time she was out on patrol without her bestie with her and it was so strange.

Pezz continued her leisurely walk, feeling the signature of someone above her in rank. Finding herself curious, she decided to investigate. Imagine her surprise when she saw a woman that looked like she belonged in the fifties, mainly in the barefoot pregnant housewife type of deal. “Hey lady….What are you doing? Don't you older folk have like…A bed time or something?”

Strengite had started to cross the street, if only to just ruin the nearly untouched dusting of snow in the empty lot when some little s**t started to talk to her. Silver eyes flicked over the lieutenant who was trying to be cute, a pale brow rising in scorn. “Pretty sure the middle school production of the Nutcracker is next week, kid. Might want to run on home before you break your curfew.”

Oh wow that was sooooo funny.

The red head gave her a look that screamed boredom. “Pretty sure being 5’8 is too big for middle school but alright.” She twirled her candle, “So, what's got your grandma panties in a twist?” She didn't really care of course, but if she was in middle school then she might as well play it up. “I do want to hear a good bedtime story before I go to sleep, you know.” If anything went sideways, she could just hit her new oh s**t button and call either Wither or Villon, with the latter being more likely since Wither was usually busy.

Strengite just rolled her eyes and sighed before continuing into the snowy lot. Why was she currently saddled with a snarky child? What use was it? Of course she chose to ignore the fact that she too was a lieutenant not too terribly long ago, granted not being in the city did definitely slow her own professional Officer growth down quite a bit. But she was trying to work on that, her failed business was only the first step in many that she was planning on making her one of the most prolific energy producers in the whole of the Negaverse, or at least in the Destiny City branch.

“First, it's not about your height, it's your attitude, kid. If it quacks like a duck it is a duck. Second, if you have to use the term ‘grandma panties’ then you are definitely not old enough to even be breathing the same air as me… for ******** sake at least say ‘granny panties’. God, what are they teaching you kids these days.” She felt old just looking at the child and she wasn’t even all that old! “And thirdly, if you want a bedtime story go bother your bloody a** Captain. I am no ******** baby sitter, nor am I a nanny.” She had turned towards the LT, likely going to continue to throw relatively low level insults at the kid when movement out of the corner of her eye had her whipping around and kicking out at the small thing that was charging at her. It wasn’t until Strengite had a moment to really think that she realized that she had just punted a small white lizard across the lot. “What the?”

Pezz had more insults on her tongue just so she could ******** with the captain when she just saw her punt a lizard…

What the ******** that lizard landed on its back in the lot, it cried out and the whole mountain of snow shifted into dozens of the things, rolling down as the pile of snow began to shrink. “Uhhhh…” Pezz readied her fists, candle in one hand as the entire flock charged towards them, hissing and growling. This was either going to be very painful or very fun all things considered. She just hoped the older woman would be able to hold her own for a long period of time. Since she was a captain she figured the lady would be just fine. One of the lizards leaped at her and she punched it with her fist, sending the thing flying in the air. The stupid things were fast and mean, she had to dodge a bite that was aimed for her foot, laughing when the tiny thing went sailing back in the air to join its friend.

“s**t,” Strengite cursed as the one lizard turned into a boiling mass of them, all converging on their spot. Two more took to the air with some well placed kicks. She even tossed one of her daggers at the creatures but even though she was certain that she had actually spitted one of the things with her blade they kept coming. “s**t, s**t, s**t, s**t,” the captain practically chanted as she recalled her dagger and did her best to keep the creatures off of her. It was starting to feel very much like a repeat of those huge ******** bugs from several months ago. At least this time she didn’t have a batshit crazy senshi trying to punch her face in at the same time.

No…. she had a next to useless lieutenant. “I don’t suppose that candle has a real flame does it?” Maybe it could be used to burn the little things since apparently cutting them wasn’t working. Strengite even tried to stomp on them but they were slicker then spit and harder to pinpoint to boot. Even as the white snow was rapidly getting dirty with their movements the little lizards still found a way to disappear into the background.

Pezz looked to the captain with the deadest look imaginable, “Oh I don't know…Does this look like it would be real? Last time I checked, it was as useless as anything else around here. So no, it does not have a real flame.” One of the lizards leaped yet again and she barely missed its mouth, round house kicking it to the side. It was highly annoying that the lizards kept disappearing the way they were, it meant that they would just keep coming at this point. “Any other bright ideas?” one of the bastards bit her on the arm and she hissed, flinging it off. “Got damn it!” She recharged her fists and prepared herself once more.

“No, but I was hoping you would be of more use then a ******** target,” Strengite snapped back even as she sliced one of the jumping lizards. It didn’t do anything other than knock it back. ********. It got worse when one of the ones she had been trying to stomp on scaled her shoe and bit her right on the ankle. “Yeah! Leave your a** here to deal with them without me. Feel like getting swarmed by the little bastards?” The only reason she hadn’t teleported out of there yet was because she had the sinking feeling that if Strengite left the smart mouth child behind she might be in hot water.

Target!? Did the woman not see that she was holding her own?!

Pezzottaite accidentally touched the scales on one of the lizards yelping at the almost instant frostbite that tried to take root. “The ******** are these things?” They didn't seem like youma, yet they seemed to have ******** powers like one. “And no I don't feel like getting swarmed, I’d like to live thank you!” There was a lot she wanted to do in her life and dying was not one of them. She was only 18 after all, she had her whole life ahead of her, as well as some things she wanted to clarify. The lieutenant was half tempted to hit her oh s**t button, but she wasn't sure if Villon would show, she wasn't Taff and clearly could hold her own.

Strengite slapped another lizard away, grimacing when its cold skin lashed her fingers making her digits feel like a block of ice. These things weren’t going away, nor were they dying… honestly they are worse than those giant cicadas. At least those bugs died. These things don’t! Muffling a curse and seeing no other way out of their current predicament, Strengite decided to go with her last ditch maneuver. Thank all the stars that she had been practicing so damn much lately. The captain grabbed the lieutenant by her gaudy collar and with a mental twist teleported them both the hell out of there.

They didn’t get all that far, only about a block away, but even then it felt like her lungs were on fire and her head was trying to float away. “Fuuuuuuuucccccccck,” Strengite moaned as she released the stupid kid and cradled her own head. “Good lord, no wonder Beni warned against that. s**t.” She continued to mutter curses as she got some of her vigor back. Finally when she felt at least somewhat better she eyed the LT and snapped, “Well?”

Well if she died, at least she could say it happened while she was being a bad a**.

Pezz raised her fist to punch another lizard when she was suddenly grabbed mid punch, stumbling forward. She heard the name Beni and looked at the caption with surprise, “You're a part of Beni’s team?” She didn't know he had such old people, but then again, her boss was old himself [not that she'd say that aloud, she wanted to live thank you]. After that initial shock was over, Pezz rolled her eyes and grumbled out a thank you. “You're so grouchy geez go get laid or something.”

“Nooooo,” Strengite sarcastically drew out the word, “I just get help from him because I can.” She paused, made a ‘actually…’ face before nodding slightly, “Ok yeah so I do mostly bother him because I can but yes I am one of his Captains.” She stood up straight and lightly shook herself, smoothed down her hair, and made sure her daggers were in place, all while the kid at least figured out that Strengite deserved a thanks for getting her a** out of the hot water.

“Your welcome,” Any good will she had felt quickly went out the window again with her follow-up comment. “I was hoping to beat the snot out of a little butt-bow but since I had to save your a** I think I’ll just call it a night.” She started to walk away before pausing and rolling her eyes, damn her altruistic heart, “Word of advice kid. When you hit Captain practice teleporting right away… if you can teleport with other people too. The s**t really saps it from you.” With that she trudged away into the night. The only reason she didn’t slump down on any convenient seat was because she didn’t want to look weak in front of the child. Strengite wasn’t weak. She wasn’t! She just wished she remembered she could teleport a lot sooner once she earned her Captaincy. She would have been better at it by now.