Quest for the Omnistone

Chapter 54: Gauntlets, Nature Boy, and another Legend

Max:

So we leave Crystal alone for a few minutes to make a wicked dragon ice statue and she goes and gets herself taken hostage. How does the girl survive without us?

We glared daggers at Jared as he put Crystal's scythe against her neck, the metal gleaming in the faint afternoon light. I still couldn't take in the fact that a good guy like Jared turned out to be the despicable thief Orange Hood. Then again, I couldn't exactly believe it either when Crystal revealed herself to be Black Hood. Really goes to show that things aren't always how you expect them to be.

Steven was torn. I could tell that he really wanted to blast Jared to smithereens, old colleague or not. The sparks his hands gave off became full blown lightning bolts. One hit me in the gauntlet, making me jump.

"Ow! Steven, stop it," I hissed, taking a few steps away from him. If he started emitting sonic booms, I didn't want to be within range.

My own powers were starting to malfunction as well. There was a cold feeling in my hands that I couldn't seem to stop. It had started as a small pulsing back when I had blasted the dragon, so I was able to ignore it. But now, the light snowfall I had accidentally made...well, it wasn't so light now.

Danny cursed. He had probably tried to do something ghostly before remembering the bracelet he wore to keep him solidified. Johnny was steaming, quite literally, next to me. The snow I made melting right off his armor.

Amused by the fact that we couldn't use our powers, Jared chuckled before making a gesture with his head. The headdress, which had fallen on the ground during our scuffle with the dragon, zoomed up to where he and Crystal stood. Crystal made a move to grab it but Jared moved the scythe closer to her neck.

"Don't move, Death," Jared said, more amused than angry. "Things really never change. Black Hood always had difficulty defeating Orange Hood. It was near impossible." The headdress landed softly right behind him.

"Let her go, Jared," Steven growled, electricity arcing around him. "You have the sapphire now."

Jared merely smiled. "Ah, still having trouble with your powers? Yet you didn't bring the other element users along. I see my note worked perfectly."

"Your note?" Danny repeated.

"Yes. I knew that by specifically asking to bring Hailow and the others along, you'd make the decision to not do that. You're all much too predictable."

"But..." I shook my head in confusion. "Pyrrha told us the note arrived by skeleton!"

"Yes, indeed it did," Jared said. "Did she not note how windy it was? Air is quite useful for animating old bones. Now, I tire of this idle chatter. It's been nice to catch up with you and all, but I've got a busy schedule." His eyes glowed red and the floor behind us was ripped up and twisted into bars. The bars then proceeded to wrap around our wrists tightly. If not for our gauntlets, our hands might have come right off.

I struggled, my scrambled emotions causing a layer of frost to cover the metal. Several more metal bonds wrapped around my arms to support the half-frozen ones.

"Pull any funny business, any at all, and this'll be the last you see of Death," Jared said before focusing his attention on Crystal. "Well, well, looks like your Master's not here to save you anymore."

Crystal glared up at him defiantly despite the weapon at her throat. "What are you going to do, Jay? Kill me? You know what that would do to the Organization... to you."

Unfazed, Jared released her hair and lifted his hand, summoning the Power Gauntlet to him. "That won't be a problem after this."

Crystal's eyes widened, her calm façade cracking in the slightest. "Jay, you remember what Mortem said. The Law—"