That night, John and Akira stopped for the night at a motel in Virginia. The state was the halfway point of their trip to Quebec and Akira stayed in the car while he booked them a room. "It only has one bed but I don't need to sleep. I think I'd rather keep watch." John explained. His bag was thrown over his shoulder as he keyed into the room and Akira looked at him like he was crazy.
"Shut up. You're crazy. If anything I should take first watch. You've been driving all day. You should get some rest."
"I'm fine." John said, putting his stuff down in a chair nearby.
"You're not but whatever liar." Akita said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. John smirked a little. "Stop being so noble and just go to bed or something." Akira said dismissively, standing up. "I'm going to take a shower and try not to freeze the pipes while I'm in there." John chuckled as Akira grabbed up her stuff and headed for the bathroom. When she exited, running one hand through her still wet hair, she found John passed out on the bed, leaning against the headboard. She smiled to herself, turned down the volume on the TV and curled up in the chair to wait out the night.
-----
Akira was startled awake when someone picked her up. "Don't ice me." John murmured. Akira looked up at him with wide startled eyes and he smiled softly, setting her down on the bed. "Sorry I fell asleep like that. I didn't mean to. I guess I was more tired than I thought." Akira nodded as he sat down next to her on the bed. She hadn't expected him to pick her up. Nobody had been that close to her since...
"It's okay. I don't mind. I told you to go to sleep. What time is it?" Akira asked, glancing around the room. It was still dark and John had turned off the TV. John glanced at his watch.
"Almost four in the morning. How did you even fall asleep in that chair. It looks uncomfortable." Akira snorted, shaking her head.
"John, my bed in the Arctic is made out of snow and ice."
"No it isn't." John said, smiling.
"I'm being completely serious." Akira said with a laugh. "Though the laughing makes it seem like I'm not. Snow is comfortable, I swear, if it's the right consistency." John shrugged and stood.
"I'll take your word for it. Go back to sleep okay. I'll wake you around six. We'll get breakfast and then continue to Quebec." Akira nodded and scooted towards the pillows, dropping her head down on top of them as John went and glanced out the window. She didn't think she would be able to fall back asleep after having been so close to John like that but before she knew it, light was streaming through the window and Akira could hear John in the shower.
With a yawn, Akira sat up and stretched out her arms over her head. The room felt warm. John was obviously taking a hot shower, why wouldn't he? He probably got an unwelcome surprise this morning when the ice cold water Akira had turned the knob to hit his skin. Feeling a little stifled, Akira stood and glanced outside. There wasn't anybody outside at the moment, probably too early, and even though Akira was only in her pajamas, she felt safe enough to step outside for a moment while she waited for John to get out of the bathroom.
Akira opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind her after she grabbed the keycard to get back in. The morning air was crisp and cool and the sun was just rising out in the distance. Akira let out a sigh as she looked out across the sprawling landscape. She had always wanted to go to America when she was younger and now that she was here, she couldn't wait to leave. Not that she really wanted to, she just knew she had to. She couldn't be around people. Despite being a passing Mutant, Akria knew her powers were too dangerous, too unpredictable. She needed to be isolated.
"Yuki?" Akira heard John call out behind her. Akira glanced back at the door, stepped away from the walkways railing and opened the door. As she stepped into the room she was greeted by a wet, bare chested, towel wearing John.
"Oh." Akira said in surprise as she stared at the water dripping from his hair and running down his chest.
"Oh hey.. Sorry I.." John said, running one hand through his hair. "I didn't know where you went. I heard the door close and got worried so I kind of just... Jumped out of the shower."
Akira didn't mind in the slightest though as she stared at him. His hair still wet and sticking to his neck and face. The toned muscles of his chest and arms would make any girl weak in the knees and the towel he had wrapped around his waist hung low on his hips.
"I uhhh... No it's fine. It's really fine." Akira said, turing away slowly, so red with embarrassment she felt like she might explode. "I just went to get some air. I forgot people like taking hot showers it felt kind of warm in here." Akira said with a nervous laugh, trying to hide how red her face was. John smiled a little.
"Yeah sorry Ice Princess. I hate cold showers, even in summer. I'll change and then you can have the bathroom." Akira glanced back at him out of the corner of her eye as he walked back into the bathroom. God, even his back was hot. John closed the door behind him and Akira sat down on the bed, putting her hands over her face.
You can't stay here. You can't stay here. You can't stay here. Akira repeated to herself over and over in her mind. But the image of John kept resurfacing leaving her cheeks pink.
-----
"You know, I could've done this on my own." Akira said as she stretches out her legs in the passenger seat of John's car.
"Done what?" John asks.
"Gotten back to the North Pole." John smiles.
"Oh yeah? What would you have done?" John asked, shifting his hand on the wheel to look over at her. Akira shrugs.
"Make my way to the ocean, build myself an iceberg and hop onto it." John started to laugh.
"Oh yeah, an iceberg on the shore of a beach. That wouldn't raise some red flags."
"Hey, by the time the police or Sentinel services pulled their heads out of their asses, I would be in Greenland, heading north."
"Where exactly did you live if not Greenland? You don't actually live out in the middle of the ocean do you?" Akira smiled at him devilishly. "No, stop. You do not."
"When I was 14 I created this giant ice shelf out in in arctic ocean. It took nearly the whole year but I eventually did it. I don't know how wide it is exactly but it is very deep. At least a mile or two long. I keep adding to it because it keeps melting. I've been expanding it ever since I finished it and I guess that's what drew scientists towards me. I kept making blizzards and snowstorms at odd times. It was a dumb move I guess but I just wanted somewhere to live where I wouldn't hurt anyone."
"It's not dumb." John said. Akira shrugged.
"It was nice out there. I built caves and mountains of ice and i made it snow constantly just for my own amusement. I wanted to see what I could and couldn't build out of ice you know?" John smiled.
"Like ice sculptures?" Akira blushed.
"They're not very good." John laughed.
"I'm sure they look great Yuki." Akira smiled to herself as John's phone began to ring. "Can you see who that is." Akira picked it up and flipped it open, seeing Marcos' name on the screen.
"Should I answer it?" Akira asked, showing John his name. John frowned and nodded.
"Put the call volume as high as it will go." John said. Akira nodded, hit the answer button and said,
"Hey Marcos." As she turned up the volume of the phone.
"Where are you two right now?" Marcos asks. Akira looks to John and moves the phone closer to him. She has no idea where they are. They've been driving most of the day and she doesn't know what state lines they just passed, if any.
"We just passed the state line for New York. What's up?"
"Thank god." Marcos said with a sigh. "You two need to get to the New York Cell right now. They've been compromised and they need help getting everybody out of that section of the Underground."
"What happened?" Akira asked, worriedly.
"I don't know but Diana was scanning the web and saw that Sentinel Services had been dispatched to Arlo's location. We called them to warn them but they were already aware and not moving fast enough." Marcos said.
"I don't know if we'll get there in time to help." John said.
"You have to at least try." Marcos said. John looked to Akira who nodded slowly. She couldn't just ignore a call for help, no matter how dangerous she thought she was.
"We'll go Marcos." John said.
"Thank you. Call me when it's all done so I know if you are all okay."
"Will do. Bye." John said. Akira ended the call and snapped the phone shut.
"Guess we're taking a detour." John murmured as he gunned it off the next ramp and out into the streets.
-----
"Stay in the car Yuki." John said, jumping out and slamming the door shut. They had arrived at an abandoned part of town, large warehouse looking buildings filled the area. John parked nearly a mile away on a hill and had said that the building in the small valley was where the Underground was hiding.
"I can help John. I'm not going to let them take anyone." Akira snapped back at him, getting out.
"This isn't your fight. You don't have to be a part of this." John argued as they rushed down the hill, through the line of trees.
"If you think I'm letting you go in there without me you're crazy. You're my ride to Canada." John laughed just as Sentinel Services spotted them and opened fire. John spun around to shield Akira with his body but she had her hand out, pointed towards the agents. A wall of ice ten inches thick grew up out of the ground in front of them, stopping the bullets from reaching them. Akira smirked up at him. "I can take care of myself. Now come on." Akira raced off, building up on the ice wall she had made, creating a safe path from their position to the side entrance of the building. John smiled and took off after her.
As John and Akira burst through the door, they were met by two people, one with red glowing eyes and similarly glowing energy orbs in her hands and a boy who was hovering slightly off the ground. Both of them looked ready to attack. Akira held up her hands to show that she meant no harm as John said, "Is Arlo still here?" The girl's eyes stopped glowing red and the orbs disappeared.
"Are you John? Arlo said backup might be coming. I just thought..." She looked back and forth between Akira and John. "That there would be more of you."
"Sorry to disappoint." Akira said with a shrug just as a man with chalky gray skin and yellow eyes appeared around the corner.
"John, thank god you're here. We've nearly got everyone out but the agents are coming down the hill now and..."
"Where are you all escaping out of?" Akira asked, stepping further into the warehouse, watching other mutants hustle people, bags and other items out down a different hallway.
"The east exit but.." Arlo said. Akira pushed open the front door. "Are you insane!" Arlo shouted.
"Yuki!" John exclaimed but she wasn't listening. Akira raised her arms up towards the sky slowly and as she did, a large wall of ice began to build out on the grass between the building and Sentinel Agents who shouted or gasped in protest. Akira walked farther outside and moved her arms slowly across, the wall becoming large as she put it up around the entire building like a shield.
"I can put it around the whole perimeter." Akira said, sweat beading on her forehead. She had never tried to create something so big before. "Just show me where to stop." Everyone eyed Akira with awe and fascination.
"Well uhh.. There's an old subway tunnel that we're all going to escape down. It's not too far away. I think this should suffice for now. I don't think they've surrounded us yet or know where we're headed." Akira nodded as she closed off the loop around them.
"Show me where you're going and I'll make a small exit." Akira said as they walked around to the side of the building.
"There, where everyone else has gathered. You've made a perfect barrier around us." Arlo said, fascinated. Akira nodded and simply began to concentrate her powers from the top of the dome, down leaving a door shaped hole at the bottom wide enough for several people to pass through at once. Akira dropped her arms, feeling drain and tired and really really warm.
"Wow I'm dizzy." Akira said, stumbling slightly. "How hot is it right now?" The ice dome had cooled her down a bit but the exertion she used making it made her feel all warm inside.
"Like 85 degrees." The girl said.
"That's not good." Akira said, nearly crumbling to her knees. John caught her arm.
"You okay Yuki?" He asked worriedly.
"Oh yeah, just hot, give me a sec." She stumbled away from the rest of the group and started a tiny blizzard around her, lowering the temperature around them even more as ice and snow whirled around them.
"Where have you all been hiding this girl?" Arlo demanded of John. "She's amazing." John smiled, staring at Akira in the middle of her own snowstorm.
"Yeah, she's incredible.