Harry's Hideaway

Life has never been as laid back as his humorous personality for Robert "Bobby" Drake, former X-Man known as Iceman and current employee at Salem Center's most popular pub. Bobby has been blessed with the ability to form ice into almost any form by using moisture in the air. In recent years, after the telepath Emma Frost inhabited his body for a short time, Bobby has discovered that he may be more powerful than he and his teammates thought. Bobby is able to turn his entire body into living, organic ice. In this form, he is essentially indestructible.

However, the thought of being immortal is the last thing on Drake's mind.

The source of Bobby's unique mutant power stems from his strained relationship with his father. Drake, like all mutants, manifested his abilities during a stressful event during puberty. It has been theorized by certain...sinister geneticists that the emotional event in a neo-mutant's life determines the type of power the mutant exhibits.

As a child, a young Bobby would try to impress his father by building sand castles on the beach near their Long Island home. Unfortunately, the child was totally ignored by his father. Could it be, Bobby manifested his ice powers so that he could build anything in the blink of an eye? Is the secret origin of Iceman simply the fact he wanted to be noticed by his father?

"What'll it be, dude?" Bobby asks a portly trucker with a sleeveless flannel shirt, an anchor tattoo on his left bicep, rattlesnake skin boots, and a pair of tight blue jeans that belonged in the 1980s.

The trucker, who also has a mullet FYI, limps towards the bar stool before finally sitting down in it. He'd been on the road for twelve hours straight. His backside needed a rest. Wait, don't truckers sit down while driving?

"I'll have a Rolling Rock," the trucker says with a raspy voice. He pulls a cigar from the front pocket of his flannel shirt and lights it.

Bobby flinches a little bit at the cigar smoke. He should be used to it by now. The entire Xavier Mansion reeks of the scent. But, for whatever reason, chicks dig it when you smell like cigars.

"What do Jean or Jubes see in that stanky smell...?" Bobby mutters to himself as he drapes a towel over his shoulder. He turns around to face the trucker with the green bottle from Latrobe, Pennsylvania in his hand. With a quick twist, Bobby pops the cap off.

The door opens, ringing the small bell overhead. The door slams, which vibrates the bell, muffling the ring. Bobby peers over from the other side of the bar and swears he sees a woman with brown hair...and a distinguishing white streak along the bangs!

"What in the icy cold genuine draft hell...?" Bobby asks.

"...I said how much for the brewskie, city boy?" the trucker asks, holding his wallet in his hand.

Bobby's eyes try to follow the woman, but a large group of people block his view. His attention is drawn back to the transaction at hand, "Oh, sorry. Um...it's on the house."

"Gee, thanks," the trucker says, taking a swig.

"Yeah," Bobby says unconsciously, trying to look for the woman. "No problem." He tosses the towel over his shoulder into a small sink in the middle of the bar and walks to the other end, to try and see if he can see her through the group of people.

"Hey sugah," a voice says.

Bobby's joints lock up and he become aware of each beat his heart takes. He turns around and his fears were correct, "R-Rogue?"

"What's the mattah, Bobby? You look like you've seen a ghost," Rogue snickers.

Bobby buries his head in his hand, and looks up at Rogue, "No way." He smiles, "Well, I figured that there was always the possibility you would come back. Usually, it takes us hero types about six months before we return from the--"

Bobby's body freezes (ironically) again as Rogue seductively runs her ungloved finger across the side of his face. "What are you...?" Bobby asks, his voice almost cracking.

"Don't worry, Iceman, I have complete control over my powers," Rogue says with a devilish smile.

"Wait...what happened to your accent?" Bobby asks. Before he knows it, Rogue transforms before his eyes, revealing a pale-skinned, scantily clad monstrosity.

"I am Famine, the High Lord has ordered your capture!" Famine shouts.

Iceman immediately realizes what's going on. He's dealt with Apocalypse before during his time with X-Factor, "Oh God, Tacolips gave you a mullet?"

"Hey, I resent that!" the trucker shouts, spilling his beer.

"How couldn't we see this?" Iceman yells. "Oh God, how stupid are we? The same thing with Warren...and we couldn't see this coming? I gotta tell Scott and the X-Men, I gotta..."

Bobby's words stop as his body suddenly loses 75 percent of his body fat, becoming a skeleton of his former self. The customers drunkenly scurry out of the bar in fear.

"Hey!" someone behind Famine shouts. She turns around and sees the bar's owner, Harry himself. "You can't be back here! Employees only!"

Bobby tries to move his lips, but he doesn't seem to have the strength, "...Harry...don't..."

Famine tosses the withering Iceman to the side and punches Harry in the jaw, sending him through a glass case full of vintage beer mugs.

Iceman knows he has to use his powers. It's the only way he can survive, but he can't. Rogue, or rather, Famine, has siphoned off his strength and powers. He was so hungry. His stomach growled so loud, it hurt his insides. Blood was pumping against his sinuses. He needed to eat something.

Famine violently shakes the borderline lifeless body of Iceman as she goes in to absorb the last ounce of energy in his body.

Bobby flinches as he hears a loud KLANG - the sound of metal rammed against flesh. He feels the grip of Famine loosen off of his shirt collar and then feels a husky arm grab him before he eats floor.

"Cable?" Iceman wonders aloud. He wasn't sure if it was him or not, since Bobby's vision was blurry. He was no longer wearing his brightly colored, x-covered costume, but rather military clothing.

"This might sting a bit," Cable says as he sticks a needle into Bobby's arm.

Bobby should be feeling pain, thankfully it's anything but. Bobby feels a surge of exhilaration as his body instantly utilizes the proteins, lipids, and other nutrients to return to his regular, physically fit self.

"How dare you, wretched Nathan Summers!!" Famine yells in a scratchy and echoey voice. "How can you resist the inevitability of the Apocalypse?!"

Cable sighs deeply, "If you're in there, Rogue, know this...I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me, Askani'Son!!" Famine yells as she begins to charge, on an ice bridge, of all things.

Before Famine can attack, Cable holds out his hand and unleashes all the fury of his sheer telekinetic power, sending her through the wall of Harry's Hideaway, and far into the surrounding forestry.

"Ugh," Bobby says as he shakes his head, "what was in that syringe? Ultra-Gatorade?"

"It was a nutrient serum," Cable explains. He takes out a small device from his back pants pocket. He opens the flap and there is a faint beeping sound. Cable closes the flap and presses against the earpiece in his left ear, "Prosh, lock onto coordinates, designate: Drake, Robert. Bodyslide designate by one, Greymalkin bound. Medical attention suggested."

{{Affirmative, Nathan. Good luck,}} Prosh's voice speaks into the earpiece.

The voice is able to be heard by Iceman. He swears he knows the voice, "Is that...Ship? I thought it blew up on the moon?" *

(* In X-Factor #68...I think -- Brad)

Cable places his metal hand on Bobby's shoulder, "Just try to stay still."

"Why--?" Bobby is cut off as a blue sphere surrounds him and his molecules are transported onto Greymalkin, Cable's orbiting base.

{{Have you detected the fifth member of the Twelve?}} Prosh asks.

Cable sighs, "Yes. Bodyslide by one, Hammer Bay bound."

NEXT: Brother of the Sun