Iceman

 

Harry

Tanya Redfield

Sherry Redfield

A brief sigh left the young man's mouth as the air-depressurizing sound of the A-1 Local Bus pulled up to the stop at the corner of Washington Avenue. Stepping onto the bus, he took a brief glance around his (at this point in time) mode of transportation, dropped a few coins into a box near the driver, and moved down the narrow path.

Bobby Drake's his name, and this is the return of Iceman at Marvel 2000!

...Just too bad that in his last adventure in this title, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants coincidently trashed some of the vehicles in the bar and grill he works at; including his 1986 Ford Escort! Insurance pay is a bitch, and so is an average paying job for a young man longing for a normal life.

Knowing it would be a short while before the bus would arrive near the corner of Harry's Hideaway, Bobby sprawled his arms across the upper lining of his seat on the bus, taking up as much space as he could to relax.

Although relaxing was important to him, being courteous to others was too.

"Excuse me, young man?" An elder woman's voice called out to him. "But is this seat taken?"

A single eyelid flicked open out of the set on Bobby's face, identifying who was before him, and returning upward to his normal posture.

"Oh, sure isn't, ma'am." Bobby smiled politely.

Seeing his adjustment, the elder woman couldn't help but give off a warm smile and sit down beside him. The entrance doors to the bus shut with a bit of a bump as the large vehicle parted from the corner, and moved off down the street.

"I don't believe I've seen you on this bus before."

"Nah, usually I drive. But my car's a bit out of uh, commission." Sarcasm rolled off Bobby's tongue as he cocked his head to the side.

"Oh -- that's too bad. I usually recognize all the faces that take this bus, but I don't usually speak with them." Her smile forced a bit of warmth onto Bobby's profile. "Such a handsome man like yourself stood out."

"Heh, thanks," Bobby replied modestly.

"My name is Lylian Beatty."

"Bobby Drake."

"What a lovely name."

This woman was just full of compliments, and if it's one thing about Bobby Drake, compliments are a way to his friendship.

[[Here is also a short list of ways to get Bobby Drake to be your friend: Being in possession of pizza. Having a funky, white streak down the middle of your hair. Situating yourself shyly or lonely. Giving him money. No one else being in the company of you... Wait, that counts as being shy. Anyway... -- Cory]]

"So where are you heading to?"

"Just to a place called Harry's Hideaway. I work there."

"Harry is such a nice man..." Lylian smiled warmly.

"You know him?" Bobby arched a brow.

"Oh, yes." Lylian waved her hand, placing her purse into her lap. "You don't think a woman like me hasn't been to a place like Harry's Hideaway in her years living in Salem for a few belts and games of pool, do you?"

The crease on Bobby's brow was completed, along with a smile crossing his face.

"He gave me a job there not too long ago. Me and my friends used to come in all the time for drinks every now and then." Bobby frowned, keeping the crease in his brow. "Too bad they had a bit of a falling out with each other."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Lylian gave him a look of condolence. "But you do keep in touch with them, right?"

"Oh, yeah. They're the greatest. I make sure to get the time to talk to most of them, even if they don't all... hang out with each other much anymore."

"That's good to know that even despite your friends not agreeing on some trivial dispute or whatever their reasons for parting ways was, that you would still be able to keep in touch with all of them."

Bobby nodded, which however led into a brief silence.

"So do you have a girlfriend?"

Bobby smiled lightly at her curiosity, her conspiratorial smile that could just as well replace a wink warmed his heart... even in this rather slow paced day.

"Not exactly. There is someone I met not too long ago..."

"She does have a name, doesn't she?"

"Heh, yeah... Tanya."

"Bobby and Tanya." Lylian analyzed her own, warm phrasing.

"Has kind of a nice ring to it, huh?" Bobby concluded for her.

"Mmm... it does." Lylian's eyes dazed off partially, as if she was taking a trip down memory lane. "You really remind me of him..."

"Who?" Bobby inquired, looking to the smaller, and elder woman.

"My late husband..." Lylian looked to Bobby, connecting with his icy blue eyes, then smiling. "Your smile. And your eyes. I think that's why I was inspired to sit next to you."

"...Hmm."

Bobby was lost in the kind gesture... until the bus came to a sudden stop. Tilting his head up, he was able to see that they had stopped just near Harry's Hideaway. Returning his eyes to her, he sat up a bit.

"Looks like this is my stop."

"Give Harry my reguards."

"Will do."

Bobby and Lylian returned warm smiles of departure as Bobby moved past her, until something caught his eye. A newspaper next to a man sitting across from him.

"Hey pal, you done with that?"

"Go for it, kid."

Reaching down with an arched brow, Bobby took the newspaper into his hands and read over an article's title, which distinctively stood out for him.

"...Tampa PD Guns down Teenage Mutant." Saying aloud. Almost in somewhat of a confused awe at the title, Bobby lowered the paper from his face and looked upright.

"It sure is nice to see some state police departments taking action against those god awful freaks of nature." Lylian spoke from her seat in response to the title.

Bobby glanced back to Lylian, his entire perspective of the elderly woman, of everyone around him in society... suddenly being altered.

"...It's been nice talking to you."

Comments? Bawlings? Inquiries? Frostbyte's here for you!

And there you have it, my return to Iceman. Though it was a short story, I do plan on increasing the size of my issues for your, the readers', enjoyment. >=D

-=Cory Wiegel=-