The Boys: Ice Time

[Glacius POV]

The Sage Grove Center is a psychiatric hospital in Pennsylvania. Online, the hospital claims to offer therapeutic services. However, in reality, the center is a subsidiary of Vought International that experiments on civilians.

At first glance, Sage Grove Center appears to be a normal mental hospital, however, it is a facility created by Vought to develop new drugs by illegally experimenting on its patients.

These experiments consist of conducting tests on the patients, who are imprisoned in the facility, by injecting Compound V in an attempt to perfect the formula so that adults, as well as children, can be given permanent superpowers without any unwanted side effects.

Now I'm good at my job, nut good enough that Stan Edgar decided to tell me one of Vought's biggest secrets, and most likely one of many. And not just tell me no, he had an on-site personnel showing me around, and again I ask you why.

Because I look out for The Seven and by default the company with potential fixes to the many scandals and fuck-ups of some of my teammates. Because again I'm fucking good at my job? Or a leash of some kind? You've been a good boy here are some secrets to show we're proud of you.

All that aside the patient list here is quite extensive and the abilities vary from interesting to nasty. A kid named Tim with Telekinesis on the weaker side, An Asian kid with teleportation...how the fuck are they keeping him here. Hmmm, maybe it's sight or memory-based? If it's the latter he's a dumbass, if it's the former a padded room with no windows will do it.

A teen with photokinesis, which reminds me of that blonde girl on that all-Christian team...what were they called again All...American I believe. But his is not as strong. According to the recordings, he can make lightbulbs explode, and that's it...for now.

Hmm another photokinetic, a teenage girl slightly stronger than the previous kid. Another patient with...huh electromagnetic manipulation...nice. Hmm let's see here, can release pulses strong enough to toss a human being, or several while also disabling any electronics within a 50-meter range. No wonder his sell is padded with rubber.

I kept going through the computer and ....right the nasty ones. A Russian guy with a prehensile dick he can control, another guy with a prehensile tongue, oh wow acidic fucking vomit and...I'm sorry Entrail Absorption: capable of regurgitating and reabsorbing his entrails on an endless loop...that's not a power...that's a fucking curse. 

Oh...I see. At least now I know where the duo from the Middle East the cute banshee and the stoic heat vision supe went. And lastly.

My eyes narrowed. Mid-tier telekinesis that shows signs of growth, durability enough to withstand high caliber firearms easily." My my my what do they plan to do with you, Cindy"

Markus sat at the terminal, scrolling through files with the calm efficiency of someone who knew how to get results. The quiet hum of the machines was soothing, a stark contrast to the storm brewing behind the door.

It opened with a hiss, and in walked Liberty, her presence as imposing as always. She leaned against the doorway, smirking like a cat about to pounce.

"Well, if it isn't Vought's newest golden boy. Hard at work, I see. Cleaning up their messes already?"

Markus didn't even glance up.

"Somebody has to. Can't let the skeletons pile up, now, can we?"

Liberty's smile faltered for a fraction of a second before she sauntered closer, arms crossed.

Liberty: "Funny. I thought you were here to make the Seven look good. Token spots don't come with much responsibility, after all."

Markus paused, his fingers hovering over the keys. Slowly, he swiveled his chair to face her, his expression calm but ice-cold.

"Token spots? That's rich coming from someone who hasn't been an active hero in, what, a decade? Must be nice collecting checks while sitting on the bench."

Liberty's eyes narrowed, but she chuckled, shaking her head.

"You think you're clever, don't you? I stepped back because I earned my place. You're here because Vought needs a little... PR facelift. Nothing more."

Markus leaned back in his chair, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

"Right. That's the story you tell yourself. But we both know the real reason you've been out of the spotlight, don't we? A little incident in the South, was it? Alabama? Georgia?"

Her jaw tightened, the smugness draining from her face.

"What was it again? Oh, right. A civilian didn't respond to your 'help' the way you wanted. Things got messy, and suddenly, Liberty wasn't so liberating. Stan's been real good about keeping that under wraps, hasn't he?" he said coolly.

"Careful. You don't know what you're talking about," she replied sharply.

Markus stood, his imposing frame making the air in the room feel heavier.

"I know enough. I know that you're here because Vought doesn't trust you in the field anymore. They keep you around for nostalgia—because the old guard still sees you as some kind of icon. But we both know you're a liability. A relic."

Liberty's hands clenched into fists, her voice lowering to a venomous hiss.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Glacius."

"No, you are. You've spent years pretending your past won't catch up with you, but guess what? It always does. And if you think for one second I'm going to let you drag me—or the Seven—down with you, think again." he replied unbothered.

Liberty took a step closer, her voice rising.

"You think you're better than me? I've been doing this since before you were born! You're nothing but a glorified snowman they'll melt the second you step out of line."

Markus tilted his head, his smirk returning.

"And you're a washed-up racist who's one headline away from ruining what little legacy you have left. Let's not kid ourselves, Liberty. The only reason you're still here is because Vought hasn't figured out how to replace you without backlash."

That was the breaking point. Liberty's face twisted with rage, and she lunged forward, her fist crackling with energy.

Markus was ready. He sidestepped her swing with ease, his hands glowing with frost as he conjured an ice blade in one hand and a shield in the other.

"First mistake."

Liberty snarled, throwing another punch that shattered his ice shield but left her open for a counter. Markus drove his blade toward her shoulder, stopping just short to let the icy chill creep into her arm.

"Second mistake. Losing your temper. You should know better by now." he said calmly

She broke free with a burst of strength, but the frostbite spreading across her arm slowed her movements. Markus stayed calm, his precision and discipline shining as he dodged her wild strikes and countered with controlled bursts of freezing air.

"You don't know who you're messing with!"

"Oh, I know exactly who I'm messing with. The question is—do you?"

With a final, powerful move, Markus froze the ground beneath her feet, causing her to slip. Before she could recover, he formed a massive ice wall behind her, pinning her against it without causing serious harm.

He stepped closer, his breath visible in the cold air.

"You wanted a fight? Here's the difference between us: I don't start fights. I end them. So do yourself a favor, Liberty. Walk out of here before you make another mistake."

She glared at him, breathing heavily, but didn't say another word. With a grunt of frustration, she broke free from the ice and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

Markus turned back to the terminal, his composure unshaken.

'She's going to be a problem. Good thing I like solving problems. But that's for another day.'

Markus sat back down at the terminal, the tension in the room still palpable despite Liberty's exit. He resumed his work, but his mind was racing. Liberty wasn't the type to let things slide, and her temper was a liability Markus couldn't afford to ignore.

The files on the Dage Grove system were extensive—reams of data on experiments, patient logs, and Vought's clandestine operations. Markus was good at reading between the lines, spotting patterns where others saw noise. One name kept surfacing in the logs: Subject 14-B, marked as "terminated."

Liberty stormed through the facility, her frostbitten arm aching but her pride stinging more. She paced back and forth in a private lounge, muttering curses under her breath.

"That smug little—thinks he can talk to me like that? I built this company's legacy. People like me paved the way for ungrateful lesser upstarts like him."

She glanced at the mirror, her reflection glaring back at her. Memories of her past, the things she'd done in the name of "justice," resurfaced like old wounds. Markus's words cut deeper than she wanted to admit.

But Liberty wasn't one to back down. She picked up her phone and dialed a number.

"We need to talk. I've got concerns about our newest recruit."

Markus was piecing together a disturbing narrative. Subject 14-B's profile included a photo of a young man—black, early twenties, athletic build. He read the notes about failed procedures, uncontrolled power surges, and the eventual "termination."

They're experimenting on humans with V. Testing limits, seeing what breaks them. And when it doesn't work, they erase them.

The sound of footsteps snapped him out of his thoughts. Turning, he saw Stan Edgar enter the room, his expression as unreadable as ever.

Stan Edgar: "I heard you had a little... disagreement with Liberty."

Markus leaned back in his chair, his face neutral.

"She overvalues her importance."

Stan smirked faintly, folding his hands behind his back.

"Liberty is... a relic, to put it kindly. She's useful in certain situations, but I'm aware of her shortcomings. That's why I'm more interested in you, Markus. You're smart, disciplined, and unlike her, you understand how to play the game."

"Is this the part where you tell me to fall in line?"

"No. This is the part where I remind you why you're here."

Stan gestured to the terminal.

"What you're uncovering right now isn't just history—it's leverage. Knowledge is power, Markus, and Vought is only as powerful as the secrets we keep. I gave you access to Sage Grove because I trust you'll know how to use what you find wisely."

Markus tilted his head, studying Stan.

"And if I don't?"

Stan's smirk widened ever so slightly.

"You will. Because you're not like Liberty. You don't act on emotion. You calculate, strategize, and execute. That's why you'll go further than she ever did."

The tension lingered for a moment before Stan turned to leave. At the door, he paused.

"Oh, and Markus? Don't let Liberty provoke you again. Next time, she might not be so quick to walk away."

Markus snorted at his words after he left. If the first lesson didn't teach him the gap between them. The next would have been more....permanent.