Frost

"We're not here to hurt you," Ace said, raising his hands to show he held no weapons, "We just want ta talk."

"That's what those goons said yesterday. And the day before, and the coppers before that!" the she-wolf spat, "How are you any different?"

"They're our enemies as well," Tech said. Frost looked at him, growling quietly, "We're looking for anyone with powers to join us, if they're willing."

"Join you?" Frost asked, narrowing her eyes. Tech nodded, and the wolf relaxed a little, her eyes fading back to their normal appearance. She looked over the three anthros before speaking again, "What makes you think I've got powers?"

"We were not sure if you did, but someone said you could help us." Lexi said. Frost seemed to think for a moment.

"Well you now know I do have powers," she said, "What now? Could you teach me how to use them?"

"It's possible. We're just learning how to use our powers ourselves," Tech replied, "Most of us have skills in other areas, not just our powers."

"Hmm...well, I don't have much to bring in that area. Except, perhaps, making things."

"Making tings?" Ace asked, raising an eyebrow. Frost nodded.

"I can build robots. I'm pretty decent with programming. I...don't remember where I got the skills. I just know I have them." She said, earning an odd look from Ace, Lexi, and Tech.

"How can you not know where you got your skills from?" Ace asked. Frost shrugged.

"I dunno...I just don't remember. I don't know where I came from, or why I woke up inside the ruins of a lab. I think the lab was destroyed by the meteor, as that had already happened. Anything before that, I have no memory of. First name I saw was Frost Wolffe. So I've been using that..."

"Amnesia..." Tech sighed to himself, "What, exactly, are your powers?"

"Ironically, I can control ice. But...it's a little more complicated than just throwing snowballs at people. The hotter the environment around me, the stronger my powers. In fact, if I'm in a hot enough location frost will start covering my fur," the wolf said, "On the flip-side, the colder my environment, the weaker my powers. I suspect that if I get cold enough, I could collapse from heat exhaustion."

"How could that happen?" Tech asked. Frost turned to the coyote.

"You know how lizards and other reptiles are cold-blooded and heat warms up their bodies while cold cools them down?" She asked. When the scientist nodded she continued, "Well apparently I'm like that, but the opposite; the heat lowers my internal temperature which charges my powers, and the cold raises my internal temperature which weakens my powers. Probably because they're ice-based."

"I think I understand what you're saying." Tech said, nodding slowly. Ace turned from the scientist to the wolf.

"So? Will you come wif us?" He asked. Frost sighed, casting  reproachful glance at the garbage bin next to her.

"Yea sure. Staying here isn't doing me any favors." she said. Lexi smiled as the she-wolf followed them back to the others. Duck looked over the canine, unimpressed.

"As if we need another filthy dog." he grumbled. Tech shot the duck a glare while Frost bared her teeth, growling.

"WOLF. I'm a WOLF." she snarled. Ace stepped between the two before a fight could break out between them.

"Alright, you two, let's not start anyting. We don't need to attract attention to ourselves." he said. Frost stopped glaring at Duck and looked away, but continued to growl quietly. Ace gave the wolf a worried glance. He wasn't sure if she would cause any problems. Keen to avoid any confrontations with the local police, he decided it was best to leave the area and head back to the lab. Motioning for the others to follow him, Ace headed back towards the lab with their new teammate.

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Frost looked around the inside of the building as she followed the others inside. Fear spread through her as the familiar smells of a laboratory washed over her. She began to relax, however, as she saw the interior of the building. The place was more like a home than a lab, though the faint smell of chemicals and metal was still in the air. She jumped slightly when Lexi placed a hand on her shoulder, not having noticed the rabbit approach.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Lexi said gently, "If you want, you can take a shower and get cleaned up. I'll let you borrow some of my clothes."

"Ah...sure, thanks...." Frost sighed and followed Lexi to her room. After she had a set of clean clothes and a towel, she located the bathroom and locked the door.

A few minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom clean. Her fur and hair were still a bit damp, but not enough to concern her. She had done her best to comb out her fur with her tail, but gave up and decided to try and get a brush from someone instead. She entered the main room and found the others gathered on the couch and chairs talking. As she approached the group, Tech looked up and did a double-take.

"Frost?!" the others stopped talking and turned to follow Tech's gaze. Frost sighed in annoyance at the shocked reactions.

"Really, do you think I chose the name for my powers before I knew I had them? Stop staring, I know my fur is white and black not brown, okay? Does anyone have a brush I can borrow?"

"Yea, I've got one." Lexi said, quickly jumping up. Frost followed her back to Lexi's room, where the rabbit closed the door behind them, "Sorry about the reaction, I didn't expect a completely different fur color."

"Yea, well....this should be permanent now. I hope." Frost said, shrugging. Lexi handed the wolf her brush and Frost started untangling her fur.

"We should get you some clothes of your own as soon as we can..."

"That'll be a little hard with everyone wanting us dead. Or whatever else..." Frost sighed, "I'm more concerned with learning to control my powers."

"We'll be working on that."

"How?"

"That's what we were talking about. Tech thinks he can convert one of the larger rooms here into a training room of sorts. Something that can withstand our powers."

"Hmm...I might be able to assist with that." Frost murmured, "But what are we gonna do with our powers? I mean...we can't just sit around and do nothing. We've got them for a reason...."

"I dunno...we haven't really gotten that far with our plans."

"Well..." Frost trailed off, thinking for a moment before continuing, "How about we start helping the coppers?"

"Say what? But they want us-"

"Behind bars, yea I know. I don't mean work directly with 'em. But think about it; if we start doing good, catching bad guys and stuff...what would it make them look like if they arrested us? What would they arrest us for, anyway? Existing?"

"They claim to have us pinned to crimes, Frost."

"I've only got loitering on my record, and that's not enough to get me in jail. What kinda dirt do they think they got on you?"

"Well, for me it's starting a fire in a school...but it was an accident! I lost control of my powers and-"

"The others? What dirt do they have on them?" Frost interrupted. Lexi sighed and continued.

"Right...sorry....Rev apparently stole plans that weren't his. Grant said it was proven in court-"

"He coulda lied. Next."

"Duck was arrested for stalking Misty Breeze and attacking his boss."

"Hmm...."

"Slam was arrested for illegal wresting moves and gambling."

"Wrestling? I don't think they CAN arrest you for illegal moves...gambling, yea, but they gotta prove it."

"Tech was apparently arrested for illegal experiments. I don't know what kind and I'm a little afraid to ask..."

"He does kind of come off as a mad scientist, but I doubt he'd actually do anything illegal. Easy enough to find out...he's owner of Tech Enterprises, right? And that's this building? Just find the main lab and there ya go." Frost started brushing out her hair, having finished with her fur, "What of Ace?"

"He...they arrested him for starting the fire that apparently killed his parents as well as theft...but...we recently found evidence that he couldn't have started the fire."

"Good enough for me. Well, by the sound of things these are all accusations with exception of Ace's stealing and Rev's 'stolen' plans...I wonder what they claim he took..."

"How can we prove ourselves innocent?" Lexi asked sitting on her bed. Frost thought for a moment before responding.

"We take one case at a time...and I think I know who to start with...."