In the early days just after the Surge, Apex recorded multiple instances of people who gained abilities also undergoing physical transformations in addition to gaining new abilities. Most of the physical transformations were largely mild. Some people reported a change in hair color or eye color or, in a change Ethan strongly desired, an incredible increase in muscle mass.
While those differences were undoubtedly alarming, they were, for the most part, relatively minor cosmetic changes. Hailstone, however, was an extreme case.
Once a brunette, Hailstone's sienna colored skin had completely drained. Ethan had never seen someone with such pale skin, the color of winter's first snow, coupled with raven black hair, accentuated by her gray vest that left her shoulders and arms exposed, apparently immune to the cold, and the icy blue hammer symbol emblazoned across her chest.
That must've been her favorite weapon, Ethan thought, because that was exactly what she was pointing towards the woman in front of her.
Ethan gently tested the frozen surface of the lake, satisfied that it would hold his weight, then scrambled over the ice, slipping his way towards the pair arguing in the center. He could finally make out their conversation, with the woman yelling in Hailstone's face despite the obvious threat.
"You have no right to block access to the lake," she said pointedly, an argument Ethan knew might be legally correct, but functionally useless given Hailstone could freeze them both solid way before they could get a lawyer on the phone.
Assuming she could afford one, because Ethan knew he absolutely could not.
Hailstone agreed with the absurdity of the situation, laughing like a giant staring down a barking chihuahua. "You're welcome to try and stop me, but I don't think you'll like the results."
The woman took a small step forward, keeping some distance but still close enough to appear defiant.
"Do you plan on crushing me with that hammer just for asking questions? Is that all Protectors are good for now?"
Hailstone's eyes narrowed. She twirled the hammer's icy handle in her hands. "You must not know much about me."
"Hey, hey," Ethan slid to a stop between the two and put his hands out, trying to diffuse the situation. "What's going on out here?"
"Who the hell are you?" Hailstone asked, pointing at him with the jagged end of her hammer. He saw a warped version of his face in the uneven ice, but it didn't take a perfect reflection for him to realize he looked terrified.
"Ethan," he kept his hands up, trying to exude more confidence, purposefully slowing his breathing. He gestured to the woman in front of him. "And you are?"
"Rainey," answered the mystery woman, "also, very pissed that someone unilaterally decided to close my favorite lake on one of the last warm days of the year."
"I'm going to give you a lot more to be pissed about if you don't get out of here," Hailstone threatened her.
So she was trying to get to the bottom, Ethan thought. He put on a shaky smile. Among other abilities, Hailstone had the ability to construct simple weapons out of ice. Out of every weapon she could choose, the hammer Hailstone was twirling was her favorite for a reason: it was a blunt and brutal, yet effective, weapon of choice for someone who blazed into every situation. While often successful, the hammer lacks the finesse of a dagger. Ethan took a breath, realizing he could play this to his advantage.
"Look, Rainey, Hailstone's a professional. She's great at her job! Look how well frozen this lake is!"
Rainey shifted her glare from Hailstone to Ethan, folding her arms. "Why would anyone freeze the lake?"
"To protect us! And what a great job she's done!"
Hailstone's grip on her hammer softened. She nodded, glancing at the ice below them. "Finally, a little respect around here. Do you know how long it took to freeze the entire lake?"
"Hours, for sure, but you're dedicated," Ethan emphasized, smiling. "And you wouldn't do all that work for nothing! You're a busy person!"
"I have a lot of hobbies outside ice skating," Hailstone agreed. "I was actually supposed to go smash trash cans with my hammer this morning before Apex called and redirected me over here."
"Well, I'm sure they had a good reason to freeze this lake over, right?"
She shrugged, idly swinging her weapon side to side. "Apex business, or whatever. I'm supposed to keep people out of here, by whatever means necessary."
"Wow," Ethan feigned concern. "If they sent you over here, there must be something really dangerous down there, right?"
As if the thought hadn't actually occurred to her, Hailstone glanced down at the ice, her face approximating what Ethan assumed was the most inquisitive she could be.
"Well, a peek won't hurt."
She waved a hand and the ice in front of them cleared just enough for them to peer into the water. It could've been a trick of the light, but Ethan could've sworn he saw something glow at the bottom of the lake through the crystal clear water nearly forty feet down. He was instantly transported back to the last time he was in the mines, the glow in his memory from the tunnel floor matching the light twinkling at the bottom of the lake. He shot his gaze at Rainey, her blue eyes went wide, confirming she saw something, too.
It's down there, he thought, his breath catching in his chest. Just outside of my reach.
Hailstone, however, just sighed.
"Must be poisoned or something," she said, closing the hole back over. "Chemicals from that wasteland called Stillrock, probably."
Rainey tensed, moving like she was going to dive through the ice, then stopped herself. Hailstone's eyes darted to her, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Maybe you could open up a small section, just for me?" Rainey asked, trying to act casual. "I came all the way from Ascension."
"Oh, absolutely," Hailstone scoffed. "I was ordered to freeze the lake, but of course Apex said if any rando wearing jeans wants to come and swim I should let them."
Rainey glanced down at her pants, then glared at Hailstone, and before she could open her mouth to say something else inflammatory, Ethan cut in.
"Rainey, I think I know a better place to swim."
If the breach point ends up being as dangerous as I think, it's not going to hurt to have someone to call for help, if it comes to that and I couldn't bring Raz back down into the tunnels again after what happened last time.
She eyed him suspiciously. "Better than…here?" she asked.
Ethan thought for a moment, then nodded. "Less…oversight, but it doesn't have a lifeguard. I could use someone to watch my back."
"You can't swim?" Hailstone asked him, laughing derisively. "What, you never learned?"
"I can swim," Ethan said defensively. "I went to the pool a lot as a kid during the summer."
"Are you…bragging?"
"No!" Ethan put his hands out. Rainey shot Ethan a confused glance, then held out her hand.
"Give me your phone."
Ethan handed it to her, happy for the distraction. She put in her number, then texted herself.
"Now that we have a plan, maybe we should get out of here," Ethan gestured back to the shore. "Let Hailstone get back to her skating and careful guarding of the lake."
Hailstone sighed, twirling her hammer. "I kind of wanted this to end in a fight," she admitted, her shoulders slumping. "Last time I had a good fight was against Titan but she cheated and I had to join Apex to stay out of that horror show in Florence. They promised me I could fight people." She put the head of her mallet on the ice, leaning over it petulantly. Ethan sighed with relief that the blunt object hadn't ended up cracking either of them in the head.
Hailstone pressed a button on her heels and blades popped out of her boots. "Killing people isn't nearly as fun when they don't have powers, so I guess neither of you would be any fun to fight, anyway."
"You just wait," Rainey growled.
Or not.
"What was that?" Hailstone said, circling around them with an unsettlingly cold smile. That malicious grin grew on Hailstone's face, and Ethan froze, wincing.
"You heard me," Rainey turned, standing her ground. "On zero legal authority, you shut down a public area and threatened anyone who called you out about it. Is this really the best thing you can think of to do with your abilities?"
"I can think of a thing or two I'd rather be doing, and if you take one more step, you just might get a chance to find out what."
Ethan tried to step in, anxiously rubbing his hand through his long black hair, the wind blowing it in front of his eyes. "Okay, there seems to be a misunderstanding here…"
"You're not a hero," Rainey pressed, waving her arms. "You protect nothing, just like the rest of them."
"You're right about one thing," Hailstone said, frost crackling and swirling around her hands, the hammer glimmering beautifully in the sunlight. "I'm not a hero."
Hailstone threw the hammer over her head and pounded the ice, sending a wave of crackling force that shattered the ice in front of Ethan and Rainey with a deafening crack. Without thinking, Ethan pushed Rainey out of the way just before suddenly finding his feet losing the surface. He had just a moment to look at Rainey and noticed something odd. Instead of looking fearful or guilty, she just looked…jealous.
He opened his mouth to say something but faster than he could react his mouth filled with water as he slipped beneath the ice, the bone chillingly cold water sending paralyzing shockwaves up his spine and rendering him nearly immobile. Ethan should've been panicking, sinking slowly towards the bottom of the lake. Instead, he found himself conflicted.
The water wasn't as cold as he expected, but it was still frigid, forcing his muscles to contract painfully, but not immobilizing them just yet. He didn't take a deep breath before the ice broke, and he knew he only had a few moments before his muscles tensed up and moving became impossible. He had enough breath and energy to make a push to the surface, or sink to the light, but he knew he didn't have enough time for both.
Instead of pushing up, towards the sun, Ethan's eyes drifted downwards.
Beneath him, now just a mere twenty feet down, was a crack in the lakebed, shimmering light pouring out. The jagged scar was no wider than his palm, hopefully keeping the amount of radiation Ethan would absorb to a tolerable minimum that would grant him powers without any nasty side effects, like total disintegration.
After months of fruitless searching, Ethan had found one, a breach point. If he really wanted powers, there was no telling if he'd ever get this opportunity again. His future was finally within his control, within his grasp, and all he had to do was sink. But if he did reach the breach point, there was no guarantee he would be able to come back up, unless he miraculously received a power that could enable him to.
Ethan knew he couldn't let this chance pass; he may never have one again. He began swimming down, down towards the breach point and a life out of the mines, down a path where he was in control. Not a moment later, everything went wrong, as if the lake itself was punishing his decision. His limbs froze, no longer responding to his commands, and he felt like a steel band was constricting his chest, forcing his store of air from his lungs. All he could hear was Raz's voice in his head, laughing at him.
Ethan outstretched his hand, feeling a slight tingle in his fingertips. His chest contracted as the last of his air left his lungs, his eyes growing wide as the edges of his vision blackened, color draining from his world, except for the breach. So close to it now, it encompassed the entirety of his vision, beautiful light dancing under the silent water. A quiet part of him realized that in a second he'd either have powers, or he'd be dead.
Unbeknownst to him, there was a third option. A crash above him sent adrenaline flying through his veins, and his head shot up to light above him. Suddenly, arms wrapped around his chest, and Alex rocketed them to the surface, punching through the ice and depositing them on the shore where he coughed up frigid water, gasping for fresh air.
"Ethan," Alex yelled, pushing her wet hair out of her face. "Are you okay?"
When he gained the ability to speak, he found himself looking for Rainey, only to come up empty.
"A little cold," he shivered. The sun had dipped behind a wall of clouds, also abandoning him.
Hailstone sheepishly approached, missing the mallet she carried earlier.
Alex saw her approach and rose to her full height, dark hair streaking all over her face. Unlike Ethan she was deathly steady, eyes boring a hole straight through Hailstone's lowered face.
"What the hell happened?" Alex demanded to know, her eyes darting between Ethan and Hailstone.
"Those two ambushed me," Hailstone said, pointing at Ethan. "The one ran off after I had to take precautionary measures to immobilize the combatant."
"Combatant? This is my brother," Alex yelled. For as reckless as she normally was, even Hailstone recognized her losing position, shrinking back and stammering.
"He didn't say that," she muttered.
Alex launched her fist into the stoneface behind her and cracked the mountain a hundred feet up to the top, a deafening sound that reverberated through the mountains. Several groups of birds took off from the trees, fearing a natural disaster and Hailstone looked somehow even more pale than before. Alex took a few deep breaths to calm herself, taking in the scene. She glanced at the lake, confused.
"You froze the whole lake?"
"On Amory's orders," Hailstone protested.
"Was nearly killing my brother also on Amory's orders?"
"Indirectly?" Hailstone tried. Alex set her jaw and Hailstone backed down. "No. But she wanted the lake sealed. Then these two were snooping around, and I figured I'd scare them, get them to leave."
"He can't leave if you drown him," Alex growled.
"I didn't know he wouldn't try to come back up!"
Alex flinched, eyeing Ethan suspiciously, then turned her attention back to Hailstone, ready to end the discussion. "I'll be talking to Amory about your technique. Get back to doing…whatever it is you were doing before I decide to throw you back to Ascension myself."
Hailstone shot Ethan an icy glare and muttered a few curses, but ultimately stalked off back to the ice, leaving Alex crouched next to Ethan.
"Well, I don't think she likes you," Alex said.
"The feeling is mutual." Ethan laid his head down on the grass, grateful the sun hadn't quite dipped behind the mountains, warming his wet clothes. "Thank you for saving me."
"Raz called me," Alex said. "Against your orders, apparently. What were you thinking provoking Hailstone?"
"She was already provoked. A woman had come up here to swim and was pissed the lake was frozen. I was trying to defuse the situation before Hailstone went off on us." Ethan sat up, wrapping his arms around his knees. He did his best to keep his tone casual, hiding his interest. "Speaking of, why was she out here in the first place?"
Alex shook her head. "I'm not sure. Amory typically keeps me up to date on everything, especially special assignments, but placing Hailstone all the way out here is…strange."
"Amory is your…boss?"
She nodded. "Kind of. She's the leader of the Protectorate Division at Apex. We created the division together, down to each sector's assignments, balancing the rosters so each has a heavy hitter, support, and leader. Pulling someone without telling me is…atypical, to say the least."
Ethan nodded, quiet and wishing Alex's cape wasn't wet so he could use it as a blanket. Amory sounds exactly like the kind of person who would know where a breach point was, and since she's keeping Alex in the dark about their existence, she couldn't tell her why Hailstone had been sent here in the first place.
"Now, what were you doing up here?" Alex demanded to know. "And don't say hiking, I know Raz's leg isn't healed enough for that."
"It's our last day off before the mines open up tomorrow," Ethan lied, "I was just trying to use our last break and get out of town."
Alex's eyebrow shot up. "Oh, really? So it doesn't have anything to do with finding a breach point?"
Ethan sighed. "Damn it, Raz."
"Don't blame him," Alex laughed. "If those existed, Ethan, I would have heard about them by now. You're chasing a fantasy and this time it almost got you killed."
"Seems like there's a few things you don't know happening at Apex," Ethan countered. Alex glared at him, and Ethan suddenly felt like he was under the water again, his veins turning to ice. He did, after all, just see her almost level a mountain. When she spoke, her voice was stern, reminding him a lot of how their mother sounded when he would get into trouble with Raz at school.
"If the breach points existed, and I'm not saying they do, you should stay as far away from them as possible," Alex warned. "Altered attack the weakest Protectors to improve their standing with other Altered. If you even managed to survive a more concentrated version of what we went through during the Surge, you'd end up having people like Hailstone trying to take you down just for being my brother. You'd be inexperienced and you'd have a massive target on your back, which isn't exactly a winning combination."
"Hailstone's a brute, I could take her if I had powers like yours," he said confidently.
"Nobody has powers like mine," Alex retorted. "And Hailstone is just the tip of the iceberg. There's plenty of Altered out there that would gladly kill you to hurt me, not to mention what Apex would do to any new person who suddenly manifested powers."
That made Ethan hesitate. If he did manage to get powers, he always assumed that Apex would let him join the Protectors, but there may be a few complications he wasn't aware of. Regardless, he could figure all that out later, after he chased down another breach.
"I'll stay out of trouble," Ethan promised.
"I know that's a lie, but do try," Alex pulled Ethan to his feet effortlessly. "I've got to get back on patrol. Can you make your way home?"
"Not like you can," Ethan laughed. Alex smiled, then launched herself into the sky, flying off back home to Ascension.
"At least," Ethan took one last look at the lake, then glanced down at his hand, "not yet."