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It was snowing.
Which, considering it was Christmas Eve should not exactly a surprising statement. But this was Los Angeles and the average temperature didn’t usually fall under 40°F, so it was indeed rather surprising.
Ice and cold-centric villains were kind of an odd deal, in the greater L.A. area, it was usually too hot for most of them during the summer and generally stuck out like a sore thumb. But that didn’t stop them from trying, and the best of them knew how to take advantage of the fact that they were not built around cold temperatures.
Which is what happened earlier that morning, as what would turn out to be a massive weather machine dropped the temperature drastically and rapidly. It took the better part of the day for the machine to be tracked down; and SDN requested anyone tolerant and effective against the cold to be sent. Flambae had gone, along with a few others. The cold was worst nearest the machine, but they’d stopped it, thankfully.
Waterboy was the only one really having a truly miserable time, and had stationed himself next to a tiny portable heater Mandy brought in. Doing his best to stay warm so the water produced by his skin didn’t freeze to him. “Hypothermia sucks,” he’d said, not stuttering but through chattering teeth. It sounded like he was speaking from personal experience. “So does pneumonia.”
Most everyone else was gleefully taking advantage of it. Prism, especially, being from Michigan. She’d run out in a bright magenta puffer coat and dived with a shriek of excitement into a small snowbank formed by the janitors clearing off the sidewalks. Punch Up and Coupé were equally happy, though Coupé’s enjoyment was much more subdued of course.
Most of the other native Californians had never seen snow, unless they had traveled. Sonar had, in his ventures up and down California and some trips abroad. He generally didn’t care for the cold though, what with his hybrid characteristics. So he largely stayed inside, but he did admit it was nice having so much of the ambient noise of the outside muffled for a while.
Other teams were out there too, many marveling at the snow and playing in it during their breaks. Or grumbling about it, especially those who’d moved to California to escape the cold and winter.
Robert stood outside, staring up at the sky as the snow fell. Marveling himself. He’d only his brown jacket on, certainly not enough for this level of cold; and his joints would hate him later. But this was his first time seeing snow, and it was beautiful. He didn’t know how normal daily life would be with it, but he almost wished he could experience it.
“I’ve missed the snow,” Flambae said, coming up next to Robert. He looked up to the taller man.
“Oh?”
“Mhmm. It’s more, frost and ice than snow back in Herat from what I remember. Spain though, tons of snow. I really liked it. I’m too warm though, even without my powers active so it tends to just melt the second I touch it.”
“Apparently, I was born in Chicago, but beyond the like… three weeks I was there, I’ve never left L.A.,” Robert said, looking around. “I’ve never seen snow before.”
Mandy joined them then, bundled up in just a cardigan. “So got a call from central, a few scientists have looked at that weather machine,” she said standing on Flambae’s other side. Clearly a strategic decision as she rubbed her hands together, blowing into them. It suddenly became a little warmer, as Flambae discreetly raised the temperature around them just a smidge. Something to help take a bit of the bite off, which they both appreciated. The three shifting positions so they could all talk to each other better. “Anyways, they said it’s off now, but it dropped the temperatures enough that it looks like this will continue for the next day or two. Maybe longer depending on how it interacts with this storm front.”
While no one could prove it, it was Coupé who threw the first snowball— directly at the back of her ex-boyfriend’s head. He tackled her into another snow bank, and a snowball fight amongst a little over a dozen superheroes broke out.
“So what you’re saying is we’re getting a white Christmas?” Robert asked, and Mandy grinned.
“Yep!”
“Oh I bet my niece is losing her shit right now,” Flambae laughed, warm and almost bubbly.
The laugh stopped abruptly as a snowball hit Flambae directly in the face, thrown by Phenomaman. As the snow quickly melted off him, the alien swallowed. “I apologize, my fiery friend!” He apologized quickly, before his face softened into a warm smile. “I was aiming for Mandy~”
“Hey!” Mandy gasped.
She dragged the two men with her into the fray.
The rest of the day was spent with heroes taking their breaks outside, between dispatches sent out to help others deal with the chaos of the snow and freezing temperatures.