Ice had to go to the high school for one reason and one reason only: there was clearly magic afoot there. No matter what the police or officials might try to say it was definitely magic and he needed to be there. The other members of Omega could say whatever they wanted, but the moment that he had woken up and seen it on the news he had stuffed his bag full of spellbooks, ingredients, notebooks and let Rafiki swing himself up on his shoulder before he had scribbled out a mostly legible note for them to find and then he had been on his way. Mostly because he had not wanted to risk being told 'no' or getting company. Oh he loved being part of a group, yes, and he was sure that Maxine would definitely be a huge help but the reason he wanted to go alone was purely because he wanted to go now. He wanted to get there and get started without any talking about what might be happening or why or what they should do or if they should do anything... nope, he wanted to go and he wanted to see and he was going. They could come and drag his ass back if they wanted to, but until then he was parking himself there and playing like the little kid they accused him of being - aloud or just in the silences of their own heads - half the time. Until they saw him whip out a curse that they never wanted turned their way, that is. Which he would never do, of course, Ice never wanted to hurt his friends. He just wanted to learn more about magic and when a giant magic thing appeared in the middle of the town he was in he was going to go there.
If a single one of them had to actually read that note he had left behind to figure out where he was then he was going to be sorely disappointed in them.
Ice was so wrapped up in his thoughts of what could have happened at the high school - and what could have made it happen, more importantly - that he was really not paying attention to his surroundings. Neither was Rafiki. No, the baboon was more concerned with the banana that Ice had grabbed for him and getting it out of the peel. Which was why neither of them noticed the car slowing down next to them, or the greeting that was definitely directed his way... or even when the door opened. One could very easily accuse Ice of walking around with his head in the clouds and not be wrong about it. Only today his head was at the high school and magical things and - did he know that voice? 'I know that voice! And that smell!' Eyes wide, Ice glanced over a split second before he felt something tugging at his waist and, with a stumble that was definitely not graceful, he fell more than slid into the passenger seat of a car that was way nicer than any of the ones that Omega had. Had he been Ash or Maya then he probably would have jumped right back out again, but he was Ice and he had just put together why he knew that voice, so instead he acted like he had fallen into his seat on purpose, turning what he figured was an absolutely charming grin over to the redhead in the driver's seat, utterly amused when he realized that the music he was hearing was coming from her speakers. He did not even bother to fix his messed up vest.
"Soooo you make a habit of tugging men off the street into your car? Not that I'm complaining! It's a really nice car and you-" While Rafiki was making himself comfortable, Ice was setting his bag on the floor and checking out Arden's outfit, nodding as he did. What? She was the one who had pulled him into her car. "Look amazing."