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A/N - If you hate the chapter - hit me with an email and I'll change my ways. If you like the chapter - hit me with an email and I'll thank you profusely. Sometimes it feels like I'm working my butt off to top Jamelet, and somehow I never suceed. Impossible dreams, you know? Anyway, hit me back with some comments, I'm curious to know...

Chapter 14 – Fading Unity.

Kevin’s heart hammered with intense rhythms as he crept down the narrow hallways. Vincent stood right next to him, perfecting the military steps. Vincent occasionally nodded toward a passing guard, but never stopped to associate. Kevin’s throat went terribly parch as he continued in the heat of escape. The alarms and bells had been stopped briefly, but the alert was still in effect. Guards prowled about the necessary corners, briefly checking upon the hidden passages.

“You need to calm down, or we’ll both be hanged,” Vincent murmured toward Kevin as they took larger strides down the last hallway. Kevin gave Vincent a dark glare. Vincent’s eyes grew large with surprise. The soldier was one of the youngest recruits, or so he had stated. He seemed like a newborn babe in Kevin’s eyes as he remembered Vincent was barely nineteen. He had been working within the system since his earliest years of childhood. Kevin felt pity for the boy.

“I can’t calm when I’m almost out of the madhouse,” Kevin replied as he saw the door nearing. His heart skipped many beats as Vincent reached upward to swipe his card through the ID system. There was a mechanical click, and the door sprung open. The brilliant rays of sunshine smiled upon Kevin’s tan cheeks as he burst out of the metal building. He immediately fell to the ground, kissing its dirty face.

“That’s really gross, man,” Vincent groaned as he fished for something within his pocket.

“I can’t thank you enough,” Kevin answered, scrambling to his feet. He glanced at the road leading away from the building. Large mountains engulfed the world in his eyes. He wondered how long it would take him to reach safety and alert the police. Kevin glanced back at Vincent. “Will you take care of my brothers?”

“Of course. I will try to sneak another out as the days pass. If I am not killed first,” Vincent answered, retrieving an item from his pocket. He scurried to the small building adjacent to the door. He opened in and pulled Kevin inside quickly. Their eyes were suddenly coated with darkness again. Kevin frowned.

“Do you expect to die here?” he asked.

Vincent nodded. “It’s something that every CAPPA man is told in the beginning. It is stated that we will die for a noble cause, and be relished in the sun of God after death.”

“CAPPA is not the way to God,” Kevin mumbled.

Vincent said nothing as he grabbed a cloth that was draped over a cumbersome object. Kevin’s eyes grew wide in surprise as his mouth hung open. Vincent took it as a sign of good faith, laughing. The sleek lime green motorcycle revved and ready for departure. The smooth handles and imprints of tigers claws tearing through the metal appealed to Vincent’s tastes. He gave a shy grin. “You can’t expect to get to New York on your feet, can you?”

“Why are you doing this?” Kevin immediately asked.

“Unfinished business?” Vincent claimed quickly with a shrug of his shoulders.

“You have a tale about this place, don’t you?”

“Everyone who comes into this place has a tale,” Vincent answered with a simple shrug of his shoulders. He tossed the keys at Kevin. “You need to get going. Night is coming sooner than imagined, and they’ll be looking for you. Stay off the bigger main roads, travel through the country. Dr. Summer said that the girls are in the southern woods of New York. You’re connected to them through the exchange of chemicals within your blood streams. You’ll sense them when you find them. As soon as you find them, take them west… There’s safety there.”

“What kind of safety?” Kevin asked as he mounted the sleek bike. He gripped the handles tightly, his lips curving into a pleasant smile. The sun warned his cheeks as it began to sink within the deep mountains. Kevin glanced to see Vincent shake his head. Kevin nodded with understanding, there was no more time to spare. Every second counted against him. Kevin gave a nod of appreciation. He quickly snapped the kickstand and launched himself into the road. “Take care of my friends!” Kevin called.

“As long as you take care of the rest,” Vincent whispered as he watched Kevin disappear into the weary travels.

*~*~*

Jamelet sighed as the sun began to sink further into the sky. She knew that the girls could only stay a few more days in this location before they would move on. Jamelet had spent an entire day searching through the van for some kind of signal or information. Everything only brought more confusion. Slips of papers revealing sorted numbers. Some slips contained names of various companies, and other business ventures. The most curious came from a collector of arts – Mr. Steeles. She knew nothing of the man, however. His name provided only a keen sense of worry.

Jamelet sighed heavily as she sank back into the front seat, giving up her search for a few hours. She glanced out the window, watching the girls. They had been in better spirits since the searches had been called off for them. They decided not to worry about the soldiers for the time being, because they were certain their powers would always protect them. The girls now played within the darkening sky. Each held a smile, but Jamelet could not smile because she feared the worst.

She watched as Paige eagerly chased Alison about the trees. Kimberly and Rose lay sprawled out on a small blanket retrieved in the back of the van. Their eyes were heavy with fatigue as they watched the younger girls. They had been worn out from using their powers extensively. Each calling upon a power would produce another reaction.

Jamelet knew better than to let the girls continue to experiment. The girls had to build up a tolerance before their powers would increase. Jamelet wasn’t sure if she was ready for the girls to develop more into their powers. As the development occurred, serious dangers would present themselves. The girls could loose control of their powers, and loose them in their entirety if not done correctly. Jamelet sighed as Paige tackled Alison’s feet.

“HEY!” Alison shrieked with a giggle as she fell upon the ground. Paige giggled as she covered Alison with her own body. Kimberly and Rose rolled their eyes as the younger girls. Paige immediately jumped upon Alison, tickling her mercilessly. “STOP IT! PAIGE! STOP IT!” Alison shrieked as tears of laughter cornered her eyes.

“No way!” Paige declared with laughter.

“Girls,” Rose and Kimberly scorned.

“Not until she tells me!” Paige declared.

“Tells you what?”

“What she saw in her dream last night!”

“What dream?” Kimberly and Rose asked as Alison went very still. Rose jumped up from the blanket and wrapped her arms tightly around Paige’s waist. She pulled the girl backward, releasing her from Alison. Kimberly immediately grabbed Alison by the wrists. Alison’s dark eyes shimmered with fear. Kimberly and Rose knew something was wrong.

“What is this dream thing, Alison?” Kimberly immediately demanded, setting Paige on the blanket. Rose carried Alison, and placed her down on the same blanket. The older girls glared at the younger ones, towering over them. “I don’t have time for these games, girls. Tell me, now!”

“I…” Alison felt tears prickle her eyes. “My powers show me dreams sometimes. I didn’t really use it until we were stalked at the house. I just think of a person, and if they’re sleeping I project myself into their dreams. Their sub-conscious continuously plays what happened throughout the day, and I find that subconscious. I can see what they’re doing, and what they’re feeling.”

“Why haven’t you told us about that before?” Rose accused.

Alison glanced down, guilty of deceit. “I thought you guys would think I’m lying, or maybe I was just dreaming. But I know it’s real, because I used to get thrown into your guys’ dreams at CAPPA. I knew what was happening, I just didn’t want to believe it. It happened a little at CAPPA, but it’s stronger now…”

“And who did you dream about last night?” Paige asked, sad that she had gotten Alison in trouble.

“Ana,” Alison whispered faintly.

“Ana?” Kimberly snarled. “And how is she, living in the lap of luxury? Does she enjoy being away from us? Has she told our secrets to the world? Is she the reason we’re being hunted like dogs?”

“No,” Alison whimpered.

“Does she even miss us? Oh, forgive me! I must be mistaken. She only thinks of herself. Her heart is nothing, because it’s frozen ice.”

Alison’s eyes went dark with fury. She pushed herself up off the blanket. She shoved her small hands into Kimberly’s waist, making her tumble to the ground. She pointed an accusing finger at Kimberly. Her eyes began to glow with deep amber. She began to think of everything that came to her during the night of Ana’s capture. The memories of emotions coursed through her veins as she quickly read Kimberly’s heart. Her eyes turned darker as Kimberly stared up at her from the ground. Alison released her emotions: “YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SHE’S GOING THROUGH! YOU THINK SHE DOESN’T CARE, BUT SHE ALWAYS THINKS ABOUT US! SHE’S LONELY! SHE WANTED TO STAY, BUT HER POWERS MADE HER LEAVE! SHE WAS GETTING TOO STRONG, TOO FAST! AND DIDN’T WANT TO HURT US! BUT YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE HER! YOU ARE THE BIGGEST JERK, KIMBERLY! SHE WAS TORTURED IN THAT PLACE FOR US! SHE WOULDN’T TELL THEM WHERE WE WERE! SHE SAVED US OVER AND OVER, AND YOU DON’T CARE! YOU JUST CARE THAT SHE LEFT YOU, AND THAT SHE’S NEVER COMING BACK! YOU FEAR BEING THE ONE IN CHARGE! YOU HATE THE RESPONSIBILITY SHE CONSTANTLY HAD! AND YOU KNOW WHAT?! YOU’RE RIGHT, YOU DON’T DESERVE US!”

Paige and Rose fell into utter silence as Kimberly blinked back burning tears. Each were stunned that the quiet Alison managed to disperse all her emotions. Alison didn’t wait to hear a response as she fled into the dark woods. Kimberly lay there as Paige and Rose glanced down at her. Kimberly said nothing – she was stunned completely. Paige finally spoke up before disappearing into the van, “Alison is a passionate person, and you deserved every word she said.”

*~*~*

Hours of endless torture began to get the best of Ana’s firm exterior. She felt her willingness slowly starting to crumble as the hours slowly ticked by. She had ate dinner with the man whom she was forced to call ‘Master Steeles.’ Her lips twitched in a frown whenever his shadow overcame her presence. The man had watched her sleep that evening, and it was beyond the normal limits of Ana’s outreach. She became restless and forbidding, not knowing what to do with the time laid upon her hands. Sleep wasn’t the answer, because she feared the man that watched her. The restless urges to escape toiled about her mind, driving her insane as the sleepless nights overtook her physical capabilities. She was just thankful for that moment that she was allowed to use the library in solitude.

Ana sighed heavily while she thumbed through hundreds of books within the large library. The library was one of the only places she was allowed to be alone in, besides her room. Her arms were locked to a specific chain that unlocked only when Mr. Steeles uttered a password, using his voice was the mechanism. If she tried to break her chains with her powers, a deadly gas would submerge within the room. So, Ana just impatiently glanced through the books, hoping to find one to occupy her time. She was about to call for a servant to walk her back into her room when a decrypted old book caught her gaze.

She picked the book up carefully and set it upon the large oak table. Her fingers quickly pulled at a small piece of paper stuck up between the pages. She turned the pages and found that it was a small bookmark. Her eyes widened with surprise as she stared at an artistic impression of a woman powered with the energy of ice. The woman’s soft blonde hair swirled about as ice exploded from her fingertips. The dark blue-green eyes caught Ana by surprise. She could feel the loneliness and isolation that each blizzard’s kiss claimed through the eyes of the woman in the painting. Ana felt sick – it was as if she were looking into a mirror.

Ana traced her fingers down the page to a highlighted section. She quickly scanned the words, reading the passage:

It was said that God created the Earth with unique specifications and many to watch over this new land. It was long after Adam and Eve graced the gentle Earth, after God learned the mistrust of human natures. So, He thought to create a new breed. One to watch over his land with a keen eye.

On this Earth, He ordered for a protector, one that could blend in with the special natures of the world, relating and using the Earth as a special haven. Next, He placed someone in charge of the winds, letting the person control each gust that blew softly against the Earth’s guardian. Next, there was someone to protect the fire, conjuring the desolate and providing warmth to the nations. Next came the protector of water, absorbing and guiding the currents within the water, protecting all the animals that live beneath the calm glass. Another controlled the electric currents of the Earth, guiding the lightening storms across the valleys. Finally, there was the most violent and unique of all – the Ice Protector. This person was formed with God’s own hands. He crafted this person to withstand the pressures of the coldest temperatures, and the coldest hearts. This protector, always a woman, was the keenest and toughest of them all. She was said to have a heart of ice to all but her master – God.

With this tale also come the powers of the future and possible control. It was said that a man who could control at least four of the powers could control the world. This man would draw blood from each source, and drink them together – and he would invoke each special trait. This man would be alive for eternity, and the new God of Earth.

The only catch was to dominate the Ice Princess. This man would forsake The Eternal God, father of all, and find himself damned. This man would fight the battle of righteousness to find his place. Only the purely satanic have attempted such a trait – and Lucifer was the first. The last catch would be, the absolutely necessary power to complete this transaction would be the Ice Princess. This woman is the toughest of all, battling for her Savior. She would risk death before succumbing to the temptations this damned man would bring. Her powers would destroy the man, and she would fight for God until the ends of the Earth. The only way to defeat such a champion would be—

Ana groaned as the rest of the page was torn completely from the book. The confusion spread like a wildfire as the words blurred. Her mind swirled, knowing that others before her had this chemical. Her throat went dry as she heard her name carried into the night. Ana dropped the book and whirled around, praying that it wasn’t the Lord of the Castle. Her heart pounded as she was faced with a pair of tender brown eyes.

“Howie?” she asked with disbelief.

It was true, Howie stood before her – healed completely. No scars marred his handsome face as he smiled at her. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes as he rushed forward. He held a Cheshire smile. It did his heart wonders to see Ana unscathed by the old man’s jaded heart. He held her cold upper arms and gave them an affectionate squeeze. He almost lost himself within the tenderness of her blue-green eyes. “I told you I’d watch out for you, didn’t I?” he asked carefully, glancing to see that no one had followed him.

“How did you possibly escape that room?”

“Let’s just say that I’m getting stronger by the minute,” Howie enthused. He had cut the entire speech of the servants when he caused electricity burst from his body. He turned a bright yellow, blinding them all as if the sun had fallen to the earth. They had fallen to the floor in time for Howie to send high volts into their bodies – killing them instantly. He glanced at her, smiling again. “Now I’m here to get you out.”

“Get me out?” she asked with a blink of confusion.

“We’re not staying here,” he answered, glancing at the thick metal chains that molded her to the wall. He smiled as he glanced at the blinking handcuffs. Something to be rid of easily. He glanced at her, wondering why she hadn’t escaped before him. “Ana, just freeze those things, and they’ll shatter easily!”

“I can’t!” Ana scorned, pulling away from his grasp.

“Why? Do you want to stay here?”

“No! That man has some kind of trigger device all over this house. If I use my powers, gas is released into the house. I’ll kill everyone in here, including myself. I can’t have that on my conscious,” Ana hissed as she heard several feet trampling against the thick boards of the house. Howie’s eyes blinked rapidly in fear. Ana stared at him with confusion when he grabbed her wrists and pulled her toward him. He stared at the locks as electricity spurted forth into the mechanisms. She prayed that the electronic systems would fry as the footsteps grew closer and louder.

“Damnit!” Howie cursed. He watched the hair upon Ana’s arm rise from the volts of electricity, but the handcuffs did not free. He could hear the shouting and loading of guns. His heart pounded as he looked up into her eyes. His mind swirled with possibilities. He would not leave her behind. He would never leave her behind. “Ana, I can’t break those things!”

“I know,” she whispered with regret.

“BOY! GET AWAY FROM THE ICE PRINCESS!” a voice shouted down the hallway.

Ana glanced back up into his eyes. She could see the longing for him to escape. She glanced down at his hands, noting the trembling she could feel and see. Finally, Ana took a deep breath and pushed him away from her. She gave a deadly glare as he fell to the floor. “Get out of here. You can fry the electrical systems that surround this place before you break for the woods. Just make sure to hit the central power, okay? Your powers should scramble the sensors, so you won’t get caught. Now, would you just go?”

“Ana—”

“NOW!” Ana screeched as he scrambled to his feet. The door began to cave with the severe pounding inflicted into its heavy exterior. Ana’s eyes turned dark. “Howie! You need to go, or you’ll never get another chance! Just go get you friends and leave me alone. Got it?!”

“I’m not just going to leave you!”

“GO, NOW!”

“Ana, please!”

“NOW!”

Howie sighed in defeat. He crossed the length of the room and grasped her tightly by the shoulders. He pulled her toward his chest and gently brushed his lips against her own. He stared deeply into her eyes, forcing the connection. “I’m coming back to get you, alright? I promise you that I will be back!” Howie answered as the door finally splintered. He nodded to her as he released her arms, and then crept out the open bay window and ran for the woods.

Ana felt her heart cave as she fell to the floor. Her mind swirled when the door finally cracked into pieces. Tears stung her eyes as her mother’s voice echoed against her brain. ‘I’ll come back for you sweetheart. This doctor is just going to get that nasty cold out of your system. You behave, and I’ll come back soon. I promise you, baby. Give Mommy kisses to make it all better, so I won’t miss you that much. Come here. I’ll be back…’ Ana never received a final kiss from her mother as she was thrust into a small cell for the remaining years of her life.

Tears brimmed Ana’s eyes as she took a deep breath. Rage consumed her soul when she realized that no one ever returned to save her. All the promises created of a safe return were as brittle as the ice created in a hailstorm. Ana slammed her fist into the ground and a thick ice cage surrounded her. It surrounded her with several feet of thick ice, concealing her from the world. She sunk into the middle, letting her thick flaxen curls shade the emotions penetrating her face. She knew Howie would never come back as Mr. Steeles began to attack the icy cage. She knew that the man would finally break through in the hours to come, and she would be punished. However, until then, Ana would wait in her prison of solitude and pray that death consumed her as thick black clouds formed outside the window of escape.