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The boys paced back and forth within their cell. Howie had been gone for hours with Cyrus. Each boy knew that the tank took an hour, but not several. AJ chewed on his fingers as he sat perched on a medical table. Their room was bare and metallic. The only comfort within the room was a small desk, which had been completely stripped of useful items. The boys slept on the floor or on the examining tables, hoping that blankets would be supplied sooner or later.

“Why is it taking Howie so long?” Nick whined as he stared at the older boys. His hands were still charred from the fire that had spurted forth. The boys knew that their powers were almost as useless as before. They would have to learn how to control them all over again. It was a painstaking process. Nick let his hands rest against his legs, with the burned palms pointed toward the ceiling. His face was paler than normal. He was definitely scared.

“Maybe Cyrus needed him to do more tests than us?” AJ suggested thoughtfully.

“I’m sure Howie is completely fine,” Kevin replied for the other boys’ assurance. They all nodded, agreeing with the thought. Kevin looked down at the floor, knowing very well that Howie wasn’t fine. Within his heart, he could feel the tremors of panic. The room became deadly silent as they stared at one another. Footsteps could be heard outside. There was a constant rhythm of marching. It was the guards.

“Why isn’t someone looking for us?” Brian whispered, his voice bounced against the walls. Nick, Kevin, and AJ jumped with fright “ not expecting Brian to speak. They looked down at Brian, who lay still against the cold floor. His deadly touch caused his nerves to shatter completely. He held his hands deep within his back pockets, refusing to show them to anyone.

“They have to be looking for us,” AJ insisted as the room went silent once again. They listened as footsteps approached the cell. They weren’t the same rhythmic pattern. The boys scattered up from the floors and ran to the back of the cell. They knew that if they jumped the door, that guns would await their chests. AJ panicked as he huddled behind Kevin, covering his head with his hands. He shut his eyes tightly as the door was flung open.

An object was quickly hurled into the room. In a blur of white, the object jumped up and ran for the door as it slammed closed. It began to pound heavily against the metallic door, screaming for mercy. The shrieks of terror caused the boys to cringe. Kevin’s eyes adjusted to the soft light, his jaw hung slightly ajar at the sight before him. He reached up to rub his eyes again. He thought he might be dreaming, but he wasn’t. It really was Dr. Natalie.

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME! THIS ISN’T RIGHT! THIS IS ILLEGAL! SOMEONE WILL KNOW THAT I’M GONE, CYRUS!” Dr. Natalie screamed into the small glass window that Cyrus’s face appeared in. He just offered her an unnerving smile, infuriating her more. She screamed, slamming her palm against the unbreakable window. “PLEASE! CYRUS! THIS ISN’T FAIR!”

“You know why I brought you here,” he told her.

“PLEASE! NOT AGAIN!”

“You will be supplied with the proper tools for what I need. The door in the back will open within a few hours, showing you to your private quarters. It’s the only room that leads into this cell without my genetic code to unlock the door, though I will control when you are locked in your room and when you’re free to converse with the boys. You will conduct tests on the boys whenever I feel necessary. You won’t be given any thing that would provide you with a useful weapon, I assure you of that. You will be given a small laptop to record information. This is your work, Doctor, and I advise you to make the best of this situation “ or death will be delivered.”

The window shut closed quickly as Natalie sunk to her knees in sorrow. She could no longer control the emotions coursing through her system. She burst into angry sobs, pounding the floor. Her eyes burned with pain as tears fell against the metallic floors. She heard a soft shuffling of feet. Her eyes quickly adjusted upward to be surrounded by five figures. At first, she prayed it was the girls. “Girls?”

“No, we’d be your other projects,” AJ replied somewhat coolly.

“Boys?” Natalie gasped.

“Yes, and you have A LOT of explaining to do,” Brian insisted.

*~*~*

Ana hurried up the steps of the small cottage. She pulled the hood of her sweatshirt tightly around her head, concealing her identity. She pulled her flaxen blonde curls behind her ears, tucking them safely within the sweatshirt. She shivered as she reached for the doorknob. Since the killing, her body’s core temperature had dropped lower than before. It always happened when Ana was excited or frightened, causing a more potent delivery of powers. Ana went to reach for the doorknob, but found the door ajar. She gently pushed against the door, causing it to swing open with a bang.

She felt immediately haunted by the greeting of the vacant house. She couldn’t hear Alison laughing as she chased Paige about the rooms. She couldn’t hear Summer and Jamelet arguing over what to cook for dinner that night. Nor did she hear the sounds of Rose and Kimberly in the attic going over what they would wear to the local concert. Ana cringed at the silence “ it sounded too much like her own home.

She stepped into the hallway, already too much aware of her surroundings. She crept like a cat in search of its next dinner. Her body remained taunt as she walked carefully around the accumulating piles of mess. She knew Summer would have a fit if she came home to this. Books, papers, pictures, blankets, and all the furniture had been torn apart and thrown to other sections of the home. Windows had been smashed. It was obvious that the placed had been searched. Ana feared that she had come too late when she reached the answering machine. The red blinking light taunted her.

Ana reached out and pressed the button, praying that it was a message from the girls. The machine rewound the tape quickly, causing the most annoying racket Ana could ask for. She cringed as her voice played back over the crackling static. She cursed herself, throwing her fist into a nearby wall. She watched as the wall caved and cracked beneath the weight of her mighty hand. She was about to throw another punch, when her fist was abruptly stopped.

“I FOUND ONE!” a thick German accent radiated into Ana’s ears. She perked up with awareness as the man turned her around and grasped her hip tightly along with her right hand. Her ocean eyes searched the man’s dark face, finding a large scar upon his left temple. His sadistic smile showed off two gold teeth replacing his front upper teeth. “You are quite the pretty little girl, aren’t you?” he cooed in his rough voice.

“Get off me,” Ana growled.

“You don’t look like the ones in the pictures,” the man voiced.

“And neither do you, prick!” Ana hissed, her eyes glowing a brilliant electric blue.

The man shouted in pain as he covered his eyes to shield from the blinding light, releasing Ana from his tight grasp. She regained her balance quickly, watching her powers work against the man’s foolish behavior.

Instantly, his hands clasped and sealed to his face as painful icy feeling erupted into his body. He screamed as his skin began to crystallize into ice. He turned deathly pale as an icy blue tint burst from the constricting capillaries of his freezing veins. He screamed out with his final icy breath, “IT’S THE ICE GIRL! SHE’S HERE! ICE!”

Ana heard the quick footsteps of several men. She crouched down as she watched two men come running down the middle stairs. Ice erupted from her hands as she sealed the stairs, placing the men in an icy block. They screamed out as the pounded against the freezing cage. Billows of clouds erupted from their cold mouths. Ana grinned with satisfaction at the job she had finished. She knew now that the girls were safe somewhere else. It was her duty to get them and flee the country.

Ana was preparing to leave quickly until she felt something wrap tightly against her carotid artery in her neck. There was a quick snap, and Ana was propelled backward. Ana felt the cord tighten against her throat, cutting the circulation to her brain. She struggled for a breath as she heard laughing behind her. Anger tore against her soul as she stood up, pulling forward on the cord. Something jerked from beneath her, sending her down against her back. She struggled to crawl upward for relief as the cord was pulled up.

“GET SOMETHING TO KNOCK HER OUT!” the man cursed from behind her.

“Why? You got her!” another cackled as Ana’s vision blurred. She felt someone lightly touch her cheek. “She isn’t as terrible as Cyrus made her out to be. She’s kind of cute. Just a little girl, how could she possibly hurt us? Please, just throw her in the truck, and I’ll tie her up.”

“Do what I say!” the first man ordered with a firm bark. Ana kicked her feet, struggling to loosen the cord from her neck. Dark spots began to invade her vision as she reached up to pry the tie loose with her fingers. She felt the burning sensation of scratches from her own fingers, but felt no relief. Bubbles foamed against her the corners of her mouth as the air depleted quickly within her lungs. It felt like her lungs might burst as gurgling sounds erupted from her mouth. She felt herself being dragged out into the bright light. She flailed her feet helplessly as the world darkened more quickly. “NOW, IDIOT! I CAN’T BE WASTING TIME!”

“I can’t believe we found this one! Steeles is going to be kissing Cyrus’s butt for centuries! This is the only one the man seems seriously concerned about it! Look out boys, major bonuses will be in our bank accounts!” someone hooted.

Ana felt her back crack against metal as she was thrown upwards. She attempted to loosen the cord once again. Her fingers dug deep into her own flesh, but the cord never loosened. She gasped as her eyes bulged. She pleaded for mercy, pitifully knowing that they couldn’t hear her thoughts. She felt a stinging sensation erupt against the side of her throat as a burning liquid flooded her constricting larynx. Suddenly, darkness seeped into her world as her body slumped.

*~*~*

Cyrus tapped his fingers anxiously against the control panel as he sat in his large examination room. The boys were locked in the cell against the far wall of the examining room. Howie had returned to the group far more battered than Cyrus had intended, but his anger had gotten in the way of his true goal. It didn’t matter, however, Howie would heal eventually. Until then, he would suffer for his foolish mistake. Cyrus had already made a mental note to play Ana upon Howie when Cyrus decided the man’s fate. Howie caved at the mere mention of the girl.

Cyrus laughed to himself at the brilliant schemes he was inventing. Natalie had been thrown into her own cell for a cool down period. Cyrus now waited for word upon the four girls. Steeles was an impatient man. He would wait for no one when it came to the girls. Cyrus feared that Steeles might already have men on his side locating the missing women. Cyrus glanced up to see the boys staring intently at him through the small window. He laughed as the door from the adjacent hall clicked open.

“SIR! SIR! SIR! WE HAVE FANTASTIFC NEWS!” one of his youngest guards screamed out as he came running into the room. His cheeks were bright red with enthusiasm. Cyrus stood up, clasping his hands behind his back. He nodded toward the guard as he saluted quickly. The boy took a huge gulp of air. “We went to the house that you located. We planned on capturing the six women, but we found something MUCH better!”

“You do not have the six women?”

“No, sir.”

“What could be possibly better than the SIX women?” Cyrus snarled, reaching for the gun that lay strapped to his side. The guard flinched as the other doors slid open. Cyrus’s eyes grew wide in surprise as the three burly guards thrust a blue vision into Cyrus’s view.

The blur stumbled and crumpled to the floor with little effort. The woman’s hands were bound behind her back as well as her feet. The pale white, almost blue, coloring of her skin made Cyrus’s heart pump with anticipation as the woman moaned. Masses of flaxen hair curled about the face, hiding her identify, but it was obvious to Cyrus.

“This can’t possibly be,” Cyrus let his words fall.

“We found her lurking about the house. She killed three of our men, but we got her, sir!” a guard beamed with triumph as the woman’s moans became louder. She took large gulps of breath as she began to stir. Her body fumbled from side to side, struggling to free herself from the bondages. “I held a cord about her neck to subdue her, then Marks gave her the injection that you gave us. She was sedated the entire way here, and now we present you with Anastacia Lord “ Power of Ice!”

“Get Steeles on the phone immediately!” Cyrus barked to a smaller guard. The man nodded, quickly scurrying off to the phone. Cyrus grinned as he crouched down to Ana’s level. Her large ocean eyes fluttered against the bright lights. Her lips a faint blue as she struggled for breaths of air. Cyrus examined the rope burn against her throat. He frowned, knowing Steeles would be displeased. “This woman is truly a work of art, my friends!” Cyrus approved with a whoop of joy.

Ana immediately turned onto her back, her eyes opening immediately. She looked as if she had been startled. She took large gulps of air as she lay on her back. She could feel her arms twisted behind her, and her legs bound with tight rope. She groaned, trying to remove the thick pieces of her flaxen curls from her face. She felt her heart pound intensely as hands moved against her face, brushing away the soft curls.

“Welcome, Miss Anastacia,” a familiar voice cooed. Ana looked up to be faced with the most vicious man of her past. She screeched out in terror and yanked her feet apart, severing the cord instantly. She felt him place a warm kiss upon her freezing skin. She immediately pushed herself up, preparing to run, but Cyrus delivered a sharp kick to her back, sending her flying against the hard floor. She groaned as Cyrus flipped her over and pressed the heel of his thick leather boot upon her sternum. Her stomach caved in with each breath she took. His cold gray eyes burned into her soul. “It’s good to know that you remember me, little one.”

“You two legged little jerk of a mother’s dog!!!” Ana raved, her voice cracking from the lack of oxygen she was denied.

“Ooo, looks like Dr. Sanchez did break your filthy habit of swearing,” Cyrus laughed. He pressed his foot deeper against her chest. Ana writhed in pain as he stared into her eyes. “I do wish that I would have kept you in my lab setting. You would have prospered so much more with me. I remember reading to you when you lay in that bed. You were so full of curiosity.”

“Go to Hell!” Ana gagged.

“I did miss that fiery personality, also,” Cyrus chuckled as he motioned to his guards. They immediately coiled their arms about her shoulders as Cyrus released his foot. Ana was thrown upward against a wall as the guards braced her. Cyrus walked over to a table, admiring his tools. Ana’s eyes burned into his back. “I have so many plans for you, Ana. You were my prize. I molded you into a true predator, but Sanchez let you get soft. Now, you have special obligations to fill. You poor child, you should have been mine.”

“Why don’t you just stick it up your””

Cyrus turned on his heel, bringing his hand quickly against Ana’s cheek. She felt the burning sensation prickle against her cold cheek. His raised his finger to her lips, making a quiet sound. “There will be no filth in this home, Anastacia. You know better.” Cyrus turned back as a guard signaled to a phone. Cyrus nodded, hurrying to pick up the phone.

Ana felt her skin prickle as one guard bent close to her ear. Her anger raged like a volcano when he whispered disgusting filth into her ear. She wanted to reach out and strike him dead. She went still as the men laughed at one another. Cyrus’s back was turned to her. “Did you really think you could escape us, Princess?” one cooed.

“We were the big bad men, and your just a little girl,” the other laughed.

“Too bad you’re infected, because we could have fun.”

“A lot of fun!”

“Awe, look, she’s getting mad, Bud.”

“The poor darling.”

“Too bad she can’t do anything about it.”

“Oh, yes, a terrible thing. She can’t hurt us. She’s just a little girl. A puppet in our game. I say we take her back to the room. She can’t hurt us. She never could hurt us. She’s a bogus little girl playing some sick joke upon the world. She needs taught a lesson.

Ana’s hands curled as she felt the prickle of her powers. The corners of her lips curled into a smile as she shattered the rope bound to her hands. They melted away like snowflakes. Ana watched as the men continued to laugh and enjoy their harassing. Ana looked from one to the other. “You guys are pathetic losers who couldn’t get a date with a freaking lab rat,” Ana snarled.

“Excuse me?” one coughed.

“Did I stutter?” she asked coldly.

“I’d watch that mouth. Your powers can’t save you this time,” the other snarled.

“Wrong, that sedation drug used to work on me. Nevertheless, I’ve been out of this system for a very long time boys. I’ve been training myself every day. I’m stronger than you’ve ever imagined. And, just for being the bad asses you are, I’m going to play a fun game with you,” she whispered with the most menacing voice possible.

The men instantly let her arms drop when they felt her temperature fall below zero degrees. They began to back up as her skin turned a misty blue. Her eyes glowed a brilliant blue as she raised her arms, conjuring all the power she could afford. The first man tried to run, but his legs instantly curdled with a strong ice. He screamed in agony as the fire of the cold ice ripped against his body. He fell against the metallic blocks, shattering his bottom half into millions of crystals. He twisted violently as he struggled to compensate for the agony of his lost legs. He began to cough up the blood, which began to freeze to icicles. Within moments, his throat was slaughtered from the sharp points of his icy blood.

“CYRUS! HELP US!” the other man screamed in fright when he looked at his friend’s fate. He ran for the door, but Ana froze the locks. He screamed as he pounded against the door, trying to free himself. Ana closed her eyes as the frigid winds blew against her soul. She sent a hailstorm down upon him as if she were Mother Earth. Large boulders of hail fell upon the man, crushing him instantly. He screamed in agony as he was pinned beneath each pounding boulder, which grew larger by each rain. Ana laughed as his screams continued for less than two minutes.

Ana felt a hand grab her shoulder. She turned and grabbed the next guard by the neck. She raised him in the air with little effort. He kicked helplessly as she tightened her hold around his throat. Black bubbles began to boil against his tan flesh. He screamed out as the dark pus filled his throat, spilling out into an icy froth upon the floor. Ana dropped him as he scratched at the decaying flesh of his throat. He kicked and twitched violently as his entire body was engulfed with the black skin of frostbite. Pus frothed against his open sores until he lay dead in a puddle of yellow iced pus, which remained cold despite the warm temperatures of the room.

All the other guards fled for the emergency door. Ana was satisfied with the results as she prepared to free herself. She hurried toward the emergency exit, only to hear the most disturbing sound. “ANA! WATCH OUT! BEHIND YOU! OH, GOD! RUN, ANA! RUN!” a familiar voice screamed behind her.

Ana turned toward the source of the sound with a smile of delight. Her eyes grew wide in surprise as she saw Howie’s face in a small window. His handsome features could not be overlooked as he connected with her. His dark eyes were instantly recognized by her soul. Her heart crumpled as she stared at him in horror.

She never saw Cyrus sneak up behind her. She gasped in surprise as she felt a sharp object pierce her abdomen. She felt blood spurt forth from her mouth as she stared at Cyrus in utter shock. “Great performance, I see you haven’t wasted your time. But remember, you were my pet, Precious, and you always will be my pet. Remember, I am the hunter, and you are the fox? Those are our roles, Precious,” Cyrus whispered in her ear before she collapsed against him.

*~*~*

Howie screamed in anguish as he pounded against the door, struggling to free himself. He watched Ana collapse into a bloody heap upon the metallic ground. He tugged anxiously at his short curls as he screamed again. “YOU BASTARD! YOU BLOODY BASTARD!” Howie cursed as he slammed his aching fists upon the metal door. He felt his friends try to pull him backwards, but to no avail. He continued to scream at Cyrus. “DON’T HURT HER! DON’T!”

“HOWIE!” Nick screamed.

Howie watched as Cyrus kicked Ana’s limp body over, revealing the growing red stain on the lower half of her sweatshirt. Cyrus tossed the long blade beside her as he whistled to his guards. They came running down with fever, trying not to see their dead friends lying in a mutilated heap. They glared at Ana’s lifeless body before Cyrus cleared his throat. They straightened.

Cyrus offered a pleased look toward them, shaking his head with amusement. “She is stronger than I anticipated. I plunged a sword tipped with a specific poison into her abdomen to counter react her powers. Lock her in the cell with the chains binding her to the wall. Do not allow her any freedom. However, do not give her anything to calm her powers, the cell is protected for those special cases. Stitch the wound and get her large doses of antibiotics. Get Mr. Steeles here immediately! Ana is growing to her full potential, and he must see what a special woman she is.”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

Then men bent down and grabbed Ana’s arms, sliding her across the floor. Cyrus watched the crimson trail of blood smear against the tiles from Ana’s wound. He sighed, shaking his head. “GET HER A FORMAL GOWN TO WEAR BEFORE STEELES ARRIVES! HE’S A ELEGANT MAN! HIS BEAUTIFUL TREASURE CANNOT BE IN BLOODY ATTIRE!” Cyrus barked.

“SIR, YES, SIR!”

Howie screamed out again as Cyrus turned toward their cell. Howie’s eyes locked with Cyrus’s cold eyes for that instant. Howie cursed Cyrus. “LET ANA GO! SHE DID NOTHING! DON’T HURT HER BECAUSE I DID SOMETHING STUPID!” Howie cried, his voice growing hoarse from each scream. His throat ached as he slammed his fists upon the door. “NOT ANA!” Howie begged as Cyrus walked up to the cage. Howie knew that Cyrus intended to play Ana against him, but Howie didn’t know of Cyrus’s other plans.

Cyrus pressed himself close to the door, knowing that Howie could hear him. He whispered softly, “Her screams will echo in the night, Mr. Dorough. It’s a promise, Mr. Dorough. And, I assure you that you will witness each and every torture performed to your Ice Angel.”