IMPORTANT NOTE: Some of the terms and concepts here might be a bit confusing at first, especially if you don't understand the mechanics of Aluminum and Nicrosil. If it gets too confusing, a quick internet search should help.
CAMS ` Camsia Venture was not amused by the company she was currently keeping. Although few sensible people would approve of sitting in an abandoned warehouse among a team of thieves.
` These particular thieves, however, were here at her request. Led by their leader, Orlan the Goldkiller, they stood at attention, waiting for her to begin. Orlan was a brutish man, in a very literal sense. He was a Brute Ferring, capable of storing physical strength inside the twin bracers around his arms. When he desired, he could then call upon that strength to accomplish his goals, whether they were to break open a door, or to do so to someone's head. He had long white-blond hair, plus an accompanying goatee which, if anything, only served to make him more intimidating. He wore a gray muscle shirt, as well as a worn pair of denim jeans. Cams had worked with him before, but never enjoyed the experience.
` To Orlan's right sat Cole, a man with vivid golden hair, likely enhanced with dyes. He wore a simple red shirt and jeans, but his unassuming appearance hid his terrifying skill. Cole was a Leecher, capable of burning Chromium to destroy another Allomancer's metals, and even draining away a Feruchemist's storages. A single touch against exposed flesh, and he could have a foe completely at his mercy.
` Sitting between Cole and herself, Cams studied Rian, a red-haired girl wearing a blue tank-top. She was the group's Smoker, who would prevent any nosy Seekers from detecting them. She was the only girl Orlan had brought for this job, not including Cams herself.
` The final member of the crew, sitting on Cams's right was Jex Renoux, the son of Gareth Renoux, who ran security for Ladrian Tower, the group's current target. Jex was a Brass Compounder, able to use both the Allomantic and Feruchemical abilities of his metal. He could push on others' emotions, or store body heat, but his true skill came from the Compounding. By storing a bit of body heat in a piece of Brass, then burning the storage Allonatically, he could manipulate his body temperature to such an extent that he was able to superheat the air around him, causing it to burst into flames. He was also able to become immune to extreme temperatures due to this, and even stop his clothing from catching fire.
` It had taken Cams a while to figure out why Jex was here. Apparently, he owed Orlan a favor for saving him from a pair of Rippers-an organization of those who despised Metalborn. In return, Jex would help them infiltrate Ladrian Tower. For the task, he'd chosen to wear an odd black longcoat. His brown hair was wild, as though he had just walked out of a wind storm to get here. He looked at Cams with an odd mixture of unease and excitement.
` "Alright, Venture" Orlan finally spoke up. "You've gathered us all here for this mystery job, breaking into Ladrian Tower. The only thing I want to know now is why?"
` Cams nodded. "Alright, I'll get straight to it then" she stood and walked over to the warehouse's main door. "Three days ago, my brother was grabbed off the streets by a man wearing a Mistcloak. I was the only witness, but my father decided from the description that it had to be one of the LAdrian operatives."
` "How did he decide that then? Just because your family and the Ladrians are political rivals, that doesn't automatically make them responsible for the kidnapping."
` "It might" Cole spoke up. "Ladrian Mistborn have a very prominent quality with their attire-they wear crossed leather belts over their chests, usually to hold metal vials."
` "Exactly" Cams nodded, grateful that not all of Orlan's crew seemed to be against her. "What Domina Ladrian wants with my brother is a question I can't answer, but I do know that I have to get him back."
` "Why you personally?" Jex asked, speaking for the first time since he'd arrived. "I'm sure your father xould get a search warrant or something to check it out."
` Cams shook her head. "Too much red tape to unwind. The goal here is not to attract attention," she paused. "And he doesn't exactly know that I'm doing this."
` Orlan chuckled. "So it's that kind of mission, eh? Well, I'd personally love to see Ladrian take a hit to her pride. What I want to figure out is why in blazes they would want your brother. Sure, he's a Venture, plus a Worldbringer, but what purposes would that serve her?"
` Cams shook her head, even though the reason was obvious to her. "I wouldn't even begin to know what to tell you. All I know is that we need to get in, get Cylar, and escape" she turned to Jex. "And you are going to help with that."
` The Renoux boy nodded. "Since my father is chief of security in the tower, I know the whole layout, as well as the access codes for the doors and Steelhooks. Let's just hope we don't run into my father along the way, eh?"
` Cams shivered. She'd heard stories about Gareth Renoux. Supposedly, he was a man who delved into the darker side of the least understood magic-Hemalurgy. The stories said that he had needles and spikes digging into his flesh, giving him ill-gotten Allomantic and Feruchemical powers. Men like him were known as Shardborn-those who broke the Allomantic laws by posessing more than one Allomantic power without being Mistborn.
` "Regardless of who we meet or do not, we should leave before nightfall" Rian suggested. "My Coppercloud is up, so I say we move out."
` Orlan nodded. "Venture, since this is your mission, you'll get us through the doors. That'll be the easiest way in."
` Cams nodded as she moved out. She was a Connector, able two store emotional connection in the Duralumin bracers around her ankles. This, plus a few camouflage tactics, helped her to move unseen in most situations. The camouflage-patterned tank-top she wore helped with this.
` Darting across the street, she leaned her back against a wall and began to store connection. There was a rear entrance to Ladrian Tower, and the goal was to incapacitate the guards and get everyone inside.
` Crouching in shadows, she silently approached the guards. She got within about five meters before they noticed anything. Looking over in confusion, they began to prime their weapons. Most professional bodyguards would have been ready to fire at any moment, but with the long alleyway, they would have had time to load and fire at anyone who approached.
` Anyone, that is, other than Camsia Venture. She leapt from the shadows, twin ceramic daggers already on a path to the two. The first guard was taken in the nect, while the second's trigger hand was nicked, causing him to yelp in pain. He was cut off as a solid punch to the sternum was launched, causing his eyes to bug out and for him to collapse.
` The whole assault had taken about five seconds. cams waved the others over, and Jex entered a pin to disable the door's alarm system.
` "Straight down the left hallway to the Steelhook" he informed them. "Watch out for the auto-turrets. They run on some sort of Allomantically fueled batteries, so they're quite dangerous."
` The group nodded, entering the building. They took a left at the first hall, approaching a large metal sphere set into the wall.
` "Proximity detector" Jex explained. "It uses Nicro batteries to send out Bronze pulses. If it weren't for the Coppercloud, we would likely have been caught already."
` "We don't need a lecture" Orlan growled. "Just lead us to the Steelhook."
` Jex nodded, walking over to a metal door and typing in a code. The door opened to reveal a shaft, going up into darkness. A wall bore a panel with different buttons, as well as what appeared to be metal bars on hooks.
` Cams recalled the physics of Steelhooks. Somehow, scientists were able to store the Allomantic power of Steel to create a thrust directly upward on ay type of metal. By using Aluminum to erase one's Feruchemical signature, the Nicrosil canisters could then be filled with an attribute whic could be drawn on by any Soulbearer. A unique aspect of this meant that if electricity was run through the battery, it would release that attribute, even if it was not in contact with a person. Essentially, it allowed Allomancy or Feruchemy to be released from machines.
` Each of them grabbed a metal bar, and Jex hit a button for one of the floors. With a whir, every source of metal in the room-save for Cams's Duraluminminds, which were Allomantically inert-began to be pushed upward. A tugging sensation came from above, before they were hoisted into the air by the rods. In seconds, they had reached a floor near the top of the tower.
` "I've gotta hand it to those Shardborn nutters, they really understand the meaning of convenience" Orlan commented as a metal grille slid into place beneath them. "If this luck continues, nobody will even notice-"
` The doors opened, and the group was greeted by four soldiers, two of which were pointing rifles.
` "Nice going" Cole frowned, before darting forward to knock the gunmen backward. They stumbled into their companions, who raised small coins. These two were obviously Coinshots, able to push on sources of metal. This was similar to the Steelhook, but the two could push in any direction, albeit not as powerfully.
` Cole reacted, coming up from the gunmen and tapping a finger against either of their necks. The coins flopped to the ground uselessly as Rian and Jex moved to kick the confused men out of the way.
` "You had to go and jinx it" Jex frowned, before bursting into flame. Cams actually jumped back in shock, not used to the Renoux boy's unique talent. He took off like a flaming comet, longcoat flapping behind him. He seized the wrist of the first soldier around the corner, causing the man to scream in pain.
` The others leapt into action behind him, engaging Metalborn and normal gunmen alike. Cams watched as Orlan seemed to grow in size, muscles bulging. With a grunt, he grabbed a soldier in each hand and tossed them across the room. Cole darted past him, grabbing anyone who wasn't carrying a gun to drain their Allomancy. Rian attacked with a pair of Soundsticks, using them like dueling canes as she spun through the mens' ranks. With each impact, a loud crack rang out. If general security hadn't known they were in the building already, they definitely knew it now.
` With a shrug, Cams threw herself into the fray. She was determined to free her brother. She owed him that much.
JEX #
` Jex was a spinning inferno, spreading flame with every step. He drew out several wooden spheres and lit them on fire, throwing them to cause even more panic.
` But, inevitably, the flames began to die. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep them up long, he switched from draining his metalminds to filling them. Tapping his Brassminds allowed him to raise his body temperature, but filling them lowered it. If done quickly enough, he could get some impressive results.
` Frost began to form on his longcoat as the water in the air started to freeze. A thin sheet of ice formed on the floor, and he grinned.
` Then he began to skate. The ice formed quickly enough that his low-friction shoes glided effortlessly. With blinding speed, he slammed into the largest guard he could. Frost quickly covered the man's suit, spreading to his arms. He cursed, the fabric now too stiff for him to lift his gun. He tripped over the ice on the floor and sprawled to the ground.
` Jex couldn't do much more than that. Compounding only worked with enhancing the power he had stored, not the other way around. He swung the Steelhook handle at another man, sending a flare of Soothing after it. The man stiffened both emotionally and from the impact, before falling.
` It was starting to go well, until the first flash of ribbonlike cloth flicked out nearby. With no warning, Rian fell, a ceramic dagger cutting off her final scream.
` "Mistborn!" Cole cursed a second before he was knocked to the earth.
` Jex watched as Cams was restrained by a man in a Mistcloak, as Orlan was tossed out a window by a Duralumin-enhanced grab. In seconds, only he still stood.
` "Jexas Renoux" a slow voice called out. "I am ashamed of you."
` Slowly, almost reluctantly, Jex turned, meeting the gaze of his own father holding a pistol to his head.
CYLAR #
` He pounded on the padded walls long after his fists went numb, screaming his throat raw, then doing so again as soon as he could speak.
` Nobody paid the slightest attention. To the Ladrian staff, he was nothing more than a secret test project.
` The room was secure, not a single bit of metal exposed to him. They had taken all his posessions, ensuring that he couldn't lay even a finger on metal. Everyone that knew he was here knew what he was capable of.
` Cylar was visited three times per day, twice for meals and once to use a bathroom. Each time he was placed in plastic cuffs, thick gloves, and rubber-soled shoes. This ensured that he couldn't plot some escape while using the facilities. The rest of the time, he was either sitting in here or being tested on.
` for the first time in his sixteen years, Cylar Venture was restricted. But he was never alone. Marris, the snide son of Domina Ladrian often came to torment him. Marris had greasy black hair and almost no pigment to his skin or eyes. He was taller than Cylar, but only by an inch or so. He was easilly the most arrogant, rude, and downright unpleasant person Cylar had ever met.
` "Yell all you want, Venture" Marris chortled as he sneered through the plexiglass window. "Nobody is going to help you, because nobody cares about you here."
` Cylar said nothing. He found that any time he tried to speak to Marris, he was insulted to no end.
` "My mother says that you are due for more tests today" Marris continued. "I hope you enjoy that. I'll be there listening to the screaming." He spat on the glass, before turning to go.
` Cylar waited until he was gone before slipping a small vial from the pocket of the thin body suit he was allowed to wear. He pushed a lock of his overlong raven-dark hair to the side as he smiled. He'd snatched the bottle during the last test without the guards noticing. It was time to use it.
` He shook the flakes of Pewter dust into his palm, holding them for a moment. Then, he brought the pile to his mouth and swallowed it dry.
` Quickly, he stepped over to the door and allowed a sensation of heat to envelop him. He drew back a fist, then slammed it into the door. with a satisfying crunch, the door bent.
` Cylar grinned. It was finally time to make his escape, and nobody could stop him.
` After all, he was the Fullborn.
AN: I hope you all enjoyed this redo of the first chapter. I hope to clarify any confusing details for you guys. If you guys could point them out, I'll explain as best as I can.
Even Fire and Ice have a Dark side...