Back again with the second chapter. Thank you to OneForSorrow333 and JustBelieve GoBeyond for the lovely reviews.

As mentioned before, this was a deleted story that has been re-uploaded. So enjoy!

When Cara woke, it was black everywhere. Though, she often slept in pitch dark, something about this darkness was off.

Cara smelled something burning, something that was not her brother's cooking, and a musty dampness that hung in the air when she breathed in. It was stuffy and drafty. Not like her warm, cozy room that smelled like lilac from the fabric softener her mother used.

Then, realization dawned on her. It didn't feel like home, because it wasn't.
Cara had been kidnapped and taken to God knows where. She remembered being thrust into a blinding light, then... nothing.

Did she black out? Did her captors drug her?

Cara began to panic. What if something bad had happened, worse than being kidnapped to somewhere strange? She let her hands wander over her body. She was still wearing all her clothes, they were in somewhat of the same stage as when she last remembered. Sure, they were wrinkled and covered in some sort of chalky dust, but she felt as though they weren't... er removed. Cara felt a tad bit relieved.

Of course, that didn't help Cara's fear of what else they could of done with her. Cara sat up, using her hands to feel out her surroundings. She felt a cold stone wall, some ragged sheets and bedding that she had previously been laying in, and another wall.

She could hear something dripping, clanging of machinery, and moans of agony from the other sides of her.

Suddenly, a red light was flicked on, and Cara could hear someone approaching. She didn't know whether to try and hide (though she didn't really know where, there wasn't anywhere really to hide) or pretend to be asleep.

Cara chose neither, and ended up staring blankly at the prison bars in front of her.
Cyclonis and Ace were unfortunately the faces that greeted her, along with some people Cara was assuming to be guards by the uniforms.

Ace placed a key in the giant padlock and Cyclonis made her way into the cell.

Cara scampered back into her bed, until she was pathetically cowering in the corner.

Cyclonis threw a bundle at her. "Here." She spat. Who pissed in her cheerios? Cara said to herself.

"Dark Ace will see to it that you will look presentable to me when we have our little meeting." She said in what seemed to be her normal calm but edgy tone.
And with that fun note, Cyclonis disappeared out of the cell, and out of Cara's vision, taking her posse with her.

"Are you coming?" Dark Ace (which was a weird name) asked Cara, glaring at her as if she had done something wrong.

Cara grabbed the bundle of fabric and scurried out of the cell, following Dark Ace who had begun to walk down the hall. Cara caught up to him and kept close behind, at first because she felt a completely new feeling of not knowing where she was going. Now, because a few guards had joined them and were keeping close tabs on her.

Honestly, what am I going to do?
Cara asked herself, looking at the two guards on either side of her. She was still groggy from waking up, shorter and probably weaker than the three men surrounding her. Sighing, she looked down at the bundle Cyclonis had thrown at her.
It felt soft, had a white lacy pattern- And smells like lilac?

Cara instantly knew she was holding something of hers. It had to be. Probably the white dress she had worn on the third night of the football tournament; when Cara and her friends snuck out of their rooms to go hang out after curfew with the guys.
She remembered slipping past the hotel rooms of the teacher advisers, and climbing the stairs to the boys' floor, heart racing the entire time. Cara was surprised she hadn't gotten caught, looking back on it now. She was terrible at trying to be sneaky about anything.

Holding the dress in her hands gave her a sense of warmth in the cold metal hallway that seemed to stretch forever. It faded quickly when Cara realized someone must have gone through her bag to get her belongings. She felt violated. Someone had rummaged through her personal items.

Cara clutched the dress to her chest, the calming scent of lilac overpowering the stench of must, burning, dust and iron that constantly filled the building.

"Master Cyclonis wishes to have you cleaned." Dark Ace said. Cara didn't like the way Ace talked to her. Have her cleaned. It made her sound like she was a car.

"Shower and change in here." He pointed to a swinging door that had a picture of a man on it. It read "communal bathroom".

Cara shuddered. They weren't expecting her to actually shower and change while men were in the same room, did they? Cara hesitated. She wouldn't do it. She didn't care what they would do to her, or how crazy these people were. She looked up at the Dark Ace, with pleading eyes. He wouldn't make her do this, right?

"Master doesn't like to be kept waiting." He said sternly, urging her to go in.

Cara shakily opened the door and went inside, relieved when she realized the bathroom was empty. She dumped her little bundle of items on the counter, to see what else was in it. Her shampoo, conditioner, hair brush, makeup bag, and flats were all conveniently inside the bundled up dress. Cara almost wished she had new undergarments to change into, but she was also grateful they hadn't touched those.

Cara's face was in shock when she looked up at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was askew and knotted, the caramel color dull. Her school uniform was visibly matted in the dust she felt this morning, and skin a lack of luster. Yikes. Cara felt a tad self-conscious going about looking like a tornado, and felt good when she realized she had time to clean up.
Maybe these lunatics aren't half bad. She said to herself, while taking the shampoo and conditioner with her to a cubicle shower.

Dark Ace glared at the door swinging back and forth once Cara had entered. Annoying little girl. He thought. It was hard acting decently towards her. If it were up to him, he would treat her like the dirt on the ground. Cyclonis may rule the place, but Dark Ace was the one who shot fear in everyone's eyes.

Cyclonis had given him specific instructions to act kindly towards her. But, what do you expect when you're evil and can push around others. A picnic?
Acting somewhat decent was all Dark Ace could muster.

Faintly, he could hear the shower turn on. Dark Ace sighed. Women usually took forever to get ready in the morning. He learned from Ravess. Who knew how long the Dark Ace would have to wait before the insolent girl was finished? He wasn't about to find out.

"Wait here. Make sure she doesn't leave, and that no one goes in." He shot at the two Talons. He didn't feel he needed to specify about no one going in. Though, the soldiers here had a small reputation for being perverted dogs. He gave them each a warning glare. It wasn't that he was worried about Cara feeling uncomfortable, it was more Cyclonis sending them all to the wastelands if the girl was upset or hurt.
They needed her.

The Talons stood on either side of the door stiffly, when Dark Ace was sure the dimwits were going to obey him, he took his leave.
He made his way to a storage room, where they were keeping Cara's bags. Dark Ace took them both, and then made his way to her cell, where a few other Talons were adding touches here and there to make it seem more livable and humane.

He dropped them on her bed. "Don't touch these." He growled at the Talons sprucing up the cell. In all honesty, it sounded ridiculous. It was a prison cell, there wasn't much you could do to it. If the cell doors didn't frighten her, the moaning of the other prisoners would.

"Dark Ace," He heard the familiar voice of Cyclonis from behind him, and turned to face her, "why have you left your post?" She asked agitated, with an eyebrow lifted.

"She's showering. You can't expect me to wait on her hand and foot." Dark Ace retorted. Being bossed around by some Earth girl was simply not happening, but Cyclonis didn't seem too impressed with his response.

"We will do whatever it takes, " She hissed "she is the only one who can complete the puzzle. I could care less about your pride." Cyclonis continued, glaring at the taller man.
"Now get back to your post, and bring her to me when she's finished." She spat, leaving without anything else to say.

Dark Ace grumbled, and glared away the stares of the Talons watching him.

Cyclonis had a small area arranged for her meeting in the sun room where Ravess usually practised her annoying violin. She sat at a small coffee table, legs crossed, tea on the table, as if this sort of thing happened all the time.

Ravess, Snipe, a few loyal Talon leaders and guards lined themselves near the windows. Cyclonis had told them to stay back, and not to get in the way. This meeting was far too important for their stupidity.

Cyclonis could hear the footsteps of her guest approaching, and inside she felt excitement. Not the kind of excitement you would get from attending a best friend's birthday party, but the sinister kind, of finally getting what you want.

Before Cara entered the room, Cyclonis could already tell which figure was hers. The shorter girl stood out far more than she had before. Her white strapless dress contrasting against the drab, depressing atmosphere of the rest of Cyclonia. Once she was in the room, the Talons departed on either side of the entrance way.

"Come, come." Cyclonis said, trying to be inviting, but most everyone knew it sounded fake and creepy.

Cara really had no choice but to take the remaining chair at the table.

"Tea?" Cyclonis said, her lips curling into a smile. She took a sip out of her own cup to reassure the girl in front of her.

"Uh... Sure." Cara said. Her voice breaking the silence in the room for only a second. Cyclonis courteously poured her a cup.

Cara wearily took a sip. It was beginning to feel awkward for her, Cyclonis could tell as her teal eyes darted back and forth.

Cyclonis retrieved a key ring that looped to her belt. It only had one key on it.
"Here," Cyclonis slid it over the table to Cara "it's the key to your cell. If you ever feel like coming to visit me, I'll have no problem with it. I'm sure none of my minions will either." She said the last sentence more harshly and icily, in the tone she used most often. Her eyes pierced into the other's in the room. She could see them gulp and slightly nod.

Cara took the key ring, and eyebrow raised. Cyclonis heard a faint 'okay' from Cara as she slid the ring around her wrist. Cyclonis really did hope Cara would find the nerve to visit her in her lair. If Cara was naïve enough to trust Cyclonis like she hoped, she could have a ... No. Cyclonis told herself, thinking back to the Lark incident. I have no use for friends.

But, it would be nice to have someone just as merciless as her to rule all of Atmos- and the Far Side with. Her violet eyes scanned over Dark Ace, standing next to her loyally. Someone who isn't Dark Ace.

"Now we're going to play a game." Cyclonis said, though it sounded more like an order. She pulled out a puzzle she held from beneath the table, and placed it before Cara, pieces jumbled together.
"I'll do as much as I can, then you'll finish." Cyclonis' hands grazed the blocky object, pushing and sliding patterned pieces. She only did a few movements before sliding the puzzle to Cara.

Cara took the cubed object with shaking hands. Her small fingers repeating movements Cyclonis had done. Pushing, pulling and sliding the blocks. However, something was different. Cara could make sense of the puzzle. And Cyclonis gave a Cheshire grin when she could make out some of the puzzle in Cara's hands.

However, her moment was short-lived, as a Talon soldier came rushing in.

"Master Cyclonis!" He cried, breaking Cara's concentration on the puzzle.

Cyclonis stood with anger. "What did I say about interrupting me?" Her voice boomed, terrifying Cara, and sending waves of fear through everyone.

The soldier looked almost terrified to speak, but squeaked out, "B-but, it's the Storm Hawks. T-they're attacking Cyclonia."

There you have it, second chapter.

As always, I try not to make fanfiction characters too OOC, but I do like giving them more depth. I also like making OC's more realistic.

Anyways, next chapter will be up soon, and will feature one of the beloved Storm Hawks. Can you guess which one? Hehe. Until next time, cheers.