He rose himself from the ground. He was no longer covered in flame and not made of steel and could feel once again and what?! He could stand! John Lumic ran around his circle of light in this dark empty space and oh they are were working perfectly! Was he dead? Was this real. Before he could get used to this wonderful feeling he heard a voice. A voice that sounded so cold that it could not belong to a human. Could it? Out of the darkness came the owner of the voice a tall, lanky, dark haired, pale skinned young male, draped all in black.

"Oh, you disappoint me Lumic," the uncontrollably chilling voice bursts forth.

"My lord. I have done my best to create more troops for you but humans are so controlled by their emotions.."

"Yes, yes I have travelled with humans but you were supposed to eliminate their emotions! My brothers of Telos (may it forever be blessed) do not have such problems. You're.. Mutant freaks may seem far more.. "modern"… "futuristic" but nevertheless they are in no way stronger. In fact I have never seen something so weak and feeble in my long existence!" growled the pale being, his grey emotionless eyes boring into Lumic.

"Let me help you my Lord. I am still use to you."

"No. Lumic you had your chance!"

Suddenly Lumic legs gave way and as he tried to rise again he realised they were useless once again.

The merciless man knelt down beside the pathetic form of Lumic "I trust only once."

"You couldn't even get the Doctor for me. All you needed to do since you were failing miserably at the Cybermen assignment was bring him to me so I could reminisce and I could show him what I've been up to since he left me to die and then I'd kill him just like he killed me. Left neglected. I wish Romana had never left at least then he had to pretend to care about me. Why couldn't she take me and he kept K9?"

"Why are you telling me this my lord? I'd capture the Doctor if you give me the chance!"

"Oh ho ho no you would not catch that snake. Only his own people have managed that. Anyway this is where your pathetic life is going to end so it doesn't matter what I say to you."

"My lord, No! I beg of you!"

"Come forth my brothers!"

From the gloom there stepped two of the being's Cybermen warriors armed with each a Cyber gun that is standard for the Cybermen of Telos.

The being grasped Lumic's collar and yanked him from the ground so that he could look closely at his lifeless eyes.

Lumic feebly kicked at his capture's legs but he howled suddenly in pain as he realised that this is no ordinary being. His skeleton his made of metal.

"A skeleton of steel and body that will never age, Lumic."

"H.. how did you get me to be human and unparalysed and then paralyse me again?" stuttered Lumic as he begins to tremble with fear.

The stranger rose one of his hands suddenly and Lumic flinched but he merely opens it a produces a sparkling gem.

"Cyber Crystal. So powerful your tiny mind could not comprehend its full capability. But what I chose to do with it was place a life inside it. Yours, Lumic. And so if the crystal is destroyed, that's goodnight Gracie for you."

He dropped Lumic to the ground as if he were a bit of spare paper.

"Well, our meeting is at an end. Brothers raise your weapons."

The Cybermen obeyed.

"No, no my Lord!" pleaded Lumic as he curled himself into a ball.

"Fire!"

The beams flew over Lumic's head and he sighed with relief then he realised that floating down into his lord's hands was dust of the crystal.

"NO!" he screeched before exploding into dust like the crystal

"Goodnight, Gracie."

"Come, Brothers. We continue our quest to find the Doctor. Adric would like a little chat with him."

Adric strode off in his everlasting search for his old "friend".