Bella awoke to the cold.

That was the first thing her mind could register: the air in the room was almost unbearably cold. The next thing was the figure in the dark room; her heart leaped into her throat as she watched it approach, the soft 'click' as light flooded the room. Bella squeezed her eyes closed, waiting for a few moments before she opened them again. For all intents and purposes, it appeared to be a simple hospital room. The man that was now at her bedside was- the one that looks like Erik, her mind clarified as she watched him sit down.

Hansen, as he had been called, Erik's brother, lowered himself into a chair beside her. His hair was slicked back; stone washed jeans a high necked khaki sweater gave the impression of him being studious, though Bella was more worried with what the man was planning compared to what he looked like. He gave her a tiny smile; weak, trembling, "Do you feel any pain? I made sure you received the best pain killers."

Bella blinked. "I-I feel mostly fine," she confessed and the man nodded.

"My name is Jack Hansen," he began and stopped. Those same, pretty blue eyes looked away, down to the black gloved hands folded in his lap. "Erik is my big brother. Do you remember what I told you?"

Bell bit her bottom lip. She remembered the screams, her screams as the sledgehammer smashed her kneecap and shin. She remembered begging through a leather strap to stop and something about a 'brother'. "I-I'm sorry. But I don't entirely remember."

The man- Jack Hansen- nodded. "I'd be impressed if you did. When you go, I want you to find my brother and tell him to run."

"G-Go? They're letting me go?"

Her voice was rising with each word. That made no sense! After everything she'd seen and they'd done to her, how could they let her go? Bella half expected to be killed here; she was a liability. A witness to the horrific shit they could do to people. Even she knew that, and Bella tried to hope for the best. The smile on Jack Hansen's face faltered.

"Not quite," he mumbled and cleared his throat. "You are to be unharrased while you're here, under the condition you do as we say."

They wanted something from her. What? Did they have her father? No, or else they would have said something. Bella bit the bottom of her lip again, thinking. Jasper? She didn't think he would allow himself to be easily captured, especially not for her sake. Edward? Her ex might be brash enough to make a move towards the Black Paradigm, but he was terrified of actual combat against an opponent who could theoretically be his equal. Leah? They did have Seth in their grasp but did Leah even know her brother was here? Bella took a deep breath. What if they did research on her? What if they went to go find her mother and-

"Do you have my mother?"

Jack shook his head.

Bella sighed, shaking. Her mother was safe. Or dead, a tiny part of her mind sneered at her. Why stop at being logical? Look how they treat Seth! These people are perfectly capable of killing your mother and telling you anything you want to hear.

"She's still alive. Your entire family still is…though you don't believe me."

"I don't have proof."

Jack snorted. "She's your family; trust me, I would never have gone after her. The loss of family is something very," he trailed off, his lips forming a word that he seemed to almost say as he dropped his gaze down to his hands again.

Bella attempted to sit up and this time she did feel pain; a tiny twinge that cut through the numb fog she felt, the hard cast against her leg that covered it from her lower shin to almost mid-thigh. "What," she squeaked out and inwardly winced. Her voice sounded as if it belonged to a mouse. "What," she repeated, pleasant that at least she sounded normal and not like Mickey Mouse.

Jack flashed her a grin so like Erik it was startling. It was a carefree grin, one that belonged on a man with blond hair and a cigarette planted in his mouth, not this man before her. "Nothing," he replied as he rose to his feet. "Just lay there and get better while I convince the others you're not a threat, hm?"

"What's your power," she asked coursisty getting the better of her. He clearly wasn't a foot soldier, not if he had enough pull to try and protect her from the horrors that were here. And maybe his power could be a benefit to her? So you're going to use him, her conscious scoffed at her. How nice.

He held up one hand, toying with the rim of the glove. "It's a secret," came the reply. "And besides, I'm sure you wouldn't like it anyway."

"Can you save Seth too?"

The grin seemed frozen on his face; forced, fake. "I'm sorry," Jack began. "But I only have enough pull to save one of you. And besides, I need you to tell my brother-"

"You have to save Seth too," Bella nearly shouted. If she still had the use of her leg, she could run out of here! All she had to do was shove him aside and run for her life! Granted Bella didn't know how big this compound was, but she enough to know that if she got past Jack Hansen, past any guards, she might be able to sneak around. And sneaking around meant finding Seth! The two of them could escape from this horrid place!

The grin was gone now; gone was the same warmth and cockiness that Erik seemed to possess. "You have to save my brother," Jack screamed. Bella flinched at the harsh tone in his voice, at the desperation and the fact a man was screaming at her and she had a lame leg. "Before The Black Paradigm decide to punish him! Just tell him to come back and everything will be alright!" His shoulders sagged, utterly defeated. "Please," Jack whispered. "Erik is all I have left. You have to save him."

Silence stretched between the two of them for what seemed like an eternity. It was Jack who spoke first; his voice shaking, his body now trembling before her. "Sorry."

A single word; louder than the quiet hum of the air conditioner or their breathing, a word that carried such heavy meaning.

"Why are you doing this?"

Jack tried to smile but it looked broken.

"Because I love my brother. And when you love someone, you'll do anything to save them."

Ta-da! Hope yall enjoyed. Now I have to go work on schoolwork! Everyone have a nice evening and please review!