Found

Lorraine focused all the power she could into her hands and then slowly began to cover Ren in the coldest ice she could conjure. Ren felt it cover his feet, ankles, and then up to his waist. Ren wanted to get out because of how cold it was. His body was beginning to sting as the ice stuck to his body. The ice was up to his chest now.

"Fuck that's cold!" mumbled Ren so Lorraine wouldn't hear him. Ren sucked it up and continued to let the ice continue to cover his body. His body began to go numb due to the ice. He was completely covered in ice, but Lorraine left one very small hole so Ren could breath.

Lorraine smiled at her handywork, but she wasn't done. She approached Ren and put her hand on the block of ice containing him. Small spikes of ice began to form and push into Ren.

"Don't worry, I know you have tough skin, but the spikes with penetrate sooner or later." she whispered. Ren could barely hear her, but he understood.

"She's really taking this payback thing seriously. She must hate losing," concluded Ren. Ren felt the pressure of the spikes increase. His body began to cool rapidly as his body entered the beginning stages of hypothermia. Ren felt his core begin to hum in his body as it began to counteract the cold conditions.

The spikes began to penetrate into his body and the ice slowly began to turn red as blood began to exit his body.

"This is nothing, this is how I get stronger!" Ren shouted in his head. "I'll stay in here as long as I can. I have to be ready for anything, this mean's exposing my body to as many abilities as possible!"

Lorraine smiled as she continued to sink the spikes into Ren. Ren was really used to pain at this point, but he still tensed his body in response.

Ren slowly got used to the cold. Lorraine stopped with the spikes and just left them in him. She lost interest and sat in the grass and watched him. She eventually got a little worried.

"Hey, if you die in there I could be charged with murder," recalled Lorraine. "I'm going to let you out now, I accomplished what I wanted to." Ren's eyes shifted their gaze at her and flashed green so violently that it frightened her. She decided to just wait after that.

About an hour later, Lorraine grew impatient and was about to remove the ice, but...

Crack!

A small crack appeared.

Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack... BURST!

The ice around Ren shattered apart and Ren emerged, breathing heavily. He began to pull the spikes that Lorraine had impaled in him.

"How the hell? How was he able to break my ice?" Lorraine wondered. "Is he really that strong?"

"A little help please," requested Ren as he pointed at his back. He couldn't reach the spikes behind him. Lorraine frowned, but then smiled and pulled out the icicles from his back.

"Well, you satisfied?" asked Ren.

"Very."

"Me too." Ren silently muttered to himself.

Ren then headed back to his room in the dormitories. Halfway to the dormitories, he sensed something behind him.

"You can come out now. I know you're following me," Ren announced.

Someone emerged from behind a tree. It was a man about as tall as Ren with long brown hair and a short beard. He had gray eyes and a strong build. He also had a sword strapped to his waist.

"Hello, Ray Lynch, or should I say, Ren Lennon." greeted the man. "I've finally found you."

"How to you know me?" asked Ren. He then, recognized him as the guy who kept staring at him during the evaluation.

"That was a clever trick with the glass balls. Of course, I was the only one who was able to see you were actually crushing them with your grip."

"I said who are you." Ren repeated.

"Me? Stanley Gardel at your service. I was sent here to look for you."

"Who sent you?"

"There are very many people who want you dead, core soldier." Ren eyes widened as he connected the dots. "Now that I've found you, I'm going to kill you!"

WHOOSH!

Gardel shot towards Ren so fast, Ren barely dodged his punch. Gardel landed sideways on a tree then launched off of it, cracking the tree. This time Ren couldn't dodge.

CRACK!

Gardel landed a solid punch, which Ren blocked with his two arms. However, it still sent him flying. Ren skidded to a stop along the ground, but Gardel was already in front of Ren ready to attack again. Ren ducked to avoid a high kick, then jumped as Gardel spun and kicked again, this time aiming for his legs. While Ren was in the air, he threw a punch, but Gardel caught it with his bare hand.

BAM!

Ren, unable to block, took a fist to his jaw, sending blood out of his mouth. The shear force of the punch sent a shockwave through his body, shaking his insides as he was knocked back a good ten feet.

Ren spat the blood in his mouth onto the ground, then got right back in front of Gardel. Ren threw a punch, Gridel brushed it aside, but as he did so Ren spun and made it like he was going to kick. Gridel ducked, but Ren anticipated that.

SMASH!

Ren brought his leg crashing down onto the top Gridel's head, forcing him into slam into the ground. Ren lept back and let the dust and dirt clear. Gridel stood back up and smiled.

"Not bad, I see why they sent me, the best fighter in the facility, here to kill you. I thought it was overkill, but now I see that it's necessary."

"How did you know, I was here."

"We didn't. The strongest fighters we had were sent all over the U.S. to these military academies to try and sniff you out."

"I see. Now I have a reason to defeat you here. If I do, I can force you to tell me where the other facilities are!" grinned Ren.