No time. No time. There's was never enough time in this situation. He had to move. He couldn't wait to be frozen. He could feel it happening. Damn the lack of time.

He sent as much of him as he could away, out of the crushing cold. It was about half of his upper body (vertically) and a whole leg. There was no time to worry what Big Perp would make of that. Better to limit the frost bite Big Perp so proudly claimed he could give him.

He jumped them straight into a nearby car and hot-wired it. Yes, he hot-wired it one handed. Part of his training was making him accomplish with one hand or two feet or no eyes everything he could do otherwise. Which included hot-wiring a car. Unfortunately, it still took time. He could see steam pouring off of his non-existent other side, cooling down the car side and making his hand shake.

It didn't matter. He could feel his life on the line. And that allows a man to do things he never thought he could.

Fortunately, the car was separated from Big Perp by the huge ice cage. He wouldn't be able to stop it, would he?

What else? What else could he do while he was waiting for the painfully slow period when the car would get up to speed and cross the short distance to his freezing body? He reached up, instinctively touching things and anchoring them. All that came to his hand was ice, but maybe if it was anchored Big Perp wouldn't be able to mess with it, move around it so quickly. Maybe. Anyway there was no way for Big Perp to know that he was doing anything other than pushing on it, testing its weight. He'd probably look pretty desperate. ...Might be right.

Finally the car was there. Here we go. Take that killing ice cage down!

Within seconds before the collision Steel saw the car go for the cage, and he reacted with a snap of his finger the back of the ice cage that covered the suit crashed in to a million of harmless shards of ice. Either the pressured air in the cage of ice would collapse on him and kill him instantly or he would have to get hit by a car. Steel watched as the car hit the suit only to land on the car hood. “ I could have killed you right there, I don’t want to fight I just want to be left alone next time I’ll cover the my whole radius so you won’t able to do a thing to stop a slow cold death.” Feeling a little dark after saying that Steel said something he never said before in his life “Please…I don’t want kill without a reason anymore I just want to be left in peace.”

Steel felt like a dog begging for a bone, he hated to beg it was so beneath him, he just wanted it be forgotten by the origination that ruined his entire life, he just wanted to pick up the pieces f his life and try to out it back together again. He couldn’t go back to that small cramped room, he couldn’t be lonely anymore. Getting upset that steel could have ended the suits life in seconds but didn’t showed weakness. But to be fair he was truly tired of killing. Steel just stood there and waited for a response. But if it came down to it he would kill again if it ment saveing his life.

((I figured I owed you guys something. It wasn't much, as he's anchored, but at least it shows I'm alive. I can hopefully take it from here, Max, I mean....))

A groan of frusteration ran through the air. It probably did get far, however. He was, he guessed, at least one hundred feet high. It still felt like it was higher. Perhaps he wasn't even that high up. He was deathly afraid of heights, so he might have been able to exaggerate that a bit. Still, the feeling of being thousands of feet up defeated the need of a precise amount. It al seemed at least multiplied by ten. He was breathing deeply, which in turn made him a bit dizzy, and the sky to spin. This was not a fun effect, and he tried to keep his stomache from spinning.

It was frusterating, being achoring in a place. It reminded him of having thumbtacks holding you there, without giving. It was indeed like this, except without the pain, and the blood, of course. He was unable to move, but was able to turn his head, after fighting the force of the anchoring for quite some time, so that he could see over the side of the building. He wished he had the strength to reverse that, as looking off the side of a building, for someone with extreme height issues, wasn't a great thing.

However, it did have one good outcome. A view. No, he couldn't relax on a hammock, and sit lemonade. Neither did he have wonderful Jamaican scenery around him, and could he seed the ocean lap against a sandy shore, as the sun shone down, casting the world in a warm cozy blanket, well that part of the world. No. He had neither of these. Instead, he had a bird standing in front of him, staring at him questioningly. Max would have feared that his eyes would become a tasty treat for the animal, but was to preoccupied with watching the scene below him. He was barely able to see what was happening, and was still having to concentrate a great deal to keep up with what was going on. He missed the moving of the man's leg, and half his torso, including one arm, and was therefore shocked when a car nearby came to life.

**CS: Not all of the ice should have shattered away; that was the point of Downshift anchoring the ice in front of him. He was trying to use your own defense against you. If it failed, at least make that clear.**

He was concentrating too hard on driving, on feeling, to pay attention to what was going on with his body parts still left in the ice cage. All he felt from that side was cold. Cold and nothing else.

Finally he reached the ice cage, and things, as usual, didn't go like they were supposed to. For one, the whole back of the ice cage collapsed suddenly. That gave him too much speed for being so close to the action. For another, the whole area was slippery, a fact which he found out as soon as he stepped on the brake.

He tried to swerve off, and only ended up saving Big Perp from being hit. His own disembodied torso ricocheted off the still-moving car hood and slipped off to a cold and embarrassing, not to mention deadly dangerous, spot on the ground near Big Perp.

With Flag's usual timing, his radio then surged quietly to life. "Let him go. I'm in position, but it's too dangerous. He's gearing up to kill you."

Downshift only groaned. Then, staring up at Big Perp, he fingered the button on the radio and said just one word: "Copy." Saying any more might have pushed him past his limits. There was already too much limit-pushing going on here. That was the point. So he had to shut it down.

He also had to ignore Big Perp's little soap box talk, for the same reason. Don't get into a conversation. You know that. No good can come of it. It's almost over. Almost time.

Flag came through, loud and clear. "Cold Steel: We don't want to fight you. We're not interested in sending you back to TAT or NSA or anywhere else. Stay out of our way and we'll stay out of yours. Get out of here. If you move quickly you can avoid our backup. Don't kill anyone, and we won't need to chase you."

All Downshift could do now was not contradict Flag. Which also meant, right now, not provoking Cold Steel to kill him. All in all, it seemed like a good option. So he got to his feet slowly, with all of his parts visible in front of him. "No funny business. Just get outta here." He still had a couple of tricks up his sleeve, but right now he had to admit that putting off using them would make him feel a lot better.

It would also give them a couple of minutes to regroup and get Little Perp sorted out. They'd just have to find Big Perp again later. Well, that was why Flagman was on the case.

*OOC: DS was a little confused bout the anchoring, was it the ice cage or me you anchored? I will fix it once I know, i tried fixing it a bit to match up with your story but let me know if it isn't enough. *

“Wow it actually worked” Sam smiled his plan actually worked. “ Sounds good, nice meeting you.” Steel said sounding way more in control than he was a few moments ago. Steel jumped back a few feet putting more and more distance between him self and the suit. Feeling good he wanted to say something he used to when ever he used to use the ability he used to, “Shazamm” feeling really goofy Steel activated his powers simultaneously to the word. The ground he was standing on froze and then shattered, Steel was in the sewer system and decided to book it so he could run away. “Hope Max is alright.” Steel thought as he was skating down the ice.

**CS: It was the ice cage. If he could have reached you to anchor you, he would have. The way I read it, the point of the ice cage was that he couldn't reach you. If he could you can go ahead and play it having been you he anchored, though.**

"Don't need to tell him twice," said the voice on Downshift's radio. He could faintly hear the real voice somewhere above him. It made him feel a little better about the situation, somehow.

He started to wander over to Little Perp. His hands were still shaking a little and his cheek was all tingly and uncomfortable. That's what you call a brush with death. That's all there was. He would almost, almost rather end up hospitalized. At least that was dramatic. At least you could point to that and say, 'Damn you FBI, that assignment nearly killed me,' and they'd notice, they'd listen. This way, he would show and say 'Damn that was cold and unpleasant,' and they'd have a chuckle and hand him the next case.

Flag caught up with him just before he got the end of the alleyway Little Perp had climbed up. Seeing him there made him pause. Oh right, he hadn't given his orders.

"I'll get Little Perp. Don't lose Big Perp. Watch out for the van. If there's one send it after Big Perp. I'll make sure Little Perp isn't going anywhere and then we can big him up after Big Perp or with the second van if there is one."

Flag just nodded and wandered back. Who knew what the hell he was feeling. Downshift definitely didn't have it in him to ask. He didn't even want to know if his partner was about to turn tail and start trying to kill him. He'd just jump that gorge when he came to it.

As he was climbing the nearest fire escape, his mind wandered to other things. How he hadn't had a real girlfriend in his life. How he hadn't even had a date in nearly a year. How if he died, who would even notice? Would FBI even give him the standard funeral, or was that reserved for upstanding human agents? Would they cover his death up? And if it were Flag...if he didn't notice Flag turning on him and he really did it, what would happen to Flag?

With that question on his lips he jumped up to the rooftop. It looked just like it had when he was there last, as a disembodied head. He walked over to Little Perp. He didn't even have anything to say. No point reading the Miranda Rights. Everyone knew they didn't hold up for nothing in mutant cases anyway. He just walked.

Then he remembered the whole feeling of being trapped in his own thoughts, and stopped. And took a step or two back. And sent his hands instead.

Steel stopped after he was almost sure that no one was on his tail, and let out a big sigh thinking to him self, ”can’t do that again” Steel was looking in the water of the New York sewer system and saw bumps and bruises (upset his ice armor didn’t help much in the fights he had for the past two days), and suddenly felt exhausted again. The only thing that kept him going with the suit was the adrenaline, after the effects of that subsided he just felt drained. “Still hungry” Steel said with a sigh, as he looked around for somewhere to go. The sewer system split off into three different directions, up to the left and to the right. Steel chose the way up, he felt that it was necessary to get some food and get out of this rank area before he would throw up.

Surfacing in an alley way seemed a little cliché to steel but the thought of food was strong, and the smell of pizza was far stronger. “Alright a pizza place.” Steel walked across the street while looking in different directions to make sure no one was tailing him, and regretting going all superhero to protect those mutants, and exposing his identity to the government.

Steel walked in and felt a little at ease and put him self in the back of the restaurant with his back to a wall, and then ordered.

**Mwa ha ha, regretting being a hero already...**

Downshift had needed some time to get back together and shake off his encounter with Big Perp. Fortunately, he had it. A van had arrived and picked them up, and Downshift had the rare opportunity to do a little bossing around of human agents. He had Flag installed up front and commanded him to keep his radio open the whole time. Downshift knew he was at the point of having to keep close track of Flag. He was waiting for it now. Waiting for the change to occur. It was a little harsh, maybe, but he even had his hand in his pocket, ready to hit the sequence of buttons that would trigger the sedative in Flag's suit. He just hoped that Flag could get them to Big Perp before going under.

"He's ready to surface," said Flag through the radio. "There he goes. He's out. Getting a bite to eat. He's there, 100 or 120 yards." Downshift couldn't see where he was pointing, but the driver could.

Downshift went through a quick round of breathing exercises his supervisor made him go through. Appreciate what you have. You have Flag, still up. You have three grunts on back-up who can take care of it if you can get the bastard neutralized for a minute. You have a distracted perp. Here we go.

The radio's crackle made him snap back to attention. "Downshift, you shouldn't go in."

His finger lept to the transmitter. He even hit the first button. "Why's that, Flag?"

"Because he's just tired, and needs a break. He doesn't want to be forced to do anything harmful, and he will be forced to if you pick him up."

This was a new one. A totally new one. Usually when he went deep into a perp he got, well...dangerous, or mean. Did that mean Big Perp was as level-headed as Flag was showing here? Is that really all Big Perp was thinking about when he shot people in the eye, froze them, and threatened them to choke them to death? What a cold bastard, no pun intended.

"Thanks for the warning, Flag. You've done good on this one. Have a nice nap." He hit the last couple of buttons on the transmitter. Sighed. Did that make him a jerk? Maybe. But having one cold bastard running around was quite enough. They'd just have to take him out quick.

He turned to the plain-clothes next to him. And handed him...his hands. "Take my hands. He's seen me, so you're going to be Downshift this time." It was a simple plan. The plain-clothes just had to get a bite to eat, and pass close enough to Big Perp to hit him with the disruptor. Then he could use Downshift's hands (with Downshift's help, obviously) to anchor Big Perp over the next few seconds.

The best part of the plan? For once, it wasn't Downshift taking more than his fair share of the life-risking.

Steel felt uneasy eating in the open like that where anyone could jump him, but worse case scenario, he would have his suit of ice up in a few seconds. Also seeing how mutants aren’t really “allowed” anywhere in public he had to risk it for food, the aching in his stomach was starting to get to him. “There it is”, Steel said to himself smelling the air filled with a pepperoni pizza. Steel took a napkin and placed it on his lap, and then noticed the waitress. She was a real cute girl, brown hair, blue eyes and a smile that would make any frown into a smile. “Hey this is a pretty big pizza, don’t know if I could finish it all by myself.” Steel finished saying this with a smile, hopeing she wasn’t close enough to smell the stench of sewage on him.

Turns out she did and then said, “I hate the smell of this place, smells like sewer.” Steel laughed in agreement and took a sip of his water shifting his eyes a bit; thanking the maker she didn’t think it was him. The brunette smiled and sat down opposite from Steel and just sat there for a second looking distracted. “Something wrong?” Steel asked. The girl got up and said “I am still on the clock but if u wait a few minutes I will be on a break I will join you.” She smiled and walked away. “Man this is the pick me up I need.” Watching the girl walk away, and grabbing a slice of pizza, “Don’t think much could be wrong now.”

Agent Danfield was a professional, so even something as weird as he was being ordered to do now wasn't enough to throw him off his game.

He walked into the pizza place, grasping the door handle with a hand not his own. He went up to the counter. Spotted the target casually on the way up. Took some deep breaths. Order a slice of pizza. Felt "his" hand tapping out the time. Picked up the pizza. Walked to the table he chose, just behind the target. Gave the signal to drop the pizza, causing "his" hand to let it go in time for it to land on the table. Felt "his" hand come up with a disruptor. Jammed "his" hand at the back of the target's head, catching him full-force with the disruptor.

Now it was all the hands themselves. The target should be neutralized now. Would he still be cold without his ice? No point sticking around to find out. He crouched and skidded toward the door, grabbing his pizza on the way down. He left "his" hands behind to work by themselves.

The hands, as if by magic, moved up to touch the somewhat shocked-looking target.

Stiff as a bored came into mind. Steel tried to move about but couldn’t feel his body respond. He saw a hand and that was it. Then his body went stiff there was no way it could be a hand by itself. The shock was messing with his mind. “A hand… the mutant.” It was the mutant suit that did this. “So he can immobilize targets as well huh?” Steel was thinking of a strategy on how do fix this problem. He could still think but for some reason his power wasn’t covering his body. “Crap, the girl” Steel saw the girl he was talking to earlier walk towards him. “She was gonna get hurt!” Steel shouted in his mind, hoping she could hear him.

She walked over to Steel smiling, and looking so happy. Steel couldn’t move. There was not much he could do, think that’s all he could do. Lucky for Steel the girl tripped and saw the "Hand" of the mutant suit on Steel. Apparently Steel could hear during this time, which kinda sucked because she let of a screech so loud. One after another people gathered and saw what she was screaming at. One after another people screamed and ran out of the restaurant. “Well…that worked out well.” thought Steel. “No random casualties, and those stupid suits couldn’t take a hint.” There was no way he was gonna be someone’s attack dog again. Just then an idea hit. He can think but can’t move. His powers can still just not externally, but internally he can.

“Lets see if I am the genius I think I am. Think cold think cold.” Steel started to lower the temperature of his body but not the outside like normal but the inside. This was the first time he has ever tried this and it will be the last. Steel felt his body get colder than it ever has been he felt his thinking get a little slower than usually, he just hoped the hand would let go eventually.