The Kindness of Strangers

The retreat was a top secret military R&R base. It looked like a group of simple cabins, but looks were deceiving. It was secret because on it's grounds were numerous hot springs that had regenerative healing qualities. Fortunately the Joes made it there in record time.

Spirit walked out of the doctor's office. He had just deposited the boy there. Dusty and Cross-Country were waiting for him.

"I've called Lifeline," Cross-Country told him. "Wild Bill's already on his way with him."

"The doctor is with him now," Spirit said. Suddenly there were several short tremors. "Uh oh!"

They ran into the room. Lance was curled up in a corner, terrified. "I tried to examine him," The doctor said. "But he freaked! The boy is obviously terrified of me!"

"Not to mention missing more than a few cards in his deck," Dusty grumbled. He spoke to Lance. "Kid we ain't gonna hurt you! We just want to see how bad the damage is! That's all!"

"No!" Lance yelped. "Stay away from me!" The room started to shake again.

"Stop that!" Spirit ordered. The shaking stopped. Spirit cautiously walked up to him. "Listen to me, you're very sick. We have to take care of you. Do you understand?"

Lance looked at him. "Don't let them hurt me," He pleaded in a very small voice.

"No one will hurt you here," Spirit got down to his level. "I promise. But we have to examine you and help you. Do you understand?"

Lance nodded. "Do you need help?" Spirit asked. Lance nodded again. "All right," He helped Lance up. "But you have to behave yourself now."

"I think Spirit should help me with him," The doctor said. "The rest of you better leave us." They did.

"Can you get undressed yourself?" Spirit asked. Lance looked away, ashamed. "All right. Let me help you." Gently he peeled the torn dirty uniform off of his body. He helped Lance sit on the medical bed and removed his boots and socks. Wearing only his boxers, Lance shivered slightly, but mostly out of fear rather than being cold.

"Several cuts," The doctor carefully examined him. "Some of them are infected."

"We found some barbed wire with blood on it," Spirit told him. He looked at Lance. "Magneto?"

Lance nodded. "He…he tied me up with it. He used his powers to make it tighter when I wouldn't obey. Tried to strangle me with it."

"Monster!" The doctor hissed. "Fever, and definitely signs of some head trauma. Possibly a concussion. Also some bruised ribs."

"There are also several older marks on his back," Spirit noticed. "You've been beaten before haven't you?"

Lance looked away, ashamed. "Were you beaten often?" Spirit asked gently. Lance nodded again, his eyes closed tightly.

"Do you know what drugs he gave you?" The doctor asked.

"I had no idea what he was doing to me until…" Lance stumbled. "When I fought back. He's been secretly drugging me for…I don't know how long."

"That complicates things," The doctor sighed. "We have to take a blood sample."

Spirit held Lance's hand. "We need to get a sample of your blood so we can find out what he gave you. Understand?"

Lance nodded. "Just get it over with," He said softly. He closed his eyes until the doctor drew some blood.

"He needs to be cleaned," The doctor said. "He's filthy. We have those healing waters. They should help. I don't dare even give him any aspirin until I know exactly what drugs are in his system."

"Something tells me we are not going to be happy with the results," Spirit sighed. "You run the tests. I'll bathe him and treat his wounds."

"Rooms through there," The doctor said. "Do you need any help?"

"No," Spirit helped Lance down and into the other room. "We'll be fine."

Lance looked around dazed. This next room was large with a bed in the corner and a huge bubbling pool in the center. "It's a natural hot spring with healing capabilities," Spirit told him. "It will make you feel better."

Lance said nothing. He felt too weak and tired to complain. He looked away as Spirit removed his final vestige of clothing, ashamed of being helpless as well as naked. The next thing he knew, he was lying in the waters. No, he was floating in the spring.

Gently, Spirit cleaned him. Carefully he guided the washcloth over his battered body, removing all of the dirt and caked blood. Lance closed his eyes, forgetting his embarrassment and allowed Spirit to care for him. The water felt warm and good. Lance felt his muscles relax. Even his cuts and sores seemed to diminish in pain against the power of the bubbling water.

Slowly his fears diminished as well as his aches. Before he couldn't imagine putting himself in anyone's hands. Years of abuse and self-reliance had forced him to build a shield, desperately keeping out the world. Now here he was, helpless and vulnerable. Completely at the mercy of a human, a soldier even. To his shock, instead of all the terrible things he had imagined, he was being treated with kindness. This was an event extremely rare in his young life.

Next Spirit paid attention to his hair, lathering it with sweet smelling shampoo. Lance took in the attention. He hadn't been cared for like this since he was a small child. He nearly fell asleep under his gentle administrations.

He didn't know how long he lay there in the spring. Time had no meaning. The next thing he knew Spirit was drying him off. He was placed facedown on a nearby bed. He flinched as Spirit's gentle hands tended to his wounds.

Spirit frowned as he treated the boy. The cuts from the barbed wire were all over his body. He could never fathom how leaders could treat their own people so cruelly. He did what he could, applying medicine to the infected wounds, bandaging the more serious ones. The waters recuperative powers had healed many of them.

Finally he finished. There was a knock at the door. Spirit covered Lance with a blanket before answering it. Lance lay there watching. They were talking very softly. Then they both came over. The doctor had some water with him as well as some pills. "Drink this and take these," He said. "It's safe for you to take aspirin."

Lance sat up and looked at Spirit. "Go on," Spirit told him.

Lance did what he was told. When he drank up all the water he looked at the doctor he asked, "Am I going to die?"

"Not today," The doctor smiled. "As long as you stay put and get some rest."

"Go to sleep now," Spirit turned to leave with the doctor.

"Please don't go," Lance said softly. His voice was barely above a whisper. "Just stay with me a little while, okay?"

"I will not leave you child," Spirit brushed Lance's bangs from his forehead. Lance settled down and closed his eyes. "I just don't want to be alone right now."

"All right," Spirit nodded. "I understand."

Lance immediately fell fast asleep. The doctor looked at the boy. "Poor kid," He said. "He's been through hell. But why was he so afraid of me? I'm a doctor."

"That's why he was afraid of you," Spirit explained. "There are a lot of doctors that are unscrupulous when it comes to mutants. Plus the boy was probably trained to believe that if captured, a human doctor would harm him."

"You're kidding?" The doctor said. "That's horrible."

"But sadly, it's true," Spirit told him. "In a way, mutants fear humans far more than humans fear mutants."

"That is awful," The doctor said. "But understandable. I guess that's why some mutants would go against humans."

"I've read this boy's file," Spirit told him. "He's been in foster homes nearly his whole life. He has a history of abuse as well as delinquency. A prime candidate for people like Magneto to recruit."

"Hmm," The doctor nodded. "Makes sense. Kid's been kept down by the system his entire life, naturally he's rebellious and if you add his powers to the equation that makes him dangerous. If the kid believes that the only way to get out and get somewhere is by using his powers…"

"And of course Magneto tells him what he wants to hear," Spirit said. "Magneto uses the boy's own fears and past against him to keep him under control."

"It's a fascinating subject," The doctor sat down. "It's a shame so many people, both humans and mutants are afraid of each other. So much good could be accomplished."

"Unfortunately most people see only the dark side of mutant powers," Spirit said. "Even mutants themselves."

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Dark predators lurked through Lance's dreams. Snarling and howling, they tore at his mind. He awoke with a start. He blinked, trying to make sense of his surroundings. "Where am I?" He wondered aloud.

"Safe," The man next to him told him. Lance looked at him. He couldn't remember exactly who this man was. He would have remembered meeting a Native American dressed in black. But something inside Lance told him to let his guard down.

"Who are you?" Lance asked. "Where am I? What happened to me?"

"My name is Spirit," He told him. "We found you in the desert. You were injured so we brought you here to heal."

"I don't…remember," Lance blinked. "Everything's so foggy."

"You were drugged and left for dead," Spirit explained.

Lance winced. His head hurt. As well as there was a familiar pressure on his bladder. "I…I need to use the bathroom," He muttered. He tried to stand but found out that even sitting up caused him to feel dizzy.

"Let me help you," Spirit managed to get the boy to his feet and to the bathroom.

"Where's my clothes?" Lance wondered aloud. "I'm sure I had some somewhere."

"They got dirty and torn," Spirit told him.

Lance looked at his body. "What happened to me?" He asked as he looked at his wounds. "Someone did this to me didn't they?"

"Yes," Spirit said. "Do you remember who? Think hard. What's the last thing you remember?"

"I…I can't…" Lance winced. "Head hurts too much to think."

"All right then," Spirit said. "Don't think about that now." After Lance had finished his business he helped him back into bed. He gave him some water. "Drink this now."

Lance did as he was told. He closed his eyes and lay back. "Something's coming back to me…Images…pain…the desert…I was buried alive…twice I think. You gave me water before. I remember that."

"That's right," Spirit told him. "I found you."

A man wearing a red uniform came in. "How's the patient?"

"Weak and he's experiencing memory loss," Spirit told him. "But his fever is gone at least. Avalanche this is Lifeline. He's going to examine you."

"You're a doctor?" Lance asked.

"Technically I'm a medic but yes I did complete medical school," Lifeline said. He pulled back the covers, exposing Lance's body.

"I'm sorry," Lance said. "I'm not usually naked. I lost my clothes."

"We'll get you some new ones," Lifeline told him. He quickly examined him, then replaced the covers over Lance.

"What are you going to do with me?" Lance asked.

"Just relax," Lifeline told him. "It's going to be okay, son. I'm not going to hurt you." He placed his hands on his forehead. His hands gave off a warm glow.

Lance felt a strange, but pleasant surge of energy run through his body. "You're a mutant?" He asked.

"No," Lifeline told him. "But I do have healing abilities. Just rest now."

Lance felt his mind going into a fog. He didn't try to fight it. He was too weak and sore to do so. He passed out into unconsciousness. "He should sleep for a while now," Lifeline told him. "Come on, I want to talk to you."

Spirit followed Lifeline out of the room. Dusty and Cross-Country were there as well, waiting. "How is he?" Dusty asked.

"Weak," Spirit sighed. "Scared, and very sick. His mind is fragile after his ordeal. He should pull thorough though."

"I hope," Lifeline sighed.

"Did you get the results of the blood test?" Spirit asked.

"Yes," Lifeline hesitated.

"What did he do to that kid?" Dusty asked.

"It's not good," Lifeline sighed. "In addition to doping him up with an illegal and highly dangerous genetic enhancer, he also mixed it in with some kind of serum that apparently is used as a form of mind control. Magneto must have given it to him in order to instill obedience."

"Didn't work," Dusty huffed.

"In a way, it did," Lifeline told him. "What Magneto didn't consider was the effects of one drug delaying the effects of the other. The second drug didn't hit full strength until after Magneto abandoned him. And since the first person the kid saw was Spirit here, the drug must have affected his mind to accept Spirit as his leader. He was imprinted with the idea that he had to obey him."

"You mean like what baby birds go through," Dusty said. "No wonder he responds to you."

"How long is this gonna last?" Cross-Country asked.

"Well the imprinting may last quite a long time," Lifeline sighed. "But he'll snap out if he's not given any more of the serum. I think."

"You think?" Spirit asked.

"It's also an experimental drug," Lifeline explained. "The other drug…is a lot worse. Its effects may stay with him the rest of his life."

"Geeze," Dusty grumbled. "Nobody deserves that, especially a kid! I don't care how many buildings he's destroyed!"

"He couldn't help it," Lifeline told him. "The drug made his powers unstable."

"I know that," Dusty told him. "Does he?"

"I don't think so," Lifeline sighed. "I'm not looking forward to telling him."

"Ironic," Spirit frowns. "He fears humans will experiment on him, but he's already been experimented on by a fellow mutant."

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Lance awoke with a start. He sat there shaking, covered with sweat. The nightmarish images of the past few days had returned. It was real! Lance shivered at the memory. What did Magneto do to me? Where…?

He heard someone come into the room. Instinctively he pulled the covers closer to his body. "Are you all right?" It was the man from the desert.

"Who are you people?" Lance asked, still frightened.

"My name is Spirit," The man told him. "My friends and I found you in the desert."

"Wait…I remember now…" Lance sighed. "Not long after the coyotes attacked. You found me. Hold it, you're not just a passer by are you? You're some kind of soldier aren't you?"

"I'm with GI Joe," Spirit told him.

"What are you going to do with me?" Lance asked timidly.

"Well first I have to clean you up again," Spirit removed some of the bandages from Lance's body. "You need to be cleaned again in the healing waters."

"That hot tub over there?" Lance blinked. "Wait, I remember someone saying that it had healing powers."

He gave out a yelp as Spirit removed the blanket. He tried to cover himself with his hands. "Come on now," Spirit helped him into the water again. "There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Easy for you to say," Lance grumbled. "You're wearing clothes. I have to admit, this water does feel good. I do feel a little better."

"Good," Spirit told him. "That means you'll be up again in no time. You need to get your strength back." He started to bathe him.

"You gave me a bath before," Lance said as he allowed himself to be washed again. "And you've been taking care of me all this time?"

"Yes," Spirit gently washed his back.

"Why?" Lance asked. "Why are you being nice to me? What's your angle?"

"I just want to help."

"I've heard that before," Lance said bitterly. He said nothing as Spirit finished cleaning him. He lay there to soak a bit. Dozens of conflicting emotions raged within him, fear, frustration, humiliation, relief at being away from Magneto, exhaustion, and countless others. He let the bubbling waters pound away at them, trying to will them to dissolve. He watched in amazement as his sores healed before his eyes.

"How long have I been here?" Lance finally asked.

"A few days."

"That's all? Seems like forever," Lance groaned.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Spirit asked.

"Not right now," Lance sighed as he was helped out of the water and dried off. He cringed as his stomach growled. "I'm hungry. Do you have anything to eat?"

Spirit nodded and helped him back into the bed. He went into the next room and got some food. Lance ate it with relish. "Sorry," He gulped down a mouthful, realizing that he was eating like a wild animal.

"No need," Spirit told him, clearing away the tray when he was finished. "Feel better."

"Yeah," Lance sighed. "Yeah I do. Thanks."

"Try to rest some more," Spirit pulled the blanket over him. "I know you have been hurt and betrayed and you are afraid of us, but we won't harm you. You must trust me."

"Don't know why but I do," Lance groaned. "Course, I'm still pretty much doped up. Can't fight back or anything, so I have no choice. I know I should tell you something else. But I can't remember what it is. It's stuck in the back of my head and I can't get it out."

"Don't worry about it. You just rest now."

"Could you do me a favor please?"

"Of course."

Lance's voice became small and timid. "I know this is gonna sound stupid, but could you please sit and talk to me? I'm tired, but I can't go back to sleep. I just don't want to be alone now. If Magneto finds me…"

"He won't," Spirit put his hand on Lance's forehead and smoothed his hair back, gently soothing him.

"I just want to feel safe now," Lance sighed. "To feel like somebody's watching out for me. Please?"

"Listen to my voice," Spirit told him as he pulled the covers over him even more and tucked him in. "This is a song my grandfather used to sing to me when I was sick. It's a song of healing. It will help your spirit regain strength as well as your body."

Spirit began to sing a strange, soft melody. Although he had no idea what the words meant, they were comforting to Lance. He relaxed, feeling calm and safe for the first time in a long while. He lay there, enjoying the simple warmth of the soft blankets against his bare skin. Being watched over as if he was a small child that needed protection against night terrors. He drifted into a dark fog. A fog that soon revealed the form of two familiar glowing eyes.

You are mine.

"N-No!" Lance protested.

You belong to me.

"No!" Lance shouted. From out of nowhere a whip lashed out, slicing his skin. Lance screamed.

You will obey me. You are mine.

"No I won't!" Lance screamed. He was back in the desert. Magneto loomed over him. Lance ran but he couldn't escape Magneto. He was above him, his cold eyes glaring into his soul.

YOU ARE MINE!

"NO!" Lance screamed. "YOU DON'T OWN ME! NOBODY OWNS ME! I'M FREE!" He opened his eyes in terror. He sat up, pulling his knees close to his chest. "I'm free, I'm free," He whimpered. "Nobody owns me."

"Are you all right?" Spirit came in. Lance flinched at his touch. "It's all right. We Joes don't hurt mutants. We are the good guys. Remember?"

"The Joes…" Something clicked inside Lance's mind. "I remember now! You gotta call the Joes! You gotta warn them! Magneto is going to attack your base!"