DISCLAIMER:  I don't own the pretender characters although I really wish I did.

THE ULTIMATE REVENGE

CHAPTER 2

PAIN

BY INSANEGENIUS

Jarod awoke in complete and utter darkness.  Darkness that was so thick he wondered if perhaps they had blinded him.  After all, you don't need to see to pretend.  He tried to grope around, but he soon realized that his hands were shackled to the wall behind him.  They weren't taking any chances with him.  Memories of what had happened to bring him back to the one place he hated and feared above all flooded through him.  He couldn't believe it.  After all of the searching and trying against all odds to piece his shattered family back together his own mother had betrayed him right over to the hands of the one person he hated more than anybody.  He knew she probably had a reason for doing this to him.  What was it that she had said?  Pretend to be me, and you'll know why.  He would pretend one day.  But not now.  Now, he needed to find a way out of here  before too much harm was inflicted upon him.  

          Suddenly a blinding light assaulted him.  He squinted his eyes trying to block it out.  At least he knew he wasn't blind. 

          "Well, well what have we here.  Our run away Pretender at home at last.  Are you gonna be a good little boy this time, Jarod, and do exactly what daddy tells you?" smirked Lyle.

          " No way," Jarod growled, still trying to adjust to the light. 

          "That's too bad.  You know I hate to do this, but it looks like I'm gonna have to give you a spanking."

          Jarod watched as he and two other sweepers walked over and unlocked his shackles. "Well, no point in making this easy for them," he thought.  He tried to wrench himself out of their grasp, but to no avail.  They were just too strong for him at the moment, and he was still a little groggy from the sedative.  In return, they punched him in the stomach.  As he doubled over they once more chained him to another wall with his back towards them.

          "I hate to tell you this Labrat but this just might hurt a little."

          He jerked his head around in time to see Lyle pull a whip off of a table full of various other objects that he was sure he didn't want to know anything about.  Lyle pulled the whip back and lashed it out at him.  He Struck him at least a dozen times with the whip before deciding that it was enough.  Jarod never screamed out once.  He wouldn't give him that satisfaction.  He knew exactly what Lyle was trying to do to him.  He was trying to make him emotionally and physically off balance in hopes that he would be more willing to perform whatever "project" he had in mind.  Well it wouldn't work.  Lyle would never break him.

          "I can see those wheels turning in that brain of yours.  Trust me.  There's no way out of this one.  And you know what the best part about this is?  No one else knows.  Not even Raines knows that you and I are down here.  I can do anything I want to you now.  You see, the Triumvirate didn't believe in a few of my persuasive techniques, but what do they know?  Nothing, absolutely nothing at all.  I'll walk away from this with everything I've wanted for a long time.  I bet you're wondering why I want you so badly.   Well, I'll tell you why.  There's a simulation I want you to do for me.  I want you to find out the best way to not only kill but humiliate Miss Parker.  And I'm afraid I just won't accept no for an answer right now," he said while slowly pacing around Jarod's body. 

          He couldn't believe what he had just heard.  Kill Miss Parker?  He could never do that.  Miss Parker had been his bright light in the darkness that was the Centre.  The only person in the world he had shared a truly happy moment with.  Not even with his parents had he shared a moment as happy as his first kiss.  He had always been too afraid of their discovery while around them.  He couldn't bear to see her get hurt.  She was the reason he was still playing games with the Centre. 

          "I'll never help you destroy Miss Parker," he spat.

          "Tsk tsk.  Is that any way to talk to a man with a knife, and every intention upon using it?  Nope, I don't think so.  Do you know what I'm gonna do to you?  I'm gonna cut you open the same way your twisted brother did to me right before I blew his brains out.  Then maybe I'll see what happens when you light a match on someone's arm.  That would be an enjoyable experience for both of us I'm sure."

          The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.  The only thing that kept going through his mind before Lyle began his "persuasive techniques" was the conclusion of a simulation he and Kyle had performed together. "The anticipation of pain is worst than the pain itself."  Of course, it wasn't long before he realized that perhaps he had been a little wrong as a child.

                                      *************

ONE WEEK LATER

          He had managed to survive through all of Lyle's torture without giving in.  In the past week Lyle had made many deep cuts on his arms, stomach and legs, burnt both arms up, beat him after giving him a drug that doubled pain, as well as having a knife driven through his knee, and he couldn't forget the many other drugs Lyle had given him.  The ones that paralyzed him and caused him to feel a hot pain throughout his entire body.  The torture was bad enough, but then add the fact that he was getting pneumonia.  It was no wonder he wasn't dead.  But he had survived.  He would always survive.  He had a really bad feeling about the things Lyle had in store.

          He heard a door squeak open from the opposite side of the room.  He knew that it was time for another "session."  The lights came on, as usual, and Lyle gave him that smirk that made him want to tear him from limb to limb.

          " So changed your mind?" he asked malignly.

          " You know I haven't.  That's why that little smirk is on your face right now.  You can't wait to inflict yet more pain on me."

          "You're right, Jarod, I can't. But this time I'm gonna use a didn't type of persuasion.  So tell me.  Which do you want to save more?  You're family or Miss Parker?"

A/N:  Sorry it took so long to post this.  I've had so much homework, and I only have like one or two school days where I'm not staying after for band so I can't seem to find much time to stuff like this!  But anyways, how was it?  You gotta tell me!  Please R&R!