Stryker led the blindfolded mutant into a holding cell deep in the heart of the dam. He kept the captive from seeing anything, even under the drug, just in case it wore out and he wanted to escape. Along the way, some underdog, trying to be a suck-up, had rushed up to ask him how he was doing. Before he had even finished speaking, Stryker had demanded coffee. The man came back with a hot mug of strong black coffee so fast Stryker would have been sure he had been some sort of mutant, had he not done such a thorough background check on everyone he associated with.

Now the captive was secure, and Stryker was in his Alkali Base office, sipping the coffee slowly as he pondered out his next step: to train the captive. The teleportational ability was amazing, and once recuperated from his various struggles, he hoped the captive would be strong and agile. His blue, demonic appearance would definitely be an asset, once past the general security at the White House. He wasn't quite sure how to disguise the captive, but there was a good chance the captive himself knew.

"Yuriko?"

His assistant appeared out of the dark corner of his office and stood by him at his desk. He re-administered the serum into her neck, looking at a clock on the wall, and then sent her back to the shadows. Stryker admired the greenish-yellow liquid in the low light. The first time it was used, it was basically a sedative, but the more it was used, the more natural the person under its control became. You could have an entire conversation with Yuriko and never guess she wasn't functioning on her own. To him, the solution was a miracle.

He turned on a small cable television, continually on news, and caught the tail end of a dark-haired, plain-looking woman talking with stars in her eyes about the Mutant Registration Act.

"-and so we realize that we are all people, whether human or mutant."

"Hippie propaganda bullshit," growled Stryker, turning the set off and getting out of his chair. No, he wasn't going to wait for something else when such a misguided country needed him to work against the mutants. "Yuriko, come on. We have some training to do."

~X~

Kurt stared at the grimy wall, blinking, breathing, and not doing much else. At least he could do such things more naturally now. There came a groan of metal on metal, and he watched passively as the thick door opened. The male and the mutant were there, the first with a syringe and the second with a length of cloth. The man put more of the controlling acidic liquid into his neck as the woman blindfolded Kurt. The third dose of the drug somehow gave him more control, and yet made him even more helpless, as he found himself standing and beginning to walk, guided by the woman, without any vocal commands from either.

They walked through passageway after passageway, the trip far too complex and confusing for Kurt to remember – not from lack of trying, though. Finally, the cold grip of the woman on his shoulder stopped him, and his blindfold was removed, to reveal a high-ceilinged room with many large cylinders and lots of electrical equipment.

"Attack Yuriko, Kurt." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the woman – Yuriko, that was the second time he'd heard her name – take a gun out of a bag she carried. On Stryker's command, he turned towards her and, despite his still sore body, ran towards her. She casually pointed the gun at him and fired, but he had teleported behind her and kicked her magnificently in the back of the head. Mein Gott! he screamed in his mind. I don't vant to hurt her! She went to give him a roundhouse kick in return, but he was now in front of her, sending a forceful punch into her jaw. There was a sickening crunch, and Kurt cried inside. Yuriko shook her head, and Kurt was amazed to see her mouth reset itself. Before he knew what he was doing, she was shooting at him again, but now he was behind one of the prostrate cylinders. When she turned, trying to see him, he reappeared at her side and swung out at her knees, knocking her off her feet onto her back. H

"That's enough!" Stryker appeared out of the darkness, and Kurt's body's blood thirst was suddenly vaporized. He was very glad to see Yuriko rise out of the floor, unharmed, but had a terrible feeling that whomever Stryker seemed to be preparing him to hurt wouldn't heal like a mutant. "I see you know what you're doing. Do you know anything about blending into normal humans?"

"Yes," answered Kurt's mouth for him. Nien! shouted his mind, but no one in the world would ever hear him argue.

Stryker and Yuriko shared a sinister smile as the military strategist called into an electronic link in his pocket, "Prepare the helicopter for a return to my office in the Capitol."

~X~

It was about nine o'clock in the morning as the quiet man, wearing a hat, large jacket, and sunglasses, walked up the steps to the White House tour....

~x~X~x~X~x~

A/N: Ta-da! So, what did you think about Captive? Better or worse than Target? Suggestions? Comments? Questions? Please write a review!

Thanks for reading my story, and thanks to all you wonderful people who reviewed Target. I hope this one delivered! -AbRaCaDaBrA