We are a Rainbow
Chapter Two
Written by: Cartman's Girl

Notes: Thanks to all who commented, I wuv you all.

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The hot sun was blisteringly… uh, hot that day. Jozef had never encountered anything like it. Living in the woodlands, he had always been sheltered by the enormous trees and vines. But now, the only shade in sight was that which kept the Cordans from getting heat stroke or dehydration. They could care less if a few Irkens died on the way; there was more then enough Irkens to go around.

Jozef banged his head against the metal bars, he'd been doing this since he had been thrown into the cage. His brothers… no, brother and sisters… he had no idea what happened to them. Maybe they were dead, maybe they were going somewhere else. His mind was full of questions, so many questions and no one was about to answer him. He had attempted to talk to a Cordan before, but he had been hit with a stun ray.

"Well… won't try that again." He muttered. Then he noticed one of the younger Cordans on the trip was watching him as he rode his hover craft. Jozef frowned at him, and made a snarl sound. The Cordan frowned back.

"I feel sorry for the family that's gotta put up with you as it's slave." It muttered, before returning it's black pupil eyes back to where he was driving. Jozef blinked his blue eyes a few times. Slave? What was that? It sounded odd. Like saliva or something. Did slaves drool a lot? He didn't drool a lot… maybe he'd make a bad slave. But he couldn't think anymore, he shut his eyes and sat back.

His wrists and legs were tied together, so he couldn't even stand and stretch his scrunched up legs. So, he just let his mind wander. He was now far from home. They'd been travelling for such a long time now, and he hadn't gotten any nourishment or anything. Not that it mattered, he was as skinny as a rake to begin with. And tall. He had noticed that, there were other Irkens. He didn't know them, but they were shorter them him; and majority of them were older then him too.

Jozef recalled his Mother blaming his Father for his height… at the thought of his Rei, Jozef lowered his head down into his hands and just made a wheezing sound. He couldn't cry anymore, he had done that for days after they had captured him. His Mother… left laying there in the woodlands for anything to come along and eat. She didn't even get the traditional burial or anything. It wasn't fair. She hadn't done anything… she'd only tried to save him. That's all.

~*~

Seeing my Mother's death… that was a horrible experience that I don't wish upon anyone. Well, maybe a few select people… but I knew I couldn't live in the past. She wouldn't want me to mourn like that, she'd want me to escape from these Cordans. And I was going to try with all my might, I wasn't going to give in without a fight.

~*~

"New load of Irkens!" shouted a voice, deep and menacing. It belonged to Aide. He was pretty much in charge of the place Jozef had awoken in. After drifting asleep due to heat exhaustion, the Irken had been spooked awake by the clanking of chains. Where he was… he didn't know. He couldn't see the skies, and there was no dirt on the ground and no signs of greenery. Just… hard smooth surfaces. Everywhere.

"On your feat!" said another Cordan, as the cage which held Jozef slid open. Jozef glanced around, as the Cordan grabbed the chain which connected to his wrists. Apparently they had removed his leg cuffs, so he could walk. The Cordan gave a mighty tug on the chain, causing Jozef to literally fly out his cage and onto the ground.

"Augh!" didn't hurt, just surprised him. Jozef glowered, and snarled at the Cordan; who if you want to know, was named Geo.

"Whoa, what's with this guy?" he asked one of the Cordans who had accompanied Jozef from the trapping to here.

"Ah, just a freakish Reject. More freakier then usual." Came the response of a female, as she dusted off her dirty pants. As Geo had his concentration elsewhere, that's when Jozef struck. He kicked out one of his feet, connecting with Geo's head. Geo lost his balance and fell over, and Jozef then whipped the chain around in the air.

"Attempted escapee, attempted escapee!" a robotic voice blared out from everywhere at once. Any Cordan who attempted to come close to Jozef, ended up becoming chummy with the thick chain that Jozef how whipped around more and more frequently. If he had to run, he couldn't whip it around as much as he was now; and they had one up on him. They had guns.

"RAUGH!" Jozef screamed out as a ray hit him, stunning him again. He fell onto his side, coughing in pain as the chain fell down onto his body giving him more sores and bruises. In the instant he fell, Cordans rushed up and chained his feet together again, and his hands behind his back.

"What do we do with him, sir?" asked the female, who had a foot squarely on Jozef's head. Given the opportunity she would have brought it down hard and squashed his head. Aide frowned at Jozef,

"Administer the pak." He said coldly, "No antiseptic." Some Cordans looked shocked, sure Irkens were scum but they gave them antiseptic… reason being the application of a pak wasn't gentle. But the female, her name being Aziel nodded.

"Yes sir. Get this scum to the Applicator!" Jozef was thus dragged away, over the smooth ground. Hitting bumps now and then. He looked up at the Cordans as they dragged him, trying to form a question with his dry sore throat. But no noise came.

"What… what're they going to do to me now?" he thought to himself, his antennae were tingling. He had a feeling it wasn't going to be pretty.

~*~

Pak application… ugh… I could have lived without one… I was born without one, I would have been happy to die without one. But… that was their only way of trying to control me. Those…

~*~

Jozef looked worried. And he should be. His body was stretched out over a table, a table which was specially shaped so it could hold the Irken body. But, Jozef being larger; they had to use more cables to hold him down. He couldn't see it, but a menacing machine was hanging down above his back.

Oh it was an awful looking thing. Two long hot metal prods sticking out of a round ball, the ball connected to the giant machine that hung down from above. Buttons and lights on it flashed and beeped, awaiting for it to be brought to life. Underneath the ball, hung a pak. It's dots were pale blue, awaiting to be connected.

"All right then tough guy. Let's see how you can handle THIS baby." Aide smirked and he flicked the machine on. Jozef heard the machine roar to life, then he also felt it. Oh, you have no idea of the pain he was feeling. Like drills, boring down into his spine. He screamed out in pain, the drills going deeper and deeper. His blood gushed from the holes it caused, the drills didn't only drill. They burned. Burned like the fire of the sun's surface.

Some Cordans looked disgusted at the sounds he was making, as well as the machine. And they had witnessed many a pak application, just not one without the aid of antiseptic. Suddenly the drills ripped back out of Jozef's back; and the pak was secured. Cables shot out from it, travelling down the bored holes and latching onto Jozef's spine. Then more pain. Electricity ran through his body. Reaching all ends. His fingers, his feet, his antennae, his brain, nothing was spared of the tingling sensation.

"…Sir, are you sure he'll survive?" Aziel asked as she watched.

"No. Why do you think I said no antiseptic?" Aide replied simply as he lit a cigar-like stick and puffed at it. Aziel nodded, and the machine was switched off. Jozef hung there on the table, not moving. His long thin antenna uncurled and hung on the floor.

"Somebody get a clean up crew in here." Aide snorted, and as soon as he mouthed it, small Cordans ran up with buckets and mops. They didn't bother moving Jozef, so they cleaned up near his head since he had lost a bit of bodily fluids out of his mouth.

"I dunno what these guys were so scare about, he ain't so-" started one Cordan, but Jozef whipped his head up, snarled and sank his jagged teeth into the Cordan's ear. The cleaner screamed and ripped his head away, loosing the ear. Jozef spat it out seconds later, and snarled more viciously at the other cleaners. Aide lost his cigar, he kinda dropped it when this happened.

"…you think he'd die, huh?"

~*~

Heh, nope… like I said, I was NOT going to give up without a fight. After I was taken off the applicator I was thrown into another room. This one had no windows, no ways of seeing what was going on around me. Just… mirrors. The ceiling, the walls, the floor. Memories of that room still scare me, and I have no idea why.

~*~

Jozef sighs as he lays down on the floor. His bare body, was now covered in clothes. So tight fitting he couldn't even dig his nails under it to peel it off. It was almost like a second layer of skin to his body. Deep brown wasn't his colour obviously. He opened his eyes, and stared back at himself. Boy, he looked a mess. Bruises, smeers of blood, cuts, wounds, dust… he needed a clean.

"Up we go…" he said quiet and sat up, and licked his hand with his tongue and began preening himself. It was the only safe way to. Sure, his body would fizzle at water, bus his saliva did no problem to it. He figured his skin fizzled is because their bodies can only take in specific amounts of Oxygen at a time. And, since he had heard water had some oxygen in it – it caused his body to go into over drive and burn. Was just a theory. Kinda good for an Irken who had been raised away from civilization.

He sighed deeply, and looked up at himself. Man, he looked even worse from above. Everywhere he looked, he saw his now pale blue eyes stare back at him. They used to be a lush blue, like the flowers that grew around where he used to live. Now they were dull… now they looked like his Mom's. What would she say if she saw him now? Probably to clean himself properly and to get out of those clothes. Heh… Jozef smiled slightly, then shut his eyes. Least now he couldn't see himself.

-

"He's a lunatic!" Aide sneered, sipping his alcohol. Aziel nodded, and sipped her own drink. "What kind of Irken can survive THAT and have enough energy to rip out a Cordan's ear?" Aziel shrugged, leaning back in her seat.

"He's one tough cookie, I'll give him that." She said calmly, "If you can break him, he'll be some slave that's for sure."

"Bah. I've broken Irkens like him and I'll break HIM if it's the last thing I do." Aide growled at her,

"You have NEVER handled something like this before Aide, admit it." Aziel snapped, she knew Aide well. They'd known each other since they were pups growing up together in Corda's capital. Aide rolled his eyes.

"Fine, not like him. But it's a challenge, a challenge I'm going to meet." He slammed his fist onto the table, causing some glasses to shake due to the vibration. Aziel rolled her eyes this time.

"Maybe he's just insane."

"What?"

"Insane. You know, crazy. So crazy he doesn't even feel pain or anything like it. I think he's a bit too dangerous. Everyone who goes near him needs a laser, but how do we let Cordans know that when they don't know him? Huh? I don't want to be responsible if he eats someone's HEAD next time." Aziel drank her drink again, lasting the last sip. Aide nodded,

"I think I know…" Aziel's ears perked up.

"Oh really, care to share?"

"Well, let's just say. If this pain doesn't set him straight – nothing will." Aide grinned evilly, rubbing his hands together. Oh yes, this plan will work for sure. An Irken's antennae are it's most prized possession, if they ever fall into pain or turmoil… Jozef WOULD be broken. Coming the next day…

[To be continued!]