She was too quiet. It worried him. She'd not made a single noise the last time she went under. Dusty worried that Mindbender had finally pushed her too far. It had been—how long? Several hours, surely. Over time, her screams had grown more ragged as her vocal chords buckled under the strain. Still she tried to scream though, mouth opening and closing with hardly a sound. After the first few hours the screams had subsided into pained whimpers and confused questions. She had stopped acknowledging the doctor's presence some time ago.

Dusty was near the breaking point. He had passed through anger and into a calm, all-encompassing rage. He had never felt like this before in his life. His arms and legs quivered under the strain of suppressed movement. His blood felt like ice water.

He had managed to sever a link in the metal chain connecting his wrist shackles. His arms were bloody and he had surely torn something in his shoulder. He didn't feel it.

His eyes followed Mindbender as the man checked Lady Jaye's pulse. He marked something else on his clipboard and motioned to the two Crimson Guards.

They approached the table warily.

"Oh, she's perfectly harmless, I assure you," Mindbender told them. "Put her in the cage and bring me the other Joe."

Dusty's heart leapt in anticipation. They would be opening the door soon. He very carefully put his hands behind his back. He was sure they thought him still shackled.

The guardsmen unbuckled Lady Jaye and pulled her by the arms off the table. She was completely limp, hanging between them without a sign of life. One of the guards let go of her to reach for the keys; the other simply dragged her along the floor like a rag doll.

Dusty tensed. The cell door opened, and the guard motioned for him to exit. He ducked through the opening, keeping his back to the two men.

He struck as soon as their attention was diverted. The guard with the keys never even saw him move. He fell to the floor without a sound, neck broken.

The second guard dropped Lady Jaye and reached for his gun. Too late; Dusty had the first man's pistol in his hands and was already firing.

Doctor Mindbender turned at the sound as the other guard fell. His eyes widened as he regarded Dusty standing before him, pistol raised and at the ready.

"If you shoot me you'll never get out alive," Mindbender stated. "An unescorted Joe walking the hallways won't last for long."

Dusty didn't even listen. He fired the gun, feeling a great sense of satisfaction as the doctor fell to the floor.

He bent over Lady Jaye's inert form. "Hey, Jaye," he whispered. "You in there?" She didn't stir. He reached for her wrist, checking for a pulse. Dusty had just started counting heartbeats when something heavy struck him on the back of the head. He fell across his teammate, unconscious.

Zartan regarded the people in the room passively. He supposed he should help Mindbender, twisted bastard that he was. The doctor didn't know that he often hid in the shadows of the lab, watching him work. The Commander liked to keep tabs on everyone. He shrugged. Mindbender wouldn't care how much he was spied on if it saved his life. He bent down and picked the man up.

The head of the Dreadnoks returned a short while later to see that the scene in the lab remained unchanged. He felt a moment's pity for the female Joe. He wouldn't ever say anything, but he thought that Mindbender sometimes went too far. And sometimes, like now, it came back to bite him in the ass.

Still, it was too bad that the Joes hadn't managed to escape in the time he was gone. He really shouldn't have hit the other one so hard. Well, at least he could tell the Commander in all honesty that he had stopped Mindbender from being killed. Of course, he could have stepped in before the Joe pulled the trigger…But no one needed to know that.

It was too late for them now, though. Major Bludd was on his way here, having seen Zartan with Mindbender on the way to the infirmary. He had demanded an explanation and was furious that Zartan hadn't called any guards, but Zartan pointed out that the doctor was likely bleeding to death while they argued. Bludd had let him pass, muttering about loyalty.

And that's his problem, Zartan reflected. I'm not loyal to Cobra Commander, and certainly not his idiotic underlings. He turned at the sound of footsteps. Major Bludd walked in with another pair of Crimson Guardsmen.

Bludd surveyed the room. "Why haven't you secured the prisoners?" He demanded.

"They're not going anywhere," he replied.

"Guards, put the woman in the cage." Bludd examined the various machines scattered throughout the lab. "I understand that our good doctor has a new toy, Zartan. I wonder how well it works?"

Zartan shrugged. "I observed its effect on the female Joe. I doubt she'll recover any time soon." He smiled, refusing to show even a hint of his true feelings. Bludd could sense weakness in another man, and was quick to take advantage of it.

"Well, I'm sure Mindbender won't mind if I take it for a test drive…" He looked down at Dusty, still lying in a heap on the floor. "Hook him up, Zartan."

He considered Bludd's order. "Fine. But I expect to be paid hourly as a technical assistant."

"You'll be paid hourly by not having the hide flayed off of you!" Bludd thundered. "Do it now!"

Zartan obeyed.

Dusty awoke some time later. He felt an unreasoning grip of panic. Where was he? He tried to move and couldn't. Was he still shackled?

Memories came flooding back in a horrific tide. He struggled to free himself, dreading to confirm his worst suspicions.

He lifted his head as far as he could. Major Bludd was watching him; Zartan stood off to the side, seemingly disinterested. He felt a moment of relief at the absence of Doctor Mindbender. Then the scene snapped into focus.

He was in the lab.

He was on the table.

Bludd was reaching for the switch…

Dusty was lying on his stomach in the sand. Everything hurt. His eyes felt gritty and bloodshot; his limbs were like lead.

Why can't I move? He asked himself. Oh, right. The straps on the table…

But there were no straps. He was alone, in the middle of a desert.

One thought filtered through his addled mind: water.

He knew if he didn't get water soon, he would die. Getting to his feet was nearly impossible, but he did it. Why was it so important to keep moving? He struggled to remember.

Someone needs my help. The desert…Cobra…Got to tell the other Joes…

He lifted a foot and put it down again. He repeated the action. It took all of his concentration just to keep going.

He knew that soon the setting sun would bring him some relief. He knew that every desert had its source of water. He held on to those thoughts as he plodded through the sand.

The desert stretched endlessly around him. He walked in a daze, keeping his eyes low to shut out the worst of the glare.

…He knew it had been hours. It must have been hours. His tracks faded in the distant haze behind him. But the sun was no lower in the sky.

I…have to…find the Joes… he repeated. Have to…

He opened his eyes. When had he fallen? It didn't matter. His body was painfully weak. He struggled upright, and took a step. His shadow fell at the same angle as it had all day.

His tongue was thick, and his head throbbed. Lights danced in front of his eyes. He clenched his jaw against the pain and walked.

I can't fail them…

He was stumbling now, barely able to lift his feet above the sand's rippled surface. He couldn't remember anything but the walking, and the heat. He checked the sky. The sun was still at its zenith.

He tripped and fell to all fours.

His breathing was ragged, his saliva tasted metallic. He forced his quivering limbs to obey him. Walk… he ordered himself.

He managed another mile, every step agony. His skin was loose and no longer elastic. His ears were ringing. Step. Step.

He fell for the last time. His arms and legs were no longer under his control. He tried to fight it, fight the despair, but it came at him anyway...

"No!"

Dusty knew it wasn't the first time he'd screamed. He was drenched in sweat, shaking. What had happened to him? His worst enemy, his greatest love, had finally bested him. Soon his body would be nothing but dry bones…

He heard laughter. Not the mad laughter of Doctor Mindbender, but the callous chuckle of someone far deadlier.

Major Bludd grabbed his chin and forced him to look up. "Having a nice time, are we?"

Dusty frowned. Had Bludd found him in the desert? He knew that the heat played tricks on the mind… It couldn't be Bludd. He was alone in the desert. Besides, he was dead.

Bludd chortled. His eyes shone with delight. "I've got to hand it to the good doctor," he commented, "He certainly outdid himself this time. I've seen the men in the dungeons downstairs—have you?" He turned to Zartan, who shook his head.

"You should really go look. Poor wankers. One tried to claw his own eyes out! Imagine!" Bludd guffawed. He watched the Joe on the table for a moment, then, slowly, almost lovingly, he placed his hand on the switch and threw it.

The prisoner started to scream again.

Zartan frowned at Bludd. Granted, Mindbender was the most vile man he'd ever met, but at least he only derived his pleasure from the success of his inventions. Bludd could care less about the method, and not much more about the result. It was the process, the pain that made the man tick. He made Zartan's skin crawl. I'd like to see you strapped up to that machine, you gloating arrogant bastard, he threatened silently.

He watched the Joe thrash against his bonds. Then he thought he heard the pitch of his scream change. But it wasn't the captive. It was the alarm. The Joes were at the base.