All I Find Is Pain…
"Wake up boy. It's time to play with your DNA…"
Low Light lifted his head. His arms and legs hurt from being tied up, spread apart by two poles. He was naked, covered with tiny bruises where he had been stabbed with injections. The last thing he remembered was being dragged out of his cell, then blackness. Just like the dozens of other times before.
Before…he couldn't remember a time before the pain. The constant agony in his limbs seemed to have always been with him. Then the injections. Always the injections. And Sable was not very gentle administering them to him.
"There, there," Sable patted Low Light's face. "Poor baby…does it hurt?"
Low Light bit down hard on his finger. Hard enough to draw blood. "I told you before! Keep your hands off me you psycho!" He shouted, his voice hoarse.
"My, my what a temper. Haven't you learned by now that you can't win?" Dr. Sable grinned. "Perhaps I should punish you again? But how shall I do it this time? Another spanking perhaps?"
"Oh for crying out loud," Mindbender walked into the lab with Stormshadow. "Sable, Cobra is paying you to create mutant super soldiers. Not to indulge in your sexual fantasies!"
"Just because you don't have any sexual fantasies don't make fun of mine," Sable growled at him. "Besides, sex is the ultimate form of domination. What better way to break a man?"
"Well call me old-fashioned but I think plain old torture works every time," Mindbender grunted. "However, the subject is to remain unharmed as much as possible!"
"I haven't really harmed the boy, he brought it on himself. Besides," Sable grinned lecherously as his hand traced the inside of Low Light's thigh. "I haven't really done anything. Not yet anyway."
"Okay it's official," Mindbender growled. "I have just learned that there are things I won't do!"
"This is disgusting," Stormshadow hissed. "It is unseemly for a warrior to be treated in such a fashion. Even if he is a Joe."
"Frightening as it sounds, I have to agree with you up to a point," Mindbender grumbled. "Sable the Joe is to be used as a weapon for Cobra. Nothing else, and that includes your deranged fantasies!"
"You wouldn't say that if he was a female," Sable grunted.
"Yes I would," Mindbender growled. "Unlike some I am a professional."
"That's not what I heard," Sable smirked.
"You are going to hear my orders to have you executed if you don't come up with some results fast!" Mindbender snapped. "Haven't you created any more super soldiers yet? Or have you been spending all your time playing around with the Joe?"
"I think you'll find that I have been a very busy boy since your last inspection," Sable told him. He pointed to one of his assistants. "You there, please show the good doctor and his companion precisely the progress we've been making over the past few weeks."
"I had better not be disappointed Sable," Mindbender walked out with Stormshadow behind him.
"Don't worry, you won't be," Sable waved his arm. Then he looked at Low Light. "Now where were we? Oh yes, you need to be reminded again who is the master here." He took out a strange purple whip. He turned on a switch on the base. It started to hum and crackle to life. "Do you know what this is?"
Low Light said nothing but the look in his eyes betrayed him. "That's right," Sable told him. "A neuron whip. Specially designed to train stubborn minds such as yours."
He cracked it to the side. "Neuron whips are such fun," Sable grinned. "They don't leave marks, just pain." He hit Low Light on the side.
It felt like his entire body was on fire. It was all Low Light could do to keep from screaming. "Scream for me," Sable hissed with another crack of the whip. And again. And again.
Low Light couldn't stop himself. All he could feel was agony reaching into his brain and coming out through his skin. He heard the cruel laughter and taunts and a howling of an animal through it all. When Sable finished Low Light realized he was the one making the noise.
"When I'm finished with you, you'll be begging for me," Sable growled.
"Don't…bet on it…" Low Light gasped.
Sable laughed. He then put down the whip and walked closer to Low Light. "I suppose I really should check on my other projects. But they aren't half as much fun as you are. I always did like a challenge."
"Drop…dead…"
"Still feisty eh? Perhaps later tonight I'll pay you a visit," Sable smirked. "Then you'll truly learn who is the master here." He left the room.
It was then the tears began to fall from Low Light's eyes. He couldn't take it anymore. He was about to bawl when he realized that he was not alone in the room. "Who…who's there?" He whimpered.
From out of the shadows Storm Shadow appeared. There was a look of sadness and pity in his eyes. Low Light turned his head away, ashamed. "What are you doing here?" He spat out hoarsely. "You enjoy seeing your enemies humiliated? Is that how you get your kicks?"
"No…" Storm Shadow said simply. "I do not."
"Just my luck, a Cobra with a conscience," Low Light grumbled.
"An enemy should not be treated in this fashion," Storm Shadow looked at him. "Especially a warrior."
"Then kill me," Low Light gasped. "Please…Before…before…"
Stormshadow drew his sword and raised it. Low Light closed his eyes to await the final blow, delivering him from his worst nightmare. It never came.
Instead Storm Shadow split the bonds that held him in place. Low Light fell to the ground with a thump. He felt the ropes on his arms and legs being removed. He managed to sit up and rub them, trying to get some of his circulation back. He looked up and saw Stormshadow handing him a shirt and a pair of pants. He blinked, not quite understanding what was going on.
"Cover yourself," The ninja told him. "You can't escape naked. Can you get up?"
"Y…yeah," Low Light managed to get to his feet and take the clothes from him. He dressed as quickly as he could. The feel of clothing on his body was almost foreign to him now. They had stripped him and kept him naked as soon as he had arrived at the island which was…Low Light couldn't really remember when. The pain and the experiments had distorted all sense of time.
"You'd better drink this," Storm Shadow handed him a glass of water.
Low Light drank greedily. It felt so good against his parched throat. "Why?" He asked softly.
"Because there is no honor to this," Storm Shadow said bitterly. "Or this place." He opened a panel revealing a hidden door. "This way."
As reluctant as he was Low Light followed him down the corridor. "Where are we going?" He whispered.
"There is a communications room down this tunnel," Stormshadow told him. "You can contact your friends and direct them to this location."
"I guess even you can't stand a place like this," Low Light grumbled.
"I cannot do more," Storm Shadow said softly.
"Thank you for what you've done," Low Light replied. He then ran down the hall. Only one thing was on his mind, escape. Dimly he could hear the cries of agony of the other prisoners. He never saw any of them but he could hear them. Just as they could hear him.
He found the communication room. To his luck there were only two half-asleep guards there. He silently broke the first one's neck with his bare hands before grabbing the knife from him and stabbed the other one. Adrenaline raced through his body giving him the strength he needed. He worked the controls and sent out his message.
"Come in GI Joe…" Low Light's voice was hoarse. "Come in GI Joe…"
It seemed like an eternity before he could tell that the signal had been received. He made sure that the Joes could trace the call. "Hurry…"He whispered before he realized that more troupers were on their way.
He tried to leave the way he came but found he could not. The soldiers swarmed all over him before he could escape. "Got him Doc!" One shouted as Low Light was pinned to the floor.
"You've been very naughty," Sable grinned as he played with the whip. "It's time you were properly punished."
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"I've got the signal," Dial Tone told the Joes. "Low Light is being held here on this island." He pointed to the map.
"Prepare to move out," Hawk growled to the Joes. "We're going to Moreausseau."