"I suggest you don't describe it any further." Keith warned with triumph in his voice.

"Why not!" Ed demanded. "How is that going t-Hey! What's going on!"

That's all he heard before inhaling and choking on a thick gas in the air. Seconds later Gox felt a hand pull away his bandana, another over his mouth and someone caressing both ears.

"Yep, this is the one." A voice whispered to another.

"Do it quick!" another said.

A sharp, white-hot pain jolted below his left knee, causing him to collapse. Although the pain was seemingly unbearable all he could manage was a silent scream. After he'd been struck he felt the strong arms of the two strangers drag him off to who knows where. Making some sort of noise would help to make the others aware of what was going on but the ache in his leg blocked his voice.

"Get him in here and fast!" Keith's voice hissed to the two dragging him.

A new hand grabbed his wrist and pulled at him. Gox tried to fight back but between this throbbing knee and someone else pushing him from behind…all efforts were rendered useless.

Half drug half limping his shoulder would every so often bump into a rock wall, he reasoned they were in the mine Annie read about. Being forced down the obvious tunnel with a really obvious low ceiling, nobody found it in their hearts to warn him about the stalactites. By the end of the trip Gox knew he was going to leave quite the bruise on his forehead.

A wave of heat flooded over him, announcing they'd gone outside but the hand kept pulling him. After several more strides the hand let go and Gox discovered a waist-high sturdy object that running into wasn't at all pleasant. One hand massaging his gut and the other feeling the sturdy object he reasoned it to be a bed of some vehicle. Further observations couldn't be taken since someone grabbed his aching leg and thrust him into the vehicle. He was already pretty much defenseless so why was everyone being so rough?

He tried to sit up but a hand clutched his forehead and rammed him down at the hot metal.

"Consider that a kindness." A voice mocked. "How you've got matching bruises, front and back. And unless you want your entire head to be black and blue…I suggest you just lay there and keep quiet."

How could he argue with that? There was clearly more than one of them and they without a doubt had the upper hand.

The drive to God knows where took, well he didn't know how long he'd been there. They were going pretty fast and at least three different voices (excluding Keith and Ryan's) talked softly to one another. But since his hearing improved Gox caught almost all of what they said.

"Glad the boss let us decide what to do with him."

"It's cool when you get to write your own contract."

"D'ya think E'll find it clever an' cruel?"

"Don't know what could be more cruel than being stuck in the middle of the desert and being…put in literally terms, 'blind as a bat' eh?"

"When we get back to headquarters I'm getting everybody a drink."

"Aye."

The last insult was said deliberately louder and stung. It was a common phrase yes, and if the twins or any other friend said it it wouldn't bother him but these guys said such things to be intentionally degrading.

At long last the ride ended. But to where?

The others lounged for a while, figuring they were no longer in any danger of being caught. Gox tried to shift to get away from the stone that wedged itself under his side but his movement hadn't gone unnoticed and someone clutched his ear and yanked it toward them, fingering as though examining it. It hurt badly but he didn't dare make a sound. Instead he tried to sit up straighter to put less strain on his ear, bad idea.

Whether it was because the guy didn't like the discomfort he was bestowing made more bearable or if it was going to be done anyway Gox felt himself being pulled from the truck bed and lain once again on his back…but this time a hand gripped a handful of his shirt and made sure he didn't move. Something cold with pointed end pressed against where the skull curves into the socket.

"Whad'ya think boys? 'E dun need 'em so why keep 'em in 'is 'ead?"

"I'm sure you'd be able to make it quick and clean but the boss said that all captured must be as unspoiled as possible. It's only gentlemen like," the word gentlemen was said with clear sarcasm. "That one going to their funeral be in the best of condition."

"You guys are going to have your own little room to sit in by your lonesome when you're caught for killing me." Gox willed himself to speak. Only to make him feel more unnerved his words were greeted with wild laughter.

"Yeah sure," It was Ryan. "I'm gonna cry myself to sleep from now on!" Someone kicked him so he was facing the ground. Hot sand! Hot sand! Ryan had put on cowboy spurs on the trip over and dug one of them between Gox's shoulder blades, shifting back and fourth over his spine.

"WE my freakish friend wont have your death on our conscience. I'm sure that you can feel the desert beneath you…you'll have to ask it to be merciful to you. If not, I'm sure the wind will mourn you and the sands will eventually cover your mutated body." He removed the spur, but Keith grabbed his hair in a powerful fist and jerked his head upward.

"What you see here, gents couldn't even be considered half a man. It doesn't really deserve to die out here, alone in the middle of an unforgivable desert…but if you know of a place that's lower place than this overgrown litter box you'd better speak up now so we can drop him off there."

Fear and humiliation flickered in the eyes that could no longer serve him.

"You're idiot friends are never going to find you. There's a passage in that mine that is completely hidden to those who don't know where it is. My guess is they're still looking through the tunnels expecting to find us hiding out down there. And hey, here's a tip. If you want to end your misery quickly, I suggest you stay on your hands and knees like you should be and hope a rattlesnake gets you on the neck or something so death comes sooner."

With a hard shake Keith let go and walked on. "Oh, and unless you want to be shot at don't get up until you cant hear the engine. I can't guarantee your safety if that happens cause Lionel isn't really good with his aim when he gets excited."

Someone kicked sand at him and the group laughed as they walked on.

He barely heard their laughter and didn't hear the engine in the distance. How could anyone have that much hatred in their heart? How could anyone enjoy saying such things to those that don't have the upper hand? This definition of 'cruelty' is definitely not what Webster had in mind.

Inside he wanted to cry…but could he even do that with eyes that were of no use?

He didn't find out. He wasn't going to prove them right.

If he was going to die out here it wasn't going to be on his knees like a frightened child. He was going to be on his feet and walking straight ahead, like a man that knew where he was going.

Me – There, ya happy?

Chibi me – Yes, very much so.

Me – Good. Now that U R satisfied I'll satisfy the readers by giving another chapter so U can find out what happened 2 him afterwards.

Chibi me – HOORAY!