Rocket awoke painfully. She had been dying... That much she could remember. Her throat also hurt like hell... She gasped content at being able to breathe again. She opened her eyes. Everything was dark. No... There was some light but very faint, it took her a moment to realise that she had a blind fold on. Her arms were cuffed to some kind of table so that she couldn't move them as were her feet.

She struggled briefly. She felt cold, it would seem that they had taken her T-shirt. Brilliant...

Rocket turned her head. Somebody else was in the room with her... She could hear them shifting and moving around. Then she heard some voices. They belonged to the villains who'd captured her, she struggled some more, trying desperately to escape.

"Don't try..." Instructed Vandal Savage "Stay calm and everything will be fine."

"What do you want with me?" Asked Rocket furiously trying to keep track of where she thought they were

"With you? Nothing... You are simply a vessel miss Ervin." Savage's cold voice continued "It is what you are carrying that interests us."

Rocket's eyes widened as she realised what he was talking about. Her child... They wanted her child but why? She didn't know, the light didn't exactly seem like the sorts who'd show any interest in becoming mid wives. What ever they wanted, she strongly doubted that it was good. There was no chance of her escaping... What had happened to Roy and Lian? Were they ok?

"What do you want with my kid?" Asked Rocket "Go have your own!"

"Have you any idea how long we've been waiting for a child like the one that you bare?" Asked Queen Bee

She placed her hand on stomach making Raquel shudder. She let out a snarl. How dare they touch her? She wanted to see just what was happening to her but was unable to do so because of the blindfold. She shivered on the cold steel table.

"What are you going to do?" Raquel asked fighting her fear

"Make a few... Improvements..." Said a voice that she identified as Lex Luthor

"And then both of you will see the light." Said Vandal Savage

"Yeah well you guys are going to be seeing my fists once I get free!" Threatened Rocket

"Hmph... Such spirit..." Said Vandal Savage "Begin the procedure!"

Rocket was about to say something else when she felt three pin pricks in her stomach. She winced in pain, she recognised the sensation as being similar to getting an injection. Whatever it was she felt like they were injecting her. Then the agony started. It felt she was on fire, what were they doing to her? She tried not to scream... She really did but was unable not to. She pulled as hard as she could against the restraints keeping her strapped to the metal table but to no avail.

She could hear Klairon laughing. The pain was getting worse, it felt like something was inside of her pulling her guts apart. She wanted Kaldur... She wanted to hide in his arms and be safe. She wished that he was here to protect her from the Light. What were they doing to her? She was scarred... Another piercing scream escaped her lips.

"The pain will pass..." Savage told her "Try to relax..."

She did as he said but it changed nothing the same pain remained. She continued to yell out in pain, hoping that they light take pity and end her torment... It was fruitless, the Light continued to watch emotionless.

/

"I'm just saying we're not security guards!" Complained one of Black Manta's men

"Don't complain at least we're in the Light! Would you rather be on the outside?" Asked his companion one of the few women

Black Manta let out a sigh as he walked through the corridors of the Light's secret base. He could see both sides of the argument that his men were currently having. One one hand they should be glad to be in the light at all considering what was coming. However, being used as simple security guards was rather degrading and he couldn't help but think that they were meant for more. Besides, in case of an attack the guards were always the first ones to get knocked down...

It had been another uneventful patrol of the corridors and he was considering turning in for the night once their duty was done. He needed to sleep... But recently his dreams had been disrupted by memories of his past life. Had he made the right choice? He wondered silently to himself, he couldn't dump his doubts or concerns on anyone here that bothered him. It was all building up inside him and one day it was going to overflow he could feel it coming.

A scream caught his attention. He was used to it, more than once he had witnessed tortures and people spilling their deepest secrets after being subjected to some of the most atrocious sufferings imaginable. Yet these stuck a cord... They were different, ones of pure agony not despair... Just pain. And so very familiar. Noticing that he'd stopped his soldiers halted as well.

"Man poor guy... I wonder who it is..." Said the man

"Let's get out of here... I hate hearing em' scream..." Said the woman, she started to walk off but noticed her leader wasn't moving "Sir?"

"Those cries..." Muttered Manta

"It's never bothered you before..." Noted the man

The two manta men watched as their leader slowly started to walk off towards where the cries were coming from. The screams were getting louder and louder as they grew nearer the door. Manta's mind was a blank as he entered the room. Even with his helmet he was forced to close his eyes to shield them from the sudden bright red light of Klairon's magic.

"Manta what a pleasant surprise..." Said Savage "Which one of you is it?"

"RAQUEL!" Yelled Manta

"Well, that answers my question..."

Kaldur removed his helmet, to look at Rocket. She was strapped to what could best be described as a torture table currently screaming in agony. Klairon seemed to be using his magic to do something to her stomach which had three large pipes sticking into it, pumping some kind of red, yellow and green fluids inside of her. Another yell of pain. The Atlantean rushed forwards to get to his friend's side but was stopped by Vandal Savage grabbing him round the shoulder. He struggled not to hit the other man in the face.

"Set her free." Kaldur ordered "Now!"

"We can't do that..." Said Savage

"I am not interested in what you feel like doing Savage... RELEASE HER!"

"I'm afraid if we stop the process before it's complete, the miscarriage will prove fatal."

"Miscarriage?" Kaldur asked wide eyed

"Yes..." Savage turned to look at the girl in pain "Oh... Didn't you know? She's pregnant..."

Kaldur's eyes widened. Raquel was pregnant? Another scream, he forgot about what he had been thinking. There was only so much that the body could take and it sounded like Rocket couldn't take any more. The only thing that made it slightly easier to watch was the presence of a blindfold hopefully keeping her slightly more unaware of what was currently happening to her.

"She is pain..." Stated Kaldur

"An unfortunate part of the process, it will pass... If she survives."

"If? Savage if she does not I will personally take care to ensure that every member of the light lies dead."

"Is that a threat boy?" Asked Lex Luthor

"Indeed..."

"Kaldur..." The Atlantean turned recognising his name "Please! Kal! Help me!"

She must of heard him... Her voice was broken and barely audible from all of the screaming. Kaldur stayed where he was before taking some steps towards the machine ready to tear it apart with his bare hands, to do as she wished and help her. He could not bare to see her in so much pain... Nobody should be in that much pain...

"She'll die!" Said Klairon in his childish manner "We tried it out on a lot of lab rats before! They all die screaming!"

"Kaldur... Please..."

"I- I cannot..."

The Atlantean took a few steps back and watched. He couldn't/wouldn't risk killing her. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to do something, to end her suffering but he couldn't kill her. Another scream. How long would this last? He wanted to look away, to run away perhaps even go and throw up somewhere... But he couldn't he just remained stuck there, watching the woman he loved screaming and calling out for him.

Savage smirked as he noticed two little drops of water coming out from either of the Atlantean's eyes. He'd always wondered if they could cry... Kaldur's fists were clenched and shaking from anger. His tears were those of helplessness, despair and rage.

Finally after another ten minutes but what seemed like eternity for Kaldur and Raquel it stopped and Rocket's screaming with it. Klairon stepped back with a content and childish grin on his face he came back to the other members of the league. Slowly, the machines pulled away. Kaldur spent a few moments standing still, in shock.

Then, it started. The most heartbreaking sound Kaldur had ever heard. It was a sob. A quiet and gentle sob coming from Rocket. Slowly, he approached the girl. He stopped and looked down at her for a few moments. Before with one strong hand shattering the steel restraints holding her in place. Gently he removed her blindfold. She had her eyes closed, small tears fell down her cheeks like diamonds. He'd never seen her cry...

Gently he cradled her. She tried to push him away but was to weak to so. He held her a little closer. After a few brief seconds, Raquel stopped struggling and fell asleep from a mixture of pain and exhaustion. Kaldur gently picked her up in his arms, not bothering to wipe away his own tears. As he walked past the other members of the light, he paused. Glaring so coldly at them that they wondered if he might suddenly develop heat vision.

"If you ever come near her again... I will kill you!" Kaldur declared, his voice fierce but shakier than usual from his tears