Chapter 6:

Isabella didn't know how many hours she had spent alone inside her dull and chilly cell. It could've just been a couple of hours but to her it was starting feel like days were going by. Pretty soon restlessness settled over her like a thickening fog and she found herself up off the cot, pacing back and forth across the cell room like a wild tiger that was just caged the first time in her life. Just when she got to the point of wanting to beat down the metal cell door with her bare hands, it slid open with a hiss; Isabella jumped back slightly before her hands instinctively curled themselves into fists at her side, bracing herself in case she needed to attack. When The Doctor walked right inside carrying with him another tray, one that had some food on it this time, Isabella scowled.

"Hungry?" The Doctor asked over his shoulder as he went and placed the tray down on top of the cot. Defensively, Isabella's arms came up and crossed themselves over her chest as her eyes narrowed,

"If I say no, you gonna force that down my throat?" she snapped back as she gave a quick nod at the tray. The Doctor chuckled before he turned around to face Isabella,

"No, I'm afraid it won't be able to work that way," he answered calmly, "…..not without killing you in the process at least." He added sickeningly. Isabella's eyes narrowed even more at the threat before she cautiously approached the cot to examine the contents on the tray; it was a very simple looking meal which consisted of a slice of a sub like sandwich and a glass of water. Isabella eyed the food with great suspicion.

"It's poisoned." She softly declared, "…..that or drugged up with something." She added guessingly. The Doctor threw his head back and laughed,

"Now what makes you think that?" he asked, "If we had wanted you dead my dear, you would not be standing here today. Oh no, you are far too valuable to kill at the moment." He explained, "As for it being drugged, that is not the case either. Why would we put you to sleep when we need you to be fully awake and functioning?" he evenly pointed out.

"How should I know? You've yet to tell me why you had me brought here in the first place!" Isabella irritably threw back.

"All in good time, my dear." The Doctor answered, brushing the comment off. "Now eat." He ordered, "….it's rude to decline such generous hospitality." He mockingly scolded.

"Generous hospitality?!" Isabella snapped, "Is that what you call having me jumped by one of your henchmen, thrown into the back of some car, forced on a jet, drugged twice only to awake in this God-forsaken place? You find that generous?!"

"Compared to what could've happened? Yes." He coolly answered. Isabella rolled her eyes before she reached down and grabbed the glass of water. She put it to her lips and drained its contents in just a few gulps before she forcefully smacked it back on upon the tray.

"Happy?" she sarcastically declared. The Doctor shrugged,

"It's a start." He answered.

"It's all your getting." She grumbled defiantly. The Doctor chuckled,

"For now." He threw back, amusement clearly showing in his eyes. Isabella turned to face the doctor who stood just a few feet from her; her cheeks were flushing a rosy color because of her growing anger.

"That's it, you're asking for it Doctor!" she stated threateningly while boldly taking a step closer to the man in black before her. He simply laughed and took a step back,

"I wouldn't try anything if I were you." He said, "…it's going to get you into trouble." He warned as he clasped both of his hands behind his back. Isabella was so caught up in glaring at the man before her that she failed to hear the cell door slide open,

"Between you and me Doctor, I'm already in trouble." She declared, "Therefore I have nothing to lose." She stated in a low, dangerous voice while she balled one hand into a fist and raised it into the air to take a swing at the Doctor's head. Before she could let her fist fly, an iron grip from behind, caught her hand and twisted it painfully behind her back; Isabella hissed softly, her eyes closing against the uncomfortable force restraining her.

"Having some difficulties?" a familiar voice spoke from behind her. Isabella opened her eyes before she turned her body slightly to glance over her shoulder only to see Storm Shadow smirking softly at the scene.

"Nothing too serious, just a little rebellion." The Doctor replied in a casual tone, "Take her to my lab for the procedure. I'll be in there shortly." He added. Isabella opened her mouth to ask what on earth he meant by that but was suddenly forced to turn around then shoved out of her cell room door by Storm Shadow who kept his tight and unbreakable grip on her twisted arm so she wouldn't be able to try anything funny. The walk to the lab wasn't a long one but they did have to cover quite a bit of distance. When they passed through two automatic doors which slid open to them as they approached, Isabelle found herself walking into a fairly large room filled with all sorts of equipment and machinery both medical and scientifically. Storm Shadow directed her over to a long, white laid back chair; it resembled what one would find in a dentist office.

"Sit." He ordered as he started to force her back into the chair; Naturally, she resisted but she was no match against his strength as long as he had her arm restrained in his grasp. She fell back into the chair with a soft grunt before she finally jerked her arm away from Storm Shadow who complied and let her go. But he stayed close so that she couldn't get the chance to get up and run off.

"Why am I here?" she asked in a surprisingly calm voice.

"You'll find out for yourself." He replied lazily, his dark eyes set intensely upon her face.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just inform me right now?" she questioned.

"Ah but that would ruin the surprise he has in store for you." He returned. Isabella rolled her eyes before she frowned,

"I don't think I can take anymore surprises coming from you guys…." She grumbled under her breath as her head turned about to look around the room. A few awkward and silent minuets passed between the two before the lab door opened and three men walked inside room; one was the Doctor, the other was a man Isabella remembered from the jet as James McCullen who was followed by a third man who she did not recognize. He was tall with incredibly short cut hair and he was whistling a very old tune. Isabella grew tense and alert when all three men, including Storm Shadow, were suddenly surrounding her in the chair.

"How she's fairing, Doctor?" McCullen asked as he thoroughly sized Isabella up,

"Perfectly healthy, in excellent condition; without a doubt she'll make one hell of a Viper." The Doctor answered. McCullen glanced over at the doctor,

"Well I hope so. We've gone through quite a bit of trouble to get her here in the first place." McCullen stated.

"And exactly who is she?" the third man asked as he quickly looked Isabella over.

"Zartan," the Doctor began, "Meet our soon-to-be newest recruit to the Cobra's forces, Isabella Wright." He introduced. Isabella quietly gasped at the Doctor's words before her hands curled into fists again in silent protest. The man named Zartan raised an eyebrow at the information before he turned his attention back onto the young woman in front of him.

"A recruit huh?" he repeated. "And where did we pick up this delicate flower from?" he asked as he reached a hand out to Isabella and let a few of his fingers graze down her soft, warm cheek. At the contact, Isabella's eyes narrowed before her arms shot out and gripped onto Zartan's outstretched arm; she skillfully used his heavier build to twist her body sideways in the chair and land a powerfully kick to his chest. Zartan grunted and stumbled back before he crashed into a small mobile table a few feet away and toppled to the floor. Storm Shadow smirked, The Doctor chuckled while McCullen looked both surprised and pleased at the sudden action,

"More like a wild tigress if you ask me, Zartan." McCullen amusedly corrected while Zartan furiously pushed himself off the ground and got back to his feet.

"Someone ought to restrain that bitch!" he spat venomously as he pointed a finger at Isabella who in return sat up straighter in the chair,

"Bring it, Tarzan!" she boldly challenged.

"It's Zartan!" he hissed back.

"Whoops, don't care." She remotely answered. Zartan's eyes narrowed as he took a menacing step towards her but stopped when he heard Storm Shadow chuckling to himself on the other side of the room now.

"What you think this is funny ninja boy?" he demanded sharply. Storm Shadow ceased his soft laughter and shrugged,

"I never get tired of seeing you get your ass kicked, Zartan." He answered, "…..so having it done by a young woman makes it even more humorous." He finished honestly. Isabella's gaze went from Storm Shadow to Zartan who was absolutely fuming with rage. While the two men had a silent stare down, McCullen walked around the chair Isabella sat in and headed over to where the Doctor stood at one of the many computers he had in his lab.

"Has she always been like this, Doctor?" McCullen asked curiously.

"No, I must say this is the first act of aggression I've seen from her since arrival here at Base." The Doctor answered as he began typing something into the computer screen. "Uh Zartan, will you do the honors of helping our young lady friend here get…..comfortable in her seat?" he added without looking up from the computer he was working at.

Isabella barely had enough to glance over her shoulder to glare at the doctor before two strong hands grabbed her from the front and forced her to lie back in the chair. Zartan painfully held one arm still, out by her side before he clasped it down by a built in metal cuff. All at once Isabella panicked; she thrashed and kicked out but to no prevail. Zartan was just about to lock the other cuff around her wrist when an idea came to her at the last minuet; Isabella stretched her arm out as far as it could go. When Zartan actually did the clasp, it was done four inches above her wrist; Isabella was now tied down. Zartan leaned back slightly to admire his effort with a satisfied smirk playing across his face; he then linked both of his hands together and cracked his knuckles loudly,

"Not so tough now, are you sweetheart?" he asked mockingly. Isabella angrily jerked against the cuffs in response,

"Come and say that to my face!" she exclaimed in anger, "See what happens!" she threatened. Zartan laughed and shook his head in amusement,

"Feisty little thing aren't you?" he asked as he stepped up to the chair once more to hover over Isabella's form; Isabella fearlessly glared up at him. Zartan smirked before he lowered his head down to Isabella's so that their faces were mere inches apart, "It's a pity I won't be able to break you myself." He stated. In a flash, Isabella snapped her head forward in a surprisingly powerful headbutt. Zartan's head was thrown back slightly at the force before he let out a hiss of pain and raised a hand up to cover the bruising spot on his forehead. The moment Zartan recovered, he swiftly brought his open hand down and roughly cuffed Isabella across the face. She didn't utter a sound when her head was painfully snapped to the side or when the sting of Zartan's blow settled over the entire left side of her face. Her eyes squeezed themselves closed for a brief second before they reopened and looked back up at Zartan defiantly.

"Ooh she can take a hit." McCullen stated in a pleased manner.

"Of course." The Doctor agreed before he turned to look over at Zartan, "You can go Zartan, your assistance is not needed at the moment." He added. Zartan grumbled something under his breath before he muttered a "fine" and turned away before storming out of the lab.

"I should go too. The case is being transported out of the NATO's facility even as we speak. The Baroness is awaiting orders and a team of Vipers must be prepared. I'll have them ready while you….do your thing, Doctor." McCullen stated before he glanced over at Storm Shadow who still stood by Isabella's form, "Come Storm Shadow, let us leave the Doctor to his work." He added. Storm Shadow let his dark eyes land on Isabella's face once more before he silently nodded his head. Then both he and McCullen disappeared from sight as well.

"Work?" Isabella repeated with distaste as she squirmed against the metal bindings holding her down, "What am I? A science project?" she demanded irritably. The Doctor chuckled before he at last left his computer and walked over to Isabella's helpless form.

"That's one way to look at it." he answered as he moved toward another small table and picked up something before coming back to stand beside the chair, looking down on Isabella. The Doctor reached down a hand down and before Isabella could object, he stuck a syringe right into her shoulder.

"Ouch!" she cried. "Hey!!" she yelled in angry protest as the Doctor slowly drew blood from her body into the tube of the syringe.

"Just running a few, last minuet tests." The Doctor explained casually as he withdrew the needle from her shoulder and took the blood-filled syringe back over to his computer. Isabella groaned in aggravation,

"Aren't you supposed to wait for consent before you start sticking and probing me with things? Because FYI, most doctors do!!" she stated.

"But then I'd just be waiting for your consent which we both know would never come and I'm a very busy man these days and can't afford to wait around for anything." He answered as he typed something else into his computer before he turned about and walked back over to the chair. Isabella turned her head so that she could look up at the Doctor's masked face,

"What exactly are your plans for me?" she asked in a slightly suspicious voice. The Doctor who was now looking down on what looked to be some kind of control pad in his hands pressed a few buttons and looked up; a high-tech machine that hung above Isabella slowly lowered itself from the ceiling. Isabella looked up too and for the first time since her captivity, grew nervous. The main two parts of the machine came down till they stopped just a foot and a half or so from her head.

"What the hell is that for?" she sharply demanded as she tore her gaze from the machine to look up at the Doctor once more.

"This is why you were brought here, Isabella." The Doctor answered as he began to slowly circle around the chair, "I'm going to make you into a Viper solider."

"A what?" Isabella exclaimed in confusion,

"A member of the Cobra's forces." He explained.

"Uh-uh, I'm quite happy being a Marine, thank you very much." She declared with certainty.

"But you are better than just a simple Marine, Isabella. You are highly skilled in things far beyond your years. It's a wonder why the Joes never picked you up." He stated.

"Who?" she questioned.

"We'll get to them later." The Doctor answered as he brushed the question off, "….but for now, let's begin the procedure." He quickly walked back over to his computer and once again began typing things in; the machine started up again and slowly started inching its way towards Isabella's head; she watched in horror as extremely long and sharp needles extended out of the machine, pointing directly at her skull. "You see Isabella; this machine will inject into you a couple million Nanomites."

"Why?" she asked in slight panic as she tried shrinking away from the needles.

"Because once they are inside your system, you will be under my complete control." He casually answered.

"You have got to be kidding me!" she exclaimed in disbelief. "That can't be possible!" she practically cried as she jerked against the cuffs.

"With Nanomite technology, anything's possible." He answered with excitement, "Since it was I who programmed them, I can make them do anything I want. Even control a living human being."

"I refuse to be your guys' puppet!!" she fiercely declared as she started struggling again; The Doctor chuckled,

"I'm afraid my dear, you don't have a choice." He answered.

"You can't do this!" she cried in anger and fear.

"Oh really now? Watch me Isabella Wright." The Doctor took a seat behind the computer that would control the machine before he sent the machine in for its sick job. Isabella froze as the needles were just about to pierce into her head; in an attempt to block the horrific scene out, she sealed her eyes shut.