Mike smiled triumphantly, collapsing wearily against the hard cot.

"What happened?" Augelstein demanded.

"I beat you, you son of a bitch... that's what," Mike gloated weakly, before finally letting unconsciousness claim him.

Riruki was completely helpless as she was stripped of her clothes and drugged. Wrapped in a hospital gown-like garment she was hooked up to something that looked like an electric chair.

It induced her psychic attacks and reflected them back on her.

By the time she was thrown into a cage she was unconcious and thoroughly in pain.

((alrighty these are the NPCs that got captured..if you are planning to use ethier, ask me or dar first.))

Young Ruby Lupin was shaken, to say the least. She had been pried from Jamal’s arms when they took her in to be examined, he was there when they tore her clothes off and scrubed her body clean. She was so humiliated she didn’t even have the heart to look at him, they had taken him to be examined in a separate room, much to both of their surpise. But the humiliation was still set in. Ruby had been poked and prodded with all kinds of instruments, it lasted for hours on en making it more and more painful for the fox girl.

Now she laid in her cell, cold and alone, with only the stupid Hospital dress to cover her. She could hardly talk without hacking up a little bile, she was so weak and helpless. The worst thing was that she knew it wasn’t over, Fusionist hadn’t given her the punishment he promised if she ever managed to escape again.

As if that wasnt horrifying enough, but when Ruby heard the squeaky door to her cell ease open that was even worse. She heard a dull thump and then footsteps, making fear streak through her. Ruby let out a terrified whimper as she crawled blindly to the farthest point in her cell she could reach.

Suddenly, two warm hands grabbed onto her legs causing her to let out a sharp cry of fright. She began struggling helplessly as the person pull her towards them. Before she could let out any kind of cry warm lips pressed against hers, Ruby’s vision was still clouded but what she did see was a faint outline Of jamal holding her close to his chest.

It was indeed true, despite his injuries, Jamal had managed to talk the orderly into putting him in Ruby’s cell. He was beaten pretty badly for all he struggled and many samples where taken from his skin and other body parts to see how his powers where generated but he didn’t care. He may be in pain but he was still gonna keep his Fox girl safe.

“Jamal…” Ruby whimpered weakly, tears streaming down her face.

“Hey Red, How are you feeling?” Jamal asked, stroking her hair gently. He whipped the tears from her eyes gently with his hand.

“How do you think you big doofus?” Ruby asked, laughing slightly, nearly coughing up bile.

“Shhh,” Jamal soothed, keeping Ruby securely in his arms. “Im not gonna let my foxy lady get any less sleep than she usual does. So you are gonna fall asleep and I am gonna stay up the rest of the night to protect you.”

“But-“ Ruby managed before jamal placed his finger of her lips.

“Quite now my Princess, you should get a full night sleep.” Jamal grinned at Ruby, causing the fox girl to smile softly before drifting off into a somewhat content sleep. Jamal leaned against the wall, looking at the outside of the bars.

“I wont let them take you from me again.” He murmered softly.

Skoliro awoke, face down. There was something different her though, he had yet to find out though. He got up and looked himself over. His clothes had been changed, and his wings were tied.Tiring to break them them free he realized he couldn't even move them. Suddenly he realized what was different, he felt detached, and alone, for the first time.His powers had been rendered useless, he had no contact with the animals. Skoliro collapsed, in a great state of confusion and depression. What if he been cured? What if he could never fly again?What if... what if...what if...

Ruby slept for a long time in Jamal's arms as he held her protectively. He looked down at her body his anger rising as he thought about how they had hurt her. It was fine tif they wanted to fight him, beat him, pluck his eye lashes off but to hurt Ruby...that was going much too far.

He really cared about her. He felt as if he could kill someone at that moment. At that moment watching his princess sleep, her ears twitching in light slumber. He wondered what she was dreaming of and he wished he couldm ake sure she only had good dreams, no nightmares for the rest of their lives.

A thought crossed his mind about marriage, about what he was going to to with his life and who was going to be there. It was brief, but long enough to make him think that maybe he had more serious feelings for Ruby than he thought.

A few hours later, as sleep began to tug at his eyelids, Jamal heard foot steps. It was fusionist and he was being escorted by two very large men.
He stopped in front of their cage. "Aww, what a pleasant little spectre." he grinned. "Thank you for taking care of my fox for me, Jamal. But I'll be taking her now."

"The hell you will." Jamal said picking Ruby up in his arms and placing her in the very back of the cell. He then stood in front of her blocking them with his very body-all he had left.

"You're a bold one, Jamal. But I suggest you listen to the boss when the boss speaks."

"Please. You ain't no more a boss than I'm a coward. And I ain't no coward." the boy retorted.

"You're not backing down, no but you aren't very bright either." Fusionist laughed, his men stepping forward. "Very well, you wish for the girl to be spared, we'll take you instead." he threatened. His eyes widened at the young man's repsonse.

"Take me."

Fusionist laughed. "Make him regret his chivalry boys." he snapped his fingers and the men grabbed Jamal roughly about his arms dragging him from the cell.

They took Jamal to another torture room but they didn't strap him down. they left the room and watched him from an adjacent room above.
"Since you're such a fighter," Fusionist said from above. "We'll let you prove your strength." he laughed as a door opened and a huge mutant came out.
He was part man part bull with a hulking form and huge horns. He charged at Jamal who was already weak. The boy had no powers but odds and ends lay around the room. A metal pipe for one. He picked it up and ran until he was cornored. At the last minute he threw the pipe with all his might and hit the man-bull dead in the head. It reared and grabbed at it's head in pain so Jamal ran to the door trying to open it. He couldn't get it open and barely moved in time to run from the man-bull who charged into the dorr and left a terrible dent.

But, unfortunately no hole for Jamal to run through.
Jamal ran away again but the man-bull grabbed him throwing him into a wall, the breath was knocked right out of him and he slid to the floor gasping for breath. He, once again almost didn't make it and indeed the man-bull's horns snagged his leg and he hung from the bulls horns for a pain ful second before falling limply to the ground in pain.

He was blinking out of conciousness. He only stayed awake long enough to see the man-bull come down again with a punch that knocked him out.

*****

When jamal awoke he was next to ruby once more, extremely in pain and his leg wound bandaged sloppily. He lifted his shirt to see a giant bruisde there and sighed. Ruby awoke.

"Hey, jamal...you alright?" she asked unable to see his wounds. She couldn't tell if they were older or newer.

"Mhmm" he said a weak smile on his face.

"You don't sound okay..what happened?"

Jamal didn't answer, he just kept smiling.

"They hurt you again? Jamal...why didn't you tell me? I can't belive I slept right through that."

"It's okay.."

"No, it's not!" Ruby said tears streaming down her face. "It's not okay. Why didn't you say something?!"

Jamal laughed a bit and pulled her closer to him. "Because I told you I wanted you to get a good nights sleep."

Ruby let out a small whine, taking some hay off of the ground and pressing it to the banaged wound on his leg. It didnt help to much but Ruby wasnt gonna give up, so she did something a little unexpected.

She started licking the wound.

Jamal was surprised and despite the fact that her tounge felt really good on his leg and that the bleeding was lessening. He stopped Ruby, looking at her funny. "Ruby why were you licking my leg?" Jamal asked, petting his princess on the head. "I should be taking care of you, not the other way around."

"Foxes, as well as other animals lick thier mates wounds until it stops bleeding."Rub responded

"So you think Im your mate, eh foxy lady?" Jamal asked with a seductive smile.

Ruby turned a bright pink stagering back a bit, "Umm..."

Despite everything that was going on Jamal managed to crack a smile. "You are so cute." He grinned at the fox girl, gently lifting her up and putting her back into the sleeping corner.

"Jamal isnt carrying me bad for your leg?"

"My princess delicate feet will not touch the horrid ground." Jamal responded, sitting Ruby close to him. He gently kissed her on the cheek as she got closer to him.

"Jamal, Im not a princess."

"Yes you are, Youre my princess and nothing is gonna change that." Jamal grinned at Ruby as she kissed him on the cheek. Jamal's fingers intertwined with Ruby's as they both looked outside of thier cell.

Jamal saw a nervous look cross Ruby's face and squezed her hand. He knew how scared she was and though he wouldnt admit it he was scared too. But after seeing what they did to Ruby the last time he was determined to make sure she wasnt getting hurt ever again.

"As long as we are together nothing can hurt us." Jamal whispered softly to Ruby, kissing her on the cheek.

((yes Im preparing for something bad to happen later, but I had to have a cute moment in here.))

Raphael groaned, eyes cracking open. He was aware of movement, ever so slightly, the drugs still weighed heavily on his mind though. He did come to the conclusion he did not like being rendered unconscious though. He was vaguely aware of people talking around him. Some mention of a lab, and a ‘successful mission’, then a more direct comment towards him.

“Hey… that one’s comin’ to,” A gruff male voice said.

“Must be a healin’ typa mutant. Dope ‘im again. Onna the doc’s aughta have fun with him.” A second voice answered the first. Almost immediately Raphael’s world faded to black once more.

Raphael remained unconscious through his own stripping, and dressing in a medical gown. He woke in a cell. Alone and caged. He had experienced this once before, and he had nearly beaten the man who had done it to death once he had gotten out. He groggily climbed to his feet, examining his surroundings. The cold concrete walls, the unrelenting metal bars of the cell’s door, the single light fixed into a ceiling just outside of his reach. He paced his new ‘room’ a couple times, then fixed his ear against the wall, listening… listening for anything, anyone, something that would give him an edge. His mind was slowly waking to the fact that there was not someone else near by, no guards, and thus far, no other prisoners. Likely they would come for him later, with the same tranquilizers they had used to put him under the first time. But for now, he was alone.

“HELLO!” He shouted, more for the idle hope that possibly someone else was just being quiet. He waited for a moment, then turned towards the closest wall and began repeatedly slamming his fist into it in frustration. He had failed once more, and not only had he failed himself, he had failed everyone in the back yard. And back at the mansion. Victoria, Jenny, Tricity, Cecelia. Failed ‘em all. The thought ran through his mind, and he closed his eyes and continued to punch the wall till his knuckles bled, split open and healed. The physical pain helping to mute and block out the internal beating he was giving himself.

He abruptly stopped as he heard footsteps approaching, and immediately became defensive, waiting for whoever it was to step into view.

Skoliro continued to kneel, head in hands. He started to cry, he didn't understand. Why hadn't he listened to the creatures and escaped when he could of? He was so foolish, and now he missed them, all of them.

After awhile he straited and looked around. He was in a jail like room. His clothes where changed into some kind of hospital gown. Skoliro tore it off and made something more like a loin-cloth. Ah, he thought to himself, much better. He stood and stretched. Suddenly he realized someone was coming, still far, but heading this way. Reaching up to touch his ears he was thankful that they where still there, even the little they helped.Then he heard another sound, like someone baning on a wall.Yeah, that was it. Maybe earlier he hadn't been hallucinating, maybe that was someone calling.It was time to find out.Walking up to the bars of his cage he looked around, he could see little. Skoliro called out, as loud as he could.

Any one out there?

His voice had a British tinge, but at this moment he didn't mind, he just wanted to locate another being, whether it be human or mutant.

Ruby smiled. "Are we...gonna be okay, Jamal?" she asked.

Jamal nodded. "And I'm going to do everything to make sure you get out of here."

"What about you?"

"What about me?" he retorted.

Ruby pressed her ears against her head. "You're gonna get out too. I'm gonna make sure of it too."

Jamal laughed. "Alright Red."

"I"M SERIOUS!" Ruby insisted. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Jamal."

His eyes took on a glassy look but if he was about to cry he held it back very well. "I know. We're a team, Red. You got my back I got yours. Ride or die."

"What does 'ride or die mean?" Ruby asked.

Jamal smiled. "It's like saying you're either with me or dead. You know? Like you're on my team or no one's team at all."

"Oh." Ruby grinned. "right, Ride or die."

((LOL jamal is so gangsta.))

At the sound of their voices, there was a faint groan from the next cell.

Mike was, by far, in the worst shape of anyone locked in the detainment center. And even though he didn't even seem to have the motivation to get up, much less escape again, he did look distressed as he heard the new voices.

"Ruby? Jamal? That you?" he asked weakly.

"mike?!" Ruby cried.

"Mike?" Jamal repeated. "MIke, you're alright...is Daria with you?" he didn't think he wanted to hear the answer. If they'd taken his closest cousin..well...he'd be fighting for two people now.

"No... Daria got away," Mike said in a tired, defeated voice. That was all there was to it, really... and oddly, he couldn't feel anything because of this. All of the happiness he'd feel at Daria being safe was locked safely away in her mind.

Ruby thought Mike was sad because she'd left without him. "It's alright, Mike. She'll come back. She loves you."

"Yeah, man." Jamal agreed. "I've never seen her more sprung on a dude before. She'll come back and get all of us."

Mike couldn't help but smile humorlessly. "Oh? How many guys have you seen her sprung on?" he asked in a slightly amused tone.

"No... she'll come back. Much as I don't want her to come anywhere near this place again, I know she will... especially now that you two are here. What happened?"

Jamal grinned. "Not many, chillax. She wouldn't give guys the time of day in our neighborhood. Cept for like one and he's not important. Turned out to be a real jerk."


Ruby nodded. "There was music and lights but I couldn't really see much."

"then some bastard shot us with tranquilizers." Jamal finished. "I'm gonna kick some major ass when I get out of here."