"Wake up little bitch." The larger of the three inmates growled, slapping the girl across the cheek with his calloused hand. "The boys and I want to play."

Shalimar could feel the burning in her skin where the large man had hit her, glad at least that he'd only used his hand. Clamping her eyes shut, she refused to acknowledge their presence, her body remaining stiff on her cot.

The lack of response angered the inmates, they had waited all night to get a chance to play with the freak. What was the fun in torture if the victim didn't respond. "Don't make me angry girl.." The man snarled, twisting his fingers into her scalp.

Unable to stop herself from wincing as she felt patches of hair being ripped from her head, she finally gave in and tossed her limbs outward, catching one of the inmates in the side with her foot.

Stumbling backwards, the inmate grappled with his anger. He wanted to hurt the bitch, he wanted to pummel her to an inch of her life only to spit down her throat. "You'll pay for that.. Freak." He answered instead, knowing the consequences if either of them killed the mutant.

"You'll get your turn Bernard..." The front man answered, yanking harder on Shalimars hair. "But first, I think we need to do something with these tatters.." He laughed heartily, yanking the girl off of the bed and onto the damp stone floor.

"I swear, when I get out of here I'll-" Shalimar choked, gripping helplessly to the large hands that were now squeezing down on her neck. She felt her feet lose contact with the floor as the man lifted her above his head.

"Hah! Lookit her face! She's scared now!" The third inmate jeered, practically dancing from foot to foot.

"What was that? I couldn't... Quite... Here... You.." Her tormentor spat, tightening his grip with each word. Watching as her eyes began to catch in the back of her head, he let go of her neck and snickered as she fell to the ground below.

Rolling onto her stomach, she felt her head swim with the newly released oxygen flow. Sighing internally, she pulled her legs into her chest, her face buried in her knees. She had hoped he'd at least have rendered her unconscious.

*****

"Adam, Adam!" She shouted, running down the hall towards the scientists office. She had been trying to make a psionic link with their missing teammate for the past few hours, hoping to pick up some clues onto her condition. What she felt when she finally got through frightened her.

"Emma?" He called out, looking up from his computer screen. He had been put on hold by the police department three hours ago and he was beginning to wonder if they ever intended to put him through. "What's wrong?"

The girl collapsed in a chair by Adams desk, taking a moment to catch her breath and gather her thoughts. "I had.. I had a feeling.. I've been trying to connect to Shalimar.. And I suspect I haven't been able to get through because they've no doubt governed her.. But I got this feeling, Adam. I can't quite explain it.. She was in distress.. I don't know from what, but.. But she was in pain, Adam.." The youngest member of mutant x explained, looking up at the scientist for a reaction.

His eyes were grave. "Emma, are you sure it's Shalimar you were getting your readings from?" He asked, taking the phone from the crook of his shoulder and hanging it up.

"I don't know.. Not one hundred percent, anyway. But it felt like her, Adam.. I'm worried.." The girl could feel the tears welling up in her eyes once more.

"Worried about what?" A voice from behind her spoke up. Brennan had entered the room, followed by Jesse.. They had been going through the police databanks, hoping to find out where exactly Shalimar had been transported to. They hadn't been successful.. It was like no official records of Shalimar's arrest existed, only the news report they'd seen on the television.

"Emma think she got a reading off of Shalimar just before.." Adam explained.

"And?" Brennan asked, turning his attention to the psionic.

"I don't know if it was here or not.. But if it was.. Then she could be in trouble."

"Then that settles it.. Right? We go in there and bust her out." Brennan crossed his arms over his chest.

"No, I've already explained why we can't do that. Besides, we still don't know if she's in trouble.. Emma may have picked up the emotions of someone else in the prison.. Or someone on the street. It's not enough to go by."

"But Adam!"

"I told you no.. What use would it do if-" Adam halted, all attention turning to the phone which had begun to ring. Picking it up, Adam turned his back on the others, as if establishing for himself some privacy.

"What? Are you sure about that? Yeah, Uh-uh.. Uh-huh.. Okay. We'll be right over." He hung up the phone and turned around, all eyes expectantly on him. "That was the warden of the prison she's been taken to. They have agreed to allow us to see her."

*****

Crying out in vain as she felt cold steel touch her skin, she shrank away from the eyes that now glared at her naked body. Her torn uniform that had fallen around her ankles made it difficult for her to move as the larger inmate advanced. Shaking with fear she scrambled herself loose of her clothes and ran to the opposite side of the cell, searching the room for some form of weapon.

"Come here little girl.. Marcus wants to play with you." He grunted, moving forward across the room, the other two inmates flanking him, cutting off any means of escape.

"Please don't do this.." She whimpered, choking once more as the inmate gripped her around her soar neck. This time instead of lifting her up, he pushed her roughly to the floor, the icy touch of the cement sending shivers down her body.

Keeping one hand around the mutants neck, the tormentor began to undo his trousers, his body already warm and up to the challenge that lay ahead.

Shalimar couldn't believe it was actually going to happen, she had known this moment was going to come as soon as she saw the sign at the entrance of the jail. Why else would they place her in a mans facility if they didn't intend for her to be raped. Being knocked unconscious or even having her bones broken.. These were things that she could handle. Cuts heal, bones fuse back together.. But being abused in this manner..

Freeing himself from his pants completely, the man began to push Shalimars legs apart, surprised at her lack of resistance. He loosed his grip around her neck, wondering briefly If he'd suffocated her. Her eyes darting up as his quickly told him she was still there, still able to scream. He laughed to himself, he was going to enjoy this deeply.