The fog was lifting from her mind. She was grateful it was a slow process. It hurt all over and she didn't relish the idea of being completely cognizant of the severity of pain.

The sound of glass tinkling to her far right brought her to a higher level of awareness. With the awareness came an intense feeling of wrongness. She forced her eyelids open.

"Ah, I see you're awake. Pity that. I had hoped you would remain out for awhile longer."

Oh God! Raw terror flooded through her at the sound of Sinister's voice. She tried to leap up and run but her body wouldn't move. She gritted her teeth against the pain and raised her head to find out why she wasn't moving. Each arm was securely restrained at her sides. Her ankles were bound together by the same the thick straps that held her arms.

"As you can see, my dear, it is quite useless to escape."

The amused tilt in his tone frightened her further but it also sparked an ember of anger. She grabbed the ember and kindled it in her heart until it grew to full flame. That was better. There was strength in anger as long as she didn't allow it to blaze to rage she'd be in control.

"Why am I here, Sinister?" She was proud that her words didn't wavier.

"My plans for you seem to be changing at every turn."

What was that suppose to mean? God, she wished she knew what was going on. "Upset they found your little chip?"

"The implant would have been useful of course. I do like to keep informed."

"How did you know that the implant wasn't working?"

"I didn't at first then a source informed me the X-men left their little mansion shortly after my signal. Logic said they had located the implant and were tracing it. A small ambush was simple to set. You were a bonus, my dear."

"What are you talking about?" She asked suspicious of what he was implying.

"Standing out in the open like that, you were easy to acquire."

She stifled a low groan. How could she have been so stupid? They had landed the blackbird two miles from an old house and barn. She took some field glasses and climbed to the top of a tool shack so she could see what was going on. The X-men had just entered the barn when a blinding pain sent her into blackness.

"Exchanging you for Summers would have been ideal. His misguided noble nature would never allow an innocent to be a hostage. However, it appears you are important to Remy." He showed her the sharp edges of his teeth in what could have qualified as a smile. "Care to inform me why the Cajun has such an interest in you?"

The anger she had stroked to flower with satisfaction was weakening under engulfing fear. She rallied for strength to reply without emotion. "You'll understand, of course, if I say not particularly."

"I knew you were a spirited young woman, Miss Renden." He said with satisfaction. "It matters not, though. The look on his face when he saw you spoke for itself."

There was hope. If Remy knew Sinister had her he would be looking for her. She had to keep him talking. She needed time. Time to be rescued or rescue herself. Maybe Sinister would turn out to be the stereotypical villain and want to brag about his genius. There was only one way to find out. "That brings up an interesting question. How do you know me?"

"You have quite a reputation in Indianapolis. An excellent background in computer science which was necessary for my plans and the same wayward sense of morals that led you straight to Xavier's door."

"You knew!" She gasped. "You knew I would go to Charles."

"It was a reasonable assumption. You were reported to have championed the weak and downtrodden." The evident mockery in his tone made her think he had never suffered from such compulsions.

He was wrong about her rational. Lately she hadn't felt noble or honorable but there was no reason to disabuse him of his notions. "Give me a moment to get this clear in my mind." She began praying for divine intervention.

"Take your time. I am still setting up." Sinister walked over to a machine and began pushing buttons resulting in hundreds of lights flashing on its paneling.

His last statement didn't reassure her but then she doubted it was meant to. She tried to take a few discreet deep breaths to keep the panic at bay. The calming effect she experienced was her reward. She decided to search the room to occupy her mind.

She was only able to see three of the room's walls. One was filled with the strange computer type machine Sinister was placing with. The other had shelves of empty beakers, test tubes, and petri dishes beside bottles of liquids. She guessed the liquids were different chemicals giving Sinister's fondness for genetic splicing.

The last wall just beyond her feet was the one she longed to observe more closely. The various straps and restraints didn't capture her attention like the door did. How she wished she walking out that door right that very second.

Footsteps in the distance pulled her attention away from the door. Her heart pounded in rhythm with the echo of their closeness. A shadow crossed her face a second before Sinister appeared. He reached above her and pulled a metallic disk four inches in diameter down to position a few inches above her forehead. "Try not to move, hmm."

She involuntarily jumped when a fine beam of light appeared from the disk tracing a line from head to toe. She wanted to ask what it was but couldn't. Perhaps ignorance was bliss. No, it wasn't but she still wouldn't have been able to get any words out her throat. It was too tight with fear.

Sinister left her side to return to his flashy light machine. He studied a small monitor screen intently while the beam of light repeated the head to toe pattern.

She promised herself she wouldn't beg or plead. If the pain was too intense she might not be able to stop herself from screaming but no matter what she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of surrender. He could take but she would never give.

The beam stopped and Sinister once again aligned himself in her vision field. She couldn't stop the tremors that invaded at the predatory satisfaction on his face. "No wonder LeBeau was so protective. The master thief a father, who would have thought?"

To be continued