The Road To Kalfu - Face of Darkness (II)
Jun. 2nd, 2007 03:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsAnother awakening. Dani and the hijacked students get an object lesson in just how bad the situation they're in actually is.
It was somewhat painful waking up, her limbs ached and she could feel a headache coming on. It took her a moment to remember just what had happened, and by that time her eyes were wide open and she'd instinctively put up her hands to shield herself before she realised that the gesture was much to late, and probably made her look just a tad bit silly.
Laurie looked around, taking note of the fact that they appeared to be in some sort of concrete room, of about medium size and some form of large gate was to her left that was most probably locked. It appeared to be the only exit, and she wondered what lay beyond it. She pushed herself up and onto her knees and crawled over to where Dani lay, shaking her shoulder softly. "Wake up."
Not far away, Angel cracked open her eyes and then shut them just as quickly. "Mmfgh?" Hearing Laurie wasn't that strange but everything else was out of whack. Shivering as she remembered why, she forced herself to sit up, biting back a groan as her muscles protested. With Laurie very obviously awake, she scooted over in that direction, fighting down a wave of panic. Getting other people up and moving was a good idea, it was something to do and more awake was better all around.
Being woken up at all hours of the night by students was normal for Dani, and usually not a problem since she rarely slept more than a few hours consecutively, but normally she did not wake up on a cold, hard, concrete floor. "I thought it," she began, mumbling as she sat up and pulled her hair out of her face, "Oh. Not a dream. Are you two all right?" she asked, turning to Laurie and Angel since they were the only other two awake and doing a headcount of those in the room. Sooraya, Angelo and Amanda were missing, that was not good.
"I've got a headache, and everything hurts but no broken bones or sudden desires for cheese." Laurie replied, smiling. She thought perhaps that the only way to deal with this kind of situation was to not freak out, and while she had really no idea where they were, or where Amanda, Angelo and Sooraya were, she had faith that they must have escaped whoever had taken them hostage. Otherwise, they'd be here, and since they'd escaped, then all the rest of them had to do was sit tight and wait for the X-men to come hand whoever these people were their asses.
Hunkering down, arms wrapped tightly around her legs, Angel nodded, peeking up at the others through her hair. “Same here—feel like I’ve been down enough laps to cover an entire week and my head’s about to split but everything else is in working order. Do you know what’s going on? She frowned and gathered herself in closer. “I mean, one moment we were on our merry way and next, boom, bad guys with guns that weren’t really guns and then we were out. Sooraya turned to sand and I don’t see her here so, um, yay? But what about Angelo and Amanda? I don’t remember.”
Apparently the headache was one of those group experiences that never needed to be repeated again. Standing up and stretching, hard concrete and whatever knockout juice made for a very stiff Dani, she began to check on Crystal. She was still breathing, which was a good sign, even if she hadn't woken up yet. Moving on, she began to explore their 'cell', "It used to be an animal pen," she said, for once growing up in the country being useful, "but the only ones here now are us chickens," it was an attempt to lighten the mood. She only sensed Laurie and Angel's fears, which didn't mean there weren't guards, simply that they did not fear their captives. She kept that information to herself, no sense in worrying anyone unnecessarily.
"Is Crystal okay?" Laurie asked, moving over to where she lay. "I could, um...wake her up? Maybe."
She didn't know what had been used to put them out but if it was just some form of knockout juice a shot of adrenlin would probably circumvent it in no time. It was about that moment that she realised they'd taken her air scrubber. At one time this might have sent her into panic mode but right now that would do none of them any good. She knew she could control herself, she just had to keep calm, that was all.
Fortunately, perhaps, the aid wasn't needed as Crystal began to stir.
Not again. This was the first thought that passed through Crystal’s mind as she regained consciousness. Not again for being attacked, not again for being unable to do anything about it, not again for students being taken, and not again for having her powers taken from her! There was no doubt in Crystal’s mind that all of the above “not agains” were true. Her power was a vital part of her being and she could always tell when she couldn’t use it.
Crystal sat up slowly, shifting her body carefully to avoid hurting her already-in-pain leg as she moved. Even without her powers, Crystal was sensitive to any foreign object touching her skin. She lifted her arm to the level of her eyes and stared at the unusual-looking, blinking watch on her arm. She moved as if to try to remove it, then stopped and pulled back her hand. There was no way it was going to be that easy, and who even knew what the device was?
A quick look around let her know that they were missing three people who had been on the bus and that of those who were with her, not a single one of them was wearing an odd-looking watch. “I am certain that this is a rather silly question,” Crystal began, speaking in a low voice as she looked around at the assembled group, “but does anyone have any idea where we are, why we were taken, and where the others are?”
"Um. Unfortunately, no, no and really unfortunately, no." Angel sighed and forced herself to unclench her arms from her around her knees. She'd been holding on so tightly her limbs had started shaking. "Or I don't at least. Even the stuff before the blacking out is a bit fuzzy--only because, well, freaked out and then knocked out apparently equals fuzzy." She took a deep breath to stop her from babbling any more fiercly. "Anyone else know anything more?"
"Hey, now," Dani sat down next to Angel and wrapped her arms around the girl, rubbing her back, "Relax a little. Think about what we do know. We know they know we're mutants. We know animals were here at some point. And I hit the panic button, so we know that help is coming," eventually. If they could find them hours and who knows how many miles later. "We aren't helpless."
Just then the sound of clanging metal alerted the pen's denizens that the door was opening, and after a smooth shuffling of bodies in the doorway a tall, statuesque woman with dark hair and a vaguely smug expression on her face stepped in to survey the room. She held herself confidently - with good reason, as the two guards still stood outside the pen, watching carefully for any signs of movement or escape. "I see you're all awake. Good," the woman said with a curt nod. "This will save me having to repeat myself. Obviously you are in our control; cooperative behavior is expected at all times. I don't care if you like it or hate it, you will do as we say, or your friends will be punished for it."
"Our friends?" Laurie replied, wobbling for a second as she stood up.
Belladonna frowned; she hadn't expected that part of her speech to be questioned. "The others from the van. We have them as well. They're being held away from you but don't doubt that they will suffer if you attempt anything stupid. That includes resisting or trying to escape in any way."
Crystal held out her arm so the "watch" could be seen by all. Blue-green eyes met Belladonna's with a calm yet intent look. "What is this?" Crystal asked.
"Something to make sure you don't try and cause any trouble, Your Highness." Belladonna's smirk only grew. "It supresses your powers, quite effectively. And unless you want to lose a hand, I wouldn't try taking it off. No need to cause an unnecessary mess."
Crystal nodded, her gaze shifting to the power-suppressant for a moment before she looked back at the woman. “It is a rather small device, but I am well aware of the fact that appearances can be deceiving. Will attempting to remove it result simply in the removal of my hand or would the resulting explosion harm the others currently occupying this pen?” From start to finish, her words were spoken in a neutral tone, no hint of fear or any other emotion in her voice, other than perhaps the barest flicker of detached curiosity.
"That depends," Belladonna replied, though she didn't elaborate on what. "I did not come here to argue your plan of escape; let me restate that any attempts at resistance will be dealt with swiftly. If you do not care for your own safety, think of that of your friends. One of them has already suffered for his stubbornness... it would be a shame to have to punish him again now that he's learned his lesson."
"I don't believe you." Laurie replied, defiant. "If you really had our friends, they'd be here with us. I think you're bluffing."
"The first rule of effective threatening, chere... never bluff." Their captor turned to the men at the door. "Bring in the equipment."
The 'equipment' turned out to be an older-model television on a rickety cart, complete with a DVD/VCR hookup. It didn't seem to be on par with the high-tech weaponry and obvious planning that had characterized the rest of the kidnapping; perhaps this served to make it seem a little sinister. Belladonna seemed bored as one of the men inserted a tape and turned on the TV, whose screen flickered to life with a grainy, black and white scene already running. Several figures could be seen: one short and blonde, surrounded by burly men. Another tall and dark-haired, turned towards the door of the cell and began to move away when the last person on the screen suddenly sprang at her.
Laurie watched as Angelo, that's who the person launching themselves toward Belladonna had to be, slammed her against the wall and it was all she could do not to cheer. See, she'd been right, there was no way this woman could have taken an X-man and someone like Amanda hostage for long...but, why were they being shown this if that were so? She felt a small twinge of alarm, wondering what was coming next.
Laurie's feeling of apprehension was only confirmed as the Belladonna on the screen retaliated, lashing out at Angelo and eventually driving him back against the other wall with her own blows. Though the TV was muted they could almost hear Amanda's cries of outrage and Angelo's grunts... Eventually Belladonna stopped, leaving Angelo slumped on the floor as she and the three others departed the cell.
There came a long pause; it almost look as if the tape had stopped, as Angelo wasn't moving from his position. Suddenly the two guards appeared once more, taking hold of the young man and beginning to beat him thoroughly and systematically with fists and feet.
Laurie flinched at each blow, almost like they were her own, the sight on that black and white screen gutting her every hope. There'd be no quick rescue, Angelo couldn't even rescue himself. Tears sliding slowly down her cheeks, she watched Angelo's knees buckle as he slid to the ground, watched the other man start kicking him in the ribs and not stop.
"Please...." Laurie whimpered, soft and pathetic as such pleas often were. "Please stop."
While the tape played, Crystal had faced the screen, watching the events unfold, keeping an eye on Belladonna and the guards at the same time. At Laurie's whimper, Crystal once again focused her attention on their captor. "Why?" The simple-sounding question was anything but simple, her voice again calm and clear. "Why are you doing this? Why are you holding us here? Why did you hurt him like that, to such an extent?" Surely there had to be some point to all of this, a point that did not involve just beating all of them senseless or killing them. If that had been the desired goal, that could have been accomplished while all of them where unconscious.
"You are hostages," the dark-haired woman replied as the tape came abruptly to an end. "To what end is none of your concern. He was beaten because he tried to attack me; as I said before, resistance will not be tolerated. If you cooperate, you will not be harmed. Very simple rules. You are of no use to us dead, but as you have seen, my men know plenty of punishments that will not kill you. I advise you to trust me on this matter." As the television was wheeled away, Belladonna surveyed the room. She was even less worried about the people in this cell; they looked as if they had already been broken.
That was it then, if they struggled, if they protested, their friends would suffer. Laurie had noted that Sooraya hadn't been in the video but that really didn't mean anything. They could have her somewhere else, off by herself.
"We'll behave." Laurie replied, tear tracks slowly drying on her face. "We won't be any trouble. Just, you don't have to hurt him anymore, okay?"
Hostages. We are hostages. Crystal sat still, thoughts running through her mind. If this woman was to be believed, all of them would remain alive, even unharmed if they sat there and did nothing. If they tried to escape, they risked being hurt, risked having Angelo hurt again, or perhaps they would hurt Amanda this time. Still, who knew what would happen if they just stayed there? Who knew what their captors intended to do with them and what harm they might find it necessary to cause at a later point? No, staying in this pen was not an option. Crystal knew there was very little she herself could do at this point; the device preventing her from using her powers and her broken leg meant she would actually slow down any sort of escape attempt. It didn’t matter. The others had their powers and were unharmed; they were getting out of here as soon as possible.
Somewhere in the last few minutes, Angel had forgotten to breathe. She pulled in a ragged breath and tore her eyes away from the ancient looking TV set and blinked her eyes. Her sight was blurred from tears and she hastily wiped at her cheeks. She'd been scared earlier but now she was just terrified. Not just beyond the here and now but what would happen later. What would happen to them once this group got whatever it was that they wanted? Who's to say they wouldn't just kill them?
"Leave the kids alone," Dani said, standing up straight and using her height to her advantage, "I'll do whatever you want, but you leave the kids alone and let them go, they won't bother you," She was the RA, she was supposed to advise them and keep them out of trouble, but she was not a X-Man, she was a sometimes crazy Cheyenne girl off the rez. She'd never had these problems in Oklahoma. She'd never have had the guts to stand up to someone like Belladonna there either.
Quirking one eyebrow, Belladonna considered putting the girl in her place with a show of force. She had already shown them the tape, however, and bullying children really held no appeal to her. "As I have said," she replied calmly, "there will be no need for any of that if you continue to cooperate and to behave. You're all staying here, and there will be no negotiations on that." It would all be over soon enough, she hoped... playing babysitter was quickly losing its charm.
Crystal remained silent, her eyes resting on Laurie for a few moments before her gaze shifted to Angel. With a small sigh, she scooted back to lean against the wall. There was no need for defiant words or gestures, no need for hasty actions. Let the woman think she had won, and let her think everyone in the pen intended to sit by helplessly; they would be underestimated this way. Crystal was concerned for Sooraya, Amanda, and Angelo, but there was nothing she could do for them right now. However, as long as the others stayed in her sight, she knew they were fine. She was Lady Crystal Amaquelin of Attilan and she was not afraid.
Satisfied that her point had been made, Belladonna gave a small nod. "Remember what you have seen. If you cooperate, no harm will come to you. I do not want to have to see any of you again." Her final threat made, the woman turned on her heel and left, her steps echoing in the long hallway as the guards pulled shut the gate and latched it once again. Their incarceration had only just begun.
It was somewhat painful waking up, her limbs ached and she could feel a headache coming on. It took her a moment to remember just what had happened, and by that time her eyes were wide open and she'd instinctively put up her hands to shield herself before she realised that the gesture was much to late, and probably made her look just a tad bit silly.
Laurie looked around, taking note of the fact that they appeared to be in some sort of concrete room, of about medium size and some form of large gate was to her left that was most probably locked. It appeared to be the only exit, and she wondered what lay beyond it. She pushed herself up and onto her knees and crawled over to where Dani lay, shaking her shoulder softly. "Wake up."
Not far away, Angel cracked open her eyes and then shut them just as quickly. "Mmfgh?" Hearing Laurie wasn't that strange but everything else was out of whack. Shivering as she remembered why, she forced herself to sit up, biting back a groan as her muscles protested. With Laurie very obviously awake, she scooted over in that direction, fighting down a wave of panic. Getting other people up and moving was a good idea, it was something to do and more awake was better all around.
Being woken up at all hours of the night by students was normal for Dani, and usually not a problem since she rarely slept more than a few hours consecutively, but normally she did not wake up on a cold, hard, concrete floor. "I thought it," she began, mumbling as she sat up and pulled her hair out of her face, "Oh. Not a dream. Are you two all right?" she asked, turning to Laurie and Angel since they were the only other two awake and doing a headcount of those in the room. Sooraya, Angelo and Amanda were missing, that was not good.
"I've got a headache, and everything hurts but no broken bones or sudden desires for cheese." Laurie replied, smiling. She thought perhaps that the only way to deal with this kind of situation was to not freak out, and while she had really no idea where they were, or where Amanda, Angelo and Sooraya were, she had faith that they must have escaped whoever had taken them hostage. Otherwise, they'd be here, and since they'd escaped, then all the rest of them had to do was sit tight and wait for the X-men to come hand whoever these people were their asses.
Hunkering down, arms wrapped tightly around her legs, Angel nodded, peeking up at the others through her hair. “Same here—feel like I’ve been down enough laps to cover an entire week and my head’s about to split but everything else is in working order. Do you know what’s going on? She frowned and gathered herself in closer. “I mean, one moment we were on our merry way and next, boom, bad guys with guns that weren’t really guns and then we were out. Sooraya turned to sand and I don’t see her here so, um, yay? But what about Angelo and Amanda? I don’t remember.”
Apparently the headache was one of those group experiences that never needed to be repeated again. Standing up and stretching, hard concrete and whatever knockout juice made for a very stiff Dani, she began to check on Crystal. She was still breathing, which was a good sign, even if she hadn't woken up yet. Moving on, she began to explore their 'cell', "It used to be an animal pen," she said, for once growing up in the country being useful, "but the only ones here now are us chickens," it was an attempt to lighten the mood. She only sensed Laurie and Angel's fears, which didn't mean there weren't guards, simply that they did not fear their captives. She kept that information to herself, no sense in worrying anyone unnecessarily.
"Is Crystal okay?" Laurie asked, moving over to where she lay. "I could, um...wake her up? Maybe."
She didn't know what had been used to put them out but if it was just some form of knockout juice a shot of adrenlin would probably circumvent it in no time. It was about that moment that she realised they'd taken her air scrubber. At one time this might have sent her into panic mode but right now that would do none of them any good. She knew she could control herself, she just had to keep calm, that was all.
Fortunately, perhaps, the aid wasn't needed as Crystal began to stir.
Not again. This was the first thought that passed through Crystal’s mind as she regained consciousness. Not again for being attacked, not again for being unable to do anything about it, not again for students being taken, and not again for having her powers taken from her! There was no doubt in Crystal’s mind that all of the above “not agains” were true. Her power was a vital part of her being and she could always tell when she couldn’t use it.
Crystal sat up slowly, shifting her body carefully to avoid hurting her already-in-pain leg as she moved. Even without her powers, Crystal was sensitive to any foreign object touching her skin. She lifted her arm to the level of her eyes and stared at the unusual-looking, blinking watch on her arm. She moved as if to try to remove it, then stopped and pulled back her hand. There was no way it was going to be that easy, and who even knew what the device was?
A quick look around let her know that they were missing three people who had been on the bus and that of those who were with her, not a single one of them was wearing an odd-looking watch. “I am certain that this is a rather silly question,” Crystal began, speaking in a low voice as she looked around at the assembled group, “but does anyone have any idea where we are, why we were taken, and where the others are?”
"Um. Unfortunately, no, no and really unfortunately, no." Angel sighed and forced herself to unclench her arms from her around her knees. She'd been holding on so tightly her limbs had started shaking. "Or I don't at least. Even the stuff before the blacking out is a bit fuzzy--only because, well, freaked out and then knocked out apparently equals fuzzy." She took a deep breath to stop her from babbling any more fiercly. "Anyone else know anything more?"
"Hey, now," Dani sat down next to Angel and wrapped her arms around the girl, rubbing her back, "Relax a little. Think about what we do know. We know they know we're mutants. We know animals were here at some point. And I hit the panic button, so we know that help is coming," eventually. If they could find them hours and who knows how many miles later. "We aren't helpless."
Just then the sound of clanging metal alerted the pen's denizens that the door was opening, and after a smooth shuffling of bodies in the doorway a tall, statuesque woman with dark hair and a vaguely smug expression on her face stepped in to survey the room. She held herself confidently - with good reason, as the two guards still stood outside the pen, watching carefully for any signs of movement or escape. "I see you're all awake. Good," the woman said with a curt nod. "This will save me having to repeat myself. Obviously you are in our control; cooperative behavior is expected at all times. I don't care if you like it or hate it, you will do as we say, or your friends will be punished for it."
"Our friends?" Laurie replied, wobbling for a second as she stood up.
Belladonna frowned; she hadn't expected that part of her speech to be questioned. "The others from the van. We have them as well. They're being held away from you but don't doubt that they will suffer if you attempt anything stupid. That includes resisting or trying to escape in any way."
Crystal held out her arm so the "watch" could be seen by all. Blue-green eyes met Belladonna's with a calm yet intent look. "What is this?" Crystal asked.
"Something to make sure you don't try and cause any trouble, Your Highness." Belladonna's smirk only grew. "It supresses your powers, quite effectively. And unless you want to lose a hand, I wouldn't try taking it off. No need to cause an unnecessary mess."
Crystal nodded, her gaze shifting to the power-suppressant for a moment before she looked back at the woman. “It is a rather small device, but I am well aware of the fact that appearances can be deceiving. Will attempting to remove it result simply in the removal of my hand or would the resulting explosion harm the others currently occupying this pen?” From start to finish, her words were spoken in a neutral tone, no hint of fear or any other emotion in her voice, other than perhaps the barest flicker of detached curiosity.
"That depends," Belladonna replied, though she didn't elaborate on what. "I did not come here to argue your plan of escape; let me restate that any attempts at resistance will be dealt with swiftly. If you do not care for your own safety, think of that of your friends. One of them has already suffered for his stubbornness... it would be a shame to have to punish him again now that he's learned his lesson."
"I don't believe you." Laurie replied, defiant. "If you really had our friends, they'd be here with us. I think you're bluffing."
"The first rule of effective threatening, chere... never bluff." Their captor turned to the men at the door. "Bring in the equipment."
The 'equipment' turned out to be an older-model television on a rickety cart, complete with a DVD/VCR hookup. It didn't seem to be on par with the high-tech weaponry and obvious planning that had characterized the rest of the kidnapping; perhaps this served to make it seem a little sinister. Belladonna seemed bored as one of the men inserted a tape and turned on the TV, whose screen flickered to life with a grainy, black and white scene already running. Several figures could be seen: one short and blonde, surrounded by burly men. Another tall and dark-haired, turned towards the door of the cell and began to move away when the last person on the screen suddenly sprang at her.
Laurie watched as Angelo, that's who the person launching themselves toward Belladonna had to be, slammed her against the wall and it was all she could do not to cheer. See, she'd been right, there was no way this woman could have taken an X-man and someone like Amanda hostage for long...but, why were they being shown this if that were so? She felt a small twinge of alarm, wondering what was coming next.
Laurie's feeling of apprehension was only confirmed as the Belladonna on the screen retaliated, lashing out at Angelo and eventually driving him back against the other wall with her own blows. Though the TV was muted they could almost hear Amanda's cries of outrage and Angelo's grunts... Eventually Belladonna stopped, leaving Angelo slumped on the floor as she and the three others departed the cell.
There came a long pause; it almost look as if the tape had stopped, as Angelo wasn't moving from his position. Suddenly the two guards appeared once more, taking hold of the young man and beginning to beat him thoroughly and systematically with fists and feet.
Laurie flinched at each blow, almost like they were her own, the sight on that black and white screen gutting her every hope. There'd be no quick rescue, Angelo couldn't even rescue himself. Tears sliding slowly down her cheeks, she watched Angelo's knees buckle as he slid to the ground, watched the other man start kicking him in the ribs and not stop.
"Please...." Laurie whimpered, soft and pathetic as such pleas often were. "Please stop."
While the tape played, Crystal had faced the screen, watching the events unfold, keeping an eye on Belladonna and the guards at the same time. At Laurie's whimper, Crystal once again focused her attention on their captor. "Why?" The simple-sounding question was anything but simple, her voice again calm and clear. "Why are you doing this? Why are you holding us here? Why did you hurt him like that, to such an extent?" Surely there had to be some point to all of this, a point that did not involve just beating all of them senseless or killing them. If that had been the desired goal, that could have been accomplished while all of them where unconscious.
"You are hostages," the dark-haired woman replied as the tape came abruptly to an end. "To what end is none of your concern. He was beaten because he tried to attack me; as I said before, resistance will not be tolerated. If you cooperate, you will not be harmed. Very simple rules. You are of no use to us dead, but as you have seen, my men know plenty of punishments that will not kill you. I advise you to trust me on this matter." As the television was wheeled away, Belladonna surveyed the room. She was even less worried about the people in this cell; they looked as if they had already been broken.
That was it then, if they struggled, if they protested, their friends would suffer. Laurie had noted that Sooraya hadn't been in the video but that really didn't mean anything. They could have her somewhere else, off by herself.
"We'll behave." Laurie replied, tear tracks slowly drying on her face. "We won't be any trouble. Just, you don't have to hurt him anymore, okay?"
Hostages. We are hostages. Crystal sat still, thoughts running through her mind. If this woman was to be believed, all of them would remain alive, even unharmed if they sat there and did nothing. If they tried to escape, they risked being hurt, risked having Angelo hurt again, or perhaps they would hurt Amanda this time. Still, who knew what would happen if they just stayed there? Who knew what their captors intended to do with them and what harm they might find it necessary to cause at a later point? No, staying in this pen was not an option. Crystal knew there was very little she herself could do at this point; the device preventing her from using her powers and her broken leg meant she would actually slow down any sort of escape attempt. It didn’t matter. The others had their powers and were unharmed; they were getting out of here as soon as possible.
Somewhere in the last few minutes, Angel had forgotten to breathe. She pulled in a ragged breath and tore her eyes away from the ancient looking TV set and blinked her eyes. Her sight was blurred from tears and she hastily wiped at her cheeks. She'd been scared earlier but now she was just terrified. Not just beyond the here and now but what would happen later. What would happen to them once this group got whatever it was that they wanted? Who's to say they wouldn't just kill them?
"Leave the kids alone," Dani said, standing up straight and using her height to her advantage, "I'll do whatever you want, but you leave the kids alone and let them go, they won't bother you," She was the RA, she was supposed to advise them and keep them out of trouble, but she was not a X-Man, she was a sometimes crazy Cheyenne girl off the rez. She'd never had these problems in Oklahoma. She'd never have had the guts to stand up to someone like Belladonna there either.
Quirking one eyebrow, Belladonna considered putting the girl in her place with a show of force. She had already shown them the tape, however, and bullying children really held no appeal to her. "As I have said," she replied calmly, "there will be no need for any of that if you continue to cooperate and to behave. You're all staying here, and there will be no negotiations on that." It would all be over soon enough, she hoped... playing babysitter was quickly losing its charm.
Crystal remained silent, her eyes resting on Laurie for a few moments before her gaze shifted to Angel. With a small sigh, she scooted back to lean against the wall. There was no need for defiant words or gestures, no need for hasty actions. Let the woman think she had won, and let her think everyone in the pen intended to sit by helplessly; they would be underestimated this way. Crystal was concerned for Sooraya, Amanda, and Angelo, but there was nothing she could do for them right now. However, as long as the others stayed in her sight, she knew they were fine. She was Lady Crystal Amaquelin of Attilan and she was not afraid.
Satisfied that her point had been made, Belladonna gave a small nod. "Remember what you have seen. If you cooperate, no harm will come to you. I do not want to have to see any of you again." Her final threat made, the woman turned on her heel and left, her steps echoing in the long hallway as the guards pulled shut the gate and latched it once again. Their incarceration had only just begun.
