Chapter two~

Annabelle woke up with a screaming headache. She moaned in pain, and sat up slowly. Looking around, she observed her surroundings carefully. She didn't know where she was at all. Out of the shadows, a man in iron armor trudged up and knocked her to the ground, and yelled something in Russian at her. She groaned as her limp body hit the musty, hard floor, and rubbed the dust from the dust from her eyes with much difficulty, seeing as her hands were bound with strong rope. Then, she just noticed that Jacob was right next to her, laying and out cold. Annabelle found herself blushing lightly from their close proximity.

"This wouldn't have happened if I'd just been an intelligent and traveled alone," she whispered to herself.

She then turned to Jacob. "Fool. Wake up!" she hissed between her teeth.

Jacob stirred slightly, but stayed unconscious. Annabelle growled, annoyed. She turned over and looked at the jail cell that she and Jacob were locked in. The guard was quickly approaching them, so Annabelle turned around again and closed her eyes to feign sleep. The guard took out a gigantic ring of keys, and selected one from the bunch. He pushed the key into the keyhole of the cell, and heaved open the heavy metal door. He walked over to Annabelle and grabbed her by her hair, pulling her up roughly.

"Come to, miserable wench!" the guard shouted at her, his English accent thick.

Annabelle opened her eyes and gritted her teeth in pain. Tears gathered in her eyes as she was thrown against the brick innings of the cell. She looked over at Jacob, but got blinded when her own blood seeped into her eyes. Annabelle hissed at the powerful sting, and blinked rapidly to clear her vision. The guard was towering over Jacob menacingly, getting ready to brutishly awaken him. Annabelle's burning eyes widened in fear.

"No--!" she yelled, her voice slightly cracking. She jumped into a standing position and ran into the guard, her shoulder thumping the side of his neck, sending him, flailing, to the ground. The guard gasped in shock and pain, and glared at Annabelle from his spot on the floor. Annabelle knelt beside Jacob.

"Svegliarsi, stupido allocco!(1)" she yelled.

Jacob's eyes fluttered open quickly, and he looked up at Annabelle in shock.

"Did you just curse?" he asked in disbelief.

Annabelle visibly twitched, and picked him up by the collar of his shirt.

"That is all you can muster in that big head of yours?" she screeched.

Suddenly, Annabelle was knocked to the ground. She yelped in pain and clutched her bleeding head.

"Princess!" Jacob shouted as she was picked up by the Russian guard.

"Come on now, leeches," the guard said, pulling Annabelle forward by her hair again, and pulling Jacob along as well.

Tears slowly fell down Annabelle's pale cheek, as she bit her lip harshly. The guard dragged both of them into a hallway, and continued walking until he stopped in front of a big, maple door. Knocking on the door, the guard entered when a deep voice from within the room said,"Come in," He pushed Annabelle to the ground in a kneeling position, and she growled in response to the movement. The guard put Jacob in a chair, taking off his restraints, only to redo them so they were attached to the chair arms. A man sitting in an office-type chair looked at Annabelle and sneered. He rose from the chair and walked towards her. Annabelle looked up at him with emotionless eyes.

"What, I ain't good enough for a chair?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "Rather keep a lady on the cold floor?"

The sound of his heels clacking on the floor halted as he reached her.

"Why, dear, you have quite the temper," he said, his tone dripping with false sweetness.

Annabelle snapped her teeth at him, and received a slap to the cheek in response. She yelped, and the man's hard fingers grasped her chin harshly. Jacob growled from the back of the room, straining against his bonds.

"Will you be a doll and tell me your name?" the man asked, his fingernails digging into her skin.

Annabelle glared menacingly at him, and hatched a quick plan.

"If you must know," she started slowly."...my name is Yowelflower."

The man grunted in frustration, and kicked her in the gut. "Your real name, mule."

Oops. Plan blown all to hell.

Annabelle laughed out loud, and shook her head.

"You caught me." she said, chuckling. "Nice thinking there, old timer. My name is Annabelle. Though Yowelflower is quite a nice name, and I wouldn't mind bearing it."

"I want your last name as well, inferior woman!" he yelled, striking Annabelle again with his foot.

Annabelle stared at him with cold eyes, and got her mind working.

Okay, she thought,this man means business. I have to find a way to trick him efficiently. Annabelle bit her lip in deep thought and concentration. Wait! She thought. Karate lessons with Kei! Of course!

Annabelle focused on the ropes that binded her arms together. Concentrating all of her strength and power to her arms, she started pushing outward. The rope snapped, and Annabelle rose quickly and got into her trademark defense position.

"You dare to call me inferior, you worthless piece of merda(2)?" she yelled, lunging toward the man.

She flipped forward and, supporting all of her weight on one hand placed on the ground, delivered a deadly kick to his abdomen. The man gagged and spit blood onto the expensive floor tile. Annabelle recoiled and ran towards the guard whom held Jacob captive. She punched him in the collar bone, hearing the sweet crack and his shriek of pain, then twirled around gracefully and kicked the side of his neck. The guard make a strange, cut-off scream, and fell to the floor in a state of comatose. Annabelle went to Jacob, and started untying his bonds to the chair.

"You know, you are being kind of useless," she chuckled, despite their current situation.

Jacob scoffed. "And you are putting too much responsibility and pressure on yourself," he retorted.

"Hmmm...touche." Annabelle said as she removed the bindings from Jacob's wrists.

A creak on the floor caught Annabelle's attention, and she turned around. Her eyes widened, and she put her hand over her mouth.

"Oh, come on," she groaned, looking at the bloody person standing before her."You have got to be kidding. Why can't you antagonists just stay down once you are put down?"

(1)= "Wake up, stupid ass!" (me: Heh. My favorite line. :P)

(2)= merda= shit

Btw, all these things in a different language are Italian. :)