Chapter 3: Fear

Dixie was shocked. It had just been a normal day, but things had taken a really bad turn for the worse for her. She stared with fear, as her captor slowly approached her.

"N-no way… they defeated you. How can you be alive? They said you had died after the last battle!" The response to her inquiry about her captor was a backhanded slap to her face. Dixie yelped in pain, and felt tears sting her eyes as they threatened to fall. "Why..?"

"Why indeed?" the hulking figure of their longtime nemesis came into view. King K. Rool smirked at Dixie. "You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, girl."

Dixie sniffled, and tried her best to put on a brave face. "You will really be sorry for this! When DK and Diddy have found out what you've done, they'll stop you again! You won't get away with this, K. Rool. And let me go!" Dixie struggled and pulled against her chains. K. Rool laughed at her.

"Those fools Donkey and Diddy Kong won't stop me this time," he replied. "I'm bringing back my plan for the Blast-O-Matic. It's almost completed. You were just an extra addition to my plan. But, my dear, I may have some use for you," he said as he put his clawed hand to her throat. Dixie clenched her eyes shut and felt tears stream down her face. He squeezed her throat, just enough that her breathing tightened. Dixie gasped for breath, and he watched her take a breath and loosened slowly. "I believe I owe you some payback for years ago when you got in the way of my plans at the Northern Kremisphere."

Dixie's eyes shot open, and her face paled. Of course he would remember that, and use that against her. "N-no… You can't! You won't get away with this! Diddy will find me! And he will make you sorry if you do anything to harm me!"

K. Rool got close to her face and sneered, "By the time Diddy would even manage to find you, there may not be anything left of you. I'm debating whether to keep you alive or kill you where you are."

Dixie struggled and started to cry visibly. Her wrists started to feel bruised from pulling, and her eyes were getting puffy. Suddenly, she felt him pull her ponytail hard. She cried out in pain.

"I think instead though you'll remain here for a long time. And when I mean a long time, I mean until you do eventually die. We're not even on Crocodile Isle or the Lost World, either. I have my new hideout based far away in a new remote location. So the chances of the Kongs finding you and stopping me are very slim to none, girl."

She didn't want to die here. Dixie believed Diddy would find her, and wanted to stay strong inside. She had to warn the others too about his plan to bring back his doomsday machine! But she couldn't do anything here like this.

"I hope your strength holds out, because you're going to need it," he said. K. Rool went to the side of her face and dragged his slimy tongue up the side of her cheek. Dixie clenched her eyes shut and inwardly cringed. "Perhaps if you behave enough after I destroy Donkey Kong island, I'll make you my queen…" Dixie's eyes shot open and she frantically shook her head.

"No! I won't! You won't get away with this!" Dixie pulled hard against her chains, but she couldn't budge or even inch out of them. She prayed Diddy had realized something was wrong and she was in trouble, and that he was on his way to save her. "Diddy will stop you…" she said. K. Rool laughed at her.

"He may try, but this time I promise you that my plans will succeed. My plan for my doomsday machine is already in effect. It won't be long before my workers finish the new preparations on it." Dixie struggled against his grip on her face. The tears wouldn't stop falling. "Until then, I believe I promised you some payback. And I intend to make good on that promise. Dixie, isn't it?"

Dixie gasped for air as she felt his clawed fist connect with her stomach. She groaned in pain, and coughed. "N-no… Please… stop…" She screamed as she felt a sharp pain, and warm blood running down the fur of her leg. She glanced down and saw he had dug his one clawed hands into her right leg. K. Rool began to twist his claws a bit in it, making her scream more. He smirked and slowly pulled his claws out. Blood ran out of Dixie's leg from the wounds.

"What's wrong? I thought you were some brave little girl who thought she was a hero. Does it hurt? Well, we haven't even started yet." Dixie sobbed and whimpered, as she clenched her eyes shut and twisted her head back and forth. Gods above, it hurt! She prayed Diddy was almost here. K. Rool chuckled and licked the blood from his fingertips and claws. "Maybe we'll move onto your other leg, than your arms? How does that sound?" She shook her head with tears shining in her eyes, and silently pleaded for him to stop. Dixie was exhausted, and it showed on her face and body.

"Please… no more… please…" she begged. He wiped the blood and saliva on her lips, making her taste it. Dixie tasted a slimy iron taste and gagged from it. K. Rool chuckled.

"Now now, don't be so uncooperative. We're going to have a lot of fun, you and I," he said. "So you'd better get used to living a life of hell here. I'll be back in a little while to have more "fun" with you. For now, I need to check on the progress of my machine. Don't die on me yet, Dixie." He opened the door and motioned to the two guards standing outside to watch her cell. He slammed the door shut, and Dixie heard it lock. She heaved and sobbed. Blood trickled down her fur from the wounds, and her eyes were red and swollen.

"Diddy… where are you…?"