Chapter 13:

So far, all of her convictions had been correct. Taobu had been so pleased when she had given up and had taken all the credit for her capture. Now his ugly face loomed in front of her. She smirked as her eyes swept across his broken neck. Heero had done an excellent job of making sure the man never spoke with his own mouth ever again, but it had healed enough for him to breathe and eat, so he survived the ordeal. Lark sighed, if only it had not healed and Taobu would have passed on, her problems would be over.

Taobu now spoke by way of sign language with his own interpreter.

"Little foolish Yahara girl," he smiled as the interpreter spoke the words, "You are finally mine and tomorrow you will die for your treason and betrayal to my Lord Kaneurin."

"I didn't betray the Emperor," Lark scoffed as she glared at the interpreter, who shrank back with fear in his eyes, "It is you who is the betrayer and doer of treason to our whole planet of Quarrentine. And if only the people weren't so afraid to stand up for what is right, you would be crushed like the insect you are. Mark my words, I will crush you just as your throat was crushed by Ansel Chiaki."

Taobu stepped back from the fury with which Lark spoke. Fear flashed across his features as he signed with shaking hands and turned to the interpreter to listen for his own thoughts. "How do you know about that?"

Lark smirked as she leaned on the bars and whispered mysteriously, "Don't you wish you could warn the army that Ansel Chiaki is still alive?" she turned to gaze at the interpreter. "But I see your little interpreter shudders at the name, do you fear the great fighter?"

"I fear him as much as I fear the great Heero Yuy of the universe. Heero Yuy is the greatest Gundam pilot ever known, even though he was born on Earth."

"Oh really?" Lark asked as she listened to the interpreter's convictions. Then, with her finger, she motioned for him to come closer, "Come here. Closer. Now, that's good. I have something to tell you. This Heero Yuy and Ansel Chiaki, well, they are one in the same!"

The interpreter jumped back from the cell in fear as Lark's evil laughter filled his ears, "Heero Yuy is coming for you all!"

Taobu grabbed at his chest as he turned and ran for the door his interpreter hot on his heals. Lark could not help but laugh louder. She knew that she had put enough fear into Taobu that he would not be ready for Heero's attack. She smiled as she lay down on the bunk, she would rest before she had to go to dinner and be made a spectacle of. She started laughing again, "Who knew being a prisoner could be so much fun?"

_____

Lark walked silently behind the man she hated most, Octavian. Her arms were chained together in front of her and her feet had a chain linking them together. She smirked at his back. Soon she would dispose of him and his memory would be forever erased from her mind. Lark was pulled from her thoughts when the chains holding her wrists were yanked, cutting into her skin. Then he turned to her. Octavian was one of those rich spoiled jerks, and you could tell by the way that he conducted himself. Lark had always agreed that he was a pretty good looking guy, but his attitude stank.

"Ow!" she yelled as she glared at him. "That kinda hurts when you do that!"

"I'm so sorry Lark." He replied as he frowned sadly at her.

"No you're not," she replied, "You're mad because I don't want to marry you."

He smiled at her, "I don't care what you want, you will marry me."

"Before or after my execution?" She asked as she smiled at his expression.

"I get what I want," Octavian replied proudly, "Taobu will give you to me."

"So why are you treating me like this?"

"To teach you respect." He replied.

And that was the end of the conversation. Octavian turned away from her and jerked the chains even harder. Lark looked down at her wrists as crimson blood dropped to the floor.

As she followed him into the huge ballroom, she glanced around the room and frowned. Taobu was sitting on the throne and Khan was nowhere to be found. Octavian jerked her wrists one more time as he led her onto the stage. As he removed the chain from between her wrists and chained her hands separately behind her, his eyes never met hers. She glared at him, he would get his and he would get it soon.

He glanced at her with a proud look in his eyes as though he had won her. Lark turned away from him in silent fury as she searched the room for familiar faces. When she had gone over the whole room without recognizing anyone, she sighed. It's been so long, I've been away searching for Ansel, and the rate that Taobu has been getting rid of anyone who knew me.... She sighed.

Octavian looked at her again and she could feel his gaze on her. She turned to him and glared, "What are you looking at?"

"Just admiring my future bride." He replied as he smiled. "I can't wait to make you mine."

Lark glared at him with silent fury. There was no way that she would marry him.

"Lark Yahara!" She growled in annoyance as Taobu's interpreter interrupted her thoughts.

"What?" She exclaimed as she turned to glare at him.

Octavian yanked her chains. "You will address him as Emperor!"

Lark laughed, "Taobu? Emperor? I will never associate him with such a dignified office!"

Octavian yanked her chains again, this time pulling her to one knee. "You will show the Emperor respect."

Lark glared up at Octavian angrily, "I swear, if you yank those chains again, it will be the last time you yank anything!"

Octavian looked down at her without expression, "You will bow to the Emperor or you will die!"

"Six years ago in a concentration camp, a friend once told me," she replied as she struggled against his grip, "No matter how the wind howls, the mountain can never bow to it!"

He smirked at her, "Your friend was a fool."

Lark ground her teeth, "You and Taobu are the fools."

"You will not make this hard for me!" Octavian exclaimed as he raised his hand to slap her. "Bow!"

Lark turned her cheek to him as a tear escaped her eye and snaked down her cheek, "Do it! I dare you!"

Octavian's face fell as his hand closed in a fist. Just then Taobu came up behind him. He spun around and bowed his head. "Emperor Taobu!"

Taobu frowned at him in disapproval and handed him a metal band, "Go on, you weren't trained to hesitate."

Octavian turned back to Lark as he put the band on his knuckles and raised his hand.

Lark leaned her cheek closer as metal connected with flesh and her cheek was ripped open. She closed her eyes to the pain as blood gushed from her wound. She hummed silently as her anger dissipated. Soon, they would pay for their treatment of her. Soon.

She jumped as a cold finger traced the blood on her cheek, and she looked up to find Taobu standing in front of her. She glared at him with intense hate. She had not suspected that he would actually hurt her, but it was all right, she would make him pay. She gasped as he slapped her already wounded cheek and shut her eyes to the tears that threatened at the corners of her eyes. Fresh blood poured from the gash and burned as it snaked down her face and dripped from her chin.

She glared at him as she tried desperately to pounce on him and finish him off. He only smiled as she struggled against her chains.

"You might have to keep this one tied up," Taobu informed Octavian.

"I am not a slave, neither shall I be one." Lark told them in a savage tone of voice that made them both shrink back in fear, but when they remembered that she was chained up, they relaxed.

Octavian laughed at her, "Oh yes you are, and soon you will become my slave forever."

With all the hatred in her and no way to dispel it, she spit in his face.

Octavian was surprised. As he wiped the spit from his face, he said, "Lively little witch we have here. But before the entire planet of Quarrentine you will be broken. I will make you love me."

Lark laughed bitterly, "Do what you want with me, but you are only helping in your defeat. Make me angry. Hurt me! They will do three times more to you than you could ever do to me!"

In a surge of anger and irritation, Octavian backhanded her and she fell back with the force of the blow. Her face was stinging now, but as she lay there, she laughed at what the pilots would do to him. They had told her to not let them hurt her, but the sad truth was that she could not do a thing about it. She began to laugh hysterically.

"What may I ask, is so funny?!" Octavian asked angrily.

She looked up at him and smirked, "Your destiny."

"I beg your pardon?" Taobu's interpreter interrupted. "What destiny?"

She turned to stare at Taobu, making him squirm in fear under her gaze and she smirked, "What I'm going to do to you when I'm free of these chains."

Octavian slapped her again, sending her slamming across the stage floor with a loud thud. This time, the air was knocked out of her and she could not laugh, but the smirk never left her face. They could break her body, but they would never break her spirit.

Then she heard heavy footsteps approach her as Octavian snatched her from the floor and stood her up. But before he could slap her again, a voice from the crowd interrupting the whole show, "That's enough!"

Lark's heart jumped at the familiar voice, but before she could turn around to look, her tortured body buckled and collapsed on the stage floor.

Octavian looked up with fear as Lark's twin brother stepped onto the stage and pointed a finger at him, "How did you get free?"

Hwaorang laughed as he turned his gaze to the right of the stage and Baek stepped into view, then all around the stage, the Yaharas surrounded Octavian and Taobu.

Octavian looked at Taobu, speechless. How had they all broken free out of the dungeon, then they both got their answer when Armand stepped between his brothers.

"You!" Taobu signed as he shrunk away. "I thought you died in the concentration camp!"

Armand walked silently toward Taobu and Hwoarang ran to Lark.

"Hwoarang?" she asked in a faint whisper.

"Armand," Hwoarang said as he kneeled beside his twin sister and held her head in his arms, "She's fading fast!"

Armand turned and looked at his brother and sister, then he turned back to Octavian and Taobu, "Where are the keys?"

Taobu jumped at the booming demand and shrunk away, fumbling desperately to find the keys. When he did find them, he held them up jingling in his shaking hand toward Armand. Armand took a couple steps then snatched them away from the old man.

Armand was a really big guy, six foot five inches, with an extremely athletic frame. One could not help but shrink back from the man when he was angry.

"Lark?" He asked as he released her from her bounds. "Are you all right?"

Lark blinked up at him for a minute, then slung her arms around his neck, "I'm fine. I can take care of myself."

"Hey!" Hwoarang exclaimed as they both looked at him. "Where's my hug?"

Lark laughed as she hugged her twin like she would never let go.

"You all will pay for your treason!" Taobu warned as he motioned for his army to attack and all the people began to panic.

Then Baek and Garrik came up behind him and grabbed his wrists. "Should we kill him?"

"No!" Lark replied as she painfully pulled herself to her knees, then a little hand grabbed hers. She turned to look at her little brother and smiled as she hugged him to her, "Oh Chu-san! I missed you so much!"

"Lark," he said in his little boyish voice, "Don't let him hurt you anymore. I don't want him to hurt you anymore."

"Don't worry Chu," she smiled as she brushed his lengthy brown hair out of his treasured eyes, "I won't let him." Then she walked across the stage and stood in front of Taobu, "Don't kill him until they get here. I want him to see Ansel before he dies."

The fear in Taobu's eyes was unmistakable now. "Kill me now!" he pleaded.