There's some language in this chapter, but it's mainly somewhat humorous.  Just a warning. Chapter Fourteen

Kaori didn't flinch as Daniel walked up to her, vengeance written plainly in his eyes.  She gave him her own version of her father's death glare, convinced not to let him suspect even the slightest of fear from her.  And she wasn't really afraid, so masking fear was pretty easy to do.  Mostly, she worried about Little Quat.  But the kid kept sending her messages, telling her that he wasn't frightened.  Kaori smiled evilly in Daniel's direction, reveling in the surprised look she got in return.  With neither of them afraid, the soldiers who'd captured them had few to no bargaining chips. 

Enter psycho bitch number one, Kaori thought, watching the middle aged wheat-haired woman click into the room wearing ridiculously fancy high-heeled shoes.  Her immaculately pressed business dress suit was a sickening shade of cotton candy pink, and her strappy inappropriate shoes were the same color.  Kaori rolled her eyes at the cushioned woman. 

"Hello Miss Yuy," psycho bitch number one said in a fake sweet tone of voice.  "It is certainly a pleasure to have you here in our company.  You're quite an unexpected guest, but a pleasure all the same."

"Cut the crap," Kaori hissed at her.

"Now, now.  That's not the way the daughter of a Gundam pilot should conduct herself.  You should act with the highest esteem, young lady." 

"What do you know of my father?"  Kaori kept her eyes trained on her as she sat primly in a well-placed chair. 

"I know plenty of dear Heero," she said.  "He and I were in love once."

"Once."

The woman's eyes narrowed.  "I'm not so sure you should be taking that tone of voice with me, young lady.  After all, your life is in my hands, as well as the life of the dear little blonde over there."  A perfectly manicured hand motioned to Little Quat.  "Do you know with whom you're speaking?"

Was Kaori supposed to be impressed?  "Of course I know, former Highness Queen Relena Dorlian-Peacecraft.  Do you even know my father?"  Kaori smirked at the irritated look in psycho bitch number one's eyes.

Before she could reply, another blonde appeared in the doorway.  Her long hair brushed along the floor as she pranced into the room, looking more like a child in a candy shop than a 40-year-old woman.  Enter psycho bitch number two. 

"Miss Relena, you shouldn't bother the prisoners in such a way," psycho bitch number two said with a glare in Kaori's direction.  "Prisoners are caught to be interrogated in the most cruel of manners, not to have conversations with them over tea."  Kaori tried to listen to the rest of their exchange, but she found herself grossly distracted by the dark forked eyebrows of psycho number two.  Never did she think that Dorothy Catalonia was so…so…downright hideous. 

A sharp smack in the back of her head brought Kaori back to the present.  She took a moment to briefly send a glare in Daniel's direction before turning her attention back in front of her where the psycho bitch convention was taking place. 

Pay attention! Little Quat screamed at her, afraid of Daniel repeating the blow to Kaori's head.  Next time, Daniel was not going to be so gentle. 

Help me.  What did they say? Kaori asked him, hoping the Winner heir was more successful at getting past the horrid eyebrows so as to hear what psycho bitch number two had actually said.

They're asking where Auntie Jin is, Quatre explained.

"As if I know," Jin retorted, pretending the private conversation with Quatre Jr. had never taken place.  If their telepathic communication were known, these torturers would surely find a way to exploit them. 

"You don't know where your own mother is?" psycho bitch number two asked. 

"She's with my father."  At least that much was the truth, she hoped.

"Do you now where your father is?"

"Do you know where yours is, bastard daughter of a whore?" Kaori said, not even considering her own welfare.  Not her best of decisions, but she did enjoy the redness in the woman's face and her inability to form words for a few moments.  Daniel's metal pipe crashing into her ribs made the joy short-lived, however. 

What's a whore? Little Quat asked. 

Not now, Kaori said, smiling a little at the boy's curiosity.  And don't ask me what a bastard is either.

Ok, he said, settling back into quiet. 

"We plan to use your little friend here as bait, securing his father's fortune.  With that much money, our plot to regain control in the Executive Council and reinstate me as Queen of the World will be more than within our grasp.  And your entire family will be eliminated," psycho bitch number one told them. 

Stupid girl, Kaori thought.

Why? Little Quat asked again.

No one actually tells the enemy prisoner the details of their evil plots, it is just asking for us to escape and thwart their plans, Kaori said with a chuckle in her mental voice.

Are you enjoying this? he asked, confused as to why she might be laughing in her head. 

Not for long, she told him, noticing the more irritated look on psycho bitch number two's face.  She was about to take action, Kaori could tell.

"Beat her!" Dorothy screamed.

"No!" Relena countered the order.  "The soldiers are under my rule.  You cannot instruct them to beat our prisoners without my permission.  I'm the one in charge here."

Without hesitation, psycho bitch number two pulled a pistol form behind her somewhere, leveled it to the Queen of the World's head, and squeezed the trigger.  Kaori felt Quatre flinch as psycho bitch number one's brains and blood splattered on the wall behind her. 

"I'm in charge now, Miss Relena," psycho bitch number two, who was becoming more and more of a psycho bitch as time progressed, cooed to the dead body of Relena Dorlian-Peacecraft on the floor.  "Soldiers, I gave you an order."

A small chorus of "Yes Mistress Catalonia," was heard before the only remaining psycho bitch left the interrogation room.  The soldiers left behind advanced on Kaori.

Don't worry, she sent to Little Quat.  He nodded in agreement.

Daniel led the barrage on Kaori's body.  Pipes, fists, random pieces of metal, heavily booted feet, and other such blunt objects were pounded against her ribs, arms, thighs, and back.  Blood seeped from cuts in her welted hide, making a spattering sound when she was hit in the same area again.  Her clothes became spotted with deep red, and her skin showed huge purple marks as her body created premature bruises.  A beating she could handle.  And she would gladly handle, for Quatre could not endure such brutality. 

And they left her there, smirking as they exited the room, leaving Kaori's beaten body hanging from the hook and Quatre shivering in a corner.  Kaori's heavy breathing sounded like sandpaper over wire mesh, making Little Quat shudder at each hoarse intake of air.  Do not cry, he told himself as he slowly uncurled from his ball to look at Kaori for the first time.  He immediately wished he hadn't.  Kaori's face had been spared from the brunt of the attack, partially due to the arms that protected her head on either side as she hung from the crude hook above her.  But she still looked horrible.  Do not cry.  Quatre wouldn't have believed she was alive if he couldn't have heard her raspy breathing.  Gathering all the courage he could muster, the Winner heir made his way across the cold concrete to Kaori's side.  Do not cry, he told himself again as he reached up to try to unhook her.  Do not cry.

His trembling hands brushed her skin, making her flinch and snap out of unconsciousness.  Her odd-colored eyes focused on the little blonde trying to help her, and she attempted a weak smile.

"Save your strength," Little Quat said, reaching up again to unhook her.  His attempts were more than futile, he knew, for the hook swung above them seven feet off the ground.  Unfortunately, he'd inherited his father's slight build rather than his mother's tall lanky one. 

"I got it," Kaori whispered.  He didn't know why she was whispering.  Perhaps because of the silence in the room.  Or perhaps because her blood was roaring in her ears as loud as his own was.  Kaori's whole body tensed, and Little Quat scurried a few feet away, afraid of what she might be doing.  Inching her fingers upward, Kaori was able to grab a hold of the hook.  She bent her legs as she struggled with the hook, pulling herself slowly up the stem.  Writhing like a worm, she contorted her body as she pulled, finally able to slip the chain of the handcuffs from off of the hook.  Kaori dropped hard to the ground, crumbling and making Quatre think she'd hurt herself or broken some more bones.

"Are you alright?" he asked, rushing to her side and rolling her on her back.  She winced at his gentle prodding hands and the shift of her own weight on the hard floor. 

"Better now.  Some ribs are broken."  She didn't want to lie to Little Quat and tell him that she was just fine and dandy.  "Things will worsen if we stay in this cell though."

"Will these help?" Little Quat asked, holding out a set of keys on a small ring. 

Kaori stared.  "Where'd you get those from?"

"Oh, well, the guard who was guarding me did a poor job of guarding his own stuff," Little Quat said with a sheepish smile.  "I thought they'd come in handy to get your handcuffs off."  Kaori offered her hands, and he quickly rid her of her wrist binders.  "What now?"

"We leave."

"How?"

"Good question," Kaori conceded, walking to the door in order to inspect her escape options.  It was a blank door.  No window that she could crash through and no hinges that she could tear apart to knock down the door.  "Let's see those keys, Little Quat."

He handed her his stolen keys.  She examined the lock closely, and then she felt and examined each of the keys.  Smiling a little to herself, she picked a bright new silver key and fit it into the keyhole on their side of the doorhandle.  The soft click as a result of her turning the key to the left and around informed them both that they'd won their freedom from the cell.  All that remained was to win their freedom from the military compound, and find their fathers.

Holding onto Quatre's hand, Kaori peeked her head into the hallway, checking both ways with her eyes and ears before venturing out. 

Shouldn't you be resting? Little Quat asked her as they began their creeping down the steel hall. 

I'll rest when we get out of here.  I can make it until then, Kaori assured him.  She hoped she was right.  Her ribs and torso ached uncontrollably with every step and every breath, making her fear she'd gasp and reveal their location.  That was, if her labored breathing itself didn't draw attention to the two sneaking forms that moved as silently as possible through the compound.

Turn left at the next hall, Quatre said, remembering his way from when he'd run after Kaori.  It seemed like days ago, but it was only this morning that he'd been playing soccer with his family and the cadets.  Only this morning had Daniel been a good guy, rather than the bastard son of a whore that he'd turned out to be.  Quatre didn't know what that particular phrase meant, but he was smart enough to gather that it was an insult and he liked the way it sounded when Kaori'd said it to Ms. Catalonia.  He'd have to use it more often. 

They were almost to the doors outside when they heard her.  The woman that Kaori insulted and called psycho bitch number two in her head.  Quatre didn't quite know what all that meant either, but he'd trust Kaori's judgment in the name-calling department.  Thankfully, the woman had not noticed them and was talking to one of her underlings in a side hall when they heard her voice.  Little Quat felt Kaori's hand twitch, saw her body stiffen, and felt her mind tense when that voice reached their ears.  She approached the side hall cautiously, peering around the corner with a quick bob of her head before deciding it was safe enough to gaze down the hall at the two talking. 

"…Kill the Winner child.  Relena's wish was to have Quatre and Heero suffer.  I care not for such personal vendettas.  I need money for our takeover and I need it now.  Quatre will not realize his son is dead until after he's given us the majority of his assets.  Now hurry and finish the job.  I do not want to risk their escape," Psycho bitch number two was ordering to Daniel. 

"But Mistress Catalonia, killing Winner Junior now might jeopardize the rest of our plans.  It might be wise to keep him alive a few moments longer.  And they are locked in the cell.  They cannot escape, Mistress," Daniel tried to convince her.

"You forget that Kaori is the daughter of two very special soldiers.  Heero Yuy has defied immeasurable odds on more than one occasion since I've known him, and her mother is no push over either.  She's already escaped from one of our most well planned assassination attempts.  Do not underestimate Kaori Yuy." 

"You already have," Kaori said from behind Daniel, swiping the gun from his holster more quickly than he thought to grab for it.  She leveled the handgun at his head, arms steady before her as she wielded the weapon left-handed.  "Goodbye Daniel," she said, hatred permeating her voice as she nearly snarled at him.  With a quick pull of the trigger, Daniel's body slumped to the ground at Kaori's feet, blood oozing from the hole that had pierced his heart.  He'd died immediately. 

"I see that I have underestimated you indeed, dear Kaori…" psycho bitch number two praised.  "You are more impressive than both your father and your mother.  A true and beautiful soldier.  I must ask, will you join my ranks?  Act as my second in command?"

"I've already seen what the second in command does to the one in charge when they don't agree," Kaori challenged.  "No need for the formalities, I'll get right to the point."  The gun trained on psycho bitch number two's head. 

"Many have heard the gunshot, Yuy.  Your little friend will be in trouble soon if you leave him alone much longer."  Number two was just trying to distract her enough to get her to mess up, Kaori thought, more than upset at the psycho bitch's attempt.

"I won't leave him alone much longer then," Kaori said with her father's cold monotone.  She pulled the trigger again, turning to walk away before Dorothy Catalonia's body even hit the floor.

Stuffing the gun into the back of her pants, Kaori rummaged through Daniel's clothes, finding another gun, a pack of cigarettes, and a small bag of marbles.  With a snort of disgust, Kaori left the bodies behind and made her way to the hall where she'd left Little Quat.

I got worried, the boy said, holding on to Kaori's hand as soon as she limped close enough to him. 

Sorry to worry you.  I just had to check Daniel before I left, Kaori explained, resuming their trek through the sterile halls of the compound. 

What did you find?

She stopped and stared down at the blonde.  Getting on one knee, and wincing at the pain, she pulled the second and smaller gun from her belt and held it out to him.  Little Quat took it timidly and held it gingerly in the palm of his hand.  This is the safety, she told him, pointing to gun.  Click it like this…she illustrated…and the safety's off.  Put it back on, Kaori instructed.  Little Quat did as he was told, being a fast learner.  Pull the trigger to fire a shot.  But Quatre, listen to me…she paused to make sure she had his attention before she took the pistol from his hands and put it in the back of his belt, similar to the way she held her own gun.  You may only use this gun if I am already dead, and no other time.  Understood?

"Yes," he whispered. 

____

ok, so I know that Relena and Dorothy have kinda flipped in this story.  I don't really know why except, to quote an ancient proverb, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.  There's no real big reason as to why they've gone crazy and want to take over the world, but you have to admit that Dorothy's a conniving bitch and she would use Relena's power to start a new war.