"What Did I Do To Deserve This?!"
The grunt followed the two back to Wattson's house and once there the grunt hunkered down underneath a large bush that was near the entrance to the house after the two had entered, so that he could see and hear what was going on inside in order for him to successfully claim Arinia as a prisoner. The grunt waited until about 1 o'clock in the morning before he tried the door to Wattson's house, to his surprise it opened when he pulled on it even though the handle lock was turned into the lock position.
Once he was inside, the grunt tiptoed through the house and located Arinia's room, and he entered it. The grunt looked down at the sleeping Arinia as he thought, "She looks so innocent while she's sleeping, it's a pity that she's about to lose her freedom……"
The grunt slid his backpack off his shoulder, causing some fabric from his uniform to fall to the ground, but the grunt was too busy leafing through the things in his backpack to notice. The grunt found what he was looking for and pulled it out of his bag, and he picked up his backpack and put it back on his back. Then the grunt pulled back the covers that covered Arinia and laid the blanket beside her, and made Arinia roll onto it while she was sleeping; then the grunt wrapped Arinia in the blanket and set a ransom note under her pillow and lifted her up into his arms and began to leave the room. The grunt accidentally knocked over a lamp as he was exiting the room, but it made little noise as it hit the ground, and luckily it didn't break when it hit the floor, but it failed to wake Arinia and there was no movement in the house except for the grunt's movements. The grunt called out his Mightyena and told it to scatter all the papers that were on Arinia's desk all over the floor. His Mightyena scrambled around scattering papers left and right, then once the room looked thoroughly trashed, the grunt recalled his Mightyena and left the room with his prisoner. The grunt carried Arinia downstairs and out of Wattson's house and off towards the Team Magma base, which wasn't too far away. The grunt walked through route 111 and route 112 until he reached the Fiery Path, and he went inside and hurried to the deepest part of the cavern and hit a special button that was hidden into the wall, and a hidden panel slid open and the grunt entered his base, then the panel slid shut behind him. Once inside, the grunt carried Arinia to Maxie's office, since Maxie had told him that he would stay up and wait for him to come back with the girl so that he could tell him where to put her. The grunt reached the door to Maxie's office and entered it, with Arinia still sound asleep in the grunt's arms.
Maxie turned around when the grunt entered, "Ah, you have the little prisoner, good, now go put her in a nice cell that has a small bed with covers on it; I'll scare her when she wakes up in the morning."
The grunt nodded and left Maxie's office with Arinia, and carried her to the cell Maxie had mentioned and took her inside and pulled the covers back and slid Arinia under them and tucked her in before he left her. The next morning, Arinia opened her eyes and found herself in a strange bed in a strange room that looked very much like a cell, only it looked a little bit nicer. "Oh, no…….. Have I been kidnapped?" Arinia asked herself, as she crawled out of bed and stood up.
A few minutes later, her question was answered when Maxie entered her cell, and faced her, "As you can see you're a prisoner, and you'd better get used to it because you'll be one for a long time." Maxie paused for a minute before he added, "Some boyfriend you have. He couldn't even stop my grunt from kidnapping you, face it, he's abandoned you."
Arinia looked stunned. "Mark, would never do that…… He loves me…." Arinia insisted.
"Perhaps. Now I'm sure you must have some questions for me, so let's hear them. I'll let you know if you ask too many." Maxie said. "Who knows, we might even throw you in a volcano!"
Arinia's eyes went wide. "Are you bluffing?" Arinia asked warily.
Maxie smirked, "You should know that Team Magma would never bluff about something like that."
"So, basically I'm in a tough spot, right?" Arinia asked, while starting to get afraid.
"You have no idea." Maxie said, with an evil sort of smile on his face.
"Tell me, why did you take me in the first place?" Arinia asked.
"You are merely a pawn, the true target is your boyfriend." Maxie replied
"M-m-m-a-a-r-r-k-k? But why?"
"Because of his place in Team Aqua, silly girl." Maxie replied.
Arinia gulped before she asked, "What do you plan to do with me?"
"Nothing, if you cooperate with me." Maxie replied, looking at Arinia.
"What chance do I have of making it through this alive?" Arinia asked Maxie.
Maxie smirked evilly, "Let's just say, it's better if your boyfriend does what we want him to, and you cause us no trouble."
"What do you mean?" Arinia asked.
"You ask an awful lot of questions for someone in your position." Maxie said, in a tone that told her to shut up.
Arinia buried her face in her hands and Maxie chuckled evilly. A grunt came to Arinia's cell and asked, "Maxie, do you need anything to threaten the girl?"
Maxie eyed Arinia up and down, "Not right now."
"Is there anything in particular you want me to do concerning her?" The grunt asked.
"Keep a close eye on her, and make sure that she learns to hold her tongue, or else……" Maxie replied, with an evil smirk.
Arinia looked up at the two standing near her, but didn't say anything and quickly looked down. A stray tear ran down Arinia's cheek.
Maxie saw the tear and smirked, "I don't think she's going to be too much trouble, but nonetheless, keep a close eye on her."
"As you wish, sir. By the way, do you mind if she cries? The last time you had a prisoner, you got pretty mad when they cried." The grunt said.
"Let her, it only proves she's weak." Maxie replied.
Arinia buried her face in her hands and started crying since she couldn't hold it back any longer. Maxie laughed and left Arinia's cell.
"You'd better behave; you don't want to see Maxie mad; it's not a pretty sight when he's mad. Don't make me have to tell Maxie that you need punishment." The grunt said, looking at Arinia.
Arinia nodded, but was too upset to say more.
"Look at me, you weakling." The grunt said.
Arinia looked at the grunt, but her face was covered in tears.
"Now a pretty girl like you shouldn't cry, it makes you look weak." The grunt said.
"What do you care?!" Arinia snapped.
"You can speak after-all……" The grunt replied.
Arinia glared at him and didn't answer.
"I wouldn't be surprised if Maxie hurts you for good measure. He might even stage it to make it look like he killed you when he captured you. He might even find a way to make Mark think you're dead." The grunt said.
"You're lying! That can't be true!" Arinia exclaimed.
"You don't know our boss, how do you know how he thinks?" The grunt replied.
"That's…… That's nothing but poor evil!!! Mark!!!"
"He's not here, you can't expect him to fight your battles for you. You're on your own now." The grunt replied.
Fear glittered in Arinia's eyes as the reality of her situation sank in even deeper.
The grunt grabbed Arinia's chin and made her look him in the eyes, "Now that's a good girl……."
Arinia jerked backwards, "Don't touch me!!"
Maxie came back in, "I thought I told you to make her hold her tongue! You idiot!"
"I'm sorry, sir." The grunt replied.
"Well, girl, you had fair warning……." Maxie slapped Arinia across her left cheek.
Arinia was completely stunned and raised a hand to her injury.
"I suggest that you keep your silence, I won't be so forgiving next time." Maxie said.
"T-t-this is forgiving?" Arinia asked.
Maxie glared at Arinia, "For me, yes it is."
Arinia stared at Maxie like she was looking at a monster.
"Don't look at me like that, you brat."
"You're a monster." Arinia stated quickly.
"Oh, am I? Well there's one thing for certain, you'll be getting some other sort of punishment later; no one calls me a monster and gets away with it!" Maxie said, grinning evilly at Arinia.
Arinia backed up, nervous about what Maxie was going to do to her.
After a moment Maxie spoke again, "As punishment, you are going to go a day without food. It serves you right, I hope it teaches you to keep your comments to yourself."
Arinia didn't take her eyes off Maxie, didn't back down, and didn't answer.
"Boss, I don't think she cares." The grunt said.
"She will care when hunger becomes her only concern." Maxie replied.
"You're right." The grunt replied.
Now Maxie said, I have work to attend to, make sure she doesn't try anything funny."
"Boss, are you going to let her boyfriend know that you have her?"
"Eventually, but I'm going to make him sweat first." Maxie replied.
"Okay, boss. Do you think there's anyway you can make him believe that she's dead?"
"After the number we did when we took her? He'd have to be an idiot to think otherwise." Maxie replied.
"Mark will save me, I'm sure of it." Arinia said, not looking at them.
"Think all you want, but you're ours hon." The grunt said.
"You're going nowhere; this cell will be your home for the next several weeks." Maxie said.
"And at the end of those weeks?" Arinia asked.
"If Mark hasn't claimed you; then I'll stab you." Maxie replied.
Arinia's eyes went wide with fright.
"That's right, be very afraid. You'd better pray that Mark gets word that you're here with me, or else your life might end." Maxie said.
Arinia's lower lip trembled like she was going to cry, but she bit back tears.
"Aw…… Is the poor baby going to cry?" Maxie taunted.
"I don't want to hear it!" Arinia snapped.
"Make that two days without food." Maxie said.
Arinia glared at him, but went quiet.
"That's better." Maxie said, looking at Arinia.
"Just leave me alone……" Arinia said.
"Aw……. But it's so much fun tormenting you!" Maxie said.
Arinia turned her back on him.
"Look at me, you brat!!" Maxie said.
"You already know what I look like." Arinia replied.
"You're getting very close to going three days without food." Maxie said.
"What do you want me to do? Sit here and listen to your taunts?" Arinia asked.
"Sit there like a good girl, and take it like a woman, you little pest!!!"
"So what am I, a girl, a woman, or a pest?" Arinia asked.
"You're whatever I say you are, and I say you're all three." Maxie said.
Arinia didn't answer.
"Finally you shut up." Maxie said.
Arinia crossed her arms and didn't answer.
"Expecting breakfast, child?" Maxie taunted.
Arinia didn't move and didn't answer.
"Oh, I forgot, you won't be getting meals for two days. HA HA HA!"
Arinia narrowed her eyes a bit, but still refused to give him the satisfaction of an answer.
"Told ya the boss could be mean. Maybe now you'll actually listen to me." The grunt said.
"And why should I listen to you?" Arinia asked.
"Because I'm an adult and you're a child!!! That's why!" The grunt replied.
Again Arinia refused to answer.
"Quit baiting the girl, she finally shut up for once." Maxie said.
"Yes, sir." The grunt said.
"Now go back to sleep, child, you can't get yourself in any trouble if you do that." Maxie said.
Arinia didn't move.
"Lay down, NOW!!!!" Maxie yelled.
Arinia sat down.
"Now get under the covers!" Maxie said.
Arinia didn't move.
The grunt picked Arinia up and Maxie pulled the covers back, and the grunt forcefully put her under the covers with Maxie's help.
"Don't touch me!!!" Arinia exclaimed.
"Then do as you're told." Maxie said.
Arinia glared at Maxie.
"GO TO SLEEP, YOU LITTLE PEST!!!! NOW!!!!"
Arinia didn't move.
"Do you want to go three days without food? If not, you'd better do as I say!" Maxie said.
Arinia didn't reply.
"What's it gonna be, child?!"
Arinia still didn't reply.
"You'd better answer me!" Maxie said.
"I have nothing to say to you." Arinia replied at last.
"Go to sleep, before I make it a week without food!" Maxie said.
Arinia closed her eyes.
"That's better." Maxie said.
Arinia didn't reply.
Maxie put a hand on her chest to check how deep her breathing was.
Arinia jerked up. "Don't touch me!" Arinia said rather panicky.
Maxie laughed, "You're such a weakling, I was only trying to see if you had done as I said."
Arinia was breathing hard, "That……. You…… You're……..."
"Yes?" Maxie asked.
Arinia glared, but didn't answer.
"Go to sleep before I have to give you a shot to make you sleep." Maxie said.
Arinia didn't reply.
"Very well, Andrew, go get the shot for Arinia." Maxie said.
"Stay away from me!" Arinia exclaimed.
"You're going to sleep, it's just a matter of how!!" Maxie said.
Arinia scooted back into the corner.
Maxie laughed, "Now be a good girl and don't make us give you the shot…….."
Arinia eyed him warily.
Andrew returned with the shot.
"Thank you, Andrew. Now what will it be, my dear?"
Arinia didn't answer.
"Have it your way." Maxie reached for Arinia.
Arinia's eyes went wide and she tried to avoid Maxie's grasp, but Maxie still caught her. "Hold still and it won't hurt so much!"
Arinia squirmed.
Maxie jammed the needle into her arm.
"OW!" Arinia exclaimed.
Maxie laughed, "Sweet dreams!"
The shot began to take effect and Arinia slipped into sleep, almost falling off the bed in the process.
Maxie grabbed her roughly, "Now perhaps you'll learn some respect!"
Arinia was sleeping soundly, so Maxie moved Arinia back into her bed under the covers, and covered her up a bit.
"She'll be out all day……" The grunt replied.
"Good, we won't have anymore trouble from her." Maxie said.
"DO you still wish for me to guard her?" The grunt asked.
"Hmm……. DO you think that someone could rescue her if you didn't?"
"Our defenses are secure, but we shouldn't take any chances." The grunt replied.
"I'm concerned about a surprise attack, that's why I want you to guard her." Maxie said.
"Yes, sir, I will do so." Andrew replied.
"Good." Maxie left to go up to his office, and Andrew took out a pack of cards and began playing solitaire while he guarded Arinia while she slept.