CHAPTER FOURTEEN: PUNISHMENT
"You stupid girl!" Chase growled, "Not only did you go in the one place I forbade you to go, you stole two of the Shen Gong Wu from me! Tell me, Kimiko. Are you stupid? Did you think you could escape? Did you think they would welcome you back with open arms? You were obviously mistaken! You idiotic child!" Chase had been ranting and raving in his lizard form for over fifteen minutes.
Kimiko merely smiled to herself. She was sat on the tiny bed in her small bedroom, watching Chase pace backwards and forwards while he raved like a lunatic. His lizard form did not frighten her; Kimiko felt stronger, more so than she had ever done. The reunion with her friends, even under such strange circumstances, had given her the motivating boost she needed. Not only Kimiko was fighting against Chase to save the world, so were the Xiaolin Dragons. This made Kimiko feel much closer to them. They were all united under one goal, except, the other dragons didn't know this. In fact, when the Xiaolin Warriors defeated Chase, they would probably take down Kimiko too. The thought of death no longer frightened Kimiko. Now she had seen her friends, she was ready. This gave her another reason to rebel against Chase, just in the fact that she no longer cared if he chose to kill her or not. He didn't scare her in the slightest.
Kimiko let out a bored yawn, quite clearly so Chase could see. Without warning, he turned and grabbed her by her arm. His grip was so tight, Kimiko felt her bones creaking under the pressure; it was painful to say the least, but she didn't complain. At least he had not broken her bones, which he could have easily done. He tugged her out of her bedroom and through the endless corridors in his home.
He muttered to himself, growling and snarling. Occasionally, he spat in disgust. Kimiko thought it was vile of him to do so, but said nothing. She tried to work out where he was taking her, but after the first few corridors, she was lost. After what seemed like hours, the long walk was over and Chase stopped outside a black door with a small slot and a window. He kicked the door open with his lizard-like feet, revealing a dark room.
"If you refuse to be loyal to me, you can stay in here! Get inside!" He snarled at her and pushed her into the dim room. There was only a table, a toilet and a very small bed in there. Kimiko turned around in time to see Chase disappear and slam the door shut, loudly behind him. There was the unmistakable click of someone locking the door. Kimiko listened and Chase's noisy footsteps gradually faded as he moved away. She listened for a moment and heard the low growling of one of Chase's jungle cats, which had obviously been positioned by the door.
With a sigh, she flopped down onto the tiny bed, which she could barely see.
Look at the up side, Kimiko. You get to lie here until further notice. You don't have to train. You get to think about the others as much as you want.
But the thought of the Xiaolin Monks made her pine for them. She had only just left them, yet she longed to return to them already.
It isn't going to happen. You're on the Heylin side now. You can't ever go back to being one of them.
It was six days later before Kimiko had had enough. Kimiko was sweaty, smelly, grumpy and dirty. Chase had provided her with food every day by posting it through the tiny slot in the door. She looked forward to this the most, as this was the only meal she was given. Six days felt like an eternity to her. Chase had completely cut her off from everything, including sunlight. When the slot opened, light poured into the room and made her feel blinded.
She had been going crazy all on her own. She had fallen into a surreal sense of time. It had gotten to the point where Kimiko couldn't even guess as to how long she had been rotting in that cell. As far as Kimiko was concerned, she had been in there for weeks. The only things that she had to notify her of the passing days were the small rations of food, which were slotted through her door every morning.
Kimiko had thought constantly of her friends through the whole imprisonment. She even dreamed about them every night. Kimiko almost wished they could come and save her, but she knew that they had seen her looking healthy and well. They assumed she was being treated in the same way now. How wrong they were.
On the seventh morning, Kimiko was lying on her tiny bed, waiting for the familiar squeak of metal from the slot to inform her that her breakfast was coming. Kimiko heard the slot slide open as she lay on her bed. She opened her eyes and was almost blinded by the light. Then, the lock clicked. Kimiko jerked upright. The light was like daggers on her eyes. She had been lying in a dark room for almost a week, and the removal from lights had made her eyes adjust to the darkness. She shielded her eyes with her arm and squinted. A hand knotted into her greasy hair and tugged her off the bed. She held onto her hair underneath the hand and tried to move ahead of the person as whoever it was dragged her out of the room.
"Let go!" She cried, blinking rapidly, trying to get her eyes to adjust. "Get off me!" She aimed a blind punch at the person. Her fist connected with their leg.
"Stop it!" Chase shouted and he yanked on her hair. Kimiko gasped in pain and gritted her teeth as she realised who it was.
"You bastard!" She screamed, punching blindly with her hand. Her vision was blurry as it slowly began to adjust to the change of environment. "You bastard! Get off me! Get the hell off me!" She shouted, punching the blurry figure. The punches connected with his body. Her vision finally cleared and she was able to see that she was being dragged down the long corridors. Kimiko was surprised to see that he didn't have the familiar armour he always wore on today. She screamed like a spoiled toddler and punched at him, screeching for him to let go of her.
"Shut up!" he shouted at her, gritting his teeth angrily. When she screamed louder, he slapped her sharply across the face. Kimiko's cheek stung and turned red.
"GET OFF ME!" She screamed, still writhing in his grasp.
"Kimiko, either shut up or you can stay in there for even longer." Chase sternly said. Kimiko fell silent.
"You have been away from training far too long. You must work extra hard to catch up." He told her, relaxing his grip on her hair a tiny bit.
"Whose fault is that?" She mumbled, not really expecting him to hear it.
"Yours…" Chase told her, looking vicious. "YOU were the one who disobeyed me."
"YOU were the one who locked me in that stinking room!" Kimiko yelled, mocking the way Chase spoke.
Chase growled.
Chase pushed her backwards so she fell onto her backside again.
"Get up!" He commanded. Kimiko sat on the floor stiffly. She had been trying to "train" but her legs were stiff from not using them for so long. She had no energy, or motivation. It was as if she had simply given up. She would have loved a shower, being clean was the first thing on her mind.
"I can't!" She shouted angrily at him, not even bothering so control her anger. Her palms burned. She had been trying to avoid using her element, as she wanted to save the power she had to take down Chase.
"You will address me with more respect! Do not forget your place, Kimiko!" Chase shouted in her face, spitting slightly as he spoke. He gestured to his chest with his thumb.
Kimiko muttered, feeling highly patronised, "Would you prefer 'Miss Chase' or 'My lady'?"
Chase's foot connected with her chest faster than she ever thought anyone could move. She was flung backwards at the wall. Within seconds, he had her by the throat up against the wall. He held her inches off the floor with his left hand wrapped tightly around her neck. She began to choke. Chase was snarling inches from her face, his teeth were bared and suddenly, without realising what he was doing, he crashed his lips upon hers.
If Kimiko hadn't been suffocating, she would have been more concerned by his sudden kiss. He pulled away, looking slightly embarrassed. Kimiko attempted to use her element, but she was too weak and tired. Using what little energy she had left, she spat in his face. He dropped her instantly.
Chase kicked her squarely in the stomach and she screamed in pain. Another blow to the head and the back came. She felt herself be lifted from the floor and thrown into a wall. Her head and back collided with the wall and she slid down it, feeling dizzy. Her head felt like it was exploding. Chase was then upon her again, but this time, he didn't look embarrassed. He looked determined.
There was something in his eyes, which told Kimiko what Chase was about to do, was nothing good. His hands crept up her legs and he kissed her again.
"No…" she groaned pushing his hands away from her, but he carried on until he reached her waist. There was a loud rip and Kimiko's robes were shredded as Chase pulled them away with a lazy movement of his hands. She squealed and covered her body, shaking in terror.
"Don't be afraid…" Chase whispered sarcastically into her ear and ran his hand along her body. Tears formed in her eyes. She tried to use her element, but the sheer shock and terror, plus the weakness of her condition were too much for her. Her element would not surface. He pulled her hands away from her and held them above her head with one of his hands. Kimiko trembled and her body shook with huge sobs.
"No! No!" She cried, kicking her legs as Chase looked upon her bare form.
Chase advanced upon her again, with the same evil glint in his eyes and, despite her feeble attempts to free herself, he moved closely to her once again.
Kimiko lay sore and exhausted on the floor where Chase had left her, with only the remains of her tattered robes to cover herself with. She had stopped shaking, but the tears, which had been flowing for so long, didn't seem to be stopping. She was cold and bruised. Kimiko felt angry, humiliated, terrified, helpless and invaded.
She blinked the tears away as she hugged her knee's. Slowly, she pulled herself up into a sitting position and a wave of warmth swept over her. Her element was rushing to her surface quickly, too quickly. With a scream of anger, large jets of fire shot out of her body in all different directions. This only irritated her even more.
I'm going to make him pay for that. Even if it's the last thing I do. Kimiko vowed to herself, blinking away the tears in her eyes.
Shaking, she pulled herself to her feet and walked unsteadily towards the bathroom, where a warm shower and a clean pair of robes waited for her.
"Kimiko!" Chase growled into the bathroom, "Get out here now."
He knocked his knuckles against the door again. Kimiko trembled.
"G-go away…" She whispered back through the door, shaking. Her whole body was jolting.
For the first time in her life, Kimiko admitted to herself the one thing she never thought she would; she was afraid. She was more afraid than she had ever been before.
"Kimiko…" The sly voice whispered through the door. "Either come out, or I shall drag you out."
Kimiko felt tears dropping freely form her eyes, and she reached her trembling hand towards the doorknob and opened the door. She backed away as the door swung open, revealing Chase standing in the doorway.
He was frowning as Kimiko shrunk into the wall.
"Stand up." He commanded, but Kimiko did not move. She only looked down at the floor, trying not to make eye contact.
Chase advanced towards her and knotted his fingers in her damp hair tightly.
"Kimiko. Stand up." He warned her.
She flew upright, not looking into his eyes. Her body was shaking. Chase released her.
"I'm glad to see you have chosen to stick by your word. Would you prefer to keep it that way?" Chase asked, looking at the shaking girl in front of him.
She nodded, not speaking. The tears were flowing from her eyes easily.
"Very well. Then we shall see if you truly mean that. Come with me." Chase walked out of the bathroom and stood outside the door.
Trembling, Kimiko took an unsteady step towards him, before falling to her hands and knees. She let out a tiny squeak and pulled herself up to her feet. She somehow managed to successfully make her way out of the bathroom. Chase smiled as she approached and snapped his fingers.
The room dissolved into a thick green haze.
"They have arrived!" Omi shouted to his friends.
"Falcon's Eye!" Clay yelled and held the small piece of metal up to his eye.
"Yep, that's them alright." Clay confirmed, looking at the two figures on the mountainside.
"It is a good thing we are no longer habitants of the Temple." Omi said, peering out of the cave's mouth.
After Kimiko attacked the forest close to the Temple, Master Fung had ordered the Xiaolin Monks to flee and inhabit one of the caves hidden in the mountains. They had been watching the mountainside pass often to see if they returned. Master Fung and the other older monks had stayed behind in the Temple. Omi, Clay, Raimundo and Dojo were rather upset about being ordered into the mountains. They had only been ordered away from the Temple once before, which was when Mala Mala Jong had formed back in the early days of their training as Xiaolin Dragons. As Master Fung had ordered them to do so now, they assumed that Kimiko had turned tremendously evil and was now a huge threat to the Dragons. This saddened them enormously to think that their once trusted friend was now an enemy that wanted to kill them.
They had spent most of their time in the caves thinking of plans to take down Chase, but, short of challenging him to a Showdown, all their plans had been useless. They had to, of course, think about taking down Kimiko too. They had not seen her for over a week and had no idea just how evil she might have turned. After all, Kimiko could be even more powerful than Chase by now. But if the time came to kill her, the monks were not sure they could bring themselves to do it. They prayed that she could be saved.
Clay passed the Shen Gong Wu to Omi, who had been holding his hands out expectantly.
Omi looked through the metal eye and gasped. Raimundo and Clay turned their heads just in time to see Kimiko conjure a fireball, which was easily the size of a large house, and release it. It flew towards the Xiaolin Temple.
Master Fung would not have enough time to escape before the fireball hit the Temple.