Everything was dark when I woke up. At first I thought I had gone blind, then I realised a thick, musty cotton bag had been dragged over my head. I tried to breath, and started couching. Immediately people around me started laughing.
'Seems our little princes is awake.' It was the same, foul voice that had rasped in my ear. The same voice that had ordered to kill James…
I was temporarily blinded when the bag disappeared. I blinked violently. A dark, dingy room, barely lit except for a couple construction lights, that flared straight into my eyes. It prevented me from getting a better look of the room, so I resorted to studying the things in closer proximity.
I found that I was bound to a wooden chair. Strong, metal cuffs were clamped around my wrists. Thick electricity threads sprouted from them, connecting me to two incredibly heavy looking batteries.
'Is everything to your liking, majesty?' A dark silhouette appeared against one of the blinding lights. Mockery dripped from every word. Even worse than in the alley.

The giant came closer, showing off his broad figure against the blindingly white background. I glared at him, hoping every bit of loathing I felt for him was evident.
'What?' he grinned. 'No, "o, please, don't hurt me! I'll give you anything", or "who are you, what do you want"?'
'I know who you are.'
'Really? That makes all of this easier, because we know who you are, too. And what you have that we want.'
I clenched my jaw together. I knew, too. And judging by the shackles around my arms, they were not going to stop until I had given it to them.
The man sighed, as if our "conversation" bored him.
'Let's not shy away from the truth. You have a vault, we want in. If we don't get what we want, you get pain. Easy enough, isn't it?'
Simple enough, indeed. Pleasant? Not really. Was I afraid? Yes. I was terrified. But I was also frozen inside. I hadn't really processed everything that had happened yet. Thus my heart was paralysed. And so the fear was kept on a distance.
'You already had a little preview. But let's refresh your memory.' He held up a little device. It looked most like a remote, with a couple buttons, of which one was bigger than the rest. His big thumb inched closer to the scarlet button, and then pressed it with immense force.
I gasped when an electric shock rippled through me. It shot from my arms to my torso to my head and my legs.
While I was breathing heavily, a voice from behind the lamps called out. 'Camera's ready.'
'Good. Turn it on. She's ready.'

A soft click, during which I tried to find its source. I couldn't, as it was out of sight.
'Let's see if your little friends are watching.' The man that had been speaking to me came closer. Roughly, he hang something around my neck. Looking down, I could see a thin plank of wood, connected to the robe that scraped my neck. On the plaque, I could distinguish numbers.
I was startled when my captor put his hand on my shoulder. I shrunk away from him. He was looking in between two lights, seeming rather pleased.
'If you're watching, just dial this number. I think you will want to… talk.'
Indeed, no sooner had he said this, a phone rang out. The brute (that's what I decided to call him) answered.
'Glad you've noticed us. Yeah, yeah. Leave the princess alone. I thought you'd say that. No, really. I think you also know what I want. No? All right. Remember, you made me do this.'
He turned to me, and raised his hand containing the remote. Knowing what would come, I clenched my fists, and held my breath.
The shock was just as painful this time. It felt like he even increased the voltage. However , this time I expected the pain, so I stopped myself from showing it.
'Well, well, she's being tough. One more, then?'
Again, electricity ran through me. I let out a little gasp; the shock was even stronger than before.
'So, to make things clear - as I already made them clear to your little princess here -, every time I don't get what I want, she gets hurt. And every time, I'll… turn up the heat.' He grinned, apparently very content with himself. 'Until she can't handle it anymore. Then our time is up.'
To prove his point, he pressed the button again. Then he stuffed some dirty rag in my mouth, before he turned away from me.
'All right then. The vaults.'

The brute started to negotiate, summing up what he wanted; aces to the palace. All the guards had to leave, so they could go as they pleased. Of course he needed aces to the vaults, and assurance he could get out of the city if he was done. This was as much as I heard. During this conversation, energy ran through me a couple more times, every time causing more and more pain. Hiding my desperation and wish for it to stop became more and more difficult.
Please, I thought, looking up, make it stop.

Tears were trying to force their way out of my eyes, and screams worked their way up my throat. My eyesight blurred, my ears started ringing. Soon, the pain was unbearable, and nearly the only thing I was still aware of.
Can't you just surrender? A little voice said in my head. Can't you just tell the camera they should give him what he wanted, or tell him to kill me? Whoever was talking to the brute, they could probably end this. Janson, or maybe T'Challa…
This single thought shut up the little voice. T'Challa might be watching. It was even probable. And if it had been him, he wouldn't beg. He wouldn't let them see his weakness. Didn't I always wonder "what would T'Challa do"?
Well, this was a matter of politics. In a strange, twisted way. The Brute probably thought he was doing the world a favour. That creating this state of order would be an improvement to the current state of the world.
So I screwed up my face, and twisted my mouth, until I spat out the rag. My body deadly still, I stared into the camera.
'Never give them what they want,' I uttered, putting all my efforts in making myself audible. 'Vivat Marerra!'