Eat or run!

Katharina growls softly when she hits the hard ground. Vaas sniffs her hair before closing the cage. "Kat" she hears Brad ask, but Katharina doesn't respond. She can no longer do what Brad said, she can no longer put on her brave face. Vaas has won ... She gives up.She crawls into a corner, crying. She places her face on her crossed arms and closes her eyes. She shuts out the world ...

"Chicca" she hears. "Chicca". Hoping he leaves, she doesn't respond. "Katharina wake the fuck up" he abruptly roars. Katharina raises her head in shock and looks into his deep eyes. "Fuck" he growls and opens the cage. He places a bamboo bowl on the floor, filled with potatoes and meat. For a moment he waits for her to take the food, but to his frustration Katharina doesn't move. She stubbornly sits without saying a word. "Come on Pera, don't tell me to feed you like a baby again ... Do you think I like that? Hm? Don't you think I have anything better to do?" He drags her right by her upper arms and stares into her bright eyes. Nothing .. Not a single feeling reflects in her eyes. Broken emptiness is all he sees ... For a moment his stomach contracts and a pinch races through his heart. What was that? That's something he'd never felt before ... He shakes his head and drops her to the floor. "Come on" he says and squats next to her. "You need nutrition. You know.. Vitamins and crap. You look like shit chicca." Katharina sighs. She looks stubborn at Vaas. "Vaas no" she protests. Vaas smirks and grabs her cheeks. "Vaas yes" he answers and pushes the spoon past her teeth. Grunting she bites on the meat and sighs. He isn't going to give up that easy. So much is clear. Silently she chews the meat and looks again at the gem around his neck. "What is that" she asks curiously. Vaas frowns. "Nothing" he answers and continues; "Now eat. Does it taste good?" Unfortunately, Katharina has to admit that the meal tastes amazing. She can't remember how long it has been since she had any real food. "And the meat good?" She looks at him hesitantly. Why does he ask this twice. What kind of meat is it? She can't place the taste. "Vaas... what is this?" A playful smile rests on his lips. "Vaas" she repeats. "Just eat" he orders. She hesitantly gaps on the fork he puts into her mouth. Brad gives her a tense look.

"What the hell" she curses and spits out the hard piece she bit on. "What is that? Did you put something in it?" "No, no I didn't he protests. "I don't know." Gently he takes the black item that she spitted out and looks at it. "I.. oh I know what this is" he starts laughing. "It is the bullet that was in your brothers leg!" "Oh my god" whispers Brad. "Asshole" answers Luke. "Oh god" Katharina whispers and spits out all the food from her mouth. "Vaas... what" Her sentence is interrupted by her stomach protesting vehemently. "Hey" Vaas roars and avoids the vomiting girl. "Soon my shoes will be dirty" he curses. "Vaas... what have you done" Katharina hisses and stands up. Tears flow from her eyes. "Vaas you promised!" "I promised not to hurt your brother. Well, I didn't," he laughs. Katharina glares at him. "You got Tyler ... you made me eat Tyler !!" "No, I made you eat Tyler's leg" he laughs, amused. Katharina shouts furiously. Her whole body shakes as she thinks about Tyler. "You fucking asshole" she shouts and slaps his chest. "Hey you fucking lunatic" he yells angry. "Calm down!!! Calm the fuck down!!" He grabs her hands and pushes her back against the cage wall. "Asshole" she yells and dodges in each other. Loudly she cries, she doesn't care anymore that everyone can hear her. "Calm down Pera" Vaas orders. "Get away from me" she growls and with a force she didn't know she had she kicks him backwards. "Fuck" Vaas roars angrily. Before he can jump straight back, Brad jumps to the cage wall. "Hey crazy" he shouts and pulls with all his might on Vaas' suspenders. Vaas falls to the ground with a loud thump. "Fuck, fucking stupid" he shouts with rage. Katharina wails as he grabs her. "Pretty boy thinks he's tuff huh" growls Vaas. "Let go of her psycho" orders Luke. Vaas smiles and pushes Katharina to the floor. "What the fuck is this huh? Are you going to work against me? Together? Don't make me fucking kill you" he yells angry and grabs Luke his troth through the cage. "Hey" roars Brad. Katharina looks at the bamboo bowl. This is it. Her moment.. The only chance she will ever get. She has to do something. Soft she grabs the bowl and hits the back of Vaas his head. "Asshole" she yells and hits him again and again with the bowl. Brad laughs while Luke applauds. Katharina takes a step backwards and looks at Vaas who falls unconscious on his stomach. Katharina takes a deep breath and closes her eyes a second. "Kat" whispers Brad. She places her trembling hands before her mouth and breaths deeply. "Oh god" she whispers. Then she bends forwards, grabs the keys from his belt and runs out the cage. "Kat run. Nevermind about us" Brad orders. Katharina shakes her head and opens the cage door. "Not without you" she whispers and looks over her shoulder. None of the pirates seem to notice that their leader is out. Yet... Brad laughs and places his arms round her slender body. "Come on" he whispers and crouches. Luke follows his example after hugging Katharina. "Trust him, he is a Navy SEAL" whispers Luke. Katharina nods and crouches down. "Sst" Brad whispers and holds up his hand. He looks carefully behind the corner. Two pirates are arguing about a piece of pork while another sits next to them in silence, cleaning out his gun. Brad swallows. "Okay" he whispers after which he slowly stands up. "He looks to the blue sky and sighs. The sun is slowly disappearing behind the green mountains. "We'll have to make way to the jungle. Only there we will be able to dissapear." Luke nods. "And then" Katharina asks. "I heard about this group, fighters.. They are the Rakyat. Apparently they'll help anyone who is willing to stand up against Vaas or who is running from him. I think that is our best shot. Until we find a way to go home. " "I would love to go home" Luke sighs. Brad nods. Katharina bites her lip. Home... without Tyler? What is her home. Her brother is dead.. Her father won't be the same. She has no one left. Why did it all go so wrong? "Kat" repeats Brad. Katharina looks up. "You okay" he asks. Katharina nods after wich he takes his hand. He helps her up and places his hand on her back. "Come on" he whispers and leads them behind a shack. "How long you think we have before.." Luke his sentence gets interrupted by the shiring sound of a loud alarm. "Damn" curses Brad. "We'll have to run. Run into the jungle" yells Brad and starts running. Her burning leg ignoring Katharina runs as fast as her musscles let her out of the camp. She tries to ignore the mean and loud voices of the pirates, the screaming sounds, the gunshots.. She tries to shut it all out, her eyes focused on Brad and Luke before her. The threesome runs as fast as they can, followed by a group of pirates, who apparently can't shoot very good while running thank god, to the green edge of the camp. Brad laughs happily when the shadow of the trees swallow them. "Come on" he yells and pushes Luke forward. "We are almost rid of them" he yells and dodges for an arrow.

"Ahh" growls Katharina as she sinks through her leg. "Kat" yells Luke. Katharina looks at her red skin and places her hand on her bouncing leg. There is no way that she is able to run further. "Brad, just go" she orders. "No, not without you" he growls. The sounds of angry pirates are coming faster as Luke and Brad wait for Katharina. "Go, I'll hide. I'll make it but please just go" Katharina cries. "Kat" whines Brad. "Brad" whispers Luke and slaps his chest. "We can't come back for her when we are dead" he whispers. "Come on" orders Luke and takes a step backward. Brad dodges for the bullets and growls. "I will come back for you, I promise" whispers Brad and kisses her forehead. Katharina smiles bravely and fights back the tears. She had a chance... she blew it. It wouldn't be fair for Brad and Luke to stay behind just because she can't make it. At the end.. Maybe after everything it was the best for her to just die... die in the same jungle Tyler died in. Sighing she looks at Brad and Luke who disappear in the thick jungle. She looks backwards and crawls silent between the green branches and bushes. She needs a place to blend. A place to hide. With a dark blue dress this won't be easy..

While Katharina tries to sneak as silently as possible between the thick jungle plants, she peers into the growing darkness for a place where she can hide from Vaas's pirates. Wailing, she raises her hand when a sharp pain pierces her palm. A thorn branch has cut through her skin. A pearl-red stripe adorns the palm of her hand. With a sigh, she crawls to the trunk of a thick palm tree and rests her back against the tree. How the hell did she end up here. Her heart pounds like crazy as she hears pirates walk by. The search has only just begun, that is clear. Gently she puts her hand over her lips, hoping they won't notice her.

"Hey" sounds suddenly above her. A pirate stares into her eyes. "I found her" he yells and grabs her arm. "No" she screams. "Let go of me" she yells and pushes him away from her. "Don't you think you can escape puta" growls the pirates and grabs her tight. "No" she screams. Hastily she grabs his knife and in a shot of adrenaline she places the knife in his neck. "Argh" he yells and falls down. "Oh my god" she whispers and takes a step backward. "I am so sorry" she whispers. Tears stream out of her eyes. She did that... God, she did that?! Crying she turns around and runs further into the jungle. A couple of pirates follow her hastily. "No" she shouts and scratches the hand that grabs her open. Not knowing where she is exactly going she runs through the plants. A leaf cuts a small stripe on her cheeck while she looks backwards.

"Ah" she grunts and sinks once more trough her bouncing leg. Her heart beats so fast. She tries to catch her breath and rolls on her back. "No" she whispers. Her head bounces and the branches before her eyes turns circles. Her head feels like its floating away while her sight becomes blurry. "Tsk tsk tsk Chicca" she hears softly. His voice sounds troubled like its under water. A vage image of Vaas bending over her reaches her before it all turns black.