Hunted

Chapter 19 - The Bourgeois Valley

Marinette tried to fight the guards grip, but it just got tighter. There was a tunnel that led to an underground passage and they entered an elevator at the end. They exited the elevator into a cave that had a railway attached to it. There were a couple other people on the train and Marinette was pushed on board. Her hands and feet were securely restrained, and the guards left. Marinette glanced at the other prisoners who all looked miserable. The train began to move, and the ride was long. 

"What's your name?" Marinette asked the man beside her. He glanced over at her sadly. 

"I'm Gary, I was taken from my village after a raid." 

"That's awful." Marinette said looking down. 

"Did they take you too?" He asked. 

"I'm not from a village. My name is Marinette and I have special powers, so I've been on the run. I actually came here to help the villagers and I did a miserable job at it." She said. 

"I have a daughter that's around your age and I would never want her to have to go through anything like this." 

"You won't have to go through this either if I can break us out." She said. 

"I appreciate the confidence but there is no way out." Marinette tugged at her restraints with no progress. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated. She felt herself moving into a vision and Gary looked at her with worry when she stopped moving all together. 

"Marinette are you okay?" He asked. But there was no response, she was out cold.

Marinette was in a field of bright colored flowers and Tikki stood in front of her. She smiled and started walking towards her. 

"Tikki, I think I'll be joining you soon. You have no idea how much I've missed you." 

"No Marinette you can't die. The world needs you and the people who love you need you." She said. Marinette's mind went to Adrien, she couldn't give up, not when he was alive and loved her just as much as she loved him. 

"What do I do Tikki? I'm scared." 

"Admitting your fear is a step in the right direction. You have to have hope and strength so that even the people around you gain confidence." 

"You make it sound easy." Marinette said. 

"I know it's hard, but you have to try. Don't ever give in or give up." Marinette nodded and faded out of her vision. She opened her eyes and almost jumped out of her seat when she felt someone nearly choking her with their grip on her neck and chin. She gasped for breath and looked frantically around her to see an escape. But she was still secured in the train. She turned her eyes to focus on the person who was holding her. He was an intimating man who looked to be a high-ranking in whatever army he was a part of. 

"She's strong." He said to his partner as he pushed her chin up. "Daydreaming, were you? Huh?" he taunted. He let her go and she panted for breath. 

"If you think you can intimidate me then you're wrong." She said. The man's eyes went wide. 

"You have nerve talking to me like that young lady." The train stopped and the commander barked out orders. "Take the prisoners out this one is mine." He said to Marinette and unchained her. She looked around her as she was brought out into an underground area. 

Marinette decided to fight as hard as she could to get away since it was the only chance she had where she wasn't tied. She fought his grip with everything inside her. He fought back with strength and grabbed onto her hair yanking her head back. Marinette gasped and kicked her way onto his back where she clasped both of her hands on his head and let out a burst of energy. The commander bent over in pain and Marinette kicked him down. He looked back up at her flaming with anger and Marinette ran.