Chapter Text
How had she gotten here? Sitting at the table of Antón Castillo, an unstable man with a loaded gun at her head. The young lion cub at the end watching his own trauma unfold. Antón looked horrible, his skin was pale and sickly and his hands shook. But he wouldn’t budge, no matter what.
“You. You are Libertad.”
“I am just a guerilla.”
“No lies at my table!” The man screamed, his voice breaking. As he yelled he spat up blood, his eyes furrowing together. “Your a legend, they tell stories about you. You are their hope, now you will be my hope.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.” Dani spat out, her voice laced with venom.
It was only then did Diego speak up. His hands gripped on the table Dani saw the boy in a way unlike every time she had ever seen him. His face looked like his father, his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth turned into a scowl. “You still don’t get it! I told you to leave, this is your fault!“
Dani felt a pang in her heart from the boy, he was so hostile he was like a whole new person. But tensions were high in the room. Focusing her attention back to Antón he had a wicked smile on his face.
“You want her to live?” He moved his gun to Clara’s head. The woman looked up, her eyes glossy, this wasn’t the way she wanted to go. Dani knew that. But Clara knew it was her time to go. “You will accept the rank of general in my army. You will be my hope. My legend. MY Dani Rojas!” As his voice raised he felt his chest tighten. Grabbing a handkerchief he coughed, wheezing up blood staining the white cloth red.
Clara shook her head looking up at Castillo. “Why are you so obsessed with dividing us! True Yarans, Fake Yaran’s! It’s one fucking Yara! You're just some sick, dying old man.” She turned to Diego who still looked to be on high alert, fangs shown like a true lion. “And you, you poor kid. Your might must be so fucked up from his poision!” With that the boy's expression softened, and he almost looked sad. Sad to see her go.
Without a second thought Dani spoke. “I accept.” The whole room went silent, even Juan over the comms. Clara looked at Dani, her eyes once again filled with sadness. “Dani, no.” The woman knew Clara could pull through, she was the best leader Libertad had. And she would do anything to save her, she always had. Breathing deeply Dani spoke again. “I accept and you will let Clara go.”
Antón smiled. Lowering his gun he placed it on the table. “Sí. I am no monster.” Dani nodded.
“Then. I accept your offer. Let Clara go.”
Smiling wider, Antón nodded. Motioning to Clara she stood up. “Of course General Rojas. She is free to go, I will have her escorted off the island.”
“And if I hear even one gun shot. Or grenade I won’t be hesitant to put a bullet through your skull.”
“Of course.” As he spoke the door opened as a soldier held it for her. Walking toward it, Clara diverted and walked toward Dani. She pulled her close, holding her hands.
“Dani, why.”
“Because. Yaran needs a leader. Not a martyr, go I’ll be ok. Go.”
Taking a moment, she nodded before letting go of Dani. Walking out, she took one last look at the room. Dani looked back at Castillo as the man walked toward her. Unable to see anymore she left, against her better judgement. As she walked through the house her breathing was jagged, holding herself together she needed to look strong as she walked past every soldado who saw her as filth. She felt like she was at the first Esperanza riots again. A once noble rich girl seen as nothing but filth for standing up for freedom. Losing Dani felt like starting over and as she left the home she didn’t know what to do. She thought that the moment she got captured that would be the end. She would die up in that house but instead she walked free, heart still beating.
Back in the dining room Dani breathed heavily as she stared at the door until she managed to turn around. The lion had sat back down, grinning wickedly to himself. “Please sit. Join us for dinner General.” Dani felt her teeth clench as she bit back everything she ever wanted to say.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Sit.”
And so, she sat down. Looking from Antón to Diego she noticed the boy's angry scowl plastered on his face. His eyebrows furrowed, tears pricked in his eyes. He wouldn’t stop looking at her anger. Dani felt her face soften as she looked at him, she felt bad never seeing the boy look at her like that. Its seemed like they had an unspoken familial bond that grew every moment they interacted but this, this was different. He looked at her like a hungry lion looking at a lamb. He wanted her dead. Dani looked at him and spoke softly. “Chamaco is-“ that seemed to break the boy.
Standing up he rushed from the room slamming the door behind him without a single word. Dani felt her heart sink as the boy left the room. She knew the poor kid looked up to her, she could only imagine the disappointment he felt as she joined her father. But what else could she do? That fucking lunitic had a gun to her bosses head, she had to save her. No matter what.
Antón shook his head making a little ‘tisk’ noise as he stood up. Using the table as support he made his way to Dani, speaking not to her but more to the room. “Diego, such a rebellious boy. He has to shape up soon. He will be presidente faster than he thinks. Stand.” Dani stood looking at the gun still clenched in his hand. The door behind them opened as two soldados walked from it. Grabbing Dani’s arms she felt herself struggle until she felt the cold gold against her forehead. “Libertad. You were all rabid dogs. Running wild, burning my city. But I will help you, cure you of your rebellious ways. You Dani Rojas will be my perfect true yaran. You just need a little… help.”
She felt her face naturally scowl, wanting to scream and kick profanities at the lion but he noticed. Taking the butt of the gun he hit her over the head knocking the woman unconscious. It was much easier this way, and soon he wouldn’t have to. Soon she would obey his every word.
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Clara ran as fast as her legs would take her from the mansion, not even too sure where she even was on the island. All she knew was all her troops were dead, those who escorted her here executed. As she came to the rolling waves on the shore line she finally caught her breath and turned around. The mansion was far away now, soldados watched through rifle scopes as the woman stood like a helpless lamb in their cross hairs. But they did not shoot, they just watched.
She watched as the lights flickered out in the dining room, a signal that they had left the room. Fuck, Dani always was one to leap into action head first never thinking about herself. Always putting everyone first, and now she’s gone and thrown herself into the lions den. She let out a shaken laugh, holding her hands to her chest. What the fuck was she suposed to do now.
Facing back toward the sea she thought, she had to act fast if she lingered Antón could change his mind. Order his men to shoot her dead. She needed to find a boat she need to-
“Señora García?”
The woman turned slowly, there in the light of the moon she saw Diego, the young boy she had only just come face to face with a few moments ago. He had tear stains running down his face, he wore a cautious expression, one more expressive than on TV. The boy fumbled with his hands anxious and unable to stand still. “Why are you still here? My papá let you go, so go!” His voice dropped with fear and hatred, not for her but for someone. He was just using her as an outlet, unable to regulate his emotions. The young lion was never truly taught how to.
“I can’t niño. Your papá killed my people, took our ships. I have no way to leave.” She spoke softly. Approaching a new tone than at the table. She could breathe, for Diego was no threat.
“I could get you a boat, I know where papá keeps them.”
“You would really steal from your papá for me?”
The boy nodded, and she smiled.
“That’s the Libertad spirit.” As she spoke the young boy smiled ever so slightly. He started to walk motioning for her to follow. It was dark but the boy's white suit made it easy to distinguish amongst the foliage of the island. It was only a little while till they came across a small boat dock with a single Salacia in the port.
“It’s perfect! Thank you.” She smiled nodding to him as she boarded the boat. The key was already in so with a turn the engine reved. Looking back at the dock Diego still stood. She wished she could take the poor kid with her but it was much too dangerous. “Once I get my people niño I promise you, I’ll come back. I’ll come back for Dani and you. You helped me, and now I’m in your debt.” The boy lit up,
“Really?”
She nodded. “We are all yaran’s and I am fighting for Yara to be free. For all of us, even you.” Gripping the steering wheel one hand she gave the young lion a little salute before speeding off. Slamming on the gas she made her way to the closest camp she could, back to HQ.
As she approached the shore line she heard commotion from the center. She had called for Libertad to be on watch for anything, since she was meeting with Antón anything could happen. And there they were. A representative from each group of a fractured revolution brought together at last. But there was no festival, no rejoicing that Clara came back alive. Instead they all huddled along with Clara’s top fighters around the TV she kept on her desk. There was a new broadcast, streaming live throughout Yara. Antóns smooth voice could be heard over the hushed whispers of the camp.
Pushing her way past she went to see what everyone was looking at. And there, her heart sank. On the screen next to a smiling Antón was Dani. In a shiny new uniform, face smeared with blood, dark circles ever so prominent under her eyes.
“My true yarans. Before you stand once a beast, a rebellious lamb. A hero to those who stand against us. Once she was lost but my people I assure you, she is now free from her greed, and her falsehood. My new top General Dani Rojas, stands as a beacon of hope to all true yarans, that anyone can come into our paradise.” Dani’s chest rose and fell in a slow pattern as her blank expression hid everything that had happened at the table. Clara knew how it looked, she knew what people's feelings would be, and it wasn’t long till there were whispers.
“We have to get out of here, HQ isn’t safe anymore.”
“After everything she’s done for us, how could she side with Castillo.”
“Maybe it’s fake? Maybe she just got captured again.”
Clara had to act. Now. Libertad was split on the news and this was the only chance they had to storm the capitolio. Leaning forward she turned off the TV and looked toward her people. “Tomorrow. Prepare tonight for the fights of your lives. Tomorrow we storm the capitolio and kill El Presidente.”
The guerrillas stood, many excited and many worried.
“Yeah that’s great, but we can’t do it without Dani. Everything we have done has been with her help. We’re out numbered in there.” Yelena spoke up from the crowd, many nodded along with her.
“We’ve always been out numbered. And we have gotten this far. I promise you we will get her back, and we will win. Because if we don’t, there will be no future for us. Guerrillas tomorrow we either free yara. Or become fertilizer for Castillos paradise. The choice is yours, but you’ll know where I’ll be.”