Rescue
by LizBee
Notes: Perfectionism can sometimes get in the way of writing anything at all, which is ridiculous and silly, so I'm trying to write more and listen less to the voice in my head that goes, "That story will change absolutely nothing about the world, and also you're stupid."
Warnings: Contains discussion of sexual assault.
Pema could hardly breathe for tears when Tenzin pulled her out of the Equalist cell, but she wasn't sure whether she wanted to cry from relief, or from fear that now all of her children were in this place.
"Quickly," said Tenzin, a bison whistle in his hand. "Before they notice you or Oogi are gone."
"I can't." Pema passed Rohan to his father. "They took Beifong away. Get the kids out of here. I'll find her."
"I can-"
"No. The last thing you should do is give Amon another chance to catch an airbender. Get the kids to safety." She retrieved her own bison whistle from its hiding place in Rohan's swaddling clothes. "I'll call Oogi when we get out."
"But, Mom-"
Pema silenced Jinora with a look. She shrank, and squeezed Meelo's hand. Ikki whispered, "Good luck."
Tenzin reached for Pema and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Be careful," he said.
"Go. Hurry."
When they were gone, Pema found the guard Tenzin had suffocated. He groaned as she rolled him over, but he stayed limp as she dragged him into the cell she had just escaped and gagged him with a strip of bedsheet. She hesitated, then took his shock glove, and the knife he had hidden in his boot. Then she slipped out, locking the cell door behind her and taking the keys.
This wing was for important prisoners, Beifong had said before she was taken away. Two to a cell, instead of packing half a dozen into the same space. Pema checked, but all the other cells were empty.
She had pictured herself wandering for hours in the prison before she found Beifong, but the corridor came to an end at a heavy metal door. One guard stood watch, leaning against the wall, scratching beneath her mask. Pema crouched in the shadows and watched her for a few minutes. Then she rushed forward.
"Help me." She put a crack in her voice. "The guard, he came - he tried-" She broke off, as if she was too delicate to even think about rape, let alone say the word. "Help."
"Damn." The guard's voice was muffled by her mask, but she sounded young. "Lee? I knew he was trouble. Come on, we'll-"
She reached for Pema's arm, and Pema activated the shock glove beneath her robe. The guard collapsed, unconscious. Pema could feel the blood rushing to her head, the smell of burnt skin and cotton. She took a deep breath and tried to centre herself, but she was shaking as she unlocked the door and found the light switch.
"Pema." Beifong's voice was a low rasp. "You look like hell."
Beifong was on her knees, her arms spread and pinned to the walls. Her armour was gone, replaced by a tattered tank top that might once have been white, and grey trousers. Both were smeared with blood and dirt. Pema found that if she concentrated on Beifong's clothes, she didn't have to look at her face, her swollen lips and black eye. Except the bright red blood down the front of her top was definitely from a bleeding nose, which brought Pema back to the face. She met Beifong's eyes at last, and was surprised to see a glitter of amusement in her bright green eyes. Pema found herself smiling.
"You look pretty bad yourself."
Beifong tried to chuckle, but it turned into a cough, and she curled around herself as best she could without dislocating her shoulders. There was a table, bearing water and fruit, just out of her reach. Pema filled a cup and held it to her lips.
"Thanks," Beifong said. "Guard?"
Pema nodded, and dragged her in, closing the door behind her. One of the woman's keys fit Beifong's shackles.
"Thank you," said Beifong quietly, rubbing her wrists. She tried to stand, but fell back to her knees, wrapping her arms around her chest. "Bastards broke some ribs. Help me up."
Pema helped her to her feet, and Beifong tottered over to the chair beside the table - her captor's table? - and poured herself more water.
"Get her weapons," she said, nodding at the guard. Around a mouthful of withered apple she added, "And her uniform."
As Pema stripped the woman, Beifong began tearing her top into strips. There were ugly red and black marks on her belly and back. Pema looked away, but said, "Are those shock stick burns?"
"Yes." Beifong looked down at the remnants of her shirt and said, "Throw me the guard's undershirt, too."
Pema obeyed, and Lin stood up slowly and began to change. Then she knelt, with a grunt of pain, and began tying the guard up, using complex Water Tribe knots.
Finally, she removed the woman's mask. The face beneath was young. For a second, Pema felt like she was looking down at Korra.
"I don't know her." Beifong sounded disappointed.
"Not all Equalists are criminals," said Pema. "I mean, she is now, but-"
The woman moaned and opened her eyes, looking up at Pema and Beifong.
"Shit," she said.
"Do I need to gag you?" Beifong held up her last strip of fabric, so bloodied that little remained of its original colour. The guard shook her head.
"I'll just close my eyes until it's over," she said.
"Good idea." Beifong glanced from the guard to Pema. "You're about her size."
"I had a baby a few days ago."
"So it'll be a bit tight."
Pema sighed and pulled her outer robe off.
"There's only one way out of here," she said as she changed. "We have to go back the way I came."
"At least we're armed." Beifong had claimed the guard's knife. Pema passed her the one she had taken earlier as well. "Where is the baby?"
"With Tenzin. As soon as he's gotten the kids to safety, he'll be back with Oogi, waiting for us." Pema put the mask on. "How do I look?"
"Stand up straighter. Stop sucking in your belly, you'll only draw attention to it. That's better. Now, help me up."
"How far can you walk?"
"I don't know. Let's find out."
Beifong walked in front, Pema keeping a hand on the back of her neck to guide her. Down the corridor, past their old cell, up a flight of stairs. Then the alarm sounded.
"In here," said Pema, pushing Beifong into what turned out to be a janitor's closet. She pulled the door shut behind them, holding her breath as footsteps rushed past. But no one stopped to look inside.
Beifong choked suddenly.
"Are you okay?" Pema whispered.
"I was just thinking - you join the Equalists, you want to change the world - and you end up scrubbing their floors." Beifong wrapped her arms around her chest. "It hurts to laugh."
"I heard Republic City General is still taking patients. The healers will fix you up in no time."
"Not soon enough." Beifong lowered herself onto a bucket. "Another day of that … thank you for coming." Her eyes were bleak.
"Did they rape you?"
"No." Beifong's voice was almost inaudible.
"Good."
The movement outside had slowed down. When Pema had counted one hundred seconds since the last person had passed, she opened the door.
They had almost reached ground level when a masked Equalist came skidding down the hall. Pema froze for a second, but he didn't give her a second look as he passed them. Over his shoulder he called, "The Avatar attacked Amon! She used airbending to throw him in the bay!"
Pema wanted to ask, Is she okay? but she kept her mouth shut. They kept walking.
The tunnels came out in a mechanic's workshop owned by Future Industries. Pema had been bracing herself for a fight, but the two Equalists guarding the entrance were ripping paper into shreds, and barely noticed them. They worked with a panicked feverishness that Pema found chilling. One looked up.
"That Beifong?" He rushed on before Pema could answer. "Good, she's still alive. That gives us something to bargain with." He leaned in, examining Lin. "She looks pretty bad. You know Doc Su, in Lotus Alley? He'll patch her up."
"What happened to Amon?" Pema tried to sound gruff, but it just came out flat. "I'm hearing all kinds of things."
"He's a bender. Has been all along. And Sato's captured, so," the Equalist waved at the shredded paper. "Anything with names goes into the furnace. Anyone know you?"
Pema shook her head.
"Good. Leave Beifong with the doctor, find a change of clothes, pretend you were never here."
Pema nodded and pushed Lin forward.
They hurried down the street, Pema shedding pieces of her Equalist costume as they went.
When they were a block away from the mechanic's, and Pema was down to trousers and undershirt, she put the bison whistle to her lips.
"They might have been recaptured," said Lin.
"Don't say that."
Beifong shrugged.
Then, with a roar and a rush of wind, Oogi appeared. He had barely touched the ground before Tenzin leapt down and swept Pema into a tight, quick hug.
"The children are at a safe house. I'm so glad you're all right. Lin, you look-"
"Stop fussing." A ghost of a smile touched Beifong's lips. "You should see the other guy." She took a step towards him, but her strength finally gave out. Tenzin caught her as she fell.
"We need to get to the hospital." Pema was climbing Oogi, preparing to take the reins. "Be careful, Beifong has broken ribs. Someone said Amon's a bender?"
"I haven't heard anything." Tenzin was using airbending to propel himself and Lin into the saddle. "We're ready. Go."
Republic City General was in chaos, but Oogi's landing on the rooftop used for airship transfers caught the staff's attention. The healers rushed Beifong away, and a nurse gave Pema clean scrubs and access to the staff's showers. Within an hour, Tenzin had retrieved the children, and they huddled together in a private room, listening to the wireless while Tenzin tried to make contact with someone - anyone - who knew what was happening.
Early in the evening, a nurse pulled Pema aside.
"Chief Beifong asked to see you."
In clean pyjamas, with most of her injuries healed, Beifong barely resembled the bloodied woman Pema had rescued. But the bleak, distant look in her eyes had returned.
"Thanks," she said gruffly.
"You're welcome." Pema sat down. "Are you in any pain?"
"None. Well, some. It doesn't matter." Beifong pushed a stray hair into place. "I've never been helpless before. I didn't like it."
"Most people don't."
"I wasn't entirely truthful earlier. When I said I hadn't been raped."
"Would you like to talk about it?"
"Not yet."
"Well," said Pema, "you know where to find me."
Beifong's smile was drowsy. Pema yawned, and realised she no longer had the strength to move. Well, Tenzin and the children were safe, and she wasn't far away … she would doze for a couple of hours, before Rohan needed his next feed…
Pema slept.
end