Revelation
Kaito sat quietly in the large conference room waiting for his mentor Tarrlok to arrive. Kaito had been undercover inside the Equalist movement for over two months and he was making his final report. Kaito could no longer stand what he was doing for Tarrlok. He understood why it needed to be done but Tarrlok had been getting more and more serious about stopping the Equalists.
Kaito remembered what he saw vividly. A bloodied chi blocker being carried into the hide out. Large, still bleeding, cuts, large bruises, and even broken fingers. Torture.
"What is this!" Amon demanded.
"We found him making his way through the passage. He escaped the jail," said one of the men assisting the beaten man. They placed him on the floor in front of Amon.
Amon looked down at the chi blocker. "You must have been one of the chi blockers captured by that pest Tarrlok."
"Yes... I am..." the chi blocker said weakly.
"Why did you come back here? Don't you realize they could have followed you?" Amon said.
"They weren't... I made sure..." said the chi blocker.
"What is your name?" Amon asked.
"Hiro, sir," Hiro said.
"Who did this to you Hiro?" Amon said.
"Tarrlok's men... He isn't just putting us in jail... He is interrogating all of the chi blockers he captures... Trying - " Hiro began coughing horribly, blood coming up as he did so.
"Trying what?" Amon demanded.
Hiro tried composing himself. "They are trying to get your location..."
Amon looked at Hiro. "You did well coming back here to warn us."
"I only serve you Amon..." Hiro said, and began coughing uncontrollably again, more blood coming up.
Amon stood there and watched as Hiro choked and gasped. Someone moved forward to try and help but Amon stopped them. "You have given us time to move Hiro. Your bravery will be remembered." Amon turned his back on Hiro and looked at every one in the room. "We are leaving," he said.
Kaito stood there, not believing what he had seen. Amon had stopped the man, Hiro, from receiving aid. He looked down at Hiro, now unmoving, eyes open, but slightly glazed over. Dead.
It was then Kaito realized what he had to do and that was why he was sitting here, waiting for Tarrlok. He wasn't going to help Tarrlok torture innocent people. People who just wanted more rights than benders were giving them. People he had come to be friends with.
Finally Tarrlok came into the room and shut the door behind him.
"Kaito! I'm so glad that you are here! I'm eagerly awaiting what you have to tell me!" Tarrlok said.
Kaito looked up slowly. "Hi Tarrlok."
"So? What is this urgent thing you needed to discuss with me?" Tarrlok asked, sitting down.
Kaito stood and walked to the far end of the room. He wasn't sure how to tell his friend, the man who saved him from the streets, that he wasn't going to help him anymore. He wasn't going to be a part of the task force any longer.
"I don't think I can do this anymore Tarrlok," Kaito said finally.
"Do what?" Tarrlok asked.
"Spy on the Equalists... I saw something today... Something I don't know how to tell you..." Kaito said, struggling to find the words he wanted to say.
"What is it Kaito? You know you can tell me anything. We've been friends long enough. Hell... I'd go as far as calling you a brother!" Tarrlok said enthusiastically.
Great... thanks for making this harder on me, Kaito thought.
Tarrlok's smiled faded. "What is it Kaito? Just tell me."
"I... I think some of your men are torturing the chi blockers we capture... One of the chi blockers was able to escape and found his way back to Amon. He was beaten and bloodied," Kaito said.
Tarrlok said nothing.
Kaito looked at him questioningly. "Did you hear me?"
"I did hear you. I know that they are. In fact I ordered it. I even ordered them to let one escape," Tarrlok said.
Kaito was taken aback. "You what?"
Tarrlok stood up and walked slowly toward Kaito. "I ordered it. We need to find where Amon's main hide out is. Since he doesn't trust you enough to show you his primary hide out, we've had to take another approach. Torture seemed the appropriate next step."
"Did you even try a normal interrogation or did you just jump right into the torture?" Kaito asked.
"Of course we did! We don't like the thought of torturing them, but its the only way to get results," Tarrlok said.
Kaito looked at Tarrlok with a glare. "Some of those Chi Blockers have become my friends. I don't want to see them hurt."
"Oh, they're your friends are they? I suppose we should just scrap the entire mission then. Over. Done," Tarrlock said bitterly.
"I only said I didn't want them hurt..." Kaito said.
Suddenly Kaito was frozen in a tomb of ice, only his head was exposed to air still. "Don't want them hurt? Whose side are you on! They wouldn't hesitate to hurt you. I don't care how many friends you have made there. They are not your friends. They are extremists. They brought this on themselves. We will find and arrest them all and you are going to help us take them down."
"Why are you doing this? What makes you so passionate about it?" Kaito said, struggling to move his arms so he could free himself with water bending.
"I'm doing this for Republic City. For the safety of benders like yourself," Tarrlok said.
"No. You aren't. You're doing this to boost yourself in the eyes of Republic City... You want to take over as leader don't you..." Kaito said.
Tarrlok smiled evilly. "Perhaps I do," he said. The ice crept up around Kaito's neck, cutting off his air slowly. "You are going to help us aren't you?" Tarrlok asked.
"Yes... I'll help..." Kaito gasped.
"You speak as if you have a choice. You will help. Even if it comes down to having to kill them all. You are going to do what is necessary to see to it that Republic City is safe," Tarrlok demanded.
The ice squeezed around Kaito's neck harder. "Yes!" he gasped.
"Tarrlok sir?" came a male voice.
Instantly the ice prison holding Kaito melted and he fell to the floor, gasping. Tarrlok turned quickly. "Yes?"
The man hesitated for a moment as he looked at Kaito, then back to Tarrlok. "The task force has gathered and is waiting for your briefing," the man said, deciding to forget what he saw when he entered.
"Very good. Send them in please," Tarrlok said.
The man bowed slightly, turned, and left the room.
Tarrlok turned back to Kaito. "I've given you more than you could have hoped for. When your father killed himself and your mother vanished off that cliff, there was no one there for you. I even taught you how to use your waterbending properly! You owe me Kaito. Never forget that. Oh and don't worry. You won't be going back undercover now. You've become a liability. I want you where I can see you," he said as people began coming into the room and taking their seats.
Kaito knelt there taking in short breaths of air. He knew he had to warn someone of what Tarrlok was up to. But who would listen? Everyone looked to Tarrlok like he was an amazing hero. He had to to find someone. Then his answer walked in through the door. The Avatar.
