SSCC27 from YouTube was one of the reasons I started writing this story, therefore, here goes the dedication. THANKS!

Dear potential readers, I'd love to hear your thoughts about this writing, before I continue. Reviews are essential. I won't be able to write further unless I get some opinions. Do you like the idea, does it seem interesting enough?

Prologue

"… Wake up".

She blinked, opened her eyes hesitantly and was immediately brought back to the reality. Ugly and unforgiving reality. The only source of light was flickering somewhere above her head, and Korra looked up and enhaled sharply. Bars. So, she was trapped and held in a metal..what was it, a cabin?.. Right, she was held in some kind of a metal cabin with bars. Like a wild animal. Good thing they feared her that much..

She tried to stand up and was suddenly fully aware of every souring muscle in her body. Growling with pain, she managed to grip the bars and lift herself up. Nothing recognizable about the ceiling she was now looking at. Judging by the amount of metal, it was probably the underground base or even some barn far away in the mountains (crap, Republic City might not even be the option now). There was no earth or water to bend, Korra admitted with a sigh, but what about fire?.

Nope, no fire either. She didn't even feel her hands properly, and the flow of the chakra in her body.. Well, it seemed to be turned off.

Korra couldn't believe she was beaten so easily. She remembered how she lost the ability to bend after the series of quick punches from her opponent's side, and how useless she became afterwards. Who was she dealing with, anyway? Tenzin was going to talk to her about something important later that evening, maybe that was it? She could only wish she paid more attention to his words instead of running away like a lovestruck stupid…

Wait a minute!

How could she forget about Mako! Korra lost her grip on the bars and almost smacked herself on the head. He was with her when they were attacked, involved in a combat with another assaultant. Not that he wasn't able to defend himself.. and yet she remembered seeing his unmoving figure on the ground, right before she fainted. Oh Agni.

Capturing the Avatar was definitely the purpose of that attack, and what would that make the non-bender at her side? Right, one curious disadvantage.. Korra felt the stinging in her eyes and shut them in an attempt to hold back tears. Mako can't be dead. He can't.. They are holding him somewhere, probably, torturing – he was a close person to the Avatar, after all. This thought was somehow comforting, though, just the image of Mako being electrified sent cold shivers through her spine.

"Come on".

The same voice that roused her. Cold and emotionless. But that's what you need to be if you're attacking people in order to keep them in metal cabins.

"Eat". What, no torturing yet? Korra was almost sure she shrieked at the memory of her muscles twisting in an overwhelming pain. Has she been electrified? It would seem so..

She looked up and found a bowl balancing between the bars. Catching a glimpse of a gloved hand, Korra suddenly felt a wave of anger raising in her. She wasn't going to burst out just yet, she needed to think it over carefully..

Then she heard the steps, followed by a creak of wood (wooden floor?. unlikely.. stairs?. most probably) and a low cling of metal.

"I'm sorry.. Korra".

No. NO.

How come she didn't recognize his voice instantly? It was carved in her heart, just like that smile of his and his fiery, lovely eyes. Later she would think about how it all started and how she could have been so reckless. Stupid, stupid Avatar..

Now she was just breaking down, unable to fight away a fist-clenching pain that struck her. It was far worse than electrifying. Somewhere behind her the metal door was closed and the Avatar was left alone.

"Wait! You bastard!" – she cried in rage and despair, over and over again, until the strength left her and she was falling to the metal floor…