A fight for Innocence
Summary: Hong Li is accused of being in cahoots with Team Red Lotus after he was deemed lying by the truth Seer Aiwei
Characters: OC (Tapu Lan, Mah Lu) Mako, Korra, Suyin Beifong, Lin Beifong, Hong Li, Bolin, Asami, Varrick.
"Guards take him!" Suyin said as two more male guards went inside
"I suggest leaving him here. We still need to prove his guilt" Aiwei suggested
"you may resume your duties, we'll come if we need something" Su said as the new guards went outside the interrogation chamber
"This room is made of metal, I'm sure he can metalbend his way through" Lin said
The reason Hong Li remained silent because, even if he is telling the truth, the verdict of a truth seer has more value than he has, an accused.
"What if we bind him to a wooden chair here?" Asami suggested, "I mean earthbenders and metalbenders rely heavily on stance changes and body movements"
"There is still a matter of his clothes "
"Strip 'em" Korra made the most surprising remark
"that's going to far Korra" Suyin replied.
"I suggest taking his armor and top off then bind him" Mako said
"Mah Lu!" Su called out
A female guard, went inside and took off her helmet. She has lime green eyes and beautiful face that complements her pure black waivy hair. Not to mention the athletic figure that she has.
She was already interrogated by the truth seer went inside.
"Make sure this fugitive doesn't escape. While I tell the others to get some rope" Su said as she pointed her index finger at the accused
"We'll accompany Aiwei to find some evidences at his place" Mako said.
Then everyone, including Lin and Su left the interrogation chamber.
"what happened Hong?" the female guard said
"I've just been accused of being in cahoots of those attackers last night" Hong Li replied.
"but we were together that night! You have an alibi!"
"No, don't try it Mahl. Even if I have an alibi the truth seer, who deemed me lying about the incident, will not believe you. We did have a relationship before and any statement made by a lover or past lover has little to no value." Hong Li explained
"but…"
"Look, I know I'm innocent, and that's what is important. Sooner or later the truth will come out"
"You do know that you're being accused of treason right?" Mah asked
"yes, and its punishment are either banishment or death" Hong continued
"but if they think that you have a vital source of information…" She trailed off
"yes… They'll torture me until I break and hand out the information they needed"
"but…"
"look whatever happens, happens. Lady Suyin is only concerned of her city and anyone who dares defy her shall be punished. Unfortunately, looks like I'll be at the receiving end of that punishment"
"but…"
"just do the Standard Operating Procedure for captured criminals." Hong said
"but you're no criminal!" Mah said with emotions. You can see the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
"As things as they are now, I'm one now. I hope there is something to prove my innocence" Hong said sadly.
Mah Lu then starts bind Hong Li's limbs through metalbending. Putting him in the asterisk position.
She then starts to remove the armor from his whole body. The breast plates, shoulder pads, arm guards, shin guards and what not.
She then starts to remove his green top revealing his earthbending and metalbending trained body.
She then puts a blindfold over his eyes
"Don't worry, I'll be okay" Hong Li reassures his ex
"You better" she then stole a kiss on his lips.
It might be the last kiss she'll ever share with him.
Mah Lu stood guard outside Hong Li's temporary cell. Tears now absent from her face and eyes.
Suyin arrived along with another guard with a wooden chair and rope in hand.
"How was he?" Suyin asked
"h-he's impressively cooperative" Mah tried to adopt a stoic attitude at her superior
"you go ahead and bind the accused with that rope. Make sure he can't move a single centimeter" Suyin ordered the guard who was carrying the rope and chair.
The guard bowed and went inside
"you know Mahl, it does not take a truth seer to see through your act" Suyin said softly.
"he has an alibi!" Mah blurted out suddenly. "I mean he was with me on patrol last night so he couldn't have been in cahoots with the attackers" Mah said, trying her best to acquit her ex-boyfriend.
"I know it must be frustrating, but as it stands now he's an accused criminal. I know about your past relationship with him. I also know the reason of your break up" Su said softly
"b-but he's innocent!" Mah stuttered
"what really happened in there Mah?"
"nothing… I wanted him to tell that he was with me, but he won't. He just said whatever happens, happens"
"what else?" Suyin asked
"he said that you were only looking out for the city as this city's matriarch and he also said that the Truth will come out sooner or later" she replied now with control of her emotion.
"I see" Suyin said
Word of Hong Li's insider job reached every guard's ear.
And a particular metalbending guard seemed furious about the news.
So he rushed to the interrogation chamber where Hong Li was kept and guards were just outside the doors.
"Lady Suyin has called for you two" the newly arrived metalbender said "I'll keep watch while you two are away"
The two guards, without any second thoughts, rushed to the matriarch of the metal clan.
The newly arrived metalbender opened the door and went inside. He then closed it.
He then took off his helmet and took a good look at the bound and blindfolded Hong Li.
Hong Li is still shirtless and his trousers are kept. His hands are bound behind the back of the chair he is sitting and his ankles are bound on the frontal limbs of the chair.
He is still blindfolded, his hands are bound with metal to ensure no movement from the hands.
The new metalbender has lime green eyes, and his face resembles that of the late fire lord Ozai. He also has short and well-kept brown hair
"Hong… How could you do this?" the brown-head asked as he delivered a punch to the face.
"Ouch! Tapu? Tapu Lan is that you?" Hong Li asked…
"yes it is Hong. It's me Tapu"
"Tapu… what are you doing here?" Hong asks
"I need to know why Hong"
"Like I told everybody else, I'm innocent"
"if that is true, why did the truth seer deem you to be lying?"
"I don't know! I was with Mahl on Patrol when the attack happened! I couldn't have helped those attackers" Hong answered honestly
"Don't bring my step sister into this Hong!"
"but Tapu its true!"
"I said don't bring her into this!" Tapu said softly that even Hong Li heard what he said, as he surrounded his clenched hand with metal and punched the bound and shirtless accused at the gut.
"Ooophf" Hong Li grunted, "Look I'm sorry for accidentally hospitalizing your little brother when we were still kids"
"This is isn't about that!" Tapu whispered once again, this time Hong heard him. He punched the accused once again at the gut.
"What is this about?" he asked softly
"do you realize how many guards were critically injured!" Tapu asked
"wait… how many are injured Tapu? Are my siblings okay? Tapu tell me!" Hong asked with a pleading tone.
"Luckily your little brothers were still on their way to the battle site when the infiltrators you helped enter and escape" Tapu replied
"still your crime against the metal clan is unforgivable" Tapu said as he formed a ball from a ball from his hand and put it inside Hong's mouth. Tore a cloth from Hong's trousers and tied it firmly on the accused's mouth.
Tapu then proceeded to punch the bound accused on the body repeated times. Then decided to leave
"I hope I didn't leave any permanent marks on you. It wouldn't do good on my record if they knew I tortured you for some petty reason." Tapu remarked as he went back to Hong Li's position and removed the gag.
*Boom!*
Tapu was the first one who found the tunnel's exit and reported what he found.
But he also reported to Suyin because he wants to say something but his step sister has beat him into it.
"Lady Suyin, what about Hong Li?"
"He has been released, though I wonder where he got those injuries"
"He's injured?"
"yes, when I went to see him at the medical bay, he have some bruises on his body and face."
"Tapu" Mahl says
"Tapu? Tapu Lan?" Su asks
"yes Lady Suyin, Tapu did bear some resentment against Hong when we were still kids"
"Yes its true, I did give him those bruises Lady Suyin" Tapu went inside the room.
"Why did you do it Tapu?"
"b-because I thought he was responsible for the injury of many of the soldiers during that attack. I didn't know he was really innocent. Even the other guards said that there is concrete evidence" Tapu explained
"I see, but you do realize you will still be punished for that"
"yes I do Lady Suyin" Tapu replied
"I see, I guess, I'm going to let you off with a warning, if something like this ever happens. You will be suspended from duty for a whole month and be treated as a prisoner of Zaofu in that same month
"I understand" Tapu replied as he bowed and exited the room.
A/N: So yeah... made a legend of Korra fic... this is set within Episode 8 of book 3... I was just wondering on what the heck happened to Hong Li after Aiwei was revealed to be the traitor and not Hong Li...