"Honestly," Suki told herself, "it was only a matter of time."
The barkeep looked at her, his expression a mixture of pity and disgust. That was perhaps the twentieth time Suki had said that aloud. She didn't bother to keep count of how many times she said it in her head. She sighed and poured herself another drink. Whoever said liquor was good for a broken heart had been on to a good thing. Suki's emotions were not only drowned but burnt in a sea of alcohol. Her mind hung in a numb fog where the memories of earlier that night were kept out of sight.
Good, she thought.
She took a swig of her glass and was disappointed when it didn't burn her throat. It used to do that, she remembered, earlier in the night. But she had since lost sensation and now it felt like nothing but water. She frowned at her glass.
"Barkeep," she mumbled. "Something stronger."
The barkeep's mouth twisted in an ugly way. "I think you've had enough."
A flashing memory of Sokka in bed with Ty Lee blistered through Suki's mind. She had caught them in bed the sheets looked damp with their sweat and when they finally noticed her Ty Lee made a noise not like ecstasy but of surprise and Suki thought she made a similar noise but no it was a growl and before she knew it she was moving-
"No," she muttered and rubbed her forehead. "No where near enough."
It was only a matter of time, really. The signs had all been there. Ty Lee had always liked Sokka. And Sokka had always had a charm that attracted girls. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened, like a lodestone and metal. A collision had always been inevitable.
"I want something stronger, please." Suki was proud of the way her voice did not slur, proud of the way it didn't shake.
"I don't think so, Miss," the Barkeep grimaced again. He raised his hand and signalled someone over. "In fact I think it's time that you went home."
Suki side-eyed the bouncer that now stood next to her. He had folded his arms across his chest to show off his impressive muscular build. Suki smiled. Sokka did things like that; struck poses that he thought would impress her. Or maybe he hadn't been doing it just for her. Had he ever acted like that when Ty Lee had been around?
The smile slid from Suki's face like oil off water. She watched impassively as the bouncer put a hand on her shoulder. Her mind was blank when she grabbed that hand and twisted it. She heard the bone snap satisfactorily before she threw the man over the bar and into the Barkeep. They smashed into the shelves of glasses and bottles behind the counter and crumpled to the floor.
Suki stood and watched them groan in pain, heard the glass tinkle and crack as their bodies rolled over the broken pieces. She looked down at her hands, noticed the dried blood in the lines of her palm, spots that would not rub off. Spots of blood on her hands as she was forcibly pulled away from her. Sokka was yelling, in nothing but his skin and pulling on Suki so hard she heard something tear. Maybe it was Sokka's heart, giving out. Maybe it was her own-
The men groaned again and Suki watched them twitch in pain. She watched and felt…nothing.
She turned and saw the rest of the bar's patrons regard her cautiously. Suki almost laughed at them. They thought she was like a wild animal waiting to strike but there was nothing animalistic in Suki's thoughts. In fact, there was not much of anything going on in her head. She sighed and reached over the bar to grab a liquor bottle. Then she turned and walked out the bar, every eye in the room following her.
It had only been a matter of time before Sokka and Ty Lee…did what they did. She shouldn't have been surprised. Some things in life were inevitable. Suki had been reasonable in her expectations. It was only fair that Sokka knew how she would react. He should have known. He threw her to the ground and stared down at her like he couldn't tell what she was. A Monster? An Animal? He was yelling at her still and Ty Lee had raised her head. In the dark it was hard to see all the blood but Suki knew it was there. Her hands were slick with it and she felt it spattered on her face. Face? She had ruined Ty Lee's face and her own face-
-was wet with tears. Suki felt them run down her cheeks, felt them crawl down her collar. She wiped them away but it did no good; they wouldn't stop, maybe not for a long time. Not unless she made them stop. Suki pulled the cork from the bottle and swung it to her mouth. She drank and drank and felt nothing. But soon the tears dried under the cloud of alcohol and she finally pulled the bottle away.
She wiped face again with her sleeve. It was only a matter of time, she thought, before her feelings would return. She took in a deep breath and staggered off into the night. It was only a matter of time. It was only a matter of time. Suki would find a place where she could be alone to face them.