Black Sun
by LizBee
Lin always paid attention to the stories.
"Chief Beifong? Lin?"
She put her hand to the wall, but the stones were silent. She didn't know where she was.
"Can you hear me, Lin?"
"What - I can't-"
Memory came flooding back.
She opened her eyes and looked up into the face of Councilman Soong.
"There." Gently he pulled her hand away from the wall. "How do you feel, Chief Beifong?"
He shouldn't call her that, she thought, not after she had given it all up. Disrespectful of Saikhan, and the others already grumbled that he favoured her. She couldn't afford to be seen as partisan - but none of that mattered if she wasn't chief any more.
Mattered even less if she wasn't an earthbender any more.
"Councilman," she said, her voice raspy, words crowding at the tip of her tongue.
"Tell me, Lin."
"I'm going to be sick."
At least emptying her guts into a wooden bucket left her feeling more awake. When the nausea had passed, she heaved herself up onto a bunk and finally took stock of her surroundings.
It was an Equalist prison cell, bars overhead, identical to the one that had held her officers, but with much more illustrious prisoners. Councilmen Soong and Hakkak stood on either side of the other bunk, Councilwoman Miyabi seated between them. Seated on the floor, leaning against the wall, was Tarrlok.
"Well," said Lin at last, "I've come before the council, I'm in my underwear, and I can't bend. Why don't the nice dreams ever come true?"
Councilwoman Miyabi burst into tears.
"I'm s-sorry," she said when she was calm again. Her hand trembled as she wiped her face. "I c-can't seem to stop. My husband-"
"I'm sure he's fine, Miyabi," said Hakkak. "Amon wouldn't hurt a non-bender. And Takeru's so polite, he probably offered the Equalists tea before they took your bending."
He kept his voice light, but his smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Lin," said Soong, "Tenzin-"
"He's safe. So's his family. At least, they were when I left them." And if they're not, all this was for nothing.
Tarrlok looked up at her for the first time, his gaze flicking over Lin's body, taking in her scars, her figure, her flaws. For a second she wanted to cover herself, but she suppressed the urge and leaned back.
"As long as the airbenders are safe," he said at last. "I hope Tenzin recognises the sacrifice you've made."
"Finally have something to say, do you?" said Hakkak. He moved to kick Tarrlok, but Miyabi pulled him back.
Tarrlok didn't even spare him a glance.
"There was a metal box in my cellar," he said to Lin. "Platinum. Especially for you."
"And you put Korra in it first. I'm hurt, councilman."
Tarrlok threw back his head and laughed.
"You'll laugh at me," said Soong. "There's a sharp edge on my bunk. I've been carving this."
He produced a chopstick, sharpened to a fine point. Wooden. But sturdy.
Lin said, "They'll electrocute you before you get close enough." She positioned it between her fingers and flicked it. "Weight's wrong for throwing."
"I told you you'd laugh."
"No," said Lin, picking it up. "There might be something."
The door at the end of the corridor needed oiling, and the lights were dim. By the time the guards reached their cell, Lin was slumped on the ground with her back to the corridor.
"Pathetic," the guard said, pushing food through the slot. "Even a tigerdillo'll fight if you cut its armour off."
"How do you know that?" his companion asked. "That's sick."
"No, I just heard it-"
Lin looked down at the tools in her hand and smiled.
Miyabi's badge of office had a long, sharp pin.
She watched closely as Lin worked at the lock.
"I really don't think we paid you enough," she said.
"What about the Equalists?" asked Soong. "We still have to get past them."
Lin gripped the overhead bars and pulled herself up. Once. Twice. Thrice. Her muscles protested, but didn't fail her.
"Lin? What will we do for weapons?"
She smiled.
"Me."
end