He hated the night shift. He hated the fact that he was the only one sober enough to do the night shift. It was pointless to move enough chi blockers from their sleeper cells for one night, so Lieutenant proceeded to patrol the halls alone. The door to Amon's quarters was open. Unlit kali sticks slid into Lieutenant's hands instantly. He padded softly past the door, the green glass of his goggles enhancing the full moon's glow coming from the window. Amon was crouched, face buried in his hands.
"Sir?" Lieutenant said quietly, still glancing around for an intruder. When Amon didn't respond, Lieutenant looked around the room. He spotted a liquor bottle atop the only table, the glass gleaming in the moonlight. Lieutenant sighed and put his weapons away. "Amon." He shook the man's shoulder. One of Amon's hands latched onto his arm, pressing down hard on a pressure point. "Sir! It's me! Lieutenant!"
Amon turned to him, unmasked. "Lieutenant." He stated calmly. "You should knock before entering." He released his hold, hand leaving a dark smear on Lieutenant's gray sleeve.
"Amon," Lieutenant said. "You're bleeding."
The revolutionary stood, then stumbled. Lieutenant caught him and brought him back down to the floor in a crouch. "Sir, what happened? Your scars—they're bleeding."
Amon's blue eyes met his. "I hate the full moon." He blew out a breath and sat down, crossing his legs to get more comfortable.
"Wait here." Lieutenant walked out of the room for a moment, returning with a metal box. He sat in front of Amon and pulled out a roll of gauze. "Sir, what happened?"
Amon focused on him again, as if just realizing he was in the room. "It's the full moon."
Lieutenant glanced at the glowing white sphere outside the window. "What about it?"
"It's the source of bloodbending." Amon said gravely, staring down at his hands.
"I don't understand. You were attacked by a firebender."
"Yes." Amon said, picking at one of his scars again. Lieutenant cringed as his actions caused the gashes to deepen and bleed more. "I was." He gave another glance at the bottle and realized it was almost empty. "Sir, I need to stop the bleeding."
Amon held out a hand, palm down. Lieutenant was about to protest when he noticed that the revolutionary's hands were scratched up as well. He heaved a heavy breath and examined the hand, flipping it over and sighed again when he saw ragged tears in the palm as well.
"What did this to you?"
"Spirits." Amon said plainly. Lieutenant took it as a curse. "Sir, I'm only trying to help…"
"Spirits did this, Lieutenant." He looked over at the window. "Or really, just one spirit. Her."
"The Avatar?" Lieutenant asked as he dropped the bloodied piece of gauze and tore a new strip of gauze, bandaging Amon's hand with it.
"The Moon." Amon used his other hand to scratch at his face, loosening some of the newly formed scabs. "They say she was a Water Tribe princess and she sacrificed her life and became the moon. Legend has it that she was kind and gentle, the pull to the Ocean Spirit's push."
Lieutenant tucked in the end of the strip and motioned for Amon's left hand. It came bloodier than the first. He dreaded trying to help the masked man with his still bleeding face. Amon might be tolerating this for now, but with the alcohol in his system, Lieutenant didn't know if the same legendary control he had was still there. His arm still pulsed painfully where Amon had grabbed him.
Amon continued without prompting. "But the Moon is not gentle or kind. She only lets you think that, until you are in her grasp. You are her puppet, bending to her will."
"Did you meet the Moon on your trip to the Spirit world?" Lieutenant asked, discarding a third strip of bandaging and reaching for the fourth.
"No. But I learned that she's the world's most powerful bloodbender." He raised his right hand, intending to scratch again at his scars and Lieutenant leveled a glare at him. Amon blinked and dropped it back into his lap.
"When I returned to this world, she made me pay."
"The Moon bloodbent you? How?"
"She took a human disguise." His eyes narrowed. "A very clever human disguise."
"But you took her bending away? The other spirits granted you that power, so why wouldn't it work on a spirit in the human world?"
"I came close. But I couldn't. I was too weak." The last word was acid on Amon's tongue.
"Weak? Amon, sir, you wield the same power as the Avatar."
"That's because I am terrible enough to control it."
Lieutenant was lost at this point. He focused on his handiwork and weighed the pros and cons of all the possible outcomes of getting near Amon's face. Finally, he settled on a direct approach.
"I need to see your face." At this, Amon huffed. Lieutenant assumed it was a laugh. "You can see my face just fine."
"Sir, it's still bleeding."
A moment passed. "Do what you will." He closed his eyes.
Lieutenant approached him the same way one approached an injured wild animal. He sat beside him and hesitated. Amon cracked open one eye. "Something troubles you, Lieutenant?"
"It's nothing sir." But he tensed visibly when Amon started laughing. "Sir?"
"Of all the people in the world, I am the one you should be least afraid of."
"I'm not afraid. Not of you." Lieutenant said, reaching out and redirecting Amon's hand away from his face. He was not redoing the bandages on his hands. "But I am afraid of this." He indicated the gashes on Amon's face. "What made you do it?"
"She can't control me if there is no blood to bend." His voice was hollow, distant. "I'm tired. Let's finish this in the morning."
Lieutenant cringed. "Sir…"
"That was an order. I'm tired, drunk and revealing secrets to you when I shouldn't be." Amon snapped.
Lieutenant nodded. "Sir, you can trust me." He said, helping him up.
"I know. And that's the problem. I always hurt the ones I trust."
Amon sat down on the bed. Lieutenant sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that night. "Goodnight sir."
As he walked out, Amon spoke. "Thank you, Lieutenant."