Fade to Black; Chapter One Part Two
"You've been doing me proud recently, Korra," Beifong praised the young Avatar as she stood opposite her, "You've really come a long way since we first met. I feel I should apologise for how I treated you when we first met."
"Where is this coming from, you're not going soft on me now are you, Chief?" Korra shook her head, letting out a breathy laugh, "It doesn't really suit you."
Beifong smirked slightly, standing up from her seat and putting her hand on the shoulder of the young woman before her. Korra smirked back.
"I mean it Korra," Beifong went on, "After the council meeting today, wait for me and I'll treat you to lunch."
Korra really laughed now, "Oh, this is too weird. Beifong, while I appreciate the offer, I already have plans." In reality, she just felt like being alone.
"That's a pity," Beifong stated, before turning to exit the room, "You deserve a break every now and then Korra, even I can't deny you that. Come now, let's go down to the meeting room before the other members arrive."
The way that she stated it, Korra knew that she would be unable to argue further. She smiled slightly at Lin's retreating back—Lin was a serious person and a smile was a rare thing to get out of her. Korra did feel proud that she had been praised by Lin, but that did not make her misery go away.
Slowly Korra followed behind the Chief of Police. Beifong was holding the elevator waiting for Korra and she quickly scampered over and entered, the doors closing behind her. Beifong began to make comments on the recent turmoil in the Earth Kingdom, even with the Queen in power.
"She makes others do her dirty work, extorting her own citizens for her stupid palaces and topiaries and then expects people to go along with it." Beifong was saying, "It's appalling, and reminds me somewhat of someone else I know..."
"Hm? Like who?" Lin's comment having piqued Korra's interest, though she was only half listening.
"No one of importance."
They chatted idly as they proceeded to the council chambers. She took in the room and people before her. When she was just about to take her seat, Korra felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Korra."
Turning her head to the sound of the voice, she was met with a concerned look from Lin Beifong, who was staring at her student in a perceptive manner, "Yes, Lin?"
"Tell me," she said, dropping her hand from Korra's shoulder, "why you are wearing black today."
It was not a question, it was an order; the tone stated that she could not refuse answering. Korra blinked for a moment, then opened her mouth, carefully choosing her words, "Well, it's nice to have a change of clothing every now and then. And the fact that my usual choice of attire gets dirty during training, I thought perhaps black would hide the grime a little more. Then at least I could walk around without looking disgraceful."
"I see," Beifong replied, sounding skeptical. "You just felt like wearing all black today so that you wouldn't get dirty, and since when has that mattered to you?"
"Well, I…"
"Korra," Beifong's voice was in a warning tone; Korra knew that the Chief of Police did not like to be lied to.
Looking down at her hands that she hadn't realised had begun to shake, Korra hung her head. She spoke quietly when she finally managed to open her mouth, having difficulty choking out the words, "It's been a year since my failed attempt to overthrow Amon and the Equalists. Today marks a year since Mako was captured… "
The words died on her mouth; unable to force them out, she did not even bother to try and speak further.
"I see…" Beifong swallowed, "You know, Korra, the chances of us being able to rescue him were reduced to almost zero as soon as he was captured. The chances of us being able to locate him, are even less. I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but you must have realised this by now."
"I know," Korra murmured quietly, "But as long as there is breath left in my body, I will not give up on trying to find him."
"Korra," Beifong spoke sharply, "We have done everything we can to find him."
"Lin, of all the people I know, you are the one who I thought would never give up on Mako," she spoke quietly, "Isn't he like a son to you? Surely you have at least a shred of hope that we'll find him."
"A shred is a very small thing, Korra," Beifong replied tersely, "Mako's fate has been out of our hands for quite some time now. I suggest that you get your mourning over with quickly, so that you are able to focus on things more important than lost comrades."
Korra didn't respond. Despite Beifong telling her to do otherwise, she would not give up on Mako, nor what she ever forget about him; he was her first love, her last love, her only love. Not wanting to look Beifong at the moment, she wracked her mind to for things to talk about other than Mako. Korra could find nothing to say; her mind was so burdened. She found the silence awkward, even though it had only lasted a couple of seconds.
Mercifully, as if by some unknown force, Tenzin seemed to appear out of now where, brandishing a large stack of papers in the Chief of Police's face.
"Lin! Korra! I have finally found the pair of you!" Tenzin reprimanded the women, clearly flustered. Korra looked up slightly at the middle aged man, who looked like he had combed the city over twice before finding the troublesome pair, "Why are you standing over here? We have a meeting to get through and all of this paperwork to sign!"
"Calm down Tenzin, I was going to get around to them…"
"Korra this is serious." Tenzin retorted in a frustrated manner.
Korra made her way over to her allocated seat at the council members table, sitting down with a heavy sigh. "Fine, fine! Just stop badgering me! Let's just get on with the meeting shall we?"
Beifong nodded mutely and took her seat next to a very agitated Tenzin.
Beifong's words had hit her painfully, and she knew in her heart she could never do what the woman asked. She could never give up on Mako…ever.
It was a very angry Lieutenant who was dragging him along the musty hall; that was all Mako could make out in his current haze. His entire body hurt like the fires of hell had entered them; only once before had he experienced this kind of pain, and that was the day that he had been captured by Amon and the Equalist faction.
Blood was running over his face and into his nose and mouth, he could taste and smell it distinctly. He was crying out in pain; he could hear himself yelling out, even though he was not consciously aware that he was actually doing so. He struggled slightly, his body burning, but he was too weak from loss of blood to put up a fight. He didn't know what would happen to him now, but he did not care, it had been his choice to allow Amon to take away his bending, and as it turns out, torture him. He could end up a dead man either way, but even as a nonbender, he could at least have a chance of survival.
There was a creak as the door to Amon's chamber opened, and Mako was dumped unceremoniously down on the ground, at what he assumed was at Amon's feet.
"Amon," the Lieutenant stated in an important tone, though Mako could hear a faint tremble in his voice. "I did what you asked."
There was a scuffling, and the rustle of clothes and Mako found his chin being nudged by someone's foot, in an investigative manner. Mako had his eyelids shut tight, as though the pain would dissipate by doing so. The foot dropped away then kicked his shoulder hard; Mako merely winced, as the pain was nothing compared to the burning of his body.
"You're a fool, Mako." came Amon's deep voice, near his head. The voice was low, but it dripped with anger and loathing, like poison from the fangs of a snake, "Did you really think that I would spare you?"
Keeping his mouth tightly shut, only emitting groans of pain, Mako did not reply, knowing that in order to live he had to play his cards carefully. He felt Amon rustle past him and over to the other side of him.
"Lieutenant," the voice was still deadly, "I asked you to punish him, not beat him within an inch of his life. Can he be healed?"
Someone, most likely the Lieutenant, kicked him over onto his back, and the warm breath he felt on his face suggested that someone was examining him. A hand grabbed his chin roughly and held his lolling head still. There was a pause, then the hand and breath receded, allowing Mako to curl up on the floor.
"I could heal his wounds, but he will never be able to bend again," came the Lieutenant's serious voice, a slightly nervous tone laced uncertainly into it.
There was a long pause, and the tension was laid so heavily in the room that it could have been cut with a kunai, "I see."
"What would you like me to do?" the Lieutenant asked as rustling fabric made its way away from Mako's injured form.
There was another long pause, "Make sure he is again, duly punished, and then dump his body in the woods."
"Would you like him killed?" the Lieutenant asked.
"It matters not, with the amount of blood he's lost, he will die soon," Amon replied, "Make sure his last moments are painful."
"Would you like his memory erased?"
Another pause, "In the unlikely event that he does survive, remove only the important parts."
"Yes, Amon," there was a rustle of fabric as the Lieutenant passed by Mako, then another rustle. The voice was projected in another direction as the Lieutenant spoke again, "You, take him back to his cell, I will be there shortly."
"As for you, Lieutenant," Amon's voice grew fainter as Mako was dimly aware of him being dragged away, "We have to discuss your carelessness in the manner of Mako getting injured in such a manner."
Mako could not make out the Lieutenant's response as his mind hazed, and he lost all consciousness.
Part Two of Chapter One. I feel it gives a little more clarity on the circumstances of both Mako and Korra and the situation in which they find themselves.
