A/N: I'm copy and pasting this in and I noticed that doing that erases a lot of punctuation. Sorry. I'll try to keep up. It's mostly in the italic areas... and it looks stupid.

Chapter 3: I Hear a "Voice" Inside Me Awake Again, It's Telling Me to Surrender to the Fight

Aang was well-behaved for the next three months. He was scared. He trusted Laplace, but he didn't have a choice. She hadn't really tricked him... she was just not very forthcoming with information. And the idea that he could lose his bending, which was a huge part of who he was, it... frightened him.

But... at the same time, he felt an overwhelming sense of duty. There were innocent people up there. People like Laplace. People who were good, innocent... murderers who didn't deserve to lose their bending.

Alright, that doesn't make any sense. But, I mean, Laplace probably didn't deserve to lose hers. And... she definitely didn't need the... rape... He looked over at Laplace, who was sewing in the shade. I mean... she might have killed someone. But... I mean, what were the circumstances? And... I mean, how could someone like that be like this now? That thought made him pause. What if the others changed too? How did she change? Why?

He immediately ran over to her. She glanced at him.

"Laplace, how come you're like this?" He asked excitedly. She stared at him.

"...You're going to have to be... way more specific." She said, raising an eyebrow.

"...Well, um... I mean, you're not... murder-y."

"It's just you and me here. Are you asking me to murder you?" She looked confused.

"No! I mean, you don't act like a murderer!"

"How exactly do you think murderers act?" Laplace wondered. Aang hesitated. He wasn't sure. Mean? Violent? He tried to think of something. "...We're normal. Except for the murdering part."

"...You got married... did your husband know about it?" Aang wondered.

"...Me murdering people...?" She frowned. "...Probably. Soma knew a lot more than he let on." She paused, looking down at her work. "But, it's not like we got married out of love or anything."

"...Really?"

"...Mm. We're both just monsters." She said. "I mean, it was just a convenient set-up. Nothing personal."

"But... you..." Aang murmured. He couldn't imagine being married out of convenience. "...Don't you still... love him?"

"...?" She frowned. "...I don't know. Sort of...?"

"Sort of?! But you're married!"

"Since when do married people need to love each other?" She responded.

"Since forever!"

"...Ah. Then, it looks like I messed up." She responded. Aang stared at her.

"...You...don't care?"

"...no. Soma understood what we were... what we are." She shrugged. "If he decided to get married again, I wouldn't mind. But he probably won't. He wasn't into the idea of getting married anyway."

Aang frowned. But, she talks a lot about him. She must've cared a little bit. "Did you guys have children?"

"No." She frowned. "One of us is barren. I don't know which."

How sad... Aang thought. "...Did you want to have children?"

She shrugged. "It would be normal." She said.

I guess she did. Aang thought. Then he blinked. Wait. This was about murder! "Um, but- how come you're clear headed now? Like you're not up there, murdering people?"

"...Firstly," She rose her hand, "I'm not that vulgar. And secondly, I don't need someone handing me victims to murder. I'm civilized."

So... it was an accident? She's not that vulgar... she's civilized... Aang frowned. Was she just put here because she was caught and murder is wrong? "Do you think there are others like you? Up there?"

"...Not exactly like me, but yes."

Other people who were brought here by accident. "...Do you think they'd be hard to find?"

"...I don't know. I mean, probably?" She frowned.

Aang sat down, his thoughts racing. I wonder how I could go about finding people like her? It isn't like it was easy getting information from Laplace. Plus she didn't really tell me much... If there are others, though-

"Kid." He jumped. "...Don't go up there with delusions. I'm not comfortable with other people. You should consider yourself lucky. Normally I just leave people alone."

How is Laplace even a doctor? Aang wondered.

"...I know that look." She smirked. "...Doctors don't all deal with patients. There's other stuff we do." She went back to sewing. "...I don't know what your plans are, but..." She trailed off. After a couple of minutes, she said, "...sometimes it's best to let humans be humans."

"...?" He looked at her. "What do you mean?" But she'd fallen silent again, deep in thought. "..." He frowned. She said she was a monster. I wonder... "Laplace?"

"...Mm."

"...Are you really a monster?"

"...!" She stared at him.

"...Err- well, you said-"

"...I'm a monster, through and through." She said, waving her hand.

"You don't seem like a monster to me."

"...Ha! That's the scary part about monsters. And people." She said. There was no humor in her voice. "They're covered in masks and make-up. They have demure, sweet voices. They charm. They lie. They deceive. Surprisingly, all for the same end. Monsters and humans just want to appear more human. But the more they try..." She shrugged. "...The more monstrous they become."

Aang pondered her words. "...Laplace?"

"Mm."

"...I don't think you're a monster."

She laughed. "...Course you don't." She said, lightly. "Now. Kid." She gazed at him. "You're really bugging me."

"Oh. Sorry."

"If you're gonna stay, just be quiet for a while." She said.

Aang watched her work. I'll do it. He thought, suddenly. I'll save Laplace and everyone like her.

At dinner that night, or what sufficed for dinner between the two of them, Aang announced his plan. "I'm going to save you, Laplace."

"...From...?" She didn't look up from what she was making.

"From this place!" He said. She snorted.

"Okay." She said. "Thanks."

Aang frowned. "You don't believe me?"

"Not even a little bit." She responded.

"I mean it! I'm going to find other people like you, and I'm going to rescue them from this place!"

Laplace sighed. "Kid, are you drinking your own piss?"

"Wh-What?"

"...I'm just wondering if I should be worried for your health since your brain's going." She said. "...You can only do that once or twice before you start getting sick."

"Ew!"

"Kid, I'm not the kind of person who gets down from adversity." She said. "I mean, I got sent here and we both know there are laws about not murdering people. I'm not daunted by the task of getting off this island. I just don't have much faith in you... currently."

"But... why not?"

"...You talk some big talk, kid. But you gotta put up or shut up. Fools rush in, right?"

Aang frowned thoughtfully. "...I'm not very good with coming up with plans."

"I noticed." She said, shrugging. "Then, allow me to open your eyes." She pointed at the wall behind them. "You'll be climbing this guy at dawn."

"What? Why dawn?"

"Because the rocks get really hot during the day." She said. "You can't bend, so you should be working on your core strength. And-oof." Aang hugged her tightly.

"You'll really let me go?" He asked.

"What the hell? Kid, I'll be happy when you're not around chattering so much!" She complained. Aang just squeezed her tightly.

"I promise I'll come back! I'll make sure of it! To save you!"

Laplace grumbled something and patted Aang's head. "Kid." She said. He looked up at her. "Just get your head from between my breasts and promise me you'll start using your head a little more."

"Okay!" Aang chirped, releasing her. She sighed and looked down at herself.

"Great. No more hugs." She scowled at him. "I mean it."

"...Okay!" He chirped again.