Previously, in the Corrupted Alliance…

There were a few moments of silence as everyone began to think. I opened my mouth to begin a battle plan I had in mind since we broke the ice, but then there were heavy footsteps heard from the soldiers. They were either coming down to free us or kill us, and at this point I think you would know the correct answer to that question. Ayame gasped, hiding behind her father. Yeah, it looked pretty bad. The cells were completely destroyed from Toph, Katara, Yuki, and I, and we were having a happy little chat before the soldiers crashed our party. I thought fast.

Knowing I couldn't use my fire abilities in front of other people, I planted my feet in the ground and separated my hands shoulder-length. I tried expanding the metal door as much as I could without it thinning. I knew that Firebending would be more sensible, but for the moment, I couldn't show them that I was a dual bender. The soldiers were having a seemingly easy time opening it. Yuri shouted.

"The keyhole! The keyhole!" I looked down at the door. Sure enough, there was a keyhole. I guessed that was what locks and unlocks the door. I quickly pulled my hand into a fist, corrupting the only way to get in or out. The soldiers began to have trouble, using their body weight to try and force open the door.

We were all out of ideas, knowing that we were going to have to face what was next if no one came up with a strategy for our new problem. Surviving.

-

Sure enough, no one thought of a plan. That or we were afraid to speak. Either way, we were screwed. The slamming on the door stopped briefly. "Dammit. Stupid metalbender. And we put her in an iron cell, right?" A soldier asked from outside the door. His remark earned him an argument.

"It was your idea."

"Well what was yours?"

"We could've tied her up and tortured her."

"But we were hungry!"

"The Fire Lord says that hunger doesn't matter!"

"…That's why we were so hungry!"

"Enough," a woman's voice barked, her light steps nearly inaudible. "All four of you put 'her' in there, whoever she is. I'll deal with it."

Suddenly, an ear piercing noise of metal scraping metal rang throughout the room. We all winced, watching as a sharp knife cut through the steel door, right around the edge of the door. Yuki and Yuri were shaking in Toph's arms, afraid of the Fire Navy. Ayame was still trembling behind her father in fear, but Hiro tried to put on a smile for his daughter. He failed miserably, of course. Katara and I exchanged glances full of anxiety. The knife had only finished cutting around the door halfway when the woman felt the door's resistance. She realized that there was something causing it. She began to speak.

"You put a metalbender in there, didn't you?"

"Lord Zuko's orders, Mistress."

"Imbecile," the Mistress mumbled, trying to cut through the door once again. My bending wasn't holding up; the metal was thinning and became even easier to cut through. When done, all sounds were reduced to a swift kick to hard steel, it falling, and the children's whimpers. The Mistress had a bored face, but was still slightly intimidating, just like Zuko. She seemed to be pregnant, however, unlike Zuko. Obviously. I realized this right away, so I wanted to avoid hurting her before I landed myself into even more trouble. I stomped my foot once, raising a three-pound rock from the stone ground. I sent it hurtling at the Mistress, but it stopped only inches from her face, falling back to the cold, unforgiving floor. She didn't flinch, nor did she even blink. "You're going to have to try harder then that if you want my attention," a smirk crawled onto her face. It was a taunt. She wanted to see me hurt her, because she knew I wouldn't. I swallowed, falling to my knees. I had to give up. I couldn't hurt her, or any other pregnant lady for that matter. "Take her away, and tie the rest of them up somewhere else. I will find them later."

Two of the four soldiers came towards me while the other two went to constrict my defenseless friends. I didn't even try to protect myself. I couldn't get myself into any more trouble. Yet, there was still a burning rage inside of me that was just screaming for me to kill someone. I wanted to bash the two soldiers' heads together and leave them there to bleed to death. I had no idea where this desire came from, but I began to breathe lighter and faster. I shut my eyes as the guards tied my hands together behind my back. They slammed my head into the floor, holding it down. I thought they were just going to put on metal cuffs, but they had become a little wiser to at least one nationality of mine that they knew of. I winced as I felt rope cut into my wrists. I whimpered slightly as I felt blood trickled down my hand, soaking my burgundy, fingerless gloves. Tears found their way to my eyes, but they weren't about to flow anytime soon. I could sense the Fire Mistress smirk as she walked out the doorway and onto the deck. Muffled screams came from the children and grunts came from the adults as they all struggled to free themselves from the Fire Nation soldiers. I felt horrible as I watched them being taken away, being forced out the door. Ayame was bawling and afraid; so afraid that she ended up having to be dragged across the stone floor. I turned away. I did this. If I were smart enough to keep away, to just stay where I belong, none of this would have happened. I'm stupid. So stupid.

"Get up!" A guard with an overweight build roared, kicking me in my gut. I yelped as I felt one of my ribs crack. I took in one strong breath and pulled myself erect. I couldn't stand up. My rib cage was throbbing, my cheek was torn up again, and my wrists were gushing blood. I had too much stuff against me to fight back. "Let's go, you rat," he spat, sending my around the world and back again. My heart felt as if it stopped. I looked up at my dictator and saw a woman's face. The tears still didn't flow, but I remembered something I regretted. I stood up, feeling my tears disappear with anger taking its place. My body was in phenomenal pain, but I put it all aside. I was once again provoked by the fat guard as he gave me a jump push. I began to walk towards the doorway whilst being verbally abused by the guards. I had no idea where I was going. I had no idea what was going to happen to me. I had no idea why the past was haunting me even to that day. But I did have an idea on how I was going to escape. I figured I'd start at step one by trying to make conversation with the rookie. I took a breath as I was forced into the bright light outside, using my shoulder to attempt keeping the sun of my eyes. My eyes ended up adjusting, anyway. I turned my head so I could only see Abuser Man out of the corner of my eye.

"So do you guys get troublemaking kids like me often?" I asked, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips. I turned back around so I could see where I was walking. Abuser Man elbowed Newbie, growling lowly.

"Don't answer her, kid, she's just trying to pry information out of us," Abuser Man explained in a mumble. It was loud enough for me to hear it, so I could agree with him. I was trying to pry information out of them, but even Abuser Man wasn't smart enough to figure that out. He just said it because he thought it was fitting. I could tell that he was a few clowns short of a circus, if you catch my drift.

"Why would I want to get information out of you?" I asked, watching my feet move as I walked. "I mean, you have bound my hands, you have taken my friends, and," I paused, chuckling, "I don't need any more information. I have been on and off this boat for a straight month now. I think I know how things work."

"She has a point," Newbie said from behind me. I heard the whisking sound of fire and the singe of burning clothing. "Hey!"

"Shut up," Abuser Man said under his breath. I felt my heart rate jump as he grabbed my arm and pulled me backward. "You better stop if you know what's good for you," he said through clenched teeth, his breath smelling like month old cheese.

"Let me tell you what would be good: letting me go. If you know what's good for you," I smirked. Abuser Man stepped in front of me, stopping me from walking any further. He blocked all the sun and a shadow came over me. I felt the dirt encrusted into my face, and it probably made me look like an orphan. And I might as well have been at that point.

"Did you just threaten me?" The man asked. I weighed the situation out, and then looked up at him with a blank look.

"Yes. Yes I did," Abuser Man gritted his teeth and gave me one solid push, making me fall to the ground. My broken rib caused swelling, the swelling caused my organs to take up space that I didn't have, and the use of that space caused me a great deal of hurt. I groaned ever so slightly, swallowing my pain. I looked up at him, wiping the pain even from my expression, a smile of determination spread across my face. "What are you going to do? Batter me up some more?" I attempted to show him my bound wrists. "I'd love to fight you, but I'm in a bind," I said sarcastically, my smile slowly faded into a straight face. Abuser Man's lip twitched before he turned around, walking ahead of us. Newbie came up from behind me and lifted me up to my feet. I thanked him quietly and followed my abuser. He was mumbling crap about me under his breath, and quite frankly, I was enjoying it. I was getting him nice and pissed.

You may be wondering where we were walking on the map of that boat, and I'll recap. We went from the deck to a shallow dungeon beneath the deck; from there I was taken back upon the deck and taken all the way to the back of the boat where we began to walk down many steep steps. I never knew that Fire Navy ships were this big. I was occasionally shoved as we walked through narrow hallways, finally coming across a pair of twelve-foot doors. I admired their beautiful red paint before Abuser Man pushed me to the ground. The other two guards from earlier accompanied Newbie and Abuser Man, so while they talked I looked around, taking everything in. I began to listen to the conversation they were having.

"…She's a problem child," Abuser Man said, shooting me a look. I stuck my tongue out at him. He snarled.

"A twelve year old is causing you trouble?" A strong, big guard laughed heartily. I'm fourteen, bastard, I nearly said aloud. I could have caused trouble, but I was just not in the mood.

"She's nice to me," Newbie snorted, laughing. Newbie and Muscles exchanged high-fives as Abuser Man mumbled to his self. He must've been pushing me around because everyone else pushes him around. Ha, I get it, I laughed to myself, feeling slightly retarded for not realizing it earlier. I was slightly nicer to Newbie then Abuser Man, but I don't feel the need to explain why. Abuser Man looked down at me, giving me a swift kick in the gut. He was only inches away from my swollen rib cage. I couldn't take his damn abuse anymore.

"Leave me the hell alone, fat boy," I barked at him, making all the other guards laugh. I still kept my snarl on my face. I was seriously fed up with his crap, and he was fed up with me making fun of him in front of his colleagues. He grabbed me by my hair and lifted me up. I yelped.

"That's it," he barked at me, spitting in my face, "you're done. We're tying you up," he smirked, throwing back down to the ground. The three other guards gaped at Abuser Man, realizing that there was more to him then just fat and pity. I sneered as he turned around and walked away. "Be sure to tell the Fire Lord we're ready to slaughter the girl."

By slaughter, I was sure he didn't mean it was going to be by accident. I wiped off my face with my shoulder as Newbie dragged me into the large room by my arms. Muscles and the other guard opened the doors. They revealed a giant sanctuary in which a pole stood in the middle of the room. What the hell? I thought to myself, struggling to look behind my limp body. Muscles and Other Guard untied the ropes from my wrists and let me stand up. Muscles looked at me. "It would be easier for us to put you into the shackles if you took your gloves off," he said to me, as if I was willing to commit suicide. I screwed up my face and gave him a look.

"I'm not taking them off," I said flatly. "I'm being murdered, remember? It's not going to matter."

They all nodded in unison, agreeing with me. The pole behind him had a pair of handcuffs with the chain nailed in to the pole. There were two pairs; one for my hands and the other for my feet. I swallowed. Before I could react, Muscles picked me up and Other Guard secured my limbs in the shackles. I tried to bend the metal, but it wouldn't budge. Newbie laughed from where he stood. I already knew what had happened. They were processed; probably special order from Zuko so metalbenders couldn't escape. Dammit. He must've not gotten around to the cells.

The men all laughed and then walked out the door, slamming it behind them. The way I was positioned, I was facing the door. I felt angry at myself that I thought I could escape. It was about three times on the same day that I got myself into trouble, and nothing seemed to be looking up. I sighed, feeling my rib cage ease from my hands being raised. All I could do from there was wait for my assassin to come in and do away with me.

-

Next time, in the Corrupted Alliance:

"You really think I'm going to kill you, don't you?" He asked me this like I was joking the whole time. My jaw fell loose from awe. You have to be kidding. I looked up at my bound wrists, and down at my bound ankles. I was in a crucifixion position. And he really believed that I thought he wasn't going to kill me. I took a breath.

"I'd say it was more of a supposition," I said with a hint of sarcasm. I don't think he quite got it, though.

"I'm not one for violence," he reassured me. I use that term loosely. "And you said you're Fire Nation?"

"Illegal alien, but I still think it counts," I explained to him flatly.