Rei slowly opened her eyes and groaned in pain. Her hands were still chained to the walls and she could no longer feel them.
She couldn't open her right eye fully, probably too swollen from the punch yesterday. Rei tried to move her head and shoulders, trying to get some circulation back to her numb body.
The door opened and her captor walked in with a tray. "Morning." He said with a smirk.
Rei glared at him with 1.5 eyes. "Why don't you just kill me already? Like you said, you didn't need anything from me, so why am I still here?"
"Shhh...have some breakfast first." The man held up a cup with a straw.
Rei took one sip and promptly spewed out the foul liquid. The man laughed out loud at his own prank. "What? You don't like my special bacon, eggs, strawberry coffee shake? Awww you are hurting my feelings."
Rei spat at the floor. "Fuck you!"
He smirked and placed the cup back on the tray. "Suite yourself." Mercury sat down on a nearby chair and propped his foot up. He took out his scroll and started to play a game.
"What the hell do you want?" Rei glared at her captor. "That woman that knocked me out, who was she? How did she know my name?"
"Shh..." Mercury placed a finger on his lips. "You'll see. Wait, maybe you'll be dead before the end, but who knows?" He let out a chuckle. "Now shut up and let me get back to my game. I'm almost at the top."
Mako kicked the little pebble and softly whistle to herself. The airship should be arriving soon, but the station was still empty. Where was Minako?
Bored, she flipped through the Beacon Academy brochure Minako had given her. The school looked impressive, given that it was secretly protecting and training the next generation of benders.
"Admission based on passing the qualifying tests, only exceptional students will be accepted." The mission statement boldly stated. Mako chuckled and wondered what kind of tests did they set up.
Hearing footsteps behind her, Makoto turned around. "About time...Min.." she stopped short when she saw who it was.
The blue haired girl looked just as surprised. Her hand clutched in front of her chest and her mouth formed a small "o". She gave Mako a small smile and then extended her hand. "My name is Mizuno Ami. I am the...um...water bender."
Mako clasped her hands around Ami's. "Kino Makoto. Nice to meet you, properly."
"Are you the Earth bender?"
The taller girl smiled. "Nope. Despite my size, I am actually air. "
Ami blushed profusely and looked down. "I am so sorry. I just assumed...well...I don't know what I was thinking."
Makoto laughed and waved nonchalantly. "Trust me, I wished I took after my mother more. She was as light as a feather and twice as fast. Instead, I looked like my father, who was a earth bender. Can't blame you for guessing wrong, right?"
"Looks like you guys have made the introduction. Saved me the trouble." A bubbly voice said behind the two of them. Minako set down three heavy luggages and then smiled at the smaller girl. "Nice to meet you face to face, Ami."
"Same here." Ami quickly shocked the blonde's hand.
"And looks like I am just on time." Minako chuckled as she looked toward the sky. The airship was just arriving. She turned and looked at her new teammates, her face serious. "This is it. No turning back now."
Ami picked up her small bag and walked towards the ramp. "There is no going back. The world needs us."
Makoto followed behind. She turned and saw Minako's hesitation. "What's wrong?"
Minako offered a small smile and shook her head. "Nothing. Let's go."
Back at the airship station, a young woman with green hair emerged from the shadow. She took out her scroll and sent a message.
"Airship on route. Guardians on board."
Ding. A replied message showed up. "Proceed."
Emerald typed back, "Consider it done." She boarded another airship herself and took off after the guardians.