The injured girl winced as the bender came closer to her, squeezing her eyes tight. She was in no shape to fight back, she couldn't even stand. She just hoped the brother wouldn't hurt her too bad so she could get home afterwards. She gritted her teeth and tensed her muscles up as she prepared for the waterbender to hit her with more ice, or the firebender to burn her skin yet again. Instead of more pain, she felt her leg start to heal. Her eyes opened in surprise as she reflexively moved her leg. Tears sprung to her eyes immediately and she whimpered, the motion bringing her pain.

"Stay still." The younger brother said to her. She looked at him shocked, seeing the concentration plain on his face as he worked on healing her burns.

"I…" She started but then trailed off, the girl could not find any words for the strange situation. Kaya nodded slowly and made sure to keep her legs still for him, her muscles relaxing. "He's even more powerful of a waterbender than I had originally thought…he's a healer, a great one," She thought to herself. "But why is he helping me?" The non bender looked away from him, assessing the unknown room they were in.

It looked to be a small living room, it had two small couches as well as a big leather chair. On the one couch was the other brother, Zane, she thought was his name. Her curious expression turned to one of anger as she looked at him. "He did this to me," She already could tell that even with the level of healing the waterbending could do, he couldn't completely take away the scars the burns would leave. Her parents were surely going to notice those…Kaya was about to snarl at the man, but all anger was whisked away when she saw his expression.

It looked so…defeated. So utterly sad. She wondered why, it wasn't because of her injuries; plus his seemingly brother was just fine yet…She then understood the look on his face; he had lost someone. Maybe not today, or even this year, but he had to of. The non-bender knew that look; Kaya had worn it often after the accident.

She jumped when the water bender tried to get his brother's attention. Izo, she now remembered his name, had asked him for wraps to cover her injuries. The big brother continued to stare off into space as the she studied his face even more. He was very attractive, the outline of his jaw strong with his lips, that appeared to be so soft, curved into a small frown. She looked up to his eyes, the hurt expression in them almost forcing her to look away, yet she was caught in them all the same. The golden-colored eyes were the type with depth, the ones you could get lost staring into.

"Zane!" The brother repeated, knocking both Kaya and his brother out of their own thoughts, "Will you please wrap up her legs?"

She blushed slightly when he replied and grabbed the wraps. She saw him look at her quickly before starting, his expression pretty blank except in his eyes, she thought she saw something like pity. It could be sympathy, she supposed.

After Zane finished, the younger brother sighed, and explained that he was too tired to be able to finish healing the worse of the burns. The non-bender nodded looking down at her lap, unsure exactly what to say. Should she thank him? But…it was partly his fault this happened anyway.

"Sorry about the damage."

Kaya fell silent. She still had no idea what to say. In fact, if her parents could see her now, they wouldn't think she was the same girl. She was usually extremely opinionated; sharing everything she thought, even if it was rude.

"I-" She cut herself off as a woman walked into the room smiling. The woman seemed pretty young, probably only a few years older than herself. Kaya saw, as the woman talked, that she had a huge tray filled with Fire Nation classics. Kaya could practically make everything out just by the smell of it's spices. She didn't often eat hot food, she much preferred simple, sweeter tasting food, but she had eaten Fire Nation styled cuisine enough times to know their smells.

"I'm sorry, I don't have any foods common to the water tribes…I've never actually made that before…" The woman apologized to Kaya.

"Oh, no, i-t's fine." She said quietly, the first time she spoke in a while. Her throat felt a bit hoarse from her screaming earlier and her voice came out a lot huskier than normal. She sighed and decided to shut up for the time being. The brunette accepted a cup of tea with a gracious nod and sipped on it slowly, trying to get used to it's…unique flavor. Looking over to the waterbender to see him stuff his face completely with all the food offered. He reminded her of someone…her brother. She smiled at the scene, remembering how her older brother would practically inhale his meals as if it was his last.

"Brother, if you eat anymore, you're gonna burst!" She giggled as her brother finished his bowl of noodles, then went straight for her leftovers. He looked at her with a care free smile and laughed, taking his hand away from the bowl and putting it on her head, messing up her hair. Kaya didn't mind though, she loved every bit of attention her brother gave her. She giggled and swatted his hand off. "Stop, Momma just fixed my hair!" He rolled his eyes and took his hand off, tickling her neck before returning it to his food.

"I'm fine, Kay. Just…need my strength." His smile wavering, but her child-like attention span had already moved on to listening to the radio.

She sighed at the memory, twisting the bracelet on her left wrist. If only she would've noticed some of those signs…how tired he had been, how late he'd been staying out, the arguments that would ensue when he returned home, bloodied and exhausted. "Stop," she thought to herself. "Just stop thinking about it," Kaya sighed again, then focused on the people around her.

From what she had learned, listening to all of them, this was Shu and Nami's apartment. It wasn't too far from the arena, opposite of where her own house was. All three of the boys brought her here after she had passed out. Supposedly, the firebender brother was going to leave her there, but Izo felt sympathy towards her, and Shu allowed them to bring her here. It also seemed that Nami somehow had already developed a strong dislike for Zane, just as Kaya felt incidentally.

The firebender was very quiet through it all, and even though she didn't like the bender, she couldn't help but sneak peaks at him every couple minutes or so. "You all seemed to have a busy day…so you may stay here if you'd like. I know it's small, but there's two couches, and one of you can sleep on the chair." Nami said, smiling. Izo accepted her invitation then turned to Kaya, suggesting it was for the best for her to stay overnight as well.

She nodded, "Okay."

Nami excused herself to get blankets and pillows for the group and Shu followed behind. The boys got themselves situated, the older telling his brother to take the couch as he sat on the chair. Izo introduced himself, as well as Zain, formerly. The non-bender nodded. "Yeah, I figured. I'm Kaya."

After giving the three kids blankets and such to stay the night, Shu walked up after his girlfriend to their room. As Nami expressed her worries he sighed, rolling his eyes. She got ready herself and crawled into their bed as he was undressing.

"Am I over worrying?" She asked him.

The earthbender smiled softly at her, walking to the bed, sitting down next to her. "Well…for once, no. You're not over worrying, but it'll be fine." He looked to her, putting a comforting hand on her cheek, "They'll be gone tomorrow." He laughed, thinking about the girl who had helped him get out of the arena. "Plus, we owe that equalist." He said, unbelieving she was actually what the boys claimed. "Without her, I would have lost my bending, Nami. She saved me from the equalists," he reminded her.

Kaya laid on the couch, but she couldn't get comfortable. She was too worried of what her parents must be thinking. They could think she was dead. The girl sighed softly and looked around the room again, her eyes landing on the softly snoring water bender first. She smiled a bit, the boy was out like a light. He must've spent himself on healing her.

She was grateful for that, too. She was an equalist…the scum of Republic City. No bender should help her like that, or feel sorry for what they had done to her. Her expression hardened as she thought about the equalists and Amon.

They had staged that whole thing right under her nose. Her parents probably even knew about it…that meant they still didn't trust her. Which was rightfully thought, but still. It stung, but not as much as the destruction of the probending stadium did.

It wasn't about equality anymore, she realized bitterly.

It was about power.

"Sorry I burned you. It wasn't intentional," The firebender said quietly. Kaya looked at him shocked, "Did he really just say that?"

"Why?" She asked, even quieter than he had been. Her eyes stung as they filled up with tears. "What reason do you have to be sorry? I deserved it. I'm horrible. Look at me, I've turned into just as filthy of a rat as Amon is. I'm an equalist. You had every reason to burn me; you had every reason to just kill me on the spot. You should have."

Kaya looked up at him, "I don't deserve your sympathy, and I sure as hell don't deserve to be healed by your brother. I don't deserve to stay here, and eat Shu and Nami's food. He's a cop, you know. Well, at least in training."

She laughed bitterly, "And you know that's true, that I don't deserve to be treated with kindness. You hate me, I can tell. But…I'm right there with you. I hate what I've turned into. And worst of all, you're just sitting there! You should be trying to get away from me, at the least. I have caused so much hurt to benders, I've been so ignorant. You know, I don't even agree with the equalists views! And yet, I still go along with it! I'm the worst kind of person there is. Please. Don't be sorry. I don't think I could stand that," She breathed heavily, trying to not sob in front of the firebender as well as not wanting to wake the kind healer.

"Please, don't feel sorry. Please."