More than anything, he wanted a chance to prove himself against Tarrlok, but if the whispers he'd heard around the prison were true, it was doubtful that he'd ever get the chance. The word around town was that Tarrlok tried the same thing against other people and even kidnapped the Avatar, but despite his unbelievable power, Tarlokk had lost his powers against Amon.
Hasook was jarred away by the metallic clang of keys against the cell door. A metalbender was standing outside with a stony disposition.
"Councilman Tenzin and the others have decreed the arrests under Tarlokk's policies invalid. You are free to go."
Hasook stared at the man in disbelief. He knew the arrest was unjust, but he never expected to be released to quickly. Not willing to let this chance pass him by, Hasook nodded silently, collected his clothes and followed the officer to the building's entrance. As he followed the metal-clad man through the winding corridors, the officer told him that they'd sent a wire to his family to come retrieve him. Walking into the large open atrium of the station, Hasook noticed his mother and Shin on a nearby bench, with their backs to him.
"Mom, Shinook!" They both turned, smiling wildly. The metalbender walked away wordlessly as Hasook ran up to embrace them. "I missed you guys so much."
Sepay was near tears, "Honey, when Shin told me you'd gotten arrested, I was terrified." After hugging him, her expression changed instantaneously and she smacked him upside the head. "Look at me. Never do that again or the police won't be the ones who you'll be running from."
Prying Hasook's sweaty body from Sepay's vicegrip, Shin hugged him. "I really missed ya, man. You scared me somethin' fierce." Hasook wrapped his hands around the taller man and hugged him in return.
"...so I said to him, '30 Yuan for my hard labor? That just won't do.' And after a little persuasion," Shin hit his hand with his balled fist,"let's just say ol' Chan was more than happy to fork over some more bills." Shin opened the door to the small home as he delivered the final lines of his stories down at the dock from while Hasook was in prison. He seemed to find them hilarious, but Sepay was less than amused with the fighting, smacking him on the head with a rolled up newspaper once they were inside. "Jeez, Sepay, it's just a story, no need to go crazy on me." She smirked, laying the paper aside and rushing into the kitchen to heat up some rice.
Hasook was a bit concerned that they hadn't seen Alignak or the other Monsoon on guard during the walk back through Shu Dai. After joining Shin at the table he decided to try and find out some details. "So I didn't see the Monsoons anywhere. What happened?" Shin's eyes dropped and he sunk in his chair.
"Dunno, but from what I've heard, Amon and his goons went and raided the Monsoons and the Agnis earlier this week, took almost all of 'em, but none your age so I doubt Doka er whateva was there at the time. Ain't seen Alignak and the other mook for a day or two now." Shin could see Hasook was visibly perturbed. Wanting to comfort him in anyway he could, Shin placed his hand on top of Hasook's. "Don't worry, I'm sure they're okay." Hasook nodded weakly.
After everyone had turned in for the night, Shin lay in bed wide awake. He'd been staring at the ceiling for hours, trying to nod off from boredom, but something was keeping him up. He glanced over at Hasook lying next to him and thought immediately back to earlier when Sepay and himself had gone to pick Hasook up from the station. He'd liked the boy from the first week of living with his family, but Hasook always seemed so aloof and interested in either bending or someone else, that Shin never felt it was appropriate to have anything more than kinship with the boy. Honestly it was better that way. Shin was a walking disaster anyway and the last thing he needed was to drag someone down with him. He noticed Hasook cringe in his sleep, most likely from a nightmare, and leaned over to pull the blanket over him.
Shin stepped out of bed and pulled on his clothes quickly and quietly. Grabbing a small rucksack, Shin walked to the door, hesitating for a moment when he reached for a water skin, before instead grabbing a knife from the kitchen. He ventured out into the dark alleys alone.
After nearly a week's journey roundtrip, Doka was back in Republic City. He'd followed his friends in accompanying his family to safety in the Swamp and asked Nahele and Siku to stay with them for protection. Climbing out of the small skiff onto the Western docks, Doka quickly made his way through the winding alleyways to the Red Monsoon headquarters. He noticed immediately the lack of a guardsman at the entrance and ran inside.
With cupped hands around his mouth, Doka shouted, "Guys? Igaluk? Alignak? You guys here?" However he received no response. Rushing through the house, Doka noticed debris and broken furniture strewn across the floor. Some water pooled in the floor's imperfections. "No."
From the ornate living room, he rushed to the top floor, to Igaluk's office. The door was hanging on its hinges. As he pushed the broken doors aside, Doka was struck immediately by the sight of a huge "Equality" graffiti on the moon mural behind Igaluk's desk. Rushing over to the destroyed desk, Doka noticed something scrawled into the wood, it was a message in code. Digging deep into the recesses of his mind, Doka began to decode the message.
[EQUALIST ATTACK. THEY GOT US ALL. GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN KID.]
Doka slumped against the wall unable to move. They were all gone. Igaluk, Alignak, they'd all been taken by Amon and his goons. He screamed in frustration as his eyes began to well up, "No, this isn't what was supposed to happen. THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! I'm so sorry guys..." He heard a noise coming from below and immediately sprung up, grasping the sword he'd gotten during his trip firmly in his hand. If there was an Equalist there, if they DARED to come here after what they'd done, Doka was not ready to show any mercy. As the footsteps climbed the stairs and got closer, Doka readied himself to strike. A man stepped through the threshold of Igaluk's ruined office and before he could see who it was, Doka lunged in to attack. Shin managed to dodge at the last second falling to the ground as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. Doka rushed at him again with an killer's intent in his eyes.
Shin threw up his hands and shouted, "Wait! I'm here to see Doka." The sword hovered inches above his skull. "I'm friends with Hasook, Doka's boyfriend or whateva."
Doka lifted the sword and resheathed it in the scabbard at his side. "Who are you?"
Shin stood up and brushed himself off, "Name's Shin and you are?"
"Doka."
Shin was shocked that he was looking at Doka the whole time. The man fit Hasook's descriptions very well. Tall, dark brown hair, green eyes, light, swampbender complexion. Not bad. Shin extended a hand which Doka grasped and shook. "Nice to finally meet ya."
Doka didn't respond, rather maintained his serious appearance. Unsure how to respond, Shin looked around at the destroyed office. "What happened here? Get in an argument with the other Monsoons?" Although the question was posed with levity, Doka didn't respond well, shoving Shin backwards into the nearby wall.
He turned away, "They're gone. Amon got them."
Shin rubbed his arm to lessen the sting from the impact, but heard the somber statement from Doka. He figured it'd probably be better to remain silent this time rather than get attacked again. Doka seemed to have a few screws loose from the news that Amon got the Monsoons and the last thing Shin wanted to do was provoke him. He took a seat against the wall and waited for Doka to speak again.
Almost half an hour passed before the silence was broken.
"Is Hasook alright?" Doka mumbled from across the room.
Shin sighed and responded, "Yeah, he just got out of prison today."
"Did...does he still have his bending?" Doka turned, but neglected to make eye contact.
"Yeah it was the fuzz that got 'im, not Amon." Shin walked over to Doka and placed a hand on his shoulder, "C'mon, I'll take ya to see him. You can crash with us for the night."
Doka nodded and followed Shin across the city to the small home nestled in the heart of Shu Dai.
Once they arrived, Shin showed Doka over to where he usually slept and offered him the spot for the night while he crashed on the couch. Shin pulled off his shirt, revealing the branched lightning shaped scar on his back before he laid himself down on the couch. He noticed as Doka pulled off his outer layers of clothing and climbed into bed next to Hasook before turning away from the scene so he could sleep.
That morning Hasook was awoken by the chill of the extinguished hearth. As he jumped out of bed to go relight the flame and warm the house, he noticed that Shin's clothes were laid next to the couch, where their owner lay sleeping. Only after the flame was rekindled did he realize that someone else was in the bed with him. The key question was who though, considering Shin was resting on the nearby couch. Tiptoeing quietly over to the bed, he peeled back the sheet to reveal the mystery man's face. "Doka." Hasook's heart skipped a beat. What was Doka doing here? How did he get here? Neither of those questions seemed important enough to ask in this moment though. He leaned over the sleeping body before him and placed a kiss squarely on the lips. Doka's hand stirred from slumber and pressed against Hasook's face. He parted his lips and leaned into the kiss, lashing tongues with Hasook before breaking for breath.
"I missed you," he managed to get out in a groggy voice, "I'm glad you're okay."
Hasook leaped onto the bed next to Doka, "How did you-"
"Shin."
He smiled and looked over at the shirtless man curled up on the couch. "I'll have to thank him later."
Doka turned over and sat up to explain everything that had happened since they'd last seen one another. After what seemed like an eternity of recounting the horrors of the past weeks, Doka finally sighed and said, "And that's pretty much it."
"I'm just glad you're alive." Looking at the clock, Hasook realized it was almost noon. As he stood up to wake Shin and his mother, a huge kaboom shook the ground below them. Sepay ran into the room.
"What was that noise? It sounded like-" she paused for at least 10 seconds when she noticed Doka sitting next to Hasook on the bed.
She looked at Hasook, Doka, and finally locked eyes with Shin. "Explain. Now."
Everything in the house began violently shaking. The basin under Hasook's bed spilled over and a number of glasses in the kitchen fell out of the cabinets and shattered.
"I'll explain later, but I'm pretty sure that was an explosion." Shin jumped up and they all rushed to the window to look outside. Airships with giant Equalist insignia were filling the sky. Explosions could be seen near the docks as two ships began to approach Air Temple Island. "Oh no."
Without a word, they all pulled on their clothes as quickly as possible and rushed out into the alley. Hasook turned to his mother, "Mom, get out of here. Stay hidden, check on the neighbors. I have to go make sure everyone's okay." She nodded silently as Shin, Doka, and Hasook ran off towards the explosion.
"Be careful!" Watching them run off, she darted into the kitchen and pulled up one of the floorboards, revealing a harpoon thrower that had belonged to her husband. Slinging it over her shoulder she ran down the alley door-to-door.
When they reached the docks it was utter chaos. Explosions rocked the area and the anchored ships sat half-sunken and smashed in port. Everywhere they looked, Hasook, Shin, and Doka saw strange mechanical figures with hordes of individuals clad in Equalist garb. Shin noticed a group of benders fighting off the onslaught nearby.
"There! Let's go." Shin ran over to one of the gutters hanging on the alley wall and pulled a piece of pipe off to make an improvised weapon. Hasook and Doka followed him closely into the crowd.
Using the huge advantage provided by the proximity to the bay, Hasook and a few other waterbenders from the area pulled up a massive stream of water, sending a swath of the Equalists flying into the bay. Shin jumped from behind him and leaped into the masses beating any Equalist mask he saw with a swift swing of a pipe he'd picked up. After knocking out a pair of Equalists wearing the gloves, Shin quickly abandoned the pipe in favor of the electric weapons. Knodding reassuringly at Hasook, he ran off mowing through the crowd with a crackle of electricity.
Realizing that Hasook was too great a threat with the bay so close, the Equalist grunts turned tail to focus on Doka, Shin and the other non-waterbenders while the imposing mechs closed in. Hasook and the few waterbenders standing with him were in for the fight of their lives. Inhaling deeply, Hasook adopted a defensive stance and waited for one of the attacking mechs to make a move. The two adults waterbenders adopted their own defensive styles, one a four-tentacled version of the octopus technique, the other one reminiscent of the meditation technique Hasook had tried so long ago.
Finally, the closest mech launched an electrified cable at Hasook, but he was prepared. With a swift adjustment of his footing, Hasook dodged the claw and drew up a huge blade of water, slicing the cable. Encircling himself with a massive ring of seawater, Hasook charged the mech, dodging its compatriots before freezing its legs in place. An elderly female waterbender behind the mech forced water down the exhaust pipes, drowning the engine. With his target a sitting turtleduck, Hasook bent to the ring into a shell of water around himself. Using a series of sweeping chops and kicks, Hasook flung blades of ice at the armor, knicking it with each strike in the same spot, copying the same move Tarlokk had used against him. Drawing a large portion of the water into his protective sphere, Hasook punched out forcefully, launching a huge icicle spear right through the mech's center, causing an explosion and launching the pilot into the bay. Looking around, the others were having similar success by mimicking what they elderly woman had done to disable the engines.
The other mechs began to rush at him to avenge the fallen one. Adjusting his stance, Hasook dodged one of the incoming electrified hooks and redirected it with a curved ice wall, causing it to strike one of the other mechs, causing a short circuit. Two young waterbenders moved in sync to push the crippled bots into the bay, forcing the pilots to eject. Taking the opportunity provided by the shock, Hasook ran at the charging machines, launching a huge assault of water at them, knocking several over. Skating along the wet surface, Hasook and the others moved behind them and quickly forced water into the engines and flash froze it, cracking the fuel pipes on two of the machines. Hasook gestured to the waterbender on the nearby dock and together they pulled up a massive stream of water, washing the machines into the bay. "Woohoo!"
His celebrations were cut short by the blast of an explosion nearby, sinking the last of the untouched cargo ships. He looked over to the crowd of fire- and earthbenders that had been there when he and the others had arrived, but only a few remained bending as strongly as before. Rushing over to help, Hasook was forced into close combat with a crowd of Equalist grunts. Donning his weapons of choice, the ice gauntlets, Hasook made his way through the charging hordes. He endured a number of quick strikes from the attackers, feeling his bending grow weaker with each. In an act of desperation and rage, Hasook pulled up a wave of water and encased himself and the Equalists in ice, quickly unfreezing himself after trapping the opposition. Hasook darted towards the benders, whose numbers had dwindled even further. Shin was on the other side of the dock, easily handling his fair share with the electro gloves he'd "borrowed". But where was Doka?
Scanning the crowds, Hasook spotted Doka with one arm hanging limp, fighting off two or three Equalists. They electrocuted him as he watched. Fueled by adrenaline and rage, Hasook pulled up a membrane of water around himself and punched violently at the Equalists, launching razor sharp blades of ice at them. A few connected, leaving gashes on their arms and legs. Hasook launched what remained of his water bubble at them as a long tendril, pushing them into the water.
He ran over to Doka laying prone on the ground and began to heal him. Shin noticed Hasook kneeling in the huge crowd of Equalists closing in for payback and shouted, "HASOOK!"
Awoken by the sound of his name, Hasook touched a hand to the puddle of water and blood near him and clenched his fist, spawning a furious barrage of hailstones directed at the encroaching enemies. The assault deterring the attack. Hasook stood up and pulled a large ring of water around himself from the bay. Moving his hands wordlessly, he adopted the octopus form and spun around grabbing Equalists with each tentacle. Hoisting them up in the air, he flung them one by one into the waves.
Shin looked on in a mix of amazement and terror. Hasook was bending at a level Shin hadn't ever seen from him before. The more disturbing part was the lack of restraint. Hasook's potent mix of anger and anguish took off any mental handicaps or safeties he had placed on himself. This was Hasook at his most dangerous.
Hasook drenched the remaining portions of the Equalists near him with a downpour of rain before exhaling and freezing their soaked clothing. Taking their gloves he placed one on each hand and walked through the drenched crowd, shocking the small mob with indifference. As he disengaged the gloves, he smirked slightly, and they fell to the ground
He walked over to Doka and resumed healing him until the boy regained consciousness. The Equalists fighting Shin had no intentions of staying around after seeing what Hasook had done to the others and quickly ziplined up to the airships above. Shin ran over to Hasook, "Hasook, we have to get out of here, they're gonna-"
Before Shin could finish his sentence, an explosion rocked the dock and the piers behind Shin collapsed into the water. "Now!" Shin pulled Hasook to his feet and hoisted Doka over his shoulder. As he ran, another bomb was dropped into the water near them, sending them flying into the water. Hasook pulled the group to shore quickly and they stumbled off into the alleys where they couldn't be seen.