When we got back, there were two more of us. There weren't supposed to be more than before. There was supposed to be peace for the village, but now it's in flames and all but two people survived. What the fuck did we do wrong. I've been trying to figure it out for the past few hours during our walk of shame to the ship, but I can't figure it out. We were just wiped out in seconds! Why are we alive? What did we do to still be standing?
We got back. Dave greeted us at the entrance. Yin was probably recovering and Mark was who knows where. Dave offered a shoulder to lean on to Amek, whom he'd never met, but needed help nonetheless. While the rest left, I just stayed in the garage that smelled of burning gasoline and machinery even with its lack of use in the past week. What did I do wrong?
I left where I found myself sitting on the floor against the wall and started up the stairs. I met Tom midway down who was "just on his way to check on me". I brushed him off and continued up the stairs. As I walked the first floor hallway, in a room to the right was Amek being lied down on a bed with Tom and Boss carefully looking at him. Zara was also in the room. Through the people around him I could see heavy bleeding. He was more hurt than I thought. I could only stare for a few minutes before Zara looked at me with a look that said "leave" before I left. For the first time in a while, I didn't know what to do. The only place I could think of going without doing anything wrong was my own room. Despite being midafternoon, I couldn't stop myself from collapsing on the Fire Nation red bed.
When I woke up, I looked at the walls and realized for the first time since coming here that all Fire Nation memorabilia had been stripped from the walls leaving only steel grey. I couldn't see what time it was until I turned the metal wheel that locked my door and entered the pitch black hallway. At that moment, I realized I hadn't checked on Yin. I'd feel guilty If I didn't at least check to see if he was still breathing. It was my driving that got him there. I walked down the hallway and as I neared the stairwell, to the left, from the stairwell came Mark. Seeing him felt as such as foreign thing now. He hardly made himself seen. He turned around ready to descend the stairwell.
"Mark!" I yelled. Nothing
I ran to the stairwell and saw him going down the stairs. "Mark!" I yelled again. Still nothing. I quickly walked down the steps to catch up with him and said, "Mark".
He turned around casually as if his was his first time hearing me and casually said, "yeah?"
What I wanted to say was on the lines of "The fuck do you mean "yeah"? Talk to me!", but what I did say was "Hey, man. Are you alright?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
I knew he was lying. Maybe he didn't want to talk about it, but I pushed him still to talk
"No you're not." I said. "You're acting like- "I didn't know what analogy to make. "You're acting not right. What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He said and continued down the stairs.
I caught up and grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Look. I know it's something and I'm your friend. Just please tell me so I can try to do something to help."
He turned around and sighed, eyes trained on the ground.
"Today was Azeh's birthday. My brother's birthday. And he's dead now. Betrayed by someone we called our friend. I just-. I just can't live with the fact that the person who killed him is out there, commanding some fleet due to a promotion while the people he fucked over are dead and here."
What do you mean here?
He must've seen what I though and said "No. Not here, but just in this state. With dead family and friends."
I think I knew what he had in mind, but I had to make sure. "What are you suggesting?"
"I'm suggesting, that I want to find Mozoh and kill him. He's- "
"Yeah." I interrupted. "I know. The one that turned you and Azeh in. Right?"
"Yeah."
I wasn't for it, but wasn't against it. Some things required this treatment.
"I'll help you." I said.
