When she woke she was freezing, the floor was damp and the only thing she remembered was the building collapsing. Now she was in a cage. Her mother and father, her friends…Akai. She felt her throat tighten as a strangled cry escape she put her face into her hands and screamed. Running her hands through her long hair all she could do was cry. What if they were dead, she couldn't cope. Mai looked up to the boy who was watching her cry.

"Why are you doing this?"

"There all dead Mai." She shook her head.

"No, no they aren't, they can't be." She stammered out holding her legs to her chest rocking back and forth.

"It's a horrible feeling, knowing you won't see them again…well that's how I feel every day of my life."

"I didn't kill your father, either did my family! He did it to himself!" She screamed angrily.

"Because of your family!" He retorted sharply venom lacing his words.

"No! Your father died because he was a psychotic maniac who tried to take over Republic City! You blame everyone else when the only person you have to blame for your father's death is your father!"

"You preach about how you're going to use me, but you only want to do it to get back at my family." Mai spat at him.

"Bingo, everyone loves you Mai, death hurts but watching a good person become a bad one hurts even more. I'm going to break you Mai, in every possible way you fear."

"They will find me." She whispered to herself wiping her eyes.

"No they won't…it's just going to be you and me for a very long time." He smirked standing up and walking out. She sat there quietly unable to speak or think properly. She was heartbroken, utterly heart broken. She didn't know if her parents were alive or dead, if her friends were even still looking for her. She had been defeated. Mai looked around seeing if she could find a way out. Guards lined the walls of the room while she looked for an escape. There were no windows, no sign of getting out. Mai screamed to herself and then crawled to the wall and just stared at a spot in the room not taking her eyes away from that spot.

"Why me? I don't understand why?"

"Oh Mai…you think someone just gets that good at fire bending?" He said fiddling with apart of his clothing.

"I trained for years to get to where I am."

"And being the avatar's daughter had nothing to do with it?" He smiled sickly.

"No it didn't." She snapped.

"Truth?" He smirked. She looked at him giving him a death stare.

"It was to mess with your mum, you're an amazing bender and that was a bonus…but if you weren't the avatar's daughter then you would not be in this position." She shook her head in anger. She

"And the water benders you kidnapped? Why did you take them?"

"I needed blood benders."

"Torture, murder? You have no soul, it's no wonder your Amon's son." He looked angry at her standing up and slapping her in the face. She felt her lip split.

"So pretty Mai? Want to see how pretty you are when I smash your face in?"

"You think he loved you? He was deranged and cared about getting Republic city that's it so stop thinking that you're doing this in memory of your father...you're doing this because you're sick and twisted. Don't give yourself an excuse to make everything you have done OK."

"You know how to push buttons."

"Go to hell, at least you will be with your dad that way." She ran up to the cage hitting hard against them being centimetres from his face.

"I could just take your bending." He whispered the close deadly space between them growing tighter.

"Do it then, it's not like I have anything to lose." She said falling to her knee's in defeat. Everything felt as if it didn't matter anymore, she felt herself giving up. She was done with fighting and done with caring.

"Kinto."

"What?"

"That's my name, Kinto."

"Sure it's not Satan?" Mai retorted. He chuckled at her moving around the room. She swayed while breathing a sigh with arrogance in his breathe, she screamed into her hands angrily.

"The prince…he's probably dead, he came even with an injury to save you, he really must love you." He taunted, Mai punched fire at him which he avoided narrowly. Sobs came from her lips.

"You're sick…" Tears stared to run down her face again at the thought of losing the people she loved.

"I'll make you a deal, I'll let you see them assuming they're alive, but in return…I take your bending." Mai stopped, everything went still as she looked up to Amon's son.

"You said you needed me for your sick plot, what good will taking my bending do you?"

"It will destroy you." He said with venom lacing his tone. With total hate and acid, she knew what he meant. Without bending what was she?

"How can you promise me they're alive?" If she gave up her bending and her family weren't alive she lost her bending and her family. If they were she gained her family and her bending.

"I don't know but there's only one way to find out." She looked up to him and nodded slowly.

"Deal."