First of all; thank you so much for all that positive feedback! You guys are the best! *heart*
This chapter is a bit shorter than my usual standards, but I had to choose between making it a bit too short or much longer. Sometimes, deciding where to end the chapter can be a challenge, so I hope I did the right thing here :3
Warning: This chapter contains a very cold and evil Amon! ÒwÓ
-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:-
Chapter 4: Searching
Mako sighed and dried his sweaty forehead with his sleeve. Also Bolin and Asami were sweating, beads of salty water rolling down their temples and noses.
With a frown, Mako drew another red line onto the map in his hand. Sighing again, he folded the piece of paper and stuffed it back into his pocket.
"Look on the bright side," Bolin said, trying to lift the spirit which had been worsening for every passing minute. "At least we are getting through the list faster then expected." Asami gave a tired smile, too exhausted to comment.
"Should we call it a day?" Bolin continued.
"No!" growled Mako angrily, a bit louder than intended. "Sorry. Just one more place before we stop for today." Asami, too tired to protest, nodded. She could handle once more place. After all, they had not stumbled upon any Equalists yet. A wry smile crossed her lips. They had found nearly anything else than Equalists. Gangs, thieves, normal families; they had fought some of them and escaped others, knowing it would only waste their time to stay and fight.
Bolin placed his hands on his brother's and Asami's shoulders.
"The last place is just around the corner," Mako spoke. Together they went to the building, their paces far from the eagerness it had shown earlier.
The last place was an abandoned warehouse, it seemed. The glass panes of the few windows were smashed in, letting the cold night breeze seep in. There were no lights on, no sound of activity, and in general nothing to be suspicious of. Outside the building a 'For Sale' sign was placed.
The three moved inside the warehouse, neither of them believing they would find anything there either. They all froze in surprise when the few lamps were turned on, none of them having touched anything.
Silence. Nothing.
"I must be one of those movement sensors," Asami spoke finally, her voice raspy and low. "They are often connected to lamps, turning them on automatically when movement is registered." The boys let out a sigh and continued deeper into the gigantic hall. Only a few boxes, covered with dark and very dusty cloth, resided in the building, it seemed.
Mako went to some of the boxes and opened one of them.
"There is nothing here. Only boxes with rusty kitchen utensils," he called lowly. With a sigh, the three turned around and was about to leave the warehouse, when Bolin accidentally tugged at one of the curtains fastened pointlessly on the walls, revealing a door handle behind it.
"Hey," he exclaimed. "There is a hidden door here!" Mako's brow scrunched. The metal door handle looked too new and shiny to be old. Wherever the door led, it had been built not too long ago.
Bolin opened the door as silently he could. The door did not even creak when it opened, revealing that it was quite new or just attended to recently.
A darkened staircase was revealed. It went deep underground, and neither of them could see the end of it.
"Go," whispered Mako, sending forth his younger brother, he and Asami trailing behind. They closed the door behind them, leaving the narrow stairway too dark for them to be able to see anything.
Mako let a small flame appear in his palm, using it as a torch as they went further down. They saw a door at the end of the stairs. Surely, something illegal was going on behind that door. With all his heart, Mako hoped that it was an Equalist base.
As Bolin's hand reached out for the door handle, the three held their breaths unintentionally.
"Damn," whispered Bolin. "It is locked." Mako's heart sank. This time, he had been almost sure they were about to find a lead as to where Korra was.
"We will come back first thing tomorrow. And we will find a way to open the door," said Mako determinedly. The lot turned around to climb the stairs again, but froze instead.
"Well, what do we have here?" cackled a voice from above the stairs. "Youngsters who think they can just stick their noses into everything?"
The three narrowed their eyes. Asami pulled on her glove, and the boys behind her took a fighting stance each. They all recognized the dark uniform the man wore, his green-glassed goggles being the strongest trait. An Equalist.
"Tell us where she is," growled Mako. The Equalist shrugged with a laughter.
"I have no idea who you are talking about," he answered, an obvious smirk on his face.
"You know exactly who I am talking about," hissed Mako back. A brief silence.
"Go get them," said the man finally and stepped aside, allowing a dozen of Equalists down the stairs.
"We can do this," Mako encouraged his friends. "For Korra." All shreds of hope vanished immediately, however, as the door behind them was opened, revealing another handful of Equalists. Mako barely had time to grumble a curse before the rest of his team fell to the ground, both paralyzed by a single stab of a finger.
"Shi-"
-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-
When the message reached the Equalist Leader, a flash of triumph glinted in his eyes.
"How very fortunate," he spoke, a smile similar to the one on his mask spreading on his real lips. "I know someone who might want to hear the news." The Lieutenant nodded and watched as Amon folded the letter from Base Four and hid it in a drawer.
"What should we do with them?" asked the Lieutenant.
"Let them stay in their cells. I will purify them soon enough. As for the girl, I will speak to Mr. Sato to find a suitable punishment."
Hiroshi Sato, who still provided the Equalists the majority of their new weapons, should have a say in the matter. Although he and his daughter were no longer allies, she still was his daughter. Amon wished not to lose such a prominent ally because of the punishment of the daughter. Perhaps there was even a chance of persuasion. Having such a strong, young woman in his Equalist army would be perfect. She had melee fighting skills already, ready to be developed into a perfect Equalist warrior. Besides, the girl could provide him useful information, too.
"Understood," said the Lieutenant, bowed respectfully, and left Amon's office.
For a moment, Amon just sat there, savouring the thought of the amount of pain and anxiousness the news would bring the Avatar. Then, having excited himself, he rose to feet and left the office.
The door guard to the Avatar's cell seemed almost shocked and embarrassed as he grunted awake by the sound of footsteps closing in. He stood up with a respectful bow.
"Amon, sir," said he, awaiting orders.
"Good morning, Fergus. I want to speak to the girl," Amon greeted him.
"Of course, sir," replied the guard and unlocked the heavy metal door hiding the Avatar from view. The small opening in the door cast only a poor amount of light into her cell, which was not enough for Amon to spot the girl in the corner.
The door was opened, and Amon stepped inside. The smell of sweat and urine met his nostrils.
"Get someone to change the buckets," ordered the porcelain mask before continuing. He stopped in front of the non-moving girl and crouched down to her level.
Korra, who had almost been sleeping in her shackles, slowly turned her face to meet his, a mixture of wrath and fatigue on her features.
"Slept well, young Avatar?" provoked the man and watched the girl intensely as she sneered and turned her face away from him again. He felt a pang of joy. She was suffering. A smirk curled his lips upward. But she was not suffering enough. Yet.
"I have news for you," he continued. Korra did not look at him. "It seems your friends are searching for you."
No response from the girl. Then he saw as a thin smile crept onto her lips, then died shortly after.
"They will not come to your rescue, however. They have walked into a trap." By his words, Korra's eyes widened, a gasp almost audible escaping her lungs. Ah, a delicious reaction, Amon noticed. It would get worse in a moment.
"The two benders and Sato's girl," Amon continued, watching as Korra's eyes narrowed. "They barely put up a fight. So pathetic."
"What have you done to them!?" snapped Korra suddenly, her eyes burning fiercely, merely adding to Amon's satisfaction.
"Nothing yet. The benders will be purified as soon I have the time," he told her. "And the girl will receive a punishment just as great." The air was caught in Korra's lungs as she remembered Amon's sick way of punishing. With renewed energy, Korra started to tug at the chains holding her back, using all her strength to try and hit the porcelain mask smirking evilly at her. But no matter how much force she put into her yanks, the shackles were stronger. When Korra realized that it was futile, she stopped and let her head drop with a ragged sigh, revealing the sadness she felt.
Amon reached out and grabbed her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his. His stare was cold and calculated as it pierced into hers.
"Do not worry, though," he began. "I will not touch her. Such punishment is reserved for you only. No need to become jealous."
It snapped for Korra. That was the last straw. How dared he...?
"You keep your filthy hands off all of them," she growled furiously. "And while you are at it, keep your hands off me as well!"
"So fierce you are, Avatar. I think you need to cool down that temper of yours." Before Korra understood his intentions, Amon had grabbed the bucket with clear water which had just been brought inside the cell.
No, no, no...! screamed Korra's mind in panic, but it was too late. Amon emptied the whole bucket above her head, letting icy cold water pour down her hair, face, and thinly dressed body. When finished, he tossed the bucket aside, demanding it refilled. Korra coughed and spitted.
"You are a monster," she hissed lowly, her eyes filled with as much wrath as she could muster. "If anyone here deserves to be punished, it is you." A deep chuckled escaped Amon's mask as he once again crouched down in front of her dripping wet body.
"Watch your words, Avatar. I cannot feel guilt. And here, you and your kind are the enemies. Everything I put you through is something you have deserved just for being the person you are. Had it been up to some of the others in this building, you would not even be alive by now."
Korra believed none of that crap. She raised a brow in arrogant skepticism, silent.
"In fact, you should thank me for keeping you alive," Amon added. Korra snorted.
"Just barely," she retorted bitterly. Amon rose to feet.
"With that behaviour of yours, you have not deserved anything better than this." He went to the door, watching as Fergus returned with a newly filled bucket of water for Korra. He resisted the urge to kick it over.
"Have a nice day," said the man monotonously and exited the room. A desperation hit Korra. Maybe she could save her friends somehow. She refused to believe that Amon felt no guilt whatsoever. It was worth a try.
"Please," she said just as the door was about to close. It stopped moving, and Korra knew Amon had heard her. "Please do not hurt my friends. I beg you." There came a silence, and then the door closed.
"Make sure she does not faint from the cold," Amon instructed the guard before he turned away and left. Korra had barely caught his words through the opening in the door. She felt a pang of surprise. Was he caring for her in some weird way?
Maybe, she thought. Maybe there is still hope.
-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-
Registering her name being whispered, Asami was ripped from sleep, her eyes fluttering for a moment before opening slowly. She tried to push herself up to sit, but the rope wrapped tightly around her torso, fastening her arms behind her back permanently, made it impossible. Instead she turned her head to the source of the whispers.
"Bolin," she replied hoarsely. The boy behind the metal bars separating them gave her a smile of relief. She looked around with a frown.
"Where are we?" she asked and noticed Mako in the cell next to hers in the opposite direction. Her frown deepened. The marks on his unconscious face told her that he had put up a fight before he had also been paralyzed by their attackers.
"I believe we are in an Equalist base," Bolin replied, a frown of his own displayed on those boyish features.
"The one we discovered yesterday?" she asked again. Bolin replied with a nod.
"Most likely. But Korra is not here, it seems," he said, sadness taking over his face. "Some guards passed our cells not too long ago, talking about a letter to Amon. And if Amon is not here, I doubt Korra is."
"I see," Asami mused out aloud. "Did they mention anything that could lead us to the place where she is?"
The sound of metal against metal echoing loudly through the hall of cells shocked them into silence, their breaths caught in their throats.
"Shut up, you two!" came a sharp demand from the doorway leading out from the prison area. "If I hear any more talk or conspiracies from you, you will be gagged, even if I were to do it myself!"
Shocked, Asami and Bolin looked at each other, utter confusion in their gazes. Then Bolin remembered her question and shook his head. No, he had no clue as to where Korra was. All he knew was that she was not here with them.
Asami sighed. Their situation was most unfortunate.
-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:-:- -:- -:- -:- -:- -:-
Thank you for reading. As usual, I would love to know what you think of it. Was the chapter too short?
Love, MAL.