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On to the story!
Enjoy ^^
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Chapter 5: Burning
"Amon!"
He heard his name being voiced in the hallway. This time, it was not the Avatar's voice calling for help. Usually, people knocked and entered before they started talking to him. This caught his attention warningly seeing as the voice had contained a degree of panic. Rising to feet, he barely made it to the door before a novice barged in to his office, panting.
"The Avatar," the young man panted. Amon's body tensed instantly. Had the girl escaped for good?
"What of her?" Amon asked gravely as he followed the novice out of his office.
"Something is wrong with her," the novice answered. Amon recognized the man as the guard having the evening shift. He frowned, knowing that the Avatar very likely was up to something.
"Has she been chi-blocked recently?" he asked to make sure he would not gain a fireball in his face the moment he stepped inside her cell.
"Yes. Earlier this morning," the guard answered him. When they stopped in front of Korra's cell, a strong smell hit him. He almost pushed the guard aside and entered the cell, kneeling down in front of the Avatar. She hung unconscious, the shackles being the only thing avoiding that she collided with the stone floor.
"Leave us," Amon spoke. The guard retreated and sat down on the chair outside the door.
Amon raised a hand and cupped Korra's cheek, surprised by the hot touch. Her skin was burning. Drops of sweat dotted her pale face and blushed cheeks. Her breaths were short and quick, her heart beating so rapidly and hard that he could see how her still body rocked with its pumping.
"I need you to release her," Amon said and knew the guard outside heard him. Said man entered with a bundle of keys in his hand. Amon stepped aside, allowing the novice to remove the shackles from Korra's wrists and ankles. Amon caught her before she smashed her lifeless body against the concrete surface beneath them.
"Would you be so kind and go get me some blankets, a washcloth, and an empty bucket?" Amon requested. "And while you are at it, notify the Lieutenant of the situation and tell him to bring the medic as soon as possible."
"Of course, sir," replied the guard and disappeared quickly. Amon lifted Korra in his arms as he rose to feet, surprised by the girl's weight. She was heavier than he had expected her to be. Bringing her to the plank bed, he put her down and watched her silently until the guard returned with the requested items.
Amon was just about to pull the blankets over the Avatar's shivering body as he remembered who he was and who she was. Then he frowned and moved away. He wished not to show affection for this girl. The only reason he was treating her was because he needed her alive. As soon as she had recovered, she would be tied up in the shackles again. She deserved no better.
"Attend to her until the medic arrives. Ask him to report back to me once finished," Amon instructed. "And make sure to clean the floor in the corner for vomit. I want no such stench here." By these cold words, Amon left the cell, a strange feeling of anger nagging him as he went.
It took mere minutes for the medic to show up in the cell. The guard had draped the blankets over Korra and had placed the empty bucket besides her bed in case she awoke and needed to throw up again.
"Let me take over," said the medic and crouched down before the girl. Soaking the washcloth in the bucket of water, he laid the cloth on her hot forehead, witnessing as her eyelashes fluttered by the contact.
"Tell me if you need anything," offered the guard and returned to his seat outside the cell.
Korra felt the cool cloth on her forehead and opened her eyes. Although blurred, her vision caught sight of an unfamiliar face staring at her, his expression emotionless but observing.
Surprised by the proximity, she tried to sit up, but the man pressed her down onto the bed again.
"You are sick. You should not move unnecessarily," he said, his voice supporting her assumption that this man was treating her in professionalism rather than compassion.
Korra sighed. This was all Amon's fault. Had he not poured cold water over her and left her to freeze, she would have been fine now – as fine as she could be in this place, anyway.
At least I am not tied up anymore, she told herself, savouring the thought in her tired and dazed mind.
A man entered with a mop and started sweeping the floor. Korra remembered having felt very bad just before passing out. She had most likely left a mess in the corner. Had her cheeks not been coloured by the fever already, she would have displayed her embarrassment.
It should have been Amon who was washing the floor clean of her puke, she decided. He was the reason behind all of it in the first place.
Closing her eyes, Korra focused on her breathing. It was still quick and somewhat irregular. She needed to calm herself.
The medic removed the cloth from her face and soaked it anew, returning it onto her forehead. It cooled her burning face effectively, and she almost sighed in comfort. The man stood up and eyed her one last time with a nod.
"Stay in bed. I will have the guard change the cloth every once in a while. Try and get some sleep." Without further instruction, the man left, and the door was closed and locked behind him. She heard faint conversation behind the door, then silence as she fell asleep immediately.
The medic swung by Amon's office on the way back to his own quarters. He knocked twice and entered when Amon's voice bid him inside.
"How is she?" asked the mask, looking up from the paperwork he had just been attending to.
"Stable, but she will need something to eat in order to recover faster," told the medic, well-knowing that they were not serving the prisoner any food for the time being.
"She will not be fed until she has learned from her mistake," replied Amon coolly, just like the medic had expected.
"Very well," he said. "I will, however, advise you to reconsider her punishment. And ask you to check up on her a few times a day. If her fever seems to worsen, do not hesitate in summoning me again."
"Of course, Tenarr. Thank you for your work," Amon replied, rose to feet and bowed shortly.
"It is what I do," answered the medic, bowed as well, and left.
Finally alone, Amon sat down and leaned back in his chair, frowning. Why was his inner in conflict with itself? He refused to give in and defy his own decisions. No matter how sick the Avatar was, she was not going to eat before she begged him for permission.
The thing that bothered him the most, however, was his reaction the moment he had realized that the Avatar was sick. He had felt a pang of desperation, panic. Damned spirits, he had even caressed her face and carried her to her bed, putting her down softly. He had been... concerned. He frowned in disgust, furious that his empathy had reached out to his enemy. She was a little, arrogant brat who thought too highly of herself because of her title. She was nothing special, and she certainly was no better than him or his men, to whom she had caused too much trouble already. She deserved everything that came to her. He should never have interrupted the guard who was about to molest her. She probably had brought it on to herself in the first place.
Also the inner scenario of the guard's hands roaming all over the Avatar's body brought a frown upon his face. No, it was good that he had stopped it in time. Such pleasures were reserved for him only. If anybody had deserved the joy of punishing the Avatar in such way, it surely was him.
It certainly was not jealousy, he defended as a last comment and finally brushed off the thoughts making him feel uncomfortable – which, in itself, made him angry at himself. No, at the Avatar. She made him feel things he did not wish to feel at all.
And no, he was not jealous. Not the slightest bit.
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Describing Tenzin's face as a frown would be an understatement. He was directly furious as he knocked upon the door to Lin Beifong's small apartment. She almost stepped back in surprise when she opened the door and saw him.
"Come in," Lin said and stepped aside, letting the Air bender enter her home. They barely made it to the kitchen before Tenzin turned around, his eyes lighting.
"The boys and Asami never returned yesterday," he said, trying to hold his anger out of his voice, although it did not matter; his very features gleamed with emotion.
Lin's eyes widened briefly in horror. Then she frowned, completely aware of the consequences of this. Tenzin had not only lost one young woman for whose safety he was responsible; he had also lost three others who were not even his own to protect. Although he was not directly responsible for their disappearances, he could not help but feel that he could have done something to hinder all four abductions in the first place. He could have forbidden Korra to go to Aang Memorial Island and fight Amon, although she would probably have hated him for it. And he could at least have been there to assist Korra's friends in their search for her.
They did not even know where the three had been kidnapped from. The only way to find out was to go through their list and search for them just as they had searched for Korra. If they were lucky, all four of them were held captured the same place. But luck seemingly never was on their side.
"We must look for them," Lin said. "All we have to work with is the list. We know it must be at one of those places where they were captured. It is most likely that it was the Equalists, seeing as the Equalists were the only ones with things to hide from the three." Tenzin nodded, feeling his temper cool down as they spoke.
"But you cannot bring the Police Force with you," Tenzin stated, remembering what Lin had said at their meeting the other day.
"Correct. This is something the two of us must do alone, although our positions will be at risk. If we were to be revealed-"
"It will not happen," Tenzin promised her. "We will proceed with utmost caution. We cannot afford to fail."
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The cool autumn breeze hit her faze in a sweet caress as she reached the top of the hill. The sight was breathtaking from there, allowing her to see the most of Republic City, Air Temple Island, and the statue of Aang protecting the city.
Around her, stars were gathering on the oily black sky, drawing messages for her, promises of a future without war and evil. She felt her inner glow with hope.
"Korra," called a familiar voice behind her. It was Mako. Behind him stood Bolin and Asami.
"Korra," called Tenzin and Lin from her right. She turned to look at them. Their stares were hard.
"Korra, sweetheart," said her mother and father from her left, to where she also turned. Their faces were black, without a mouth to even speak her name.
"Avatar," said a voice in front of her. A glowing white porcelain mask with a permanent smile stared at her, hundreds of faceless warriors behind him.
"Korra," called the spirits inside her head. "You have to choose." She closed her eyes to think. Why was she even in doubt? Of course she would choose-
When she opened her eyes, everything around her was burning. The city, the sea, her home. The greedy flames surrounded the hill, nearing her. In the middle of the flames hovered one certain white mask, the dark eyes and permanent smirk burning into her soul. The red circle on it's forehead turned to liquid – blood? - and ran down the porcelain, staining the mask as Amon's deep laughter echoed inside her mind.
"Stop it!" she screamed, clutching her throbbing head. The flames were so close now, she could feel it burning her skin. Screams were heard in the distance. The statue of Aang started to bleed. Finally, it fell to the sea of flames.
Amon's laughter turned even more evil.
"Stop it," she hissed painfully, falling to her knees, seeing only flames before her.
"I am you, Avatar. You cannot deny me," the mask answered, its mouth moving with each syllable.
No. She was Korra. She was the Avatar. She was her own.
"Deny me and feel pain," continued the mask and disappeared just as the flames engulfed her, burning her, searing through her clothes and melting her skin.
Pain.
She tried to scream, drowning in flames.
The last thing she heard was Amon's final laughter.
With a gasp, Korra awoke, eyes wide and teary and her breath completely uncontrollable. Her skin was burning hot, covered in sweat. The washcloth on her forehead was warm and almost dry. She took it and dipped it into the cold water in the bucket by her bed, putting it back on her face and lay back down.
The fever had made her sweat so much that her clothes clung to her skin, adding to the heat she was feeling. At least she was not freezing anymore, she noticed bitterly. For once.
Cupping her hands, she gathered some water and drank, realizing just how thirsty she was. And hungry. She had barely swallowed her third handful of water before her stomach tightened dangerously. Korra threw her upper body over the edge and threw up into the empty bucket. Nothing but water came out. But she could not stop the inner pressure she felt, and she threw up twice more, the sound and smell of her actions just fueling her to continue. But she held it in – whatever there was to hold in, anyway.
With a whimper, Korra tried to stand up. She needed to rid herself of her damp clothes. The moist in the fabric would cool down eventually, and it would have the same effect on her as though someone had emptied a bucked of water above her. The room temperature was far too low to vaporize the water particles in time. She needed something else to dress herself with.
Finally on her feet, Korra wrapped herself in the blankets. She hammered on the door a few times, waiting for the guard to react. When nothing happened, she tried to look out through the opening in the door. She could not see the guard, but she could hear him snoring.
"Hey," she said, her voice hoarse from not speaking for some time. The man grunted once, still not waking.
"Wake up!" Korra tried again, this time loudly enough to rip him from sleep.
"What is it?" grumbled the guard in annoyance.
"I wish to speak to Amon," the Avatar replied in a voice that was non-discussable, although still weak and raspy. The guard sighed exaggeratedly and rose from his seat. Although she could not see him, she heard his footsteps as he disappeared down the hallway.
She was surprised to find Amon answering to her summon so quickly. It took him mere minutes to face her through the opening in the door.
"I see that you are back on your feet," he commented monotonously. No compassion to spot in his voice, of course. She suppressed a bitter smile.
"Not quite," came her answer. "I need dry clothes. Please." The man considered her words for a moment.
"You have not earned anything of such privilege," he then replied, his golden eyes deadly serious behind his mask. Korra sighed.
"Consider it a trade then," the girl proposed, her eyes narrowing a bit. Amon did not seem like a man with whom one could easily negotiate. But it was worth a try. By the sound of her suggestion his eyes got a glint of... challenge? She barely had time to identify his expression before he masked it expertly.
"You have nothing to trade with which I cannot take by myself." His words had refused her offer, but she heard something in his voice that made her ignore his words. Was he entertained?
"Oh, I am quite sure I do," Korra answered with a foxy smile which surprised Amon. For someone who was ill with fever, she sure could maintain a facade.
"There are things you cannot take or steal. Something that can only be given willingly," Korra continued, feeling triumphant as she heard an amused huff from behind the porcelain mask.
"When will you be providing your part of the trade, then, young Avatar?"
"As soon we can agree upon what my part is," she replied. Knowing that she had already won this little game, she returned to her bed.
"Alright," she heard Amon's voice. "I will provide you with dry clothes. I will also decide when it is time for your payment, and just what it is." It was a risky game they were playing, and Korra knew. But she would escape before Amon would claim her payment. She was only doing what was necessary for her to survive. As for the food, she remembered, she would strike a deal when the time was right.
With a feeling of triumph, she sat down on the plank bed and closed her eyes. There was still something nagging at the back of her mind, she noticed. Something that needed to be done. She could not help but feel that, although Amon had agreed to give her dry clothes, he needed to be shown not to mess with the Avatar. For an Equalist who sought equality between benders and non-benders, he surely had misinterpreted his own concept, treating himself as a higher being compared to her. She would teach him how even they could be, and how even they should be. And she had just the idea of how to do so.
It was not Amon who returned with her new clothes, however, and Korra decided to take her revenge soon enough. Changing into the new and fortunately also warmer clothes in the darkness, she returned to the bed with a thoughtful smile playing on her lips, the wonderful scenario playing in her mind as she drifted into slumber.
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Mako groaned in discomfort as he awoke, his sore face pressed against cold stone floor. He heard the sound of rustling fabric from his right, and he looked to see what it was. Asami's concerned smile met his eyes. His face gleamed with relief for a brief moment until he realized were they were. He then cursed.
In the cell next to Asami's, Bolin was lying on the floor, a strained look on his sleeping face.
"Is he okay?" Mako whispered lowly, nodding towards his younger brother.
"He is just sleeping," came Asami's reply just as hushed. "It seems that you are the one who is hurt the most." A wry smile crossed his face. He had put up minimal resistance when facing the Equalists, having lost the fight even before it began. They had electrocuted him before knocking him unconscious. Such bastards!
"What about Korra?" Mako asked again, remembering why they were imprisoned in the first place. A sad look came over Asami's beautiful face as she shook her head.
"She is kept in another base, it seems," she whispered.
Mako sighed and managed to sit up despite the ropes binding him. He did not even have to test his bending to know that he had been chi-blocked. He had no idea of how long time it lasted, but in case they were to stay in the cells much longer, he would make sure to note whenever the block was renewed, seeing as it was only something to be done manually.
"Mako," Asami whispered and caught the Fire bender's attention. "What do we do now? How do we get out of here?" It pained Mako to know that he had no answer but a shrug.
Asami frowned. Mako was the strongest of the three of them, and almost always the one with a plan. The feeling of total powerlessness came over her. She knew what destiny awaited the boys, but she was unsure what punishment was arranged for herself. She had no bending to be purified of, but she doubted that Amon would let any of them, bender or not, go without a punishment that made them regret their actions for the rest of their lives.
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Once again, thank you for reading! If you are starting to get impatient with the whole Amon X Korra thing (where the M rating gets relevant), I can tell you that there will be juicy scenes just around the corner. Have patience ;)
See you in the next chapter!
Love, MAL.