Falling
Lin Bei Fong felt something soft under her hand, she tried to squeeze as something screeched and squished. Her head felt like it had been used as an anvil. She groaned her vision was blurry, her mouth had a sour aftertaste. She mindlessly pulled the pentapus from her forearm, not caring about the blood seeping out of it. The wound did not even hurt thanks to the little animals spit. Even if she just had woken up on an illegal manure heap she wanted to get wasted again. She tried to remember the blurry events of the past days. It was there like a heavy cushion pressing her exhausted body down in the wet leftovers of Rep City. BUMI IS DEAD! My goofy friend is gone. She gulped hard, why did she not have tears? Why couldn´t she cry like a normal human being, if it was hurting so much that she almost could ignore the severe concussion she must be having right now.
The woman blinked, the sky was blue, the sun shining brightly as if it was mocking her. She sat up groaning, not interested in the fatty strands of her gray hair hanging around her head like a mop, entangled with some rotting cabbage shreds. Her world was spinning a little as she shakily got up. She still was wearing her armor which was scratched and dented in some places. Luckily, she still was somewhere in the buffalo flats, because nobody here would bother with a useless wannabe cop like her rotting in their dumpster. Angry sadness crept through her very being, while her eyes were burning. Her balled fists trembled as she forced herself to be calm. Her knuckles dug into the shabby brick wall with almost silent, cracking sounds. The hole in her chest still grew, then she mechanically left the backside of the House with slow, steps, her head was hanging low and she felt like all energy had been drained out of her body. No , I cannot break down – I have a job to do – a job, she kept telling herself mechanically. But instead of returning to the bunks, or even her office Lin Bei Fong was stopped by a screaming newspaper serf.
That also was something exclusively limited to this city. Instead of dirty, pickpocketing urchins the city had a ton of officials who were selling the various different newspapers and magazines that were printed every day. "Death of Bumi, Son of Aang…the aged playboy finally succumbed to drugs? Read the news directly from Republic Times Front Cover… JUUSST 4silver straight to your doorstep!" the man shouted with a well-trained voice. The people were calling Bumi a drug addicted playboy. He was a HERO, a man who sacrificed his own life for the greater good! Before Lin Bei Fong had grasped a clear thought, she was choking the man, shaking him violently. "Shut the fuck up - useless asshole! You don´t know who Bumi was you annoying fucktards! Can´t you even let the death move on in peace - son of a bitch! That he died for fuckers like you makes me sick! Sick you gods damned bastard!" she yelled furiously, while the newspapers hit the dirty pavement and the frightened official tried to yell for help.
The man tried to remove her hands from his throat but failed miserably, Lin was a rather strong woman. She finally released the man, whose face had turned a flaming red. Street urchins had been staring at the scene. Lin was panting. "Holy fuck lads – isn´t that Chief Bei Fong?" one of the kids asked, mouth agape. "Hell, yeah Chin – that´s the Chief looking fucked up like my ma after a shift tigers den." Another kid stated snickering. "Dang – should´ve had a camera – well that´s how it feels when pals die." The boy laughed. He wasn´t even sixteen, a bony shot up teen with a damping pipe in his mouth. "Help – help me!" the official yelled. "This woman is a crazy imposter! Kids – get the boys from the triples – dammit can´t they do their fucking job!" he cursed angrily. "And you – are in a whole lake of trouble, you- you crazy ass chick!" he growled almost poking a finger in Lin´s face. The woman was clearly out of it, she blinked as she felt like collapsing on the spot. Her arms were trembling and she turned and walked off with tapping strides off. She did not care if some triad enforcers came after her, or if her escapade was printed in all major newspapers.
The kids were whistling. "Eh chief, how much for a blow job? Three shim?" one kid yelled. "Shut the fug up Kuang, wanna get smashed to pieces or what?" another one hissed fearfully. "Don´t ya see that bitch has totally lost it?" Totally lost it - the words were piercing her spine like burning arrows – was she really so fucked up? Lin Bei Fong had fought all her life, but now it all seemed utterly pointless. What was she, what had she achieved in her life – nothing. She had run the police force but crime had not diminished for a shim. She had no family, no children – she didn´t even have close friends, all because she was born a damn Bei Fong! Where was her mother's praise now – nowhere! On top of that, the stubborn old hag liked living in a spirit infested swamp full of mosquitos and pentapusses! She felt her head spinning, pulsing like crazy, Lin Bei Fong grabbed her head with both hands as she felt a Rock approaching, she lunged forward and simply smashed it back with brute force. "Go fuck yourself you goddam motherfucker!" she screamed and was hit by a brick. She felt a rib crack under the hard punch of the stone.
"Strike Bitch!" a man laughed and launched an array of stone pillars at her. Lin did not even think about using her cables, she simply grabbed a growing spear, cracked it off and threw it at another thug who narrowly escaped the deadly round. She stomped tearing half the street open, earthen balls the size of a man were hurled around like puffy cushions as lin howled like a rabid wolfbat. The earth benders braced themselves against the lumps of earth and concrete that were hurled at them with a surprising accuracy. Even their defense kata, mostly cowering boulder and hard fist slowed down the impact, still they god knocked from their feet bruised and battered. The other thugs screamed in fear, but even staggering around and ducking did not help them much because the enraged woman simply rushed into the first man, jamming a throwing knife deep into his thigh. The man collapsed screaming as Lin kicked him against his head furiously, she than tore an iron gas lantern from the ground and hurled it at another man who went down screaming, clutching his shattered ribs. The last man had already pissed his pants, seemingly terrified.
"P-Please – just just take me to prison!" he yelled as he rose his hands in surrender, his cheap looking dao blade clattering on the remains of the street. "Jail – jail – none of you bastards tried to take Bumi to jail!" she screeched and hit him with her gauntlet gashing up half his cheek. She punched again yelling and again. The man fell unconscious and hand Lin not missed his head punching directly onto concrete without using her bending, she surely would have killed him on the spot. So, a searing pain shot through her fist and hissingly clutched her hand, still the red mist was lingering around the edges of her conscience. She looked around at the mayhem around her, what in all heavens had she done? It was than Lin Bei fond lay down in the hard street, a coppery taste in her mouth and her face sun burned. Sounds between laughing and sobbing escaped her trembling limps silently but the tears still remained burning behind her eyes.
She had sobbed for quite a while as the wailing sound of police sirens approached the scene. "Oh damn." She stated. What should she tell her officers? How should she explain her absence from work in the last two days? They definitely would smell that something with her was fishy. But even if she tried her best, she was not able to get back on her feet, despite tears rolling out of her eyes from the piercing pain that resonated through her head and torso. It was shortly afterwards a police car stopped and heavily armored men jumped on the street. "Holy shit shorty, what kind of hell broke loose here." Lin recognized the high-pitched voice of Sergeant Officer Taisho. So, Lei Lin Tang should be with him, dam Sai Khans brutish bootlicker! The man was dangerous, like a rabid dog on a really short lash. Still he was of utmost efficiency in the republic riot squad and the special operations – she had never found an opportunity to suspend one of her highest decorated officers!
Still she had tried her best to make Tangs life miserable, maybe not one of her smartest moves in retrospective. "I-I dunno – maybe some kind of fucked up spirit. I mean look at the world going all bonkers. Damn Avatar." The man cursed frightened as he looked at the group of criminals groaning and writhing in vain. "Well boys, time to get the shit slapped outta ya nasty brats!" Tang stated triumphant while taking the handcuffs out of the car´s trunk. "Yes Seargent." Taisho stated as the men started cursing him colorfully. "you sons of bitches get the fuck off. Don´t ya think w….ghaaaa!" Lin heard the lashing sound of a metal cable, occupied with the pained shrieks of a gangster. "Anybody else here likes ropes?" the officer asked, his voice brimming with joy. Guys like that were what made Lin furious – but she was to battered to jump on her feet or yell loudly. "Tang, stop it!" his colleague yelled. "Aww come on pussy – I´m just roughing the guy up a bit!" the other man chuckled. "Or do you intend to be a motherfucking snitch Taisho?" he responded, his voice a dangerous hiss.
"Ya know that snitches always drop the soap don't cha?" he threatened. "N-No – but – but seriously the guy will - will bleed all over the car! A-And the trunk will start smelling bad…" Taisho responded with a rather thin voice. "Haha – always caring for the equipment Taisho…. sweet…still I´d like to get the guys in front of me who did that." Tang smirked doubtlessly, while the other man was shuffling around nervously. "Well than, I`ll get them loaded and call for backup." Taisho responded. "Yeah. Do that. AHHH you're trying to escape, how bold." "No. No sir. Please don`t beat me." The guy pleaded, soon he screamed pitifully as Tang whipped him bloody. "Eh look there´s a cop…. you fuckers dared to hit one of us?" he growled infuriated. "I´ll teach you scum not to mess with the law again. Cause I AM THE FUCKING LAW! Got that?" Lin heard the crushing sound of shattering bone and splattering flesh. "I´m going to do this to anyone of you shit-bags if I hear you ever again lay a hand on an armor like mine! Look – I SAID LOOK YOU BASTARDS!" Tang yelled.
This guy really simply killed a man in broad daylight, that was going too far! "Tang – you are going to jail with the whole lot of these thugs." Lin croaked as she somehow managed to sit up. Tang was a good looking, young man of usual built. Just a blazing red scar on his forehead, most likely a gash from some blunt knife, indicated he was capable of violence. His green eyes widened in shock. "C-Chief?" he blurted out. One of the earth benders had lost his head, brain and blood splattered across the street. Tang was of course not stained with blood. He quickly regained his composure. "The whole station is worried – I myself could not find sleep the last two days." He stated ironically. "Just shut the fuck up!" Llin growled. "You´re fired, hand over your badge. Taisho, arrest him!" Lin commanded. The other officer had returned. "Chief. W- what are you doing here? Why didn´t you inform anybody if you went undercover!" Taishos haggard face showed a hinge of righteous fury. Still he looked at her doubtful. He at once hurried over to her.
"Carf-"Lin wanted to warn the man before he dislocated her broken ribs any further. "Eh Taisho – take a piss would cha?" Tang asked his colleague nicely. "Uh – I don´t need to pee?" the man responded. "I SAID – take a leak, or you´re gonna leak Taisho." The officer stated serious. Taisho flinched visibly. "You have overstepped your borders by for - officer Tang." Lin snarled. The young man smiled brightly. "CAPTAIN Tang, from tomorrow on." "Tang – stop spurting bullshit." Taisho stated silently. "Go take a piss." Tang waved nonchalantly and walked up to his colleague. Lin felt her guts constrict, that was bad – Taisho was a man Tang could defeat blindfolded and one-armed, even if he would be giving his best. Finally she would be not able to subdue anything in her current state and this asshole of course saw how weak she was at the moment. Was he really thinking of – killing her? Fear settled in her chest as her eyes widened in realization. It had never crossed her mind that Sai khan would be that ruthless! "Do you really think you´ll get away with killing me?
The shirshu squad WILL find out I was here – and no matter where you hi…." She started rambling upset as Taisho sunk in a bending stance. He went down without a sound, his head cleaved from his torso with one of the bandit´s daos. "N-No.." Lin hickuped almost as she watched the smiling officer, the bloodied blade hovering in front of his hands. "Surprised huh?" he smirked an ugly smile as he kicked the woman in her chest, she screamed in pain as splintered bone was finding a way through her skin. "I don´t need to kill a – mad terrorist bitch! " he spit out. "Do you think we know what you and your friends did Bei Fong?" he sneered, Lin just hickuped and grasped for air, while her chest felt like being torn apart. "Ya know – Lin Bei Fong is dead now. You´re just a measly old bitch now!" her armor was ripped away from her body, she felt so utterly powerless in front of this man – who could do anything he wanted with her right now. Had she just ignored this damned newspaper official!
"P-Please…" who was this person begging with a shivering, broken voice? Was that HERSELF? She tried to crawl away from this monstrous psychopath, who clearly was enjoying trampling her! "Yeah – if ya rich ass bitches get a glimpse of the real world, you´re just useless cunts." He laughed at Lin, who was laying on the street in her grey weapon overall. "Do yourself a favor and don´t do something stupid like going to the medai, because nobody will believe ya!" He responded towering over Lins writhing form breathing heavily. "For if yer do, we´re going to court and you´ll go to hell along with the whole Bei Fong name." he spit in her face, the fluid was burning like acid. She struggled as he gripped her head with both hands and broke her nose with a forceful headbutt. She was silent as as something gelly-like and warm was flowing down her cheek.
Then she screamed as she felt pain like never before – her right eye, was gone! She screamed until her voice broke, officer Tang was long gone, along with her torn armor and badge. It was much later that she saw a person lift her from the floor. She was icy cold and so hurt she didn´t even know who – or how many – people were carrying her around. Then there was a rough, rasping voice talking to her, keeping her away from falling asleep, and there was pain, she struggled as something was burning in her face, something poured over the bleeding remains of her eye. "Bite yer tongue. Bring me the water child." There were other people holding her trashing arms, legs and head down. It was a felt eternity of torture until the people stopper wrapping bandages around her torso. Finally, she had to drink something utterly bitter, something that made her feel all fuzzy again, but still she breathed relieved as the pain subsided and she fell into darkness with deep breaths, thoughtless like a wounded animal.
How long she had been unconscious Lin did not remember, there was just a haze of uncorrelated pictures. An old, toothless woman, a poorly dressed, spindly boy and a haggard, coughing man who gave her water and other fluids. There was a ceiling with a long, hairy crack running across it. When she finally awoke - her head was pulsing like crazy, her breathing was labored and old sweat stained her whole body and a low groan escaped her troath. She still felt unpleasantly hot. "W-water please." She croaked with a brittle voice. There were knitting needles rattling, the soft sound stopped and the old woman rose. "Oh – you´re awake Miss Bei Fong." She responded with a soft tone that made Lin cry. Her name – she had lost her name – her family – everything! She had brought shame to the family. She was a honorless woman. She started crying bitterly, even if her ribs hurt with every sob. An old, withered hand was grabbing her hand roughly. "Yeah – let it out girl. There, there." The woman was mumbling. She started shohing like a baby, while Lin started telling everything, about Bumi, about Tang – the old woman did not seem to care, or understand what she was babbling with a heavy tongue. Still it felt good that somebody was there – that she was not fully alone.
Comment: Rather short, but hopefully intense. I´ve always thought Lin was sitting on a bunch of bombs, why else would she temporarily loose the Job as Chief in the series just because her BENDING was taken away? That would make no sense unless people wanted to get rid of her anyways! Well an now that legitly has happended. Of course the guy went a bit over board but well...psychopaths tend to do so! Any feedback from you guys? BTW. check out "The canals are Burning" one of the gold pieces among Avatar fanfics...