A/N: Well, it's shorter than usual; about 2,000 words… sorry. Please review any feedback is appreciated. Thanks! YOU DA BEST!

A Terrible Synergy

Chapter 5

Today he felt especially claustrophobic behind his mask; he ached to remove it from his face and allow himself a moment of fresh air. He felt himself release a long sigh, the hot breathe rolled out of his mouth only to be caught by the porcelain wall that sat in front of it. He glanced through the narrow slits remembering what he had been doing, feeling the stack of paperwork that remained unattended to beneath his hands. He couldn't discern why he was so vexed today, and, for whatever reason, he couldn't relinquish the gratuitous anger that brimmed up inside him. In the back of his mind he knew that it was the Avatar's presence that was making him increasingly agitated. The pen in his hand stayed idle, his mind wasn't working to its normal speed and level of brilliance; this girl was fogging his mind up as if it were hot steam reacting with cool glass. Impulsively, he ripped the paper below his hands in half and chucked them in the trash in one powerful, fluid motion. He never had many caprices, but his impulse was to see her, which made no sense in his mind. He shook his head, he always had every step calculated but with the Avatar in the picture everything just seemed to be out of his control.

"Sir, is everything alright?"

He turned around, it was his lieutenant. He had observed his little fit. He exhaled while closing his eyes to find his composure. He wanted to pinch the bridge of his nose but couldn't, "Yes, everything is fine. I am just not having my way with paperwork this morning," he answered a bit acridly, his second in command didn't respond. There weren't many times he had witnessed his boss like that; he always had himself in check and decided to leave the issue alone, "What news have you brought me?"

"The Avatar isn't eating. I don't know if that's of any importance to you but I thought you should know."

"She isn't eating? Is that her attempt at being defiant?"

"Perhaps," Amon walked past him to the door opening it aggressively.

"That is foolish and pathetic," he roared.

"Sir, what do you want us to do about it?" his lieutenant called from behind.

"Nothing, as of now. I'll handle this inane situation myself. Go supervise the trainees. They always thrive under your instruction."

The lieutenant nodded watching the large, athletic frame of Amon vanish into the hallway. He could only wonder what kind of torture he had in mind for the young Avatar.

-0-

She had only been here three days and had gone without proper nourishment for two. The Avatar rested against the wall sitting on mat that was her mattress. She sat there in only her bindings mending her torn light blue shirt. She had asked for a needle and thread, and was surprised when her guard had complied with her request. The room was clean and abnormally spacious for a holding cell, probably because she was the only one in it. Light came from the single bulb that was located in the direct center of the ceiling; there were no windows to add to the lacking light in the room. Three days without real light made her miss the open sky immensely. The door suddenly opened and the noise made her jump, forcing her to prick her finger on the sharp needle; a bubble of blood compiled at the tip of her left index finger. She watched the red substance until it trickled down her finger, later placing the wound in her mouth sucking on it to appease the bleeding.

Not caring who it was that stood in front of her she snapped obdurately, "If it's food go give to some other unfortunate soul," the finger in her mouth didn't make it any easier at comprehension.

"Good Morning, Avatar."

The deep voice pressured her to look up but she very well knew who it was; she could tell by the statement's precision and diligence. She vowed to herself in not yielding to anything he said or permitting him the simple pleasure of eye contact, "Oh, how civil of you," her tone was spiked with heavy sarcasm.

He moved a little closer to her treading into the territory of the light. She wasn't fully clothed and he briefly took the sight of her in. Just from the look of her, felt the ache of desire and his legs take another step toward her. She couldn't hear his uneven breath as he struggled to control himself. Why couldn't he contain these thoughts? Was it really that long since he felt a woman? He knew that wasn't reason. It was something entirely different from lust. The masked man crouched to her level so their faces were only inches away. He inspected her face. No damages just a bandage covered that covered cut on her temple. Had he done that to her? He couldn't remember. He looked at her eyes, which were casted down toward her finger, aware of her breath slipping through the holes in his mask. He could smell the blood that was laced in even if it was an infinitesimal amount.

She wouldn't make eye with him, attention fixed on her injured finger. It was cut and bleeding so he reached out and grabbed her hand in his brushing the inflicted area with the pad of his thumb. She didn't pull away, "It has come to my attention that you are not eating," he broached the subject gently. Without another thought he ceased her finger's bleeding as he ran his thumb along the cut once more, "Come now, a dead Avatar is no use to me."

"I'm not hungry," she stated quickly and withdrew her hand both disturbed and amazed at how he had stopped the bleeding, "How'd you do that?" she whispered eyeing her cut which was now merely a scratch upon her skin.

He tipped her chin up with his hand so that she was looking him in the eyes. His touch was gentle contrasting drastically to how he had gripped it before. The gesture was almost comforting but it all was just a lie in the end, "A trick I picked up a long time ago," he whispered. The low volume to voice made his words sound sweet and unassuming, "You should eat," he commanded kindly.

"I don't want to," she drew away from his hold turning her face from him. He didn't know why he was surprised. She was a stubborn woman.

In response, he stood up pacing away while maintaining an even tone, "I advise you to be more cautious in what you say. Here my followers are allowed two rations a day; one in the morning and one at night. There is no special treatment here, not even for me. Everyone eats the same kind and amount of food, and if, on the rare occasion, one doesn't eat their portion they don't eat at all. I shouldn't be concerning myself in explaining this to you. Obviously, you aren't worried about petty things like this. You always had food on your plate and never had to worry about where your next meal would come from or even if you would have a roof over your head. That's what life is like for the majority of the people in this city, and those people are nonbenders. You think it's a coincidence? Benders have always held superiority over nonbenders. I'm just here as a humble servant of the spirits to even the playing ground. I have to fix the problems you have turned away from out of total apathy, and I'm going to give justice back to the people who deserve it."

She was tired from hearing him lecture her about what was good and righteous when he was the one to injure dozens of innocent people back at the arena; quite frankly he was annoying the shit out her, "Don't you put that on me, Amon! I am doing the best I can. I have to look for all types of people no matter if they can bend or not," she stated firmly glaring at him with icy eyes, "I'm only a seventeen year old girl trying to figure this out. The world is complicated, I know that and I know I could be handling this situation in a better way but I don't know any other way. Sure, I'm brash and bullheaded but that doesn't mean I don't care, that I don't try," the Avatar rose to her feet defending her assertions, her toned body was showcased by the flickering light, "I care about everyone single person in this city even if you don't believe it. At least my way doesn't kill and threaten the innocent people of the city that you are so rigorously trying to save. You're too damn drunk on your own damn power to see what you're actually doing-"

"Shut up," he spat darkly, silencing her from her outburst, "I should put you in your place."

His voice had grown cold from its earlier warmth, she took a step back bracing herself for his advances, "And where is that exactly?" she inquired guardedly.

A wave of panic washed over her as he pushed her roughly against the wall, her bending had been disabled earlier by one of his men but she wasn't powerless; she could always use her fists. Suddenly he jabbed his knee between her legs, the pressure was oddly arousing. He felt her heart rate spike, as well as his. One of his hands was curled around her neck while the other trailed against her bare abdomen anchoring her powerfully to the wall. She didn't know what to do and her hands just seemed to remain at her sides. She felt no reason to push him away. She couldn't explain it, but she knew that he wouldn't hurt her.

The skin contact was disarming him, his mind grew clouded. At that moment, her eyes were just so overwhelmingly alluring as if she were the one to contrive this whole meeting to ruin him. Her face was so attractive and all he wanted to do was stand there and admire it. The harsh words she was choking out recovered him from his momentary lethargy, "What are you going to do? Rape me? Kill me? You are no better than the men that you're condemning!"

He released his iron-like grip on her and stepped away, "I am a monster but I don't defile women. Believe it or not Avatar, I was raised to be a gentlemen," she was shocked at how offended he looked as if she had just compared him to the value of dirt, "And if you must know, I don't kill for the sake of killing either. I am a far more worse than that," he hesitated and Korra wondered what he was referring to, "but I can promise you that I am a man of principle and conviction."

"Promises with you don't have a winning record."

"I don't make promises often, and if one was broken then it shouldn't have been made in the first place," he negated sharply. He placed his hands behind his back; he had been in here too long and very much desired to leave. He could feel his resolve crumbling at the seams.

"Why do you resent me? I haven't done anything to you." That's actually it. She hadn't done anything to him. He needed to leave.

A laugh escaped his lips, but it was gloomy one. He turned his back moving near the door, "Oh, Avatar, you have done everything…," he said it almost wearingly. He paused as if unsure how to continue and silence took up conversation. He finally settled on, "You should eat your food; don't make me demand it next time or your friend Noatak will suffer the consequences from your actions."

She reclaimed her position on the floor again, "I'm sure that he will."

The answer made him freeze; his hand lay motionless on the door knob. She knows nothing.

"Do you just bottle him up behind that mask? Is that what you do?"

Now he was the one not looking up. How did this interaction change so quickly?

He hadn't realized that she was next to him now; how did she get beside him so hurriedly and he not notice? Her fingers ghosted over his forearm, "Who really are you, Amon?" her hands were at his mask.

He slowly turned to face her, his head tilted down, "Do you really wish to know?" he murmured delicately.

"I don't. I'm afraid that it would break my heart," she whispered.

They remained there staring at one another for a long time. He had no more words to speak to her, no more threats. He just wanted to be there and suddenly he realized that he was in too deep, and he had no idea how to get out. He had given away too much.

"You should eat," he finally mumbled and left without another word. His mind was racing and a poignant feeling of regret and shame found its way to him. The sensation was unfamiliar and extremely unpleasant. How fickle and fragile he was at this moment. The hallway felt like it stretched on for miles, the guards and soldiers showed him their proper respects as he passed them. They venerated him as if her were a god but he was just a liar and a fool who could perform an unusual trick with the iniquitous act of was the indefatigable defender of equality, wasn't he? Why was the Avatar making him feel this? Has she gotten under his skin?

He passed the corner tightly running into his lieutenant, "I apologize immensely, sir."

"Noted," and continued in the direction of office.

"Amon, what do you want us to do with the Avatar?" he inquired down the hall.

"Release her. She is of no use to me here," he shouted as he closed the door to his office.