Yup. My new addiction~ Legend of Korra x3 I remembered this song and I'm like, "Must write story. For this awesome song with Lin Bamfong!" And thus, this story was born! If you take this song literally, it really fits Lin. But if you take it metaphorically... Wow.. That's a whole different story! And I didn't do the whole song... Just the beginning and chorus. So, this story stretches from when she gets taken on the ship, til the end, when she gets her bending taken away- and my guess what happens afterwards.. So yup, Stop and Stare with Lin Bamfong, 'cause she freaking deserves this tribute- and not this really long A/N...
"That lady is my hero."
Meelo's words echo in my head as my hands are tied together harshly. I'm forced face-down on the rough metal floor, and the equalist glares at me and walks away briskly, with a smirk on his face. Those Equalists actually show some sort of intelligence for once.
He turns around, "Now you can't bend." The Equalist laughs. No shit, I can't bend! My hands are tied up! I would love to smack that smirk right off his little face, taking some of it off, too. I wouldn't give a damn, I'm not driven by law anymore. I glace up, and I watch helplessly as the captain of the ship demands us to be driven to Amon.
How can I be a hero?
I glance down at my tied hands, and wince at the burn on my back, but trying with effort not to show it. I was the one who had told the Councilmen that Republic City should show some backbone. How ironic, and here I am tied up, trying not to cry, as I know that that was the last time I'd ever bend again, when I tore up that ship...
~~~
This town is colder now... I think it's sick of us...
The Equalist attack at the Pro-Bending Tournament comes to mind. All those non-benders in the crowd, all of them were Equalists. How stupid I was... I thought I could handle them so easily. Was I that cocky- I couldn't even see beyond the end of my nose? And I played right into Amon's trap...
"Our armor is impervious to their attacks..."
Well, we sure found out they weren't, now didn't we?
I turn around and manage to shuffle over to the corner where I can wade in my self-pity, looking down blankly. I don't look at them, but I can tell they notice me, and they grab my shoulder and twist me around, throwing me harshly on the metal floor. I can't help it this time- I moan in pain, and I can see the Equalist smirk in satisfaction out of my peripheral. Do they hate me that much? I didn't even do anything! Well, if screwing up an airship counts...
~~~~
It's time to make my move- I'm shakin' off the rust
I growl harshly and toss my foot over her skinny little ankle. The Equalist- this time, a woman- gasps and falls to the floor, groaning and rubbing her head where she hit it.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" I growl.
"Watch your mouth, or I'll tie up your legs, too!" Another Equalist snaps at me, he was the one controlling the ship.
"Mouthing of is the only fun I get around here," I retort, my voice steadier than I feel. They didn't bother me after that.
Good. Leave me alone. Maybe I can get out of here. Two for one? Save the airbenders, and keep my bending? Highly unlikely- but I am Toph Beifong's daughter, I haven't been the type to exactly discard my ideas...
~~~~
I've got my heart set on anywhere but here...
~~~~
I ignore his threatening stare- I try to inch up slowly onto my legs, and quietly edge my way to the door, when he's not looking. The door is secured with a lock and a doornob. A metal lock.
Oooh, I'm so scared. Great job, Equalists.
Sadly, I remember all too well that my hands are tied up. Oh dammit. And, being as stupid as I am, nudge the door with my metal boots. The sound seems to echo around the whole ship, I hear footsteps, and I'm slammed down harshly again. There goes my nose, I sniff and snort, sounding like an idiot as I try to reset my nose. Hey, if I'm going to get my bending stripped of me, might as well be comfortable.
"Alright, that's it!" The Equalist growls. He points his finger at my legs. "Tie her legs up, too. Until we get her to Amon, she won't be going anywhere."
Way to go, Lin! No wonder they appointed you as Chief of Police! I curl my lip as I feel their hands around my thighs and calfs.
"Get. Off. Of. Me." I snarl threateningly, and their hands recede rather quickly. I smirk.
"She can't do anything," One of them hisses, and their hands are working around my legs yet again, and I can feel the rope tied securely around my knees. When they finish, the grab me and haul me over beside the captain, and I sigh.
I'm staring down myself, counting up the years...
I remember when my mother had taught me metalbending and how to... Not smash peoples' faces' in with my bending... I wish I could right now.
"It's all in the wrists," Toph said, showing me her wrists. Seeing my face which practically screamed, "Really?" in disbelief, she rolled her eyes and pushed me aside. "It's not in the wrists, goofball. Spirits, you're as gulible as Twinkletoes and his Twinklebrats."
I just want the ground to swallow me up, drop me through the ship, and let me hit on solid ground. At least I would still have my bending. It would be better to die as who I am, than to lose the very essence that makes up my persona.
~~~~
Steady hands, just take the wheel...
I close my eyes. What will it feel like? Will I feel as if my life force is being sucked away? Will it be painful? Or will I just sigh, blink, and it will be all over? I don't know. And honestly, I don't wish to find out.
I sigh and drop my head in defeat. Might as well just accept my fate. I did it to protect the Airbenders... But something stirs inside me- told me it was not just that. For... Tenzin? The feeling ebbs away, as if it seems to have agreed. Oh, shut up, sentimental side. I scoff mentally. I don't need to be clogged up with emotions! I purse my lips and try to squeeze through the ropes, holding my breath with hope. When it fails, I sigh.
~~~
Time to make one last appeal... For the life I lead-
I look back solemnly to the back window, where the crescent moon hung dimly in the night sky, and I wince. I wonder what Tenzin and everyone else is doing right now. Did the Avatar safely escape?
Don't look back... Somewhere inside the depths of my mind whisper. What's done is done. I know what's going to happen- and there is no escaping it or trying to avoid it. I look away quickly, fearing that I might get abused again for simply looking out the window.
~~~
Stop and stare...
~~~
I tense- there was a loud shhhhh, that announces the landing, and I didn't even realize as they untie me again. I stare solemnly ahead as they guide me to Amon. The clouds were thick and gray- rain was due any minute now. I couldn't tell where we are, I couldn't tell if it was dawn or dusk, I couldn't tell whether this is a dream or not. I turn my mint green gaze down to the ground, not daring to look up at the Equalists.
I was surprised, snapping out of my stupor as we stop suddenly. Since I was paying attention I trip and let out a grunt as I just barely stopped falling and flailing.
"Well, well. Look at the mighty Chief Beifong!" One taunts.
"She's certainly not as tough as she thinks to be," Another sneers.
"Yeah, all bark and no bite!"
My head snaps up abruptly and I snarl like a tigerdillo. The Equalists back away suddenly, surprised at my quick reaction. I narrow my eyes, and the Equalists shove me forward relentlessly against my will. I grit my teeth, growling as I try to escape, but to no avail. I stop wrestling with the guards, and I stare at my own future instead.
I think I'm movin' but I go nowhere...
The Equalists are suspicous of my sudden silence; they grip me harder and push me forward. By now I can feel tiny drops of water on my skin, and thunder rumbles in the distance. The Equalists seem unaffected by this; one of them kicks the back of my knees and I fall forward, almost losing my balance. Wind ruffles my hair forcefully; the rain is starting to pound down a little harder, and a streak flashes across the sky, soon accompanied by its companion, thunder. I try to swallow my fear; I never gotten over my phobia of thunderstorms, and being in a suit of metal certainly does not help. Thunder rumbles again, closer this time, and the flash of lightning almost blinds me. I don't care what the Equalists think of me now, I squirm and writhe trying to escape. I'm still tied up, in a thunderstorm no less!
Come on, move!
~~~
And, yeah, I know that everyone gets scared
The Equalists fidget a few times, especially when lightning flashes, and you can see it strike the ground sharply a few miles away. A loud splash is heard, it probably struck the small ocean by Air Temple Island. The thunder growls angrily through the clouds, shaking the ground; echoing inside my body. I clench my teeth, simply wanting to get this over with. Now the lightning and thunder are barely seperated, only by milliseconds. The thunder booms, the lightning strikes- and vice versa.
"Tell me where the Avatar is, and I'll let you keep your bending."
I open my mint green gaze, staring at Amon defiantly. I don't know where she went, but even if I told him, he will probably take my bending away anyway. There is no use trying to lie.
"I won't tell you anything, you monster!" I hiss, preparing for the worst. I feel the Equalists step back a few feet.
"Very well," Amon replies smoothly.
I feel everything... Each time he takes a step, it bounces through the earth and crashes with my form. I feel his even breathing and heartbeat; I feel as an Equalist fidgets; I feel as lightning crashes against the ground, sending shockwaves that leave me gasping, as well as the roaring of thunder.
But I've become what I can't be...
Amon's thumb touches my forehead and the base of my spine. My breathing becomes uneven and ragged, my emerald eyes frantically searching around, my teeth gritted. Thunder roars loudly overhead, as if the earth seems to be grieving for the loss of my bending itself. The rain is pounding now in a downpour, stinging my eyes, and I close them fiercely. I feel tears surface, and I know that if I cry, they'll think it's just rain. My throat clenches up, and the turmoil inside me rages.
Amon forces my head towards the sky, and removes his finger from my forehead. He jabs it sharply against my temples, and my eyes open suddenly. I feel as if everything just stops. The lightning, the wind, the rain, and the vibrations. He lets go abruptly, and I fall foward, my mint green gaze lifeless.
My metal suit suddenly feels foreign, and it only helps with the gravity of my fall. I grunt as my face hits the earth. I instinctively seek the peace that is the soil, but the earth seems hesitant to share its melody with me. Amon and his goons walk away, as if just discussing the weather with me- but not before untied my hands and roughly kicked me forward.
~~~
Stop and stare, you start to wonder why you're here- not there
"Appa, yip yip!"
"Oh Spirits, I don't think this was such a great idea!" I gasped, hiding in the saddle and away from the rough wind.
"Somebody's chicken!" Tenzin sneered.
"Am not! I'm just not... Mentally prepared, that's all." I tried fixing my hair and crossing my arms.
"What? That's so stupid!" He shouted over the wind.
"So's your face!" I retorted, not being able to hold a straight face.
"You can't even keep a straight face!" Tenzin giggled. "Because you know I'm beautiful." He touched his face proudly.
"Maybe if you had hair, yeah!"
"Not-uh! I'm prettier than you!"
"No you're not!"
"Are too!"
"Are not!"
"Are too!
"Hey!" Came a shout from behind the Bison's saddle. "I'm prettier than all ya'lls!" Bumi popped out of nowhere, pointing two fingers.
"No you're not, Twinklebrat!" I growled, trying to push him off.
"Okay," I mumbled. "It's obvious I'm not made out to be a metalbender." I fell to the ground, sitting with my legs folded.
"If you can bend earth, you can bend metal." Toph encouraged.
"I have a better chance at airbending!" I rested my fist on my cheek.
"Fine. I guess I'll just have to tell Aang that then."
"Have fun with that." I made a salute to her.
"...To tell him to restrict your visits with Tenzin."
I gaped. "Hey!" I cried, standing up. "You can't do that, just because I can't do something!"
"Well, that's how it is." Toph shrugged.
I groaned.
"Lin, you are a Beifong, and we Beifong's don't give up."
"Well, this one does." I said around a yawn, falling back down to the earth.
"Okay," I sighed, bracing myself. "Just... Shoot the metal cable... and not fall do my death. Simple enough."
I shot the metal cable around a pole that was holding up a stand. Well, the expierence was worse than flying the Sky Bison. I felt like I was gonna run into the building! But, to my shock, I landed safely by the pole and the metal retracted. I was feeling better now, maybe I'll go a little higher. I aimed my wrist at a rope hanging from a building. It wrapped around, and yanked me foward swiftly. I slowly lifted off the ground, watching people's astonished faces. I smiled arrogantly and waved. Except they weren't looking at me. Who were they staring at?
"Hello, people of the- oomf!"
I fell to the ground from a few feet when I swung right into my mother's chest, and she was holding the metal cable. When the heck did she get there?
"Lin Beifong! What are you doing?" She hissed.
"Well... I, uh... liked flying on the Sky Bison, and you said it was okay..."
"So you liked flying on the Sky Bison, huh? Well I'm gonna have a talk with Twinkletoes." Toph yanked me forward, dragging me by the metal cable.
"Not fair..." I moaned.
And you'd give anything to get what's fair...
"You are a Beifong. And we Beifong's don't give up..."
My mother's words echo in my memory.
"Well, this one does..."
No, she doesn't. I stand up, grunting and stretching my limbs. I stare at the sky, looking at Republic City, with the rain and thunder roaring around me. Has it not been my job to protect Republic City, when I was Chief? Even when I resigned, it still remained my main priority, I only did that to help the City further. I close my eyes, and lightning flashed behind me, illuminating my shadow.
I walk forward a few steps.
And that still is my job. To help the Avatar defeat Amon and save Republic City.
I break into a long, steady stride.
Bending or not, the City needs me. And I will strive to protect it. And, feeling the familiar aura of responsibility that I had as chief-
I run, swifter than the wind, faster than my desires could ever take me.
~~~
Okay... This was REALLY really hard to write. It took me a long time. Oh well. I tried to write in present tense, which I'm not really used to, so I apologize if you see any 'ed's or past tense. I checked it over and over again. The only past tense you see is in memories, ect. :3 I hope you liked it! Sorry it took so long to get up. Happens sometimes 'cause I kept getting distracted cx
EDIT: Fixed some spelling errors my reviewers said I had. I can't believe I said while instead of will. *facepalm* Wasn't paying attention. I also fixed, and deleted some lines, too. Also, I cut back on the swearing, somebody said it was too OOC for Lin. I STRIVE FOR PERFECTION.