Chapter 6
Disclaimer: I do not own most of the characters featured in this story.
#49
"The Avatar... is a she."
Bolin was shocked at the reaction from some of the older prisoners, his eyes widening when the elderly woman who brought him into the group began to speak
"The last time I saw the Avatar... I was much younger then." She introduced herself to him earlier as Yun. "He was so handsome... well I was a young lady then..." with a warm chuckle as she remembered.
"Wait... just how long have you been here?" Bolin asked as he leaned in to hear her soft voice answer.
"Sonny, I was designated number One. I just celebrated my 27th birthday when I was taken..."
Bolin barely had time to process what she just said when a buzzer sounded and the lights gradually dimmed. Hurriedly, the captives started towards their homes.
"Hey! Wait... why is everyone leaving?" Bolin asked to the crowd. He did not get an answer, everyone was too busy trying to get away.
Oda came up behind him and clasped his shoulder, "This way Bolin. Your home is this way."
Bolin wanted to tell him right then that this wasn't his home, but that guilty feeling arose in his gut and kept his mouth shut again.
The larger man leads him back to the hut he woke up in, "There will be a five minute opportunity to seal the doorway..."
"With what? My bending's gone remember?"
Oda points to a large slab of rock inside the hut leaning on the wall near the doorway. It was round and larger than the door, it obviously had been formed using earthbending "You use that... make sure there are no cracks or they will break it."
Bolin stared at him, an uneasy and almost frightened look on his face, "Wait... what? Who will break it... the guards? Do they patrol at night?"
"No. Even they do not face the creatures that come out here when the lights go down..." Both men looked up as the lights were dimming even more and Oda looked down to him. "I must leave now. Seal the door quickly."
He was gone before Bolin could ask any more questions. He swallowed what moisture he had in his mouth and sat in his hut... in the dark... alone.
Suddenly, a shrill noise filled the cave. It sounded like a mulititude of satomobile alarms going off except more beastly and in unison. Bolin jumped with a slight squeal, something in his brain telling him he should have taken care of the door. He quickly threw his weight and strength against the round stone, moving it inch by inch as the snarls got closer. He shook with fear as he desperately fought to move the slab. It was heavier than anything he had ever moved before, most likely made of more than mere stone but he did not care to guess. What mattered most at the moment was sealing the door so he would not be eaten by what ever monsters out there and coming his way.
"C'monC'monC'mon!" He grunted with urgency as his eyes caught the shadows of creatures quickly moving towards his halfway open door.
Within seconds the doorway was covered with every crack sealed from the dangers outside; and not a moment to soon because he heard scratching and growling of dozens of menacing creatures on the other side. In the darkness of his hut, Bolin curled up on the floor wide eyed, even sucking his thumb and rocking back and forth with barely a whimper. He eventually sobbed, holding his mouth to stifle the sound, as the creatures seemed to scratch at the walls of his box more fervently than before. The growling instilled a fear in him like he never felt before.
He desperately wished Mako was there with him. His brother protected them when they were little and his firebending would be useful right about now. That, and he needed his brother's comfort now more than ever. He shivered, in tears from the fear when a soul shaking roar let out ony a few meters away outside. He never wanted to hear such a horrible sound again.
That was the most terrifying night of his life, next to the first night alone away from his brother since they lost their parents. After that night, anything else seemed like a pushover in comparison. Except for the next night... and the night after that...
The next morning,
Oda came to get him for the next work shift. He moved the slab of rock using his own strength with little effort. His eyes found Bolin unmoving, his knees tucked up to his chin in the fetal position, in a corner of the small hut and feared he may have suffocated during the night until Bolin's eyes twitched from the sudden light.
"Mako...Huh, what? Oh..." Bolin stirred and awoke. He struggled for a minute, having forgotten where he was. It was all a dream being back home with his brother, doing laundry of all things. He had woken up still thinking he was with Mako... and now he terribly wished this was one dream he would soon wake up from...
The sound of a whistle interrupted his thoughts, Oda's strong arm pulling him up, "Back to work. Let us go."
3 days passed since Bolin arrived at the mines.
At least... thats what he thought. He tried doing the math... but without seeing the sun there was no way of knowing how long the days were here. Hours started to run into each other and his concept of time no longer seemed to matter. Only the sound of the whistle to get to work and the one that tells you to stop working ruled his world now. That, and the guards who watched their every move.
Their faces hidden by their leather goggle masks, they watched them like turkey-vultures. One guard kept watch over Bolin and Oda a little too carefully, the same one who punished Bolin on his first day. He also punished Bolin on his second and third day too. Bolin could not stop him and he did not blame the others for being too afraid to help. He wouldn't wish this kind of torture on anyone and by the fifth time, he had earned a torture treatment earlier that workshift by not being fast enough to the chamber, he stopped passing out but he still could not bend for some 10 mintues afterwards.
"I suppose he is bored and wants to show you who is in charge," Oda offered an explanation in a whisper as Bolin twitched and seized up on the floor, his stomach churned but he managed to keep what he that night from coming up on him.
"Only have to... do it... once." Bolin grimaced in intense pain, he wished he passed out this time. Oda grabbed his arm and swung it over his shoulders. Using the leverage, Oda pulled Bolin to his feet. This caused Bolin to cry out in pain.
"Ahhha...! Easy, easy... everything burns like hell." Bolin inhaled with a hiss as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists hard. As Oda set him down to sit on a rock, Bolin rubbed the back of his neck above his collar, trying to soothe the pain, and asked "He's been... doing this to me for three days... I noticed he doesn't pick on any of the other new guys so... why me?"
"I do not know Bolin, I have to admit... that one has never dogged someone as much as he has targeted you. I wonder what has set him to seek you out...?" He directed his gaze to Bolin.
"I wish I knew what I did so I could fix it... or maybe do it all over again just to annoy him."
Oda chuckled and went back to working on the wall while Bolin clenched and unclenched his fists; he still could not bend yet. He had to get out of here, or they were going to kill him. If there was more light in the work area, Bolin would have looked pale; his skin wet with sweat and his veins unnaturally visable and darkened. He hadn't seen a mirror in day so he had no idea what he looked like, but he could feel it inside every time he was shocked. He could feel himself... die a little inside for lack of better words. Bolin continued to flex his hands, it was taking a little longer than usual to get the feeling back in his hands but they were coming back nonetheless, just slowly.
Bolin looked to him, "Oda... How do we get out?"
This made Oda pause in his work, "I was wondering when you would ask such a question; I thought perhaps the food had gotten to you. Many have tried to escape... and the same number have failed to do so."
"So what will happen if they shock me too many times..?"
"Im not sure. They normally only do it once or twice. Only once for measure and another if the person has broken a rule. I am uncertain why you are being targeted." Oda soberly went back to work again leaving Bolin staring at his hands with a look of concern and uncertainty about his future if he would ever have one.
~...~...~...~...~...~...~
"You what? !" Was Tenzin's reaction, exactly what the White Lotus squad leader said would happen if what Korra was going to do was found out.
Korra now paced in her room, a lotus guard placed outside her door and window. She could not sit down, she had to find a way to save Bolin. But how could she with the Lotus guards watching her every move? She was on the Avatar equivalent of being grounded. They even took Bolin's shirt from her and she was sure she did not have anything green to go in disguise.
She tried breaking down walls and even going through the roof but each of her attempts had been thwarted each time, the Lotus had beefed up security a lot more than usual. She even puched a hole in the wall but it seemed that no matter what she did the Lotus guards managed to stop her.
Over the next 3 days she had been using almost every minute to attempt an escape.
"They got smart..." she grumbled as her last attempt at blasting through the roof ended in vain as she was pinned in her room. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed the new additions to her quarters. Steel bolts plastered her window and a metal door had replaced her wooden one. As soon as the guards let go she lunged at them but they were already out of her reach and closed the door just as she made contact with it instead of them with a huge clang.
Korra placed her hands on the cold metal of the door, and growled inwardly. This was the last straw, how dare they do this to her? How can she be the Avatar if she was not even allowed to risk herself for her friends? Gritting her teeth, she punched at the door, her fists engulfed in flames of fury and kicked at the door with all her strength.
On the other side, nervous Lotus guards staggered away from the door as Korra repeatedly hammered it with angry strikes. With each powerful blow they were afraid the door would not hold for long; however, after every hit and indent the door took, it did not break. After a half hour, the attacks started to dwindle in frequency until there was one last thump. Then all went quiet. The silence was disturbing and even more unnerving than the beatings on the door.
Korra slumped to her knees panting heavily, her fist still in contact with the door. She wanted to cry, she wanted to beat those guards senseless, Why? Why do this to her?
Then something happened that Korra did not expect, a small knock on the door. She did not say anything as she pulled her fist from the metal, slowly standing up. Her fists felt raw, burning even though the fire was out, she gritted her teeth as she stared out the the window to the fading sunset. Another small knock on the door again. Tears stung her eyes as she shouted, "Go away!"
She heard the metal door slide open and Korra turned around with a snarl, "I said go awa- " she was about to wail on any poor unfortunate guard who dared to open the door... except it wasn't a guard but Pema, newly pregnant again and practically glowing.
"Pema... I'm sorry I thought-" Korra stood there dumbfounded by the woman's presence. It was only when the woman approached her and placed a brown parcel in her arms that brought Korra back to earth.
"Don't worry about it. Believe me, Tenzin had no idea they would go this far as to make you a prisoner here. It's just not right..." her expression was sadness mixed with anger until she changed the subject when she pointed to the package she handed Korra with excitement. "Well? What are you waiting for? Put it on, I want to see if it fits."
Korra, wide eyed, looked down and unwrapped the brown paper. It was Bolin's shirt, the same one she had been wearing when the Lotus brought her back here. However, there was something different about it. She held it out and gravity unfolded it for her. It looked like it had been altered to fit a more womanly figure. Korra looked up gaping at Pema who simply looked at her with her motherly smile.
"What-? How did you get this? I thought they threw it away..." Korra was nearly speachless and hope of rescuing her friend rekindled in her chest.
Pema smirked, "And just who do you think does all the chores around here? You think those White Lotus' around here actually do chores? Taking out the trash? Doing laundry? I know how much this means to you, so I... kept it from going into the compost. I made a few changes to fit you, I don't think your friend would mind."
Korra looked at Pema, the relief and smile on her face could not begin to measure her amount of graditude, "Thank you... thank you so much. I wont waste this chance."
"Go on, put it on."
Korra quickly changed into the green shirt. The sleeves were no longer too big around her chest, the sides hugged her nicely so that she no longer needed the sash and the length seemed to be longer, reaching to her mid-thighs, as though Pema used the extra fabric to lengthen the shirt on the front and back while creating slits on each side that stopped at her waistline.
"There's more." Pema pointed to the package that fell to the floor. Peeking out of it was a pair of olive green pants that looked like it cut off at the knees. "Those used to be mine before my first pregnancy. I'm sure they'll fit."
"They're perfect." Korra embraced Pema in a gentle hug. "Thank you so much."
"That's just the start. Ikki and Jinora will be here soon with your dinner, though... Meelo might make a mess of things." Pema winked and opened the door leaving Korra to change completely into the outfit. Korra smiled as she imagined the kind of hyjinks the children could have planned for an escape.
Not ten minutes later, Jinora walked into the room after a skipping Ikki carrying a bowl of the day's dinner meal. The hyperactive of the two went straight up to Korra while Jinora set the bowl of stewed cabbage onto the nightstand.
"Oooh Korra! You look pretty! Is that the earthbending boy's shirt? Did he give that to you? Did you steal it out of some secret desire to be with him? Are the cute firebending boy and he going to fight over-mmphnm" Ikki fired off at a million miles per second when she saw the way Korra was dressed, the Avatar frozen by the bluntness of the child. She was cut off by her older sister putting her hand over her mouth, smothering the last words till she pushed it away and the momentum was lost. "Hey!"
"Korra," Jinora pulled her hand away from her sister. "You can't go out with your hair like that..."
Korra leaned over to look in the mirror near the dresser. She had not messed with her hair at all since that night she had been caught by the Lotus guards. It looked worse than before, her severely disheveled braid half undone and knotted. Korra gave a sheepish grin, "I think it looks good."
Suddenly Ikki laced her fingers together and cracked her knuckles, "We're going to need water, cream rinse, a lot of style goop, hair pins..."
Korra gulped and backed away as Jinora and Ikki, who was still listing off supplies, closed in on her.
...
Korra's head hurt. Her dark brown hair has been brushed within an inch of its life and painfully pulled back into twin buns, one on each side of her head. Thankfully she stopped at two when the girls, especially Ikki wanted to do a lot more with rainbows and and glitter. She reached up a hand to touch her new hair style when Ikki swatted it away with a warning and a waggle of her little index finger.
"Don't touch it, you'll mess it up." she recited with an act that reminded Korra strangely of Tenzin.
"Okay, Okay." Korra felt anxious to get back to the streets of Republic city. Shifting her eyes towards the metal door which still held the marks of her anger. "What happens now?"
Jinora looked up at her with a mischievous grin, "Wait for it..."
Suddenly, a loud crash came from above their heads. Young Meelo, grinning wildly, gently floated down in front of Korra whose eyes glanced up and found a child sized hole in the ceiling. Before she could react to her new escape route, Jinora and Ikki forcefully shoved her behind the door just as it opened.
"She went up! Out through the roof!" The girls cried and pointed up to the hole. The waterbender and firebender guards who had come in to investigate the noise immediately launched themselves through to the roof. Meelo followed after them and proceeded to misdirect them to the sky bison or more accurately Naga's pen.
After a moment, as the muffled voices of shouting guards faded, Jinora effortlessly rose in the the air with a light twirl to peek out on to the roof.
"All clear." she whispered down to them, "All the guards are headed towards the pens."
Korra lept and caught hold of the edge of the hole, with the help of the airbender children she climbed through the roof "I have to admit, I was expecting something a bit... well, a bit more chaotic-"
Suddenly a loud boom rattled the roof and a plume of smoke near the kitchens billowed lightly out into the air.
"You were saying?" the girls smirked at the Avatar.
"You guys are awesome." Korra grinned as she hurried off the roof to the nearby cliff. She needed no instructions on what to do next; she's done it so many times it should be second nature by now. After waving a meaningful goodbye to Ikki and Jinora; she did a graceful dive into the water, expertly bending the water around her to keep herself from ever getting wet or running out of air. At speeds aided by waterbending, Korra took off in the direction of the faint golden glow of Republic city's night lights that reflected in the water.
She was so concentrated on reaching the city that she did not notice another following her at a distance, bending the ocean around him to his will to keep his presence from disturbing the water.
End chapter 6
Thank you all and tips are very much appreciated as I am always trying to improve.
Note: I lost my "I" key recently. So any missing "i"s, I sincerely apologize for belatedly. I also apologize for the late update, technical difficulties...