Bolin narrowed his green eyes, and strained his ears out even farther to try and sense some sort of movement.
Actually just any noise at all would have been great at this point. It had been too quiet for far too long now.
The brothers had lead the strange new girl up into the tower almost half an hour ago, in hopes of her finding her father. And their plan fell even more perfectly into play when Korra had awoken early and headed upstairs into the dungeon.
Bolin had become almost airborne with how excited he had became over the prospect of someone finally breaking the curse. Continuing to whisper shout 'this is the one we've been waiting for' over and over again while Mako continued to shush him and keep watch.
The earthbender's excitement had died though as the minutes fell away and no sign of either of the girls returning happened.
Pressing his large body up against the stone wall with a frown, the earthbender tapped on his brother's shoulder. Causing the look out to yelp slightly.
"DUDE! Don't scare me like that!"
"Sorry, sorry! But I don't think she's coming down anytime soon."
"Can you hear anything?"
"No I-"
Shrieking like a child, Bolin felt the brush of someone moving directly behind him. The lug of a boy spun around to see a deep blue hood and shadowed out face he knew all too well standing in the staircase entrance.
As per usual body language was the only thing helpful enough to show off what the Avatar was feeling.
Currently the crossed arms and cocked out hip screamed 'PISSED'.
"K-Korra! I-we were uh- just ya know-"
"Move."
The two brothers basically fell over one another trying to get out of the Master's way. Both diverting their eyes away from the glare their boss was undoubtably giving them from beneath her cloak.
Mako fell into step beside the tan girl immediately while Bolin followed from behind.
The tension was strong enough to kill a man.
Nervously tugging on his red scarf, the firebending boy tried to think of some way to break the silence in a non-lethal way. Avatar or not, an angry Korra was something to fear.
"So how did it go?"
Not even pausing in her stride, the water tribe girl turned a sharp left around the corner. And then an immediate right. Heading down the staircase towards her castle's basement.
"Don't ask. We need to find Varrick."
"Uh why?"
"He needs to fix the old man's car. And then I need you to go fetch the new girl's one. Move it into the garage out back got it?"
The firebender scrunched his dark eyebrows downwards. Before he could question her further, Bolin sprinted in front of his two friends to stop them.
Holding up his hands with a hopeful almost pleading look.
"Wait! Does this mean she's staying?!"
"...yes."
Korra slid past the excited looking earthbending boy, and opened up the large metal door leading down towards her handyman's 'lair'.
Meanwhile upstairs, the family of two continued to rest together in silence. Clasping onto each other's hands through the small cell door opening.
Simultaneous tears falling from their tired eyes.
"Asami...it's not to late to reconsider. You can still go home..."
Her father sounded almost pleading in his offer, but the heiress merely tightened her grip onto his aged hand.
"I'll be okay dad. It might not be so bad here, I mean come on...what girl doesn't dream of living in a castle?"
She had meant for her argument to sound more convincing. And not to have the quake in her voice be so obvious.
"You...you could run! After I-I go you could run and I could send the police-"
"Dad no. I'd rather die then have to go back on my word to protect you.."
"But you don't deserve to live here with that...that beast of a girl."
"...neither do you..."
The Sato girl readjusted her position and gave her father a humorless laugh. It echoed throughout their chilled space like the chiming of a broken bell.
"I won't miss the city anyways. It means no more paparazzi scandals and tabloids...and at least I can survive out here. You can't without the medication and your doctors."
Allowing her shoulders to drop, Asami chocked slightly on the rawness of her suddenly dry mouth.
"B-Besides, It'll be easy to replace a successor for the business."
"That may be, but I can't replace my daughter."
A fresh wave of silent tears ran down the teen's face upon hearing her dad's words. She thanked the spirits that his cell didn't allow him to see her crying in such a way.
However visible or not, the crack in her voice still betrayed the emotions she felt consuming her.
"Y-you'll always be my father...and...you've given up so much for me...please. Let me do this for you...Please..."
Hiroshi remained quiet, but the strong squeeze he gave his daughter's hand signaled to the tall girl that he would accept her sacrifice.
A loud bang rattled through the chamers as the passageway opened to reveal the once again hooded girl. Only this time she was flagged by two boys.
One of them looked like Asami's age, with spiked up black hair and calculating amber irises. He had his arms crossed across his chest that was decorated with a pitch black, red lined jacket. The under shirt beneath was most definitely a heavy duty guards vest (something close to what probenders wore), but the blood red emblem over top made it seem more like a Fire Nation soldier uniform.
His expression seemed to be anything but friendly, yet something deep within his eyes reminded the heiress of something akin to pity.
The other was dressed in a similar coat over style, only his grey jacket consisted of vibrant gold buttons and lining. Along with an identical guards uniform underneath as well, but colored with more mellow green shades and bright yellows.
His eyes were also much softer then the other's. Almost meadow like to a sense, and his greased hair, was wavy and not as sharp. Giving him a more laid back vibe. The bulky boy smiled kindly and waved.
The heiress had almost waved back, but thought better of it when the burned up girl from before moved forward.
Korra knew the girl could see nothing of her dark cover, only imagining the carnage she had seen from before. What in the spirits name had possessed the teen to expose herself in such away was beyond her.
But the damage was done. Awkwardly staring at anything but the girl before the cell, Korra cleared her throat.
"Your car has been fixed Mr. Sato. Mako here will be escorting you out and will be bringing um..."
"Asami. My name is Asami."
"Right. Well if you could give my friend here your keys, he will bring back your car as well after dropping off your father."
The boy with the scowl moved to step towards the cell door causing the pale teen to release Hiroshi's hand from her leather clad gloved one and stand.
"That is NOT necessary! I can-"
"No you can not. I understand that your father is sick so he shall be dropped off in the city. My friend is very capable of ensuring he will be taken care of along with your car."
Asami raised an eyebrow and mentally went over her options.
Until she remembered that she had none. She'd just have to trust that her captor was telling the truth, and that this Mako guy pulled through.
Without another word, the heiress moved aside to allow the black haired boy to pass.
After the aged man's cell door opened, the firebender lightly took ahold of him by the forearm and briefly allowed the two Sato's to hug. Saying goodbye for the last time.
The Avatar ignored the feeling in her chest that cracked like lighting after hearing Mr. Sato say repeatedly 'I love you' and 'I'm so proud'.
Sighing as her dad was dragged from the tower, Asami moved to head towards the cell Hiroshi previously occupied.
"Where are you going?"
Spinning around to face Korra, the heiress looked around at the dingy poorly lit area with wide eyes.
"I just thought...that I was taking his place and..."
"Do you WANT to stay up here in the dungeon?"
"N-no I just assumed...I'm sorry."
The Avatar felt a wave of guilt rush over her for snapping at the other girl so easily. But she quickly brushed off the uncommon feeling of remorse and turned herself around so she could exit.
"Bolin will be taking you to your new quarters. I expect to see you at dinner."
And with that she left to go speak to Tenzin.
The earthbender smiled sadly at Asami's chestfallen face and move to pat her on the back kindly. Whispering so Korra's disappearing form couldn't hear.
"I know it seems bad now, but I promise you'll like it here."
"Doubt that. But um thank you, Bolin right?"
Moving to form a mock salute, the bulky boy grinned from ear to ear. For the first time since she had entered the estate, Asami found herself smiling genuinely.
"Yup! That's me, and I'm also your personal tour guide of the day!"
"Do you think maybe I could take a raincheck? It's been a long day and I kinda just wanted to lay down..."
"Ohhhhh right gotcha, lot of drama and stuff. With your dad and selling away you life to live as a prison...-I'm gonna shut up now!"
Quickly moving to guide the new guest out of the chilly tower, the heiress gave the dirty room one last fleeting glance before allowing herself to be lead away.
At least her stay wouldn't be horrible and unsanitary at least.
Now that the halls were alight with the new day sun, the pale girl was able to completely take in her surroundings and marvel at all of the amazing bending artifacts covering ever available space.
Water to Earth emblems that looked ancient to the touch. Fire to Air tools that could very well belong to some sort of museum. Not one wall was left bare.
She almost completely missed Bolin's speech.
"The house rules are pretty straight forward. Just do your specific job quota and you won't have a problem!"
"Well who exactly am I working for and what would my job even be?"
"Huh I didn't think of that? Well just call, uh the girl in the cloak Master or Boss. Either or works really. As for work you'll probably do nothing considering you are here to save-SERVE! Serve a-as the boss's prisoner! Yeah serve thats...uh thats it, just serving your time, ya know just doing stuff with the master-I MEAN not with! I MEAN FOR! For the master! Eh just serving...as her prisoner yeah."
Taking a large gulp of air to bite his tongue, Bolin could almost feel the mental slap upside the head his brother would have given him for that spew of word vomit.
Asami could tell the earthbending boy was covering for something, but her better judgement told her it could be best to let the comment slid...for now.
"Yeah I got it. So does this mean I'm serving her tonight at dinner?"
"Oh no no no no no! You'd totally be there as her guest!"
"Well if I'm not being ordered to, then I guess I don't HAVE to go."
WARNING WARNING YOU JUST SCREWED UP! DAMAGE CONTROL TIME!
Bolin's mind flashed like a crazed blinker, as he tried to backpedal out of the problem he inadvertently made.
"Well I mean it would be, um better if you did come?"
"Hmmm I'll think about it. After all if I'm not needed to serve then, why go?"
He couldn't go back on what he said, less he confuse, upset, or anger Asami more then she clearly already was. So for the time being Bolin kept his mouth shut.
Making a mental note to pray later on that Asami would show up tonight.
Noticing that they were walking towards a whole new section of the castle, the heiress took a good look around. She was about to comment about how unkept everything looked around this section of the estate. Only to have her body being politely redirected.
"I wouldn't get to comfy around here. The west wing is off limits."
"Why?"
"Because this is where um-It's forbidden let's just leave it at that."
Again ignoring the warning bells in her head, Asami allowed herself to be turned away and continued to follow the green eyed boy up to another level of stairs.
"So this is a really big place, how many people work here?"
"Just a few. We have one of every type of benders. Some non's too, but our staff is limited to what is only essential."
Raising a brow, the pale girl frowned slightly.
"Does that include air nomads? Because I thought they were extinct?"
"W-well I mean like the ones from the other temples out there that kinda just follow airbender rules and life-"
"And why have benders of every element?...oh god don't tell me this girl is some huge Avatar fanatic?"
Green eyes widening comically, the earthbending boy was quick to defuse yet another bomb he had set up.
"WHAT?! No avatar? Pshhh what are you talking about? You're funny you know the avatar has been missing for years now ehehe...um no she just really scared! Yeah all the time and she likes the extra protection! Because she's a nonbender and feels uh threatened?"
"Hmmm I don't see why she would feel like that. I mean I've been training most of my life and she still was able to avoid my attacks. I only got one good hit in before she ducked out."
Jaw falling through the floor, the younger of the brothers stopped in his tracks.
"You actually hit her?!"
"Yeah barely grazing her jaw though. Why what's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong it's just that...no one's ever even gotten close to hurting the boss even in sparring. She's the best nonbending fighter in the castle!"
Again finding a hole in the boy's words, Asami crossed her arms.
"I thought you said she liked having the extra protection because she was threatened? If she's the best why be so scarred?"
"...no no! She does! Just um you know a little fire earth and water action um helps?"
Accepting the answer skeptically, the heiress decided not to ask anymore questions. There was no point if this Bolin guy would just keep fabricating whatever the truth was.
But then again, if he continued to mess up in his rambles perhaps she could piece together some bits of truth...
Breaking the tense air after finally becoming too uncomfortable in the silence, Asami sighed.
"Say Bolin?"
"Yeah?"
"I don't think you'll even consider telling me the truth here. But...what happened to the girl here?"
Tensing slightly the built boy internally begun to lose his cool further. If he messed up anything else for today the Avatar would have his head.
Quickening his pace so he was now in front of Asami, Bolin shrugged and looked around hurriedly in attempts of finding the door he needed.
"That is totally not my story to tell! Positive of that one, but I can tell you that it's not a fun tale...she wasn't always like this. And she really is a great person."
"Really?! If she is such a good person why do I need to stay here as her prisoner-"
"HEY LOOK WE'RE HERE!"
Startled by his outburst, the heiress turned to see that she was before a large dark mahogany red door.
"ThereAreSomeClothesInThereThatBelongedToPemaWhoIsOurChefI'llSeeYouAtDinnerBye!"
Speaking 100 miles an hour, Bolin saluted and ran away as quickly as possible. Leaving Asami mid sentence with a sad expression marring her features.
"Okay nice talking to you I guess..."
The earthbender hid around the hallway corner. Waiting until he was positive that Asami was safety inside her room, before turning away to peer out the pane glass styled window to check how high the sun had risen.
It was almost time to wake up the air kids now that his last obligation had been completed. He just hoped to the spirits nothing he had said would make it back to his boss.
What neither Asami or Bolin knew though, was that Korra had been monitoring their entire conversation. Constantly smacking her forehead over how many new issues her best fried had unexpectedly caused.
"Note to self. Never send Bolin on a delivery..."
From the enchanted glass of her pitch black hand mirror, the burned girl watched on curiously as to how her knew prisoner would find her rooming.
She had personally picked out the nicest one available and instructed her big oaf of a friend to bring her to the quarters. Not at all expecting him to basically blab and lie about every secret she had in the world.
But luckily the tall girl had brushed off the slip ups and ignored the earthbenders mistakes.
Thank Aang for that small blessing.
So far Asami seemed to just be looking at all the water tribe decorations with interest. Causing Korra to smile despite herself.
That was until she heard what the heiress was mumbling to herself.
"Yeah 'She's a great person'...for what giving me a nice room? Woohoo give her the medal of honor..."
Sighing, Asami sat upon her bed as tears fell from her once alight eyes.
"People need to have feelings to be considered great."
Hurt even more then she was angry, Korra slammed mer mirror down next to the wilting rose by her destroyed bedside table.
She was a fool to think there would be any hope for this girl to see her as anything more then a monster...
Reviews are loved guys:D thanx for reading