Seven devils all around you
Seven devils in my house
See they were there when I woke up this morning
I'll be dead before the day is done
Noatak knew what Tarrlok was doing. Spirits, he didn't know how, but he felt it like a knife in his back. He didn't blame his brother. They had become the exact things they had been trying to avoid. They were both monsters, just like their father. So when the boat exploded, he made a shield of water. A large bubble. Still, the explosion was forceful and Noatak screamed in agony when a large piece of the boat burst through the shield and cut his shoulder. Instantly, blood filled the water, and he let out a sob as he pushed it away.
When the heat receded, only one thing filled his mind, filled his entire body, like he was choking on water. Tarrlok.
He burst from the water, and heard screaming. He wondered for a moment who it was then realized he was. The saltwater stung his shoulder and he winced as he paddled with one arm, blindly, until everything came into focus.
The wreckage of the boat was scattered everywhere. He looked frantically for his brother. And then he saw him. And he couldn't help the rush of memories that flooded him. He was drowning again. His mouth was filled with water. And all he could remember was helping his brother up from the snow, braiding his hair in the morning, letting him sob into his shoulder at what they could do, and when he kissed all of his brothers bruises where his dad had hit him.
His brother was barely recognizable. He was burned and limp, floating lifeless in the water. His face was charred so bad in some places he could see bone, Noatak was still screaming so loud he was surprised the entire world didn't break around him. He didn't know if he would mind.
Why had he saved himself. His cause suddenly seemed worthless. Seemed childish and stupid. And Noatak could not stop the screaming and the images of snowball fights with his brother. Of sneaking him food when his dad wouldn't. When his brother was real, alive.
He was sobbing so hard he couldn't begin to even do anything. His sobbing and screaming became so uniform they formed a word and he was choking out his brother's name "Tarrlok". He was a child again. He needed his little brother to be safe.
He sat like that for hours, days, years. He couldn't breathe.
He slowly made his way back to shore after that. He stopped crying, and did not cry again. He swam and healed his shoulder at the same time. He winced occasionally at the wound in his shoulder. It was very deep, and the bone was showing. He had never done well with healing and when the skin did heal, it was strange and lumpy, and did not move well.
He swam for about 2 hours before successfully reaching shore. He laid down and closed his eyes. He didn't care if anyone found him, he needed sleep.
When he woke up, he was screaming his brother's dead eyes were all he could see, and someone grabbed his hand, almost apprehensively, and squeezed.
Noatak looked up. He was not on the beach anymore, but he wasn't in jail. He was back in Equalist headquarters, his masked face plastered against the walls. He was on a bed, and in new clothes. And the biggest surprise of all was the man in front of him.
"Lieutenant." he acknowledged coolly, but he was not wearing the mask, and the surprise was evident on his face.
"Amon." he said, anger plain on his face.
"Call me Noatak. Please." he said, because he suddenly could not remember anything else. He couldn't remember how sorry he was, and his explanation suddenly did not seem enough.
"Yeah. Okay." he muttered.
"Lieu, I am so sorry. You have to understand, I-" Noatak began.
"No!" Lieutenant screamed, shaking with rage suddenly, "You have to understand! I gave up everything for you! I could have been at the top of Republic City. I was a promising accountant! My wife had died, and I was single, with girls throwing themselves at me! I could have owned Republic City Bank, Noatak! But instead, we met, an you told me about your dream. You didn't have anything! Just a dream. I gave you all the funds. Everything. I have paid for everything up until we had investors. I was in debt! I can't just go back to the world, I have people who want to kill me! Not just because I'm an equalist, but because I've been avoiding payments! But I trusted you. I literally dedicated my entire life to you." his voice turned into a whisper, "I gave you everything."
They sat in silence for a long time. Noatak looked up at him. "I thought you'd understand. I thought you'd realize the Avatar was right in front of me. I was about to take her bending. I thought you would forgive me, or understand, or something. But you attack me. And I do it without thinking, without fully realizing that I am betraying my only friend. I didn't tell you about me, because I wanted your acceptance. I wanted you to think that I was the truth. I am disgusted with what I am. But, I- I don't know what to do. And after all we've been through I thought th-"
Suddenly, Lieutenant's mouth was on his, and for the first time in what felt like a long time, Noatak was happy, whole. He was going to be okay.