Tell me everything that happened
Tell me everything you saw
They had lights inside their eyes
They had lights inside their eyes
Did you see the closing window?
Did you hear the slamming door?
They moved forward, my heart died
They moved forward, my heart died
Please, please tell me what they look like
Did they seem afraid of you?
They were kids that I once knew
They were kids that I once knew
Did you touch them, did you hold them?
Did they follow you to town?
They make me feel I'm falling down
They make me feel I'm falling down
Was there one you saw too clearly?
Did they seem too real to you?
They were kids that I once knew
They were kids that I once knew
"Dead Hearts"
The sharp echo of her heels clicking against the newly-polished floor, brings her small comfort as the passive-faced, silent officer leads her down the labyrinth of halls that occupy Republic City Jail. Her reflection shining back at her through the waxy tiles, shows determined eyes, yet the curve of her mouth, and the slight shaking of her hands, prove otherwise. She stuffs her bitten-nailed fingers back in her pockets, hands fisting the possession tucked inside, to make sure it's still there.
She gazes left, and right, at the rectangles of rusting doors that line the walls; each square, three-barred window passing behind her with an unfamiliar, grim, sullen face hidden beneath its shadows. The Officer finally halts in front of a tightly-locked cell, and she takes a shaky breath.
With a wave of hands and a bend of the knees, the bolt unhooks, and the door grinds open with a high-pitched squelch that can only be from the excess layers of metal. Extra precaution, she thinks bitterly.
She frowns at her thoughts, for how can he be any threat, when shut up all the way down here? The unnecessary paranoia unnerves her.
"You have five minutes, Ms. Sato," the metelbender grunts, "Use them wisely." He fixes his green eyes just towered her right, for it seems that to look right at her, would only be making 'following orders' that much harder. She doesn't comment. She just locks her eyes with his-Iknowwhatyou'rethinking;I'mnothinglikehim- and he flicks his away, jaw set.
He nods stiffly. "Very well. Good luck," and spins on his heels.
She listens as his footsteps fade just outside the hall where she knows he is waiting, and she approaches the bars tentatively
The silhouette is slumped against a chair in the corner, his frame looking thinner than she remembered, and his chin and jaw are woven with a thick beard. She recalls the last time she saw him; nearly a year ago, with his flickering gold eyes narrowed in hatred as the Mecca Tank struck her.
She doesn't recognize this man now. She wonders if her past self would recognize her, if given the chance at a sneak peek to this point in time.
Her voice sounds...old. "Hello, Dad."
Those stranger eyes look up at her.
"....Asami."
She carefully takes the object out of her pocket, and unfolds it slowly; a crinkled picture of a man, with beady eyes and scars patterned on his face. She holds it up to him, as her other hand clenches around the bars. "What do you know about The Abdicator?"
Terror flashes across his face.
"No...that can't be. That...that's impossible."
"I can't believe we're really doing this," Mako grunted. "This is insane-"
"-What could go wrong?" Korra asked, "We have the Police backing him up."
Mako crossed his arms, peering down the road cautiously to where Bolin was standing in plain sight. "Yeah, but he probably knows that. Why else would we leave Bolin out in the open? I just..." Mako sighed.
"Bolin sent him a message on the same radio frequency that he used to give his warnings, telling The Abdicator that he wanted it to be just them two." She put a hand on his shoulder, "The Abdicator accepted it. Now, all we have to do it wait."
"For something to go wrong." he mumbled bitterly. "I just...he... " and Mako took another concerned glance around to corner to Bolin, "I just don't have a good feeling about this..."
Lin shushed them, "Quiet, you two! Places everyone!"
To anyone who would be daring enough to walk this abandoned street late at night, it would appear to be just that- abandoned. A street lamp flickered here or there, and the rustling of paper scraping across the ground could be heard in the slight breeze, but other than that, it as bathed in shadows. A report had been sent out to the people a few days ago, ordering them all to be in their houses as soon as the sun went down-but they found that most citizens were too afraid to leave their homes anyway.
Eight children brutally killed in the span of less than two weeks, tends to strike fear in anyone.
The City that was meant to be the Beacon of Hope, the Center of Peace and Harmony, was once again, in a matter of less than a year, a zone of war and blood.
But, if they played their cards right, if this really worked...maybe this would all end. Maybe...
The clock in the center of town stroke midnight, the bell sounding out an eerie chime throughout the night. Everyone tensed, the signal put in action. Behind the shadows, and on top of buildings the metalbenders waited, everyone's eyes on the Earthbender in the middle of the road. Boin looked back with worried eyes.
"It's midnight." Mako hissed, "He said he be here at twelve! Why isn't he here? I don't-"
"-Shh!" Korra slapped a hand over his mouth. "Just wait."
The beating of their heartbeats seemed to be the only way to count the seconds. The anticipation kept growing, sweat sliding down their backs. The officers on the ground gave Lin a questioning look, but she shook her head, indicating to remain at their post.
Mako counted off a whole minute in head. Then another. "Korra..." he said cautiously.
Then he saw Bolin clutch his forehead in a grimace, and seem to mutter something. At first Mako thought Bolin was just afraid- because he himself was trying fucking hard not to wet his pants as his fire heated in his clenched hands.
But then, he saw something in Bolin's eyes shift. Something like terror pass across his face. "No. You can't do that." Bolin groaned, seemingly talking to himself.
"Bo...?" Mako inched forward along the wall, but Korra pulled him back by his arm.
"Mako! You can't!" she chided, "You have to stay encase-"
Then five officers started screaming from above.
As soon as the clock stuck midnight, Bolin felt it. Something inside him, his intuition telling him something was about to go very wrong. He looked back at Mako and Korra, and desperately wanted to be by their side. To be in the safety of his bed- anywhere but here.
Then it felt like his skull was being ripped apart from the inside. He grimaced and held his head, feeling the voice vibrate through him.
Bolin knew that voice...he...knew it...he...
Bolin eyes snapped open in fear.
No. His voice.
The Abdicator spoke through his mind, sending stabs of pain with each word.
My, my, what to we have here? A little cheater, have we?
Bolin grit his teeth.
Now, Bolin, what have I always told you about playing fair? You know our little deal was meant for just the two of us. So sad that these men of justice will have to pay the price for your selfishness.
Bolin trembled, his eyes shrinking in fear. "No. You can't do that."
Ohh, Bolin...You should know me better than that. I can, and I will.
Screams broke out from above and everything went to hell.
The five bodies fell from the roof like sacks, the knifes driven through their skulls, glistening all the way down until they hit the pavement with dull thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.
The blood was the color of a sickly crimson, and Bolin was too frozen to move as the liquid seeped from the bodies, and around his feet. He swallowed and swallowed, trying to catch his breath.
"Fucking monkeyfeathers-!" He heard curses and yells from the rest of the Police behind him, shouts of where are you, show yourself! He heard his name being yelled, but he ignored it. A rock wall barrier was constructed around him, but he wildly struck his arms out and took it down.
He exploded. He became a star of busting fury, eyes glowing green. The anger consumed him. "Hey! Where are you, you bastard?! IT'S ME YOU WANT, ME!"he yelled into the night, motioning his arms to himself, "You want me so fucking bad?! I'M RIGHT HERE, COME AND GET ME!"
All at once, metalbenders descending from the roof tops, and began to surround him. No one dared look him directly in the eyes, but they brought their cables out for the ready. He felt someone grab him from behind, and he lashed out, kicking and screaming, only to find it was Mako, trying to keep him from bending and calling out.
"Bolin, stop!"
"Let go of me- let me go!" he kicked out a huge boulder from the ground. "It's my fault! He told me he was gonna do it! He told me-" kick-"because it was my fault, and I was selfish-" Mako tries to turn him around-" I told him he couldn't-and he did! He did it anyway!" he hollers, his vision tinted in glowing green. Somehow he in running down the street, but he falls to the ground when someone- or two people- tackle him to the ground.
Mako holds his arms down as he sits on his chest, and Korra brings out her water.
"Get off of me!" he tries to push Mako off, but the Firebender uses all his weight to keep him from getting up.
"Gahh-Bo-calm down!"
"I have to stop him! I'm the only one who can! I have to stop...have...to...s-stop..."
His voice becomes slurred and his breathing slows as Korra works her glowing water around his head. "This should put you to sleep for a while, Bolin." She says, "I'm sorry."
"N-no..." he mumbles, his eyes becoming heavy, "I h-have to-" he weakly moves his head left and right- "t-to...s-top him...s'my f-fault..."
"No, it isn't."
The icy liquid is somehow cooling to his pounding head, and his eyes become too heavy to close. So tired...The last thing he sees before he blanks out, besides Mako and Korra's sad faces, are them. The five dead metalbenders, thier forms rippling and swirling around him. They look at him with disdain, contempt, pity.
You are cursed and blessed, Earthbender, one says, For you have no idea of what is yet to come. You will rule them all.
And just like that, they start to fade away. But they'll be back. They'll always be back.
Nyla sadly shakes her head at him, the gash on her temple still shiny with blood, You should have played by the rules. she whispers, and fades into the night.
The darkness takes him, and the only thing he knows is that no matter how many times he dies, he'll always come back again. The problem is that he isn't sure he wants to anymore.
On a hill overlooking a vast part of the city, Maven, and The Abdicator stood, hidden by the rocks. They locked thier gazes upon Air Temple Island, where their little prize was fitfully sleeping, with that snot-nose of a brother watching over him. "The time is coming soon, Maven," he inhaled with a sadistic smile crawling up his face. "He will be ours."
Maven laughed, and stuck his sword in a grazing deer-like Spirit, and pulled it out fast, practicing. It made one pained shriek and fell to the ground. "Indeed, sir. But," Maven quirked an eyebrow, "how did you manage to get inside his mind like that? His face was priceless! 'N-no,'" Maven made his lips tremble, his voice high-pitched, in mock imitation of Number Twelve, '''y-you c-can't do t-that.'"
The Abidcator laughed, "Maven, my dear fellow, you are too good. The Spirits do tell me some fine tricks, and quite frankly, Twelve should be grateful that I did. At least I was kind enough to give him a warning. Had I not intruded his mind, he might have killed those poor unfortunate souls by accident on his own accord." he stated, "And we cannot let him no the truth of what he can really do, or who he really is, until the time is right, Maven. Everything must fall into place."
Maven clucked his tongue. "I can picture his face already," he purred. He shook his head in mock-pity, "Oh, that poor boy."
"That 'poor boy,'" The Abdicator remarked cooly, "Is the key to all our plans. He'll give the Avatar a run for her money. That little girl is not the only one who is predestined."
"Soon, sir?"
"Very soon, my friend. Very soon."
Bolin's consciousness returned in bits and pieces. He was aware of a pounding in his head, but that was all he could really feel. He could make out voices, but he couldn't quite open his eyes or move around, so they didn't seem to realize he could hear them. He was trapped in an in-between state; not that he was complaining, because he really wasn't ready to face the world again just yet.
"...Those were five of my best men, Tenzin."
"I know, Lin."
"No, you don't know! It's my fault they were killed, tonight. What kind of Chief am I, if I can't protect my people, let alone my own damn Officers?"
"Lin...What happened tonight is no one's fault. This maniac just wants to get at us, from all angles."
A weary sigh, "Well, he's doing a damn good job of it."
Tenzin's voice got lower, "Are you sure there isn't anything I can do?"
"Of course there's something you can do. Find out anything you can about this guy. Find books or something. Just...Just make sure Jinora stays on the Island."
"I have barely taken my eyes off any of my children since Amon."
"Spirits...those poor families. The kid blames himself enough as is, he doesn't need any more guilt on his plate. Mako said he started smoking to make the visions and ghosts go away."
"Ghosts?"
"Of the killed children."
"Dear, Ta and La..."
"Tenzin...?"
"Yes?"
"Do you really think the kid is the one?"
"...For his sake, and everyone else's, I prey that isn't the case."
The conversation continued after that, but it was fuzzy and indistinct in Bolin's ears, and even that soon slipped away.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
They were kids that I once knew.
The next evening.
The little fist knocked against the door with an echo. The slit in the window opened, showing a set of amber eyes through the crack.
"Password."
"Chan, it's me."
"I'm going to need to see some identification." the 'doorman' stated.
"Shut up, Chan. Just open the damn door before I break the table again. You know I can. I can see through the wall."
Chan groaned, "Geez, Ta Gee. Can't you take a joke?"
The rusty door opened, allowing the frustrated boy inside what was nicknamed 'The Ware House.' It was really a little shack-like thing in an alley on the west side. But, if the appearance kept people away, then it made it all the more safer for kids like 'them'.
Or make that the three that were left, because as Ta Gee glanced around the shack, he noticed they were short one 'freak' as Chan so wonderfully liked to call themselves.
"Eight kids like us have been slaughtered in the last two weeks," Ta Gee declared,"I hardly see how you can even joke at a time like this." Despite his warning, he focused his gaze on the coffee table in the corner, and, with a gleam of white light tinting his eyes, made the table fly off the ground and against the wall.
"Hey!" Chan nearly fainted.
Ta Gee clucked, "Now that's funny."
"Fuck you, man. I had to bribe a guy with two weeks of my allowance to get that thing, plus I had to drag it in here myself." Chan stroked the broken table leg melodramatically,"It made the place classy!"
"You just liked it, because it was Mie's favorite color." Ta Gee replied, and smiled as his friend blushed. "Speaking of which..." he looked around the room once more, "Where is Mie? You told her the right time to be here, didn't you?"
"Yes, genius. I didn't forget to tell her. But she called last minute- said something about having a lot of homework and her parents wanting her to stay home or whatever." He plopped down on the couch, giving the smaller boy a look when he couldn't prop his feet up on the table in style. "I'm telling you, dude, if her parents ever found out what Mie could do, or that she was like us, they'd hire people to seel the house shut from the inside out, and never let her out of their sight again."
"Gee, I wonder why...Maybe the fact that a serial killer is targeting us, may have something to do with it."
"Shut up, man...Nothing's gonna happen to us." Chan pushed the button on the radio, turning the dials nonchalantly. "I'm not afraid of a guy with a knife. I'm not afraid of anyone. If that bastard ever came at me, I'd phase right through 'em. I'm untouchable."
At that last comment, a form rippled on the opposite side of the couch, until a girl in a green dress, suddenly appeared in a matter of a second.
Chan yelped and fell of the coach with an embarrassing thud.
"You were saying, 'Mr. Untouchable?'" she said.
"Mie!" Ta Gee ran to give her a hug, while Chan grumbled in defeat on the floor. "You've been here the whole time, haven't you?"
"Please, you boys should know me better than that." she smiled knowingly.
"Damn it, woman, do you have to do that right next to me?"
"So much for not being afraid," she smirked, "Oh, and by the way, my favorite color is purple."
"Told you." Ta Gee was beginning to be happy he came.
"So, darlin, how'd your Ma and Pa let you leave their sight?" he moved closer to give her a peck on the cheek.
"Simple. It's called trust."
"And by that, you mean, you snuck out, past the curfew that our wonderful and capable police force set in action?" he quipped.
"Pretty much," she laughed uneasily.
"Anyway...seriously, guys. Not to sound totally depressing-
"-Yeah, because you're never like that-"
"-But it's only us left, and a guy named 'Bolin'. So I think we should start forming some sort of-"
"Bolin!?" Mie shrieked, "You mean the probending, Nutuk staring, Avatar's friend, Bolin?"
"No, the other one." Chan said. Ta Gee chucked a pillow at him.
"What?" he said, his face dark with anger,"Why do you sound so worshop-y? Encase you haven't realized by now, that asshole is the reason why we're in hiding. He's the reason why Kuzon, and all the other's are dead! So don't go all googly-eyed, Mie, and think you're gonna get some autograph, because he's the one the bastard wants. Your little Mover Star crush, is the freakiest of us all; the big bad Number Twelve that's gonna have us all six feet under by the end of the month."
Mie whimpered and looked away.
"Good job, man. Who's the depressing one now?"
"Whatever. You were the one who said to be serious, and I am. I mean, Agni, I wanna steal a car, put you guys in the back and high-tail it out of this damn city. To hell with this hiding."
"What about our parents?" Mie asked shyly, "We can't just leave."
"Maybe you guys can't. By mine parents wouldn't care." Chan said, folding his arms.
"Your parents don't know," Ta Gee looked at his friend with sad eyes, "do they?"
In all honesty, the fact that, three months ago, he had mysteriously fallen through his bedroom floor, and landed with half his body sticking out through the ceiling/floor, should have been a sure-fire sign that he was different. But like everything his parents did, they wanted things perfect, perfect, perfect. No trouble here, nope, no cause for alarm.
Chan's father had pulled him out of the floor, and plopped him back in bed. The next morning, his parents had pretended like it never happened, and never spoke of it again. Whenever Chan tried to bring it up, or show them again with a little example, it was always followed by some excuse that dinner was ready, or that's nice dear, or can we talk about it later, hon, I'm busy now.
"They know," he said quietly, "They just won't accept that I have anything 'wrong' with me. And I really don't know which is worse."
After a few sad moments of silence, Mie spoke up.
"What about the Avatar?"
Ta Gee asked, "What about her?"
"She and detective Mako have tried helping kids like us, right? Why don't we go to her?"
Chan scoffed, "Yeah, like they can help us. Haven't you heard? They tried catching the guy last night-and what happened? Five officers-five fully trained adults- were killed, struck right through the heads. No one can help us now."
And with that, the three friends huddled in silence, alone and afraid. The inevitable upon them.
"Bolin, please open the door!" Asami banged her fist on the room the Earthbender was staying at on the Island, "Please, Bolin, you need to eat something."
She huffed and leaned her head against it, just as Mako came around the corner. "I told you it wouldn't do any good," he sighed, "He's locked himself in there since last night. He won't even talk to me."
"Agni..." she muttered, "Was it really five officers?"
The grim expression on Mako face said more than words ever could. "Bolin tried to go off by himself, after. Said The Abdicator specifically told him it was his fault, and that he was going to strike." Mako's eyes fell, "He completely blames himself. Trust me, it's all I can do from keeping myself from banging open the door." Mako didn't want to tell anyone that he had stayed outside the room all night, listening to Bolin crying. That was his job, no one else's.
A few moments passed. "Well," Asami began, I guess I'll just leave the food here, then." She took one last look at the door, "Do you want to, um, see what Korra's doing?"
"Yeah, I guess." He had pounded on his door and called all night, and by now it was clear Bolin didn't want to talk to anyone.
Then went down the hall.
Bolin didn't think he ever wanted to leave this room ever again.
The weight of it all, all the guilt and blame pressed too heavy on his aching head. Each of their screams, each crack and every drop of blood was like a punch in the gut, saying he was responsible.
He bit his lip hard enough that it bled to stop himself from screaming, his teeth sinking through the flesh of his bottom lip. One of them- he didn't know which one- was inside him. His eyes glowing green, them making his arms move against his will, as he dabbed at the blood from his lips with his finger, and began writing on the wall in a sickly red.
His stained fingers moved on their own accord against the wall, red dripping on the floor. With each word that he painstakingly wrote, his mouth formed the horrid words:
Number Twelve shall rule them all.
Number Twelve shall rule them all.
Number Twelve shall rule them all.
Over and over. Across the headrest, on top of the dresser, as far as he could reach- as far as they could make him reach. Pull, pull, pull your limbs so far.
Everything was in a glowing green, and he felt like his eyes were on fire. He groaned a horrible noise, his pounding head making him feel nauseous. Then, all of a sudden, his teeth clamped down on his wrist-hard- blood oozing out of the teeth marks. They weren't through with him yet. He was his own paint brush.
They made him dab at his wrist, needing to fill in the other wall.
"P-please..." he begged, "Stop, it hurts..."
Why didn't the bastard just kill him already? No, because that would be too kind. He never wanted him dead in the first place. This was all part of the game.
It seemed like a lifetime had passed until the other wall was filled. He wasn't sure how much blood he had lost, but by the time it was all filled up, the room was starting to spin. He felt a surge run through him, his body consumed with light-then fade away.
He crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath. He spit blood onto the floor, and desperately garbed for a pillowcase to wrap around his wrist.
He hadn't cried himself to sleep like this since he was a little kid. He needed his brother more than he ever had in his life, but he found himself locking the door, pushing everyone away. He was cursed. He was too horrible to be around. It was all he could to keep himself from banging his own head against the wall, or taking one of the kitchen knifes and slitting his wrists.
As he wiped his eyes again, huddled in a ball on the bed, he realized what he had to do.
He had started all this, and he was going to end it. If the monster wanted him, so be it. He couldn't friggin take it anymore. No more kids were going to die, because of him.
He got up, slowly, on shaking legs. He knew what he had to do.
He was playing by his own rules now.
Mako could hardly sleep that night, too worried about Bolin to go into his own old bedroom, too paranoid to shut his eyes for more than a few minutes at a time. But around midnight, Korra found him, and practically dragged him from outside of Bolin's door, to his own bed that he once used. He must have been more tired than he thought, because when he opened his eyes, the sun was shining through the window, and the yapping of the little kids could be heard in the kitchen.
He yawned and stretched, his stomach hungry. But, after a moment...something, just felt wrong. It was a different kind of feeling than Bolin was experiencing; this type of fear was an older brother's instinct, forced upon him at an early age from living on the streets.
He flung the covers up, and pulled on his shirt. He was just about to open the door when he saw it.
A note, folded up by his bedside table, the ink still smelling fresh.
Mako unfolded the paper with shaking hands, and had to sit down upon reading the first few words:
Dear, Mako:
By the time you read this, I'll already be gone. I don't expect you to understand, but this is something I have to do myself. Too many people have died because of me, and I won't let anymore meet the same fate. I know what I have to do now, to end this. The Abdicator wants me, and we both know that this meeting will be inevitable, so I'm going to him to put an end to this. Whatever he uses me for, I just hope you can forgive me. And, if I die, I just want you to know you were the best big brother I could ever ask for, and I love you more than you could ever know.
Please don't blame yourself. This is my fate, not yours. You told me that my visions could help people, and in the end, no one could have predicted this outcome. So whatever happens to me, just promise that you'll keep on going. Keep going for Korra, and Asami, the Air family. For Mom, and Dad, and me. The girls need you, they're your family now. Never forget who you are, and please try to remember me how I was before. You've sacrificed everything for me, and now it's time to do some sacrificing of my own.
Goodbye, brother,
Love, Bolin