I wake up, pain pounding through my skull. I go to massage my temples, but I can't. My eyes open and I see my wrists and ankles are bound and bloody.
"Wha-? Where am I..." I wonder aloud, my voice strained, and dry. Then it comes rushing back, Mr. Koari calling me in, being attacked in the plaza, being gaged and tied up.
And then something else, there's a metallic taste on my tongue; being beaten when I resisted, when I wouldn't talk. How long? Days, maybe but I can't remember...
I look around and see I'm in a cage, I slide up and sit against the back bars of the cage. My back, Agni everything hurts.
"Eh, she's awake." There's a figure leering behind the bars, "Hey there pretty girl, you gunna talk for us? Or do we gotta call the boss?" I grit my teeth and stare the man down.
"Fine then, I warned you." He growls, "Get her in the panic room, tie her to the chair." He barks. Looming figures unlock my cage and grab me by my arms, dragging me out. I struggle back, out there isn't safe, the cage isn't safe either, but it's better than the panic room. That horrible room with the dull white walls, that one flickering lightbulb.
The men let go and I tumble to the floor. Smacking my jaw on the hard cement, jarring my body. I whimper softly. "That'll teach you, little bitch." Sneers one of the men.
They continue to drag me to out of the room and down the hall. I resist less now.
The man from before is there when they throw me into the white room. As they set me up in a chair he walks over and grabs my chin, pulling my face closer, examining my newly acquired bruise.
"Damnit, I thought I said go easy on the little rat, we can't get good ransom if we beat the shit outta her." He turns abruptly and backhands to guy closest to him. The man stumbled back growling.
"Bitch deserved it." He grumbled.
"Just do your damn job." Barked the other.
They begin to hold me down and tie me to the chair. I manage to free me leg. I kick the closest guy's crotch. He topples over with a grunt of pain. I smirk, until there's a sharp hand across my face. I glare at the hand's owner.
"Don't." He snarls. I look up at him and spit blood onto the ground. "You still got some fight huh?" Asks the other, he chuckles, "I'll make sure to pass that on."
The men leave me tied there, my eyes frantically search the room looking for escape. I try to melt my bonds, but it's no use, they're made of metal, and I'm too weak.
The door creaks back open, to reveal a tall figure in a maroon business suit, he makes his way over to me, "Hello there, you must be Miss Sato, how are we doing this wonderful morning?" I glare at the man and he chuckles, "Oh still not talking are we?" He unsheathes a large knife from his belt, "Why don't you rethink that choice, my dear?" He offers, softly pressing the knife to my wrist. I take a deep breath and stare straight ahead. "Still nothing?" He tchs very quietly, "We'll see about that."
He presses the knife down and draws blood, I seethe but nothing more. He cuts me again, but an inch or two higher than the first, he continues to cut me until he reaches the space just above the crook of my arm. He looks back up from my arm, "Nothing? Nothing you want to tell me? To reveal?" He asks almost pleased. I growl and grit my teeth, "Oh goodie, you'll be hard to break, now won't you now? I haven't had a fighter in ages." He gave me a sickening smile as he sheathed his knife.
"Now, let me get a good look at you, dear." He circles around me, running an almost gentle hand over my hair. "Why you have such beautiful dark curls." I grit my teeth as I feel him start to run his hands through my hair, "I understand that long beautiful hair is traditional must for Fire Nation nobility. It'd be a shame if something happened to yours." He bunches my hair like he was going to put my hair in a ponytail. I hear him unsheathe his knife once more, I can't help but release a soft whimper. "Oh, am I hitting a nerve here?" I don't answer, "oh well, too bad," I cry out as he jerks up the knife, the blade slices through my hair, cutting off a sizable portion.
He laughs, dropping my curls to the ground, "Oh what a shame my dear, you still have nothing to tell me?" I shake my head. He leans over a grabs my chin, jerking my face towards him. "Don't worry, I promise I'll break you soon enough," he pats my cheek and I snap at him, "oh are we getting feral now? Such a pretty princess shouldn't act as such." He tched quietly. "I'm going to ask you one thing, where is the tiger? Think long and hard about your answer, my dear," My eyes widen and I bit my lip, no never, I'll never tell them where Kishan is, I'd die first. He sees that I wont answer, "Oh, well. See you tomorrow." He sang as he left the room.
Once I was back in my cage I couldn't stop the terrified shivers and shudders that raked through me as I ripped my shirt and dressed my wounds.
The next several times I see this man he tortures me mercilessly, always asking, Where's the tiger? Where's the tiger, dear girl? In the same tone, that same creepy tone that makes my skin crawl.
One of the last days I remember, sitting in my cage, pressing a hand against my arm, no longer able to dress my own wounds, and I rememberer it clearly, staring out into that one beam of dying sunlight from the skylight and thinking:
'If this keeps up I might just break,'