Chapter 4: Give us our rights!
She was 17 when the raid finally came down on them. Linna and Rata had been turned in by a so-called ally Earth bender.
The metal benders didn't waste time after they broke down the frail wooden door. Before Rata and Linna were fully awake, their wrists were securely tied by the metal cords. Another pair of cords secured their ankles so the couple wouldn't go anywhere. Both wiggled from the bed and rolled onto the floor like worms. Flint could hear the commotion from her slumber. When she finally realized where it was coming from, she ran towards her parent's room.
Her bending hadn't improved much since the orphanage, but she was learning chi blocking from a group of underground nonbenders with a grudge against the government. Automatically she grabbed the arm of the nearest metal bender, hitting the pressure points with precision. His arm went limp. The other three sent their cords her way. She was able to dodge the first two cords, but the third caught her around the leg.
The woman yanked it, taking Flint down. Thinking fast, she whipped her leg around, making the officer stumble. The distraction was long enough for her to get back on her feet. One of the guys reached out to grab her. She struck his palm in three places. Flint should have paid more attention to the master chi blockers. It was too late for her to attack again because the officer gripped her wrist, bent it back painfully, and brought her to her knees.
She was distracted and didn't notice his partner bend the cord around both of her legs. Flint hit the ground hard when he pulled her ankles. There was no time for any fancy maneuvers because they tied her wrist as well. Linna and Rata smiled solemnly at her before they were yanked to their feet. Though their mouth's were taped, Linna and Rata made no sound. Seeing their heads held high made that scream in the back of her throat claw its way out.
Flint was put in a separate car from her parents.
From the relatively smooth ride, she guessed they were deep within Republic City. Though she lived on the edge of this loud industrialized hub, she never had traveled more than a couple of miles in. Now, she thought grimly, she was going to see a whole lot less of it.
Her parents weren't going to be let off easily. For the past five years Linna and Rata had been harboring antigovernment benders and nonbenders in the barn. It started with small meeting in their living room and moved to larger ones within the bowels of the city. Flint's house became a pseudo hotel for those trying to end the tyranny of the benders. People were always coming in and out, making fliers, practicing chi blocking or other fighting techniques and talking. Leaders were always talking about how benders had used their bending to frighten and control.
During her childhood, Flint usually hid in her room until the talk went away. She was quite sure Linna and Rata didn't think all benders were bullies because they adopted her, but the others might hate her. It wasn't until another girl her age with Earth bending origins stumbled into her room. The girl's eyes were a dark brown. In the dark they looked pupil-less. Flint hid under her covers and acted like she didn't exist.
"I saw you," the girl didn't hesitate to jump on her bed, landing on Flint's stomach.
"Ouch! Get off!" Flint pushed her on the floor. "Get out of my room!" She yelled this from under her blankets so it lost the effect she had wanted.
"Sorry. I thought you wanted to play since you are skipping practice." The girl got up to leave.
"Practice what?" A small, curious voice asked. A pair of light amber eyes peeked from the bed.
The girl smiled triumphantly. "Chi blocking! All the other kids are taking it. The masters are upset right now, though, because we aren't listening. They are so boring!" She sagged her shoulders dramatically.
The covers hit the ground. Flint finally got a good look at the girl. She was tall for her age, slim with brunette hair that fell a little past her shoulders. The ends curled slightly and that made Flint a little jealous because her own hair never looked so pretty.
"I'm coming."
"What's your name?"
"Flint. You?"
"Blair."
Flint hit the back of her head against her temporary metal prison in frustration. At that moment, they stopped.
Incarceration.