Note: Warning! If you do not like torture (in this case, waterboarding) or graphic violence/blood, then you should skip this chapter. Sorry if it does. Also thanks for the reviews and follows (it totally means a lot to me).
Korra sat on Noatak's head twirling her hair in her fingers while she recounted her evening with her cousins and uncle. Noatak nodded along as he put on his suit for the evening. He searched around his drawers for the accompanying cufflinks that Qilaq given him. He would have been a better listener this evening if it weren't for the fact that he was trying to concentrate on his plan of action for the evening. He didn't want to run into the Magnolia Club like an idiot and declaring that he was there for undercover purposes.
"Are you even listening to me? You just answered yes to a question that wasn't even a yes or no question," Korra said.
"Yes," Noatak said.
"See! You're not listening to me," Korra said.
"I am. You had dinner with your family this evening in which you said that your uncle pressed for you to see a healer. I agree, but you should see a healer that you can trust. Talk to Ingyu about it. He should know someone," Noatak said.
"Then answer my question. Why are you going to that place? Why are you listening to Qilaq?" Korra said.
Noatak took out his black bow tie and placed it around his neck. He held onto the ends and thought about Korra's question. Noatak didn't want to go to the Magnolia Club, but he also understood that he was not in the position to have anything that he wanted. Qilaq danced her little promises in front of him, but they were empty to him. He knew that no matter what she said that there was very little chance that once he was found out that he would either be living or not spending the rest of his life in prison away from Korra and their child. Instead, he had to pretend that he was fine with this and fine with the idea of dying when he had just learned to love life.
"I don't know why, but it's not like I have a choice. Qilaq is threatening to put me into prison which is where I should be," Noatak said.
"Then what about me? You can't just leave me. Hahn gives me the creeps. Nothing good will come from him. He might kill you. Then I'll be by myself," Korra said.
"You'll be by yourself if I don't. If I go to prison, I will never see the light of day again," Noatak said.
Korra rose up and embraced Noatak.
"I can't lose you," Korra said.
"Don't worry. You still have me," Noatak said.
Noatak held Korra's face up and kissed her. The long kiss tempted Noatak to stay at home and spend his time with Korra in their bed.
"Stay safe," Korra said.
"I will. Don't wait for me. You need the rest," Noatak said.
He kissed Korra one last time before he headed out. He looked strange and out of place as he walked from his district to the western portion of town. Noatak remarked how everyone who went to the Magnolia Club probably looked strange when they went in. Despite the fact that the southwestern district was incredibly poor, the district reveled in the red light strip where brothels and gambling dens. Lots of people seemed to trickle in and out of the red light strip where neon lights guided people to their sin of choice. At the center of it all, cloaked in gaudiness, was the Magnolia Club.
Noatak walked into the club and immediately grabbed a mask. The sensation of the cold black porcelain mask to his face made such an impression into his memories of how much a mask was just a more honest of showing one's self. He remembered how comfortable it was to just slip into being Amon- a manifestation of all the things he couldn't be. This mask… what was it? He thought. He wasn't sure.
"Sir… your presence has been requested by one of our proprietors," a worker said.
The worker grinned with her red lips like satisfied cat as she gave Noatak a glass of dragon bush liquor. He raised the glass to his nose and sniffed the fragrant liquor- the same one as before. Noatak nodded and let the woman lead him past the dizzying gold lights and red walls with the loud sounds of people and jazz. This time, Noatak felt more lost than he was before. They meandered through the labyrinth of the club before the worker opened the door and showed Hahn waiting in the middle of a room with a polar bear dog rug seemingly staring directly at Noatak in horror.
Hahn took a cigar and lit it slowly in front of the fireplace in his private room in the Magnolia Club. He breathed in slowly to take in the spiciness. He looked at the gold label with the red letters declaring the cigar's Fire Nation origins. He tapped the cigar on the porcelain ashtray. Hahn looked at Noatak sitting in front of him, touching his mask and swirling his drink.
"It is nice of you to come again," Hahn said.
"The pleasure is mine," Noatak said.
"And my offer?" Hahn said.
"I accept," Noatak said.
"Good… now… I have a little test for you."
Noatak looked at the fire and back at Hahn who was already waving to one of the Black Squall members. They nodded and disappeared before coming back with a man, bound and gagged. His hair was ragged and patchy, and his tan skin turned pallid and sickly. Sweat dripped from his forehead and mixed with the tears streaming from the absolute terror he felt. His muffled cries bounced off the walls as the guards dropped him onto the floor and jerked his limbs about.
"This man was caught embezzling funds from the White Squall… and he needs to be taught a lesson…" Hahn said.
Two of the guards came by with a large plank and tied the man to the board. The man continued to squirm and squeal before they settled the board onto the floor.
"Please take the rug away. It's antique, and I really couldn't spoil it with this," Hahn said.
The guards nodded and rolled the polar bear dog pelt away. Hahn waved his hand to another guard and saw to it that the guard brought a bowl of water and a thin white cloth. He unfolded the cloth and put it over the man's head. Hahn tilted his head and shrugged at Noatak.
"I don't believe I need to explain what I want you to do. However, don't kill him," Hahn said.
Noatak nodded and stood up. Water from the bowl swirled about and gathered to Noatak's hand. He walked to the man and stared at him. The man was crying and shaking as Noatak stood over him. Noatak readied his hand over the man and dripped the water. As the droplets hit the cloth head covering, the man squirmed more. Noatak let the water then stream over the man's face. He could hear the choking and crying from the man as he continued. When he was out of water, he would bend the water back to his hand and start the process over again. Hahn smiled and clapped slowly. The guards unstrapped the man and let him lie on the floor to choke and gasp for air.
"No emotion. Very good. You've done this before," Hahn said.
Hahn motioned to the guards to send someone in. They brought in a sickly girl with spidery thin limbs and long, stringy black hair dressed in a scarlet dressed that showed her skin stretched over her bony frame.
"This is my daughter, Nanuq," Hahn said.
Noatak bowed and looked as Hahn's daughter stood in front of the now catatonic man.
"Ulva, be good girl for daddy and kill that man," Hahn said.
Hahn's wicked grin spread across his face as Ulva concentrated her beady, inky eyes on the man. She raised her hands and lifted the man into air. Noatak cringed a bit at the sight. He knew that the moon was fairly absent this night and that even as Ulva struggled to bloodbend the man into the air that she must have been a fairly proficient waterbender. Her hands twisted around and gripped towards the man's throat. Noatak heard the labored breathing clash against his choked screams. The man's blood rushed to his face and flushed his skin to red and then purple. His eyes bulged from its sockets and made the tiny blood vessels in his eyes burst. Hahn softly chuckled to himself and tapped his chair.
"Sweetie, he's already been tortured. I think you can just put him out his misery," Hahn said.
Ulva nodded and quickly snapped the man's neck. She squeezed too hard and let the blood spurt. Noatak's stomach lurched as he saw her giggle and touch the blood on the floor. Hahn sighed and made a gesture to his guards. They silently obeyed and removed the man's body. The other men washed the floors and placed the polar bear dog rug back onto the floor.
"That was Yakkone's greatest gift to us," Hahn said.
Noatak blinked and sat down. He threw the drink back and looked at Hahn smiling behind his mask. Hearing Hahn praise the monster that begat him made Noatak want to bloodbend that fool into submission. Gifts- that's how his father referred to the bloodbending when he took Tarrlok and he into the tundra. He admitted that his ability was something of a remarkable talent, but he also resented what it turned him into. Noatak wasn't afraid to say that he bloodbended or that he used it for personal gain, but he never reveled in the delight of blood and murder like this girl did.
"Former Councilman Tarrlok once told me in confidence that he could bloodbend at any time of the day… I never figured he was Yakkone's son until it was too late. Then there was that brother. Pity I didn't meet him. He had true power and finesse. Not like Ulva here," Hahn said.
"He taught her?" Noatak said.
"Tarrlok? Spirits no. He was ashamed. She learned from the best though. It's a pity he didn't teach her though. She was very fond of Tarrlok. Unfortunately that fool thought he needed to seduce the Avatar," Hahn said.
Noatak snorted and crossed his arms. He heard the rumors in Republic City that floated Tarrlok's name with Korra's. Korra told him about the gifts but that nothing conspired between them outside of the task force. He suspected there was more truth in Hahn's words than he wanted to admit. He knew Korra probably was naïve to Tarrlok's advances and more infatuated with that firebender to notice. Noatak noted that Tarrlok never changed- he never could be upfront about the things he wanted.
"I would have had her marry him. No sense in letting strong bloodlines like that go to waste even if the sire is weak," Hahn said.
"And create your own personal army of bloodbenders? What about your son?" Noatak said.
Hahn scoffed and took a long drag from his cigar.
"I doubt that child is my son. He's too weak. He's only useful for getting into the princess' chambers, and that's the only thing he has been successful at. Even though he's a fairly intelligent military strategist, he's been trying to get out the navy and telling me that he's uncomfortable with starting a war with United Republic. He's an insolent whelp," Hahn said.
"But that's why you are getting him to marry the princess. Are you not scared that he has actually fell in love with her?" Noatak said.
"All the better for this nation. Shouldn't a princess be in love her knight in shining armor?" Hahn said.
Noatak shrugged and grabbed a tumbler of fire ice that server came by with. The guards took Ulva and laid her down on the chaise lounge in the room. Hahn looked at his daughter and smiled.
"I best take leave if my services are no longer needed. I hope they were to your satisfaction," Noatak said.
"Very much… I'm very pleased for your membership in the White Squall. Come here next week like tonight, and I'll have a mission for you," Hahn said.
Noatak left the room, and Hahn got up to sit beside his daughter and touch her hair. He looked at the guards and smiled.
"Follow him. I need to know his true identity," Hahn said.