Chapter 4: The Dark Unknown
Water dripped on Hakumi's face snapping her back into consciousness. For a moment, she was back in her home in the North Pole; luxurious pelt lined floors, furniture of the finest whalebone, air thick with the scent of tiger-seal oil and incense. She smiled, but the moment didn't linger. Its warmth and comfort melted away into the bleak reality of the station, leaving her trapped in hell once more.
Tears began to well up in her still swollen eyes. Her tortured psyche circling around the same question over and over. Why was this happening to her?
The sound of footsteps in the distance made Hakumi start. She turned her head in the direction of the sound and tried to get a glimpse. It was too dark. The footsteps grew louder. There were many of them coming. Desperately, she looked for a place to hide, but saw nothing but shadows and emptiness. The tiny slivers of light that could penetrate this offered little help.
Desperately, Hakumi slunk to the ground, crawling on her hands and knees. Groping her way through the darkness. Shuddering under her breath. The footsteps were drawing closer. Their sound practically above her. Each pounding step echoed the pounding of her own heart— she crawled faster. Her hands felt the the cold damp of the floor as she went. Metal and seaweed and muck. All of it as lifelessly as the corpses above.
Oh, Spirits, she shuddered. Then her hand felt movement to the right and out of nowhere something grabbed hold of her tunic. Hakumi lurched backwards, kicking and scratching. Fighting desperately to break free. But it didn't let go and pulled her closer. She tried to scream, but a hand clamped down firmly on her mouth. Its grip enveloping her like a snake consuming its prey. It was over.
"Don't. Move." A voice whispered harshly. It was Daris. A wave of relief washed over her. It wasn't one of them. She was safe.
Hakumi tried to move his hand, but that only made him tighten his grip, almost suffocating her.
"Above us." He hissed. Hakumi felt his hand guide her gaze, until at last she saw it—a massive hole in the ceiling directly overhead. Pipes and scaffolding protruded from it like bones and lurking just along the periphery were four hunkering figures. At first glance, they seemed almost human. But within an instant she knew they weren't. The way they moved was stiff and jolting. Their forms twisted with a menacing aura that made her skin crawl. It was them.
One of the creatures lowered its head into the hole, hungrily sniffing for signs of life. The corpse's head twisted in a sickening motion , then abruptly turned in their direction. Hakumi whimpered into Daris's hand, squeezing her eyes shut until tears ran down her cheeks. But the sounds of the creatures forced them open once more.
The creature's gaze remained fixed on the shadows around them. One by one, the other undead leered over the edge to join their companion. Their raspy voices croaking out a horrifying death rattle. Slowly, they began to crawl over the edge. Rotting joints cracking with every movement.
Hakumi felt her body begin to shake uncontrollably. Every instinct within her screaming to run— to escape! But Daris held her firmly in place. Suddenly, all four corpses raised their heads in unison as if hearing the call of a distant voice. Then, just as suddenly, they began to climb back over the edge and one by one disappear into the shadows.
Hakumi and Daris remained absolutely still, hearts still beating fast. Fully expecting to see the creatures swarm over the edge with hundreds of their kind. Pouring down on them like a rain of death. For what felt like an eternity, they waited in silence. Then, at last, Daris released his grip on Hakumi and mopped the cold sweat that had formed on his brow.
The waterbender gasped for breath. All her fear and anxiety rushing to the surface. It took every ounce of her remaining strength not to scream. For a moment she felt she might faint, but the feeling subsided and she breathed in deeply, burying the image of the horrible corpses with their empty eyes.
"The others…" She whispered, still breathing heavily. "Are they nearby?"
Daris shook his head, wincing at the pain in his arm as the adrenaline wore off. "I haven't seen them." He muttered. "We must have gotten separated when the floor caved in."
Hakumi noticed his pained look and her eyes wandered to his arm. They had been in such a hurry that she hadn't properly finished healing his wound.
"Let me take a look." She reached out. Instantly, Daris felt a scream in his mind. Telling him not to let her come any closer— not to let her see!
"I'm fine!" Daris cursed, startling her. The pain in his arm flared up, burning its way through the limb and into the rest of his bod. Spreading like the disease he feared it was. Soon it would devour him, the way it had devoured his crew.
He would be like them, Daris thought with a shudder. A mindless festering corpse—a monster. He noticed Hakumi's worried gaze, her pretty face so fragile. How long would she last out here, alone? he wondered. With a great effort, Daris forced his beleaguered mind back onto to the task at hand. He glanced at the hole above them, the floors above obscured by darkness.
"We can't stay here." He said, once more in control, "It's too exposed. We have to find somewhere to hunker down and wait for help."
"What about the others?" Hakumi asked, still unnerved by his outburst.
"If they're still alive, you mean?"
"And what about water and food?"
Food? Daris had almost forgotten that necessity. His mind had been so preoccupied with fighting, he hadn't had a chance to think of anything else. Now that she mentioned it, he could feel the familiar pangs of hunger. Only, something was off.
Daris felt his gaze focusing on Hakumi, her scent filling his nostrils. He had never noticed how sweet she smelt.
"C-captain?" She looked at him with growing discomfort.
Daris felt himself drawn to the warmth of her flesh and the blood coursing through her veins. His wounded arm began to reach for her. So close. So tantalizing. He couldn't deny his hunger any longer!
Out of nowhere, the station shook violently. The force of the tremor nearly knocking them both off their feet. As the ground began to settle, countless shrieks came from above and the stomping of footsteps came their way.
"We have to go." Daris ordered. "Now!"
"What in the name of Sozin..." Furon felt the entire station shake beneath his feet. Large chunks of debris fell from the massive hole in the ceiling and ominous cracks snaked up the walls around him.
"Pay attention!" Rui shouted, blasting aside a creature that charged them and deftly parrying an incoming fireball.
The corridor they were in was swarming with the undead. Their attack was relentless, and slowly the two firebenders were being pushed back. It would have been a difficult fight against living opponents, but against these creatures that felt neither pain nor fatigue, it seemed next to impossible. Only the narrowness of the corridor had kept them from being overwhelmed by sheer force of numbers, but Rui knew this would not be enough to save them.
"Eat this you bastards!" Furon redirected several poorly aimed blasts back at the horde. To his horror, the undead mimicked his actions and sent the flames right back at him, with him and Rui only barely managing to dodge.
They quickly repaid the creatures in kind. Blasting a big hole through the writhing mass of copses. Still, it did nothing to halt their advance. The hole quickly filled by fresh corpses who renewed their attack. Undeterred and relentless. To the now exhausted firebenders, there seemed to be no end in sight .
"Got any ideas?" Furon asked, sweat beading down his forehead.
Rui scanned their surroundings, looking for anything that could be useful. Any sign of a way out. He spotted it. At the edge of the hall there was a small ladder leading down, partially obscured by fallen debris. If they could just get to it unseen, Rui thought, then perhaps they could give these bastards the slip. But how?
A massive fireball aimed at his head snapped Rui out of his thoughts. Dodging in the nick of time, he saw the second blast a fraction too late. Rui felt the flames scorch through his clothes, missing his skin by inches. He landed hard on the damp floor, dirty water splashing on his face and soaking though his clothes, putting out the flames.
Furon blocked the follow up attack and pushed the creatures back once more.
"You ok?" He asked gruffly, firing at them.
"Fine." Rui glanced at the water around them and an idea sprung to mind. It was risky, but it was either that or death.
Breathing in deeply, he bent flames at the floor all around them, the scorching heat instantly vaporizing the fetid water and seaweed. In an instant, the entire corridor was filled with a dense smoke. Grabbing hold of Furon's arm, Rui pulled him towards the ladder, as the undead horde shrieked and fired blindly all around. The pair clambered down the ladder, out of sight and into the passage below.
The way was dark and the ladder slippery, but soon the sounds of the undead grew distant until they were out of earshot completely.
At the bottom of the ladder, the pair landed quietly on their feet and ignited small flames in their hands for lighting. The area they found themselves in was in much better condition than the other corridors. There was hardly any water or seaweed. And aside from a few cobwebs, the walls were relatively clean. Everything was silent.
Furon's gaze remained fixed on the ladder, eyes narrow, watching for any signs of movement. After a few minutes of tense waiting, he turned to Rui.
"I think we're in the clear."
"Yeah." Rui exhaled sharply.
"That was some smart thinking."
"Thanks." Rui wiped the sweat from his brow. "We're just lucky it worked out."
"I think it was more than just luck." Furon's eyes bored into him. "Where did an ambassador's aide learn to fight so well?"
"I took lessons when I was a boy." Rui replied, instantly on guard. In this line of work, he never expected to have to do any real fighting. Hence he had no real cover story planned.
"You must have had quite the master."
"Yes, I did. More importantly, we need to keep moving."
"Yea." Furon nodded, but the suspicion lingered. "The Captain said to go to the conning tower. We should try and make our way there. Regroup with the others."
"That could take hours." Rui said, not even sure where exactly in the station they were anymore. He could remember the Earthbender smashing the floor and them falling. There had been screams, living and undead, drowned by the sound of metal on metal. Next thing he knew, he had awoken in that corridor with the marine and then the undead were upon them. The others nowhere in sight.
"Those were the Captain's orders." Furon insisted. "We stand a better chance together. As a group."
"And where has that gotten us so far?" Rui asked with an edge to his voice. "Even if we regrouped with the others, what then? You've seen what we're up against here with those things. Six people or twenty or a hundred won't make a difference!"
Furon stood firm, "My duty is to follow the Captain's orders and to protect the passengers of the Reliance, yourself included."
"In which order?" Rui scoffed. "You do what you want, but I'm not fighting my way up there just to wind up trapped in hallway full of those things. Your Captain be damned."
With that, he turned his back on the marine and headed down the long dark corridor ahead. Rui knew it was pointless to try to get to the conning tower now. He also knew it was pointless to try and talk sense to a dumb grunt like Furon. Fire Nation rank and file were trained to be loyal and fearless killers and they were respected for those qualities. Unfortunately, the ones who excelled at them, were typically none too bright.
That wasn't to say that all who worked for the intelligence service were geniuses either, Rui had met many fools there too, but there was a certain lean towards independent thought that prevailed in their line of work. That and of course the desire to prove themselves above all. To be instrumental in furthering the glory of the Fire Nation. That was what had originally inspired Rui to join their ranks.
For a time, he had thought that goal of eternal glory to be within his grasp. Only to see it vanish in the blink of an eye with the loss of Ambassador Chiang. Even if he survived, his career was effectively over...unless this station was what he thought it was. Rui felt a rush of excitement as his mind raced over that possibility.
Such a discovery on his part would not only make up for Chiang's loss, it could very well propel him to the very top of the organization. But only if Rui could find it. And only if he could survive long enough to bring it back to the Fire Nation.
From behind, Rui heard footsteps. They were gaining on him with increasing speed. Spinning around, he saw the Marine running to catch up.
The creature lunged and Sokka drove his sword through its gaping jaws. Sputtering, it fell to its knees, dark blood oozing out of its mouth. It was a killing blow. Yet still the creature flailed its arms, trying to reach him. The scent of its prey so close, egged it onwards. Its eyes, filled with malice, burned into Sokka's own, channeling the insatiable hunger within.
Sokka flinched, unnerved by the ferocity, but his warrior instincts kicked in and with a clean cut, it was over.
That was the last of them. For now, at least, Sokka reminded himself. He looked out over the slumped bodies of the undead, now dead once more. And beyond them, into the dark unknown ahead. This fight changed nothing. The odds were still stacked against them. A station of this size could easily house hundreds if not thousands of men. Even the former crew of the Reliance alone was more than enough to overwhelm him and the other survivors. And then...then he'd be turned into one of them.
Sokka thought of his dream once more. Of the skeletal monster that Yue had become. Was that his fate? He wondered. Was that the punishment he deserved for his failure?
Sokka's gaze lingered on the bloodstained blade in his hand. It would be so easy to end it now, he mused. The thought of dying filled his heart with a strange sense of longing. He could escape it all, he thought. The monsters, the station, his guilt. The relief that he so desperately desired was within his reach. All he had to do was act.
Sokka tightened his grip and began to close his eyes. Then he remembered Toph and furiously buried pushed thoughts into the recesses of his mind, cursing his momentary weakness. He turned behind him, to the blind earthbender who lay crumpled on her back in the debris and muck. Her breathing was weak and her faced deathly pale. Sokka knelt down beside her. It had all happened so fast. The floor collapsing and them falling. Cries echoing in the chasm. The floor beneath gave way as well, then the one after it, collapsing like dominoes.
Sokka's hand rested on Toph's forehead, feeling her temperature— it was cold. Toph's lips quivered when she felt the lingering touch over her brow. Sensing a presence, she jolted awake, heart pounding as she feared the worst. Within moments, her hearing cleared and she sensed who it was. Wearily, Toph slumped back to the ground and murmured, "Sokka…" her voice still hoarse. "Where's Hakumi and the others?"
"I'm not sure, we must've gotten separated during the fall." Sokka said, then the joy and relief washed over him all at once and he embraced her. His voice cracking as he rambled. "I'm so glad you're ok, Toph. I was so worried. So worried that...I thought I'd lost you."
Toph felt a flush in her cheeks and she smiled, weakly returning his embrace. "Nah, I'm the greatest Earthbender in the world, remember?"
Sokka felt himself scoff in spite of his joy and that only made him that much happier. He began to say something, but then his eyes spotted the dark bruises and the finger marks around her neck and the joy evaporated.
"What happened?" He asked.
"I'm…I'm not sure." Toph said haltingly, "It was something…it felt almost like a dream."
"What do you mean?" Sokka's voice grew alarmed, "Who did this to you?"
"It was a woman." Sokka's heart skipped a beat. Toph's shakily recalled the strange machine at the station's depths and the horrifying specter of the woman and her chilling voice. "She told me: 'You can't take him. He's mine forever.'"
Sokka felt a chill travel down his spine. His mind screamed that it wasn't possible and yet deep down he knew that it was. His nightmare had come to life. It was her. It had to be!
"Yue." Sokka whispered, almost like a prayer. A prayer for the forgiveness he knew he would not get. "She's here."
"What do you mean?" Toph asked.
"It's Yue. She's come back for me." Sokka buried his head in his knees, fear and grief boiling over. He sputtered almost incoherently, "It's because I failed. I let her die. It's all my fault, Toph, and she wants revenge. She tried to kill you. And it's all my fault. It's all my fault. I should've done more. I should be dead. I-I..."
His sobs drowned out the rest of his words. Their painful sound ringing through the hollow corridor and empty chambers. His grief and his fear mixed to form a deadly poison. One that brought him unimaginably pain. In that instant, Sokka's thoughts drifted to his sword— to the quick release from his suffering. He had to end it. Now! Then, he felt Toph's hand on his own.
"It's not your fault Sokka." She whispered, wanting so badly to take away his pain. "You can't keep blaming yourself for her death. It's something that was beyond your control. You have to forgive yourself."
But Sokka knew it wasn't that simple. To be so close to someone, so deeply in love, and to swear a vow to protect them only to have them die before your very eyes was soul shattering. Every day since then, he had torn himself apart, looking for a way he could've changed that moment. To have acted differently or said something— anything to save her. Every scenario, every possibility, rerun in his mind to the point of exhaustion. To the point that his entire life felt consumed by his guilt. The nightmares that came to plague him, only added fuel to that terrible fire. Now, he had grown so attached to that guilt, so hopelessly dependent on it, that it had become a part of him now. He could no more get rid of his guilt, than he could chop off an arm or a leg. She would always be with him.
No sooner had he uttered that phrase, than Sokka felt her presence. Through his tears he thought he saw her silhouette floating ominously overhead.
Without warning, the entire station shook to its very foundations. The violent upheaval sending him and Toph sprawling as the tremor brought rubble and debris smashing down all around them. Then, just as suddenly, it stopped. And then they heard the screams of the undead. Closing in fast.
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