A/N: You guys gave me seven reviews on the last chapter! That's more than the total number of reviews I had on the whole fic combined! A huge, heartfelt, grateful THANK YOU goes to Auren02, Black Dragon Master, IrishDreamer4, Sharpe, AlexandriaNymphadora, Lightbrightfury, and an anonymous Guest. Smaller (but no less heartfelt) thank yous to AlexandriaNymphadora, Lightbrightfury, and Ardnessela for favouriting/following.

Now, at the risk of mood whiplash, here is the continuation of Mako's despair. This is actually one of my favourite drabbles (are they still short enough to be called drabbles?) in this series - and it's not quite a standalone. Technically speaking, this is part one of a three-part arc, so the ending will be less of a closing line and more of a cliffhanger. Sorry not sorry.

6. Don't get too close, it's dark inside

It's dark when he comes to.

"Hey, Shin, he's awake!"

There's a rustling sound, and the long, slender silhouette of Shady Shin comes into view.

"About time," he grumbles. "How you been, eh, Mako?"

He isn't gagged, but he keeps his silence. He has nothing to say to triad members.

"Aw, come on, Mako, don't be that way," Two-Toed Ping pipes up. "You know, we went to a lot of trouble to bring you here."

I'll bet.

Shady Shin quickly realises he's not in a talking mood. "Okay, fine — we just thought we'd be polite, but since you don't wanna exchange pleasantries, let's get down to business. I'm sure you know what's going on with the triads. You're the on the police task force in charge of hunting us down, after all."

That's a very recent development; Lin only formed the unit three days ago in response to the worsening gang turf war. She put him on it because his unique history with the triads contributes valuable insight to the team trying to take them down.

Ironically, it is the same unique history that has resulted in him being singled out of the entire task force for this…privilege.

"What do you want, Shin?" he asks finally.

"Straight to the point, as always." Shady Shin chuckles darkly. "Here's the deal, Mako. The Triple Threats are under attack from all sides. That Jargala lady especially seems to have one hell of a grudge against us, and she's got the Creeping Crystals out for blood. We ain't gonna survive if we don't cash in our chips where we can get 'em."

"I'm not a chip."

"Yes, you are. How many times have we been through this, Mako? You don't get to just leave the Triad."

"Funny," he says acidly. "Because I did."

"Two-Toed Ping and I scoped out the competition," Shin continues, ignoring him. "The Creeping Crystals and Terra Triad are going strong, but the Agni Kais and Red Monsoons took a serious hit in that battle downtown. Their leadership is weak now, so it won't take much to topple them. And we know just where to hit them."

"Great," he deadpans. "So why do you need me?"

"The Triple Threats don't got the firepower to launch a full attack right now, what with us still not having a new boss — even though Zolt and the new guy Tokuga are both vying for the position," answers Two-Toed Ping.

"That's where you come in," says Shin. "We'll tell you where the Agni Kais' and the Red Monsoons' new hideouts are. All you gotta do is lead your task force there and raid 'em. You clear out the riff-raff, then we'll swoop in and claim the territory."

"Why would I do that?"

Shady Shin leans in close with a sneer on his face, and his voice turns dark and menacing. "Because if you don't, you die here." To emphasise that point, Two-Toed Ping produces twin flame daggers. "You've built such a good life for yourself — shame to let it all end now, eh?"

He almost sighs in relief. If they'd threatened someone he cares about, then he'd be in a sticky situation. Suddenly he's glad that everyone he loves is out of town; the only one currently in the city is Lin, and even the triads aren't stupid enough to go after the Chief of Police.

As it is, all they're endangering is his life. He really doesn't have anything to lose. "Sorry, Shin. Not interested."

Shady Shin's eyes narrow. "Maybe you don't understand me, kid."

Shin grasps his arms where they're tied to the wooden armrests and presses just hard enough to hurt. The gangster's minty breath tickles his skin.

"I ain't playing around, Mako. We're desperate, and you know what triads do when they're desperate. If you don't cooperate, I won't just kill you — I'll have Ping here make whatever's left of your short life a living hell," he growls.

Two-Toed Ping looks a little startled by this, his gaze flickering uneasily between the gangster and the detective. Still, it's easy to tell whom Ping would choose if push came to shove.

He almost feels sorry for his former fellows. They could have kidnapped literally anyone on the task force and given them the same ultimatum — and their tactics might have worked better on someone else — but they'd picked him because they think they know him and how to handle him.

Too bad for them that he doesn't even know himself anymore; so there's no way they could.

"I'm already in hell."

Before the two triads can react, he burns through the ropes binding his arms, unheeding of the blisters he's inflicting on his own skin. The pain grounds him, fuels his flames as he flings volley after volley at Two-Toed Ping. His left arm screams in protest, but his fire is hot, hotter than it's been since the Colossus, and Ping can't keep up with pro-bending speed attacks.

Shady Shin, without his bending, is still resourceful. The eloquent gangster whips out two electrified kali sticks and charges; the jolt catches him in the back, causing the scars on his arm and chest to buzz excruciatingly. He grits his teeth as he focuses on redirecting the current, sending it back out to Shin, who yelps and has to hit the floor to avoid it. Shin springs back up as Ping lunges again, and it's all he can do to keep them both at bay with an arm that's rapidly weakening and chi that's been dormant for too long.

He realises he is probably going to die here, just as Shin said.

So be it.

He'll take them down with him.

He remembers lava collapsing an underground cave, and he finally understands Ghazan's actions that day.

He's being reckless and he wouldn't have fought this way before, but it's dark inside and outside and he has nothing to lose, and he punches and kicks and bends until he registers that he's no longer making contact.

Shady Shin and Two-Toed Ping are down for the count.

He stumbles away from their prone forms and towards the exit of what he now recognises as an empty warehouse.

How cliche.

It's bright outside — blindingly so. The morning sun is sudden and disorienting after so long in the dark. Through squinting eyes he distantly notes the police perimeter and the squadron of officers now staring at him.

"Mako?" Lin sounds worried.

He manages a small grin at her. "Hey, Chief."

Then his eyes roll back and his world goes dark once more.

A/N: Yeah...I'm evil. Only not really, because I'll be posting the next two chapters (parts 2 and 3 of this mini arc) on Friday and Sunday (which I suspect is Thursday and Saturday for most of y'all reading this). Basically, you'll only have to wait every other day to get the remaining updates for this arc.

Reviews, as always, are lovely!