Categories > Cartoons > Teen Titans > Die To Save You
The prison guard towered above the figure lying on the floor beneath him. He had spent the last several hours "questioning" the prisoner, and, beyond the point of frustration, he decided to punish her for her defiance to him and his beloved nation.
Doesn't this swine understand the importance of this? He thought as he rolled her onto her back with his foot and planted it on her ribcage.
I could be home by now if she would just give up and cooperate. He swung his foot behind him, and brought it back down with force.
And worst of all, how can she just laugh at me? What a pitiful creature to allow herself to pass the brink of sanity, and let her body be turned to a pulp as she laughs at my attempts to produce answers. She laughs at us, the mighty Fire Nation, whose superiority has been proven for the past century. How dare she defy us over, and over again!
The guard's foot made contact with its target, and the audible crack of a rib reverberated in the dark, bare metal room that was the temporary home of the prisoner. Holly gasped for air as she lay shackled on the ground. Breathing had become a task in itself, the shackles had cut deep into her wrists and they had not given her water in days. Today, she figured, would be no different.
The guard raised his foot again, intent on releasing his anger on another of the bound prisoner's bones, when the solid metal door slide open on well-oiled hinges just before he let his foot sink into the prisoner's body.
"What do you think you're doing?" Demanded Mai, as she stepped into the small cell. She had been there on her uncle's behalf, inspecting the new prison for any flaws in security. At least it beat being back home, Mai figured.
"Interrogation, Mi’lady. The prisoner holds vital information." He stated, snapping to attention and stepping back to the wall of the cell as he did so.
"Beating a prisoner to the point where even if she wanted to speak she could not, is that interrogation here?" Mai said with venom seeping out as she spoke, despite never once changing her tone.
"You're relieved." She continued after a brief silence. She looked back at the prisoner. Holly had sat herself back up against the wall, despite the amount of pain it had caused, and eyed the newcomer suspiciously.
Mai followed the guard out and did not return until the prisoner's meals were served to their cells a long hour later. It was a great surprise to Holly to see the water cup on her tray again, along with a slightly larger portion of food and the newcomer from before delivering it. She had to restrain herself from lunging for the food in fear of it being taken away, as if this was all some sort of sick joke. Mai sat down across from the prisoner and placed the food tray down between them.
"I came here earlier to clear up a small issue with your documents." Mai said. "But it's been solved already. I am, however, curious why you were being beaten." Of course, Mai was not unaware of the brutality of the guards here, and at most other prisons in the Fire Nation. It would also be foolish to say that Mai despised the guards who performed it, as Mai knew that while it was excessive, it often produced results. Disapproved, she figured, would be more accurate.
Holly looked up from the food that she was so focused on. "I answered a question wrong." She answered, seeing that the newcomer did not come to harm her.
"Go on."
"Not much to explain, he asked me how the weather was down on the floor. I spat on him and told him it was raining."
"You knew that he would beat you for that."
"It’d be boring otherwise."
"So you let him wreck your body just to not get bored?" Mai eyed the swollen face of the prisoner.
"No, of course not. You see, this isn't my body. If I thought it was I don't think I would have ever been able to step into battle or let myself become captured. This body belongs to my comrades, who protect it when I cannot; and to those I love, who give it meaning. And it belongs to my city, which provides all I need and demands no less in return."
Mai shook her head at the explanation and watched the prisoner scarf down the rest of the food, barely chewing before biting off more of the stale bread that was her meal.
Mai left immediately after with the tray in hand, knowing that she would never forget that prisoner.
*
Holly stood on the dock watching the small sloop come closer to the island. Rena's father, who had also been a fatherly figure to Holly for many years, came down from his home on the mountain to bid her farewell.
"Know how long you'll be gone this time?" He said, his large body dwarfing that of Holly.
"Nope." They stood side by side watching the sloop sail closer.
"Does Rena know?"
"Didn't have the heart to tell her." Her shoulders slumped as she focused on her boot.
The two turned as footsteps echoed on the worn wooden dock behind them.
"I thought you were still sleeping." Holly said to the approaching woman.
"Sleep and stay here? Not a chance." Raven responded as Holly visibly frowned.
"Does Suki know about-"
"I don't answer to her." Holly rolled her eyes, peeved by her partner's stubbornness. A deep laugh came from Rena's father.
"If you're both going, then I have to report to two people now." He said as he ruffled Holly's hair, taking advantage of her annoyed state.
"Hey, c'mon now." She pulled away from his reach.
"But seriously, be safe you two." He said as sloop pulled up to the dock. "And don't come back with any new holes in you."
He gave a small wave as Holly walked up the gangway that the ship's crew dropped.
"Hey," He pulled Raven back before she too walked onto the sloop. "I figure you're the witch that I keep hearing about." Raven cringed inside at the words. Of course that's how they would see me. As a witch and nothing more.
"Look out for her out there. I know she can take care of herself well enough, but don't let her do anything reckless."
Raven nodded at the man as he looked her in the eye. He let go of her shoulder and waved again as Raven walked onto the ship and its sails were drawn to full mast and pulled the ship away from the small island.
He stood on the dock watching as the ship shrunk in size as it grew further and further away. He eventually turned and started back to the village, not looking forward to telling either of the two woman in the village about who had just departed from their island.
Doesn't this swine understand the importance of this? He thought as he rolled her onto her back with his foot and planted it on her ribcage.
I could be home by now if she would just give up and cooperate. He swung his foot behind him, and brought it back down with force.
And worst of all, how can she just laugh at me? What a pitiful creature to allow herself to pass the brink of sanity, and let her body be turned to a pulp as she laughs at my attempts to produce answers. She laughs at us, the mighty Fire Nation, whose superiority has been proven for the past century. How dare she defy us over, and over again!
The guard's foot made contact with its target, and the audible crack of a rib reverberated in the dark, bare metal room that was the temporary home of the prisoner. Holly gasped for air as she lay shackled on the ground. Breathing had become a task in itself, the shackles had cut deep into her wrists and they had not given her water in days. Today, she figured, would be no different.
The guard raised his foot again, intent on releasing his anger on another of the bound prisoner's bones, when the solid metal door slide open on well-oiled hinges just before he let his foot sink into the prisoner's body.
"What do you think you're doing?" Demanded Mai, as she stepped into the small cell. She had been there on her uncle's behalf, inspecting the new prison for any flaws in security. At least it beat being back home, Mai figured.
"Interrogation, Mi’lady. The prisoner holds vital information." He stated, snapping to attention and stepping back to the wall of the cell as he did so.
"Beating a prisoner to the point where even if she wanted to speak she could not, is that interrogation here?" Mai said with venom seeping out as she spoke, despite never once changing her tone.
"You're relieved." She continued after a brief silence. She looked back at the prisoner. Holly had sat herself back up against the wall, despite the amount of pain it had caused, and eyed the newcomer suspiciously.
Mai followed the guard out and did not return until the prisoner's meals were served to their cells a long hour later. It was a great surprise to Holly to see the water cup on her tray again, along with a slightly larger portion of food and the newcomer from before delivering it. She had to restrain herself from lunging for the food in fear of it being taken away, as if this was all some sort of sick joke. Mai sat down across from the prisoner and placed the food tray down between them.
"I came here earlier to clear up a small issue with your documents." Mai said. "But it's been solved already. I am, however, curious why you were being beaten." Of course, Mai was not unaware of the brutality of the guards here, and at most other prisons in the Fire Nation. It would also be foolish to say that Mai despised the guards who performed it, as Mai knew that while it was excessive, it often produced results. Disapproved, she figured, would be more accurate.
Holly looked up from the food that she was so focused on. "I answered a question wrong." She answered, seeing that the newcomer did not come to harm her.
"Go on."
"Not much to explain, he asked me how the weather was down on the floor. I spat on him and told him it was raining."
"You knew that he would beat you for that."
"It’d be boring otherwise."
"So you let him wreck your body just to not get bored?" Mai eyed the swollen face of the prisoner.
"No, of course not. You see, this isn't my body. If I thought it was I don't think I would have ever been able to step into battle or let myself become captured. This body belongs to my comrades, who protect it when I cannot; and to those I love, who give it meaning. And it belongs to my city, which provides all I need and demands no less in return."
Mai shook her head at the explanation and watched the prisoner scarf down the rest of the food, barely chewing before biting off more of the stale bread that was her meal.
Mai left immediately after with the tray in hand, knowing that she would never forget that prisoner.
*
Holly stood on the dock watching the small sloop come closer to the island. Rena's father, who had also been a fatherly figure to Holly for many years, came down from his home on the mountain to bid her farewell.
"Know how long you'll be gone this time?" He said, his large body dwarfing that of Holly.
"Nope." They stood side by side watching the sloop sail closer.
"Does Rena know?"
"Didn't have the heart to tell her." Her shoulders slumped as she focused on her boot.
The two turned as footsteps echoed on the worn wooden dock behind them.
"I thought you were still sleeping." Holly said to the approaching woman.
"Sleep and stay here? Not a chance." Raven responded as Holly visibly frowned.
"Does Suki know about-"
"I don't answer to her." Holly rolled her eyes, peeved by her partner's stubbornness. A deep laugh came from Rena's father.
"If you're both going, then I have to report to two people now." He said as he ruffled Holly's hair, taking advantage of her annoyed state.
"Hey, c'mon now." She pulled away from his reach.
"But seriously, be safe you two." He said as sloop pulled up to the dock. "And don't come back with any new holes in you."
He gave a small wave as Holly walked up the gangway that the ship's crew dropped.
"Hey," He pulled Raven back before she too walked onto the sloop. "I figure you're the witch that I keep hearing about." Raven cringed inside at the words. Of course that's how they would see me. As a witch and nothing more.
"Look out for her out there. I know she can take care of herself well enough, but don't let her do anything reckless."
Raven nodded at the man as he looked her in the eye. He let go of her shoulder and waved again as Raven walked onto the ship and its sails were drawn to full mast and pulled the ship away from the small island.
He stood on the dock watching as the ship shrunk in size as it grew further and further away. He eventually turned and started back to the village, not looking forward to telling either of the two woman in the village about who had just departed from their island.
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