Categories > Cartoons > Teen Titans > Die To Save You
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*
"What about that one?" Holly said as she pointed to a gown that was hanging on one of the several clotheslines before them. They were sitting on the edge of the yard of a noble's manor, a brisk breeze swept over the rows of clothes before them, drying them in the crisp air. It had not started snowing like it was on Kyoshi, nor was Holly sure it ever did in this area.
"It's bright red."
"So?"
"I'm not wearing something bright red."
"You're not going to get a lot of options then." Holly said as she leaned on a split rail fence that surrounded the field. It was the morning of the third day of their mission, having taken a small detour the day before and delaying their travels. They were on the outskirts of a city that was not far from the Earth Kingdom, but still in the Fire Nation Territories. According to a few of the kids in the street the ball they were supposed to be attending, set to take place that night, was in celebration of a new shipyard and naval base that was to be built in the recently conquered port.
"Hey, what do you think about that one?" Raven asked, pointing to another dress that further down on the line than the others.
"It looks like it would fit you. Keep looking for mine." Holly said as she got off the fence and walked over to take down the dress.
"Are you sure you're okay with this? Stealing these, I mean." Raven asked when she came back.
"There's a war going on. Call this weakening the enemy's economy, not stealing. Besides, these are pocket change for the people living here."
"Fine, but never mention this to Robin."
*
"So who did we need to look for?" Raven asked as they waited to enter the building. It was nearing dusk as they stood outside in the slow moving line.
"A Commander."
"You don't know which one do you?"
She flashed a guilty smile at Raven.
Raven rolled her eyes and stepped towards the entrance.
Holly produced two invitations she had lifted off of the man behind them in line, and presented them to doorman. Moments later they were standing in the midst of the scores of people: those dancing to the live music in the center of the congregation, the small groups catching up with news among their peers and the many butlers, skirting between people with ease while balancing thin stemmed glasses on wooden trays, held high above their heads.
"I think we should question him first." Holly said, nodding her head to her left.
"That's the buffet table."
"Well it could still know something, right?"
"I thought you were supposed to be a 'fierce warrior'" Raven whispered as she watched her companion take one of everything off of the table and consume it just as fast.
"Can't do anything on an empty stomach, besides, good food is a rare commodity in most places."
Raven looked over the crowd: A heavy set man with graying hair and a burgundy sash socializing with a woman far younger than he, a bored teenager in black robes leaning against the wall, another man no older than forty with his chest decorated in an obscene amount of medals.
"Hey," Raven pulled Holly away from the table. "You'll get yourself sick, and what about him?" She gestured toward the man with the medals on his chest.
"Hmm, if he is the one, he's certainly an arrogant. Hold on for a minute." Holly stated before she took off. Edging her way through the mass of people, and making her way towards the man. A moment after introductions, Raven watched from across the room as Holly gave her an apologetic look, and took his hand for the next dance. Love is sure to be jealous, maybe Wisdom will talk to her before I have the chance to.
"Lost your date?" Came a voice from behind her. It was the teenager that she had seen before, probably no older than she was.
"Such a dull party…” The woman continued.
"I've seen worse." Raven responded half-heartedly.
"Of course. I'm Mai by the way."
"Raven."
"And who's your partner?"
"Mai!" An older man was waving at them. "I'd like to introduce you to somebody."
"Excuse me." Mai said to her, clearly irritated at the interruption. She disappeared into the light crowd a moment later.
Raven look across the building to see Holly with a receded look about her, she was there in person, but her mind was miles away. A pounding headache had told her that Love did not approve of the situation. The song had ended a few minutes later and those dancing dispersed themselves, as the musicians were due for a small break from playing. Holly had managed to edge the Commander and herself closer to a small door as they had danced.
"It has been a pleasure thus far, my dear." Raven's stomach churned as she focused to hear his words.
"Yes, but perhaps you could spare another brief moment of your time and accompany me outside, you see, I dislike crowds and it's starting to get to me." Holly replied, not necessarily lying. She was speaking as a noble would, refined and thoughtful before speaking. It was something that also impressed Raven as she heard it when approaching them. Hiroko, her old teacher, had taught her how to do this just before she let Holly fill her place on the team. It was a skill that, she had believed, would serve her well.
"I would like you to meet a neighbor of mine." The Commander said as they walked outside. "She is here tonight, but she often shuns the balls that are held every so often. Although her parents don't know that! With some luck I will be able to introduce you before the night is over."
Suddenly, surprising even Holly, an obsidian band wrapped around his mouth and he was forced down to a kneeling position as Raven pushed down on the gag.
"Some warning next time might be nice." Holly said, slipping out of her honeyed voice and returning back to normal.
"Then don't take so long. And I hardly think there will be a next time."
"Alright, take him over there before somebody sees." She said, gesturing towards a small shed used by the groundkeepers. With a movement of her wrist, Raven forced the gag, along with the man attached to it, up and forward towards the shed. Inside, she sat him down on a stool as her partner in crime grabbed some wire off of a self and fastened him down. When Raven released her powers a rag was quickly shoved into his mouth.
"Come to think of it, when you meet Robin you shouldn't mention abduction either."
"Then you won't like what happens next." She said looking down upon the prisoner, who met her gaze trying to figure out who she really was.
"Look," Holly continued, speaking to the Commander. "There's a village that I'm proud to call my home. Now I know it isn't much of a place, but it's all I've got; and that should concern you, because the only thing I have to lose right now, I never deserved in the first place. And that little village means far more to me than you do. Understand?" He nodded. "Good. Now recently we've been getting visits from passing warships, we don't quite appreciate those, but that's aside from the point. Rumors say that there will be another coming up soon; one larger than any from the past." The man looked in disgust at Holly, recognizing her accent and seeing the fans tucked into her belt. Not the expensive ones that most women he knew had, but ones that were beat to hell and looked like they could take much more. The tools of a person of much lower class than he.
"You don't have to hurt him you know, to get information." Raven said as she watched the man. "Just scare him enough."
Holly stood up, her back to Raven and her head hung low in shame of an act that she did not commit yet. "I'd like it if you could step out and, ah, keep watch for us."
Raven protested, but was promptly ignored. She sat on the sidelines as she listened to her companion demand answers from the Commander. He knows at least something. Raven thought as she saw Holly kick the stool in frustration, causing it and its occupant to fall onto the ground. How stubborn can a man be with information that is of no consequence to him if he reveals it? Holly hoisted him back in an upright position. But most of all, how far will she go? Raven asked herself.
Raven had no doubt to her companion’s loyalty to her home - that much was clear. But how far can a person keep their wits about them when all they are met with is resistance? For the short time she had come to know Holly she came to acknowledge, if not admire, several things about her. Patience wasn't on that list. It had not been more than ten minutes, and probably closer to half that in reality. Holly had already lost patience with this man - this man who was uncomfortably protective of a secret that had no effect on him. If he were to divulge the information, there would be no evidence that it was he who told his enemy, there would be no repercussions as he would just walk back to party, and continue on with his life. In fact the only major outcome could be measured in the lives that would be saved of the villagers and warriors alike. If the raids failed he would only retreat back to his manor is the Fire Nation territories to spend his days planning another attack on another piece of land in another corner of the world. And yet here he was, tight lipped in defiance for unfathomable reasons.
Raven came out of her thoughts as she saw the man be hoisted back off the floor for a third or fourth time.
"Raven, please leave us." She said to her, her voice quivering as she stared at her prisoner.
"I would rather not." I see what Rena's father had meant by "reckless". She realized.
"I'm sorry, but I wasn't asking."
Raven raised an eyebrow at this, but did not move.
"I beg you," Holly said, walking to her in a stride or two. "To try to understand." A pained look was on her face as she rested her forehead on Raven's shoulder, she spoke in a hoarse whisper. She guided Raven out and closed the door behind her; looking away out of shame.
*
Raven stood outside, the lights of the ball filtering through a few of the barer trees. There was nobody else out at the time and a light rain was beginning to fall. Not enough to be troublesome, but the large drops sounded heavily off the thin metal roof of the shed.
*
"You can still answer me, when is the next raid?" He stared at her. What was once the object of his fascination less than a quarter of an hour ago now was circling him as wolf does to her prey. She stuffed a rag from the floor into his mouth again and with a swift elbow broke his nose. She turned and smashed a nearby window, plucked out a shard of glass from the frame, and dragged it across his chest; wreaking havoc to his suit and skin alike. "Think," She said into his ear. "Of what you would do to protect your country, or your family. Then you'll see how few limits I have right now."
She pushed the shard deeper into him.
This was not the prideful warrior from Kyoshi that stood before her prisoner. This was not the woman who would watch over Rena every harvest season while her father worked on the fields. That person was virtuous and caring. That person was carefree when surrounded by her family; by the mountains and shores that, even if only for a short time, allowed her to forget about those numbers on her arm and the scars on her body.
That person was still on her island, dormant in the hearts of her peers.
This was the person who was deprived of food and kept in the dark as she was bounced from prison to prison for days, or weeks at a time before escaping. This was the person who had awoken to the tortured cries of her mentor as she slept in the adjacent cell, while Hiroko bore the punishment in place of her.
"We must carry these burdens so others do not have to; so that they are not plagued by the memories and so they can carry on when we cannot."
That is what Hiroko had taught her, and the words that she often lived by. She would accept the suffering that came with her decisions, she had to. Or else it would blacken the hearts of her friends at times like these instead of her own. And that was something she could not handle. That is why she asked Hiroko to harden her against the pain, as her own master had done to her when she was being trained.
The blood of the Commander trail down his chest and stained what remained of his undershirt, covering up the shattered bones of his limp and crushed hand in a deep cloak of crimson.
*
Love was curled in a fetal position as she heard the groans of the Commander echo in the large chamber. Happy was trying to comfort her, but doing a poor job at it. Timid stood in the center of the large floor, unmoving. Wisdom had retreated into her own domain and Rude, or the first time in her life, was speechless.
Courage was nowhere to be found.
*
Holly leaned against her closed fan, close to seven inches in length, with the pointed and sharpened tip pressing on his leg. "Are you going to tell me?" She looked at him, his eyes answering for him already. She leaned onto the fan with more of her weight, the man grinded his teeth as it broke skin. "I'm waiting." No response. She shoved the rag back in place and pushed the fan down an inch, electing a grunt from him as he strained against the bonds. "By now some ought to have noticed your absence, and I can't leave here without answers. Understand?" He tried to lash out at her, but only rocked the stool back and nearly tipped it over. "Fine, let's speed this up." She put her weight on the bronze shaft and let it tear deep into his thigh.
*
Love vomited as she heard the tortured, animalistic scream sound through the chamber - not loud enough to be heard from the house or by the party goers - but still brimming with pain as in reverberated in her ears.
*
Raven pushed open the door, not wanting this to continue, as Holly crashed into her on her way out - her movements frantic, eyes wide and her heart racing as she blurted out an indistinguishable sentence. The door swung shut blocking out the cries of anguish from the man still occupying the shed. "Slow down." Raven said as she gently pried Holly off her and pushed her against the wooden wall. "Now. We have to leave now. Can you…Oh spirits no, it's probably too late…"
"Too late for what?" Raven said sternly.
"The raid." She said, slowly regaining her composure. "It was tonight."
*
Mai had finally been able to peel herself away from her father and his coworkers after a lengthy conversation that, in her own opinion, had no effect on anybody or anything. She sighed and stepped outside to get away from the conversations that were only filler in between their glasses of wine. She had not seen the women wearing the stolen dresses. Of course they were of no concern to her, if somebody needed them badly enough to steal them then so be it. It wasn't like she would have gone out of her way to stop them, not when they would be replaced within a week. But Raven's friend, she knew that face but could not place it; and she knew it would gnaw at her mind when there was nothing else to distract her from it.
Mai perked up at the sound of a choked sob from down the path which led to the gardens. It was a path that she knew well, as the hosts of the party were very proud of their gardens, and enjoyed showing them off to as many as they could.
She rounded the corner and froze in her place; before her stood a wall of black, more solid than brick and yet perfectly clear. A claw stretched out from the wall and grasped her, squeezing tight before she could react. Behind it stood the woman Mai had spoken to earlier - or at least what used to be her. Raven's eyes glowed a violent red and her arms were encased in increasing amounts of energy. The very image of the dark spirits from the stories that Mai, and nearly every other child in this world, had grown up on. Mai squirmed against the claw, scolding herself for being caught without her knives, despite that nobody could have ever expected this.
*
Love looked up to see Rage's back in front of her. She was not attacking her as Love would've expected, as she was sure Rage wasn't thrilled about being used a few days previous. Instead she stood over her as a bear would protect her cubs. But why? She wasn't being threatened or betrayed, not that she thought Rage would've cared. She would never agree to the actions which Holly had taken, she had felt helpless, perhaps, or even shocked. But not once betrayed.
So why had Rage lashed out against the newcomer, who could not have harmed Raven in the least?
Wisdom stood from afar with a morbid interest in it all.
*
Mai had had her doubts as to who exactly Raven and her friend were. She swore she knew the other woman from somewhere, but could not think of where they had met before. But now it was different, Mai looked closely at the girl behind the evil spirit, and a moment later she met Mai's stare. They recognized each other instantly.
"Release her." Holly commanded, pulling at Raven's shoulder despite her state.
Holly stepped out from behind Raven when the wall fell, clasped her hands and gave a slight bow.
Raven quickly formed a disk below them and took to the sky, not wanting to stay any longer.
*
Mai turned and rushed to the shed, where she had heard the cries of the man bound inside. Within minutes she allowed he men at the ball to take over and lead her back inside. The police arrived within ten minutes along with a corpsman who was currently on leave from his unit, and despite a days' worth of questioning, the man refused to speak to anybody except the Fire Lord's top Admiral, who was preoccupied at the time being.
*
"Do you mind me asking something?" Raven inquired shortly after they had flew past the shoreline and were out above the open ocean. Holly periodically telling her to turn left or right a few degrees as she gazed at the stars.
"Anything, I'll never stop you."
"Then who was that?" Raven asked, as it had disturbed her how readily Holly had exposed herself. She was also bothered by how easily she had followed Holly's command, trusting her partner’s decision over precaution. Although she procrastinated pressing that matter with Wisdom.
Holly gave a faint smile. "An acquaintance, or maybe even a friend."
*
Flashback:
Mai stood on the stone bridge, which had been erected by some earth benders when they were retreating back into the mountains. On her left stood her uncle and two of his trusted subordinates and across from them, a dozen paces away, stood five captains from the Earth Kingdom Army. The captains surrounded three men, stripped down to their shorts and undershirts in the blazing heat, and bound by shackles on their wrists.
"I don't like this." Mai's uncle said, indicating the three prisoners on the other side of the bridge. "I've never once seen a prisoner of ours, who isn't even in their military, be exchanged for three of our men."
Mai nodded. She and Holly had spent several nights talking over the past two weeks, as she was the only prisoner who did not spit at her, or holler obscenities as she passed. She knew her uncle would not approve of this, and thus kept them secret after her first encounter when she brought food and, against orders, water, to the prisoner. Holly had gained some of her respect, if anything, over the past weeks – for she was the most human person at the prison. She had seen the very worst side of the Fire Nation, and yet she proved to understand why it was happening and not be clouded by hatred as so many others were. Well, at least not as clouded.
Her uncle gave her the go ahead sign, despite not liking the situation – or his niece's presence there, which she insisted on multiple times.
Mai gasped the handles of a well-worn wheel chair and proceeded forward, watching the other three prisoners stumble towards them. In the chair Holly leaned forward, trying not to let the bandages around her back touch the back of the chair. They were from a lashing she had received a few days before, and she did not expect to walk for several more days, although it could have been far worse if not for Mai's intervention. She had made the past weeks at least bearable, and as Holly feared, much to her own expense. While she was grateful for her actions, it had changed nothing in the grand scheme, and both of them knew that. Their nations were still at war and Holly still lived for the sake of her fellow warriors at that time. And while it had been a somewhat enlightening experience for them, they would still go back to their respective posts in a couple days' time. Be it on an estate complying with her father's wishes or sleeping on a hammock among her sisters, for whom she lived and breathed for.
The Earth Kingdom captains looked down in disgust at the wheelchair bound captive as Mai let them take the handles from her.
Who was this useless girl, not even strong enough to stand on her own feet? Holly knew they would be thinking as they watched their prize captives slip out of their grasp. And why had King Bumi demanded her release? Had that man finally gone off the deep end?
They reluctantly turned away and rolled her along the dirt path, making no attempt to avoid the rocks for this girl who wasn't even a soldier. Yet Holly paid no mind. It had been the first time she didn't have to escape, and now she was safely on her way back home.
*
Cyborg grinned and stretched his fingers, which had been stiff from many hours of welding and cutting, wiring and programming that he had done. He looked down at the silver cube with affection, no longer than a foot long on any side. He ran his finger over the seamless slot that was shaped to hold a communicator with immense pride, topped only by when he finished the T-car so long ago. This was the machine that the Professor had scrawled out every design for in less than two hours, and had only trusted Cyborg's expertise in completing. This was the machine that could take the Titan's communicators and project their signal to any nearby dimensions; and with a stroke of luck, perhaps to the one that Raven had fallen into.
Cyborg stood straight up, still grinning in accomplishment, and plugged himself into the tower's mainframe. He briefly checked the tower's security systems and then, for the first time in nearly two days, fell asleep for more than an hour.
*
A/N
Curious if anybody is having issues keeping the OCs straight, as there are a few more than I normally like. Ironic, as I also have a disliking to OC's, probably because the first stories I read with them they all were (kind of) shallow characters. Either way, I've been trying to read more with them and not assume things before I've read the story… not that it really matters, but… so yea, R&R!
*
"What about that one?" Holly said as she pointed to a gown that was hanging on one of the several clotheslines before them. They were sitting on the edge of the yard of a noble's manor, a brisk breeze swept over the rows of clothes before them, drying them in the crisp air. It had not started snowing like it was on Kyoshi, nor was Holly sure it ever did in this area.
"It's bright red."
"So?"
"I'm not wearing something bright red."
"You're not going to get a lot of options then." Holly said as she leaned on a split rail fence that surrounded the field. It was the morning of the third day of their mission, having taken a small detour the day before and delaying their travels. They were on the outskirts of a city that was not far from the Earth Kingdom, but still in the Fire Nation Territories. According to a few of the kids in the street the ball they were supposed to be attending, set to take place that night, was in celebration of a new shipyard and naval base that was to be built in the recently conquered port.
"Hey, what do you think about that one?" Raven asked, pointing to another dress that further down on the line than the others.
"It looks like it would fit you. Keep looking for mine." Holly said as she got off the fence and walked over to take down the dress.
"Are you sure you're okay with this? Stealing these, I mean." Raven asked when she came back.
"There's a war going on. Call this weakening the enemy's economy, not stealing. Besides, these are pocket change for the people living here."
"Fine, but never mention this to Robin."
*
"So who did we need to look for?" Raven asked as they waited to enter the building. It was nearing dusk as they stood outside in the slow moving line.
"A Commander."
"You don't know which one do you?"
She flashed a guilty smile at Raven.
Raven rolled her eyes and stepped towards the entrance.
Holly produced two invitations she had lifted off of the man behind them in line, and presented them to doorman. Moments later they were standing in the midst of the scores of people: those dancing to the live music in the center of the congregation, the small groups catching up with news among their peers and the many butlers, skirting between people with ease while balancing thin stemmed glasses on wooden trays, held high above their heads.
"I think we should question him first." Holly said, nodding her head to her left.
"That's the buffet table."
"Well it could still know something, right?"
"I thought you were supposed to be a 'fierce warrior'" Raven whispered as she watched her companion take one of everything off of the table and consume it just as fast.
"Can't do anything on an empty stomach, besides, good food is a rare commodity in most places."
Raven looked over the crowd: A heavy set man with graying hair and a burgundy sash socializing with a woman far younger than he, a bored teenager in black robes leaning against the wall, another man no older than forty with his chest decorated in an obscene amount of medals.
"Hey," Raven pulled Holly away from the table. "You'll get yourself sick, and what about him?" She gestured toward the man with the medals on his chest.
"Hmm, if he is the one, he's certainly an arrogant. Hold on for a minute." Holly stated before she took off. Edging her way through the mass of people, and making her way towards the man. A moment after introductions, Raven watched from across the room as Holly gave her an apologetic look, and took his hand for the next dance. Love is sure to be jealous, maybe Wisdom will talk to her before I have the chance to.
"Lost your date?" Came a voice from behind her. It was the teenager that she had seen before, probably no older than she was.
"Such a dull party…” The woman continued.
"I've seen worse." Raven responded half-heartedly.
"Of course. I'm Mai by the way."
"Raven."
"And who's your partner?"
"Mai!" An older man was waving at them. "I'd like to introduce you to somebody."
"Excuse me." Mai said to her, clearly irritated at the interruption. She disappeared into the light crowd a moment later.
Raven look across the building to see Holly with a receded look about her, she was there in person, but her mind was miles away. A pounding headache had told her that Love did not approve of the situation. The song had ended a few minutes later and those dancing dispersed themselves, as the musicians were due for a small break from playing. Holly had managed to edge the Commander and herself closer to a small door as they had danced.
"It has been a pleasure thus far, my dear." Raven's stomach churned as she focused to hear his words.
"Yes, but perhaps you could spare another brief moment of your time and accompany me outside, you see, I dislike crowds and it's starting to get to me." Holly replied, not necessarily lying. She was speaking as a noble would, refined and thoughtful before speaking. It was something that also impressed Raven as she heard it when approaching them. Hiroko, her old teacher, had taught her how to do this just before she let Holly fill her place on the team. It was a skill that, she had believed, would serve her well.
"I would like you to meet a neighbor of mine." The Commander said as they walked outside. "She is here tonight, but she often shuns the balls that are held every so often. Although her parents don't know that! With some luck I will be able to introduce you before the night is over."
Suddenly, surprising even Holly, an obsidian band wrapped around his mouth and he was forced down to a kneeling position as Raven pushed down on the gag.
"Some warning next time might be nice." Holly said, slipping out of her honeyed voice and returning back to normal.
"Then don't take so long. And I hardly think there will be a next time."
"Alright, take him over there before somebody sees." She said, gesturing towards a small shed used by the groundkeepers. With a movement of her wrist, Raven forced the gag, along with the man attached to it, up and forward towards the shed. Inside, she sat him down on a stool as her partner in crime grabbed some wire off of a self and fastened him down. When Raven released her powers a rag was quickly shoved into his mouth.
"Come to think of it, when you meet Robin you shouldn't mention abduction either."
"Then you won't like what happens next." She said looking down upon the prisoner, who met her gaze trying to figure out who she really was.
"Look," Holly continued, speaking to the Commander. "There's a village that I'm proud to call my home. Now I know it isn't much of a place, but it's all I've got; and that should concern you, because the only thing I have to lose right now, I never deserved in the first place. And that little village means far more to me than you do. Understand?" He nodded. "Good. Now recently we've been getting visits from passing warships, we don't quite appreciate those, but that's aside from the point. Rumors say that there will be another coming up soon; one larger than any from the past." The man looked in disgust at Holly, recognizing her accent and seeing the fans tucked into her belt. Not the expensive ones that most women he knew had, but ones that were beat to hell and looked like they could take much more. The tools of a person of much lower class than he.
"You don't have to hurt him you know, to get information." Raven said as she watched the man. "Just scare him enough."
Holly stood up, her back to Raven and her head hung low in shame of an act that she did not commit yet. "I'd like it if you could step out and, ah, keep watch for us."
Raven protested, but was promptly ignored. She sat on the sidelines as she listened to her companion demand answers from the Commander. He knows at least something. Raven thought as she saw Holly kick the stool in frustration, causing it and its occupant to fall onto the ground. How stubborn can a man be with information that is of no consequence to him if he reveals it? Holly hoisted him back in an upright position. But most of all, how far will she go? Raven asked herself.
Raven had no doubt to her companion’s loyalty to her home - that much was clear. But how far can a person keep their wits about them when all they are met with is resistance? For the short time she had come to know Holly she came to acknowledge, if not admire, several things about her. Patience wasn't on that list. It had not been more than ten minutes, and probably closer to half that in reality. Holly had already lost patience with this man - this man who was uncomfortably protective of a secret that had no effect on him. If he were to divulge the information, there would be no evidence that it was he who told his enemy, there would be no repercussions as he would just walk back to party, and continue on with his life. In fact the only major outcome could be measured in the lives that would be saved of the villagers and warriors alike. If the raids failed he would only retreat back to his manor is the Fire Nation territories to spend his days planning another attack on another piece of land in another corner of the world. And yet here he was, tight lipped in defiance for unfathomable reasons.
Raven came out of her thoughts as she saw the man be hoisted back off the floor for a third or fourth time.
"Raven, please leave us." She said to her, her voice quivering as she stared at her prisoner.
"I would rather not." I see what Rena's father had meant by "reckless". She realized.
"I'm sorry, but I wasn't asking."
Raven raised an eyebrow at this, but did not move.
"I beg you," Holly said, walking to her in a stride or two. "To try to understand." A pained look was on her face as she rested her forehead on Raven's shoulder, she spoke in a hoarse whisper. She guided Raven out and closed the door behind her; looking away out of shame.
*
Raven stood outside, the lights of the ball filtering through a few of the barer trees. There was nobody else out at the time and a light rain was beginning to fall. Not enough to be troublesome, but the large drops sounded heavily off the thin metal roof of the shed.
*
"You can still answer me, when is the next raid?" He stared at her. What was once the object of his fascination less than a quarter of an hour ago now was circling him as wolf does to her prey. She stuffed a rag from the floor into his mouth again and with a swift elbow broke his nose. She turned and smashed a nearby window, plucked out a shard of glass from the frame, and dragged it across his chest; wreaking havoc to his suit and skin alike. "Think," She said into his ear. "Of what you would do to protect your country, or your family. Then you'll see how few limits I have right now."
She pushed the shard deeper into him.
This was not the prideful warrior from Kyoshi that stood before her prisoner. This was not the woman who would watch over Rena every harvest season while her father worked on the fields. That person was virtuous and caring. That person was carefree when surrounded by her family; by the mountains and shores that, even if only for a short time, allowed her to forget about those numbers on her arm and the scars on her body.
That person was still on her island, dormant in the hearts of her peers.
This was the person who was deprived of food and kept in the dark as she was bounced from prison to prison for days, or weeks at a time before escaping. This was the person who had awoken to the tortured cries of her mentor as she slept in the adjacent cell, while Hiroko bore the punishment in place of her.
"We must carry these burdens so others do not have to; so that they are not plagued by the memories and so they can carry on when we cannot."
That is what Hiroko had taught her, and the words that she often lived by. She would accept the suffering that came with her decisions, she had to. Or else it would blacken the hearts of her friends at times like these instead of her own. And that was something she could not handle. That is why she asked Hiroko to harden her against the pain, as her own master had done to her when she was being trained.
The blood of the Commander trail down his chest and stained what remained of his undershirt, covering up the shattered bones of his limp and crushed hand in a deep cloak of crimson.
*
Love was curled in a fetal position as she heard the groans of the Commander echo in the large chamber. Happy was trying to comfort her, but doing a poor job at it. Timid stood in the center of the large floor, unmoving. Wisdom had retreated into her own domain and Rude, or the first time in her life, was speechless.
Courage was nowhere to be found.
*
Holly leaned against her closed fan, close to seven inches in length, with the pointed and sharpened tip pressing on his leg. "Are you going to tell me?" She looked at him, his eyes answering for him already. She leaned onto the fan with more of her weight, the man grinded his teeth as it broke skin. "I'm waiting." No response. She shoved the rag back in place and pushed the fan down an inch, electing a grunt from him as he strained against the bonds. "By now some ought to have noticed your absence, and I can't leave here without answers. Understand?" He tried to lash out at her, but only rocked the stool back and nearly tipped it over. "Fine, let's speed this up." She put her weight on the bronze shaft and let it tear deep into his thigh.
*
Love vomited as she heard the tortured, animalistic scream sound through the chamber - not loud enough to be heard from the house or by the party goers - but still brimming with pain as in reverberated in her ears.
*
Raven pushed open the door, not wanting this to continue, as Holly crashed into her on her way out - her movements frantic, eyes wide and her heart racing as she blurted out an indistinguishable sentence. The door swung shut blocking out the cries of anguish from the man still occupying the shed. "Slow down." Raven said as she gently pried Holly off her and pushed her against the wooden wall. "Now. We have to leave now. Can you…Oh spirits no, it's probably too late…"
"Too late for what?" Raven said sternly.
"The raid." She said, slowly regaining her composure. "It was tonight."
*
Mai had finally been able to peel herself away from her father and his coworkers after a lengthy conversation that, in her own opinion, had no effect on anybody or anything. She sighed and stepped outside to get away from the conversations that were only filler in between their glasses of wine. She had not seen the women wearing the stolen dresses. Of course they were of no concern to her, if somebody needed them badly enough to steal them then so be it. It wasn't like she would have gone out of her way to stop them, not when they would be replaced within a week. But Raven's friend, she knew that face but could not place it; and she knew it would gnaw at her mind when there was nothing else to distract her from it.
Mai perked up at the sound of a choked sob from down the path which led to the gardens. It was a path that she knew well, as the hosts of the party were very proud of their gardens, and enjoyed showing them off to as many as they could.
She rounded the corner and froze in her place; before her stood a wall of black, more solid than brick and yet perfectly clear. A claw stretched out from the wall and grasped her, squeezing tight before she could react. Behind it stood the woman Mai had spoken to earlier - or at least what used to be her. Raven's eyes glowed a violent red and her arms were encased in increasing amounts of energy. The very image of the dark spirits from the stories that Mai, and nearly every other child in this world, had grown up on. Mai squirmed against the claw, scolding herself for being caught without her knives, despite that nobody could have ever expected this.
*
Love looked up to see Rage's back in front of her. She was not attacking her as Love would've expected, as she was sure Rage wasn't thrilled about being used a few days previous. Instead she stood over her as a bear would protect her cubs. But why? She wasn't being threatened or betrayed, not that she thought Rage would've cared. She would never agree to the actions which Holly had taken, she had felt helpless, perhaps, or even shocked. But not once betrayed.
So why had Rage lashed out against the newcomer, who could not have harmed Raven in the least?
Wisdom stood from afar with a morbid interest in it all.
*
Mai had had her doubts as to who exactly Raven and her friend were. She swore she knew the other woman from somewhere, but could not think of where they had met before. But now it was different, Mai looked closely at the girl behind the evil spirit, and a moment later she met Mai's stare. They recognized each other instantly.
"Release her." Holly commanded, pulling at Raven's shoulder despite her state.
Holly stepped out from behind Raven when the wall fell, clasped her hands and gave a slight bow.
Raven quickly formed a disk below them and took to the sky, not wanting to stay any longer.
*
Mai turned and rushed to the shed, where she had heard the cries of the man bound inside. Within minutes she allowed he men at the ball to take over and lead her back inside. The police arrived within ten minutes along with a corpsman who was currently on leave from his unit, and despite a days' worth of questioning, the man refused to speak to anybody except the Fire Lord's top Admiral, who was preoccupied at the time being.
*
"Do you mind me asking something?" Raven inquired shortly after they had flew past the shoreline and were out above the open ocean. Holly periodically telling her to turn left or right a few degrees as she gazed at the stars.
"Anything, I'll never stop you."
"Then who was that?" Raven asked, as it had disturbed her how readily Holly had exposed herself. She was also bothered by how easily she had followed Holly's command, trusting her partner’s decision over precaution. Although she procrastinated pressing that matter with Wisdom.
Holly gave a faint smile. "An acquaintance, or maybe even a friend."
*
Flashback:
Mai stood on the stone bridge, which had been erected by some earth benders when they were retreating back into the mountains. On her left stood her uncle and two of his trusted subordinates and across from them, a dozen paces away, stood five captains from the Earth Kingdom Army. The captains surrounded three men, stripped down to their shorts and undershirts in the blazing heat, and bound by shackles on their wrists.
"I don't like this." Mai's uncle said, indicating the three prisoners on the other side of the bridge. "I've never once seen a prisoner of ours, who isn't even in their military, be exchanged for three of our men."
Mai nodded. She and Holly had spent several nights talking over the past two weeks, as she was the only prisoner who did not spit at her, or holler obscenities as she passed. She knew her uncle would not approve of this, and thus kept them secret after her first encounter when she brought food and, against orders, water, to the prisoner. Holly had gained some of her respect, if anything, over the past weeks – for she was the most human person at the prison. She had seen the very worst side of the Fire Nation, and yet she proved to understand why it was happening and not be clouded by hatred as so many others were. Well, at least not as clouded.
Her uncle gave her the go ahead sign, despite not liking the situation – or his niece's presence there, which she insisted on multiple times.
Mai gasped the handles of a well-worn wheel chair and proceeded forward, watching the other three prisoners stumble towards them. In the chair Holly leaned forward, trying not to let the bandages around her back touch the back of the chair. They were from a lashing she had received a few days before, and she did not expect to walk for several more days, although it could have been far worse if not for Mai's intervention. She had made the past weeks at least bearable, and as Holly feared, much to her own expense. While she was grateful for her actions, it had changed nothing in the grand scheme, and both of them knew that. Their nations were still at war and Holly still lived for the sake of her fellow warriors at that time. And while it had been a somewhat enlightening experience for them, they would still go back to their respective posts in a couple days' time. Be it on an estate complying with her father's wishes or sleeping on a hammock among her sisters, for whom she lived and breathed for.
The Earth Kingdom captains looked down in disgust at the wheelchair bound captive as Mai let them take the handles from her.
Who was this useless girl, not even strong enough to stand on her own feet? Holly knew they would be thinking as they watched their prize captives slip out of their grasp. And why had King Bumi demanded her release? Had that man finally gone off the deep end?
They reluctantly turned away and rolled her along the dirt path, making no attempt to avoid the rocks for this girl who wasn't even a soldier. Yet Holly paid no mind. It had been the first time she didn't have to escape, and now she was safely on her way back home.
*
Cyborg grinned and stretched his fingers, which had been stiff from many hours of welding and cutting, wiring and programming that he had done. He looked down at the silver cube with affection, no longer than a foot long on any side. He ran his finger over the seamless slot that was shaped to hold a communicator with immense pride, topped only by when he finished the T-car so long ago. This was the machine that the Professor had scrawled out every design for in less than two hours, and had only trusted Cyborg's expertise in completing. This was the machine that could take the Titan's communicators and project their signal to any nearby dimensions; and with a stroke of luck, perhaps to the one that Raven had fallen into.
Cyborg stood straight up, still grinning in accomplishment, and plugged himself into the tower's mainframe. He briefly checked the tower's security systems and then, for the first time in nearly two days, fell asleep for more than an hour.
*
A/N
Curious if anybody is having issues keeping the OCs straight, as there are a few more than I normally like. Ironic, as I also have a disliking to OC's, probably because the first stories I read with them they all were (kind of) shallow characters. Either way, I've been trying to read more with them and not assume things before I've read the story… not that it really matters, but… so yea, R&R!
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