Officer Mako x Reader

Chapter 19: Within A Cell

[Boiling Rock]

"Thanks for waiting," Tenzin sighed out of breath once he jumped from his glider,
"I figured you'd thank me for saving you a trip," Mako teased, eyeing the towering height of the building from across the burbling water.

This was indeed a prison, but one with an energy Mako couldn't decipher from the outside. Nowhere near as humdrum as the other ones he has been to. He had heard of prisons like this. Prisons, so far removed from society that time stands still, but this one was different, muffled by sweltering mist and gridlocked by a restless ocean. Time, in this case, wasn't the only vital enemy, the lake was. As was the volcano's mountainous carcass that encased the lake as well as the prison itself. A cell, within a cell, within a cell, within a cell,

"Either way, we're here. Care to tell us who exactly we are here to see?" Mako asked curiously when Tenzin stood upright and walked ahead of them without meeting his eye,
"The person who taught her brother to fly," Tenzin breathed deeply as he led the way to the gondola. 

You were met by two guards. Both of them, who didn't ask who you all were or why you were here, instead they merely nodded toward one another before riding in silence with you across the boiling water below. Mako held your hand and your gaze the entire time. He could see the panic strung across your face when the cart lifted off the ground, dangling your life in the balance once more, for what felt like centuries off your livelihood, rather than the mere minutes you were in there, reminding yourself over and over, not to look down. It wasn't until the warden showed up, his stature as stark as the joyless lines in his face, that made venturing back across the lake, seem the least of your worries,

"Master Tenzin," the warden bowed respectfully, "Captain Saikhan informed me of your arrival. However, I had no idea that your presence would grace my prison so soon," he smiled slyly, "Tell me, how did you manage to make it in one piece? Surely, no foolish bison got you all the way here," he taunted,
"You're right," Tenzin breathed calmly, "It would be foolish...to subject my bison to these unruly conditions. Which is why, we came by airship. You have one of those, don't you?" Tenzin asked innocently, "Or does the great Warden Shuzai spend all his time rationing beans until the next food delivery?"
"Hmph. Actually, I have three airships" Shuzai grinned, "And, a private chef,"
"So, gourmet beans then," Tenzin teased as they walked alongside one another, throwing slights while the rest of you followed behind them quietly, eager to find out who was behind the madness of Shah's uproar,
"I don't like this," Mako mumbled to Jay,
"Which part?" Jay questioned beneath his breath, "The fact that we're casually strolling through a maximum-security prison? Or the fact that it was built inside of a volcano, two hundred miles from civilization?"
"Both," Mako confessed after he squeezed your hand tight,
"Well, look on the bright side. Shah and Viper have no idea we're here. More importantly, that she's here. So, if your plan was to keep her safe, we happen to be in one of the most heavily guarded prisons in the world,"
"Yes, but need I mention we're also surrounded by convicted felons," Mako reminded him when one the prisoners stuck his hands through the bars to grab at you,
"Mako, Mako!–
"You like having an arm!?" Mako hissed at the man, the heat from his bending daring him to burn his wrist clean off,
"Wait! Sssss ah!–
"Excuse me," Warden Shuzai interrupted, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't injure my prisoners. Though half of them deserve a few broken limbs, need I remind everyone that capital punishment...is my job," he smiled sweetly,
"Yeah? I'd appreciate it if they didn't harass my girlfriend," Mako snapped, roughly shoving the man back into his cell,
"Apologies," Shuzai bowed, "I'll be sure to provide the proper response if it should happen again,"
"Hmph. Safe huh?" Mako scoffed at Jay,
"Well, safe from them at least,"

From the outside, this prison looked simple, easy to navigate even with a blindfold, but inside it was a vast maze despite the limited space. Each cell was equidistant from one another by three feet of cement, which mixed with the close proximity to the sea made every floor smell like a moldy basement. It looked like one too. Dark and unwelcoming. Even the staggered lighting only added to its overall grimness. Each prisoner, sunken-eyed and dressed in bright orange had a five-digit number stitched above their left breast pocket. Though to you, they all looked like frightened rabbits, cowering in fear of the wolf you were sure Shuzai certainly was,