Officer Mako x Reader

Chapter 30: Back In Solitary

(Idek how these chapters are coming to me. Ugh. Anything to not focus on work and my delusions😪) -A

[Republic City] - Dragon Flats District

"There. See what happens when you stop squirming?" Shin sighed in relief when he finally reached Ketu's warehouse, eventually untying you from his shirshu and standing you on your feet, "We get there faster," he winked, "And I could've gone without that elbow to my ribs, thank you very much. Now, I'm going to free you from that duct tape you tried so hard to writhe out of. Can you behave for twenty minutes?" he asked, waiting for you to nod your head yes. Had your mouth not been taped as well you would've told him to go fuck himself, but you had no choice but to follow orders to keep yourself alive for as long as possible with Mako god knows where. You could only hope that he would come for you soon, "Roll your eyes at me all want," Shin chuckled, slicing through the tape around your wrists and ankles with his pocketknife, "I'm still getting a raise for bringing you back ahead of schedule,"
"Ugh. Why the hell did you bring me here?" you snapped at him once he freed your lips,
"Well, believe it or not, princess, although I'm a pro at riding this thing, it doesn't necessarily belong to me. So we're making a return,"
"You got that thing in this dump?" you asked, eyeing the shirshu in disgust,
"You can get a lot of things in certain parts of the city where no one would dare venture to go," Shin sighed, "Now. Follow me,"


[Airship]

"You're pacing again," Jay pointed out as he steered,
"I'm thinking," Mako snapped back at him,
"Y'know, I hear thinking out loud often leads to faster solutions," Jay reminded him, "Otherwise you're just distracting your pilot," he teased,
"Fine. I'm trying to figure out where Shin is taking her first," Mako sighed angrily after plopping down in a nearby chair,
"Well, if I had to take a guess, I'd say somewhere he can get rid of that beast he was riding. Can't exactly take a wild shirshu on the Republic City highway now, can you?"
"You're right. Once he gets her into his car they're practically invisible in day-to-day traffic,"
"And we already know who he's taking her to next. It's just finding out where Viper is going to stash her to throw you off his scent,"
"He's not gonna leave her side," Mako added frustratedly,
"And how do you know that?" Jay questioned, "More importantly, have you even figured out why Viper is going to these lengths for her? I mean, i-is this just a ploy to get leverage over Shah or–
"He wants her back," Mako breathed in annoyance,
"Back? Are you telling me those two? Were...together?"
"Something like that,"
"You didn't ask her?"
"No. A-And just for the record, I-I don't want to know," Mako scoffed,
"Don't want to know?" Jay repeated in disbelief, "Mako you're the lead detective on this entire case. It would be in your best interest to know–
"I know!" Mako shouted over him, "I just–I-I didn't want to think about them, in that way, okay? Granted it shouldn't even matter to me because it was long before I met her,"
"Wait a minute. If she didn't tell you, how did you come to this conclusion?"
"Remember the day I confronted Viper in his restaurant?" Mako asked as he paced the floor again,
"Yeah. I put it as the top four stupidest things you've done in my notes,"
"Whatever. It was right after he lost that poker game to Varrick and refused to clear Shah's debt. He thought Varrick and I were working an angle together, so he kicked us out and said that if we didn't leave his next warning would get real hostile,"
"And what did you say?" Jay questioned curiously,
"I-I got...pissed and asked is that when you threaten women with knives. His response was, if I knew anything about women, I'd know, that that particular woman used to love knife play,"
"Oh," Jay said sheepishly,
"Oh indeed," Mako sighed, "So, do you see why I didn't ask?"
"Not particularly. But I get it. You hate him but...you're in love with her," Jay teased,
"I...I am,"
"Does she know?"
"Yeah. She knows. It's just–
"Just what?"
"I have no idea if she actually loved him back,"

[Lake Laogai] - cell 122

"Wow, I don't know how you do this," Shah sighed at Kuvira in boredom, his body sprawled out on the small cot in the corner of their cell. "Two hours in silence and you've got me believing I'm back in solitary,"
"What part of I'm not talking to you didn't you understand?" Kuvira hissed with her arms crossed,
"My my, so she does speak," Shah smirked as he sat up and studied Kuvira's face. Anyone could tell that this was the last place she wanted to be, the distant haze in her eyes looked as though she was both here and far far away, somewhere Shah couldn't guess just yet, at least not with her stonewalled silence, "So... where'd you grow up?" he asked curiously,
"Oh, just a little town called none of your business," Kuvira replied flatly,
"Hmph. Funny," Shah chuckled, "What about your bending? How old were you when it kicked in?"
"Hmm. Let's see...young,"
"How young?"
"Young enough. Any other questions?" Kuvira snapped at him,
"I feel like we got off on the wrong foot here. Did I do something to you?" Shah questioned,
"Hmph. You're doing something to me now," Kuvira huffed as she rolled her eyes,
"And that is?"
"Annoying me. Now, I don't know how many friends you had in prison, but I spent the last six years in solitary. And before you got out, I was actually enjoying that,"
"Oh, I see. They recruited you to track me–
"Trap. There's a difference," Kuvira corrected him pointedly,
"Well, I'd say you and Mako did half your job. You got me behind bars. Just the wrong ones," Shah teased,
"I'd rather you not say anything,"
"C'mon, humor me," Shah pleaded sweetly, "This is what cellmates do. We tell the bullshit war stories that got us thrown in here,"
"We got arrested together. You know why we're here,"
"Yeah. Well, I wanna know about you and what I could've possibly done to make you hate me so much," he pried, patiently waiting for Kuvira to give up and answer,
"Ugh. Pass," Kuvira groaned before she turned away from him,
"Pass? Y-You can't pass," Shah scoffed in disbelief,
"Just did," Kuvira grinned to herself,
"That's not fair. We're cellmates–
"We're not anything!" Kuvira barked at him, "It is just by my own damn stupid bad luck that I got locked in here with you. So, until we go our separate ways, let me make this real easy for you. I am not your friend. We are nothing alike and I refuse to let you fill this silence with your useless crusade of trying to figure out if we are! Stop talking means, stop talking," she hissed angrily, pacing their cell with her fists clenched,
"You're wrong,"
"That's it!" Kuvira snapped, turning to punch Shah to the floor only for him to catch her wrist mid-swing,
"You're wrong," Shah said again as he stood, completely unfazed by Kuvira's temper while he gently backed her into the wall, "Look at this however you want to. But we have a pact, like it or not," he scolded her, Kuvira's wrist caught tight in his grip, "We got thrown in here together. So I shouldn't have to tell you that until we get out, it'll be us against them, "


[Republic City] - Dragon Flats District

"Ketu, open up!" Shin called loudly after banging on the metal door, "Geez. Where the hell is that kid?"
"Kid?" you questioned, "You bought that thing off of a child?"
"Children are very resourceful these days sweetheart," Shin answered flatly after cutting the padlock off the garage door with the spare boltcutter he kept in the trunk of his car, "And technically, Ketu's a teenager,"
"Let me guess, thirteen," you scoffed with your arms crossed,
"Fourteen. But points for being close. Now get inside," Shin ordered as he led the shirshu in by its harness, "Ketu!" Shin called loudly, his voice echoing throughout the massive warehouse,
"Hmph. U-Uncle Shin?" Ketu groaned from the wooden loft high above your heads,
"Uncle?" you asked Shin,
"I'll tell you later," Shin sighed before shouting again, "There you are buddy. I thought one of your animals might've eaten you this time,"
"You're back early," Ketu yawned while he climbed down the long ladder, "I hope you know you're not getting any money back. All payments are final," he nodded,
"Yeah about that. I may have to make a few extra payments," Shin said sheepishly, "We've sort of lost Whip back in Ba Sing Se,"
"What!?–
"Easy. I know who took him. It's the same people who kidnapped Shah,"
"My brother was kidnapped!?"
"Not now!–
"Wait," Ketu huffed, "You're related to that idiot?" he asked, eyeing you up and down,
"Unfortunately. And it doesn't surprise me that he gambled half his plan on a child,"
"Hey, my end was solid! Your brother is the one with the issues,"
"Hmph. Tell me about it–
"So, Ketu," Shin cleared his throat as he stepped forward, "What's it gonna cost? I-I can't exactly go back and search for 'em until I tie up some loose ends here,"
"Hmm. That depends. Who took Whip?"
"Hmph. The Dai Li," Shin answered unenthusiastically,
"No way! Really!?" Ketu beamed,
"Wait. You're...happy about this?"
"Are you kidding me!? This couldn't be better," he sighed with joy, "Whip and Lola have had a reputation since they were born–descendants of the same shirshu used to track down Avatar Aang. But captured by the Dai Li and escaped? They'll be even more legendary than they already were! I could charge double. No, triple!–
"Okay, but that still leaves the question of who is going to search for him," Shin reminded Ketu cautiously,
"I will," Ketu shrugged unfazed,
"Uh uh. You? Against the entire Dai Li? Shin warned, "Think again,"
"I can do this–
"It's not happening Ketu," Shin argued, "End of story. Now, if you give me a few days here, I'll come back and we can go search the Earth Kingdom together, okay?
"Ugh. Fine," Ketu groaned, "But if I'm waiting, I want to have dinner with her,"
"What!?" you gasped,
"Done," Shin nodded, shaking Ketu's hand in agreement,
"Excuse me!?"
"Go get in the car," Shin ordered you,
"Absolutely not! W-What makes you think I'd have dinner with this barefoot anklebiter? Besides, I have a boyfriend anyway,"
"Hey, your brother lost my shirshu. So you have dinner with the ankle biter,"
"We'll discuss details later Ketu," Shin said warmly before pushing you out the door,
"Ugh. Let go of me! I know how to walk," you hissed at Shin when he held the passenger door open,
"Do you also remember how to shut your mouth?" he questioned after plopping down in the driver's seat, "If so, cool it with the whole boyfriend talk, would ya?"
"Ugh. Mako is my boyfriend,"
"Yeah. I was afraid you'd keep saying that," Shin sighed before opening the glove box. Inside was a smaller black box, big enough to rest in the palm of your hand,
"What is that?" you asked suspiciously, too distracted to pay attention to where Shin was driving,
"What do you think it is?" Shin breathed, placing it in your hand. You could feel your cheeks starting to flush with panic,
"Shin, i-if there's a ring in here. I swear to god–
"Just open it. Okay?" he scoffed, returning his attention to the road. It was a ring–silver and trimmed in diamonds, leaving the solid blue gemstone at the center to stand out amongst all the others,
"Why...W-Why did Viper buy this?"
"I think the question you're looking for is why did he make me go out and buy it. And I'd answer you with, isn't it obvious? To propose,"
"I see that, b-but what in the hell makes him think–
"Calm down," Shin reassured you, "He made me buy it two years ago. I just held onto it because he kept changing his mind,"
"H-He was married then,"
"Separated. And willing to sign the divorce papers," Shin corrected you flatly, "It's just that first wife of his couldn't stand to see him leave just yet. Not without a fight. Not until she knew who he was leaving her for,"
"Did he tell her?" you questioned,
"He did," Shin nodded, "Then...Then you left,"

[Airship]

"What does it matter if she loved him then?" Jay asked Mako curiously, "You love her now,"
"I know that. It's just...i-it took me nine years to leave the Triple Threats behind, and I only did so to keep Bolin out of trouble," Mako confessed defeatedly, "We considered Viper as a second father after losing ours. Took me longer than I care to admit that we were just being used as pawns. That we meant nothing to him,"
"So what exactly are you afraid of? If she meant nothing to Viper too–
"And he meant something to her?" Mako questioned, cutting Jay off, "Then...Shah was right. He'll find a way to get in her head,"