A/N: HELLO, MY LOVELIES! Technically it's a bit late, but happy new year! ("Amaya, it's like, almost February" - the readers) Yes, I know. I'm a bad, bad writer. Much sorry. SashaL and I had a bit of difficulty coming up with this chapter since he went full gore ("Dude kids read this stuff" - Literally me), so I toned it down a bit (sorry gore fans), but either way... Dark way to start this year's uploads, methinks. REGARDLESS! Read it, share it, vote for it, comment on it, and most of all - Keep on keeping on!
After we all went our separate ways, Toph and I decided to go to the address in the message. Jin was right. This place wasn't so bad when the oppressive part was gone. Also, not having soldiers trying to kill us, or worse... arrest us.
Regardless, we walked and talked and kicked stones.
"I still can't believe she came to see me," Toph grinned. "Do you really think she finally understands?"
"To be completely honest? Let's be careful," I answered honestly. "I don't think we should rush into this blind - ly..."
I mentally slapped myself at the poor choice of words.
"I mean recklessly," I added hurriedly.
Toph stopped dead, turning on me with an extremely offended expression.
"You think my mother is lying to me?" she spat. "She said she wanted to see me! She sounded like she finally saw things from my perspective. And - how - else - am - I - supposed - to - run - into - this!"
Each word was punctuated with a solid but not particularly painful punch to my thigh.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it," I retorted, pushing her away from my bruising thigh gently and holding her at arm's length.
Now I feel like I'm in a cartoon.
"You - don't - trust - me!" she screamed before stomping her foot furiously. "Well, I don't need you! I can take care of myself!"
She stomped off, and I sighed heavily, dropping my face in my hands.
Now I just felt like a jerk for trying to help. But, yeah, maybe she could take care of herself. But I just had to make sure she was ok.
To avoid her getting even angrier - for now anyway - I decided to take the slightly longer way around and go to the house too. I reached the house, saw the front door slightly open, but...
"No light..." I murmured. "It's a trap."
I couldn't see Toph, and I wondered if I had been too quick, but...
The door was slightly open. Was she already -
"HELLO?"
Yeah, she's already here.
I released an uneasy breath and walked towards the door, reaching to push it open when a loud clanking, followed by a crash and scream.
I immediately slammed that door open and was greeted by a metal box that looked ominously like a coffin.
"Hey!" Toph's voice emanated from inside as she banged against the metal cage. "Who do you think you're dealing with!?"
"One loud mouth little brat who strayed too far from home," Xin Fu stepped out from the shadows with Master Yu. I hated those as- uh... Wow, I have Jin in my head cursing me out for my language, and I didn't even say anything yet.
I might need to spend slightly less time around her.
I immediately dropped into a stance, hoping that maybe this time the lavabending would happen again. Unfortunately, Xin Fu had already launched a barrage at me, and in my attempt to avoid being brained or skewered, a stone caught my shoulder and threw me back. I spun, hitting the ground with a heavy grunt. A rock crashed into my ankle, and an involuntary scream escaped me, along with numerous expletives.
"Ah, the servant," Yu said haughtily, smoothing his clothes as he sneered down at me. "I almost forgot about you."
I muttered another string of curses and tried to get up. My shoulder flared with pain, and my ankle was pinned at an awkward angle, so any moving was painful, and so I was forced to glare up at Toph's kidnappers.
"Show respect to your betters, boy!" Xin Fu snarled, kicking me sharply in the face. A tooth might've come loose, but there was a definite taste of blood in my mouth that made me cough and splutter more expletives at them. This earned me another kick, this time to the ribs. I tried to curl into myself to protect my vulnerable areas like the ribs and face, but it proved difficult. Did they dislocate my shoulder?
"Stop it. You'll kill him!" Toph screamed, beating her fists against the metal.
"You shut up!" one of them snapped, kicking the box.
I'm not sure which. Everything is tinted red and swirling.
Toph continued to bang on the box until one of them kicked me, earning a yelp from me. She stopped immediately and whimpered slightly at my pained groans.
"I always thought you could be a brilliant earthbender," Yu crouched down by my face. "But you threw it away by kidnapping a very important person."
I spat some of the blood in my mouth onto his face. He made a disgusted expression as he backhanded me, leaving me dazed as he wiped the spit and blood from his face.
"Come, Yu," Xin Fu said from near the box. "We shouldn't waste our time with such... worthless, scum."
"Hello?" a scared voice called from outside as footsteps came closer.
"Run!" I croaked, trying to warn the stranger away.
The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it with my faculties in disarray at this point.
"Quickly, before she warns the Dai Li," Xin Fu said, as loud crunching and creaking could be heard, and Toph started screaming again.
"Muteki!" she screamed.
"Toph..." I breathed as my consciousness began to fade.