Last Airbender

Just before Coden could reach Long Feng, a gust of wind bodily lifted him from the ground, tossing him several feet off target. Ling raced forward, standing in front of Long Feng protectively, eyes dilated, face blank of any expression.

Long Feng took a step forward, leaning over the girl, whispering something in her ear. He stepped away as two guards came from the tunnels behind, guarding him from possible future attacks. Ling looked upon the intruder with an odd sense of awareness… As if she wasn’t sure if he…. Or anything was truly there. She curved around, looping the air around her and focusing it into a hardened blade of air at him, and raced after the wind, leaping into a more direct attack.

Thrown aside like a rag doll, Coden smacked the wall beyond Long Feng, leaving a subtle impression that crackled and crumbled around him before he fell from it and crumpled to the hard ground below. Groaning, the Gyspus held his head in one hand while the other pushed him up onto his knees. When he lifted his eyes, Alexis was guarding Long Feng. “It's never easy...”Long Feng would die, one way or another. He would get Alexis back...one way or another.

As the fissure of air raced forward, Coden lurched into a bold and vaguely familiar stance. Facing Alexis' cutting winds head on. Quick thinking and a hopeful thought later, he blasted plumes as flame from his sides as he jumped into the air, propelling himself up and over the wind, nimbly twisting and landing behind the Moipai as she rushed the wall. Then charged for Long Feng.

Fire...It felt good to use. Especially when he was mad. It always felt strongest when he was mad. Yeah. He was mad now. How strong could he make the fire? What could it do with it? A angry as he was, He'd love to find out... “What have you done to Alexis!?” Fire trailing behind him from his hands created a furious tail of fire. Stopping short of stone pillars raised to stop him, Coden thrust his hands forward, lashing the tails of fire out like whips. Roiling heat and flames extending out, narrowly missing the Dai li and Long Feng, a thin wall of stone barely protecting them. “I'm going to burn you alive and eat your hearts, Dai li Rats!”* He began attacking the wall with repetitive lashes that singed and melted the stone. His anger and blood lust fueling the power of his fire. He had to stop short of the assault, though. A tiny wisp of air behind him warning the gyspus, and he bolted away from the wall. Diminishing his whips into blasts of flame to propel him out of harms way.

*It is believed in some cultures that eating the flesh of ones enemy gives them the knowledge of their enemy. Namely the heart or brain.

Ling continued her assault, her sleeve burnt off and the skin underneath singed from Coden’s counterattack. She continued to use the arm, not even acknowledging that it should have been in pain, busy trying to draw him away from Long Feng. Darting in the way of lunges, blocking punches with her body, using the wind to blow flames off course. Ignorant of the pain or the danger of doing so. Working to get in close range, where while her power isn’t as accessible, it turned her into the target instead of her protectee...

Gale watched them fight, growling to himself. He needed to be out there, helping Coden against them. He could still help. A dive told him he still had some power left. Would it be enough? He would make it enough.

Calmly, ignoring the going ons around him, he dove once more... and began eating himself. Fats and muscle and bone broke down - just a little bit. More so, Gale ate up the fat in his body. And... he had power again.

Quickly, he ducked. A rock flew above his head. Spinning on his hands and feet, he dashed behind him, leaping to a Dai Li agent. A sheild about his hand protected it from shattering like the rock he punched. A short blast ripped apart the Dai Li agent.

As much as he wanted to, he couldn't go about ripping them apart from teh inside. No. It took far too much power - power he didn't have right now. So he took them out the hard way.

Standing over another bloodied corpse, he looked at the two. Alexis was caged up again and attacking blindly. He couldn't feel her anymore.

But wait. that man had said something. During that silence, when he pulled himself from that hole. What had he said? The boy's ears twitched. Then he remembered. Would it pull her out of the trance?

"THE EARTH KING HAS INVITED YOU TO LAKE LAOGI" He yelled over the commotion and fighting. Even if it didn't... maybe now he could get in

Ling froze up as the boys words pierced her, her physical self knocked back slightly as she didn’t try to avoid a wayward blow. Without any sense that she even felt the flame, she turned her head towards the child. Twisting around, she sent a blade of wind right towards him… Hitting the Dai Li who had been sneaking up from behind. Maneuvering around Coden as if was just a bit of stone in her way, she resumed her protective stance around Gale. After a moment, she turned around again, no sign of recognition on her face, waiting for orders.

Staring down the moipai, Coden looked past her to Long Feng. A twisted smile was plastered across the Dai li leaders face. Clicking his teeth irately, Coden charged head on with Alexis. fire met air, heat waves imploded in the collisions. He feinted and struck the girl. Burned flesh filled his nostrils. "Tch!" He wanted to be sorry for it; but so long as she was under that mans control he couldn't do a thing but defend himself against her without killing her!

He charged her again, dropping to his knees and slipping under her winded blades. Flipped back to his feet and bolted after Long Feng. Kill. Bleed. Tear rip destroy the beacon. A Dai li soldier stepped forward, sweeping his hands from his side and forward, piers of spiked stones raising all around him. Narrowly evading, He bee lined for the soldier and grappled him. They fought for only second and the man lost the struggle with a broken wrist and a dislocated shoulder. The second guarding Long Feng started forward by Longs demand until something distracted them. Expecting Alexis, He darted out of the way and turned. But what he saw bewildered and surprised him. Imploded and decapitated bodies strewn across the floor. Gale standing
among them.

It was both beautiful and horrifying.

The sight distracted him long enough to allow Alexis to catch up to him. She caught him off guard,a flurry of wind knocking him back. On instinct to his anger, he reacted and cast a blazing wrath of Flame at her. The girl dodged, someone screamed. He didn't hear. His heart was pounding in his ears. Coden only heard the roar of his inner flame. King? Lake? Something....The next thing he knew, Alexis had turned to Gale, blasting away a Dai li agent, suddenly protecting the child.

"What!? Ling! Stop! Attack the child!" Long Feng was looking frustrated. Bewildered that his own manipulation had been redirected.

Huffing, Coden grinned and gave a nod towards the pair. Yes...Alexis was back. As far as he could tell, she was back. Turning on the newly arriving Dai li agents, Coden began a new dance of death. Lunging, darting, diving, dodging. He added maybe four to his rising kill count. It was only to assist Alexis and Gale. His true target...Long Feng was practically alone. Coden turned and charge. "This one is mine!", he muttered.
A Dai li agent jumped in front of Long Feng to defend him. A wave pf gravel cast up to fend of Coden. The gyspus dropped to cover himself, emerged from the rubble and charged again. A pillar blocked his path, but he caught the ledge and pulled himself atop it. Leaped atop another that tried to knock him down and dove with a fist of growing flame. So close. Hotter! Bigger! Burn them to dust with one shot and boil the blood dry!
He was so close. Long Feng shoved the Agent aside and with a spin of a dance and a swing of his hands, pointed finger fingers up. Stone up heaved from the floor, angling and shooting a jagged spear through the air. It caught Coden's chest, stopping him and reversing his direction.

His body smacked the wall high with a sickening 'thunk'. The Gyspus was still for a moment. Then jerkily lifted his hand, smoking with remnants of fire. And held the pole wear it was sunk into his chest. "Tck..That...actually kind of...hurt....", he muttered. Squinting and struggling for footing to pull himself free, Coden meekly gave in and hung, setting his throbbing head against the wall. He was stuck good, he knew it. And even if he did get free, he'd sooner bleed out than his body could adjust and clot that wound. He could jut watch and hope Gale and Alexis held up. But form his vantage point, he could see even the hiding Dai li. "D...dah nah....Dirty...stinking....tricks....heh...."

Gale watched, horrified, as Coden was impaled to the wall. Pivoting he glared at Long Feng, golden eyes filled with a hot rage, jagged flames of hate turning the color to a molten gold.

Dropping to his hands and feet, he raced to the leader, who stood triumphant and smirking. The boy's rage sent him into the jaws of the beast. More Dai Li fell from the ceiling and Gale's reckless use of power came at a steep price.

The Dai Li literally exploded from when they landed and Long Feng was left defenseless. The boy leapt up in the air, arms spread out, fingers encircling the enemy's neck and squeezing, tighter, tighter. He was the only one Gale saw, the only thing he was aware of was the life slipping from his fingers and he was high from it.

But something slammed into him, and he rocketed off, brought back to the room. Double vision, dizzy and boiling with rage still, he tried standing, only to collapse. He didn't even hear Long Feng tell Alexis that the Earth King invited her back to the Lake. More rocks assailed him, bruising and hurting his legs and arms. It took too much effort to raises his arms to defend himself.

Slowly, but surely, they wore down the dragon boy. Long Feng approached, yanking Gale up from his collar. The boy couldn't think, couldn't form any words. Could only feel an intense rage for this man who hurt him and his friends.

"Make sure he doesn't die. And take him to a holding room. I would like to have a chat with the little dragon boy, but not now." Vision began fading in and out as Gale clawed at the arms carrying him somewhere.

Pala had heard the echoing of a battle, and continued to follow the noise, riding along on her faceless stone mount.
Eventually she came to a room, after the noise had died down. The room was broken to bits, gore splashed everywhere. They must ha- and there she saw him. Her eyes widened in shock, as she gazed upon coden,pinned to the wall, blood streaming down.
"Spirits fend.." She whispered. "What have they done!?" She pulled herself up, letting the creature fall apart, limping towards him. He didn't even react, and she was unsure if he was alive. "This is going to hurt, but you need to come down.." Bracing herself, she crumbled the stone into the finest pieces of dust she could manage, and caught him as he fell, shifting the sand out of his body. "Coden...What happened?"

She grew even more anxious when he didn't answer? "Where's Alexis, and Gale?" Then footsteps sounded down ahead, and she instinctively ducked down.
"I'll...i'll try my best," she whispered, not knowing if he even heard anything she said, "but i don't know how i can do this...i'm too weak.."

Five agents entered, and encircled her.
"What are you doing here?" One asked, with a tone of superiority.
"Whatever in the abyss i would want to do. Go away, and i'll let you live."
They didn't reply, as they all shifted into fighting stances. All at once, they raised stone beneath her and flung her against the wall, to let her drop to the floor.
One agent walked over, picked coden and began to walk off.
"Nngh.." Pala looked up at them, blood dripping from her nose, anger rising within. "I hate you all." She said, lifting her hands, as a wolf of pure flame sprung from nothingness.
It pounced one agent, every touch burning him horribly. She lifted her arms around, ready to attack another, when an agent lunged at her, picking her up and with a swift punched knocked her out.

He was stricken. Coden could only watch as Gale went after Long Feng, soon to be over come and taken away. And Alexis just...she just.... "...Al....Alexa.. exis...." He cleared his throat and gurgled blood. Spat it up and tried to speaks again. But with weary blinks of pain came unconsciousness in fragments.
First was Alexis, a single long stare before she followed her 'masters'. Blackness and then nothing. An empty room. Time was nothing to him. It could have been hours. Days. He didn't know. He just hurt. He was just tired.
When next he opened his yes, he saw the oddest thing. White. Beauty. He would have smirked if he had the energy to; believing the gods were mocking him with an angel.

To his misfortune, as he was freed from his hitch, Coden realized that his 'angel' was nothing more than Pala. He stare at the woman hard. 'Where were you?' he wanted to say. To scoff. 'where were you when you were...needed?' They might not have been in this mes if she'd been around the day before. Alexis might be better. Angelique might be content. Gale...Gale would be....
He coughed once as the stone crumble away and out of his chest. Open wounds sealing as quickly as they could to stop the flow of precious fluids. Dull eyes stare as his mind desperately tried to communicate, but only silence became him, even as the Dai li returned for he and their comrades.
Darkness consumed him again as he was dragged down a hall, his last sight being Pala. And wishing terribly she had been an angel....

Pala awoke, every part of her body imaginable aching. She could taste the dried blood on her lips, and she almost retched. Looking around, she found herself tied down on a wooden chair. They had bandaged and put a splint to her leg, thank the spirits...that could have gotten bad. Otherwise, they had left her as she was. Two men stood before her, staring intently.
The first question -
"Are you the Avatar?" What? What where they talking about?
"What's an Avatar?" She asked, stress evident in her voice.
"Only one can wield all four elements, and that is the avatar. If you are not going to co-operate, then things are going to be difficult." The agent turned to his fellow. "If we gain control of...her, think of the power the Dai Li would hold. Long Feng would be most pleased.

Reaching for a lantern and placing it upon a rail, it began to circle around before Pala. She growled, then grinned.
"If you say this 'avatar' can use all elements, then you should know..." She said, inhaling, "that everything is a weapon!"
She laughed, blowing out, manipulating the fire within the lantern to burst out in a gush of fire, leaping at the agents, scorching them.
"It appears," she said still tied down, "that you don't know how to deal with real elementalists."

Jing-Wei sat on a rock. She had no idea what to do, stuck as a bird and having lost her quarry.

"Long Feng is going to be furious," she muttered as she sat there.

Since she had stopped searching, she had spent her time trying to figure out a way to get back into her human form. She hadn't managed it, though she had unlocked a few other things. While sitting there, she had randomly begun scratching a circle with random markings inside of it on the ground. Another push of energy to try and turn back made the circle glow and the part of the rock around the seal exploded, knocking her to the ground. She had tried again after that, keeping well away this time, trying to memorize it. Now she sat there, quickly losing hope that she could turn back.

A noise caught her attention, snapping her out of her reverie. Voices...the slide of stone. Dai Li were coming.

'Oh no they can't see me like this!' frantic, she began to flitter around, trying to find a means of escape...right. A means of escape from earthbenders down in stone tunnels under a lake. For some reason her earlier thought of asking Long Feng for help, talking to him about this didn't seem quite as appealing. She didn't know why, but her stomach seemed to drop out whenever she thought about it, mind going back to that strange dark room that had popped into her head earlier...

No sooner had she managed to get herself off the ground and righted in the air than she felt something inside slide out of place and in a flash she fell the couple of inches to land on her butt, human again. She stared at her hands for a moment as the Dai Li rounded the corner. Spotting them, she scrambled to her feet.

They stopped. "Jing-Wei...everyone has been looking for you..." She didn't like the look she was getting, but ignored the feeling of dread, pushing it to the back of her mind as she went over. She'd know these guys for months now...right?

"My apologies for worrying everyone," she said, inclining her head. "I was a bit shaken after my encounter earlier...there was this strange monster that fell through the floor into the western hall while I was attempting to apprehend the avatar-like woman. I am afraid that in the chaos she managed to get away."

"She was captured," one of the Dai Li said, the two of them stepping up beside her. She fell in step with them as they left the hall back toward the main hall.

"That is good to hear," Jing-Wei said. "Will I be given the chance to return to my room for a while? I would like the opportunity to rest..."

"I believe that Long Feng wanted to speak with you about today's events," the Dai Li agent said, glancing at her. "Though no doubt he would not mind if you rested for a while. He will be busy for now with the prisoners."

Jing-Wei nodded and continued walking with them off to her room where they opened a door in the wall, letting her in, before closing it, closing her off from the rest of the base. Shaking slightly, she collapsed on her bed. Now she just needed to figure out what to do.

'Well...things would be easier if I could master that stupid transformation.' Reluctantly, she sat back up. Taking a meditative position on the floor, she began to focus inward to where she had felt that click of power shifting in and out of place. It was strange...she had to shift her power INTO place to become a bird and OUT of place to become a human...did that mean she was actually a bird? How did that work anyway? Focusing on the area, she shifted the power slightly, but no more, and felt the rush of power that now flowed through her body, tingling slightly. It felt strange...foreign. She didn't have the answers and she guessed that as Long Feng had yet to give her any, he either didn't know or wasn't telling. She shifted the power further, causing the flash and transformation. She sat there dazed for a moment before returning her thoughts inward, trying to find the place she needed to shift. There was one person down there who seemed to have some answers, though...the woman she'd been fighting. Finding the slight break in power, Jing-Wei pushed, several attempts later finding herself in human form on the floor. She had said she wasn't normal and without a doubt she was right.

Jing-Wei glanced on reflex at the wall where the door should be. Well she'd have to find a way out first before she could go talk to the woman. Before it's too late... a voice in the back of her head piped up, though she had no idea what it meant by 'too late'. Getting up, she walked over and knocked on the wall. A small section fell away to reveal the two Dai Li stationed outside. Their expressions were blank.

"Yes?"

"Could I have the door open? I'd like to go find Long Feng...I...was a little shaken up by that fight and would like to talk to him..."

Well they said that Long Feng wanted to talk to her anyway, so she might as well give the partial truth, though she did feel slightly bad for lying to them. They were her comrades after all...and looking at each other almost hesitantly? She blinked at them, trying to keep her expression innocent.

"It would probably be best if you waited here," the one said finally. "I'm sure that Long Feng wont be long..."

"But you said you didn't know...and that he'd want to see me anyway," she said. "I don't think I'll be able to rest until I've spoken to him..."

Again they hesitated. "Perhaps we can take you to him..."

"I can go myself...I shouldn't need any doors opened..."

"We insist." With a rumble the rest of the door slid away, allowing her to step out into the hall.

Turning, she began to lead the way down the hall. She'd have to figure out how to lose them, but given the fact that she could turn into a bird...no doubt she'd find a way. Though perhaps there was more to what that woman had said than she'd previously thought...she really was in a cage. So the question was how much was she willing to risk for answers? She stopped. She'd have to risk a fair bit.

"Jing-Wei?"

Not responding, she concentrated, and in a flash had turned into her bird form and shot off down the hall. She heard the two yelling behind her, heard the grinding of stone as it flew at her, but kept going. Surprisingly, they didn't seem to follow. As soon as she was out of sight, she landed, taking a few seconds to struggle with the spell and change back, taking off down the hall. Now, every time she heard voices or footsteps, she would duck behind something or into an empty room, trying to avoid the Dai Li. She felt like an intruder in her own home, but she had to find that woman...

At one point when she heard footsteps, she wound up ducking into a small pitch black room to wait. Moving far enough in that she wouldn't be noticed, she bumped into something. Pausing, she felt it, sighing in relief when she realized it was a chair, although something in the back of her mind seemed to twang at that, telling her to run...

With a rumble the door shut. There was a hiss and a light appeared at the end of the room, a small candle, and behind it stood Long Feng.

Jing-Wei took a step back, staring at him. Something about this, about his appearance standing over the flame struck another chord and she felt the panic rise up within her. She tried to reason with herself that it was just his appearance over the flame, with the dark shadows all around, but it just didn't set right...

"Welcome Jing-Wei...we've been looking for you," Long Feng said, motioning to the chair. "Please, have a seat...I've been informed that you wished to speak with me."

"I..." she hesitated. She didn't want to be in that chair...she didn't even want to be in this room! "I think I'll stand."

"I insist." With a nod from Long Feng, an agent stepped forward from behind her, grabbing her arm and pulling her up to sit on the chair.

"Why are you doing this? What's going on?" Jing-Wei struggled, confused at their behavior.

"Calm down, Jing-Wei...things will all become clear to you shortly..." With a slight movement of his hand, Long Feng set the candle moving on the track, coming closer, then further away...something flashed in her mind. Deja vu. She had seen this before.

"No..." The air temperature began to rise around her as she closed her eyes, refusing to look at the candle.

"Stay calm Jing-Wei...just open your eyes."

"NO!" With a flash of energy, her body caught on fire, forcing the Dai Li that had been holding her onto the chair to step back. The candle's flame flared as well, fires sparking in the room.

"Jing-Wei, stop this!"

She ignored him, springing up and darting toward the wall. A pillar of earth shot up in her way and she had to dodge around it as smoke began to fill the room, frantically trying to find a way out, not hearing when they screamed at her something about suffocation. She just had to get out. Making her way over to the wall finally, she picked up a rock and began to scratch the strange exploding circle on it from earlier.

A pair of rock hands clasped around her ankles and a pair around her wrists, dragging her away from the wall. She screamed, thrashing, setting fires blazing in the room while trying to melt the rocks on her appendages.

"LET ME GO!" Shifting her energy halfway, she let the fires spring up further, darting back toward the wall as her restraints melted, dodging rocks on the way. She quickly finished the drawing and pushed her energy into it, blowing a hole in the wall. She shrieked as debris flew at her, sending her reeling back. Raising her arms to cover her face, she could hear screams from behind her and on the other side of the door as well. With a jump, she pulled herself out of the door, smoke following her out. As soon as her feet landed on the ground, she took off, again having to doge pillars and restraints. In response, she heated the air around her, pouring more and more energy into it so that the floor began to crack as she passed, softening when she stepped onto it. Let them try to restrain her now.

Ling was trapped in a dreamlike state. She could see what was going on, but was detached from it, her physical self following the Dai Li as she struggled to comprehend through the fog. Strange…. She separated herself from the Dai Li…. She was one of them…. Right? After the events from earlier….. She wasn’t so sure anymore…….

Slowly, she was able to interact with her surroundings, a twitch of the toe, a bending on the finger, it was rather passive, for long periods of time she didn’t even think about trying it. She had been led away from the blood and gore, from the man impaled on the wall, down several hallways, agents talking all the while. Talking to themselves, or to her, she wasn’t sure. She just knew that she was told to follow them, and that is all that went through her mind for the longest while. Eventually they stopped, leading her into a long room full of cots and people. Some moaning from injuries, some talking to each other, some not moving at all.

A woman came up to her, pulling her away from the agents. There were several strikingly similar woman in the same uniform around, working with others. Her smile was vapid and fake as she poked and prodded, pulling back the remains of her sleeves to reveal several nasty burns. Ling looked down at them, face blank. She didn’t even notice them before… Why didn’t she notice them before?

She silently complied as the woman began cleaning out the burns, putting a salve on them before bandaging them up. She didn’t cringe or wince when she picked out the debris from her cuts and burns, which seemed to unnerve the woman for some reason…. She never thought to ask her though…..

After a while, the woman told her she needed to stay in the room for observation, so she sat on the cot, blankly watching the people rush around her. Minutes or hours passed, time seemed to move strangely sometimes for her.

Time went on and the room changed. It was a lot quieter, there were a lot less people running around. The cots near her were empty, isolating Ling in the corner of the room. She was rather indifferent about it all, occasionally glancing down at the thick bandages on her arms, but otherwise unmoving.

The scene changed again, this time with several agents carrying a man and a woman into the room, setting him down on a cot near her. Crowded around, inspecting him, treating him…. It was hard for her to tell. Eventually even that changed, the interest dying down due to his lack of consciousness. They treated the woman’s leg and took her away again, and the man was left relatively alone.

She glanced over after a while again, feeling a sense of familiarity…. It was the intruder from before. The one that told her she was living a lie, that called her a name other than her own…. The one that hung bloody and motionless from the wall. He…. He was in the flashes of foreign memory…. Of the other life…..

She looked around, noticing that no one was focused on her actions at the time. She edged away from her low lying mat and inched over to his. She sat down, and stared at him, pondering how there could be metal inside him. What the things coming out of his neck were. What he really knew about her…..

She went back to the few seconds that the vision lasted. She didn’t recognize where they were, but they had been together, close…. And it was good. She could feel that there was more emotion clung to the memory, but for some reason, she couldn’t feel it…. Maybe it was the same as the burns? Was she numb, unfeeling of anything? Emotion or touch? She glanced down at the man again, who was still unconscious. Didn’t know she was here… Her hands left her side, tentatively hovering over the bandages on his chest, fingers running across the rough cloth. Up to his face, poking the small pair of glasses that adorned his face. It felt oddly familiar doing so… Was that something tied to her unknown past?

She was slightly scared. That this would all be forgotten as well. She didn’t know how it had happened… But she truly began believing that it had. She brought her other hand up and pulled the mans limp hand into her own. Caressing it gently, winding her fingers with his own. She didn’t know why she did it… But it felt right…. Somehow….

Time remained a confusing factor for him. He knew only the span of darkness with intervals of light from the world beyond him.Unfamiliar faces rushing and babbling. When he closed his eyes he closed them out. When he opened his eyes to weary slits, he caught bits and pieces of rushed, garbled conversation. “He's alive!”“-Should be dead...” “Quick....needles. Bandages. Sterilize the wound!” He felt pulling and tugging at his clothes. Hands and cold fingers prodded the hole torn in the cloth around his chest.Hesitance. “What wound? It's gone!” “...impossible...” His body twitched and convulsed subtly as the shirt was pulled back,baring a bloody chest, void of impalement. For the love of death,people! He screamed in his mind, cringing. It may be healed, but he was still tender!


Finally the cold hands and prodding appendages left him in peace. Things became silent again. He tried to open his eyes to scope his surroundings clearly now that he was mostly alone. His body refuted against him, though. Sleep, his instincts said; recover. Defend...his mind screamed, Run. He tried to move. Nothing. It hurt too much,yet. His body wasn't ready. Subconsciousness drifted into unconsciousness. Sleep consumed his mind and he tried to rest.Knowing, in the depths of his mind, that he was in the care of his enemy, He did not sleep peacefully. Could not rest at ease. Anything could happen. His mind was consumed with thoughts of his only comrades. Angelique. Pala. Gale. He worried so much for Gale. And....


He blocked it. Blocked it all. Left for the cold darkness. Tried to bury himself in it. He cared too much about those people; in his condition, he didn't want to think about what might be happening to them while he was disabled. The depths of his mind were so crippling,though. The emptiness nothing but dark and chilling. Something he was so use to in reality but....It was lonely. It was better that way.Nothing the fear or worry about. Not a care in the world but for himself.
The darkness felt odd though. Something invaded his sense of self containment.

Coden realized the prodding had returned, but it felt different. It was....warm. Unlike the chilling fingers of the Dai li. This touch was familiar. He felt it in his chest. His face. His fingers tingled with a comforting heat. It was uncannily gentle. Slowly, he crept back into consciousness. Who was messing with him? He could not make himself wake. Only bring himself inches from consciousness. Enough to hear in his sleep and feel the vivid warmth of an others hand holding his. It was nice. It may very well be a Dai li Agent tending him to health, but it was an addictive comfort.
He wanted terribly to cling to the warmth. His inner flame felt so small and timid in his condition. Subconsciously, Coden tightened his fingers around Lings hand locking their fingers together. Attaching himself to the familiarity of her curious touch.

Ling felt somewhat lighter somehow when his hand wrapped around hers. The smallest crack of a smile grew on the girls lips as she curled up her other hand around his, and pulled his hand up to her head. Pressed up against her forehead, she murmured softly to the hand, and in extension, the man beyond.

“………………. I ……… I don’t know what’s going on ………….. Everything made sense…….. Until you came along ........... Did you really………… know me in another life? Is……… Is any of this real? ……Was it ever real? You were the only one that gave me any answers….. And I……… I……..”

“Before you two showed up…….. I knew who I was……… Who I was going to be…….. But now…….. Everything feels wrong………. Hollow………. Empty……… I feel empty inside………… I know that something is wrong with me……. But I don’t know how to fix it…………….. I can’t feel like I should be able to………… Things don’t hurt as much…….. I can’t feel anything……”

“………….. I try to remember things……… To assure myself that it’s real………. But…….. I can’t remember what my family was like……….. Friends…………. A home…………. Playing as a child………. Running around outside…………. A favorite toy……….. A special someone……….. Nothing……. There’s nothing there……… I’ve got nothing inside me……….”

“…………You’re the only ones that showed me something else…. Someone that cared….. That loved………. And……….. I………. Please wake up”, She said softly and desperately, her voice trembling as tears began to fall. “…….Please…….”

The girl fell silent as several figures approached the two. She glanced up at them, eyes watery as she innocently and silently begged to be left in peace. Even if she would forget all of this in the morrow….. She wanted this moment now.

In the border of the waking world and his lonely darkness, Coden listened to the distant voice. Felt the warmth in his one hand; the tender touch of soft skin and tickle of hair against just his fingertips. A face? He felt curves and duvets with his palm and thumb. A familiar face. A familiar voice. He should know this....... Of course. Alexis. It seemed so long since he'd heard her speak so gently. Pleadingly. The poor girl; it pulled at his heart strings to hear her like this. Desperate to abide to her plea, the gyspus tried to wake himself, but, like a dream he did not control, he slept on. He could not find consciousness.
Somewhere he seemed to make a connection. His body complied. Like a sleep talker, his lips mumbled slurred words. Distant pleas of his own. Inaudible comforts. “..'lexis................Gale.....watch Gale for me.........” He seemed to whisper. Muttering small requesting he only thought in the depth of his mind. “.............Don't forget......m..................I-.......com.....ng.......... fer you....” Fragments of speak crept into his subconscious. A lazy slur of answers, half spoken. Some clear, some Arabic. A confusion puzzle left for her to ponder for as long as she was still in her piece of mind. “..........Dunt forget........u...uḥibbik.....”, He murmured, before something felt wrong.


“Take her,” The frontal Dai li said to another. “Move him out of here. She shouldn't be in contact with him. Make sure he's hidden.” There were nods and a female Dai li confronted Alexis. “Ling. Obey and follow.” Surprisingly she did not respond. Only pleaded. Impatient, She was snatched up by her arm and pulled back. The girl struggled, retching away. Unwilling to leave Coden's side. “She won't budge...”, The woman stated dejectedly. “Then Make her,” the other orders firmly. The woman stepped fore ward again, joined by another. Each pulling back at an arm or her waist, struggling to contain the girl. Her fingers wrapped desperately around Codens, slipping as she was jerked away.

Suddenly latching his hand onto her's, The gyspus was nearly dragged from his bed. Muttering in a strange tongue before their hands were pried apart. “....uḥibbik....”
It took three guards to restrain the kicking, screaming Ling and drag her out of the room. The others sighed exasperatedly, Staring at Coden and hauling the rather dead gyspus off his bed, and arm strung around each shoulder.
“I've never seen her act like that before...” “I know. Do you think these two had something before?” “I can't say for certain.....what do you think he was saying before? What was it? Yuhibick?” “Who cares. Let's get this guy to the other wing before he wakes up. You saw what he did to the others.....I wouldn't want to have my neck in his arms if he were to suddenly wake up.” “No kidding....Let's hope Long Feng wipes him soon. It's unnerving having him around, considering how fast he seems to recover....”

After a lengthy walk across the underground headquarters, the pair deposited Coden in an empty, unused hospital wing of Lake Lao Gai. Sealed the entrances and guarded each hall from the outside. Then sent a lone Guard to inform Long Feng About Coden's transfer and update the leader about the strange mans development and condition.

Gale awoke and one nightmare changed to another. He was in a grave. A neatly cut grave. Square on all sides; it was just a small box made of stone. His arms shot out only to be met with stone halfway before fully extending. He kicked and his legs were still bent when he met more stone. He was trapped. He was stuck in this little grave and he wouldn’t get out again. Taking in a deep breath, he screamed.

Terrifying! Oh, he was so scared of this grave! He screamed, again and again, too panicked to use his power correctly. The walls were caving in on him, trying to crush him! He yelled and wailed as they really did close in on him. Futilely, he tried pushing back, forcing the stones away. But it didn’t work and soon Gale found himself unable to move, unable to breathe. Oblivion followed.

He woke up.

The grave was large now. He had room to get to his hands and knees and breathe. He wiped at his wet face wondering why it was wet, not knowing how he cried and called for Coden and Alexis in his sleep. Slowly, he crawled about the little hole, getting the feel of the little box until, suddenly, the ground opened up under him. If Gale had wanted to stay, then maybe he would have clawed at the walls to try to stay up. But the feel of wind through his hair and clothes was a nice reminder of what he would have once he left these underground tunnels.

Too soon, his feet met stone and he landed, surrounded by many Dai Li agents. His hand struck out, batting away an agent who had the misfortune of being too close. But when Gale tried to move, his feet stuck fast to the ground. Looking back, stone was covering his ankles. Faceless agents comes up to him and grabbed at his armpits, hauling him up. Gale struggled and pulled, screaming insults and curses as the cuffed him with more stone. He felt a stone ring wrap around his arms and wing, pinning the appendage to his back.

He began screaming again, diving down to his power. They were going to break it off! They were going to break the bones in his wing and rip it from his back! No! He wouldn’t let them do that! They couldn’t take his other wing! He wouldn’t let them!

Another scream as an agent backed away, looking at his hands, which were now on the ground. Gale hit the ground as well, a squishing thud echoing from the hallways as he landed in the intestines of a second agent. Under the panicked screams and orders, the rock ring cracked open and he freed is wing, which shot out and flexed in, relaxing against his back. A hand grabbed at his hair, and yanked back. Gale’s head shot backwards and quickly forward as the agent slammed Gale’s face into the ground. Again. Again. Again.

When he finally let go, Gale fell. He hit the ground and lay there, left eye swollen shut, cuts on his cheek, forehead, and in his mouth. The boy groaned, vision blackening.

“You little bastard!” He heard and a foot met his stomach. He coughed, and gasped, then stifled his cried as the man beat him. “That was my brother you just killed!” What did it matter? Gale thought as he weathered the blows. Soon they stopped, the agent pulled off by another and Gale, subdued and motionless, was lifted up and dragged.

“Keep an eye out for Jing-Wei,” the child heard, his ears twitching unconsciously. “It appears she has escaped, but Long Feng wants to wipe the dragon child before he acts up again.”

“Too late for that,” came a growled reply and Gale was knocked against the head once more.

“Cut that out! He needs to be conscious!”
“Only in the chair!”
A sigh. “He needs to be alive too.”
“Does he now?”
“Do you honestly think you could kill a dragon?”
“Thing hasn’t even breathed fire yet.”
“Still. A dragon is a dragon. The only thing we can do it get it to work on our side.”

It. Gale was not an it. He was Gale. The boy growled, low and deep and was given another hard cuff on the head that rattled his head. There was a room. Movement. “Put him in.” A chair, now. His hands, placed on the armrests, were quickly covered in stone. Stone. Gale had had enough with stone to last him a lifetime. Around his legs too. And his head. “Go look for Jin-Wie, pleas. And be careful.” He heard someone say.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and saw Long Feng standing between the circle of stone, a light behind him. He smiled warmly at Gale. “Hello, dragon child. You and your friends have cause quite a mess for us to clean up. And with the Avatar in town and everything.” The man sighed as Gale glared. “Don’t look at me like that.” He said sadly, and with a wave of his hand, he sent the flame around the room. Gale watched it as it circled about the room even though he tried to stop himself.

“Now…” Long Feng started, looking at Gale and smiling. “What is your name?”

The boy felt it. A gentle probing at his mind, looking for a crack. He felt it pushing against his barriers like water, enveloping his mind and gently trying to get in. It was sweet, like candy and sugar bread. It made Gale want to tell this man his name and everything he asked, to believe everything he said.

But it wouldn’t be getting into his mind! He strengthened his barriers, especially the outer most and inner most ones. “What is your name?” Long Feng asked again, voice dripping with a false sweetness.

“Nng…” Gale fought it. “N-none of y-your… business!” He spat trying to kick at the light. But he couldn’t move.

Long Feng sighed. “Come, dragon child. You can tell me. I’m your friend.”

“LIES!” He screamed, closing his good eye against the flame. There! The flame! The sickening probing feeling in his mind began to ebb away. That was the key! The flame! But fingers pulled down at his eye and he was forced to watched.

“This will be very difficult,” Long Feng commented, scratching his chin. “Let us continue.” And thus began a mental probing. Fingers dug and scraped against his mind, trying to peel away his defenses. The scrape, scrape, scraped against his outer layer, rubbing and petting, trying to comfort him and lure him into a false sense of security. But he wouldn’t believe it. It was fake, all fake! They were raping his mind and he wouldn’t let them in! Never, in a million years, would they get into his mind.

~*~*~*~

Hours later, Long Feng looked at the boy. He was covered in sweat, chest heaving up and down as if he had just run six million miles without rest. That one gold eye was dilated and his mouth wide open, drool dribbling down his chin. The dragon child twitched when Long Feng asked another question but only came out that garbled nonsense. “ U’n bir rlkjubf!”

The leader of the Dai Li sighed and moved a door down. “Put him somewhere he won’t cause any trouble,” he ordered, “and I will go check on the Avatar woman.” With that said, he exited the room and Gale’s restraints receded into the chair. No noise escaped the child as he fell forward, hitting the ground with a dull thud. His mind hurt so badly.

Two Dai Li agents approached him and lifted him up. Gale tried fixing himself, but it was hard. The outer barriers of his mind were badly frayed. These two Dai Li could probably feel the emotional pain rolling off the child. At some points, the man had gotten to some of his memories and pried open what he thought of his mother and what he did to her. And he even managed to plant some false memories in there. Which Gale was taking his time to rid before the weeds took hold and spread their roots. He did not love his mother. He did not grow up here. He did not get his scars from a tiger. He hated his mother. He grew up in a manor house, locked in a dungeon. He got his scars from torture. As much as he hated it, that was what happened.

The boy continued to strengthen his mind, still, almost catatonic in the enemies’ arms. He protected his sanctuary once. But who knew when they would try again? He had to have more defenses! He had to protect his mind, and… if need be, separate it from his body. He wouldn’t let him have his mind. It was the only thing left to him. They could have the body, do what they pleased with the body. But his mind was his own!

Rock walls slid down and Gale was deposited in a small room with a bed. He lay on the floor where he was tossed, unmoving.

“Isn’t this Ling’s room?” He would have heard if he was paying attention.
“Yeah, but they wouldn’t bring her here. She’s got some words to exchange with Long Feng, anyway.” The footsteps faded away. And Gale lay there for a long while. Then he dragged himself away from the wall, hiding behind some raised stone. It would be a meager delay when they came back for him, but the more time he had to recover his defenses the better.

Too soon, the rock wall fell again. The boy twitched from his hiding place as female screams met his ears and grated against his mind. There was a thud, and he heard the walls rise up again. This feeling… was familiar. Ling..

NO! A growl escaped his throat and he pulled away more weedy planted memories, ripping the up and tossing them from this mind where they withered and died. Alexis! Alexis! Alexis! This was Alexis!!

(If you had other plans for Alexis/Ling, feel free to ignore the last two paragraphs, Kosu.)

Ling picked herself up off the ground and pounded at the stone wall, desperate to get out. She didn’t want to stay in here, nor did she want to go with the agents to the oblivion that lay ahead. She didn’t want to go back to feeling nothing, lost in a realm of mindless action and immobility. Not knowing that she was broken…

After several minutes of fruitless banging and hammering against the door, Ling fell to her knees, forehead pressed up against the cool wall. She stared down at her bloodied hands, the only source that showed they should be in pain. She should be angry, sad, terrified, in despair, all swelled up in a sea of emotion…. Instead….. She didn’t even know anymore……… The blood dripping slowly to the floor seemed to be the only true outlet she had……

Eventually her gaze left the floor, glancing over at an aura in the corner of the room that she hadn’t noticed before. It was familiar….. “……………………..hello?”

It was the child from before. The one with the draconic wing. The one that… That messed with her head. Showed her things that made her question her reality, question who she really was. Question everything……

She edged towards his hiding place, trying to get a better look at him. Covered in scars and bruises, he didn’t look very good. She continued to inch closer, her hand tentatively reaching out. Curiously running her fingers on the sole wing. It twitched and rustled a little to the touch, her hand backing away slightly before trying again with a little more boldness. She let her hand flow on its own, it seemed to remember what her mind would not. Coursing over his hair, poking the boy’s ears before scratching his head. It seemed natural, and it made the child happy at least…

“……….What was it………… That you did to me?” The girl asked quietly.

“……… I feel different…….. Not the same anymore……. Remembering someone else’s life……… Feeling….. Broken…… Something wrong with me………”

She glanced down at the child, noticing that he didn’t look the same as he did before….. Did he forget his life as well? Was that all of their destinies? To reach out, gain the slightest bit of insight only to lose it? Or had she simply gone mad, imagining lives outside of her own? Was he even here? How…. How was she going to prevent herself from forgetting all of this? Remember this little boy and the man that….. She didn’t know how she had understood while the others did not…. That he loved her. She clung to that, praying he wouldn’t forget her as well. She curled up, sunken in hopeless despair.

Pala had dealt with her captors, but was nevertheless still tied down to the chair. She had blown out the rest of the little flame in the lantern, so was unable to burn her bindings off. She had spent a good deal of time struggling, unable to use her hands or feet, when Angelique burst in through the door.
"Have you come to finish me? Or have you finally come to your senses?"

The boy twitched when she touched him, but was otherwise still. Blank gold eyes watched her as she curled in on herself. Then he looked forward again. Did he turn away from increasing his defenses to help Alexis?

"There... is a cage in your mind," he explained, waving his hand in the air. "It... c-covers you up... I opened... it..... but.... they will close... you up... again."

He paused, taking a minute to think. "I... can help. Minds... are safety and they... invaded. But... i have to.. invade too... but..." The boy drew a circle in the stone, drawing his knees in and resting his head on it. "I don't wanna hurt you..." I like you. You're my friend.

Ling pondered the boys words for a while, before gently placing her hand on the boys head, raising it up slightly so she could have a better look at him. That sense of familiarity sprang up again, and so did something else. A half remembered memory… He looked so tired….

“……….If ……. If you were to do this…………. What would happen to you? I don’t want you to forget………”

She patted him comfortingly, noticing the weakened flow of his aura than it had been before…. “…….I’d rather you don’t forget……… Save what power you have for yourself…. If….. If you did it once…… you can do it again…….. I hope” She said, trying to not think about what would happen if she was wrong.

Gale knew this was Alexis. And he could do it again. Probably once more. The boy looked over at her. "I'll be fine." He lied. "I can protect your mind. I won't forget." Those were the truths. Gale could make a shield about her mind, sort of like glass. She could see through it, but they couldn't get in. She could be her while her mind was safe.

Of course, when they tried scraping their way in, it would hurt the shield and drain it. So he would push all his power into it. Then Alexis could stay Alexis and get them out.

"I won't forget" He said again. "And neither will you. Please... let me help..."

Ling looked rather hesitant as she edged slightly closer to the child. Unsure what she’d be like afterwards. The last time he delved into her mind, she had radically changed. She wasn’t who she was before… But… if they were right… That wasn’t her true self either…. Before she could have a chance to second guess herself, the boys hands touched her, and everything slid into a red tinted haze.

When she came to, she was lying on the stone floor, feeling rather lightheaded. She picked herself up, sitting up against the wall. Everything looked slightly off, as if she was looking at everything from inside a blackened room, one wall opened out to the world beyond. She stared down at the floor for a while, staring at her hands in fascination. Everything looked different now…

She glanced up at the boy, who also looked different…. Worse than before. She bit her lip, remembering what the man had asked her to do…. She wasn’t watching him very well…. He was hurt… How she knew that, she didn’t truly understand, but that didn’t stop her as she edged away from the wall, gingerly picking up the boy, and set him in her lap. Hidden behind the alcove from before, she held the small child in her arms, leaning her dizzy head against the stone wall.

Jing-Wei wasted no time in moving over to try and undo the ropes around the avatar woman's wrists.

"Well obviously I'm not here to attack you..." she said, finally giving up and heating up her hands so that the rope beneath them charred enough she could pull it apart. "Sorry if that burned you."

She stepped back, peering out the door, looking both ways before returning to Pala to help her up. "We need to get out of here quickly. I don't honestly know what's going on anymore, but I want answers," she paused. "And I'm tired of being underground. By the way what is your name?"

Arm around Pala's waist, she helped her to the door, staying close to the wall incase they needed cover quickly. She left the woman to her own devices, moving ahead now and then to try and avoid running into any traps.

"I think we're clear for a little bit," she said quietly to Pala as they approached one of the larger rooms in the base. It was almost eery how empty the halls were. Of course with how many agents were currently out of commission it wasn't that unbelievable, though it also meant that they were most likely laying another trap...

They'd just have to be extra cautious.

"There's an exit up this way..." Before they could reach it, however, Jing-Wei found herself falling to the floor as she collided with another person. She looked up, panicked, and immediately on guard, but instead of Dai Li saw a group of young teens who were giving her an equally panicked look. Except for two.

"You two!" The girl in blue exclaimed, moving forward. "What are you doing down here?"

Jing-Wei opened her mouth to respond, but was thankfully cut off by a similarly dressed boy.

"There's no time, Katara...we gotta move."

Katara glanced at him, then back at Jing-Wei and Pala. "Come on."

Numbly, Jing-Wei nodded and followed, picking up the pace when she noticed the group of Dai Li right on their tail.

Pala found herself pulled along, barely able to grumble out "Pala" as Angelique had her launching down the corridor.
It was then they found themselves confronted by the same girl who had healed pala's burns. Ironically, Pala hadn't seen her face, and thus had no idea who the girl was. Yet, all she could do for now was follow along, as she had no idea how to escape.

Long Feng stood alone with a pair of Dai li guarding the door of his study. The man looked weary. Pondering as he paced back and forth across his room. This group of strangers were quite the handful. Their minds were stronger than he could have ever predicted. Most certainly, they were not of this world, as Jing-wei had told him. “I will break them soon enough. With diligence and proper influences, they will obey unhindered to the earth kingdoms commands...”
“Sir...we've already done as much as we can, haven't we? If we delve too far, wouldn't it break them beyond use?” “They'd become ve--”
The two Dai li became quiet with a firm, calculating stare from their leader. “What happens to those 4 is none of your concern. If all else fails....they never existed....Is that understood?”
The pair exchanged glances. “I assure you, though, we will not fail in apprehending their absolute unionism into the Dai li. Willing or unwilling. They compromise greatness, granted we utilize their powers for the...hm....greater good.” After a moment, the pair bowed their heads. There was little else they could do but subject. This was the way of the Dai li; Peace and Power at any cost.
“Now then. What are your reports on Jing-wei? Have you found her yet?” “....No, sir. She's still at large in the foundation.” “Then what are you still doing here?” “Uh...you...”, the first began, looking to his partner. The other nervously returned his glance to a waiting Long Feng. “You ordered us to...follow you, sir.” Long Feng glowered sternly at the pair and waved them off. “Go and aid in finding her. When she's found, you know what to do.” Turning away, the man rubbed at a set of oblong bruises beneath his collar. Humming irately as he was reminded of the trouble his new guests were becoming. It had never been so difficult before....
No sooner did his quarries leave did another barge into his study. All in a rush and gasping for breath as he straightened himself for a dutiful report. “Feng, Sir!” “Yes? What is it?” “The Corded foreigner is alive!” “So? He is stubborn. Good. He will be a hardened Agent.” “That's not just it, Sir. His wounds. They are gone!” Long Feng stopped in his thoughtful pacing, turning to observe the Agents posture. “How is that possible? Wounds cannot simply vanish in mere hours. He was impaled. I did so myself!” “I know, sir. But they are gone. Not even a scar remains as proof it ever happened.” Long Feng was silent. Pondering. “Is he conscious?” “Not since I left him sir.” “I think it is time I had a talk with this Foreigner....” “Sir....that's not all. Ling, she was alone with the corded one. Acted out when we tried to separate them. The Re-education is slipping.....” Long nodded and pondered as he escorted the Agent out of the hall and walked beside him. “I was just speaking with the others of this matter. We'll just have to keep working them. We must have these foreigners in our ranks. The future of the nations depend on it.”

~

When he no longer felt Alexis' hand in his, Coden shrank back into the darkness of his mind. Tipping between the border of awareness and subconsciousness. When he wasn't seeing darkness, there was a floor passing beneath his dragging feet. Then a ceiling, smooth and refurbished. His head turned to see the room he'd been transferred to; Empty and quiet. No windows, of course, but no doors as well. He should have been worried, but the Gyspus remained calm. At least, he thought to himself, he was not bound and chained..... Cringing, he pushed himself up. Forced himself out of the bed. 'Why...would they leave me alone like this? Do they really think I am not as dangerous wounded?' By that thought he checked his chest, confirming to himself that the wound had healed itself. And confirming why they moved him, but not jailed him.

With an unrestrained sigh, Coden ventured from his bed. Cautiously looking about the medical room. What did he do now? Placing a hand against one of the walls where he figure there should be a door, he gauged the thickness. It was solid. He'd never break through on his own. He'd only be able to wait and put his patience to the test. His hands were restless, though. They touched things. Rummaged. Tugged and tore at his ruined clothes. Clothes that were sticky with cold, drying blood stains; It wasn't so much uncomfortable as it were an annoyance. He pulled the long dress shirt and robe off over his head. Held them in his hands and inspected the materiel, then his chest, smeared with flaking blood over a large and garish bruise. It too would vanish soon, like the wound had.
Time was spent looking for needles to fix the mess of clothing. Instead he found spare uniforms in a corner closet. 'These could be useful.' Balling up the bloodied robes, Coden threw them into a bin. Something white and gold caught his eyes as he did. Mushi's cloak. For whatever nostalgic reason, he pulled the cloak out of the bin. Caressing an odd white flower embroidered in it's carapace. Silently, he set the cloak to the side, and stuffed the uniform back in the bin before continuing his business.

Water was found in a tub, cold and frigid. Bandages and rags were plentiful. Using a tarnished mirror, Coden spent his isolation cleaning his back and his chest of blood. Dirty, stained bandages littering the floor in a matter of minutes. He didn't care to tidy up. Simply tossing the bandages aside with the smallest cringe. He was still a smudge tender..... The same mirror was used for dressing himself in the Dai Li robes he'd found, carefully figuring how it was worn and donned. In all honesty, He thought he looked silly, but with any luck, he might get himself out of this place.
The only out of place thing about him now was his cloak from Mushi and his tendrils. Holding a tendril in his hand, rolling the useless, dead appendage between his fingers, Coden remembered the other Daili. Some of them had braids. Very long braids. His Tendrils were as dark as his hair.... “This is ridiculous....”, he murmured. It would be enough to fool them, though, granted he made it out of here first. And thus he began the tedious task of braiding the tendrils. Not as though they'd be of any use to him anyhow. When he finished, He folded Mushi's cloak and tucked it into his shirt.

A few minutes passed. He paced the room. How long had it been now? They had to come for him soon. They had to move him to a proper cell eventually, right? The Gyspus busied himself with finding weapons. Needles and scalpels were hidden into his sleeves and gloves. A pair of scissors, broken into two, were tucked into his boots as knives. What else could he use? “Idiots....everything becomes a weapon in this situation.....”, he muttered, unimpressed, packing a spool of surgical string in his pocket. Among other, various items he deemed useful in one manner or another.

He eventually ran out of things to use...or he ran out of room to hide items on himself; it was hard to say. One way or another, though, Coden was still alone in the room. No sign that he'd be come for. What now, he asked himself again. He paced. He waited. He plotted and planned. Passing the mirror, he saw something out of place. His hair. Red and vibrant as fresh blood. That should get covered...or changed, he told himself a he picked at the bi-colored follicles. Ink or dye, both he had none of. No matter...no time....He'd just have to cover it. He'd never get the chance.

Stone against stone as a door on the far end of the room gridded open. He turned, facing familiar faces. “You said he was unconscious.” “He was!” Jerking into motion, Coden pulled a needle from his opposite sleeve. A smooth flick of his wrist sent the projectile zooming across the room, tailed by a twisted stream of fire. “Bind him!” A stone blocked the fire, but the needle hit it's mark. One Guard fell, the stub of a needle protruding from between his eyes. The remaining were unflinching, the floor beneath Coden tearing open. He lunged across the room, jumping from one bed to the next. Dodging rock fists and pillars that crashed through cots from floor and ceiling alike. A twist of his body raised a furious vortex of flames, blinding his enemies and driving them back. Now if he could just get through that door and fend them of...if he could just find an inkling of freedom--! As he charged through his flames, the fire abruptly split as a single stone fist shot out and caught him by the neck.

As familiar as the sensation felt, he should have guessed.... As the gyspus struggled to breath and pry the stone fingers away, Long Feng stepped through the smokey and charred door, standing over the Arabic man. “Quite, stubborn, aren't you?” Coden lashed out, kicking. But the gauntlet around his neck just tightened and merged with the floor beneath his head, restraining him. Stifling a chocked cursed, Coden glared fiercely up at Long Feng. “w...here....are...hng....Are my …..”, He wheezed, cut short by lack of breath and room to speak. “Your friends are very much safe and sound,” Feng sai smoothly, kneeling beside the gyspus. Coden lashed out again, but an Agent cast out another gauntlet that pinned the arm over his chest and against the floor. “I d'nt......belife it....”, the gyspus hissed at Long Feng, wheezing heavily, hissing as a a number of Agents gather around. “Oh, but you will.....very soon.” The man smirked, his tone darkening. Patting Coden on the forehead, He raised to his feet and gave the Agents their orders. “Take him to the Re-Educating wing and begin the process immediately....We haven't much time to spare.”