Regrets (Complete)

Chapter Fifteen

The next time Lin opened her eyes she was still sitting in the chair but both her arms were now completely encased in metal up to her shoulder. Her hands throbbed and she almost cried out when she tried to move her thumb. Her vision was still fuzzy and she blinked several times to try and clear it. She wasn't exactly sure how, but she thought they must be watching her somehow because a minute after regaining consciousness she heard the door open and her captor once again stood before her.

"Glad to see you're awake. Shall we try this again?"

"Do whatever you want to me, I'm not going to tell you anything."

"I can see that now, Chief. Which is why I'm going to hurt her instead."

Lin's blood froze in her veins as a young woman was dragged into her view, a guard on either side holding her up. Her arms and legs were bound in more simple versions of her own restraints and she was gagged and blindfolded. Her hair was dark and fell past her shoulders, her skin pale but with a rosy tint to her cheeks. They pulled off the blindfold and Lin stopped breathing as she found herself staring into her own eyes. She let out a strangled gasp as she struggled to stop her tears. She was here. She was alive. She was real. Lin nearly forgot about the interrogation as her world stopped and she just took in the sight of her daughter for the first time.

"Now, tell me where we can find the Avatar."

Lin didn't speak, completely unsure of what to do.

Her hesitation lasted too long.

"Very well, then."

The world seemed to move in slow motion as Lin watched him turn and punch Rei in the stomach. The young woman doubled over and let out a cry through her gag. Lin struggled against her restraints but couldn't do anything but watch as he stuck her again, Rei falling to the ground and curling up against herself.

"NO!"

The guards on either side of Rei looked at each other and glanced around nervously as the entire room seemed to tremble. The interrogator looked to Lin, a slight look of fear on his face for the first time. She tried as hard as she could to find a connection to her element but she couldn't feel anything. The man walked to her, leaning in close and taking her chin in his hand and tilting it up to look at him.

"Help me find the Avatar. Or watch me kill your daughter."

She didn't even care as tears streamed down her face as she closed her eyes. He released her chin, pushing her head back as he walked away. She opened her eyes in time to see him wave a hand at the firebender from before.

"Lao."

He turned toward her daughter and took aim. Lin flinched as the flame shot out, hitting the metal restraint on the girl's leg. Rei cried out and Lin hated herself for how helpless she was. She couldn't feel the earth, she didn't know what to do. And then she heard something familiar, realization hitting her.

"Wait!"

The leader raised a hand and Lao stopped.

"Please, stop. I'll help you. I know where the Avatar is."

"I knew you were weak."

Rei was trying to sit up and Lin smiled as the man turned back to her.

"What are you smiling at? I've beaten you. Broken you."

There was distant commotion somewhere outside the room that no one else seemed to pick up on. She laughed then and the man got angry, walking to her and grabbing her by the front of her tank top.

"Tell me where the Avatar is!"

"Right here."

"What-"