Officer Mako x Reader

Chapter 16: Anything of Value

[Viper's Restaurant]

"First off," Shah smirked slyly as he paced back and forth, "I want the money you owe me. All of it," he ordered angrily, his fists clenched tight in frustration,
"Since when have you ever been in a position to demand money from me?" Viper snapped with the slam of his glass after downing another shot, "From my understanding the debt you've racked up would take you roughly six and a half years to pay me back," he reminded him, "And trust me, I'm low-balling on that number,"
"I wasn't talking to you," Shah seethed as he stared Mudo down,
"Ugh. Why am I in this!?" Mudo scoffed in disbelief,
"Because, you're a free man now," Shah grinned proudly with his arms outstretched, "Just because you managed to weasel your way out of the cell you should've rotted in, doesn't mean I didn't take the fall for you,"
"You also put one of my men in the hospital," Mudo hissed back at him,
"Hmph. I didn't like his tone," Shah smirked, "Plus his injuries were minor compared to the four extra months I spent in solitary thanks to you,"
"You were only sent there because of that mouth on you. Why you make a habit of pissing off every guard in that shithole is beyond me,"
"I don't like their tone either–
"Enough of this!" Viper growled sourly, "Ten minutes ago I had a bullet with your name on it and you still have yet to convince me why I shouldn't put two in your chest. Let's not forget, whatever money Mudo owes you is money you owe me," he reminded him as he stood slowly, his scornful glare burning away Shah's smug grin, "Now, you have two minutes to prove you're anything of value to me before I have you dragged to the docks and beaten within an inch of your life,"
"Hmph. Gladly," Shah nodded before he took two steps back, removed his shirt, and plopped down on the floor with his eyes closed. His shoulders, back, and abs were bruised dark like he had been hit by a highspeed truck, but Shah maintained his composure, propped in a meditative state while he muttered just above a whisper, "Let go your earthly tether. Enter the void, empty and become wind,"

Let go your earthly tether. Enter the void, empty and become wind. Shah repeated in his head. Over and over until he was able to block out everyone in the room and focus every muscle in his body on the ebb and swell of his lungs. Let go your earthly tether. Enter the void, empty and become wind. He nodded to himself, his mind wrapped around every ounce of blood in his body, every vein knitted around his arms,
"What is he doing?" Shin asked after a full minute of silence,
"Hopefully praying," Viper sighed unamused,
"Shh," Mudo snapped at the both of them, "Listen,"

[Airship]

Unlike Mako, nobody else on board could sleep. The second he dozed off, all of the dread you felt at the pit of your stomach came rushing back while the minutes ticked by as if you even had the energy to be this wired. Tenzin had been up half the night in the quiet of his room, reading every spirit book he had at his disposal, and Jay had been too hopped up on the four cups of coffee he had at the hospital to even muster a yawn,
"Ugh. Damn this caffeine," Jay groaned before he slipped out of bed and eventually into the dark hallway, trudging his way to the kitchen while he quietly argued with himself, "You'd be able to sleep if you'd just stuck to tea, but no. I just had to spring for three shots of espresso–Holy shit!" he gasped when he came in to find Kuvira hunched over the sink with a knife in her hand, "W-Whatever you're thinking, p-please just–spare me," he begged as he slowly backed away, "I-I know I don't have much going for me, b-but I like living I swear–
"Ugh. Relax," Kuvira scoffed at him only to go back to puking heavily, "I-I was just cutting an apple," she coughed after wiping her mouth and downing a large glass of water,"
"Ahh. Motion sickness," Jay breathed as he calmed his nerves, "That's odd. You seemed fine on the ferry," he noted after setting the large tea kettle on the stove,
"Because I'm not seasick," Kuvira spit frustratedly into the sink, "I just haven't been in the air in six years," she breathed in disgust, "To make it worse when I'm not barfing up my insides, the room starts spinning like crazy,"
"That...may be vertigo," Jay corrected her gently, "Which sounds normal considering uhh...umm"
"Considering what!?" Kuvira snapped when his voice trailed off,
"B-Being released from prison," Jay blurted quickly, "You've traded one source of stress for another, and unfortunately the stress of this case has no end in sight,"
"I think I can handle one arrogant blockhead," Kuvira huffed as she rummaged through the cabinets for bread and crackers,
"I have no doubt about that," Jay smirked, "It's just that...this arrogant blockhead can fly," he reminded her as he poured two mugs of tea, "And as of right now, the air is not your strong suit,"
"So I'll fight him on the ground," Kuvira hissed frustratedly, "Need I remind you, first and foremost I'm an earthbender. I can bring the ground to him if I need to,"
"Hmph. Noted," Jay chuckled to himself before handing Kuvira one of the mugs he had just filled, "But like I keep telling Mako," he breathed deeply in the doorway with his back toward her, "Never underestimate a man with nothing to lose,"

[Viper's Restaurant]

"Let go your earthly tether. Enter the void, empty and become wind," Shah said a little louder with his eyes still shut,
"Oh, not this again," Viper groaned in annoyance, "Uri you better start talking or I'll—

Viper held his tongue when Shah's body lifted off of the floor, hovering only a few mere inches before he lost his concentration,

"Impossible," Shin breathed,
"I knew it," Mudo blurted as he rose to his feet,
"Huh? What do you mean you knew it?" Viper questioned sharply, "We just saw a man float off the ground with no bending. And you're acting like this is an everyday occurrence. So what exactly did you know?"
"Well, I didn't know per se," Mudo corrected him, "The walls talk in prison. At first, I thought that guard was just too scared shitless to take you down Uri, but you really did fly out of there," he sighed half frustrated and half impressed,
"C-Can you control it?" Shin asked when Shah finally opened his eyes,
"I'm working on it," Shah seethed with his jaw clenched tight,
"And what happens when you're done working on it?" Viper hissed after a long drag of his cigar, "Because with you and your new party trick, the Triple Threats can expand into the Upper East Side, maybe even the entire city," he smirked with fondness, "But against you?" Viper growled, "Let's just say, keeping you tethered to this earth won't be difficult with cinderblocks chained to your ankles, and seawater crushing down on your lungs," he threatened,
"The only thing keeping me tethered to this pathetic reality is my sorry excuse for a father," Shah snapped, "Once I end him, there'll be no city out of reach for the Triple Threats. But first, who's this cop interfering with my plans?"
"Ran into Mako too huh?" Shin sighed in exhaustion,
"Oh, I ran into him alright," Shah grinned slyly, "Course after this morning, I'm hoping to run into him a little less–
"Wait a minute. End him?" Viper repeated in confusion, his mind still stuck on what Shah had said mere seconds before, "Y-You mean to tell me you...you...you demented low-life mutt!" Viper barked before he grabbed his gun and fired a bullet right between Shah's shoulder blade,
"Boss!" Shin shouted as he rushed to Shah's side,
"Sssss. Fuck!" Shah seethed, rolling on the floor to distract himself from the searing pain,
"You reject shitbreath criminal. You killed her!? Your own fucking sister!?" Viper roared as he towered over Shah and kicked him in the chest repeatedly,
"Who's to say?" Shah coughed with a smug grin, "Her little pig boyfriend showed up before I could finish choking the life from her–
"I oughta break every bone in your goddamn body!" Viper snarled, punching Shah in the face with every ounce of his rage,
"Boss, that's enough–
"She did nothing but enable your bullshit ways and you take her from me!?"
"She was never coming back for you anyway!" Shah seethed when Viper finally let go of him and paced back and forth, "You and I run the Triple Threats. Not her,"
"The only person that's going to be running is you if she didn't survive," Viper breathed angrily while he recollected his temper, his hands stained red from the mess of Shah's blood, "And you better pray to god you can outrun a kill shot," he threatened sharply, "Mudo, tie him up. Shin, bring my car around,"