Under the Cherry Blossom ↠ Zuko x OC ✔️

07 | Arlington Alone

Harsh sounds of chains and pulleys, like the workings of an ancient steel factory, echo. The sounds awaken Arlington from her cold sleep and the first thing she notices is a distinct smell of musty dampness.

She opens her golden green eyes. Her vision is hazy and blurred. Shadows of figures move in front of Arlington. Loud sounds of metal on metal are heard from a distance. Arlington's eyesight soon clears and she can finally see properly again. There's a throbbing pain in her head. She groans and holds her head.

No one notices that Arlington's awake. They just continue on with whatever they're doing. They almost act like robots; their faces show no emotion and they work at a slow, rhythmic pace. Some people carry what appears to be buckets of sludge while others carry tools back and forth. The room has an industrial feel to it.

Arlington sits in a metal cage on the back wall of a large room. The room's walls are coated with metal sheets. There are several groups of people sitting in the dimly lit space. There's a single metal door for an exit. The loud, mechanical noises must be coming from rooms adjacent to the one Arlington's in.

"Good to see you're finally awake." A rather short and round-bellied man says. His head hair and facial hair are dark brown, fading to grey. His face shows signs of exhaustion and age.

Arlington silently stares at him with an expressionless look.
"Lighten up! You're going to help the advancement of the Fire Nation." The man seems way to jovial about this, it's almost like he's slipping into a state of psychosis.

"That's why I'm here?" Arlington asks in a shy voice.
"Why of course! With your help we can make new weapons to help put Ozai back on the throne!" He cheers.
"You're pretty stupid if you think I'm going to help you." Arlington says, crossing her arms.

The man's mood darkens. "You will face dire consequences if you refuse." He says in a low, dangerous voice.
"Hurt me and you lose whatever leverage you have over Fire Lord Zuko." Arlington smirks.
Shock crosses the man's face. Obviously, he didn't think about that. "We'll see." He slyly says before walking away.

For hours, Arlington just watches people outside her cage, waiting for something interesting to happen. Arlington leans on the back wall of her cell. She fiddles with the chains on both her wrists and ankles; the metal is irritating Arlington's skin.

Surprisingly, she's not as afraid of the man as he wants her to be. His rounded features make him look a lot less scary. However, there's a little gleam of craziness in his eyes, like madness is slowly overtaking him; he's on the borderline of insanity, making him all the more dangerous.

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By the time the man comes back, Arlington has already thought of a plan. She plans to 'help' the resistance, but instead of creating a deadly weapon, she will create a harmless bubble gun. She hopes the resistance won't be able to tell a difference.

"Hey, what's up Toshiro?" Arlington confidently says. She found out the man's name by listening to people talk.
"I see you're in a better mood. Are you ready to start helping?" He asks.
"Yeah. I realized that Fire Lord Zuko just isn't mature enough to rule." Arlington lies through gritted teeth. She needs to play him in order to succeed with her plan.

A lop-sided grin appears on Toshiro's face.

"I'll get you supplies to work with." He says.
"I can't work in a cramped cage. I need open space to plan." Arlington says, there's a slight hint of desperation in her voice. If she can't get out of the cage, she won't be able to escape. Arlington grips the bars of the cell.
"I don't know if I can trust you yet." Toshiro says before walking away to get tools.