Mako wishes he could go back to sleep as soon as he wakes, but the sharp pain in his gut demands his attention and it's hard to think about much else, let alone relax enough to sleep. He keeps his eyes closed anyway, hoping that by some miracle, he'll fade back out. The medicine that had made it so hard to form a coherent thought earlier must've worn off by now. It must've also been doing something for the pain, because it feels worse rather than better. Just breathing makes it feel like someone's driving a knife into his stomach. Mako tries his best to continue his time-honored practice of burying it in the back of his mind, but it's a bit more than even he can ignore.

Finally, after enough time unsuccessfully trying to fall asleep, he grits his teeth and opens his eyes. He's not sure what exactly he was expecting, but the sight that greets him definitely isn't it. After spending some not-so-welcome time in one before, he recognizes the small confining room for what it is almost immediately. And if the seamless metal walls leave him in any doubt, the barred window of the door makes things crystal clear. He shoves his panic as far into the back of his mind as possible. He's in a prison cell. But how? And why?

He makes as if to try and move, but a rattling noise and a weight on his ankle stops him before he can get very far. "What the...?" He mutters. He pulls off a thin cotton blanket he'd barely noticed was on him to reveal a thick band of metal around his ankle. It's attached to a chain that in turn is attached to the wall. The sight sends a bolt of awareness through him that causes him to consider his surroundings again.

He's in a corner laid out on a futon that is surprisingly thick, considering the place he's in. There's another, empty futon, much thinner-looking, on the opposite wall. The door looks so heavily reinforced it'd probably give Toph Beifong herself a run for her money. There's a toilet and a sink on his right, close enough to reach despite the chain around his ankle. He's really not sure what the point of the stupid chain is, anyway. If the metal walls weren't already enough to keep him in, his condition would keep him from making it anywhere far. This just seems like overkill.

Who would be so thorough? Mako wonders, doing his best to fall back on the familiar patterns of investigation. Think, he tells himself, What do you remember?

Without the medicine bogging him down, Mako's memories come a bit easier this time around. There are still huge chunks of time missing though, and the hazy bits he does remember only make him more worried and confused. He tries not to dwell on them too much, picking through the patchwork of his recollection for the important pieces. The last thing he remembers is seeing Suyin. He must be in Zaofu, then, but that didn't explain why he would be in a prison cell chained to the wall. Alone.

He remembers enough to know that Bolin and Asami are alive, but beyond that, he can't think of a reason for them being gone and his current predicament. Unless...Mako's eyes widen in horror. No. They were fine. Suyin even said so. Mako's sure he remembers that right. Could swear he even remembers seeing them with his own eyes. But if she was worried about him overexerting himself, she might've downplayed the danger they were in to keep him calm.

"Hello?" Mako rasps weakly, his throat dry and his tongue feeling too big for his mouth. "Anybody there?"

Even to his own ears, Mako's voice is too quiet. After a moment without so much as a whisper in response, he clears his throat and takes a breath to speak again, hopefully with a little more force. Before he can say anything else, though, he hears a commotion coming from outside. Huh. Maybe they had heard him after all.

He waits patiently and listens closely, wishing he were sitting up or something a little more dignified than lying flat on his back. To his surprise, he realizes he recognizes one of the voices coming from outside, along with what sounds like some sort of scuffle. It's Bolin, managing to sound anxious, indignant, and placating all at the same time. As they come closer, Mako's able to make out more of the words coming from his brother.

"...really necessary? I mean, I'm not really much of a bender and Asami isn't...is not. A bender, I mean. It's not like-" Bolin's voice is cut off by the sound of earth hitting flesh, accompanied by a sharp cry of pain from his younger brother. Mako feels his blood begin to boil instantly.

"I said shut up and keep walking!" A hard voice yells, "Stop struggling or the next time won't be so gentle!"

The scuffling noise and Bolin's voice quiet and Mako thanks the spirits for small favors. Sometimes Bolin can't seem to keep his mouth shut to save his skin, but it seems like this time around, his little brother has wisely picked the path of least resistance. Finally, the footsteps reach just outside Mako's door and pause. "Try anything funny and your brother in there will get it." The same hard voice warns and Mako feels his eyes narrow.

Mako hears the sound of the lock being turned and soon the heavy metal door to his cell opens slowly to reveal the welcome sight of his brother. Bolin's eyes widen when they spot Mako lying on his futon. He's about to rush to Mako's side when he's shoved roughly into the cell and with his hands and feet chained as they are, he loses his balance and lands on his hands and knees. The door slams shut behind him and Bolin glares back at it almost petulantly. "Ow! What was that for? I was already going inside!"

Mako wants to warn his brother to be quiet but he's interrupted by the guard speaking at the bars to their cell door, "Just a little reminder to you about who's in charge here," the guard says, and Mako can see his teeth gleaming in the dim light, "I have orders to pass on a little message: Play nice, and your brother here will be taken care of. Try anything stupid, and his care might get a little...lax."

Mako feels a flare of intense hatred burn through him. They have some nerve using him against his own brother like this. If they think they're going to get away with it, they have another thing coming. But like Bolin before, he wisely keeps his mouth shut, though he can feel his jaw muscles twitch.

The guard leaves with his teeth still smiling and Mako's so focused on the retreating footsteps for a moment that he almost starts when Bolin whips around to face him. "Mako." He says and his face loses all the hard lines meant for the guard and crumples. He comes to Mako in a rush, arms gripping his sibling to pull him into a hug, only to stop short when an involuntary cry escapes Mako.

"Oh, man! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you. Are you okay?" Bolin asks, the words tumbling out in a rush.

"I'm fine," Mako says, smothering a grimace and schooling his features into a neutral mask almost automatically. He's not sure who he's trying to fool because Bolin knows him better than anyone and can almost definitely see right through him, but he does it anyway. He studies Bolin, taking in the angry red lump and the dried blood on the side of his face. His clothes are a mess, ripped and torn in some places and covered in dirt. And his exposed skin is covered in numerous small cuts and bruises but thankfully nothing looks like it's too serious aside from possibly the head wound. "You're a mess," Mako tells him, not bothering to hide the relief in his voice.

Bolin pauses to give himself a once over like it's the first time he's stopped to consider his own well being. Typical Bolin, Mako thinks. "I haven't exactly had a chance to clean myself up," Bolin says, feigning indignance. But then he eyes Mako and his face sobers, "Besides, you don't look so hot yourself."

"I've felt better," Mako concedes, knowing it's pointless to deny it but unwilling to elaborate. "I'm not the one who flew out of the jeep, though."

Bolin grimaces and Mako thinks he's successfully steered the conversation away from himself when Bolin speaks again, "No, but you were definitely worse off." His face takes on a haunted look that has Mako wishing more than anything that he's not the cause. He was supposed to take care if his little brother. It was his job. Yet all he can manage right now is to lie on his back like an invalid and do his best not to grimace at the steady pulse of pain coming from his wounded stomach.

"Listen, Bolin," Mako says, deciding it's time to change the subject. He's glad to see his brother, but it's clear they're not out of the woods just yet, "Do you know what's going on? Why are we in here? And where're the others?"

"You mean you don't know?" Bolin asks and Mako shoots him a look, "Oh, right. You were probably kind of out of it..." Bolin's face takes on a guilty look, "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I remember the chase and then the crash. And waking up and seeing Suyin...next thing I know, I'm here." Mako tells him.

"So you haven't found out, then," Bolin says, looking resigned.

"Found out what?" Mako grinds out, growing impatient.

"That Su is a traitor."

"A traitor...?" Mako echoes dumbly, then stops. Because of course. It makes perfect sense. He's surprised it took him this long to figure it out. The reason he remembers seeing Suyin and the odd way she'd looked at him. And the fact that they're in a prison cell now. It all points to the same thing. It looks like they had a lot of work ahead of them. They're going to have to warn the Avatar somehow.

Mako pauses then, suddenly remembering Suyin's questions about Korra in a whole new light. He looks up at his brother, wide-eyed, "They don't have Korra?" It comes out as a half-statement, half question. There's only one reason Suyin would have asked those questions earlier.

Bolin shakes his head, "No."

"Thank goodness for small favors..." Mako says with a sigh of relief. That makes things a little easier. Now all they'll have to worry about is finding a way out of this place. There's no way both of them can stay, though. Whatever Suyin has planned for them, it can't be good,

"Yeah..." Bolin says, then he looks uneasy, "They have Asami though. They put her in a cell down the hall from us."

"Damn." Mako says, resisting the urge to grip his stomach as a particularly painful throb suddenly runs up his spine. He'd been hoping she was still on the outside somehow. "We'll just have to add freeing her to the to-do list."

"What to-do list?" Bolin asks, looking like he used to when they were kids and Mako would tell him about his latest money-making scheme.

"The to-do list that includes getting out of here, finding Korra, and telling her about Suyin before it's too late." Mako explains matter-of-factly.

"And how are we going to do that?" Bolin looks concerned for Mako's sanity now.

"We're not."

"Okay," Bolin says, "You're going to have to explain a little better than that, because I'm starting to get mixed signals here. And no offense, big bro, but you're not exactly in any condition to be making any daring prison escapes right now."

Mako sighs, dreading what he's going to have to say next, "I meant what I said. We're not going to be doing anything. You are. Well, you and Asami, I mean."

"Wait. Hold on a second," Bolin sputters, "Say that again. I don't think I understood you."

"If it sounds like I'm saying you're going to have to make an escape for it with Asami, you understood correctly." Mako says patiently.

"No," Bolin says, his tone growing dangerous, "It sounds like you're trying to tell me to leave you behind while Su does who-knows-what to you. And that's not going to happen."

"Bolin, it's not about leaving me behind," Mako says, growing impatient, "It's about being practical. You said it yourself, I'm not exactly in top condition right now. Whatever may or may not happen to me is child's play compared to what could happen to the world if-"

"No." Bolin says, meeting Mako's gaze head on. The hard look Mako sees on his little brother's face startles him. He's never seen his brother this grim before. "I already almost lost you once today. I'm not about to go through that again."

Mako doesn't know what to say to that. He'd been so caught up in his own problems and what they were dealing with right now that he hadn't really considered just what Bolin had gone through today. They'd both gotten pretty banged up before, but he's pretty sure this is the closest either of them has seen the other come to death before. "Bolin..." Mako says, his voice unsure, "Listen. We can talk about this more later. Let's...let's talk about escape plans for now." Bolin still doesn't look convinced so he adds, "Maybe we'll come up with a way for all of us to get out." Mako's not sure he really believes that, but he hopes it'll pacify his brother. At least for now.

Bolin eyes him steadily for one long moment, his face conveying just how unhappy he is. But finally, he relents, "Fine," he says, with an almost childlike glare, "But don't think this means you've won. We're going to think of a way to get out. All of us."

Bolin holds his brother's gaze until Mako throws up his arms defensively, "Alright, alright. Whatever you say, little bro."

Bolin finally nods his assent, and they sit in heavy silence for a moment. "So..." Mako says awkwardly, "Any ideas?"

To Mako's surprise, rather than being at a loss, Bolin suddenly grows mischievous. "As a matter of fact, I know something that might help us," he says with a smile.

"Are you planning on telling me any time soon, or are we going to stay here till one of us keels over?" Mako asks after Bolin doesn't continue. Bolin smiles wider, surprised at how much he's relishing this moment despite the conversation he'd just had with his brother.

"Well," he says, going to the foot of the bed where his brother's foot is chained to the wall. "It's more like showing you."

"What do you-?" Mako starts.

"Sh!" Bolin hushes him, "I need to concentrate."

Mako looks like he's about to argue, but, seeing the look on Bolin's face, he quickly clamps his mouth shut and watches in silence. Bolin takes a deep breath, hands hovering over Mako's chained ankle. He begins moving them the way Su had done before when demonstrating for Korra. It's almost funny how much Su has indirectly helped him today. Bolin wonders if she'll laugh when he uses her teachings against her later.

He opens his awareness again, searching for the earth within the metal, finding it more easily this time. With a movement of his hand, Bolin bends the metal band apart and Mako lets out a startled gasp. He peers down at his now-free ankle, open-mouthed. After gaping for what feels like an eternity, Mako finally turns to face Bolin. If he lives for another one-hundeed years, Bolin will never forget the look of fierce pride and wonder on his brother's face at that moment. "Bolin," Mako breathes, "You can metalbend."

A.N. I apologize for the ridiculously long wait for this chapter! Thank you so so much for favoriting/following/reviewing and sticking around for this next update! It's really encouraging and I appreciate it more than you know. Thank you in particular to Bolinlover123 for your impatient support. It keeps me from giving up on this despite how crazy RL's suddenly gotten. I promise the wait for the next chapter won't be nearly as long!

Also, I'm still on the lookout for a beta reader. If anyone is up for it, I would be ever-so-grateful!