Gone With Lin Chapter Six

Sokka paced up and down the dark warehouse of Kings street, eager to have the triple threat arrive so that he could free his woman. Toph. He never thought that he would be able to love a woman so stubborn as a boulder, but she had stolen his heart. He still held an ounce of jealousy for the man who had won Toph's love enough to be Lin's father, though. Sokka wanted children more then Toph understood; which is why he didn't have any yet. But still maybe one day she would decide that may-

"Here they come." Aang snapped Sokka back to reality. Four hooded men approached The Avatar and his companion. "Greetings." The assumed leader called out about ten feet in front of them. "I assume you're here to discuss our trade." The man stared down the Avatar as he let the words roll off his tongue.

"Where are you keeping her!" Sokka released a cold growl that cut through the alley into the four Triple Threat's ears. "Now now Sokka. All in due time."

Aang stepped forward into the faint light that came from the broken windows of the old coat warehouse. "What exactly do you want for the release of Toph and Lin?" The Avatar stood with a blank face, refusing to release any frustrations of not having his friend back yet.

The triad's exchanged a glance among each other and the leader stepped forward. "We would like their weight in coin and the freedom of Koto and any other Triple Threat Triad member that is in jail currently." The tall shadowed leader stepped back among the ranks of the three others, a small grin on his face as the two republic city men contemplated their proposal.

"And what if we decide to just take you three hostage now and question you?" Aang countered cooly. The slightly shorter male snickered at the thought and dismissed the possible threat. "Well then our group would relocate the two women to somewhere we don't know." Dead air hung between the two groups. Tension started to increase as the silence drug on.

"If you will excuse us, we have some thinking to do." Sokka coldly stated and turned to walk out the old wooden door that was behind him and Aang. Aang stood one second longer, looking over the four men before turning to follow his friend outside into the alley way. Once Aang stepped out and the door closed, Sokka pulled him against the wall and hissed into his ear "Bend us as quietly as you can up to the top of this building."

Without hesitation Aang did as requested and the two of them stood on the roof top, over looking republic city and the street below. With unspoken agreement, the two pals crouched down against the cool brick. A blast of fire erupted out of the door they just walked out of and would have been standing in front of.  Two of the four Triads stalk outside, looking for any trace of Aang and Sokka. With a quick fluid motion, they waved the other two out and started to walk down the street and blend into society. At the intersection of the alley and the street, all four of them went different ways.

"Bingo." Sokka whispered as he started after one of the men with hungry eyes that wished to revenge the kidnapping of his lover and her daughter.

~

A cold dark voice echoed throughout the walls of the wooden cell that trapped mother and daughter. "Good. You've finally woken up. Someone is here to meet you." Marc stepped aside from the door to allow a tall scruffy black haired man to stride into the room. Lin pulled a little tighter on her mother's torn tank to indicate he was in front of her. Toph slid her tied hands to the ground so she could "see" who was approaching. "Koto" she hissed through her teeth and sat taller, staring at him with cold blind eyes.

"Hello Toph. My havent the circumstances changed since we last saw each other. In fact, I remember it being the other way around." Marc grabbed the tightly woven ropes that held Toph's hands and yanked them off the ground. Toph bared her teeth at the sharp pain that caused her wrists to drip with burning blood again. "But at least I didn't have one of my children tied up with me." Koto taunted Toph as he paced around the cell, looking at Toph, to Lin, and back to Toph. Silence hung in the air and the slight sound of Toph's strained breathing could be heard. With one fluid motion, Koto yanked Lin out from behind her mother and pulled the little girl up in front of him. Lin released a startled scream that rattled every instinct inside of Toph.

"LET HER GO!" Toph hollered at the men, attempting to pull her hands free from the ropes. She threw her head forward in attempts of hitting Marc, but received a swift kick in the side that sent Toph across the floor into the light that spilled out from the door. Marc causally  walked over to her, continuing to deliver sharp kicks into her side. Each blow caused the young woman to release a soft cry of pain as tremors overtook her body.

"Stop it! You're hurting her! Let her go!" Little Lin screamed and pounded her tiny fists against Koto's thigh. The man knelt down and gently took Lin's face into his hand. "Lin. I'm not going to hurt you. Nor your mommy. It is Marc that you need to ask politely. But of course, he won't be able to stop unless your mom works with us to get what we need." Marc grabbed Toph's hair and yanked her head up so that she could listen. Toph spat blood and one of her teeth at Marc.

"Lin...dear. Don't listen to them. Don't tell them anything. I'll be ok... we. We will be ok." Toph stuttered as she tried to keep her words soft and calm, hiding her growing fear for her daughter's life.

Lin rushed over to her mother, tears streaming from her face as she took her mother's hands into her own childish ones. Toph could feel the wet tears land on her hands as Lin tried to stay strong. A feeble cough erupted from the little girl as she started to choke back a sob. "I want to go home, mommy. I want to see Sokka and Uncle Aang and Auntie Katara." Toph pulled her daughter into an awkward embrace. "Soon, Lin. Soon."

Marc and Koto stood watching the two for a few minutes. Koto turned and headed out of the cell. When Marc turned to follow, a hiss flew past him and yanked him back into the cell. Toph stood shakily, with Lin trying to help hold her up. The metal chains that had once bound Toph's feet tighted around Marc's neck. "Seems like you made a mistake of leaving me with metal. Fool." Toph started to tighten the chains, remembering what he had done to her. The cruel touch of his hands, the rotten breath of his down her neck. The things he might have done to Lin.

"Mommy! Help m-" Toph dropped concentration to try and grab her daughter from leaving her. "LIN!" Koto stood at the door, ice binding Lin. A guard ran in and grabbed the metal that Toph dropped in her leap to reclaim Lin. The door slammed closed, with Lin's scream abruptly ending.

"Well. Now looks like the tables are turned back to me." Marc stood up, a devious grin on his lips as he slithered towards Toph, who had hobbled backwards, trying to escape him. "Get away from me!" She shouted, kicking upward with her feet. Marc smoothly caught her foot and yanked, dropping Toph onto her back.

He crouched down, breathing into her face. He released a chuckle and leaned over to her ear. "Now its time for some real fun." He hissed, his hair brushing against the side of Toph's cheek.

Toph closed her unseeing eyes and felt one single tear roll down her face. She felt his cold hands pull her up and tie her hands above her on the wall. She couldnt even protect herself, let alone Lin.

Lin. Her daughter. The one thing in her life that she could love unconditionally. The little girl who changed her life for the better.

With a hoarse whisper, Toph cried out "Lin..." before everything faded to black.