[private - Mai] Taking a break

[Chase Sato]

The nice feeling from their shared moment didn't last long as the ocean came into view. He wasn't looking forward to being on a boat again. He wished he could just be unconscious for the whole ride. But he had to man up, this wasn't a situation to be complaining about stupid shit in. They found a boat that would take them and the Emu horses, and for a fair price as well. The ride went just as horribly as every other one of these trips, but he kept to himself.

Relief washed over him as they rode off the boat, making sure their hoods were up as they emerged into the moonlight. They rode the same path that they took the previous time, there weren't any alternates, so they had to take the risk. Nothing happened, to Chase's relief, and they arrived at the mansion without any issues. Chase did the same as Mai, leaving his cloak with the horses.

"Promise. We're in this together." he repeated, making sure she was going to keep to those words as well. He didn't want her sacrificing herself again. He squeezed her hand back, "Don't worry, we're both going back. Hiyro's waiting for us." nothing could happen to them, she was relying on them. He promised her nothing would happen to them before he left. She made him.

So many thoughts were running through his head, he took a deep breath to clear them. He needed all his focus for this. The only advantage they had was surprise, other then that they were outnumbered and out powered. This was getting resolved once and for all. By the end of all this, him and Hiyro won't have to worry about being found by these monsters.

Entering the house, he took out the first two guards that stood stationed at the door. After they were knocked out, Chase grabbed a sword from the belt of one of the guards, putting it into his own. He felt more confident in doing this with a weapon anyways. "You should take one too. he told Mai, pointing to the other guard's belt. It had a small dagger on it, even if she wasn't skilled with weapons she would be able to use it for defense.

As they discussed on their way there, they made their way through the house towards the main chambers, where Chaou, the man responsible for all of this, was sleeping. The thought of being able to finally confront him propelled the fire bender forward as they fought the guards, finally bursting through the large doors.

[Mai Toriko]

Bursting in through the doors Mai held the sword at the ready but she was more comfortable with the ones she made out of water than these metal contraptions. Her heart was racing when they entered the main chamber and she saw the people responsible for the murdering of his mother and the torment of his sister. Her eyes narrowed on the figures and she used her free hand to open the canteen of the water, ready to use it at a moment's notice. That was when she heard it.

The sound of movement to her right was quick but she managed, placing her sword above her head as a gaurd as she bent the water, throwing it in his eyes and freezing it. Now blinded the man dropped his sword and stumbled back, only for her to land a kick to his chest, claiming his weapon and holding both. She'd escaped a few times and learned a few tricks. Aiming it the next set that were ready to move on them she watched them all freeze in place a slow clap came from the front of the room. "well done, nice little show you put on their girl." the voice teased. "Stand down men...we're all civilized here."

"Ha! That's debateable." she snarled back, stepping out in front of Chase slightly, keeping an eye on the guards that still stood at the ready. "I don't recall murder being classified as a civilzed activity."

"This coming from the prostitute..." he sneered back. "Oh yes I've heard alot about you dear. my scouts have watched and learned quite a bit since our little friend here picked you up off the street." he came a little close for comfort and Mai back up. "Oh still skittish are we?" he teased, then turned his attention to Chase. "To what do I owe the displeasure?"

[Chase Sato]

"You know exactly why I'm here, you bastard!" Chase yelled at him, not being able to contain his rage. He wore a stupid grin on his face, like he was mocking Chase for not being able to attack him. "Now now, no need for the language, boy. I see your temper hasn't gotten better." he said amusingly, walking over to a table that bore alcohols, pouring himself a healthy helping of what looked like brandy. "Drink?" he offered to them, knowing their answer already

Chase scowled at the smiling man. He knew there was little he could do in this situation, they were so horribly outnumbered. He didn't think there was going to be this may guards for just one house. Chaou has many powerful enemies, it would seem. "Why did you kill my mother?" He had to know the answer, needed to know if it was his fault.

"She tried one too many times to escape. She was even going to leave her daughter behind, disgusting woman." In his rage Chase moved to attack Chaou, but managed to stop himself as the guards readied to stop him. ten against one wasn't a fair fight. "So what did you expect to do here tonight, Chase?"

he thought the answer was obvious, but he asked. "I want you to leave Hiyro and I alone, stop chasing us, don't keep tabs on us, just pretend we don't exist, and we'll do the same for all of you." he felt stupid demanding this when he had no place to be making demands. Chaou and the guards laughed together at his words. "Boy, you're too much. Of course I'm not going to do that. But you know i'm a bargaining man, make me an offer. And it better be good."

He thought for a moment, he had nothing to offer. The only thing he really had was his bending skills. "Agni Kai. I win, you leave us alone for good." Chaou mulled it over, looking to his guards, who were all nodding for him to do it. "Alright, boy, it's decided. We'll have an Agni Kai at sunrise. And if I win, you tell me where Hiyro is, and you both get to be my prisoners."

[Mai Toriko]

mai stood there unbelieving at what she was hearing. She grabbed Chase's sleeve and glared at him, "You promise, no sacfrices...You swore to me and your sister that you-" she gasped when she was dragged away by a guard. "Let me go you sack of shit!" she screamed, moving to bite him but a blind fold slapped over her eyes, a gag soon to follow over her mouth. She screamed and struggled as she was dragged from the main chamber. Her wrists were bound and the girl was then flung over the shoulder of one man while the other held her ankles to keep her from kicking. The older man laughed.

"Now I can't have you scimping out on our little deal can i?" he teased once more. "She will be kept away until morning, during the competition she will be kept at the ready. If you win, she is a free. If you lsoe and do not give m the details for which we agree...I'm sure she'd fit nicely in my harem..." he then turned his back and ordered that Chase be contained until the fight.

Mai was screaming in her cell, the gag and blindfold removed as she was locked away in a cell much like Hiyro's. "You bastards!" she screamed. being caught off guard didn't allow her the concentraion to bend, and in this completely dry cell with the guards so far away she had nothing to help her escape. This guy was smarter than she looked. She was chained to the wall, neck restrained to keep it straight up while her ankles chained and wrists leaving her to lean against the wall. Mai screamed for what seemed like hours but her voice was coarse and weak but time the door opened. She hoped for a second it would be Chase...but no such luck.

"Hey there pretty bird..." he cooed in that mocking tone.

"Get away from me..." she was ready to blood bend but a back hand left her silent.

"Now now sweet one...no talking...we wouldn't want Chase to hear you. It would break his heart if he heard you screaming for help..." the man slammed his lips to hers. But Mai had a plan instead, she bit his tongue and made him bleed, pulling back so the droplets hit the floor and some on her shirt.

"You are one twisted son of a b--" she received another backhand and her chains were tightened.

"You'll be fun to break when he loses tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it.."

Mai watched him leave and chuckled quietly once she was alone. Bending the blood she moved it into the joints of her shackles, then made it freeze to expand and break the mechanisms. Slowly and quietly she worked on getting free. She managed to get her neck and ankles free but she was still trapped by 4 ft of chain on each wrist. Suddenly the cell room next to her opened and she saw a body flung in. Red hair...When the guard left she crawled to the side of the cell, the bars allowing them to see eachother. "Chase...." she couldn't reach all the way.

[Chase Sato]

He knew he went back on his word, but if he hadn't made that deal, he knew Chaou would have requested something more terrible if he didn't come up with something. He knew he was a better bender then Chaou, even though he was very powerful. He was cocky, a flaw that they used to share. Chase could still be so, but was definitely less then Chaou. Plus he knew how to produce lightning now, making him more confident in this. Though he felt like a dirtbag for betraying Mai like that.

As Mai was grabbed, Chase made to get her back, but was held back by multiple guards, pulling his arms behind his back, dragging him away from Chaou and Mai. "Let her go!" were all the words he could muster before he was punched by one of the guards, blackness clouding his vision almost instantly.

Consciousness slowly returned as he was dragged into a cell, thrown onto the ground. Groaning, he sat up, looking around, studying his surroundings. He heard his name called to his left. As his eyes adjusted to the light he could see that Mai was chained up in the next cell. "Mai." he didn't think he would see her until tomorrow. "I don't expect you to forgive me for this, but I'm going to win tomorrow."

[Mai Toriko]

"if I wasn't chained so far away I'd kill you." her face could lean against the bars and almost go through but her arms were pulled far behind her. "I dont know what to do...I can't help you and..." she closed her eyes. "If you get hurt..." she hung her head. "Why did you have to be so stupid to go and do that!" Mai pulled her chained, scrapping her knees on the ground as she tried to get closer to him and break free but nothing was working. She heaved one last time before sighing and letting them go slack for a moment. She wasn't even mad at him, she knew this was what he had to do but she was scared for him, scared to be put back in the life she had only just escaped from and scared for the young girl who would soon be back in prison if Chase didn't win.

"I want to beleive in you...but I'm so scared..." she wished she could hold, "what if you don't win...what if you die?" she choked on a sob. "You make me fall for you with all I have and then you die! You're such an idiot!" she burst out, panting and her voice kept cracking. Mai had tears in her eyes, "I don't want to lose you...Not when I love you so much" she was staring at the floor, too scared to meet his eyes.

[Chase Sato]

"I know, I'm stupid. But you saw what kind of man he is. I just knew he was going to ask for you in trade if i didn't make an offer." He sighed, banging his head against the wall behind him. "I'm not going to lose, though. He wouldn't dishonor his family and cheat during an Agni Kai. It's one of the only things that's sacred to him." Only because it was a brutal fire nation tradition that he believed should be passed down and honored through all fire bender generations.

He was a little scared himself, but also had faith in his skills. He'd been doing almost nothing but train his entire life. Chaou was older and slow, but had experience as an asset. "I'm not going to die! It's not a battle to the death." losing the Agni Kai wouldn't be the big deal, what happened if he did was what worried him. He wanted to comfort her, her sobs made him feel so horrible. Her words surprised him again, he never knew what to say when she loved him. He felt the same, but he just couldn't say it back. "Please, don't worry. I know what I'm doing. Unlike him, I have things to fight for. I wont lose because... I can't. I need to do this, Mai."

[Mai Toriko]

"I'm not talking about dying in the fight! You think he'll keep you alive even if you do win? This guy has done nothing but scheme and torture your family, what makes you so sure we won't just order your death even if you do defeat him?" she scolded, moving away from, the shackles beginning to cut into her wrists. "I just...nevermind." she pulled away completely and chose it was best to leave it alone.

He had done it and there was nothing that could be to reverse it. Here she was trapped and waiting on something to happen that she knew nothing about. She was a self taught bender, she didn't know what the hell this thing was that Chase was going to do tomorrow. All she could think about was the fact that no matter the outcome of the fight, he'd broken a promise. He swore he wasn't going to do that. But what other choice was there than to fight all those men?
She could blood bent quite a few but a man with this power probably had reserves to call on if his first line fell. Mai took to bending the small amount of blood she had and making it flow back and forth. It wasn't enough to even make a tooth pick with at this point. A sigh passed by her lips when she turned on her beck away from him and struggled with the chains as she tried to ignore everything and sleep.

Woken by the rough hands of the gaurds, Mai was dragged to her feet and hauled from the cell into the blinding light of day. She was barely awake and dizzy when she felt herself being tied to something. When she finally became fully aware of her surroundings, she was met with the site of an area and her own body was on some kind of platform. She had been gagged and restrained, tied at the ankles and wrists behind her back and left kneeling, surrounded by what appeared to be a ring of fire. To fire benders it was nothing but to a water bender, she was so afraid of it. She shrunk back to the center of the platform, if she fell off, it was curtains for her. Looking out into the arena she saw the man form before and glared as he blew a kiss.

[Chase Sato]

He hadn't really thought of Chaou going back on his word, which was stupid, it was all he's done to his family. It's not like there was going to be anyone important at this Agni Kai that would judge his honor if he broke the deal. Chase was thought to be dead by everyone else, so this match wasn't going to be as public as an ordinary one would be. "I'm sorry." he said with a sigh. There was nothing that they could do about it now, he followed her lead and laid down, closing his eyes. Not that he would sleep much, anyways.

He awoke to the sound of his cell being unlocked. He first checked for Mai, who was not in her cell anymore. Getting to his feet, he walked out of the cell. The guards led him to a make shift arena that looked hastily set up. There wasn't many people there, as he suspected. Just a few guards, Chaou sitting in a large chair beside the stage. "I agreed to fight you, Chaou, what are you doing up there?" Chase called up to him as his shackles were undone. With a grin, the large man took a sip from his beverage. "Oh, young, silly boy. You never specified to whom the Agni Kai was between, so I took it upon myself to call in someone. He was very thrilled to come here to do this with you, since you're such old friends and all." what did he mean? Was he going to get Chen to fight him? But they were never really good friends.

The guards led him up to his side of the arena, he saw Mai tied up to his right. Seeing this just gave him more fuel for the fight. He was going to win and walk out of here with Mai, and go back to Hiyro. That's what was going to happen, he couldn't think anything else or it might not happen. Kneeling down facing away from the arena, he gave Mai one last look, then stood, turning to face his mystery opponent.

It felt like his heart stopped as the familiar form stood before him. He didn't look any different then he did the day he left a year and a half ago. "Master?" his voice was full of confusion, Chaou laughed at his reaction. "Boy! Who do you think was behind all this? Kazu here is the brains behind the whole takeover!" his words had to be a lie, it couldn't be true. The peaceful looking man nodded his head as Chase looked at him, expecting him to say they were lies. "I will explain if you beat me, Chase." he said calmly, taking his stance.

[Mai Toriko]

Mai was left struggling on the platform but froze when she heard what Chase had said. This was some sick twisted shit. This bastard wasn't even the one bending! There was no way that Chase could be expected to beat his own master. Mai forced the cloths away from her mouth and screamed, "You lying sack of shit!" she hollered, "Come over here and I'll show ya a thing or two!" she threatened, looking to the guards around the ring of fire. "Bring it on!" she screamed, fed up with this bull shit. If they hurt her she could have blood to bend but they seemed smart enough to keep their distance. The moon was where she gained her power and without she couldn't control them. Otherwise she'd have bent that lord over backwards until he split in two.