The Lightning Bender | Book 2: Healing

19: Locked Up

Hiko cuddled himself as he struggled to feel warm. The small fire Minoru had made him before he and Yata left had already gone out. Huffing, he stood up and pointed his finger at the woodfire.

"Firebend, Hiko!" He shouted to himself with chittering teeth. He produced a small fire which disappeared before it was able to reach the wood. Sighing, he sat back down. "Hey, Sora." He pet the Raven Eagle gently. "I wish I had some of your feathers." Suddenly a fireball made its way to the firewood, lighting it up. Hiko who was surprised, pushed himself back to avoid getting burned by the fire. He looked around him trying to look for the source.

"Who's there!" He shouted.

"Calm down, little boy." A voice said from above. Three figures jumped down from the wooden platform and walked toward Hiko.

"Stay back!" Hiko shouted, his finger pointed at the man in the middle.

"You're a Lightningbender huh? Boys." The two men to his sides made a motion and somehing flew to Hiko's hands and tied them up, straightening his broken arm. Shouting in pain, he stood up and kicked his leg toward them, a Lightning bolt shooting out of the bottom of his foot. The two men motioned again and produced a metal plate to protect themselves from the strike.

"Do his legs as well."

The men obeyed, constricting Hiko's legs, making him fall. Hiko tried shooting Lightning at them with his arms but nothing shot out of it.

"Don't try kid. You can't bend Lightning with rubber around your hands." Hiko looked furiously at the men who was now visible in the fire light. The man in the middle was a tall, slim man with white hair. Beside him was two bulky goons who looked like they could beat Hiko into a pulp if they wanted to.

"We won't hurt you kid. Sit down." The tall man demanded. Hiko looked at each of them and sat down. "Good boy." The man smirked maliciously. "Give us some space." He told the two men behind him who obeyed immediately, walking to the bottom of the wooden platform chatting with each other.

"Now, I believe I know who you are. But just to be sure." The man pulled out a knife from his jacket and knelt down to Hiko's level. Hiko stared into the man's eyes, he wasn't going to open his mouth. "I won't hurt you." The man whispered, as he cut Hiko's sleeve and tore it apart to reveal his tattoo of a Raven Eagle and three dots below it. "Ah, so I was right, Hiko." The man whispered again.

"What do you want?" Hiko said through gritted teeth.

"I want you to come with me." The man smiled before standing up and kicking Hiko on the side of the head, knocking him out.

He woke up to the creaking of metal and a bright light shining on him. Covering his eyes, he sat up groaning. He tried to stand up but collapsed as he put his weight on his injured arm. Inhaling sharply in pain he used his other arm to lift himself up. Not again. He found himself in another cell for the nth time in his life. Screw this. He put his two hands together and concentrated but his concentration was broken as he heard footsteps approaching his dingy cell. The man who had knocked him out now faced him through the metal bars separating them. He was carrying a tray of food which he slid through the bottom of the cell.

"Eat up." He said. Hiko stared at him, not even bearing any mind to the food beneath him. The man sighed and walked closer to Hiko's cell. "I won't hurt you." The man said in a calm voice. Hiko stepped closer to him, he had to look up slightly as the man was much taller than him.

"Let me go." Hiko said in a threatening voice, as he put his hand on the bars.

"I will, just not today. Now eat, please." The man pleaded as he put his hands on Hiko's. Hiko's eyes softened as he stared up at the man. He put his other hand on top of his.

"I understand now." Hiko said in a gentle voice. "What's your name?"

"Hima." The man responded, a smile creeping upon his face.

"Hima." Hiko repeated. He tightened his grip on the man's hand and broke his finger with a loud crack. Hima shouted in pain as Hiko kicked the food back at him. "You are an asshole Hima! Now let me go!" Hiko shouted at him.

"Oh, you little shit." Hima muttered under his breath. "Listen to me Hiko! The men outside want you dead. You being related to the Clan Head is enough of a reason for them to kill you." Hiko avoided the man's gaze, his arms were crossed. "I can convince them to make you one of the generators." Hiko snapped his head toward him.

"Generator?" Hiko asked.

"You'll be one of the guys who generate Lightning to fill up the batteries we ship out."

"Batteries." Hiko repeated.

"But I can't convince them if you don't work with me." Hima approached Hiko's cell again.

"Fuck you." Hiko told him with a blank face. Hima looked at Hiko for one last time before walking away. Hiko stepped back, his face still dark. He inhaled deeply before bringing his hands together again. Concentrating his energy he let it flow through his fingers but when he opened his eyes, his fingers weren't producing anything.

"What is this," Hiko whispered. He tried to channel his energy again and again to no avail. "No." He muttered. He went back to his neutral stance with wide eyes, staring into the metal bars in front of him he became more frustrated. He circled his arms and extended them toward the bars and nothing happened. "No, no, no." He kept repeating to himself in disbelief. A tear escaped his eye before he slammed his arm into the metal bars. "Let me go!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "Please!"