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Chapter Text

ARE THE SPIRIT PORTALS HERE TO STAY?!

The word from the Northern and South Poles confirmed that the Spirit Portals remain open allowing spirits to pass to and out of our realm. From the scarce information we have managed to collect it is unclear how did the portal come to be open. Some Water Tribe members say that it was caused by the civil war among the Northern and Southern Water Tribes, others blame the Northern Tribe Chieftain Unalaq, now missing and presumed dead. By far the most interesting theory is that the person behind it is the young Avatar, Korra. Korra, secluded until now with the White Lotus is something of an enigma to the citizens of the United Republic of Nations...

CHANGE IS IN THE AIR!

Republic City police was shocked to discover that the person behind the destruction of a shop in the dock district was an Airbender. Even more surprisingly, it was an Airbender until now completely unknown. Councilman Tenzin, Avatar Aang's son and Airbender Master from the Air Temple Island denied that it was him or one of his children and promised to personally look into the matter. It is the third, unconfirmed until now, piece of information about new Airbenders popping up in Republic City. Are they members of some unknown Air Nomad Tribe that stayed hidden among us for generations only now to reveal themselves? If so, why did they choose this moment? Does it have anything to do with the Spirit Portals?

THE PROBLEMS GROW LIKE VINES!

Citizens of the Republic City have staged a protest outside the Council Building, demanding the government does something about the growing problem of the so-called "Spirit Vines". These enormous vines have burrowed their way to the surface, filling and taking over entire city quarters and forcing their denizens to move out. Schools, hospitals and storehouses are full of people who suddenly became homeless, with more on the way as the vines keep appearing in new parts of the city, often accompanied by spirits. Is this also a result of the Spirit Portals remaining active? Is it also the work of the Avatar? The authorities...

***

Lieutenant Tazaki watched as Amon put the newspaper on the table. For a long while there was silence.

"I wonder" the cloaked man in an iron mask said "if it really is the doing of the Avatar."
"I wouldn't be surprised" Hiroshi Sato, the wealthy industrialist and the biggest - if covert - supporter of the Equalist movement spoke. "This is something benders would do - change the world regardless of the consequences. Why would the Avatar be any different?"
"Yes" Amon spoke and despite his voice being calm, Tazaki could feel the fire and passion behind it. "The situation has changed drastically in our favour. Those poor people, forced out of their homes, need someone to be blamed for it... and it seems that rightly it is the Avatar. Lieutenant, you'd better prepare. I expect that we may have many new recruits joining our cause soon."

Lieutenant Tazaki bowed.
"Yes, sir."

"And the Avatar?" Hiroshi asked.
"From everything we know it seems the Avatar is a coward and as such she will remain safe in the White Lotus compound somewhere far from here." Amon spoke. "A distant godlike being, uncaring about how ordinary people suffer because of her choices. People will rally to our banners in outrage."

"And what if she... if this *Korra* decides to come to Republic City?" the fourth person in the room spoke. She was the youngest one among them and the newest in Amon's inner circle but they have all learned to respect her opinions.
"Asami, if Amon says..." Hiroshi shifted uncomfortably.
"No, my friend" Amon lifted his hand. "Asami is right to raise this. If Avatar comes... it will help our cause even more. I fear she won't find a welcome that she would have hoped for."

Chapter Text

"She insists on going to Republic City" Master Padari said.
"Are you surprised?" Katara responded.
"We repeatedly told her that she isn't ready" Mastar Kaito shook his head. "We told her!"
"Oh yes," Katara snorted. "You make sure to regularly keep bringing her down."
"It's not as if she has to worry about self-confidence." Padari, again. "If anything the Avatar is too self-confident. Too headstrong, too brash, too impatient, too full of herself..."
"Was."
"Excuse me?"
"The Avatar was too self-confident, too headstrong and so on and so forth." Katara corrected him. "She's not anymore. Not after..."

The trio went silent, the thought unspoken. Not after Unalaq. Not after Vaatu. Not after almost losing Raava. Not after losing her previous lives, the lives she didn't even learn to access.

Master Padari was considerate enough to remain silent. Master Kaito... wasn't.

"And why would she be?" he said. "Her lack of restraint almost cost us... cost the world the Avatar cycle. She cost us the knowledge of her past lives. Because of her we lost Aang. How can you forget..."

Katara had long stepped away from using bending in combat and became probably the greatest healer the world has known, a kind teacher, a wise advisor and mentor, a loving and patient mother and grandmother. And yet, in the glare she shot Kaito there was the old Katara, the one who defeated a skilled bloodbender by outbloodbending her and defeated Azula in a duel. Master Kaito fell silent immediately.

"I forgot nothing. I was there, remember? Fighting together by her side! She did everything she could and what happened wasn't her fault." With some effort Katara managed to calm herself down. "Don't you think I would have wanted... would have *loved* to speak to Aang again? Even if it was through someone else... through her?" Katara said and sighed. "I am beyond heartbroken that I lost him again. I just don't blame Korra for it."

There was a long moment of silence. It was Padari who spoke next.
"But is she ready to learn Airbending?" he asked. "She has been notoriously bad with the... spiritual side of bending. The encounter with Vaatu... well, it didn't help things. She seems to be afraid of her own spiritual side, of the spirits, of the Spirit World..."

"After her experiences there... after Vaatu, can you blame her?"
"No, I can't" Padari nodded slowly than took a deep breath. "But the fact remains. Is she ready to master Airbending? I don't think so."
"Neither do I" Master Kaito mumbled and winced as Katara glared at him.
"And I think she is. And I think this might be what she needs." Katara protested. "But what do I know? I'm just an old woman. An old woman who was the companion, teacher and wife to the previous Avatar. A silly old woman."

The other two masters looked away.

"When Tenzin arrives, I will suggest to him that he takes Korra back to Republic City and starts teaching her. Of course, he may refuse but..."

She didn't have to add. Tenzin could be very headstrong but neither of the two masters believed he would refuse if his mother strongly "suggested" something.

However when the air bison came, it wasn't Tenzin who was riding it.

Chapter Text

Wasn't meditation supposed to be calming? Tenzin used to say so. Katara - *Master* Katara, even though it was difficult to think of the old woman in these terms - used to say so. Master Padari kept repeating that regularly. But for Korra it wasn't never like that. Once it had been just boring. She excelled at the physical side of bending, that's what everyone said - and she was aware of that. But that was the only side of bending she had found important. That was what bending was about, wasn't it? Commanding water, summoning flames, throwing giant rocks...

At first they had all thought that it was just her childhood impatience speaking. She was very different than Aang - something Master Kaito mentioned quite often - and while she made great progress mastering three of the four elements, she didn't really see a point of meditating for hours, achieving spiritual harmony and stuff like that. Sure it would be great to be able to speak to the past Avatars, for example Aang... or Kyoshi! Korra would love to speak to the great Kyoshi! She felt that she was way more like the Earth Avatar than like her immediate predecessor. But this access to her past lives was... a bonus. Something extra. It wasn't what bending was all about. It wasn't what being the Avatar was all about.

And suuuure, Kaito, Padari and the other White Lotus masters behaved as if they knew all about what being the Avatar meant, but who was the Avatar here, they or she?

Ok, maybe it was different with Katara, being Aang's companion and wife she probably had better idea than most - maybe better than Korra - about the role of the Avatar. But that proved Korra's point! It was Katara who has always been the kindest to her.

Everything changed however during the Water Tribe civil war. First Unalaq showed her that her bending was often no match against the dark spirits. Then... then he and Vaatu gave her the beating of her life and ripped Raava from her, severing the still not fully established connection to her past lives. If it wasn't for Jinora, appearing suddenly over the battlefield, glowing like a spirit and restoring Raava's light in her... who knows what would have happened.

Korra sighed.

Maybe... maybe if she had paid more attention to the spiritual side of being the Avatar, she wouldn't have fared so poorly in the Spirit World and against Vaatu's power. Maybe she wouldn't have lost her past lives.

But it happened. And now Korra tried meditating again and again, hoping against all available proof that once she mastered herself, managed to achieve balance or harmony or whatever the masters were talking about, she could restore the connection to Aang and the other Avatars.

Time and time again she failed and each attempt made her even more annoyed, even more frustrated, even more angry!

She got up immediately a fan of flames shooting from her outstretched hands. Naga whined and got up in an instant, the huge polar bear-dog growling and looking around for whatever it was that had startled Korra so much.

"I'm sorry, girl" Korra said, hugging Naga's head and scratching her under her chin. "I didn't want to startle you, I just got frustrated. It just doesn't seem to be working, no matter what I do."

Naga whined again and licked Korra's face and things became... no, not good, but better.

"Maybe it's just foolish hope, but I can't stop thinking that the reason why I can't meditate properly and restore my connection to the past lives is because I haven't mastered all the elements." she said. "But how can I become and Airbender if there are no Airbenders here to train? Master Tenzin was supposed to be here long ago to start my training!"

Her polar bear-dog sat on the snow, looking at her with those eyes, so full of love and understanding.

"I could even go to Republic City myself!" she said, only dimly aware that she was becoming agitated again "But noooo, the Masters keep saying that I'm not ready! As if I could get more ready by waiting here and practicing the same things over and over again. And I stopped Unalaq and Vaatu, didn't I? I can handle challenges! And it's not as if staying here had protected me from Unalaq! So they can't argue that it's for my protection! It's just... sometimes they seem so... limited! And they try to limit me! I've heard the stories about the White Lotus, about Iroh and... and... and the rest of them. These are..." she shrugged. "No Katara, of course. Katara is great! But..."

She didn't finish as Naga suddenly turned, sniffing the air and looking at something over the horizont.

"What is it, big girl?" Korra asked, straining her eyes...

Yes, there was something there! A tiny dot against the blue-gray sky, growing as it was approaching. An air bison! Master Tenzin finally came!

"Come, Naga!" Korra shouted as she saw the slihoutte of the bison heading towards the White Lotus compound. In an instant Korra was on her pet's white fur. "Let's go!"

Moments later the two were running towards the compound, Naga sending clouds of snow into the air as she ran. The Lotus guards didn't waste time stopping them - they had seen them behave like that all too many times, so they just opened the gate in front of them.

Korra got to the landing just as the bison was coming down to land. Apart from the guards, Katara and the other two Masters were already there. However... something didn't fit. The silhoutte on the air bison seemed too petite, too lithe to be Tenzin, though the shining sun made it impossible for Korra to see who it was clearly. She didn't have to wonder long as when the bison was preparing to land the silhoutte on it jumped off the animal, summoning a small whirlwind of air to slow down the fall.

"Jinora!" Korra shouted in delight and jumped off Naga and rushed forward to the girl, hugging her tight and lifting over the snow.

She has known Jinora for years, of course, but once she had thought of her only as Tenzin's eldest daughter, one she saw once or maybe twice a year, watching how the girl changed and grew between the visits. But after everything that happened in the Spirit World where Jinora served as her guide, after trying to save the young Airbender, after having Jinora save *her* and Raava in the battle against Unalaq and Vaatu... the two became much closer, they became friends.

Sure, they still didn't see each other that often - especially since Jinora's kidnapping made Tenzin even more protective of her - but they exchanged letters. Sure, Korra's writing was far from regular but she tried!

Suddenly she frowned. Yes, Tenzin has become very protective of Jinora. How come he sent her here alone?

She let go of the Airbender girl.

"Hey, Jinora, what's up?" she asked.
Jinora just smiled at her, though the smile didn't reach her eyes and turned to Katara and the Masters, bowing deep in front of them.
"Oh come on here!" Katara said, hugging her granddaughter. Then she turned to the other Masters. "I'm sure we'll talk White Lotus business soon enough. Can I spend some time with my family?"

The two nodded and turned to leave.
"Come, Korra" Kaito said.
"No," Katara protested. "Korra IS family."

Her words made the Avatar feel strange warmth spread from her heart.

"So, Jinora." Katara said, her tone purposedly light. "I'm sure that, like always you have so, so many questions to me."
"Oh yes, Gran-Gran" Jinora said, her face lighting up. "I was reading so much about your travels, but I'm so curious as to what happened to Zuko's mother."
"That is a fascinating story indeed" Katara said. "You see..."

Korra couldn't take it anymore.
"Jinora, what's up?" she blurted out. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but how come Tenzin... Master Tenzin sent you here alone? Why didn't he come? Is everything alright? Will you be training me?"

She paused.
"You came here to teach me Airbending, right?"

Jinora turned to Korra with a serious expression on her facce.
"I'm sorry, Korra" she said. "But I'm not. Not everything is alright."

Chapter Text

Some time later they were sitting in Master's Katara hut, drinking hot chocolate, heated by Korra's Firebending. What they were speaking about probably qualified as White Lotus business but it was also family business so they conveniently forgot to invite Master Kaito and Padari. The three of them - four if you included Naga, lying there with her head on Korra's lap - were engrossed in the discussion. News from Republic City reached the compound rarely and with long delay and that's even with the fact that Tenzin and often Bumi did their best to keep Katara up to date with the current events.

"Well, so we got those... Airbenders attacks in the City" Jinora was speaking. "Well, maybe 'attacks' is the wrong word to use here, most of them didn't seem malicious... it was as if someone - or multiple someones - were causing chaos due to not controlling their Airbending powers. Of course, since we are the only Airbenders in well... existence, we had police visitting us daily. With how things are between dad and Lin, the air was so tense that you could cut it with a knife."

"Lin?" Korra asked. "Who is she? And what what did you mean by how things are between her and Tenzin?"
"Iiiit's kinda a long story" Jinora said and shrugged. "And one that I don't know entirely as it's grown-up stuff. Lin feels reasonable enough. And I can't really blame her, even mum and dad at first suspected these incidents to have been caused by Ikki and Meelo sneaking off."

Korra nodded absentmindedly. How Jinora was so different than the firebrands Meelo and Ikki, would forever remain one of the great mysteries of the world.

"And of course the public didn't buy dad's explanations that these must be some new Airbenders... and well, we could all admit that it sound a bit ridiculous. The people thought that dad was using his position as councilman to protect himself and our family from embarassment. Only when we started getting information from the entire Republic of Nations that... well... new Airbenders were popping here and there, the people began to accept it as the truth."

"New Airbenders?" Katara asked. "Aang would have loved it!"
"I wonder if they have also appeared in the Water Tribe! I'll need to ask mum, when I speak to them again." Korra said.
Jinora smiled softly.
"Dad said the same thing!" she said. "You should have seen how happy he is. But now he's spending most of his time chasing those new Airbenders. He wants to start training them not only helping them to control their bending powers but also to teach them about the Air Nomad culture and way of life!"

"That's marvellous!" Korra shouted, making Naga pull away from her lap. "I mean not the teaching about culture stuff. No, I didn't mean it like that, that's awesome too! But I meant that he wants to teach them Airbending! I need to learn it as well, so we'll just go to Republic City together and I'll join this... class of his!"

Jinora shifted uncomfortably and then took a sip of her chocolate, clearly stalling for time.
"What?" Korra asked. "It's an awesome idea, right?"
"Korra..." Jinora began. "I've already suggested it to dad but he doesn't think it is a good idea. You see..."
"What is it, dear?" Katara asked. "What is it that you aren't telling us?"
"The things in Republic City... aren't great." she said. "Of course people wanted to know what brought these new Airbenders. There were a couple of theories suggested, but it was quickly determined that it coincided with the appearance of spirits and spirit vines and the opening of the portals. Someone found an old book and soon the words 'Harmonic Convergence' were on everyone's lips. And well... it's not a secret that you caused the Spirit Portals to remain open."
"Ha!" Korra threw her fist into the air. "You're welcome, world, for giving you new Airbenders." Seeing Jinora's serious face, however, she frowned. "That's a good thing, right?"
"It is, of course!" Jinora assured her. "But... many people are not good with dealing with... chaos... and changes. Airbenders aren't really the problem but spirits everywhere... spirit vines taking over entire parts of the city..."

Katara sighed gently.
"I believe what Jinora is trying to say is that people in Republic City aren't happy with these and blame you for it."
"Well, I could have hardly known that keeping the portals open will make those vines grow everywhere!" Korra pouted. "And besides, my mind was kinda occupied with, you know, beating Unalaq and Vaatu and saving the world from ten thousand years of darkness."

Jinora smiled and put her hand on top of Korra's and squeezed gently.
"I know, I was there, remember?" she said and Korra blushed, ashamed.

Jinora WAS there and she was the only reason why Korra was still alive.
"Sorry" she muttered.
"It's fine, no need to apologize, Korra" Jinora said. "It's just as Katara said... people are not happy with the Avatar... with you... making decisions without consulting anyone and then having the whole world feel the consequence."

Korra suddenly lifted her head.
"But see?! That's exactly why I need to go!" she said. "I need to explain to them my side of the story! Why I did what I did! Besides, for now they can say and think whatever they want about me because they don't know me! I'm probably for them some distant figure, but if they got to know the real me..."

"Korra, we're not saying that you shouldn't come ever." Jinora said. "Dad just wants to wait until the situation calms down a bit. Besides, for now he's even too busy to be teaching anyone Airbending. He still spends his time finding those new Airbenders, planning how to search for them in other parts of the world, he is busy with his councilman duties... All these changes reinvigorated this weird Equalist movement..."

"What's that?"
"Well... it's just a bunch of people, who believe that benders are priviliged and oppressing non-benders. They're not a serious problem, however with the spirit vines causing a lot of damage and problems, they are getting new people joining them."
"That's ridiculous!" Korra snapped. "That's why I need to be there! Who's better to remind them that bending should help people, help bring balance to the world than the Avatar! Aang saved the world from Ozai and I from Unalaq, not that I'm bragging or anything!"
"Dad said that you will insist, but I am not to take you" Jinora said. "I'm sorry. I'm sure that when the situation is more stable..."
"And when will that be?! With these Equalists and vines... I should be there, fixing it, showing them... reminding them that Avatar is there to help!" Korra got onto her feet. She realized she was starting to shout but she didn't care. "And with Tenzin looking for new Airbenders ALL OVER THE WORLD when he will have time to train me? When will there be a better time to train me than now, when he has so many new Airbenders!"
"Korra..."
"This is so unfair! Aang was... what, seven years younger than me when he was travelling all over the world, helping people?! And I'm stuck here! Sure, I was here to master the elements but I mastered all of them, save for air and there is no one here that can teach me this!"
"Korra, this compound is for your protection." Katara spoke.
"I can protect myself! I'm the AVATAR!"

And with these words Korra rushed out of the hut, Naga following her.

***

"Korra, please, come back." Katara said, standing behind Korra, some time later.

The Avatar was on the walls of the compound, looking at the sea on the horizont.
"I can protect myself, you know." Korra said. There was still anger in her voice, but she wasn't screaming anymore. Anger and something else... hurt? "I beat Unalaq."
"I know, dear." Katara said, taking Korra's hand but the younger woman pulled away.
"Of course, it didn't go that well, did it?" Korra asked bitterly. "I've almost lost. I lost the access to the past lives before I even learned how to communicate with them. I lost Aang. That's what it always comes to, isn't it? That I screwed up. That I'm a failure."
"Korra, you're not a failure. I doubt anyone would have managed to deal with Unalaq and Vaatu better than you..."

If Katara had thought that it would calm Korra down, she had been wrong. As much as Korra respected her Waterbending Master, by now she was past reason. She turned towards the older woman and there were tears in her eyes.

"Then what is it?" Korra asked. "Am I some... I don't know... Avatar-in-the-box to be released whenever there is a threat and then locked up until the next crisis? Or maybe it's that Tenzin and everyone is worried that my stubborness and... I don't know... poor table manners will pour fuel into the fire in Republic City?"

She saw on Katara's face that this guess was close and it hurt even more.
"So that's it?" she asked. "Korra-big-mouth, first acts and talks and then thinks, we can't have her causing more trouble in Republic City, she's done enough!"
"Korra..."
"Katara," Korra's voice broke. "How am I to learn how to deal with... people... with problems that I can't just fling fire or a boulder at... if I'm always and only here?"
"I'm sorry, Korra" Katara said. "I'll ask Tenzin to reconsider. I believe you should be in Republic City. But he's there and knows the situation better than we do. Believe me, he wants only what is best for you."
"Sure."
"Come, Korra" Katara said. "Join us for a while longer. I'm sure Jinora would be happy to talk to you some more."
"I'll come... in a bit. I just want... to stay here for a moment."

Katara looked Korra in the eyes and knowing she won't convince the Avatar, just gently hugged her and turned around and left.

***

Korra was sitting at the edge of the cliff, looking at the silhoutte of the air bison disappearing in the distance. She knew she hurt Jinora by refusing to be there when the girl took off, but she just couldn't force herself to come. Sensing her sadness, Naga whined and licked Korra's cheek. Almost automatically and absentmindedly the girl reached and began petting her polar bear-dog.

"I should have seen her off" she said finally. "But you know what? It doesn't matter much, because we're going to see her really soon." she turned and looked Naga in the eyes. "Naga, we're going on a trip. Republic City, here we come."

Chapter Text

Korra was sure she had prepared everything perfectly, being wonderfully sneaky. She even stopped pouting while she gathered her belonging, biding her time, until she knew a ship was supposed to approach the nearby port. And finally she was ready to make her run.

She was certain her escape has been planned and performed with no room for error... all the way until the snow in front of her shot upwards solidifying into an ice wall. Naga slowed down while Korra made a throwing motion with her hand. A boulder shot through the snow and hit the ice wall, shattering it. Moments later a part of the snow surrounding her melted and rose into a watery tentacle. Korra was certain it would lash at her, but instead it gently but firmly grabbed her by the waist and took her off Naga's back. A whiplike motion of the Avatar's hand and the water tendril froze, turning into ice that moments later broke into pieces, freeing her. Soon however snow around her feet was freezing, trapping her legs in icy prison. Korra spread her arms and an ring of fire extended from her, melting the snow.

She was free once again so she turned around and wasn't surprised to see Katara. The old woman would never be fast enough to catch up with Korra and especially not with Naga, but now she was approaching fast, very fast, commanding the snow to transport her.

"Korra, please, don't leave." Katara said in soft voice.
"Well, now there is no point, is there?" Korra couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice. "Since you already figured it out that I'm escaping, the port will be crawling with White Lotus guards and no captain will take me onto their ship."

Katara didn't speak for a long while. Korra looked down, pouting. And so went her freedom. Back to boring everyday life, always the same place, the same people, people that respected her but didn't necessarily *like* her and definitely weren't her friends.

Katara finally spoke.
"No, the White Lotus isn't aware of your escape. You masked yourself quite well."
"Not well enough. How did you figure it out?"
"I know you, Korra. As soon as you stopped being angry with me... or rather pretended that you're not angry anymore, I knew you were up to something."
"Then why didn't you warn them?"

Katara didn't answer this question. Instead she just sighed.
"Korra, we really are doing our best to protect you." she said. "Please understand that."
"I do, I really do, but..." Korra shouted. "But of all the people, you should understand me the best! I've heard about your adventures! I've heard how you rebelled when your own people didn't want to teach you how to use Waterbending for combat! I've heard how you had to fight for Pakku to respect you! And how would you, Aang and the rest save the world if you remained where it was safe? How would the war end if Firelord Zuko obediently listened and obeyed his family? If Toph didn't have the courage to leave her parents?"
"You're right, but we didn't have choice." Katara responded. "It was this... or the whole world would burn. You have the choice. The world isn't in peril. You should be happy that we have peace..."
"I am! But it is what I said earlier... is the Avatar someone to be kept locked and released only when a world-ending threat arises?! I want to learn about the world! I want to see it! I want to help! I want to live!"

Long silence. A sigh.
"It won't take long until the White Lotus realizes you are gone." Katara said finally. "Be quick. I'll do my best to stall them and send them into wrong direction."

Korra felt a weigh disappear from her shoulders. She ran to Katara and hugged her.
"Thank you." she whispered.
Katara hugged her back.
"Say hello to my son and grandchildren from me." Katara responded.
"I will. And you please write a letter to tell my parents where I have gone. I don't want them to worry."

***

"What is it, dear?" Chief Tonraq asked as he entered his house and saw the beautiful face of his wife utterly pale.
Senna, without a word, passed him a letter. He took it in his hand and began reading it. As he did, the huge man went as pale as his wife and suddenly seemed so fragile.
"By the Spirits" he whispered then took a deep breath, calming himself down. "So Zaheer escaped... and is an Airbender now. I will need to reach out to Firelord Zuko, Tenzin and to Eska and Desna to reinforce the prisons of other Red Lotus members. But don't worry, dear." He hugged Senna and kissed her cheek. "Korra is safe under Katara in the White Lotus hideout. Even Zaheer won't be crazy enough to attack her there. She is safe."

Chapter Text

"I... I am not sure what to think about it." Tenzin frowned and spoke as Hiroshi Sato finished his presentation. "I can appreciate the technological insight... genius even that is behind these designs, but... well, I am no engineer but it seems to me that these... mechs... as you call them can be easily transformed into weapons of war."

"And even if so, would that be such a bad thing?" Kmei, the councilwoman representing the Fire Nation spoke up. "May I remind councilman Tenzin that the Republic of Nations already has a military? I see no harm in making sure out military technology remains up to date with the new challenges arising."

"If I may" Hiroshi's daughter, Asami, stepped from behind her father. "It is true that Future Industries were solely focused on automobile industry and we are always committed to the ideals of peace and prosperity. That said, we may need to remain realistic. The spirit vines infestation has proved resistant to all attempts at removing them, be it through cutting, burning or chemical means. The brave people - police officers, firefighters and soldiers - who attempted it were often wounded. The first goal of our mechs is to ensure the safety of such people. Let me also remind you that it was not Future Industries but our esteemed competitor, Varrick Global Industries, who developed and sold tanks during the Water Tribe Civil War. Future Industries is not in the business of manufacturing weapons but rather equipment and machines that save lives and make them easier."

"I am still unsure if sending the military after the spirit vines was a good idea." Tenzin protested. "It is... it is an act of aggression against the Spirit World! No wonder the spirits that now dwell in Republic City have become agitated recently."

"And what would you suggest we do, Tenzin?" Councilman Tarrlok spoke up.
"I'm sure there is some spiritual technique that could be used to send the vines away or at least slow down their development. Some form of Spiritbending..."
"And have you discovered such technique?" Tarrlok asked. "I assume that as the son of highly spiritual Avatar Aang you have already mastered it?"
"Well, no, not yet. I was recently busy looking for these new Airbenders..."
"And how is this going?" Councilman Vir from the Earth Kingdom asked.
"Well... I have manage to locate one, but I am sure there are more..." Tenzin spoke defensively.
"I believe we should take a vote on this matter." Kmei suggested.

Once the resolution to order Future Industries mechs to deal with the spirit vine has already been voted in, Tarrlok turned to Hiroshi.
"Thank you so much, mr. Sato. Could you please stay so that we can discuss the details of our deal?"
"Of course, councilman" Hiroshi bowed slightly. "Let me just discuss some things with my daughter."
"Naturally. Miss Sato, it was a pleasure meeting you."

Hiroshi took Asami's arm and led her out of the hearing range of the councilmen.
"You did great, Asami." he spoke. "I will need to stay here and finalize the deal."
"I can help, dad." Asami said.
"Oh, I'm sure you could." he replied, with a warm, proud smile. Then he grew serious. "But our *friend* insisted that we need to have meeting in two hours from now. I can't go, so I need you to take my place."

Asami opened her eyes wider.
"You mean..?" she asked and Hiroshi nodded his head. She steeled herself. She has never met with Amon without her father being present, but she wouldn't disappoint him. "Of course, dad."
"Don't worry and don't be afraid." Hiroshi said. "Our friend knows that I trust you and I think he trusts you as well. You will do good."

***

"Trust... trust is an interesting thing." Amon spoke slowly.

Asami found herself straightening each time his gaze, hidden by the metal mask fell on her. She was barely able to stop herself, from making sure none of her hair was out of place. She envied the ease with which Lieutenant Tazaki acted. He obviously worshipped the ground Amon walked on, but they have been working together for so long, almost since the very beginning of the Equalist movement, that he wasn't intimidated by the mysterious leader. She wonder if Tazaki knew Amon's true name.

"Especially trust in a leader." he said. "Sometimes a single mistake can shatter it... but at other times, it can grow stronger if said leader owns up to his mistake. And I am going to admit the mistake I've made and I only hope that your convictions remain strong."

Lieutenant Tazaki obviously wasn't going to speak out so, despite her nerves, Asami spoke.
"What mistake... sir?"
"In my defence, the plan seemed sound." Amon spoke, as if he didn't hear her. "Using the discontent about the spirits, spirit vines and so on to slowly attract more followers to our cause. Give those disefranchised and homeless a new home. I could hardly be expected to predict that we will have new Airbenders appearing. And yet... by not acting decisively, I have lost our chance to free the world of Airbenders for good. We could have achieved it when it was only Tenzin's family. Now... now it won't be so easy."

"It wasn't necessarily a mistake, sir." Asami spoke. "Perhaps even if we... we removed Tenzin and other Airbenders, this... Harmonic Convergence would still cause new Airbenders to appear. People would gather behind them, seeing their return as... as a sign from the spirits. Now? Now they're only getting annoyed by the property damage these Airbenders are inflicting on the City."

"Thank you, dear Asami. Your words are kind and wise." Amon said then looked at Tazaki. "Lieutenant, bring him in."
"Bring who..?" Asami began but stopped as Tazaki left the room and soon came back with a frightened middle-aged man.

He seemed familiar, however Asami just couldn't place it where she saw him. One of the Equalist meetings or rallies? Possibly.

"Maraki" Amon spoke to the shivering man, approaching him. "I remember you. You have been with us almost from the very beginning. Tell me, why didn't you trust me? Why didn't you tell me that you became one of these new Airbenders?"

Asami's hand went to her mouth but quickly she let it drop. She's always been good at hiding her emotions, but this..? An Equalist-turned-Airbender? She had done the math before, despite the number of unknowns, statistics suggested that such a thing was quite likely... but still, she didn't know what would be the reaction to that. Asami understood numbers and machines, less so with people and feelings.

The man - Maraki - fell to his knees.
"I... I am sorry." he whimpered. "I am sorry. Please... forgive me! I swear... I don't want to be using this... this power. It escapes my control! I swear, I'll do my best not to use it anymore!"
"Forgive you?" Amon asked, as if tasting the words. "Tell me, Maraki... do you have a family? No, you don't have to answer. I remember you have a wife, a lovely woman, though I can't recall her name..."
"T-T-Tamaka, sir."
"Ah, yes. So tell me, Maraki, if Tamaka got assaulted would you require her to ask your forgiveness? Or if she fell ill and died, would you be angry at her for leaving you and would you expect an apology?"

Maraki blinked, surprised at the direction the conversation took.
"N-no, sir."
"Of course you wouldn't." Amon agreed. "And yet you ask me for forgiveness? My friend, if I ever led you to fear me so much that you didn't want to admit that you became cursed by becoming an Airbender... it is I who should be asking your forgiveness. I know you didn't ask for this... taint to be pushed... forced... onto you. I know you didn't want it. You're a victim. Another victim of benders and of the Avatar who thoughtlessly brought this change onto our world."
"Th-thank you, sir." Maraki whispered, breathing in relief.

"And now, my friend." Amon said, crouching next to the man. "You have a choice to make."
"A choice?"
"Yes. You have three options. Option one: you can embrace your bending, but of course you would have to leave our movement."

Asami frowned. Would Amon really allow that? Or was it a game? Or a test?
"No! I don't want that!" Maraki shouted.
"Option two," Amon continued, ignoring the man's outburst "is that I heal you... I remove this taint."
"You can do that?!"

Asami was wondering that as well. True, there were ways to temporarily suppress a benders ability to command the elements by blocking their chi - Asami herself was skilled in this art - but to remove one's bending? Was such a thing even possible? She glanced at Lieutenant Tazaki but his face was like a stone. Did he control himself so well? Or was he already aware about this power Amon wielded?

"I can." Amon answered. "And the third option is, that you can reveal yourself to Tenzin and join the Air Temple as their student... and our spy."

Asami became almost giddy with the prospect. A spy so close to Tenzin and his Airbending family! True, they had informants - Air Acolytes bitter about the fact that Airbending Air Nomads are receiving all the glory and attention - but a spy, so close to Aang's son?! What a great possibility for the Equalists!

However Maraki disappointed her.
"I... I would like you... to remove my bending." he finally said. "I want to... I want to be as I was... without this taint."

Amon nodded slowly. If he was disappointed with the man's decision, he didn't show... then again, the mask he wore made it basically impossible to read the Equalist leader's thoughts.

"And so it shall be done" Amon said, putting his hand on Maraki's forehead.

***

"Asami, stay, please." Amon turned to the woman as Lieutenant Tazaki led Maraki away.

Not a person easily intimidated, Asami turned towards the Equalist leader but even she had trouble steadying her breathing after what she has just seen. To remove someone's bending in such a way as she has just witnessed... Asami was never a particularly spiritual person and her commitment to the Equalist cause was borne out of desire for justice and not a belief in a higher mandate... but even for her it was now difficult to deny that it seemed that the spirits have chosen Amon.

"Yes, sir?" she asked.
"I had an impression that you wanted to say something, before I removed Maraki's bending." he said. "Did you have any doubts about my actions?"
"It's nothing, sir."
"No, don't worry." Amon said. "You can be honest with me. If you had any doubts at all, you should tell me."

Asami took a deep breathe.
"While I understand why Maraki chose to have his bending removed, I was disappointed that he didn't choose to be our spy among the Air Nomads." she said.
"So was I."
"So why didn't you... order him to spy on them?" she asked. "Why give him this choice?"

Amon slowly shook his head and a sigh was heard from behind the mask.
"You are right, of course, that the knowledge we would gain from such a spy would be priceless." he said. "However I am not in the business of forcing my men to do anything they don't want to do. We aren't fighting to replace the tyranny of the benders with that of our own making. Besides... from a strictly practical point of view... a spy who is unsure of his task, is forced to be one... is not an effective spy. You saw how Maraki was nervous in front of me. Do you think he could have hidden his emotions better from Tenzin? From Chief Beifong who recently has been visitting the Air Temple Island quite often, because of this matter with new Airbenders?"
"No, he couldn't have." Asami admitted. "You were right."
"But thank you for raising this up." Amon said. "Just as I respect and trust your father, so I respect and trust you. I am glad to have you on our side. I am sure that together we will achieve great things and change the world."

Chapter Text

Korra opened her eyes, startled. Being a Water Tribe girl and a Waterbender she could easily sense that the ship has stopped moving, except the gentle swaying on the waves of course. Naga noticed the change as well and woke up, lifting her head and sniffing the air.

"Can you smell something new, girl?" Korra asked, ruffling Naga's fur. "It seems we arrived at our destination. And not a moment too soon!"

Being locked in the cargo compartment, as big as it was, has not been a nice experience. Forced to stay inside not to startle the crew of the ship with Naga's presence she had grown restless. It wasn't helping that while she could - and did - exercise a bit her, training bending was out of the question. Sure there was plenty of water around the ship, but without going on deck - and she didn't want to leave Naga alone - she didn't have access to it. There was no earth around her and as for fire... well, using fire inside the ship would be a terrible idea.

But the worst was the sensation of feeling locked, being unable to move, smell the fresh air, feel the wind going through her hair. She has never liked being or feeling confined in any way, something that brought her often into confict with the White Lotus Masters and guards at the compound. But she couldn't help it. She had to leave the compound every now and then, riding on top of Naga through the snows, feeling alone and free... even if she wasn't free, not really.

As terrifying the events of the last year were, with her facing Unalaq and Vaatu, with her father being arrested and wounded, with Jinora being kidnapped, with all the threats and wonders of the Spirit World... at least she felt free. She felt that her life was finally in her hands. She had the power to make decisions for better or worse.

Of course the fact that she had almost failed and lost the connection to her past lives was now used by her Masters as the reason - the excuse, in her mind - to keep her even more confined. For her protection, of course.

She hated it.

But now she was finally free, to a degree at least. She arrived at the Republic City and nothing would stop her from mastering Airbending and becoming a fully realized Avatar. Sure, Tenzin could complain and try to send her back, but she wasn't going to listen. Her experiences, as trying as they were, gave her some measure of confidence. She had faced Unalaq and Vaatu, a personification of chaos and darkness. She wouldn't allow Tenzin to send her back as if she was some kid.

She was here to stay.

***

This confidence lasted all the way to the deck of the ship, from which she looked at the sprawling expanse of the great Republic City. She expected it to be like the capitals of the two Water Tribes, perhaps a bit bigger and with less snow and ice. She didn't expect this collossus of steel and brick stretching everywhere around her. Even on the ship she felt assaulted by the noise coming from the harbour. The sea itself wasn't untouched with ironclad ships everywhere she looked. And the smell... this was no clear, fresh air like in the Water Tribe capitals. The many, many chimneys of Republic City houses and factories were sending plumes of smoke into the air and she started coughing the second she breathed in deep. After everything she had heard about Aang, she had trouble believing that he was the one behind the creation of this... monstrosity. But it must have been so, as Aang's proud statue looking at the harbour proved.

"Let's... let's find the Air Temple Island, ok, Naga?" Korra finally stuttered, her desire the explore the city not gone but lessened.

But Naga, dear, sweet and HUNGRY Naga just saw man, a dockyard worker probably, carrying a chest... a chest containing some pieces of meat judging from the sounds the polar bear dog made as it looked at the container... and as it started running towards it.

"No, Naga, wait!" Korra screamed, but Naga just jumped over the railing and into the water. Running through the deck, pushing through the throng of people getting off the vessel would take too long so Korra followed Naga, jumping into the bay.

As the cold water closed over her, Korra felt a rush of adrenaline, finally feeling alive as, aided by her Waterbending, she rushed forward towards the pair and pushed by the a stream of water shot out onto the ground. And yet, she was too slow.

Screaming in terror at the approaching white-furred the dockyard worker dropped the chest revealing, indeed, heaps of dried meat. In one lunge Naga was next to it, grabbing a mouthful of food.

"No, Naga, no!" Korra shouted. "Bad girl! Bad girl!"

But of course once Naga began eating it was next to impossible to get her to stop... but Korra was good as achieving things that were next to impossible, especially when she saw shouting people, some armed with clubs, knives and stones pointing at Naga.

"No! Come, Naga, come!" she yelled, pulling on the polar bear dog's harness.

This worked and Naga, having taken another piece of meat into her maw, rushed forward, through the narrow streets. Up close the city smelled even worse, some of the alleys being filled with garbage, other smelling of urine, vomit and cheap alcohol.

Among these less-than-pleasant smells, she felt something else - smell of fish. That - and watching Naga feast - made her stomach rumble. Following her nose, she quickly reached a stall selling roasted fish. Showing Naga to stay behind she approached it.

"Hey!" she spoke to the older lady sitting behind the stall. "These sure look tasty!"

"Thank you" the woman said, though her smile didn't reach her eyes which were looking at Korra with suspicion. "My husband and son caught them!"

"I'll take this one" Korra said reaching towards a red-backed lunda fish.

"You are going to pay for this, right?"

Korra frowned.

"P-pay?"

"Yeah, pay! It's twenty yuans."

Korra was aware, of course, of the concept of money, barter and trade. However, as she was the Avatar, her needs have always been covered by the White Lotus.

"I... I don't have any money" she said. "I will have Master Tenzin from Air Temple Island pay you back but..."

"We don't give wares for IOUs!" the woman snapped. "You could be the Avatar herself and that wouldn't make me give you a freebie!"

"Hey!" Korra said. "I AM the Avatar."

"Yeah, right" the woman said. "Get lost or I'll start screaming!"

She was already shouting and waving her arms wildly in the arms and, even though she was no threat to the Avatar, that was enough to trigger Naga's protective instinct. With a growl she lunged, jumping between her owner and the saleswoman.

"Aieee!" the woman shrieked. "Help! HELP! HEEEELP!"

"Come, Naga!" Korra shouted, grabbing Naga's harness again, jumping onto her and rushing forward through the maze of twisted alleys and narrow streets.

When they finally stopped, Korra realized two important things: 1) that she was completely lost and didn't even know where the harbour, not to mention the Air Temple Island was, 2) that she was still hungry.

Chapter Text

She winked surprised as she looked around the vast green expanse around her, with trees and streams and birds and... was that a squirrel-hare? How did such a place find its way into the monster of stone and steel that was Republic City? Korra has never in her life seen so much green in one place, apart from her trips to some parts of the Spirit World, but even there the grass and trees had a weird, unreal and almost etheral quality to them and she had been constantly afraid that they will change into something sinister. And since her mood and emotional state affected the world around her, they often had.

Here it was... just nature. Nature, that has been cut, sculpted and molded to serve people, but nature nevertheless. And Korra knew how to survive in nature. She decided not to cause too much trouble Earthbending stones at birds to shoot them down - there always was a chance that she would miss and her stone would hurt someone or damage something and besides, the birds here didn't seem to have much meat on their bones.

On the other hand... there were plenty of fish in the streams. A small bit of Waterbending and soon she had a fish stuck on a stick and after cooking it a bit with her Firebending she was ready to start eating. Maybe it wouldn't be the best, but Korra was not picky, especially not when she was so hungry.

She opened her mouth to start eating and...

Before she could take a bite, she heard rustling of the leaves and a silhoutte jumped from a nearby bush. Naga was on her feet, already prepared to fight while Korra reached with one hand towards the stream, ready to Waterbend... but it turned out to be just a scruffy looking bearded man.

By Raava, how he stank! Especially as he opened his mouth, full of missing and rotten teeth in a wide grin.

"Saaay... would you be so kind and share one of those tasty-smelling fishes with a hungry guy?" he asked.

Korra hesitated for a second, but one look at the man and at how he was stared at the food on the stick was enough to tell her that he really was very hungry. She smiled in a way she hoped would be reassuring and pointed at one of the fish.

"Oh... yes... sure! Be my guest" she said.

"Thank you, my dear lady!" he bowed in a comically ceremonial manner and then, almost lunged at the food, devouring it with speed that put Naga to shame.

"Oh, spirits, you sure were hungry!" Korra chuckled awkwardly, they both ate their food.

"Yes, I was!" the man replied cheerfully.

"Sooo... you live... in this bush?"

Korra mentally kicked herself for the question she's just asked, but situations like these were yet another one of the many things education provided by the White Lotus did not prepare her for.

"Yes, I do!" The man seemed very proud of this fact. "And I'm telling you, it took me a while to find such a beautiful bush! This park is sure popular with all us vagabonds and all the best spots are usually taken!"

"Are there... many people like you? Homeless?" Korra frowned.

Somehow it didn't fit in the image of Republic City that she had in mind. The Water Tribes capitals didn't have homeless people, of course mainly because being homeless in these cold climates was a death sentence... but it made her believe that Republic City - by all accounts a richer and greater city - also solved this problem.

"There sure are!" the man replied with this smile still on his face. At least it didn't seem that he got offended by Korra's questions. "The city is full of them."

"I... somehow I thought everyone here was living it up."

"Ah, you're new here? Welcome to Republic City! There is a lot you need to learn!"

"I guess so." Korra said, dejected.

"I was a factory worker, you know. But got laid off and now... it's hard to find a full-time job. Besides everyone prefers to employ those benders and they get paid better. Oh well, I still get by... thanks to such lovely people as you. So what's you name?"

"Oh, my name is Korra."

"Korra? Like the Avatar, huh?"

Before Korra could answer, the air was pierced by a sharp whistle. She turned around and saw a park security guard glaring at them.

"Hey! You can't fish here!" he shouted pulling out his club and blowing the whistle again.

"You'd better run! See you and thank you, Korra!" the vagabond shouted and took off running away.

The guard started running towards Korra but now she whistled as well on her fingers... and moments later she was riding away on Naga, chased by his curses.

***

She didn't ride far, only to the gates of the park, where she saw a small crowd of people surrounding a man on small wooden platform. Behind him there was a giant poster of a hooded man in a white mask, covering his entire face. The sign on the poster read "Equality".

"Are you tired of the tyranny of the benders?!" the man on the platform was shouting to those listening to him.

Korra approached on Naga and some of the people took nervous steps away from the approaching polar bear dog, allowing them to come closer. The Avatar opened her mouth to say something, but she recalled the words of the vagabond about employers preferring benders to non-benders. For his part, the speaker didn't seem to care much about Korra and kept talking:

"For too long have the bending elites of this city forced non-benders to be lower-class citizens! The times of great non-benders like Sokka and Suki in the City Council are long gone! There is no single non-bender in the council of the Republic of Nations! Join with Amon and the Equalists and together we will tear up the bending establishment!"

The Equalists?! Korra recalled Jinora stating that they were causing trouble in the city, enough trouble to even make Tenzin worry... and stop him from coming to teach her Airbending. Whoever they were, they couldn't have been honest citizens, troublemakers more likely.

"What are you talking about?!" she snapped at the speaker. "Bending is the coolest thing in the world! It's responsible for so much good..."

"I bet you yourself are a bender?" the man replied.

"Yes, I am!"

His gaze fell on her, catching the colours and style of her clothes.

"And I bet you would like to knock me down with some Waterbending, right?"

"Oh, I'm considering it!"

The man turned to the people surrounding them.

"This is what is wrong with this city! Benders like this girl only use their power to oppress us!"

Korra frowned.

"What?!" she shouted. "I'm not oppressing anyone! You... you're opressing yourself!"

"That doesn't even make sense!" the man shouted in response but she barely heard him as other people began shouting at her angrily.

Seeing their angry faces, their clenched fists as they approached her, Korra found herself flashing back to the fight in the Spirit World as Vaatu's dark spirits were surrounding her. She felt her heartbeat and breath quicken and reached with her hands towards the nearest stream, bending some water up. She hesitated only for one moment, before lifting her hands to slash at the people with a whip of water when Naga growled, forcing the crowd to move back.

"Thank you, girl." Korra said, releasing the water back into the stream. "Let's go!"

Moments later, they were riding away once again, Korra's heart heavy with doubt. Republic City was different than she thought and she was beginning to think that maybe she did make a mistake coming here.

***

So much noise. So much movement. So much smoke that made her cough.

So many people, so many Satomobiles around. Satomobiles beeping at her as she took to the streets, startling Naga, making her growl.

She thought she saw how enormous this city was earlier, from the docks. Only now, when she got deeper into it, she could truly begin to understand the scale of what surrounded her.

Tall buildings rising into the air, cable running between them, sometimes barely any sky visible between the stone and concrete. Long ago she'd lost the sea and the Air Temple Island from her vision. She knew she could find the sea quite easy - she was a Water Tribe girl after all but, overwhelmed as she was right now, she couldn't get into it, just riding forward on Naga, mouth open as she took the sights, sounds and smells of this *impossible* place.

Often she just stood on the sidewalk - the river of people circling around her, shooting frightened looks at Naga - looking around, trying to center herself in the endless cacophony of sounds and sights.

So many shops! Bakeries, greengrocers, butcheries - Korra had to almost force Naga away from these ones - flower shops, newspaper stands, shops with strange technological wonders she has never seen before...

It was in front of one such shop that she heard a scuffle and an argument. She looked around but for now there weren't many people around her and because of this it didn't take her long to locate the source of the sounds. In front of a phonoshop - whatever that was - stood an expensive looking parked Satomobile. In front of it, three sharply dressed men - or dressed in a way Korra thought was supposed to look sharp - were arguing with an older man, probably the priopriator of the shop.

"It's time to pay up!" the tallest one, in a fancy suit and hat said.

"I'm sorry! The business has been slow! Why... why don't you take one of my phonograms?" the old man said in a shaking voice as he handed the leader of the trio something that looked like a box with a tube attached to it.

The tall man nodded at shorter, slim man standing to his left and with a kick he knocked the phonogram out of the shopkeeper's hands. As it crushed onto the ground he kicked it again, this time with his foot enveloped in flame, leaving a device a broken, burning mess. The shopkeeper screamed in fear and jumped back, stumbling and falling.

"My friend here is just not a music-lover" the leader of the trio said. "Give me the money or else..."

That was enough for Korra. Sure, Republic City was large and confusing but here was something simple. A man was abused by those stronger than him and it was her job as the Avatar to protect him.

"Or else what, hoodlums?" Korra said, getting off Naga and approaching them.

The three men turned around to face her... and responded with loud laughter.

"Since it seems you're fresh of the boat, let me explain a couple of things to you." the one in the fancy hat said. "You're in Triple Threat Triad territory and we're about to put you in the hospital."

"The only ones needing a hospital will be you three... and for you own sake I hope there is one nearby." Korra responded, calmly meeting his gaze.

"Who do you think you are?" he barked as he stopped laughing.

Korra clenched her fists and lifted them to her chest.

"Why don't you find out?" she said.

Who was *she*? Who were those thugs?! She was the Avatar, she has faced Unalaq and Vaatu and she was to be intimidated by... them? Oh she was going to show them.

So when the tall men attacked, by sending a ball of water at her face she was glad - glad that they chose the stupid option, that they didn't turn tail and run, that they gave her this opportunity to vent all of her frustration from being in this city.

She used her Waterbending to redirect the attack to her own hand and shot it back at him, freezing it as it hit his face. As the man stumbled towards her, stunned and struggling for breath she kicked him hard. The ice surrounding his head broke allowing him to breathe as his head hit the front of his car.

Then came the second guy, a wide-shouldered bald man with the face of a dumb brute. He stomped his leg hard, lifting a huge stone from the street but before he could use it, Korra shifted her body and hand sending this boulder at him, hitting him squarely in the chest and sending him flying into the window of the phonoshop.

They were attacking her? Korra had always enjoyed the physical side of bending, excelled at it and had always wondered how would she like combat. The fights with Unalaq, Vaatu and the dark spirits cured her from some of this curiosity. As much as she enjoyed the action, the stakes back then were something that she couldn't stop thinking about, couldn't stop being afraid of. Ten thousand years of darkness? She couldn't let that happen. And then... then... she wasn't good enough, wasn't strong enough, wasn't fast enough and it cost her the access to her past lives.

After defeating Unalaq and Vaatu Korra has spent so much time in the White Lotus compound training to be better, stronger, more skilled. And now she could unleash those powers against those petty thugs, who bullied those weaker than them. Like Unalaq and Vaatu did.

As the Earthbender got up and tried to prepare another attack, Korra kicked in a wide arc, lifting two more cobblestones from the street and sending them into his stomach... and as he gasped and bent in pain she threw her fist forward, sending another stone at his head, knocking him out...

And suddenly... she froze as she saw the man fall to the shop floor, uncoscious... or dead. Suddenly she remembered Unalaq's corpse on the shore. Yes, he was her enemy and he wanted to bring an era of darkness... yes, not even Eska and Desna, his children, blamed her for his death... but she never wanted to kill him. She didn't think how she imagined stopping him otherwise, but she never wanted to kill anyone. And now... has she killed another person?

The third guy, the short, slender one looked at her shocked... but seeing the look of terror on her face, her vacant eyes, he decided to attack. One by one he sent a couple gouts of flame at her. That made her snap out of her shock. Barely she blocked and dispersed his attacks, stumbling back. She lifted her head and saw him running at her, his fists surrounded with fire. She grabbed them, blocking the flames, turned around and using his momentum against him sent him flying at the window of a clock shop.

Moments Naga was on her, knocking her aside as a Satomobile drawn by the thug leader went past her. He stopped only for a moment to let his Firebender in and rushed away, leaving the Earthbender lying motionlessly.

This angered Korra even more... or maybe it just allowed her to focus on her anger instead of the guilt she was feeling. Quickly she Earthbent the street under the escaping viehicle, making it swerve and crush into a nearby building. Moments later, police sirens were heard and as she lifted her head she saw a dark-grey airship hovering above her.

"Everyone, freeze!" sound came from the ship, but she didn't listen.

Instead she rushed towards the Earthbender, to check his vitals. When the Metalbender policeman told her that she was also under arrest she barely reacted, still trying to contain the relief she was feeling.

Chapter Text

"Let's see..." the tall, stern-looking grey-haired woman spoke, pacing around the desk where cuffed Korra was sitting. "Multiple counts of destruction of private and city property... at least you weren't evading arrest. You're in a lot of trouble, young lady!"

"B-but" Korra stuttered. Why was SHE being treated as the criminal here?! "There were some thugs and..."
"And you should have called the police! Not massacre them! We don't take kindly to vigilantes in the Republic City!"
"I'm not a vigilante!" Korra protested. Well, in a way she was, but she was not JUST a vigilante! "I'm the Avatar!"
"I'm well aware who you are, lady." The tall policewoman said, rubbing the scar on her cheek. "You're the Avatar and it seems I have to deal with it somehow. Your Avatar title may impress some people, but not me!"
"But I couldn't just stay there and do nothing! Helping people is my duty!"

The policewoman turned abruptly towards Korra.
"Helping? Do you really think you have helped? The damage that you caused to both the phonogram shop and the clock shop is large much greater than what the shop owners were paying the Triad."
"But I couldn't have just stood there and watched!"
"So you decided to fight them and almost killed one of the thugs?"

That made Korra slump in her chair. She could still could hear the sickly crunch where the cobblestone thrown by her hit the man's head.
"Will... will he be alright?" she finally asked.

The policewoman stared at Korra for a long while.
"He will live." she finally said. "But that does not make what you did alright!"
"Listen" Korra said more forcefully, now that some of the weight has been lifted from her shoulders. "I want to talk to someone in charge!"
"That would be me." the woman said. "Chief Lin..."
"Lin!" Korra shouted recognizing the name. "Tenzin's Lin?"

The woman's already stern face went even darker and she narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"I assure you I'm NOT Tenzin's."
"I... I'm sorry" Korra backpedalled quickly. "It's just... I heard that you visit Tenzin on Air Temple Island often."
"I visit Tenzin often because of those disturbances caused all over the city by these new Airbenders." Lin said firmly. "And as I was saying I am Chief Lin Beifong and I'm in charge of..."

Yet again Korra didn't let her finish.
"Lin Beifong? Toph's daughter? Your mother and my previous life were good friends. They travelled the world..."
It was Lin's turn to interrupt.
"That's ancient history. We are talking about here and now. You can't..."

There was a knock to the door of the interrogation room.
"What?!" Lin barked as a police officer entered.
"I... I'm sorry, Chief, but there is someone here to speak about the Avatar" the police officer stuttered.
"I don't care!"
"But it's councilman T-"

He didn't finish as the door behind him opened once again and a man walked in.
"Tenzin, you're finally he-" Korra began with a wide grin which froze on her face as she realized it wasn't Tenzin.

"Councilman Tarrlok" Lin's voice was cold as ice. "I wasn't expecting to see you. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

The handsome man with skin complexion only slightly lighter than Korra's turned towards the Avatar first.
"I'm sorry, Avatar Korra" he said. "I'm sure councilman Tenzin would love to be here but he was busy chasing a lead of a new Airbender and we weren't able to reach him." He turned his gaze to Lin. "Which is why I decided to take personal interest in this matter. I am the council representative of the Water Tribe after all and Korra is Water Tribe."
"She's Southern Water Tribe and you represent the Northern one." Lin countered.

Tarrlok offered her a thin smile.
"Be that as it may, after the civil war we are all one happy family or at least aim to be this way." He said. "Especially with Korra being both the Avatar and the daughter of the chief of the tribe. While I admit this is a fuzzy area of law, doesn't that mean she has diplomatic immunity?"
"Yeah!" Korra said, not entirely sure what it means.
"Either way, arresting her would certainly cause a diplomatic incident between the Republic City and both Water Tribes... and the Air Nomads."

Lin banged her fist against the table.
"Whoever she is, she's not allowed to commit crimes with impunity!"
"Crimes?" Tarrlok asked. "Wouldn't those criminals need to admit to what they were doing to press charges? Besides, if I understand correctly they attacked first and it was self-defense on the Avatar's part."
"The property damage..."
"The property damage will be covered either by the Southern Water Tribe or by me personally."
"It's not the best time for the Avatar to be visiting Republic City. The public..."
"The Avatar is not responsible for the feelings of the public and the fact that some of them would prefer not to see her doesn't make it illegal for her to be here." Tarrlok chuckled. "If negative public opinion about individuals would mean they cannot enter the city all the politicians would be exiled."
"Wouldn't that be a shame?" Lin muttered.
"Wait, what do you mean by 'negative public opinion'?" Korra asked. "I haven't been here long enough to give anyone any reasons to dislike me. I mean apart from that fish saleswoman... and the security guard in the park... and this anti-bending spokesman... and the gangsters... and some of the shop owners, I guess..."

Lin and Tarrlok ignored her question, gazing at each other, with Korra looking from one to the other. The tension was so high that you could cut it with a knife. Finally Lin spoke up.
"While I can't order her to leave the city, I think it would be better if she left."
"I disagree, but I think we should allow her to make this decision." Tarrlok said. "And now, may I take her and leave the station?"
"Fine! But keep an eye on her! Because I will be watching her!" Lin first removed Korra's handcuffs with a gesture then gestured to her eyes and pointed at Korra.

Korra repeated the gesture back at her as she got up and left the interrogation room.

***

It was only after they have left the police station and walked along one of the many Republic City bridges, when Tarrlok spoke.
"I'm glad you're here, Avatar Korra." he said.

Korra sighed and pouted.
"Then it seems you're the only one. Even Toph's daughter and Aang's son don't want me here!" she said.
"You must understand that this is difficult time for our city. We're dealing with a couple of unprecedented situations at the same time. The spirit vines, appearance of new airbenders who can't control their powers, spirits themselves... and of course the Equalist movement."
"Yeah, I met a guy spewing their lines today." Korra said. "I guess I didn't make a good impression on him either."
"Many normal people blame the Avatar - you - for the changes and troubles that we're facing. The Equalists are using that to gain supporters." Tarrlok said.

Korra hit the bridge railing with her fist.
"But that is so unfair!" she said. "I-"
"I know it is unfair, Avatar. You did the best you could in a terrible situation you found yourself in. If you haven't stopped Unalaq, I'm sure we would be facing even greater problems."

The Avatar turned to him rapidly and eyed him with suspicion in her eyes. She already fell for feigned friendship and kind words once - with Unalaq. She didn't want to make the same mistake twice. Besides, what did Tarrlok know? How close had he been with Unalaq? Did he know about the full extent of the mad Chief's plans? Did he know about Vaatu?

"Why are you so nice to me?" she asked. "Wasn't Unalaq your boss?"
Tarrlok shrugged.
"I guess? He nominated and sent me here, that's true. I have always been, however, the representative of all Northern Water Tribe people." he said. "And here, in Republic City, where all the nations mix and interact together it's easier to maintain a wider perspective. Besides... Unalaq was never a nice man to speak to. As he became more and more fundamentalist and distrustful of the influence of all those he considered "outsiders" on his people, his requests and demands became more and more absurd. They mostly concerned us completely breaking ties off with other nations."
"Aang wouldn't have wanted that." Korra said. "Neither would Katara."

She wasn't able to read Tarrlok's face as he slowly nodded his head.
"You're right" he said. "They wouldn't."
"So is that why you helped me?"
"Part of the reason." he admitted. "Mostly though... As I said, I'm glad that you came here. I do not wish to criticize Tenzin and the White Lotus but I believe your coming was way overdue."

Korra stared at him for a moment, unsure if he wasn't making fun of her.
"Despite all the troubles I had caused?" she asked.
"Despite all that." he said. "Korra, it might not have worked out the best, but your heart was in the right place. You tried to help people. That's what matters. Besides, whether the people are right to blame you for the problems with spirit vines and the spirits, who better than the Avatar to fix this problem?"

Korra gulped. She didn't know HOW to do it, even if she wanted to and she wasn't sure that she did. Instead she asked:
"And what about the Equalists?"
"They teach how bending is evil and brought so much misery to the world." Tarrlok said. "But didn't Aang save many non-benders as well when he stopped Ozai? Who better than his successor to remind the people of how grateful we should be to the Avatar. Korra, I believe your coming was exactly what Republic City needed. I for one would be happy if you stayed and promise to help you however I can. I am sure that together-"

"Here you are!"
Korra turned around, hearing a familiar voice.
"Tenzin!" she shouted, seeing the thin man in bright orange clothing approaching them.

Chapter Text

"Korra! I couldn't believe when I've heard that you are in the city! And to that held in the police station!"

"Well, councilman Tarrlok told them to release me and..." Korra began but Tenzin wasn't listening anymore, now just staring at the other man.

"Councilman Tarrlok" the airbending master said with cold politeness in his tone.

"Councilman Tenzin" the other man responded in the same voice.

Korra could feel the tension growing between them, just as it had between Tarrlok and Lin... but even more.

"I am grateful to you for having secured the Avatar's release." Tenzin said stiffly, his eyes fixed at some point to the left of Tarrok's head. Then mild annoyance flickered in his eyes as he glanced at Korra. "The Air Temple will naturally cover all the costs."

"I have already offered..." Tarrlok began but Tenzin just waved his hand.

"No, no, councilman, I insist. And now, I would like to take with the Avatar. In private."

The two men glared at each other for a moment, before Tarrlok bowed down slightly.

"Of course, councilman." he said then looked at Korra. "Avatar Korra, it was an honour meeting you. I'm looking forward to you staying longer in the city."

"I wouldn't get your hopes up." Tenzin muttered as Tarrlok left them.

"Wow, Tenzin." Korra said. "That was kinda cold, don't you think."

"Tarrlok is many things, but altruistic he is not." Tenzin said. "Don't think that he helped you out of goodness of his heart."

"Well, maybe he just treats his duties towards Water Tribe citizens he represents seriously? Or he respects the Avatar?"

"Korra, you made the mistake of trusting Unalaq once." Tenzin reminded her. "Do not make the same mistake again! But let's not talk about him. We need to first focus on you. What are you doing here, Korra?"

Korra shifted uncomfortably in place, scratching the back of her neck and looking down.

"Well... I really, really wanted to finally learn airbending." she said then her head perked up. "It's a perfect moment now! Since you are training all those new airbenders, I could be training with them!"

"Impossible!" he said. "With them around, I wouldn't be able to focus as much on your training as it would be needed."

"But when there weren't any new airbenders, you also weren't training me!"

"You weren't ready..."

"And yet I had to become ready when Unalaq released Vaatu! I had to face him without airbending! Who knows, maybe if I knew airbending when I fought him I wouldn't have lost the fight... and I wouldn't have lost Aang!"

Tenzin opened his mouth and closed it abruptly.

"Now it's just not a good time. The spirit vines, the Equalists..."

"Tarrlok says I could help!"

"Don't bring him into it!" Tenzin snapped. "The fact is that the Avatar is now not the most popular person in Republic City."

"Well, I won't convince anyone to like me if I'm kept in the White Lotus compound!"

"You arriving here didn't help matters much, did it?"

"When Aang was the Avatar, the whole Fire Nation was hunting him and he didn't just hide!"

"He had a world to save! If he stayed and did nothing, the entire Earth Kingdom would burn. If he had a choice I'm sure he would have preferred to be better trained before he was forced to confront Ozai."

For a moment Korra and Tenzin glared at each other.

"Well, Katara thinks this is a good idea!" Korra decided to try a different approach.

Tenzin's face got suddenly all red.

"Don't you bring my mother into it!" he shouted.

"Well, you should trust her judgement. She was Aang's wife..."

"As if I don't know it!"

"And my guardian for the last couple of months. She knows me pretty well, I'd say."

Another long moment of silence.

"No." Tenzin said. "It's just not a good time. And the fact that you came here, directly disobeying the White Lotus orders tell me that you're not mature enough to master airbending or the spiritual side of being the Avatar."

That was too much for Korra.

"Excuse me?" she asked. "Disobeying White Lotus orders? Since when does the White Lotus give the Avatar orders?"

"Aang decreed that the White Lotus should remain dedicated to mentoring, protecting and instructing the Avatar..."

"Instructing, not ordering him! I'm the Avatar, not some weapon to be kept locked and released only when some end-of-the-world threat comes around. Besides, the White Lotus didn't help much against Unalaq, did it? If it wasn't for you, Katara, Kya, Jinora and even Bumi..."

"And I almost lost Jinora! While she was your guide in the Spirit World! If you had been better at the spiritual side of being the Avatar it wouldn't have happened. That's what you are supposed to be mastering now! Airbending can wait!"

"Believe me, I know!" Korra screamed. What Tenzin said was a low blow but it wasn't untrue. "I would have never forgiven myself if anything happened to her because of me... but you should know it best that sometimes it's not easy to master the Spirit World."

Tenzin's face for a moment went red... but then he calmed himself down and looked away. Korra suddenly felt ashamed. Yes, she knew Tenzin blamed how unprepared she was for Jinora being kidnapped... but he also blamed himself for not being able to be Korra's guide instead of his daughter.

"The White Lotus masters are very wise and it would be prudent if you listened to them. Aang decreed..." he said, trying a different approach.

"Well, then I undecree his decree!" Korra snapped.

"'Undecree' is not even a word!"

"Well, I decree that it is a word now!" Korra said."In case you forgot, I'm the Avatar now!"

"Oh believe me, Korra, I can't forget that!"

Korra pouted.

"I want to see the world! Be helping people! Doing... Avatar stuff!"

Tenzin sighed.

"I know but the fact is that I don't have the time to train you in airbending right now."

"Fine! Then I'll ask Jinora!"

"Don't bring my daughter into this! Jinora is not experienced enough..."

"Nonsense, we both know she is an excellent airbender!"

"Be that as it may, that doesn't mean she would make a good teacher. Being a teacher, especially yours, requires a lot of patience..."

Korra snorted.

"Jinora has more patience in her pinky finger than you have in your entire body."

Tenzin glared at her but had enough decency not to disagree.

"Listen, Tenzin." Korra said. "You don't want to train me? Fine. But I'm not going back. I'll stay here and there is nothing you can do to stop. Tarrlok offered to help me here. Or maybe I'll just start travelling all over the world, like Aang did, trying to find ways to help people."

"Don't bring my father into this! That would be a disaster!"

Korra tried not to show how Tenzin's words hurt her. Instead she just shrugged.

"Perhaps so, but you know why? Because among the many things the White Lotus taught me, there wasn't anything about living and behaving in the real world."

Tenzin turned around from Korra and looked into the distance. For a moment she thought the conversation was over, when he finally spoke. And when he did, his voice was... weak and tired.

"I... I want to give you my best." he said. "But finding and training those airbenders... rebuidling the Air Nation... that's what my father would have wanted. It would be continuing Aang's legacy."

"And what about me, Tenzin?" Korra whispered, no longer feeling angry, just sad and abandoned. "Regardless whether I regain the access to Aang's memories... am I not his legacy as well?"

Tenzin sighed.

"You are, Korra." he said. "Fine. You may stay in Republic City. Once we have more airbenders gathered, you will join our trainings. But don't expect any preferential treatment! I'll do my best to devote my time equally among all my students!"

Immediately Korra was crushing the collected airbending master in a bear hug, lifting him so much that his feet were off the ground.

"Thank you, Tenzin! Thank you!"

"Let's go to the Air Temple Island, Korra." He said when he finally caught his breath. "I'm sure Pema and the children will be very happy to hear that you're staying."

***

Korra looked at the sea of human heads in front of her, flinching each time a flash from one of the cameras went off. Never a shy person, she suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed with all the attention. Still, she took comfort in the supportive presence of two councilmen - Tenzin and Tarrlok, even if the two men disliked each other. Chief Lin Beifong's presence was less reassuring but after a long conversation with both councilmen Lin grudgingly accepted that Korra was staying and that she had to deal with it.

The press conference was Tarrlok's idea. Tenzin would have preferred if she stayed quietly at the temple, but Korra was done hiding. Now, watching the throng of people before her, she was wondering if she made the correct decision. Well, it was too late to chicken out. Besides, Korra was no coward.

"Hello Republic City!" she spoke to the microphones. "My name is Korra... and I'm your new Avatar."

What followed was a multitude of voices, shouting, asking question and - too often - booing her. But she expected that, she knew the Avatar wasn't exactly popular here. She refused to be cowered.

"What are you going to do with the spirits?"

"Do you have any idea how to get rid of the spirit vines?"

"Why did you made them appear? Was it a conscious decision or maybe you just don't know what you're doing?"

"Are the new airbenders your doing?"

"Why didn't you close the Spirit Portals?"

"We've heard you interfered in the Water Tribe civil war; are you going to interfere in the governance of the Republic of Nations as well?"

"Were you sending a message to the Triads?"

"Are you here to fight organized crime, the anti-bending revolution or both?"

So many voices, so many screams, so many questions! Korra's head felt as if it was starting to spin.

"Well... I'm definitely here to stay, I can say you this much." She said with cheerfulness she wasn't really feeling. "I don't have any plans right now, but I'm looking forward to serving you any way I can. I know... I know that some of my recent actions may have made you distrustful towards me, but I will do all my in power to help you in any way I can."

She cleared her throat.

"Look, all I know is that Avatar Aang meant for this city to be a centre of peace and balance in the world and I believe we can make his dream a reality! I am so happy to be here!"

Chapter Text

Asami looked from the papers on her desk at the man sitting in front of her. He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.
"So your name is Irume?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am." he muttered, then looked away. "My apologies, but I thought I would be speaking with... with mr. Sato."

Asami thought that she managed to hide the wave of annoyance that she felt at his words. She didn't have her father's experience and hasn't - yet - earned the respect he has. Both as part of Future Industries and the Equalist movement she was a relative unknown and it wasn't unreasonable for people to expect her to have risen so high in such short time solely due to who her father was. It wasn't unreasonable and wasn't entirely wrong. She shouldn't blame the man in front of her. She had to prove herself.

"I know, however my father had to be called on urgent business." she said. "I assure you that, if you present your case, I will do my best to help." Since he didn't seem convinced, she prodded him. "I understand that you recently have lost your job?"

"Yes, ma'am. In the Redrock Mining Company." he said. "The management decided that three earthbenders can do the work of thirty normal miners at half the price."

Asami nodded her head.

There were stories like this all over the Republic City and the Republic of Nations. One would think that the progress and development of new technologies, would finally allow non-benders to catch up with benders when it came to many types of labour... however technologies required investment and with the almost constant influx of new benders arriving in Republic City, there were always those who could be hired. Non-bending folk, if they didn't have specialized skills that couldn't be replicated by bending: accounting, teaching, design and so on, where always in a inferior position. No wonder the Equalists were becoming more and more popular.

Of course she doubted Irume had any indication that he was now speaking to someone an Equalist, much less someone in Amon's close circle. She didn't even know if his anger towards benders was strong enough for him to join the movement. He really was here for work and she intended to help him.

"Future Industries has received a new government contract and we will be needing new employees very soon." she said, thinking of the order placed by the council.

"Non-benders as well?" Irume asked with something resembling hope.

"We hire benders as well" she said and it was true - it was after all the best way not to be suspected of harbouring Equalist sentiments. "but we do hire many non-benders. Future Industries is dedicated to giving a fair chance to everyone who is willing to work."

"Thank you, ma'am. I can work hard! I won't disappoint you!"

"We will reach out to you in the next couple of days." she said. "I would need a contact address for you."

Irume looked down.
"I... I live in the Blue Spirit Shelter in the Ironworks district." he muttered.

"Oh, I see." Asami said. "I'm sorry. What happened?"

"It's this damn Avatar!" Irume barked. "Her and these spirit vines she's unleashed! They chased us out of our home!"

Asami felt a sudden rush of anger as she did whenever she heard this story, experienced by so many people in the city. She has always been someone who planned her actions and watched for consequences and it angered her that the Avatar, wielding so much power, didn't do so as well and that she didn't take the responsibility for the consequences of her actions.

"That's fine" she reassured the man. "I mean, it's not fine, but you shouldn't worry. We have a chain of employee hotels where our workers and their families can live. The standard is not too luxurious but it should be better than the shelter."

"Thank you, ma'am, thank you!"

As Irume bowed and left Asami began thinking. His anger towards the bender establishment and the Avatar seemed real. Was he Equalist material? Possibly. She would pass the note and an Equalist worker would be assigned to work with Irume, slowly probing him for his views before they were certain that he hasn't been planted by Chief Beifong or that he wouldn't tell on them... and if it was decided that Irume could be trusted, he would be invited to join them.

And Asami knew that all over the city, in many of Future Industries recruitment offices, similar conversations were being held with new potential recruits for their cause being noted.

Asami checked her calendar. This was the last interview for today. Good thing the mention of the Avatar's irresponsibility got her so worked up, because now she was going to a place perfect for venting her accumulated frustration.

***

"Marashi stance!" Lieutenant Tazaki said.

Asami immediately moved, shifting her feet, slightly tilting her back and moving her left foot forward. Tazaki circled her, watching closely but finding nothing to criticize. Not one hair out of place.

"Good" he said. "Why do we use this stance to fight earthbenders?"

"Feet in this position allow me to either maintain my balance if the earthbender tries to shift the ground under them in a minor way." she answered.

"And if he tries a major earthbending move?"

"Then this stance, allows me to remain light on my feet and quickly jump away and to change position."
"What other stance do we use for fighting earthbenders?"

"Kerathi." came Asami's response.

"Show me."

Asami immediately moved again, changing the position of her hands and feet. This time Tazaki didn't even bother looking for flaws in her stance.
"What are the differences between Kerathi and Marashi?" he asked.
"Marashi is used when you expect the earthbender to shift ground underneath you." Asami responded. "Kerathi is more offensively focused. It allows to more easily dodge thrown boulders - as well as attacks from water- and firebenders and to quickly close distance and perform a chi-blocking attack."
"Show me." Tazaki repeated his favourite command, pointing at one of the training dummies.

In an instant she was next to it, attacking in a flurry of precisely aimed blows, hitting exactly the spots she would with an earthbender.

"Good." Tazaki said. "Now take me down."

She turned towards him and saw him holding a number of small balls covered in chalk dust. He threw the first one at her. From this distance she could easily calculate its flight route and effortlessly dodge it. Immediately she began sprinting towards him, light on her feet and ready. He threw another ball and another. She ducked beneath the first one and shifted her body sideways to dodge the second one. She dodged two more, before she got to Tazaki repeating the combination of chi-blocking attacks.

"Very good." Tazaki said in approval as he saw no chalk spots on her training attire. "We can finish the lesson for today. Do you have time for a sparring match?"

Asami nodded her head.

This time she fought much longer than usual and scored some good blows before she was finally forced to concede the match.

"You seem... more determined." Tazaki complimented her, helping her get up.

"You should know by now that I am always determined." she corrected him.

"True, but I can read your fighting style." he countered. "Today you were even more focused than usual. What was the reason?"

Asami hesitated only for a moment.
"The Avatar. She's here."

"Ah, yes." Tazaki said. "And are you expecting that you would have to go against her soon?"

"She does represent everything we stand against, isn't it so?"

"True." Tazaki said. "Though I'm sure Amon has planned even for her."

She considered his words for a moment.

"How can you plan for the Avatar? How can you fight her? Will the chi-blocking moves work on her? Do you have to block each element separately?"

"We don't have any information about successful use of chi-blocking against the Avatar." Lieutenant Tazaki sighed and admitted. "However that seems a reasonable assumption. It might be wrong, though. We won't know until we try."

"And if it doesn't work, the unlucky chi-blocker will find herself against the Avatar with her bending intact?"

"We always knew that our work will require risks."

Asami nodded to that. Tazaki was right.

"I've heard you're going to the Avatar's conference?" he spoke.

"Yes. My father felt that his presence would be expected during such a... momentous occasion. I want to be there as well. I want... I want to see what she is like."

"You both have a good eye for judging people well." Tazaki said. "I will accompany Amon and we will listen to the Avatar's speech through the radio, but I'm glad you'll be there. Who knows what you will take from her words and body language?"

***

"She looks younger than I thought." Asami whispered to her father as she saw the Avatar approach the microphones.

"According to what I've learned, she is one year younger than you are." Hiroshi replied, his eyes focused on the Avatar as well.

Asami nodded, absentmindedly. Of course she knew how old the Avatar was; even though she was supposed to be just an observer during this conference she prepared for it, they way she prepared for everything - by collecting and reading all information available. She knew how old the Avatar was. She was surprised that she *looked* young. Asami expected someone with so much power to look more... seasoned. Life-weary. Well, that explained the Avatar's irresponsibility.

The feedback from the microphones brought her back to reality. She noted the Avatar's startled reaction at the sound. So she was unused to technology. Her reaction however seemed so... genuine and innocent. Something to note down.

Then Korra began speaking and Asami's attention focused both on the words as well as the Avatar's body language.

"So what did you think about her?" Hiroshi asked her, after the conference has ended, when they were sitting comfortably in his limousine.

"She... she genuinely believes what she is saying." Asami says. "It is not a mask."

"Ah yes." Hiroshi snorted. "I believe we can make his dream reality" he quoted. "The hubris! Didn't she see how the people reacted to her speaking? How they blamed her - rightly - for the imbalance she brought? And yet she kept yapping about Aang's dream."

"Of course." Asami nodded. "Though I'm not sure if not responding to the questions was her idea. I saw how councilman Tarrlok's position shifted when it seemed the Avatar will start responding. I'm sure he coached her to just say her piece and leave."

"So she's in his pocket? I associated her more with Tenzin. The Avatar playing politics... disgusting."

"Too early to tell." Asami said. "We need to learn more about her. What is she like."

"Amon agrees. I'm sure he is listening to the broadcast as well, but he mentioned acccelarating his plans." Hiroshi said. "We need someone to spy on the Avatar. I'm not sure if our informers among the Air Temple staff would be up for it..."

"I will do it." Asami said.

Hiroshi blinked, surprised.
"You?"

"If what I took from watching her is real, I believe I'm the best candidate for that."

"And what is that?"

"First of all, she is sincere, genuine... almost... nice." Asami said. "This means she would be easy to manipulate. Secondly, I know what she needs."

"Which is?"

"A friend." Asami whispered. Seeing her father's raised eyebrow's she took his hand. "Dad, I love you. You have been wonderful to me, taking care of me after mum..." she took a deep breath. "But even though I had everything money could buy, I had the best teachers... I often felt lonely. No friends my age. Everyone treating me as your daughter, not as *me*."

"Asami..." Hiroshi said, a hurt and sad look on his face.

She squeezed his hand.
"I'm not saying this to put blame on you or to hurt you." she added quickly. "You were wonderful and I love you. But I think I may understand the Avatar. She has also been brought in a secluded environment with more staff than friends, people treating her as "the Avatar" not as "Korra"." It was the first time Asami thought of the Avatar by her name. "Now she is alone in this city. Tenzin and Tarrlok are too old for her, Tenzin's children too young. She needs a friend."

"And how... how are you going to befriend her?"

"I don't know yet. But I'll figure something out."

Hiroshi smiled.
"You always do, Asami."

***

"Look, all I know is that Avatar Aang meant for this city to be a centre of peace and balance in the world..."

Senna and Tonraq exchanged warm looks. It felt so good to hear Korra's voice again, even if only through the radio. They missed her so much. At least when they were living near the White Lotus compound, they got to see her more often. But after Tonraq became the Chief and they moved to the capital of their nation the visits became more seldom and Korra wasn't the best at maintaining regular correspondence.

But Korra sounded so... full of joy and energy. Even distorted by the radio her voice sounded happier than she had been while at the compound.

If only they could forget, even if for one moment, about the news brought by the letter concerning Zaheer's prison break...

***

"...and I believe we can make his dream a reality! I am so happy to be here!"

Zaheer turned off the radio.

"So... the Avatar has left the White Lotus compound and is in Republic City. Interesting." he said.

"And what does it mean? For us?" Ghazan asked, sipping his beer. "Just to remind you, the place is crawling with police and we're on the run."

Next to him, on the table there were the remains of two dinners he has just finished. Zaheer would normally launch a lecture about what guru Laghima would say about partaking in the pleasures of the flesh - whether it was food, drink or something else - too much, usually at the expense of spiritual development... but he couldn't fault Ghazan. Clearly, just as Zaheer, his companion didn't get much more than rice and water in his prison and now this was his way of celebrating his newfound freedom.

Zaheer knew he could count on Ghazan. He also knew that his friend was serious when he said that he wasn't going back to prison. Ever.

"The security provided by the Republic City police is but an illusion. The Avatar is more vulnerable there. But we need to act fast." Zaheer said. "Tomorrow we set out to free the girls. Then we move to Republic City."

Chapter Text

Again and again Korra attacked, sending flame after flame at her target, before ripping a boulder from the ground and flinging it. Unalaq blocked the fire attacks by bending water into a sphere and dodging the boulder. Korra turned his water into ice and send the ice in the form of sharp shards at him... but he made them circle his body and fly straight at Korra!

She earthbent a slab of stone rising from the ground and hid behind it, hearing the shards shatter against it. She sent the slab at Unalaq but she was again too slow. With a twist of his hips he moved the ice he was on, dodging this attack and hit Korra straight in her chest with a stream of water, knocking her back, against a stone, stunning her. Her ribbon fell free at some point, her long, black hair falling freely onto her face.

When she came to, he was hovering over her on a stream of water. Dark smoke with red flashes came out of his mouth and eyes - Vaatu! - and it hit Korra... and then... then there was a feeling as if her soul, her spirit was torn in two.

Soon, blinding white-blue light was pulled out of her and thrown away.

"Korra!" Raava screamed as it left her.

Unalaq created a powerful whip of water and slashed Raava with it.

"Korra!" Aang screamed and disappeared.

Another blow.

"Korra!" Whoosh, no more Roku.

Another lash.

"Korra!" Kyoshi was no more.

Another lash.

"Korra!" Wan disappeared.

Another lash.

"Korra!" Wait, something was wrong, Katara wasn't an Avatar, why was her image crumbling and disappearing...

Another blow.

"Korra!" Tonraq disappearing...

Another strike. Wait, this voice was familiar. Her mother..?

"Korra!" Senna's body turning into dust...

Another strike.

"Korra!" No, it was Jinora's voice. She too was disappearing...

***

Korra opened her eyes, lifting her hand, flames surrounding it.

"Aieee!" Jinora, aided by sudden use of airbending, jumped back.

Korra blinked, shocked. Jinora - still material, however pale and frightened - stood in front of her, her hands raised as she was protecting herself with a shield of air.

"What..?" she mattered, then gasped as reality came crushing down. "By the spirits, Jinora, I'm so sorry!"

"Not... not a problem, Korra." Jinora smiled, calming down. "What's wrong?"

"Just... just a bad dream."

"What about?" she asked, then whispered. "Was it Unalaq? Vaatu?"

Korra opened her mouth. She didn't want to speak about it, she didn't want to dwell on Unalaq and her defeat a moment longer than she already had, especially not in front of Jinora who had been hurt by Unalaq herself.

Before she could answer, however, she was saved by Pema's voice.
"Jinora? What happened?" she called, alarmed at Jinora's scream.

"It's... nothing. I... hit my toe." Jinora said quickly.

She was a terrible liar but the fact of her lying must have been so unfathomable to Pema, that she didn't suspect anything. Korra felt a stab of guilt that Jinora had to lie to save her the embarassment.

"So... what's up?" she asked, before Jinora had the chance to ask about the nightmare again.

"Oh, right." Jinora smiled at Korra. "Dad asked me to wake you up. You're almost late for your training."

"My... training?" Korra asked, still groggy.

"Your airbender training." Jinora said as if it was something obvious.

Perhaps it was but not at this hour and after this nightmare.

"Ugh, so early in the morning?" Korra moaned. "Mornings are evil."

"Dad always begins trainings in the morning. There is such a lovely breeze from the ocean." Jinora said. "Most of us have been up for a while, but since you just arrived yesterday, Mum said you must be tired and she told us to let you sleep for a while. She has saved some of the breakfast for you."

Thank Raava for Pema, Korra thought slowly getting up.

"I'll leave you to get ready." Jinora said, heading towards the door. "Join us after you've eaten."

***

Korra yawned once more as she entered the square in front of the Air Temple.

"Korra, you're late." Tenzin said as he saw her coming.

"What's the rush?" Korra said. "Jinora said, I could come after I've eaten."

"But it was expected that you come here quickly and it seems you took your time with the breakfast."

"Well, had to take a second... and third helping of the food." Korra smiled awkwardly then shrugged. "Not my fault that all this plant food is not as nutritious as a good steak or a piece of seal meat."

"Vegetarian diet is the sacred way of eating of the Air Nomads" Tenzin exclaimed. "... and also the only type of food that our cooks can prepare."

"Well..." Korra began but moments later Ikki and Meelo were next to her, having approached her on air-scooters.

"Korra! Can't wait to see you airbending!" Ikki said. "Do you think you will learn it quickly? As quickly as other elements? Quicker than Dad? Will you like airbending? What is your current favourite element? I'm sure it's waterbending because you're from Water Tribe! But airbending is so much cooler, you'll see!"

"Yes, airbending is the best!" Meelo shouted, sending a wave of air into the sky.

"Come, Korra." Tenzin said. "Let me introduce you to the rest of the group. I hope you don't mind we have begun without you."

"So where is this... group?" Korra asked looking at those gathered on the square.

Apart from Tenzin's children, there were only two people there, both dressed in Air Nomad robes.

The first was a tall and rather pale man, though with still kinda boyish features, wearing glasses over his grey-blue eyes. He smiled warmly at Korra as he saw her approach. The second person was a woman, shorter than her companion, with slightly darker skin, though not as dark as Korra's. Her black hair was tied high and her smile was much more nervous than the man's and didn't reach her dark eyes.

"Jami, Otaku, this is Korra. Korra, meet Jami and Otaku." Tenzin said. "Otaku was one of our monks so he already knows a lot about the Air Nomad culture and the theoretical basics of airbending. Jami..." Tenzin hesitated. "Jami comes from Republic City. She reached out to us when she realized that she became an airbender."

As Jami nervously nodded, Otaku smiled wide.

"Korra! Avatar Korra!" he quickly said, approaching her and bowing. "I'm honoured to meet you! I've heard so much about you! And about the Avatar as such! And about the other you! You know, Aang. I have so many questions to him! He knew so much about Air Nomad culture! Could you pass them along?"

Korra sighed, suddenly feeling uncomfortable and cold. She looked at Tenzin, who took Otaku by the arm.

"Accessing past lives... doesn't exactly work like this." he said, avoiding the topic of Korra losing this access. "But I'll be happy to answer all your questions about my father... later. For now, we're here to train airbending. Otaku, could you begin? I've asked you to practice some basic moves."

"Yes! I have been practicing! A lot! Didn't really sleep much!" he said quickly. "But I think I'm getting the hand of it!"

He waved his hands, fingers spread wide... and Korra actually felt a faint breeze circle her. Otaku then made a pushing gesture at Tenzin... but only a couple of leaves to the right of the airbending master were suddenly lifted up.

"Hmm" Tenzin said. "You have the skill, but it needs refining. How about you, Jami?"

Jami definitely didn't look as confident as Otaku, but she took a deep breath and threw her hands forward.

Nothing happened.

She tried again with the same result. And again. Finally she slumped, defeated and exhaled. When she did that, the air released from her lungs almost knocked Otaku down.

"You need to learn control, Jami." Tenzin said. "I hope I will be able to help with that. Remember, air is the element of freedom. You don't order it. You don't command it. You gently guide it. You..."

"Korra, show us!" Otaku suddenly shouted, then smiled nervously at Tenzin. "I'm sorry, master Tenzin! But I just want to see how the Avatar airbends!"

Korra chuckled awkwardly and scratched the back of her head.
"Well, actually... I can't airbend... yet!" she said before looking away. "At all."

"Don't worry, Korra. We're here to..." Tenzin began but Otaku again proved to be too enthusiastic to stay quiet.

"I'm sure you can do it!" Otaku said. "You have Aang's spirit in you! Did you know he became an airbending master at the age of twelve? How old were you, Tenzin?"

The airbending master blinked, surprised.
"Well, ugh, that's not a competition!" he said flustered.

Before he could add anything, Ikki and Meelo ran to Korra.
"Yes! Korra! Try airbending!" they shouted.

Korra exchanged glances with Tenzin and smiled, with confidence she did not feel. She lifted her hands and made a pushing gesture.

No luck. She tried again.

Nothing.

One more try; this time she added a whooshing sound but the effect wasn't any better.

She tried again.

Again nothing. This time she even tried sighing in a disappointed manner, exhaling like Jami did... but again nothing happened.

A disappointed "oooh" escaped the lips of Ikki, Meelo... and Otaku. Korra swallowed an angry retort. Well it wasn't her fault she never got any airbending training!

"Don't worry, Korra." Tenzin said. "I know you have a rather... forceful personality but remember what I said. You do not command the air, you gently guide it."

"Easier said than done." Korra muttered.

"It's only a matter of a perspective and mindset. Which is something I think I can help you all with."

"Oh no." Otaku gasped. "Oh no. I know what he is going to do!"

Jami and Korra looked at him surprised... and suddenly worried. Especially as Meelo laughed.

"Oh, that's going to be FUN!" he shouted.

***

"What's this?" Jami's voice was anxious as she looked at the... gates? Fans?

Yet again before Tenzin could response, Otaku started talking.
"This is an ancient airbender training tool! It's almost two thousand years old! One has to navigate through those gates to reach the other side."

"Seems easy enough." Korra said.

"Of course they are supposed to be rotating." Otaku continued. "And you have to cross them without being hit."

"Well, yes." Tenzin coughed. "It's supposed to teach you to think and act like a airbender."

"To be the leaf in the wind!" Meelo shouted. "Be the leaf!"

"Well... yes." Tenzin repeated, increasingly annoyed with all the interruptions. "An airbender doesn't force his presence onto the world."

Was Korra imagining it or was the airbending master looking at her when he said it? Tenzin lifted his hands, sending a strong current on air at the gates, starting them into spinning motions. Into fast spinning motions. Even Otaku suddenly stopped being so excited and just swallowed, while Jami was almost completely pale.

Tenzin took out a leaf and with a flick of his wrist sent it flying into the gates. Korra and the other students watched its journey as it flew between the spinning gates, each gust of air caused by one of them changing the direction of the flight until it finally appeared on the other end.

"Airbending involves a lot of spiraling motions. When you meet resistance, you need to be able to change the direction at moment's notice." Tenzin spoke. "Jinora will demonstrate."

As the gates started slowing down, Tenzin accelerated them again, with another powerful gust of air.

With a look of determination on her face Jinora approached it. For a moment she watched the movements of the gates, before lunging in.

Korra watched her closely. Jinora's upper body was straight, almost stiff, way too stiff and inflexible for a real fight, she decided. However her footwork... her footwork and spatial awareness were excellent. As Tenzin said, Jinora managed to switch the directions of her movements at a moment's notice, always dodging the spinning gates, sensing them coming even when they were coming from behind.

Even putting airbending aside, Korra realized how useful such grace of moves would be in combat. If she knew how to move like this, if she could combine it with her flowing waterbender moves... She felt a sudden flare of annoyance at Tenzin. How many of Unalaq's attacks could she have dodged if she had received this training before?

Step, step, twist of the hips, turning of the body, step, step...

Again and again Jinora dodged the spinning gates, a look of utter concentration and focus on her face... but also of peace and serenity. One more step and she was out of the training area, safely on the other side.

"Very good, Jinora." Tenzin said, fatherly pride clear in his voice. "Who's next?"

"Me!" Korra was never one to back away from challenge.

She watched the spinning gates for a while, just as Jinora did before... and finally moved forward. She was the Avatar. She faced Unalaq. She faced Vaatu. Some obstacle course was nothing to her. She would easily...

She didn't even see the gate that hit her. It knocked her off her feet, sending her flying backwards... against another gate that hit her in the back, propelling her forward... being hit by another gate as she was moving... then another... and another... and then by the ground as she landed on the ground next to Tenzin.

"Remember, Korra, you need to feel the flow, move lightly on your feet." He instructed her. "Let's see how others are doing. Who will go now?"

As Otaku and Jami looked at each other, unsure, Korra jumped to her feet.

"No!" she said. "I'm not letting it win!"

Before anyone could react, she run into the gates again. She dodged the first one, lunging andd passing two more. She needed to be fast. The longer she stayed here, the bigger the chance one of these would hit her. She needed to get to the other side as soon as possible. She needed...

One of the gate brushed her arm, knocking her off-balance. She recovered but too slowly and moments later another gate slammed into her... then another... and another... and another...

Only moments later, she realized she was lying on her back on the ground, Jinora's concerned face looking at her.

"M-maybe you can rest and let someone else try?" she asked.

"No! I can do it!" Korra groaned... but when she tried to get up, her legs refused to cooperate and she landed back on her back. "Well, maybe I need to rest a moment." she mumbled.

"Good idea." Tenzin said then turned to the other two students. "Otaku, maybe you can try?"

For once there was anxiety instead of excitement on the novice airbender's face.

He hesitated in front of them, watching them closely. Then he took a deep breath, muttered something that Korra could not understand and took a step in. With a rapid jerk of his body he dodged the first gate, stumbled two quick steps narrowly avoiding the next gate before his luck ran out and he collided with the third gate. It through him back, almost tossing him out of the training area, another gate hitting him in the back and throwing him out.

"Ooof" he landed with a grunt, his glasses landing on the ground next to him.

"Oh, that must have hurt! Did it hurt?" Ikki asked the boy.

"Don't worry, I'm sure the next time will go better." Jinora said, picking up the glasses and handing them to him.

"Hmmpfff." Tenzin muttered, apparently unhappy that his "star student" failed. He turned towards the other student. "Jami, maybe you could try now?"

"Errrm..." the girl hesitated, watching the spinning gates.

"Come on." Tenzin urged her. "There is nothing to be afraid of."

"Except being knocked around by this torture machine." Korra muttered.

"Korra!" Tenzin scolded her. "Please, Jami. Air is the element of freedom. You cannot let fear chain you."

It was obvious from the look Jami shot him that she wasn't convinced but she approached the training area. She watched the gates for a moment then moved her foot forward... and withdrew it. Moved it forward... and withdrew it. It went on like that for a while, so that Tenzin had to send another gust of wind at the gates as the began slowing down their rotations.

Finally Jami made a quick jump, barely evading two of the gates. Inside the training area she waited for a moment and made another quick, nervous leap. Again she barely managed to avoid being hit. She looked for an opening, found it, prepared to jump, then hesitated... and this hesitation caused her to act a moment too late. One of the gates hit her in the side, mid-jump, tossing her at another gate and another...

Moments later the woman was groaning, lying on the ground.

"At least I'm not the only one that has troubles." Korra thought and then immediately felt ashamed.

Otaku was a ordinary monk who suddenly received the gift of airbending. Jami... Korra didn't know who Jami had been, but she seemed like an ordinary girl, maybe a couple of years younger than Korra.

Korra was the Avatar. She was supposed to be the one protecting the world, bringing balance to it. She needed to succeed. Besides, despite their failure with the gates, Otaku and Jami at least were able to airbend if even a bit. Korra couldn't.

She realized, with some shame, that she was close to resenting them. It was her actions with the Spirit Portals that gave them airbending and they could use it now... while no matter how she tried, she couldn't.

But it wasn't their fault. She shouldn't be blaming them or be getting angry at them. She just had to be better.

"Well, it was a... start." Tenzin said. "We can take a rest for now. We'll be returning here soon but for now..."

Tenzin's next words were drowned in the sounds of disapproval made by Jami and Otaku.

"I'm trying again." Korra said, stretching her body and cracking her neck.

"I think you should rest for a moment..." Tenzin began but Korra didn't let him finish.

"I've rested enough. I'm ready for another go." she said. "Spin them, please."

Tenzin hesitated but then shot another powerful gust of wind at the gates. Korra approached them carefully. She wasn't afraid of being hit. She got much, much bigger pummeling when facing some of the dark spirits or when fighting Unalaq or Vaatu. She was afraid of *failing* again. And she was angry. When the Avatar failed, bad things happened. Primordial spirits of order were almost destroyed, past lives were lost. She couldn't continue failing. She needed to become more powerful, she had to become a better Avatar, a stronger Avatar.

She knew how to dodge blows. She was in plenty of fights. She could do this. She lunged between two gates, swirled and moved again, dodging another one.

"Don't force it, Korra!" Jinora shouted behind her.
"Be like a wind!" Ikki said.
"Be the leaf!" Meelo shouted.

Korra barely heard their voices and didn't pay any attention to them. She was the Avatar. She could do it. It was just a fight, like any other. She avoided another gate, moved quickly into the gap and...

And groaning she got up from the ground. This time she had received quite a beating from the gates, her entire body sore.

"Again." she croaked.

"No, Korra." Tenzin said and put his hand on her arm. "You will manage it, Korra. But you need to develop proper mindset."

"I thought that this exercise was supposed to teach me to think like an airbender?" she noted.

"Yes." Tenzin nodded. "But you won't manage to do it when you're so angry. You need to banish your negative emotions. You need to have a clear head."

"Easier said than done." she sighed.

"Perhaps so, but we will work on this. But that's for later."

Chapter Text

"Airbend!" Korra shouted, throwing her hands forward in an approximation of the gesture Tenzin was using to command air.

Nothing. Big, fat nothing.

"Whoosh!" she tried to imitate the sound of wind, repeating her motion.

Again, nothing. The newspaper she hanged on a laundry line didn't even budge, the photo of Lin looking at her sternly.

This was the straw that broke the camel-zebra's back and groaning in frustration, Korra sent a gout of flame at the paper, watching the Police Chief's face be devoured by fire.

"You know, Naga, I might just not be cut out to be an airbender." she said, hugging her companion.

Naga licked her face in return and Korra chuckled slightly.

"It's just... Otaku and Jami can at least do some airbending, even if they don't control it. I can't do anything! I... I am worried that... that perhaps what Vaatu did to me... removing Raava from me if only for some time... it made it impossible for me to learn airbending."

She sighed.

"Oh well, that still makes me have a two-element advantage over all benders, doesn't it?"

Despite her forced cheerful tone, she could feel her spirit sink. Oh yes, perfect. She always wanted to be remembered as more than just another Avatar in an endless line of them and now she had that covered.

"Korra, the Avatar who almost broke the cycle, lost all previous lives and the only Avatar that hasn't mastered all four elements or ever entered the Avatar state." she said to herself bitterly. "Oh, Mr/Mrs New Avatar, remember to learn diligently and listen to your mentors or you'll end up like Korra the Failed Avatar."

Suddenly she frowned. She heard something... Quickly she climbed to the roof of the nearest building and saw a group of White Lotus sentries huddled around a radio.

"Great guarding" she muttered to herself, but she could hardly blame them. Guarding the Air Temple Island must have been the most boring post possible or maybe a close second, after the White Lotus compound on the South Pole.

Who was going to attack it, those Equalists? Let the guards have some fun. She wasn't going to be a killjoy like Tenzin. Besides... it caught her interest. What they were so interested in?

She listened closely to the voice of a very excited man coming from the radio.

"Ladies and gentlemen! I'm coming to you live from Republic City's Pro-bending Arena, where tonight the best in the world continue their quest for a spot in the upcoming championship tournament. Grab your snacks and grab your kids because this next match is gonna be a doozy!"

Pro-bending! She has heard about it even as far as the South Pole compound with plenty of White Lotus sentries excited about the sport, listening intently to each match, having betting pools on the teams' results. Most White Lotus masters frowned at that, but Katara was always more lenient and didn't mind. Korra never got to listen to whole match before though.

"This Mako's got moxy! He advances, fires two quick shots. Yomo is hammered back to zone three!" The announcer kept talking and Korra squatted on the edge of the room, listening as intently to it as the guards were. "Clock is winding down, can Yomo hold on? He's teetering on the edge of the ring now." Korra found herself clenching her fists. "The Fire Ferrets line up to strike-"

Suddenly the voice was cut.

Korra gasped and the White Lotus guards turned around to see Tenzin holding the plug of the radio.

"Back to your posts." he said then, without looking up, said: "You can come down, Korra."

She jumped down.

"Oh come on! You shut it down at the best moment!" she protested.

"Korra, this 'pro-bending' is a mockery of the noble tradition of bending! Bringing this sacred art to the level of cheap and brutal entertainment for the masses!"

"Oh come on, Tenzin!" Korra pointed at the other end of the Yue Bay where the huge arena was bathed in lights. "We're so close to the arena! We have to go there and see a match!"

"No!" Tenzin protested. "The only reason why you're in Republic City is to learn airbending! Which isn't going that great, let me remind you. That's what you should be thinking about, not this... this... distracting nonsense! Besides, shouldn't you be in bed now?"

"I'm not a child, Tenzin!"

"No, but you are my student and if you wish to continue learning airbending, you will listen to me!"

Korra rolled her eyes, turned on her heel and went to her room.

***

"Well, maybe you can't teach me airbending because you're a terrible teacher!" Korra shouted at Tenzin and marched off the training field, escorted by the stares from Tenzin, his children and the other two students.

She had to calm down. She was this close to turning the whole two thousand year-old training machine into a pile of burning rubble. The training was going well, not at all. The meditation that Tenzin insisted will help her free her mind turned into an argument about him advocating freedom while keeping her confined to the island and not allowing her to watch pro-bending. It didn't help that both Otaku and Jami have been doing better at meditating. The first one was brought up among the Air Temple monks so it was natural for him, but while Jami seemed nervous at first, she actually managed to relax, the nervous lines on her face disappearing.

The next encounter with the spinning gates didn't go any better than Korra's attempts the day before. She tried again and again but all that she got from it was a sore, bruised body. At least Otaku and Jami also didn't do any better than last time, Korra thought and immediately felt ashamed. Why did she feel the need to put them down? They at least could airbend if only a bit.

For the rest of the day Korra actively was avoiding not only Tenzin but also his children and wife. Ikki and Meelo's constant questions were annoying, but she found the sympathy offered by Jinora and Pema even more unbearable.

Finally it was dark and she found herself sitting on the cliff, watching the illuminated pro-bending arena on the other side of the bay. She could imagine people laughing, cheering, enjoying themselves. Tenzin thought pro-bending to be a mockery of the "sacred art of bending" but to her, from what little she knew about the sport, it was something else. It was the thrill, excitement and adrenaline of combat without the threat of losing one's life, without the absurd stakes of the world being subjected to ten thousand years of darkness.

Suddenly she got up and jumped into the water below, using waterbending to smoothly dive in. She headed towards the arena, enjoying every moment of the swim. Her body was sore, true, but she was a Water Tribe girl and if there was something she really loved about Republic City it was how close it was to the ocean, allowing her to just jump in and swim, unlike the White Lotus compound she had been locked in.

In no time she reached the arena. Surfacing, she saw one of the windows on the upper floor open. With a circling motion of her hands she bend a stream of water to lift her to the window and jumped, in bending the drops of the water away from her body drying herself.

She was really here! Quickly she took off sightseeing. The gym was simply marvelous! All the training equipment! Korra was always conscious about her training regimen and kept more than fit but the equipment she had on the South Pole was generally subpar and more often than not she had to improvise. Here she found whatever she could wish! And some things she didn't even recognize, like the large stone disks. Probably it was something used for pro-bending training.

"Hey! Who are you?" an old guy, despite his age built like a brick house appeared. "What are you doing in MY gym?"

"Errrm... I was looking for a toilet?" Korra smiled to him in a way that - according to her - was charming and disarming.

"Oh, don't give me the old 'I have to pee' excuse." he barked, grabbing her by the arm.

Korra's instincts kicked and in and she reacted immediately, jerking her body, making him release her body and lose balance. She clenched her fist, barely stopping herself from firebending straight at him.

"That's it! I'm calling security!" he shouted.

"Oh, here you are!"

Korra turned to see another man - boy? she couldn't decide - coming in. He was kinda handsome - so rather a man than boy - with a slightly stocky built and one of the loveliest smiles she has ever seen.

"I've been looking everywhere for you!" he continued, standing next to Korra. "It's alright Toza." he turned to the old man. "She's with me."

Korra knew a lifeline when she saw - heard - one and smiled at Toza.
"Yup, I'm with him." she said with all the confidence she could muster.

"So you can say we're together." The man said, taking a step closer to Korra.

She frowned. He was nice and had a lovely smile and she was grateful for his help but she didn't want him to get ahead of himself.

"Not together-together" she corrected him taking half a step away. "More like friends."

She had to admit he got flustered in a truly adorable way.
"Right, like friends. No, no, I didn't mean to imply..."

"Oh you implied it." she said.

Toza waved his hands.
"I don't care what you are." he said, turning around. "I've got work to do."

"Right this way, miss." the guy who came to Korra's "rescue" pointed at the exit.

"But seriously, thanks." Korra whispered.

His attempts at flirting - was it really flirting? - aside, he seemed like a really nice person.

"No problem." he replied leading her to a balcony that overlooked the arena. "So what do you say? Best seats in the house!"

Korra gasped as she saw the illuminated arena below and all the rows of audience circling it.

"It's even better than I imagined it!" she exclaimed.

She was sincere. Republic City was monumental, overwhelming, full of feats of engineering she hasn't seen before but this... this was the first building that she actually found beautiful.

"Name's Bolin by the way." he introduced himself.

"Korra" she responded, still watching the place, wide-eyed.

She even barely noticed that he left her for a moment, joining another man. They had a quick, whispered conversation - about her it seemed. Suddenly she felt Bolin take her by the arm. Again, purely by instinct, she jerked her body free of his hold.

"Sorry" she said, seeing his wide-open eyes. "You startled me."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't want to." he said then smiled. "I wanted you to meet my brother, Mako."

He pointed at the other man. Bolin wasn't bad looking, not a all, but Mako... daaamn. Korra, having spent most of her life with significantly older men - White Lotus masters and guards, hasn't been exposed to many males of her age. And Mako was handsome. Tall, dark-haired like his brother, but with more chiseled looks and amber eyes betraying Fire Nation ancestry.

Wait, *Mako*?

"You're Mako?" she asked, excited. "I was listening to your game on the radio. The way you..."

He ignored her and moved past her.
"Bolin, come. We have a match to play." he just spoke over his shoulder.

Korra scratched the back of her neck looking down. It was stupid, she just saw this man for the first time but... but it hurt. Maybe because she was feeling down after her airbending failures, but his reaction just told her that yet another person thought her to be nothing.

"Or I can see you after the match, I guess." she muttered, trying not to show how it affected her.

"I'm sorry for Mako." Bolin said with an apologetic smile. It was obvious he was thinking about a good excuse for his brother being a jerk. "Mako just gets... very intense before matches. Well, wish me luck! Not that I'll need it!"

"Good luck!" Korra said, smiling.

At least Bolin was actually nice.

***

"Woooo! We won!" Bolin jumped onto the platform, laughing. "One more win and we're in the championship tournament!" He took off his protective helmet. "So what did you think, Korra? Bolin's got some moves!"

"What did I think?" she grabbed him and casually lifted him off the floor. His startled eyes told her he wasn't expecting her to be that strong. "I think that was amazing!"

She let him drop. She was sincere. She was watching the game with eyes wide from excitement and her hands were hurting from clenching her fists at each closer situation.

Mako came in as well, arguing with their team's waterbender. After the latter left, Korra turned to Mako.

"You guys were amazing! Especially you mister hat trick!" she exclaimed.

For all his faults, Mako *was* good. The way he dodged the attacks, how he blasted his opponents one by one... as much as she liked Bolin, it was his brother who carried this match.

"Oh, you're still here?" Mako said, not looking at Korra.

Anger flared in her. He might be a good pro-bender but he was still annoying.

"Oh, you're still a jerk?" she snapped back.

"Ooooh!" Bolin chuckled.

"Anyway" Korra said, putting Mako out of her head and turning to Bolin. "I've been immersed in bending my whole life but I've never learned to move like that! It's as if there is a whole new style out there!"

Whatever Tenzin said about pro-bending being a travesty or abomination, he was just a old dude, too focused on the past. Bending was evolving as was the whole world and pro-bending was the best example of it. Oh, how she wished she could take part in a match! She could learn so much, so much that could be used in combat or in other Avatar duties. Spatial awareness, ability to fight cornered on a small space, dodging blows from multiple opponents...

A thought appeared in her head. Well, maybe she couldn't play, but maybe Bolin and Mako could show her some moves.

"Do you think you could show me some tricks?" she asked.

"Absolutely!" Bolin said, then looked at Mako, who was still standing with his back towards them, as he was removing his protective gear.

"Right now? Come on, Bolin." Mako sighed, sounding increasingly exasperated.

"Just ignore him." Bolin stage-whispered and Korra snickered. She liked Bolin more and more. "Well... I could show you some basics..." Bolin frowned. "But I'm not sure how my earthbending would translate to your waterbending."

Korra crossed her arms and smirked.
"Oh, I'm an earthbender."

Bolin always got so adorably flustered.
"Oh, I didn't mean to imply..." he said quickly. "It's just that with your Water Tribe getup" he pointed towards her body "I thought you were a... Water Tribe... gal."

Korra's smile grew wider. She probably shouldn't be flaunting this, but she just couldn't keep silent.

"Actually, I'm a waterbender too. And a firebender."

Bolin's frown deepened.

"Now I'm very confused."

Despite projecting an aura of disinterest and indifference, Mako must have been listening to their because he sighed and said.

"You're the Avatar and I'm an idiot." he said.

Despite being angry at him, Korra found herself smiling.

"Both true."

Bolin's eyes went wide as he turned to Mako, pointing at Korra and stage-whispering:
"No way! The Avatar!"

Korra felt some of the tension that she didn't even know was there, be lifted from her arms. She wasn't aware how tense she was and how worried about people in Republic City being angry at her, at the Avatar, she was. She still shivered when she recalled the crowd in front of her, shouting those angry questions, demanding she did something about the spirits, spirit vines, portals, Triads... She wanted to speak to them, to ask them to give her time, to prove to them that she was here to help... But Tarrlok insisted she kept to the script and he was probably right. He did have a lot more experience in talking in public than she did. Still, she changed the script a tiny bit, adding how happy she was to be here. It wasn't true, not exactly. She felt overwhelmed by Republic City and by the dislike towards her that many people shared... but she was really, really looking forward to serving them, showing them that the Avatar was here to help.

Which is why now it felt so good when at least one person, other than Pema and Tenzin's kids - she was still unsure where Tenzin stood on this issue - was truly happy to have met her.

She flashed Bolin a warm smile which made him blush.

***

When she returned to the Air Temple Island, Korra was even more sore than she was when she left it. Now however it wasn't the annoying pain of her body being treated like a rag doll by the spinning gates but the pleasant ache of her muscles having received a worthy workout.

Bolin was nice and goofy but the training regimen he set up for her was tough. Maybe because she was the Avatar, he didn't restrict himself only to showing her the basics, though even on that there was plenty of work to be done.

He was clearly astonished and impressed by Korra's power but noted that she was too firmly set on her legs, which made her too immobile. Seeing how she always had trouble reconciling the firmness of her earthbending moves with the fluidity of waterbending and her need to dodge attacks in a fight, Korra was happy to take a couple of his pointers, how to keep moving, how to mind her surroundings and balance dodging with attacking.

As for Mako... he was still grumpy and kind of a jerk, but at least he didn't pretend anymore that she didn't exist. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

Now, however, there was time for bed. Korra promised Bolin and Mako that she would see their match on the next day and left them. After the swim back to Air Temple Island she was completely spent and wanted nothing more than just go to sleep. Of course first, she had to hug Naga who kept vigil, waiting for her on the same spot where Korra left her.

Then Korra sneaked back to her bed and fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow. She didn't have any dreams that night.

Chapter Text

"I didn't miss your match, did I?" Korra said walking into the changing room in the arena.

The three other players barely looked at her, too busy discussing the strategy for their match. Surprisingly Mako or even the sweet, cheerful Bolin didn't even look at her, looking down, dejected and defeated.

Korra shared their mood. After the excitement of the previous day, her mood came crushing down at another day of being helplessly knocked around by the spinning gates. This time even Jami did a bit better than last time, almost reach the end of the training area before slipping. Korra, in frustration, barely stopped herself - again - from unleashing a firebending barrage on the training machine.

Sulking, she even skipped supper - which until now she had thought to be the least Korra thing possible - and went to the arena, hoping that watching her new friends play would lift her spirits up. And instead she found them... like this.

"You look as if you lost already." she noted.

"We might as well have." Bolin said.

"Hasook's a no-good no-show" Mako almost spat.

Hasook... that must have been the Fire Ferret waterbender. Korra remembered Mako having argued with him the day before but she would never think he - anyone - would leave his team hanging and not show for the match.

The door to the room opened and she saw the referee look in.
"You've got two minutes to go out ready to play or be disqualified!" he informed and immediately left.

"Well, there goes our shot at the tournament... and the winnings." Mako said bitterly.

Korra pointed at the other three players in the changing room.
"Can't you ask one of these guys to fill in?" she asked.

Bolin sighed.
"No, the rules say you can compete only on one team." he said.

A thought came to Korra.
"Well then... what about me?" she said. "I'm a top-notch waterbender if I do say so myself."

"But... you're the Avatar." Bolin pointed out before looking at Mako. "Isn't that cheating."

"It's not if I only use waterbending." Korra quickly assured him.

She wasn't sure if that was the truth but she would be very surprised if the creators of pro-bending were so farsighted that they included a rule about the Avatar competing. Besides, how would they know? Sure, there must have been some photos taken from her press conference but if she had the protective gear worn by the players on, no one would recognize her.

"No way" Mako grunted. "I'd rather forfeit than look like a fool out there."

"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence." Korra said, again trying to hide how much this jab hurt her.

She was tired of looking like a fool during the airbender training and she hoped that this would be something she would be better at. And yet Mako didn't even want to give her a chance. For a moment yesterday it seemed as if he was was warming up to her or at least beginning to tolerate her but today he seemed his usual jerk persona.

The door opened again and they saw the referee looking in.
"Time's up" he said. "You're in or out."

"We're in!" Korra immediately shouted.

"We are?" Mako blinked, blindsided.

"We are!" Bolin called getting.

"Hey, I didn't agree to it!" Mako protested and Korra found some satisfaction in the fact that Bolin was ignoring him completely.

She turned over her shoulder to look at the older brother.
"Hey, you can thank me later." she shot at him before she opened the locker.

As she started putting on the protective gear, she heard Mako mutter "This girl is crazy." and smiled. She would show them.

***

"Looks like the Fire Ferrets have ferreted out a last minute replacement waterbender. Let's see if she's another diamond in the rough like the brothers from the school of hard knocks!" the commentator kept talking.

Korra was barely aware of what he was saying though, too excited about finally playing in a pro-bending match... and too busy fidgeting in the protective suit she was wearing. It was way too busy for her, the helmet falling onto her eyes, the gloves and sleeves to big for her. She was determined not to let it hinder her though. She was going to show them.

It would be great though, if her teammates - or rather teammate, singular, namely Mako - had any confidence in her.

"Don't do anything too fancy or aggressive." he said, glancing at Korra. "In fact, don't do anything. Just try not to get knocked off the ring."

"You got it, captain." Korra said, hoping that the sarcasm was clear in her voice.

They might be experienced pro-benders while she was a rookie, yes, but she was the Avatar. She would show them.

Though the effect was slightly lessened with her helmet falling onto her eyes. Again.

"Players, are you ready?" the referee asked.

And then he blew the whistle, starting the match, she did show them. Korra needed only a moment to judge the positions of the opponents and with a sweeping kick sent a powerful blast of water, hitting one of the opposing players from the side. He hit the ropes at the edge of the arena and, with a startled scream, fell into the water below. His two teammates stared at it wide-eyed.

"Woohoo! Man overboard!" Korra shouted, excitedly, jumping up and down and running around.

Her first sign that something wasn't right was that neither Bolin nor Mako were congratulating her. The second - that the public wasn't really cheering.

The third sign was the referee's whistle and his stern voice yelling:
"Fire Ferret waterbender, penalty! Move back one zone!"

She blinked, confused, looking at the referee.
"What? Why?" she asked.

"You're only allowed to knock players off the back of the ring! Not over the sides!" Mako groaned.

"Oh. Whoops." Korra muttered and went back one zone.

Well... that was something she didn't really think about. The excitement of taking part in a match made her forget that *she doesn't actually know the rules*. She listened to the matches from time to time, looking for the excitement but didn't really focused on such "boring stuff" like rules for example. And now she was paying for it... and her team with her.

With another whistle from the referee the match resumed. Korra immediately attacked with a quick water stream, bending it to dodge the opponent firebender's defenses... but moments later she grunted as an earth disk hit her square in the chest. It hurt even despite the protective gear and knocked her out. She lunged forward, counterattacking with a kick that sent another powerful water blast and...

WHISTLE.

"Foul! Over the line! Move back to zone three!" the referee called.

Korra looked down. One of her feet was on the metal grate dividing the zones and it was flashing red.

"Urgh." she groaned. She wanted to mutter something insulting at the referee but stopped herself. It *was* her fault.

She looked at her teammates. Mako shot her an annoyed look and then looked down and even the always cheerful Bolin was avoiding looking at her and was twiddling his fingers.

Of course, their opponents took round one and Korra vowed that she won't let them take this one. As soon as the whistle went off, however, the Platypus Bears started attacking... and focused all of their fire on her.

She blocked the waterbender's attack, then waterbent a water shield to defend herself against a fire blast and earth disk. She dodged another attack, blocked another one... but she was still on the defensive, barely managing to avoid the coming attacks. A water blast hit her. Then a flame gout. She barely dodged an earth disk.

Her body hurt. It was like Tenzin's spinning gates. No, it was worse. It was like the fight with Unalaq, while being mercilessly pounded by his water blasts, being tossed against rocks, having Raava ripped out of her and her attacked, the incarnations of the previous Avatars dispersing in her mind. She was all alone, again, scared, certain that she was too weak to stop Unalaq and Vaatu, that her weakness just doomed the world to ten thousand years of darkness if not an eternity of it. Aang was gone and soon Katara would be gone as well, same with Tenzin, Jinora, Pema, Kya, Bumi, her parents...

She saw the attacks coming - all the three enemy benders sent their shots at once with disks, flames and water stream coming at her. She acted purely on instinct, lifting her hands, summoning a water shield as well as grabbing to earth disks to protect herself, stopping the attacks.

Immediately there was a gasp coming from the thousands of people in the audience and then everyone went silent. Clarity returned to her immediately. Damn. She wasn't supposed to do that. She was supposed to be using waterbending only.

"Foul... I think." the referee called, but his voice was far from sounding confident.

Korra smiled anxiously. Then her helmet fell onto her eyes again. As she lifted it, she saw Mako sighing and shaking her head.

"Errm, sorry?" Korra offered as the time-out was still on, with the referee probably checking the rules. "I got overexcited. It's not as if I could be hiding who I am forever, is it?"

"Just... just let's get this match over with." Mako sighed.

Bolin offered Korra a smile and patted her arm, but this time his smile was more on the nervous side and didn't really reach his eyes.

Finally the referee returned.
"The Avatar will be permitted to compete so long as she solely bends water." he exclaimed.

Korra got cheered up a bit hearing the groans of disapproval from the members of the opposing team.

Again, it didn't take her long for her to spirit to be brought down. Once again the Platypus Bears began the match by focusing their attacks on her. With a snakelike motion of her hand Korra summoned a water whip which she used to deflect an earth disk and a fire blast. Then she barely blocked a water attack that destroyed her whip so when she saw another disk and water stream coming at her, she dodged them by backflipping.

Why they were targeting only her! Well, she knew the answer - that it was because she was a rookie - but it still annoyed her. With the corner of her eye she saw a flame blast coming and she only had time to cross her hands in front of her to protect her face. Despite the protective gear she felt the heat and pain in her forearms as the strike connected.

She gasped again as another fire strike her in the side and then she got hit by an earth disk to her chest, knocking her back one zone. The attacks weren't subsiding, they were coming from all directions, water, fire, earth, earth, water, fire, water, earth, fire, endless barrage, too many to defend herself, too many to dodge, the constant hits against her body, like the endless blows from Tenzin's spinning gates, like the water strikes that Unalaq pounded her - pounded Raava - with, endless strikes as the images of the past Avatars were disappearing from her mind, the access to them blocked, lost, torn away from her because she was weak, because she was a failure...

Anger flashed in her.

She was not weak. She would show them.

She fell to her knees, a water strike going over her head and got immediately up. With a sweeping motion of her hands she created a large water whip with which she hit all three opponents, pushing them a couple of paces up. She saw an earth disk coming, but didn't bother dodging it, just grit her teeth and stood her ground as it hit her. She lashed at the opponent earthbender with her water whip, first knocking him off his feet and slashing him from above, forcing him hard against the floor! She took another swing and...

WHISTLE!

"Foul! Excessive brutality!" the referee yelled. "Fire Ferret waterbender penalty! Move back one zone!"

"I'll show you excessive brutality" she muttered under her breath as she moved to zone three.

She didn't even risk looking at Mako and Bolin right now. She would show them, she would...

She was so focused on her anger and on choosing a new target for her wrath that the enemy waterbender's attack blindsided her completely, hitting her on the side of her helmet... and moments later she was in the swimming pool surrounding the arena, swimming up to the surface.

She got out of the water... and saw Tenzin standing over her. And he looked angry. Very angry. Definitely not like a Air Nomad following the path of peace and tranquility.

Chapter Text

Korra chuckled nervously.
"Oh, hey, Tenzin. I thought you didn't like coming to these matches."

His eyebrow began to twitch.
"Once again, you have flagrantly disobeyed my orders. You were to stay on the island! Let's go."

He turned around to leave and that's when Korra's anger flared. He didn't even turn around to see if she is following, just assuming she would, like a good obedient Avatar.

"No! I'm kind of in the middle of something." she protested.

He turned, slowly.
"I have tried my very best to get through to you by being gentle and patient, but clearly the only thing you respond to is force!" Now he was almost shouting. "So I am ordering you to come back to the temple right now!"

"Ordering me?" she almost spat. "I'm not taking orders! Not from you, not from the White Lotus! I'm the Avatar and you have to deal with it!"

"Then start acting like one! My father..."

"Funny but when I mentioned Aang during our last argument, you told me not to bring him into this!"

"Korra, you're forgetting yourself. You'll come with me right now..."

For a moment she thought that she might not even *need* airbending and she almost said it out loud... but then she sighed inwardly. Maybe if she did know it, Unalaq wouldn't have defeated her. Still, the way Tenzin was teaching her wasn't working. It wasn't something for her.

She pointed up, towards the arena.
"This is what I need to learn! Modern styles of fighting! That's what will make me stronger and faster and a better Avatar! Not sitting and meditating about how I'm terrible at airbending."

Tenzin leaned forward.
"Being the Avatar isn't only about fighting! When will you learn that?"

"Oh, I've been learning this my whole life. And guess what? Unalaq and Vaatu didn't get the memo!" Korra felt tears start welling in her eyes but hoped that Tenzin wouldn't notice that through the water that was already dripping from her protective suit. She was too far gone to stop herself now. "And when I faced them all that crap about spirituality, bringing balance, being a voice for peace and conciliation didn't mean anything! The only thing that mattered was the ability to fight and they were stronger and they defeated me and they ripped Raava out and I lost the access to my previous lives! I failed, I wasn't strong enough and I robbed the future Avatars from the access to them and I robbed you and Katara and Kya and Bumi and Jinora and..." she took a deep breath, trembling inside. "I robbed all of you from ever talking to Aang again."

"Korra..." Tenzin began, his voice now more startled than angry but she wasn't looking at him.

"I might be a failure Avatar and suck at everything spiritual and so on. But I could at least try to become a great fighter so I don't lose ever again." she said as she walked past Tenzin onto the lift towards the ring. "And now I have a match to go finish and some teammates to disappoint like the big failure that I am!"

***

Tenzin blinked, when he heard the utter pain and self-doubt in Korra's voice. He had no idea that under her cocky exterior there was... this. Yes, he was still angry at Korra at how stubborn and difficult she was but he realized that, perhaps unfairly he was blaming her also for other things - losing the access to Aang and endangering Jinora, mainly. And perhaps... perhaps he was angry at her for failing to learn airbending as otherwise he would have to be angry at himself for being a terrible teacher.

And Korra's last words... that blow struck close to home. He went through his life feeling like he was continuously disappointing his father and failing to live up to his legacy. Only recently in the Fog of Lost Spirits, he had an epiphany and vowed to try to be his own best self instead of Aang's shadow... but even after vowing this, acting like it didn't come easily to him.

"Korra, you're not a failure!" he shouted as the elevator was taking her up.

If she heard him, she didn't let it show.

He sighed as he walked towards the exit. The anger at Korra has turned into something else - a belief that it was he who has failed her.

The words that came from the match announcer didn't put him in an any better mood.

"Looks like the Avatar's pro-bending debut is going to be cut short! She's been pushed back to zone three, and the water is calling her name!"

Why did he care about it? Pro-bending was a travesty an abomination and it definitely, DEFINITELY wasn't an activity for the Avatar to partake in. So why did he stop and turn around, his eyes seeking Korra?

***

Korra still felt the pain in her chest after the blast that knocked her back to zone three. She struggled to catch her balance at the very edge of the ring before regaining balance. Not that it would help much. Mako and Bolin were hunkered down under a barrage of attacks and were unable to come to her rescue. One good hit and she would be back in the water and with the Platypus Bears having won two rounds already, the only way the Fire Ferrets could win would be through a knock-out which was nigh-impossible at this point.

Her pro-bending debut was indeed short. Even more people she disappointed. Oh well, it wasn't like she was going to see Mako and Bolin ever again. And why did she care about what Tenzin thought about her? It wasn't as if he even liked her. And what did he know?

True, it was she who hurt him, by refusing his first offer of training her and instead choosing Unalaq as her master. And despite that he fought at her side against Unalaq, his children and their minions, leaving only to save Jinora.

Korra almost smiled.

For such a peaceful person, Tenzin was in fact quite badass. Aang was also an airbender and a pacifist but he was able to take on such powerful firebenders as Ozai, Azula and Zuko. Maybe there was something useful in the airbending teachings.

And, while Korra still thought that Tenzin wasn't the best teacher out there, maybe she had been a bit too close-minded, too afraid of failing again to actually commit to something, to really try.

Air was the element of freedom and she has been feeling chained by her fears and self-doubts for a long, long time. But now... now she felt almost liberated.

She already disappointed Mako and Bolin, they already all but lost the match. It didn't matter if she made a fool of herself now. She already disappointed Tenzin... except, if what she heard him shout as she was being lifted to the ring was correct, she didn't.

Why not try? Why not truly try to listen for a moment?

"Be a leaf" Meelo would say and she tried to.
"Don't force it." Jinora used to say and Korra now had no choice, contained in the third zone so that she couldn't advance, no matter how she tried.

For all her faults, her waterbender training already taught her how to be light on her feet. Besides it was also something that Bolin taught her the night before - not to be too firm in her stance, to be able to move, to dodge before striking.

So if both the airbenders and pro-benders agreed on something, maybe there was something to it. If one of these philosophies didn't really work for her, maybe their mix would?

Light on her feet. Like a leaf. Like a feather. Barrage of attacks from her opponents. Endless strikes from Unalaq and Vaatu. Even the Avatar can't weather all the strikes. Sometimes it's better to avoid one completely. She realized that in her previous fights she was too focused on being stationary, on not moving back one inch, for not giving up ground. That was not the waterbender way, sometimes one needed to bend, to change, to shift their stance.

She saw the attacks coming. Dodge - an earth disk passed past her - dodge - a flame blast goes wide - turn around - a water stream misses her by an inch - a light, almost dance-like step to the side - an earth disk and water blast almost, almost hitting her... but not quite.

She was a leaf in the damn wind and she might disappoint everyone around her but she wouldn't disappoint herself by just lying down and giving up. She might have been beaten by Unalaq, she might have lost the access to the past lives... but she got up and she faced him again and she WON and she saved the world from ten thousand years of darkness.

She was not a failure.

Dodge, dodge, dodge... she didn't even need to see the attacks coming, she felt them with all her body, with all her mind, with all her spirit. They were coming from all around, all three Platypus Bears focusing on her, trying various tricks to make her fall, various angles of attack to blindside her... but not one of their attacks connected. She was a damn leaf on the damn wind. She was the Avatar.

And then their attacks started slowing down at first being weaker, slower, more predictable... and then disappearing completely. Only then Korra realized that Mako and Bolin managed to catch her breath and used the respite granted by the Platypus Bears exhausting themselves on her to start striking back.

She leapt to assist them.

Tenzin was right but also wrong.
She was wrong but also right.

Avatar's role wasn't all about fighting but fighting was a part of it. But this type of fighting, the one where she didn't hate or fear her opponents as she did with Unalaq and Vaatu, this type brought her peace. And despite Tenzin's protests, there was grace in pro-bending. And despite her protests, the traditional airbending moves didn't stop being relevant and valid.

One by one the Platypus Bears were knocked out of the field. When the last went over the edge, the referee whistled. A knock-out! They won!

She run to Bolin and high-fived. And even though Mako looked serious as ever, when he spoke his voice was much warmer.

"Korra ... what can I say?" he began, sounding almost apologetic. "You really came alive in that last round. The way you dodged their attacks ... you are a natural."

"Thanks, but I can't take all the credit." she said, thinking of Tenzin. Pity he didn't see her do THAT. "Someone else taught me those moves."

"Soooo... how about we make this a permanent situation?" Bolin suggested. "I mean us. Us three?"

Korra smiled.

***

She found Tenzin at the airbending training feel, staring at the gates. She approached him slowly from behind. He turned around, his expression blank.

At least he wasn't furious anymore.

"I'm really sorry ... about everything I said. I was really frustrated with myself and I took it out on you." she said. She meant it. Maybe Tenzin wasn't the best teacher but she wasn't the best student and he did his best to help her. He didn't deserve the amount of trouble she gave him. "Frustrated and feeling down and like a..."

"A failure?" he asked, softly.

Korra just nodded herself.

"Aang's legacy is hard to live up to. Believe me, I know that. There were plenty of times I felt like a failure too." he sighed. "I owe you an apology as well. I was trying to teach you about patience, but I lost mine."

Korra felt as if a weight was lifted from her shoulders.
"No hard feelings?" she asked.

"Of course not. By the way, you were really good out there tonight." he said and she frowned. What did he mean? He only saw her getting her ass kicked. Unless... "You moved just like an airbender!"

She gasped and opened her eyes wide, feeling a sudden rush of affection towards him. Did he really..?

"Wait... You stayed and watched?"

"I did. Pro-bending turned out to be the perfect teaching tool for you." Tenzin said and smiled, actually smiled.

Korra returned the smile. Then her smile froze.

"I need to apologize for something else, though. Losing the access to Aang and..."

He cut her off, lifting his finger, his face stern again, but not unpleasant.

"It wasn't your fault. You fought as best as you could and got beaten. Raava only knows how many times my father lost. The important part - and I think you know that - is that you got up and tried again. That you weren't broken and defeated." He put his hand on Korra's shoulder. "And listen to me carefully, Korra. I may be too stern or cold sometimes but I truly like you and that is NOT because of your connection to my father. You must learn to be your own person and not only Aang's shadow. Believe me, it took me long enough to understand this."

Korra felt better at that but still wasn't ready to smile again.
"Then I need to apologize for risking Jinora's life."

This time Tenzin was silent a bit longer.
"Jinora is not an adult but she's more mature than many, many people much older than her." he finally said. "She knew what she was doing and her choice probably saved us all. I need to respect that. It was not your fault... and besides, all ended happily."

This time Korra found the strength to smile.
"I'll see you tomorrow for airbending practice, bright and early!" she said as she started walking away. "Ish. Mornings are still evil." she started jogging away. "And, by the way, I kinda permanently joined the Fire Ferrets and we're playing in the tournament in a couple of weeks!"

Tenzin's sigh sounded surprisingly like a chuckle.

For a long while Korra was sitting at the edge of her window, too excited to sleep, looking at the pro-bending arena visible in the distance. It wasn’t easy but she went through during that last round. She didn’t disappoint her teammates. Speaking of them… Bolin was nice and Mako… Mako was a jerk, true, but she got the impression that he was a jerk to everyone, maybe apart from his brother. He didn’t dislike her for being the Avatar. He was probably the first person whom she met in Republic City who knew her to be the Avatar *but didn’t care*. He neither adored nor hated her for it. It was… refreshing. Could he and Bolin be her new friends?

This night once again Korra didn't have any nightmares.

Chapter Text

"Avatar's arrival forced us to accelerate our plans but it also opens new opportunities." Amon said in slow, deliberate voice. "And now it is time to act."

Asami felt a shiver go down her spine. Time to act. Finally. She looked at the other members of Amon's inner circle. Lieutenant Tazaki's face was impassive as always but by now Asami could read his body language and knew he was ready to act, his muscles tense with anticipation. In his father's eyes however... there was this light that she hasn't seen since... for a long, long time.

Amon looked at the map of the Republic City on his desk.

"Do you think it is a coincidence that the vast majority of the most brutal Triads in our city are composed of benders?" he spoke. "Their power leads them on a road to abuse those without it. This is the way of the benders. Even the Avatar saw that and tried to fight some of these thugs... but her actions were chaotic and brought even more destruction. Our strike will be made with surgical precision. It is time to show the people of Republic City that the Equalists are not all talk. That we care for them. That we want to protect them from the benders abusing them. And taking down the Triads will be the first step to that end."

With some surprise Asami realized that her hands are hurting. Immediately she realized why - she's been digging her fingernails into the flesh of her own palms. She tried to seem impassive but she could barely contain her excitement. Not only they were going to act but they were going to fight against the Triads. The Triads that took her mother away. She looked at her father and saw the look of determination on his face.

"The Agni Kais?" he asked, clenching his fists.

Amon looked at him for a moment before finally speaking.
"Among others, yes." he said. "And while I am aware of your... history with them, we will begin with the Triple Threats."

His finger pointed at a building on the map, situation in the warehouse district next to the dockyard.

"According to my intel, this is their headquarters." he said. "Lieutenant, you will gather your six best chi-blockers for this task."

Tazaki bowed.
"It will be done. I look forward to leading them."

"No." Amon said. "I do not doubt that you are eager to get into the fight, but I would like Asami to lead this group."

Asami blinked, surprised, then felt the excitement that she was already feeling increase tenfold. She was finally going to prove her worth!

"A-Asami?" her father asked, the look of determination and cold fury on his face replaced with concern... and fear. "Are you sure it's a good idea? Is she ready?"

Asami felt a pang of sadness at her father's lack of faith in her, but she swallowed it. She could understand his position. The Triads took his beloved Yasuko from him. It was natural that he felt reluctant to send his daughter against them.

"I understand your concern but I believe she is ready, my friend." Amon spoke softly. "But that is not an order. Asami, I leave the decision to you. Do you feel you can do it?"

Asami nodded, slowly.
"I am ready. I have been prepared for that for long. Lieutenant Tazaki knows how good I am."

Tazaki nodded his head.
"The best chi-blocker I've ever trained." he said.

"B-but..." Hiroshi began before Asami looked him in the eyes.

"I want to do it, dad." she said softly. "I will be alright."

He sighed.
"Fine. I trust you, Asami." he said before offering her a soft smile, a smile that now he only had for her.

"Very good, Asami. I am happy that you feel this way." Amon said. "As soon as Lieutenant gathers the team, I am sure you will want to meet and address them."

"I will be on it right away." Tazaki said.

"One moment, friend." Amon said. "There is one more minor thing that I would like to discuss with you. Meanwhile, Asami, you can start preparing yourself."

"Yes, sir." she said and turned to leave.

She saw that her father turned as well, before hesitating.

"It will be alright, my friend." Amon assured him. "Asami can handle herself."

***

"Do you think I've made a mistake giving Asami the command?" Amon asked when Hiroshi and his daughter have left.

Lieutenant Tazaki thought about it for a moment.
"No." he said. "I'm sure she can handle herself. But I'd feel more confident if I were around to watch over her. She can be in command, I can just be looking after her from the shadows."

"I have full confidence in her skills." Amon said. "And so should you. You trained her after all."

"I'm confident about her skills. It's her... lack of experience and mindset that I'm worried about. And she and her fathers are our key supporters. We can't lose them."

"We won't. And I'm sure Asami can put her personal grudge aside and carry on the mission."

"Even so, I'd feel better if you allowed me to keep an eye on her."

"I appreciate your concern but I can't agree." Amon said. "Asami needs to know we trust her. Besides..." Lieutenant Tazaki could feel Amon's gaze on him. "I need you for something else. I've got a special mission for you to carry out."

***

“Two guards outside the door and one on the roof.” Tien said, having returned from the reconnaissance. "At least eight targets inside."

So eleven benders against the seven of them. But they would have the advantage of surprise.

"No mistakes then." Asami said. "Tien and Nei, you take out the guards at the door. I'll take the one on the roof. Then we strike at the main group."

Her men nodded without a word. Lieutenant Tazaki truly chose best of the best and despite her being an unproven commander, she had their full trust and support. And she wasn't going to fail them as well as she wasn't going to lead from behind, avoiding all the risk. She would share with them everything - risk, danger and defeat or glory.

They trusted her, so she had to trust them that they will do their job well so quickly she climbed on top of the roof and hid behind a chimney. The Triad thug was walking around, lazily smoking a cigarette. She observed him for a moment. They wouldn't have put an earthbender on the roof, unless he was also a metalbender and these ones were too precious to waste them on mere guard duty. So a waterbender or firebender. She put the night-vision goggles - another one of her designs - onto her mask and she could see him now clearly.

She didn't see a big water satchel, so he was probably a firebender. Her suspicion was confirmed when he tossed the almost burnt out cigarette away and took another one, lighting it with his a flame he summoned from his finger.

Asami waited for him to turn away from her and then jumped out her hiding spot, heading towards him. She had to take him down fast, so that he wouldn't be able to shout a warning. He turned towards her, his mouth opening in surprise, the cigarette dropping out of it. As he began taking breath to shout she hit him with her fingers to his throat - hard enough to get him into a coughing, choking fit, not hard enough to kill him. Still gasping for breath he lifted his hand, flames enveloping it but she didn't give him any chance. She knocked his hand to the side and then proceeded with a flurry of chi-blocking blows. She has never - not many Equalists have - tried them on a real bender, only working on training dummies and non-bending training partners but so she couldn't be sure if they would work... but after fourth strike the flames on the goon's hand disappeared. With a quick kick she knocked him down and then after another quick blow he went motionless.

Instinctively she checked for pulse - alive but unconscious, just like she intended. She looked over the edge of the roof and saw the other two girls already taken care of. From eleven vs seven to eight vs seven, with the advantage of surprise still on their side.

Good.

"There is a window on the roof." she informed her men. "Nei, Fidami, you come with me and we'll strike from above. Tien, give us five minutes and lead the rest through the main entrance. Remember, the leader of this Triad is Lightning Bolt Zolt, a confirmed lightningbender. Be on your guard."

There wasn't anything else to be added so Asami led Nei and Fidami to the roof. There they locked their metal cables in place.

"Suddenly I wish I was a metalbender." Nei said.

Asami was tempted to cooly remind her that if she was a bender, she wouldn't be here with them but she would be an enemy, but she decided against it. She did understand the tactical advantage offered by bending.

"They're preparing for war." Fidami whispered next to them as they looked down through the window and saw the Triple Threat goons training.

Asami nodded her head. There were rumours of a new turf war coming to Republic City. That's why it was so important to take out the Triads, that's why Amon was right - the ordinary citizens had to be protected from getting into the crossfire of another bender squabble. She wouldn't allow more children lose their mothers or fathers.

Suddenly they saw the Triad goons turn around in surprise and confusion, looking towards the entrance before starting to blast at it.

"On three" Asami said, preparing herself. "One. Two. Three!"

She and Fidami kicked the glass hard, breaking it and sending a rain of shards down on the defending goons, breaking their formation and scattering them. Immediately she and her two men lowered themselves on the cables, unplugging themselves moments before their feet touched the ground.

Asami quickly looked around the scene of the battle. Her four men attacking through the front entrance quickly subdued the two Triad goons that were closest to the door, but now were being kept at a distance by the bending attacks from the others, even though they were effortlessly dodging the strikes. The surprise attack by Asami, Fidami and Nei completely surprised the thugs with two more of them, quickly eliminated by Nei and Fidami.

Four vs seven. Good.

Asami suddenly felt ozone and saw a man - whom she quickly identified as Lightning Bolt Zolt send a lightning at two of her men. They dodged but as the lightning hit the floor between them, the sudden wave of heat knocked them to the ground. Nei jumped at him but he turned towards her with a wide kick that side a wide wave of flames at her, pushing her back.

Asami lunged at him and saw him turn towards. He began the gestures for summoning the lightning and she knew he would manage to fire it before she got to him. Immediately she turned, circling him, low on her legs. There were little information about fighting lightningbenders available, but what was there, she went through with Lieutenant Tazaki. Soon she would learn if that was enough.

She jumped to the side and immediately followed it with a roll on the floor as soon as she saw his finger aiming at her, before he began shooting. The lightning passed her to her left but he quickly moved his hand, aiming the blast at her but that was when she hit the floor, the cracking energy going over her head. Moments later his lightning was gone and she was up on her feet, attacking while he hurled fire blasts at her. She dodged them and as he started another wide kick she slid towards him, kicking at the one leg he had still on the floor, knocking him down.

Strike, strike, strike, strike - immediately she followed with precise attacks to his chi-points. He kicked at her again but there were no flames this time and she easily dodged the kick before two of her men got on top of him, tying him down.

Quickly Asami looked around. Apart from Lightning Bolt Zolt she saw six thugs, either unconscious or already being tied down. With the three guards outside that meant that...

"There is one more." she said. "Spread out and find out."

"I've got him here!" Kadi shouted pointing at a somewhat stocky young man hiding behind the training dummies.

"Wait! It's a mistake!" the Triad goon shouted. "I'm not a member of the Triads! I'm not! Really!"

Asami frowned. He seemed somewhat familiar, though she was certain she didn't see him before, not in the flesh at least. In a picture? Perhaps...

"It will hurt only a little." Kadi said as he approached the terrified goon.

And then everything changed. One moment the Triad member was hunkering down between the training dummies, the moment later he was sending earth disks used by the Triple Threats earthbenders, similar to the ones pro-benders were using, at Kadi.

Kadi dodged two of them but then with a twist of his hand the Triad member made one of the disks make a U-turn and hit the back of Kadi's knee, knocking him forward... onto another disk that sent him back.

Earth disks. Pro-bending. Yes, Asami saw the picture of this thug in some article about pro-bending... But there was no time to think about it now. She quickly began running at him.

"I don't want to hurt you!" he shouted even as he send three earth disks at her. "Just let me go!"

She dodged the first disk and saw that he altered the trajectory of the other two ones, coming at her from the sides. He was good, she had to give him that. She jumped at him, twisting her body mid-jump, going between the approaching disks. Immediately she used her momentum to start swinging her leg in an long arc which culminated with her kicking him in the shoulder from the above, hard enough to knock him to her knees.

She followed it with another kick but using his earthbending he lifted one of the earth disk, suspending it between them like a shield. If she were an ordinary person, upon hitting the disk with her leg she would have broken a bone, but with her martial arts training she know how to harden her muscles to stop that from happening... and it still damn hurt.

He was really good.

But not fast enough. She marked a blow from one side, he switched the position of the disk so she twisted her body and hit him from the other. He grunted as the strike connected and send the disk at her... and she barely dodged the projectile. For a moment though he didn't have his shield and as he used his earthbending to prepare another disk she immediately hit him again and again, with speed that he wasn't anticipating and hasn't been prepared for. The disk he already had ready to strike at her from behind dropped to the floor as she finished the last chi-blocking blow, having him fall to the ground, stunned.

"It's a mistake." he mumbled. "I'm Bolin and I'm..."

He groaned and went still, unconscious.

"Tie the rest up and let's get them to the van." Asami ordered, before turning to Kadi: "Can you walk? Yes? Good. Let's get out of here."

Chapter Text

These weren't just mindless spinning gates. These were opposing pro-bending players flinging their attacks on her. These were Unalaq’s water and ice strikes.

And she was Korra. She admired how well Jinora moved, but she couldn't be mindlessly copying her. Jinora was an airbender, borne and raised and didn't have combat experience. Korra's problem was that she tried to force herself into mimicking Jinora's steps while all her waterbender instincts were struggling against the top of her body being so stiff. All her combat instincts were screaming at her that she was not mobile enough.

This was one of the reasons Otaku and Jami were doing better than she was when it came to airbending. They knew no other bending styles, while she had all those preconceptions. She was making a mistake by trying to force herself to switch and act like an airbender. She should have been trying to combine her experience in using various forms of bending. She was the Avatar, after all.

She felt everyone's eyes as she stepped in front of the spinning gates. No, these weren't just mindless spinning gates. These were opposing pro-bending players flinging their attacks on her. These were Unalaq's water and ice strikes.

She started moving. Her footwork was one of an airbender, but her upper body moved with a fluid motions of a waterbender. She even closed her eyes, the gates moving too fast for her sight to be of any use. She was just acting based on her intuition, instincts, feeling their position with her whole body, dancing between them, moving swiftly from one stance to another... until she was on the other side, untouched by the training devices.

"Yes! That's what we're talking about!" Ikki shouted.
"Very good, Korra!" Jinora complimented her, before adding in a different tone of voice: "Hey, is that the firbender boy that you mentioned?"
"Ooooh, he's cute!" Ikki said.

Korra immediately felt herself blush, even as she turned around to see Mako standing with a surprised expression on his face.

"Wow, that was... well, I knew you could move and dodge but this was... wow." he stuttered.

Huh, at least he wasn't being a jerk today.

"Thanks" she said.

"Well, anyway... is Bolin here?" he asked.

Korra frowned.
"Bolin? No, why would he be here?"

"Because he..." Mako began, then waved his hand and began to turn. "Never mind. I need to get going and find him."

"Wait!" she shouted before she could think about it. "I'll help you."

Now that she's said it, she was sure it was a good decision. Yes, Mako was a jerk but she had no doubts that he loved his brother and that he was worried about it. The situation was quite serious then and she liked Bolin. He had been always so nice to her.

"I don't have time." Mako groaned.

"We'll take Naga!" Korra said. "She's a great tracker!"

***

"And your best friend is a polar bear dog" Mako said. "Why doesn't it surprise me."

"Animals are sometimes much better friends than people.
she snapped at him. The frustration of being unable to find Bolin was getting to her. "And they are much kinder, too. Isn't that right, girl?"

Korra leaned down to scratch Naga's lower jaw to which she reacted by wagging her tail furiously, hitting Mako in his back a couple of times.

"I... I'm sorry." he finally said. "I'm just worried about Bolin. I'm grateful you've agreed to help. I know I haven't been the nicest to you..."

"Bolin was nice to me." Korra stopped him. "That's enough."

"Oh, yes." Mako chuckled. "He's kind to everyone, always has been." He sighed. "He's the only family I have left."

"Don't worry, we'll find him." she assured him.

After a while, she spoke.
"My parents are still alive but... but they had to move... away." she finally spoke. "I never had any friends, not ones my age. So no wonder Naga and I became such a close friends. Apart from my parents, she was the only one who ever saw me as me, instead of the Avatar."

"Being the Avatar can't be all that bad, can it? Besides, at least you have your parents. Bolin and I..."

Suddenly Naga growled and jumped forward at a fire ferret that appeared in front of them.

"No! That's Pabu! It is Bolin's!" Mako shouted.

"Stop, Naga!" Korra screamed as the fire ferret - Pabu - ran up a lamp post. "It's a friend, not a snack!"

Naga growled once again but calmed down and Pabu quickly jumped on top of the giant dog, sniffed Mako and then jumped off and ran into one of the streets.

"Quickly! Let's follow him!" Mako shouted but Naga was already running in that direction.

Soon they arrived at what seemed to be an empty warehouse.
"That looks like the Triple Threats headquarters alright" Mako said, getting off Naga. "Something is off, though. There are no guards."

Korra quickly approached the door and kicked it open.
"There are signs of fighting." she said, looking around at the broken earth disks and scorch marks. She looked at one of the ice crystals that was only beginning to melt. "Moments ago. Whoever attacked this place must be close."

At this moment she heard something coming from a back alley. As soon as they got there, they saw masked figures surrounding a black van.

"Bolin!" Mako shouted, pointing at one of the bound and gagged men sitting in the back of the van. "They've got Bolin!"

Moments later the van door was locked and it was taking off, with three masked figures getting onto motorbikes and tossing some form of cannisters on the ground next to Korra...

And moments later she and Mako were choking and fighting for breath, surrounded by a fog of green gas.

"Ugh... Naga!" Korra managed to scream and the polar bear dog - and Pabu - were soon next to them.

Korra and Mako quickly climbed onto her and in two quick jumps Naga escaped the cloud, beginning her chase behind the masked kidnappers.

Korra felt a heat behind her as Mako began flinging fire bolts at the escaping figures but the one he took as his target was good, very good, gifted with almost preternatural awareness as they began dodging the strikes with the bike. Korra tried a different approach, lifting her arms and cracking and lifting the ground under another biker. He however used it as a ramp, jumping in the air... but Korra was ready for that, with a quick movement of her fist cracking the street just before he landed, making it so uneven that he fell, catapulted from the bike.

The other two bikers immediately turned and stopped one of them throwing something... Korra too late recognized it as a bolas! It wrapped itself around Naga's legs, throwing her to the ground and Korra and Mako into the air.

"Ugh..." Korra grunted as she hit the street but immediately she got up, seeing three figures running towards them.

Mako got up next to her and began bending flames at them. Korra immediately followed with a flurry of her own attacks.

With agility that would put most pro-benders too shame, the attackers dodged the blows. One of them got to Mako, effortlessly avoiding a flame kick before proceeding with blows of her own.

Korra could hear Mako grunt behind her as the blows connected but she was too focused on her own attackers to look. She exhaled flames as they tried to close in, pushing them back. Then with a stomp, she lifted a couple of stones from the street and flung it at them in a barrage that knocked one of them back. The second one managed to dodge most of the attacks but still screamed when one hit him in the side. He quickly jumped to Korra, kicking hard. She barely dodged the kick and she summoned a water whip from her water satchel and she wrapped it around his leg and pulled hard knocking him in the air... and then blasting him with a powerful water strike, sending him back.

She turned towards Mako and saw him on his knees. He made a gesture with his fist as if he wanted to send fire at his opponent but nothing happened... and seconds later he was down on the ground, having received a powerful kick. Mako's opponent turned out towards Korra.

Korra quickly assessed him... no, her. The dark suit, mask and goggles covered the attacker head to toe but the silhouette was clearly feminine. She was light on her feet in a way that wouldn't be out of place for an airbender and Korra already saw her to be quick and strong.

And indeed, as soon as Korra began flinging fire bolts the attacker started dodging the attacks, getting closer and closer to the Avatar. She in turn jumped back, ripping cobblestones from the street and sending them at her enemy... who dodged them all.

Immediately she was on Korra, launching a quick series of strikes. Korra blocked the first one, barely dodged another, tried to strike with a fire fist but her opponent dived under the strike, hitting Korra again and again, in her stomach, side and arms.

Korra could feel a weird tingling sensation creep over her body but she didn’t' stop attacking, creating a wide arc of fire that forced her enemy back. Immediately she followed by hurling more cobblestones but this time she suddenly closed and opened her fist, exploding one of them and turning it into a rain of sharp shards.

The masked attacker dodged them all. No, not all, one of the shards cut her left arm, ripping the suit, but it didn't stop her for a moment and soon she was hitting Korra again and again, forcing her into defensive even as some blows went past her guard and struck true.

With the tingling sensation becoming even worse Korra slashed at her enemy with the water whip but she was finding it harder and harder to focus and the water barely listened to her commands and the attack was easily dodged as was the pitiful flame that she sent later...

"Ugh..." she groaned as the enemy was hitting her again and again, pounding her mercilessly.

After another powerful blow she fell to the ground. She lifted her hands trying another flame blast.... but nothing happened. Her opponent was coming closer...

And suddenly Naga, having freed herself from the ropes tying her legs, was between Korra and her opponent, roaring fiercely. The masked attacker wasted no time retreating, just waiting long enough to see if her companions also got on their bikes... and soon entire trio was speeding away.

***

Fear. Utter, mind-numbing fear.

Korra kept hitting the air with her fist. Kept stomping the ground with her foot, so hard that it hurt. But nothing worked. No fire was created. Not a stone was moved.

She wasn't able to bend.

"No, no, nonononono" she kept whispering.

No it couldn't be happening. First the access to the past lives. Now her bending. She lost it all. She was the worst Avatar ever.

"Korra! Calm down!" Mako said, grabbing her arms. "We need to think how to find Bolin."

Korra freed herself from him grip.
"You don't understand, I can't bend, I'm an Avatar who can't bend and if I can't bend then I'm..."

A failure. Nothing. Useless.

"Calm down." Mako said. "It will pass. These were Equalist chi-blockers. They can do something to you that stops you from bending but it passes after an hour or so, or at least that's what I've heard. It's not permanent."

That made Korra cam down slightly. She turned around, ashamed for him to have seen her like this. She was usually stronger than that, but the thought of losing what was the biggest part of her, the thing that made her the Avatar... it chilled her to the bone.

"Equalists? What do they want with Bolin? With the Triads?" she asked, trying to sound calm and collected again.

"I don't know." Mako said. "But they hate benders, so it can't be anything good."

Suddenly an idea came to her.
"On the first day I arrived in the city, there was this Equalist protester in Harmony Park."

Mako was skeptical.
"You think he might know something?"

Korra shrugged.
"It's the only lead we have."

He couldn't argue with this.

***

"Asami! Thank the spirits you're here!" Hiroshi shouted as soon as she entered the Equalist hideout and almost crushed her in a bear-hug. Then he stopped, noticing the bloody bandage on her arm. "You're hurt!"

Asami almost blinked, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She had no doubts that her father loved her but she also couldn't deny that ever since Yasuko's death he grew... maybe not cold but more distant. Such displays of affection were rare - almost nonexistent.

It felt good. It felt so good to hug him again, to see and feel - as opposed to just be aware of it - that he really cared, that he really worried about her, that he really loved her.

Worth getting a minor wound.

"Don't worry, it's okay." she assured him. "I tended to it."

"What happened?" he asked, clenching his fists. "Was it one of those Triad thugs?"

Asami shook her head.
"No. The Avatar and her friend started chasing us."

"The Avatar?!" Hiroshi said. "I'm so glad that you managed to escape!"

A small smile appeared on Asami's lips.
"I've kicked her ass, dad." she said. "If not for her polar bear dog, I would have brought her to you. Her and her friend. Hmm... I need to try to recall where did I see him before..."

But Hiroshi didn't care about that.
"You defeated the Avatar?" he gasped.

"She was good but it was obvious she has never fought a chi-blocker before."

"Amon needs to hear about it! But Asami, you can't risk like that! I don't know what I would do if I lost you!"

Asami hugged him.
"There is always some risk involved, but you won't lose me, dad." she assured him. "I've had the situation under control."

***

"You!" the protester shouted as soon as he saw and recognized Korra. "What do you want?!"

"It's not what I want" Korra snapped. "It's what Naga wants."

She grabbed the man by the shirt and pull him towards Naga, who opened her maw, her sharp teeth inches from the man's face. Immediately he went pale and started shaking.

Korra recalled that not long ago, she used the same interrogation technique on the corrupt judge in the Water Tribe. Still shaken from her losing her bending, she didn't really feel sorry for the protestor. She brought his head even closer to Naga's head, her saliva dripping onto his forehead.

"And right now Naga wants us to tell us where can we find the captured Triad members." she said.

"Korra!" Mako squirmed, looking at Naga. "Maybe..."

He was worried Naga would hurt the man? Good. It meant the protestor would believe that too.

"I d-don't know!" the man said.

"Sadly, Naga here doesn't believe you." Korra said.

"Hey!" the security guard - the same one who chased Korra out of the park before, she realized - shouted.

"Answer!" Korra yelled.

"The Revelation!" the Equalist screamed. "The flyers!"

And he fainted.

"Grab them." Korra shouted at Mako, pointing at the flyers, and soon they were riding away on Naga.

Chapter Text

"So the Avatar isn't invincible." Amon said. "I have suspected that. The reports from my spies among the Water Tribes say as much. But to have clear proof... good. We are all proud of you, Asami."

Asami bowed her head slightly.
"Thank you, sir." she said. "So what happens now? What do we do with the captives?"

"They will take part in the Revelation tonight." he responded. "Will you two be joining?"

Hiroshi shook his head.
"I have a meeting with the council regarding the final phase of the mech project." he said. "Which will also be a good alibi for me. Will you be joining me, Asami?"

She hesitated before answering. She wanted to be there with her father, further learning the ropes of running his business empire. But this... Revelation. This was going to be her father's and her true work - pushing the Republic of Nations closer to equality.

"If I'm not necessary, may I attend the Revelation, father?" she asked.

He nodded.
"Of course, Asami." Hiroshi said. "I envy you. I know it will be something... special."

"I will need your daughter to deal with the technical part of the... event." Amon said. "And since Lieutenant Tazaki hasn't returned yet, can I count on you, Asami, to manage the prisoners?"

"Yes, sir." Asami said.

***

"Wow, Korra..." Mako said, looking uncomfortably. "I want to find Bolin but... would you really have let... your polar bear dog... eat him?"

She chuckled. She recovered her bending so she was in a much better mood right now.

"Of course not. But he didn't know it, did he?"

"Well, you sounded very convincing." Mako said. "But it seems, he lied to us anyway. I don't see anything on those flyers that could help us. But... wait a moment!" he said turning a flyer around and looking at its other side. "It's a puzzle! A part for a map!"

"Good, let's figure out where it leads." Korra said. "Then we can get Bolin out. I have an idea."

***

Managing the captives was easier said than done. It wasn't that bad with the Triad thugs who insulted her, glared at her or even tried to free themselves. She had a couple of Equalist guards with her and besides she was more than capable of dealing with them on her own.

No, the problem was with the last one.

He just wouldn't. Stop. Talking.

"This is all big misunderstanding! A mistake! A funny mistake that we will all be laughing about soon! Soon after you release me!" he kept talking.

"Oh, shut up you worm!" Lightning Bolt Zolt barked, apparently one thing he and Asami agreed on, but the last thug – Bolin as he said over a dozen times - didn't stop.

"I'm not a Triad member, you see. I'm a pro-bending player! I just needed some money to play in the championship! So I agreed to do some jobs for these guys, but it was only supposed to be security! I didn't hurt anyone!"

"Because we stopped you." Asami said, trying to disguise her voice. She had the mask on and there was little chance she would ever see him unmasked, but she was not one to take needless risks.

She wished she could gag him again, but he needed to eat and drink something. Just as she never took unnecessary risks, she was also never needlessly cruel.

"I wasn't going to hurt anyone!" Bolin kept insisting. "I would have refused! I'm a good guy, I swear! Oh! I'm playing in the same team as Korra! You know, the Avatar! She can vouch for me!"

"The Avatar?" Asami turned to him.
Now this was interesting…

That's where she saw him! In her quest to learn as much about the Avatar as she could Asami learned that she did indeed start playing in pro-bending matches - as absurd as it sounded - and she saw the picture of the Avatar and her team - the Fire Ferrets - after their first victory together. She focused mostly on how cheerful and radiant the Avatar looked but... yes, this Bolin was there in the picture.

"Yes! With the Avatar! See? I'm a good guy!" he assured her.

"So the Avatar spends time with Triad thugs? Disgusting." she snarled, feeling anger building inside her. And the Avatar seemed so sincere during her press conference... she swallowed the bitter disappointment she was feeling. "Now finish eating or I will gag you again."

***

Asami couldn't stop herself from feeling a creeping feeling of excitement as she watched the sea of heads gathered in the hall. So many Equalists and if not Equalists than at least Equalist supporters and sympathizers. If she ever had doubts that she was doing the right thing, supporting Amon's campaign of subversion instead of acting legally, through the council, they were dispelled when she saw how many people gathered under their banner.

It was clear that the Republic City citizens yearned for equality and they didn't feel the council - composed solely of benders - was working to bring it to them.

She had a certain idea what the Revelation would be about, Amon did not keep his inner circle in the dark, but to know it and to witness it... these were two different things. She wondered what impression it would make on those people in the audience.

For now she heard them gasp as Amon arrived on the scene, brought up by a platform, surrounded by Lieutenant Tazaki and his best men. Asami herself was backstage, where all the sound and light equipment was, utilizing her engineering background and skills to make sure everything went without a hitch.

"My quest for equality began many years ago. When I was a boy, my family and I lived on a small farm. We weren't rich, and none of us were benders." Asami, of course, knew Amon's history but his voice, magnified by the sound equipment, sent shivers down her spine. She could see the audience drinking the Equalist leader's words. " This made us very easy targets for the firebender who extorted my father. One day, my father confronted this man, but when he did, that firebender took my family from me. Then, he took my face." She could hear a collective gasp from the crowd. Amon was in full control of their attention. " I've been forced to hide behind a mask ever since. As you know, the Avatar has recently arrived in Republic City."

Now he had to stop, the crowd booing at the very mention of the Avatar and her presence in Republic City. Finally he lifted his hand and the angry sounds slowly subsided.

"And if she were here, she would tell you that bending brings balance to the world. But, she is wrong." Amon resumed his speech. "The only thing bending has brought to the world, is suffering. The only thing *she* brought was suffering as well. The suffering as the spirit vines and spirits started taking over our beautiful city, forcing so many of you out of your homes! She brought suffering participating in the civil war among the Water Tribes in order to make her own father the Tribe Chief!"

More boos, more angry shouts. Asami shifted uncomfortably, not sure what to think. Moments later she was angry at the Avatar at associating with a Triad thug and playing pro-bending while people suffered. She agreed with Amon, but... Asami thought of the Avatar as she spoke during the conference. Sure she might have made mistakes but she didn't think the Avatar purposefully brought the spirits and spirit vines. Most of all, during her research into the Avatar, Asami learned that it was Unalaq who usurped power from the Avatar's father and later provoked the war and only after he was defeated, the Avatar's father, Tonraq returned to power.

That put the situation in a different light... though Asami understood that here and now, in front of those people, was not the right place and time to get into such nuances. Amon was right in that the Avatar's ignorance brought suffering on these people and that she caused much more harm than good.

"While Avatar Aang was a bender too, he at least brought the tyrant Ozai down and fought for peace, travelling the land and helping people." Amon kept talking. "While this Korra spent her childhood secluded, ignoring the needs of others and once she started acting she brought only chaos and destruction. She is not worthy of filling Aang's shoes!"

Asami found herself nodding. Amon was right. The Avatar might not have brought the spirit vines infestation on purpose but she caused it and Asami always thought that ignorance and foolishness were not excuses or extenuating circumstances.

"But that is about to change. I know you have been wondering, 'What is the Revelation?' You are about to get your answer." Amon was now getting to the main point of his speech. "Since the beginning of time, the spirits have acted as guardians of our world, and they have spoken to me. They say the Avatar has failed humanity. That is why the spirits have chosen me to usher in a new era of balance. They have granted me a power that will make Equality a reality. The power to take a person's bending away. Permanently."

Now the gasp from the audience was like a whoosh of a powerful wind. Asami could imagine what they were feeling. Disbelief? If she hasn't seen Amon's gift in action she might not have believed he could do this, that he had this power.

"Now, for a demonstration. Please welcome, Lightning Bolt Zolt." Amon spoke again. That was the sign Asami was waiting for. She pressed a button on her console and a red light was lit in the corridor. At that, an Equalist guard led their bound captives to the stage. Meanwhile Amon kept talking. "Leader of the Triple Threat Triad, and one of the most notorious criminals in Republic City."

There was more booing from the crowd but Asami frowned. As much as she hated the foolish mistakes the Avatar has made that led to so much chaos and destruction in Republic City, they were just mistakes, not malicious actions, not constant abuse and extortion like it was in Zolt's case. That had been booed more than he was felt... unfair.

Zolt on the other hand must have thought he was being treated too harshly as he snapped at the crowd:
"Ah, boo yourself!"

Amon's amplified voice cut through the angry shouts of the crowd.
"Zolt has amassed a fortune by extorting and abusing nonbenders. But his reign of terror is about to come to an end. Now, in the interest of fairness, I will give Zolt the chance to fight to keep his bending."

At this moment, Lieutenant Tazaki approached Zolt and removed the ropes binding him. The mob boss got up, stretched and smirked at Amon.

"You're gonna regret doing that, pal." he said...

... and he didn't even finish talking when he started flinging fire bolts at Amon. Asami has never seen Amon fight. She has heard from Lietenant Tazaki that it was a thing to behold but he has never took part in any of their trainings or sparring matches. So it was the first time as she could watch and admire how her leader moved, effortlessly dodging all Zolt's attacks.

Even when he switched to lightning it didn't do him any good, with Amon ducking under the electricity, grabbing his wrist and pointing it upwards. He pushed Zolt to his knees, grabbing his neck with his hand. Asami knew what would happen now. Suddenly Amon released his grip on the hand that was shooting lightning, but before the mobster could take advantage of that, Amon put his thumb on the man's forehead. For a second nothing happened and then... Zolt's lightning first started gettign smaller and weaker, than turned into a flames which also quickly dissipated...

Amon stood back, releasing his grip. Zolt - not "Lightning Bolt Zolt" anymore, Asami thought - fell to the floor. Quickly he got up, flinging his hands at Amon... but nothing happened. No flame. No lightning. And it was just chi-blocking. Amon did it with just a single touch and, if what he said was true and there was no reason to suspect him of lying, it would be permanent.

The era of abuse from benders was coming to an end.

"Wha ... what did you do to me?" Zolt asked, shocked, stumbling on his feet, as the crowd gasp having understood what they witnessed.

"Your firebending is gone. Forever. The era of bending is over. A new era of Equality has begun!" Amon spoke, putting Asami's thoughts into words and bringing more collective gasps from the crowd.

Meanwhile Lieutenant Tazaki released the second of the captured Triad members - the sleazy one calling himself Shady Shin. He was much less eager to fight Amon and had to be pushed towards the Equalist leader but quickly began attacking with his water strikes. Amon dodged them as easily as he did with Zolt's fire attacks and soon the mobster was on his knees as well, Amon's thumb on his forehead, his bending being taken from him.

The next two benders didn't do any better, losing their bending after a short fight. Another one tried running again but Amon could him quickly and removed his bending as well. Now it was time of the last one, the talkative one - Bolin. Lieutenant Tazaki released him, but this mobster also knew better than to fight.

"Uh, hello, Amon, sir." he said, fidgeting nervously, backing away as Amon was approaching him. "I think there's been a big misunderstanding. See, I'm not a Triad member! I have never abused anyone! Just ask my brother! Or... err... maybe Pabu?!"

Amon took another step closer...

Asami turned around as she heard a giant explosion. Then the crowd began screaming as steam filled the audience and the scene. What was happening? Asami was certain the machines were in good condition and even if they weren't the steam should go up the vents not be pushed into the central hall! Suddenly feeling worried, she put her mask on, the goggles protecting her eyes from the steamy cloud.

"Everyone freeze! It is the police!" a sound, amplified by megaphones filled the building.

The police?! Here?!

Asami looked at the stage but even with her goggles, she couldn't see anyone. The Equalists had protocols and procedures for such situation and she had to trust that the others were following them. It was time to escape.

She didn't get far when she felt something wrap itself around her ankle and with a pull she was knocked off her feet. She looked back to see one of the metalbender policemen having grabbed her with his metal cable. Immediately she pulled as well, knocking him down and having him release the cable. They got up at the same time but Asami was faster when it came to attack. She closed the distance hitting him again and again, but the only thing she achieved was to hurt her hands against his armour. He grabbed a metal bar of his belt and hurled it at her, the piece of metal turning into handcuffs mid-flight, but she dodged this and with a quick hit to his neck, she knocked him down. Another kick got rid of his helmet and with a quick blow to the back of his head, she knocked him unconscious.

She didn't even have time to sigh in relief as another cable wrapped itself around her waist pulling her back and onto the floor. Immediately another policeman attacked her, jumping on top of her, pinning her down.

And seconds later he was screaming, screaming in pain as Lieutenant Tazaki shocked him from behind with his stun batons, the metal armour that protected the policeman from chi-blocking blows being not a protection but vulnerability against electricity.

As Asami pushed the metalbender's unconscious body off her, Tazaki helped her to her feet and led her backstage, to the back entrance.

As they moved Asami saw Equalists and their supporters being in full retreat, with the policemen attacking from all directions. The brutality of the attack shocked her, as she saw one of the policeman knock an old man from the audience to the floor, brutally twist his hands behind his back before cuffing her with a metalbent armband. Somewhere else she saw another policeman kicking an already lying woman, who was just trying to get up. She clenched her fists, wanting to jump into the fray and help those people but she knew it wasn’t time for that. She couldn’t win and couldn’t let herself be captured.

Suddenly a cable slashed against the wall just in front of her. She stopped and turned and saw an armoured grey-haired woman, standing there. Asami recognized her in an instant – Chief Lin Beifong. Lieutenant Tazaki grabbed his shock sticks and lunged at her, but with a twist of her wrist, she wrapped one the cables on his ankle and knocked him down. With another short movement, another one of her cables grabbed Asami by the waist…

And two masked Equalist fighters jumped from the steam at Lin. She released Asami and Tazaki and turned to face them. The chi blocking blows of one of them did nothing against the police Chief’s armour and with a quick kick she knocked him down before sending another one flying back with a sweeping strike of her cables.

“We have to run” Tazaki whispered, helping Asami to her feet.
Together they rushed towards the back entrance…

There were two men there already, climbing down the metal ladder. She recognized both of them. One of them was the talkative Triad goon - Bolin - the second one was the one that chased her before with the Avatar. She now realized she saw him in the picture from the Avatar's pro-bending match. They were her teammates.

Tazaki lunged forward, sending an electric shock down the ladder but both of them let it go before it hit them. Immediately he jumped off after them with Asami following suit. While Tazaki ran at the firebender, Asami took Bolin. Here, on the street, he felt more confident than back at Triple Thread headquarters. With a twist of his hips he made the ground under Asami shift but she was ready for that, jumping away before closing distance. He ripped cobblestones from the pavement, hurling them at her, but just as she did when the Avatar did this, Asami dodged those strikes. With a quick, sweeping kick she knocked Bolin's legs from underneath him. A quick look back told her that Lieutenant Tazaki pushed the firebender against the wall and hit him with both electrified sticks, shocking him.

"You benders need to understand, there's no place in the world for you anymore." Tazaki said.

Suddenly, Asami more felt than saw or heard a shift, but this time she was too late to act. Pillars of rock shot from the ground, sending both Tazaki and Asami flying against the nearest building. Asami managed to turn so that she didn't hit it hard, but Lieutenant dropped to the ground, groaning.

"I wouldn't count us out just yet." the Avatar said, standing in earthbender stance.

Asami did her best to ignore her sore body and took her own battle stance as well.

The Avatar was here? She came here, risking herself to... do what? Free a mob goon? A pro-bender? A friend? On the Avatar's face, whenever her gaze fell on Bolin and the firebender, Asami could read concern and worry.

Curious. Asami would need to ask her. After she's finished kicking some Avatar ass. Again.

Suddenly there was movement and Amon and more Equalist guards ran out of the building. The Avatar glanced at them and whistled.

"Naga!"

Asami stepped back as the giant polar bear dog appeared in the alley. The Avatar and the firebender got on its back while the beast grabbed - surprisingly gently - Bolin in its maw.

Lieutenant Tazaki got to his knees as Amon and the other Equalists jumped down, next to them.

"Get them!" Tazaki said and with his men behind him, began approaching the Avatar and her group.

"We don't have time for that." Asami whispered to them. "The police is here."

It came to her as a certain surprise but she had an ulterior motive in this. She wanted another fight with the Avatar. She wanted to be the one to defeat her and bring her to Amon. But... not until she learned all there was to learn about the Avatar. Not until she understood her.

Amon just nodded and raised his hand.
"Stop" he called to his men. "She will be the perfect messenger to tell the city of my power."

Asami watched the Avatar ride away only for a moment, before the Equalists dispersed. She left as well, before the police appeared on the scene.

Chapter Text

"I still don't think that was the wise course of action." Tenzin complained, looking sharply at Korra. "The police raiding an Equalist rally will surely antagonize them further."

"They are already antagonized plenty." Tarrlok said. "And it's not as if we raided them for their views. We had a credible witness," the councilman looked at Korra. "the Avatar, who saw the Equalists kidnapping Triad members. Of course the fact that these were Triad thugs doesn't excuse a kidnapping, does it?"

"Of course" Lin responded icily and then looked at Korra. "We don't allow vigilante justice in Republic City."

Korra ignored her glare.
"Aren't we forgetting the most important thing?" she asked. "You know, the part about Amon being able to take a person's bending away?! For good!"

"Is that even possible?" Lin asked. “I’ve questioned the captured Equalists and their sympathizers and either they aren’t talking or they honestly didn’t know who Amon is or that he even had such a power. I don’t understand how it is possible…”

"As far as I know only the Avatar possesses this power." Tenzin shook his head while Tarrlok looked around nervously.

"I know what I saw!" Korra exclaimed.

Tenzin sighed.
"I believe you, Korra." he said. "But this is very worrying. Who is this Amon to wield such power?"

"And if he can do that... no bender is safe." Lin added.

***

Asami knocked on the door to her father's study. Even at home, they respected each other's privacy and always knocked before entering. There was always a chance that the person in the room was busy having an important business call or concentrated fully on some design.

"Come in!" Hiroshi called and Asami walked in.

This time her father indeed was working on some designs, a quick glance at the papers and blueprints lying on the neat desk told her that these were the designs for the mechs that were to be used - as far as the Council knew - to fight the spirit vines.

"Is everything fine?" she asked.

She would be surprised if he had any complaints - after all it was her who contributed a lot to the designs. Still, even she could be wrong sometimes and was grateful that he was going over her ideas to make sure everything was correct.

"Yes, of course." he said. "I believe we have enough resources and materials for the first batch of these and we will be ready to begin the construction very soon."

He lifted his head and looked Asami in the eyes with an intensity that has startled her.

"Very soon indeed. Very soon we will be ready."

She didn't have to ask what he wanted to be ready for. It was obvious. To strike back at the bender establishment. And as much as she wanted that, the thought made her somewhat... uncomfortable. Worried.

Soon, however she relaxed, looking back at her father.

"And how can I help you, Asami?" he asked, smiling warmly at her.

"Two things, dad." she said. "First of all, I was thinking about my fight against the policemen. Their armour blocks the chi-blocking blows so we need some form of weapon to counter that. Lieutenant Tazaki proved that electricity is a good way to deal with them."

"So you want to mass produce the shock-sticks he uses?" Hiroshi asked.

Asami shook her head.
"No, they are surprisingly hard to master." she said. "Lieutenant Tazaki trained with them for years. Most of our men are trained in hand to hand combat, so we need to capitalize on that. I prepared some designs..."

She took out the blueprints and put on the desk. Hiroshi looked through them quickly but - she knew - carefully.

"A glove?" he asked. "Or rather a gauntlet?"

"A shock-gauntlet." Asami clarified.

"These look interesting and feasible." he said. "I will review them more closely and if all is fine, and I doubt I will have any doubts, I will order them to be produced. But you mentioned two things, what's the other one?"

"What do you know about pro-bending?" she asked him.

He snorted.
"Glorifying bending even as form of entertainment... one that is out of reach for ordinary citizens." he said.

She nodded.
"Yes, but I think you should start taking interest in it. Maybe start sponsoring a team."

Hiroshi didn't argue.
"I was considering this, to be honest. Not only would it be good promotion for Future Industries, but also it would make it hard for many to suspect that we support the Equalist cause." he said. "However I didn't have time to conduct a research on which teams should I support... and a ruse or not, I refuse to sponsor losers."

"That Triple Threat member was telling the truth." Asami said as she put the newspaper she was holding onto the desk. The picture on the front page showed three pro-benders waving their hands at the cheering audience. Their helmets were off and their faces were clearly visible. Two were men and she recognized both. The first one was the Triple Triad member that the Avatar rescued and the other was the man who helped her with the rescue. But the third face on the photo belonged to the Avatar. The Avatar, looking so happy and smiling so brightly that Asami wanted...

"The Avatar joined the team known as the Fire Ferrets." she said.

"Hmmpff. So the Avatar not only saved Triad members but also prefers taking part in silly games to performing her actual role? Why am I not surprised?" Hiroshi muttered.

"Still, this is good news for us. As this team will be my venue for approaching her."

"And how will you do it?"

"Leave that to me." Asami's smiled.

***

"Mako, once again, I'm so so sorry." Bolin said for the n-th time. "I just wanted to help you for once and get some money..."

"Don't worry about it." Mako sighed. "The important part is that you are safe. But I hope that taught you a lesson about working with the Triads!"

"Oh yes! Never again! Cross my heart!" Bolin said. "But I couldn't expect those Equalists to go after them."

"No, neither could I." Mako muttered. "Korra, you're awfully quiet."

"Huh?" Korra, lost in her thoughts, lifted her head. "He can take people's bending." she said. "For good. That's supposed to be impossible for anyone except the Avatar."

"Can you do it?" Mako asked.

"No idea, it's not as if I was given a manual." Korra muttered. "But probably not."

"Wait, I remember some stories that... that our mum used to tell us. About Aang. Doesn't the Avatar have access to the knowledge of all the other Avatars? Couldn't you ask them for hints?"

Korra scratched the back of her neck.
"I... kinda lost them."

Bolin blinked.
"I’ve lost plenty of stuff, spare change, a sandwich, once even Pabu… but how... how do you lose past lives?"

"I don't want to talk about it!" she snapped.

"Sorry... I didn't mean..." Bolin lifted his hands. "I'm sorry."

"Soooo..." Mako said interrupting the awkward silence that followed. "I guess that's it for the Fire Ferrets. The deadline for bringing in the money is tomorrow and there is no way we can get thirty thousand yuans. We can't even get one thousand."

"Sorry, guys." Korra said as she started removing her protective gear. "I..." she hesitated. "I hope... I hope we could still be in touch? Even though we don't play together?"

"Sure thing!" Bolin exclaimed. "You're great."

"Yes." Mako just said.

"Hey, kids." Toza said entering the training area. "There's someone to meet you."

"What?" Mako reflexively looked at the darkness behind the window. "At this hour? Who?"

"What? Am I your personal assistant? Ask her yourself!" Toza said, turned around and left.

The trio barely had time to look at each other, before Korra saw the most beautiful woman ever enter. She had long, raven-black hair, perfect make-up with crimson lipstickon her full lips and was wearing a black and red suit, emphasizing her slender silhouette with high-heels accentuating her long legs.

She looked at Mako and Bolin, wondering if they recognize her but they were both staring at her, mouths and eyes wide open. Mako looked as if he was going to faint any moment now and Bolin was this close to drooling.

So it seemed it fell on Korra to carry the conversation.
"How... how can we help you?" Korra began.

"Good evening." the woman said. "I am sorry to come at such late hour but it seemed to me it was better if we met sooner rather than later. My name is Asami Sato and..."

"Sato?" Mako gasped. "As in Satomobiles-Sato?"

A small smile appeared on Asami's lips.
"Yes, Hiroshi Sato is my father." she explained.

"So your family is behind those smelly monstrosities that cover the whole city in smog?" Korra asked before she could think better of it.

Asami Sato just frowned but the smile didn't disappear from her lips.
"That's... an interesting way to look at it, but yes, my family is behind the widespread use of these vehicles."

"Wow, you sound really familiar!" Bolin suddenly exclaimed, before Korra could say something more. "Haven't we met?"

Mako rolled his eyes.
"Bolin, where could you have met Asami *Sato*?" he groaned.

"Well, maybe you have heard me in the radio?" Asami suggested. "I sometimes give interviews there."

"Oh, that must have been it." Bolin agreed.

"Well, where are our manners?" Mako suddenly spoke. "My name is Mako and these..."

"Are your brother, Bolin and Avatar Korra." Asami finished for him before looking at Korra. "I actually saw you, Avatar, during your conference. I enjoyed listening to you."

"Well, if so then you were one of the few ones who did." Korra muttered. "And it's just Korra."

"You sounded very sincere."

Korra didn't know how to react to that and so she was grateful for Mako coming to the rescue.

"How did you know to find us here, Ms. Sato?" Mako asked.

"Please just call me Asami." she responded. "And I know that the two of you have quarters here. I do my best to learn as much as I can about the people I want to enter business with."

"Business, what business?" Bolin asked.

"What can we do for you, Ms... Asami." Mako asked.

"I'll get straight to the point. Future Industries wants to sponsor the Fire Ferrets." she said.

"Sponsor?" Korra frowned.

"Rich folks sometime give money to sports teams in return for... well, I'm not sure for what." Bolin said, scratching his head. "I'm fuzzy on how it works exactly."

"The Fire Ferrets are one of the best new teams." Asami said. "And I'll be honest with you, the fact that it is the team with the Avatar playing in it would be great for Future Industries marketing."

"Well, sadly you're late." Mako said. "Future Ferrets won't be competing in the championship."

"You will." Asami assured him. "You tried too hard to get to it. I did my research and it seems to me, that the problem is that you need thirty thousand yuans to participate in the tournament, right?"

"Right." Mako sighed.

Asami took a piece of paper and gave it to Mako. Korra and Bolin saw him open his eyes comically wide.

"It's... it's..." he stuttered, swallowed and spoke again. "It's a cheque... for thirty-five thousand yuans!"

"The extra five thousand is for any operating expenses you might have or for just celebrating your team getting to the championship." Asami said.

"Wow, I just..." he stuttered. "Thank you, Ms. Sato. Asami. Thank you."

"No problem. I will now leave you, I'm sure you all want to celebrate together." she said. "But I will be grateful if we could meet up soon to discuss the exact conditions. Maybe the day after tomorrow? But don't worry, the only things that we will require will be things like you wearing Future Industries logo or being know as 'Future Industries Fire Ferrets' from now on."

"Of course! Of course! That's fine!" Bolin shouted.

"And after all is settled, I'd love you to meet my father as well." she smiled.

"It would be an honour, Asami." Mako said and to Korra he looked as if he was inches from falling to his knees and proposing to the woman.

Korra swallowed a feeling of annoyance that suddenly washed over her. She was going to play in the championships! That was what mattered!

"See you soon, then." Asami said. "Mako, Bolin. Avatar. Korra. I look forward to working with all of you."

Korra had a weird impression that when Asami said it, her emerald-green eyes were focused on her.

***

"I have heard that you made contact with the Avatar, Asami?" Amon spoke.

"Yes, I have approached her through her pro-bending team." Asami said.

"Future Industries will sponsor these... Fire Ferrets." Hiroshi added. "That would allow us to keep an eye on the Avatar. It was Asami's idea."

"Once our cooperation takes off, I'll do my best to befriend her." Asami said. "Sadly she seems to have got quite close with her teammates but I'm sure she would appreciate to have a female friend as well."

"You two are a gift for our movement." Amon said. "And thank you for all your work."

"The Avatar needs to be taken down!" Hiroshi snapped. "If not for everything she's done to our city than for ruining the Revelation!"

Asami could swear that behind his mask, Amon was smiling.
"The Avatar will be taken down... in time." he said. "But she didn't ruined anything. Police raiding our rally? Their brutality have convinced many of those who were undecided to join us. And the Avatar already began spreading the word of my power. The benders are beginning to feel afraid."

"Good!" Hiroshi said. "Finally they should be the ones who are afraid!"

Amon watched him for a moment before he spoke.
"As I said, you two are the blessing from the spirits for our movement." he said. "And for everything that you have done for us, I wanted to do something for you. Lieutenant, please bring them in."

The door opened and two bound and gagged figures were brought in, Lieutenant Tazaki walking behind them, jabbing them with his shock-sticks whenever they stopped.

"Some more mobsters?" Hiroshi asked. "Did we recapture them after the Revelation?"

"Yes and no." Amon corrected him. "They are mobsters but not ordinary ones and they weren't present during the Revelation. I have had Lieutenant to capture them while you, Asami, went after the Triple Threats."

"Why weren't they... equalized?" Asami asked, using the term Amon developed for his power.

"If that is what you want me to do, I will do so." Amon promised. "But I thought you might want to do... something else to them. You see these two belong to the Agni Kais."

Hiroshi's face darkened and Asami found herself clenching her fists.

"Not just any Agni Kais, though." Amon continued. "It took me and Lieutenant Tazaki some time to find them... but these two were the ones who broke to your home that night. The ones who killed Yasuko."

There was a long, long silence.

For a moment only Asami wanted to say to give them to the police but she quickly dismissed the idea. If the police didn't capture them then, what could they do now, after so many years? Without any evidence?

But in such case...

"What... what will you do with them?" Hiroshi asked.

"Whatever you wish." Amon said. "But I thought... that maybe you want to do something. Lieutenant?"

Lieutenant Tazaki handed one of his shock sticks to Hiroshi who, after short hesitation he took it. Then another stick was presented to Asami who also took it into her hand. Suddenly it felt heavy.

Slowly, very slowly, Hiroshi approached the two gagged men and removed their gags.

"Is this true?" he asked. "You killed my Yasuko?"

"No! Of course not! We never killed anyone!" one of them shouted.

"Oh, shut it." the other one barked. "You know how many people we've killed? It wasn't personal. She was in the wrong place and the wrong time and..."

His words were turned into a grunt and then a scream as the shock hit him.

"You took her from me! From us! You took her away!" Hiroshi kept screaming as he kept hitting the mobster again and again, each strike followed by an energy discharge.

And then... he stopped. Some part of Asami's mind wondered if she shouldn't feel sick watching the still, dead, bloody body in front of her but she didn't feel anything. Anything at all.

"No! Please! Let me go! I'm sorry!" the other thug started begging as Hiroshi turned to look at him.

Asami's father made a step forward, stopped and looked at Asami and at the shock-stick in her hand.

"Do you want..?" he asked.

There were so many things Asami could have said. She could have said that she wants to do it herself. That she wants him to be spared. That she wants him to be released, imprisoned or equalized.

She didn't say anything.

Not even when Hiroshi began hitting the thug. She should have stopped her father. This was wrong. But she couldn't deny it - she wanted the man to be dead. She just didn't like seeing her kind father turn into this merciless killer in front of her eyes.

Only when Hiroshi stopped, breathing heavily over two corpses, Asami felt tears running down her cheeks and felt something in her die.

She knew Hiroshi was now Amon's, body and soul. The Equalist leader gave him a chance to take revenge for the death of Yasuko and Hiroshi would never forget that. And Asami? Asami realized she also belonged to Amon and the Equalists. She sacrificed her own morals this time by not interfering in this... execution. She sacrificed her morals for Amon and her father. She was bound to them now.

* * *

“I never thought I'd be so happy to see your ugly mugs again.” Ming-Hua said.

Ghazan smiled warmly.
“Great to see you too, Ming-Hua.” He said.

She turned towards Zaheer.
“I'm flattered. You busted me out before that girlfriend of yours.” She said then extended her water-arms and hugged both of them.

She could see that they were surprised and true, she usually wasn’t one to go all soft on anyone, but she could have been nice for once to celebrate her freedom.

“We’re getting her next.” Zaheer said. “And then we’re moving to Republic City. If what my spies report is true, there are interesting things happening there. Beautiful chaos that needs only a push before everything falls down like a house of cards…”

Chapter Text

Korra stumbled across the ice, the spiritual, almost intimate pain of Raava being torn from her and almost obliterated before her eyes making her stumble and fall every couple of steps. Unalaq's mocking laughter followed her.

"How will you find a way, Korra? Without the previous Avatars to guide you? How will you find the way?" he kept asking. "Face it Korra, you are no Avatar. You are nothing!"

Korra, breathing hard, finally reached the spirit portal and jumped into it... landing on the wooden floor of her room on Air Temple Island.

She let out a sigh of relief. It was just a nightmare, just another nightmare. She was safe.

Suddenly they were on top of her, three masked Equalists. With a swooping kick she sent a wave of fire at them knocking them back... no, knocking TWO of the three back. The last one - Korra just KNEW it was the one who defeated her when she and Mako were chasing Bolin's kidnappers - jumped over the incoming flames. Korra turned towards the glass of water on her nightstand, froze the liquid inside and sent it glass and ice at the Equalist... who easily dodged the projectile. Seconds later she was next to Korra. She tried to defend herself but it was for naught. Strike, strike, strike. With terrifying precision the Equalist stroke the chi-points on Korra body, sending her sprawling to the floor, unable to bend and defenseless.

The other two Equalists immediately got up and grabbed Korra, keeping her in place... and suddenly she saw Amon towering over her.

"You really think that he took everything from you?" he asked as he kneeled next to her. "No. But when I will take your bending away, you truly will be nothing. You already lost the access to the knowledge of previous Avatars and now you will lose your bending. You are truly the worst Avatar of them all. A failure."

And he put his thumb on her forehead...

Korra woke up with a scream.

It was a nightmare. Just nightmare. But... was this know a reality or just another dream? She lifted her hand - and was shocked to see how much it was trembling - and summoned a flame. She could bend, at least there was that. But so her dreams began.

Suddenly, in the darkness of the night, the shadows created by the flame in her hand started looking ominous, like dark spirits or Equalists ready to attack her.

Korra dispelled the flame and started sobbing. And then there was a movement! They were coming for her!

But there was just a sad whine and Naga entered the room. Suddenly the night didn't seem so scary anymore. Naga laid her head on Korra's lap, looking at her with her compassionate eyes.

"Don't worry, big girl, I'm alright." Korra said and started scratching the polar bear dog. "It was just a bad dream."

***

Asami dodged the kick and quickly closed in, attacking with a flurry of attacks.
“Sloppy! Sloppy!” Lieutenant Tazaki said, effortlessly dodging or blocking each blow.

Asami grunted in frustration, went low and immediately swiped at her opponent’s leg with a wide kick… which he avoided without a problem and with a quick kick to her side knocked her down.

“You telegraph your moves way in advance!” he chastised her.

She got to her feet, ran at him and began a combination of lightning fast strikes and kicks… that didn’t seem to do much.

“Now you’re making the opposite mistake!” he calmly criticized her technique as he slowly moved back, blocking each strike. “Sure, I can’t know where you will strike if you don’t know it as well, but swinging and flailing your hands and legs is not the right away!”

No, he was not going to get into her head! She moved to the side, dodging his fist and went in for an elbow strike. He blocked it so she turned the attack into a jab… and found herself lying on her back as he grabbed her hand and threw her.

“Asami, I think we need to talk.” Tazaki said, offering her his hand.
“No, I came here to train not to talk.” Asami said, ignoring his hand and getting up.

He barely had time to get into fighting stance when she attacked him again. This time as she lunged with a quick strike, he blocked her hand and tripped her, making her land on the floor with a loud groan of frustration. This time, however, he didn’t let her get up, following her to the floor, grabbing her wrists and pinning her down.

“Let me go!” she snapped.
“We need to talk.” Tazaki replied, ignoring the green fire blazing in her eyes.

She strained and fought trying to free herself, but Tazaki’s hold wouldn’t budge. Finally, with another groan of frustration she stopped struggling.

“I need to train” she tried to reason with him. “I beat the Avatar once, but that doesn’t mean I will be able to do it again. I need to get better.”

“You need to train, yes.” He agreed. “But what you’re doing today is not training.”
“Oh? And what is it?” she snapped.
“You’re trying to vent your aggression.” He said. “Find an outlet for it. And it’s not going to help. You need to focus on the source of it. And we both know what that is.”

Asami frowned.
“Oh? And you know me so well, do you?” she asked.

It was meant to sound aggressive, but he frowned, considering her words.
“I’m not sure.” He finally said. “You’re difficult to read. But one does not spend so much time with Amon without learning a bit to recognize what makes people tick. And what I can read is your fighting technique. And today… it’s sloppy. Overly aggressive. Chaotic.”

Asami glared at him.
“You can talk to me.” He said.

She kept silent.
“Seeing your father like this… it can’t have been easy.” Tazaki said.

Another moment of silence.
“No, it wasn’t.” she finally said.

This time it was Lieutenant Tazaki’s turn to keep silent. He released her and stepped away and she sat on the floor, hugging her knees, but didn’t try to get up or resume the fight.

“I… I don’t really blame him.” Asami spoke after a long while. “I wanted to see them dead. I’m… I’m glad they are dead. But… but seeing him do it… it felt strange. Wrong. He was always… always so kind.”

“He is a good man.” Tazaki assured her.
“I know he is.” Asami agreed immediately. “And I love him. I just… didn’t know he had it in him to act… like this. And..?”
“And..?”

“And I didn’t know… I had it in me… to just stand and watch.” She whispered. “I was never one to be just a passive witness.” She offered Tazaki an anxious smile. “We Satos never are. I should have either stopped him… or… or joined him. She was my mother, after all.”

“Killing someone… it’s not easy, Asami.”
“It shouldn’t be.” She said. “However… it made me reevaluate my priorities. I wasn’t ready or willing to kill for personal reasons. I wonder…”

“You wonder if you would be able to kill for other reasons?”
“I hope it never comes to it.” Asami said. “I really do. But Amon’s revolution… even with his power to take away bending permanently… can we be sure no one will die? There will be no collateral damage? We’re making machines of war!”

“I know Amon wants the revolution to be as bloodless as possible.” Tazaki assured her.
“I know he does. But I know history as well. Was there ever a bloodless revolution or war?”
“There was not.” Tazaki sighed. “And you’re wondering if you can help with that?”

“I agree with Amon’s goals. And I know the bending establishment won’t release their hold on power easily… however…” she sighed and shrugged. “I am not sure if I believe that the end justify the means.”

“The end we speak about is a noble one.” Tazaki said. “Equality and freedom from oppression. Amon knows what he’s doing.”
“I… I hope so.” Asami said.

***

Flame strike! Flame strike! Kick, sending a boulder from underneath the snow! And sweeping hand motion that summoned a circle of water that surrounded Korra before slashing off a branch of the nearest tree.

Then she tried to focus on airbending. She had really thought that once she passed the spinning gates test, once she began to utlize airbending movements in her pro-bending matches, learning to *actually airbend* would come naturally. And yet, this ability seemed as far away from her as it had been before.

And the nightmares... Unalaq has haunted her dreams for months now. And then... finally she was free of him and of the dreams. But one encounter - even if distant - with Amon and it was all back, Unalaq's shadow was back and now Amon appeared in her dreams as well.

Korra had thought that nothing, save for death, could be worse than what Unalaq did to her, from losing the access to the past wisdom of all the past Avatars. And yet... What Amon could do would be *worse* than death. She couldn't imagine having her bending taken away from her, couldn't imagine living after being violated so. Without her bending she wouldn't be the Avatar, anymore. She would be...

A failure.
Nothing.

With a frustrated groan she kicked into the air but instead of an airgust, a gout of flames hit the nearest tree, setting it on fire. Korra grabbed water from the sea and waterbent it at the burning plant, extinguishing the fire.

Amon.

When she closed her eyes, she could see him and he's featureless mask. She could feel his presence. She could hear his cold, confident voice.

*She REALLY could hear his voice.*

"Good evening, my fellow Equalists." Korra stopped her training and looked around, her eyes finally concentrating on the radio from which the voice was coming. She could feel her mouth go instantly dry and when she brought her hand to her face, she found it trembling. "This is your leader, Amon. As you have heard, the Republic Council has voted to make me public enemy number one, proving once again that the bending oppressors of this city will stop at nothing to quash our revolution. But we cannot be stopped. Our numbers grow stronger by the day. You no longer have to live in fear. The time has come for benders to experience fear."

The voice was cut and only static was heard.

It took Korra a while, to stop shaking.

***

"Korra, you're awfully quiet today." Pema said, after having finished feeding Rohan.

"Is it because you can't airbend yet? Are you worried about it?" Ikki asked. "Or is it because of pro-bending? Or maybe boy trouble? Is it the handsome firebender boy?"

"Korra, don't worry about the airbending." Jinora said. "I'm sure you'll master it soon."

"Yeah! You're the Avatar after all!"

Korra did her best to smile at the three. She knew they meant well, but she'd definitely prefer if they just left her on her own, in silence. Before she had to answer something, however, she was rescued by someone clearing his throat as he walked into the dining room.

"I hope I'm not interrupting?" Tarrlok said.

"Oh, not at all." Korra said, smiling at the councilman and relieved that the attention of everyone would focus now on him instead of her.

"This is my home, Tarrlok. We're about to eat dinner." Tenzin said, standing up and looking as if he was unsure whether he wanted to scowl at Korra or Tarrlok.

"Good, because I am absolutely famished." Tarrlok flashed his teeth in a smile and Korra chuckled, seeing Tenzin glare at him. "Airbenders never turn away a hungry guest, am I right?"

Tenzin sighed.
"I suppose." he said, pointing at an empty seat, trying to avoid looking at Pema, whose scowl matched his earlier one.

Instead of sitting down, Tarrlok turned to Korra.
"Avatar Korra" he said bowing down. "I'm happy to see you again. Your information about the Equalist rally helped us a great deal."

"Don't mention it." Korra said. "Especially since Amon escaped the raid."

"Don't worry, he won't be free for long." Tarrlok assured her. "Perhaps you've heard that I'm creating a taskforce with the goal of capturing him and striking at the heart of the revolution?" When Korra nodded, he pierced her with his gaze. "In fact, I would like you to be a part of it."

"Really?" Korra asked, surprised.
"What?!" Tenzin snapped immediately.

Fortunately at this point Ikki started bombarding Tarrlok with some ridiculous questions... something about his hair? Therefore Korra had a moment to consider his words.

Her a part of the task force against the Equalist? She could feel the excitement filling her. Yes! She wanted to do something, to start helping the world as the Avatar! To use her powers for the good of others! She could see herself leading the metalbending police, fighting the Equalists, beating their chi-blockers and...

...and finally standing against Amon himself.

The excitement left her immediately, replaced by the feeling of utter, soul-crushing dread. Her imagination already showed her how he would dodge her attack, closing in, to put his hands on her, his thumb against her forehead. She would be powerless to stop him, just as she was when Unalaq ripped Raava from her and he would take her bending away leaving her...

"You already lost the access to the knowledge of previous Avatars and now you will lose your bending. You are truly the worst Avatar of them all. A failure." The voice from her dreams returned to her, along with a chill running down her spine.

Suddenly she realized Tarrlok was talking to her.
"I need someone who will help me attack Amon directly, someone who is fearless in the face of danger." he said gesturing at her. "And that someone is you."

She sighed.
"Join your task force? I can't." she finally said.

Tarrlok, blinked, obviously having anticipated a different response.
"I must admit, I'm rather surprised. I thought you'd jump at the chance to help me lead the charge against Amon."

"I came to Republic City to finish my Avatar training with Tenzin. Right now, I just need to focus on that." she said.

That was a good excuse, right?

Tarrlok, however, wasn't ready to surrender just yet.
"Which is why this opportunity is perfect. You would get on the job experience while performing your Avatar duty for the city."

His words echoed her sentiment from earlier, the plans she had when she came to Republic City. She found herself opening her mouth...

"Korra gave you her answer. It's time for you to go." Tenzin said, getting up.

Korra sighed in relief, for once grateful for Tenzin's lack of patience.

"Of course, just let me finish my meal." Tarrlok said. "I would insult the hostess, leaving without touching it."

Tenzin glanced at Pema and sat down.
"Fine! But no talking about this task force nonsense!"

"I'm not giving up on you yet, Korra." Tarrlok said eventually, having finished his food and getting up. "You'll be hearing from me." he bowed again. "It was a pleasure as always to see you."

As he turned to leave, Ikki called after him:
"Bye-bye, ponytail man."

What was that about? Korra didn't find in herself the strength to laugh.

Chapter Text

Korra moved her feet, light as a breeze, her hands following the sweeping motions of an airbender. But no matter how she tried, no matter whether she mimicked Tenzin's and Jinora's movements or tried to put her own spin on them, adding some waterbending motions, she still couldn't create even the faintest breeze.

Three quick steps, her hands moving in a wide arc before pushing the air...

She recalled Amon's calm voice, on the radio and during the rally.

A kick into the air, switching to a crouch with both hands pushing the air, then two quick steps...

She saw Amon from her dream, towering over her, putting his finger on her forehead.

She stumbled, losing balance, barely stopping herself from falling. Good thing neither Otaku nor Jami were here to watch her or they would have a laugh at how terrible the Avatar is at her attempts at airbending.

Tenzin, however, was here.
"Why don't you take a break, Korra?" he asked sitting on a bench.

After hesitating a moment, Korra sat down. Things between her and Tenzin have been... maybe not great but much better, ever since her pro-bending trainings started helping her with her airbending stances - and although he was as frustrated as Korra that this progress didn't translate to her being able to airbend, he did his best to hide it. They got even closer after the Amon's rally. Even though Tenzin still hasn't approved Korra going to Tarrlok and involving the police on the raid, he was happy that at least they were there to protect Korra.

"Korra, are you ... doing all right?" he asked when Korra didn't say anything.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she sighed.

Tenzin's frown told her that he found her words less than convincing.

"Listen, I'm glad you turned down Tarrlok, but I just want to make sure your decision was for the right reason."

"I'm just really focused on my airbending right now is all."

Tenzin still didn't look convinced.
"Right, that's what you said." he said slowly, before putting his hand on Korra's shoulder. "You know, it's okay to be scared. The whole city is frightened by what's been going on. The important thing is to talk about our fears, because if we don't, they can throw us out of balance."

Korra just nodded. How could she say that she was afraid of Amon? That she was still having nightmares about Unalaq?

"I know I haven't been... very patient with you, Korra." Tenzin said. "But you can always talk to me."

"Th-thank you." Korra said, before getting up. "I... I need to get going."

"You're going somewhere?"

"Yes, Mako, Bolin and I are meeting with Ms. Sato at Kwong's this evening."

"Kwong's cuisine?" Tenzin asked. "It's... It's a very posh and expensive place."

Korra's shoulders sagged.
"Great, so I guess I need to dress up?" she asked.

***

To be honest, the only reason Korra took her one formal dress - the one and only that she owned - to Republic City was to have something to wrap around some breakable things during the voyage. Now, however, she oscillated between being happy that she had it so that she could wear it to Kwong's and thinking that if she didn't have it she would be forced to go in her normal clothes and she would feel so much more comfortable.

"Avatar Korra?" the waiter bowed down when she approached the door then he opened it in front of her. "We are honoured to have you here. Let me lead you to your table."

Korra has never been in such a fancy place. Wooden floor - no stone for bending, she immediately noted - creaked slightly underneath her feet. At least her two other elements were here - fire burning in a fireplace and on lanterns hanging from the ceiling and two small fountains in the middle of the main hall, both with rainbow-coloured fish in them. The restaurant didn't have that many tables, all of them relatively secluded. The scents coming from the kitchen and feeling the hall were truly mouth-watering and Korra felt her stomach rumble.

"Korra! Korra!" she heard Bolin's excited voice coming from the best looking table, secluded even more from the rest of the restaurant, with crimson curtains - now partially open - separating it from other patrons.

She smiled as she walked towards it.
"Wow, Korra, you look gorgeous!" Bolin said, his eyes lighting up as he saw her approach.

Korra surprisingly found herself blushing. Sure, some people did compliment her body, but mostly how athletic, fit and well-trained it was. She wasn't used to people thinking she was pretty.

"You two don't look that bad yourselves." she said, smiling at him and Mako.

She was being sincere. They both had very smart suits that fit them perfectly, though Mako still had his favourite red scarf on his neck, which clashed a bit with the whole look.

He chuckled in a bit nervous way.
"Yeah, since we didn't have anything fancy enough to put on, Ms. Sato offered us these." he explained.

"I've told you, it's just Asami. I insist." the fourth person at the table got up. "You really look good, Korra."

"I... uhh... thank you." Korra muttered.

Immediately she felt a flash of irritation and anger at Asami. She must have been condescending and sarcastic, right?

Sure, Korra's long, sleeveless dress, blue and in Water Tribe patterns was pretty enough and she really liked it... but there was no way she could compare to how drop dead gorgeous Asami looked.

The long, quite form-fitting dark red dress clung to her body, flowing to just below her knees, showing her very, very pretty legs. Her hair were just perfect, so much that Korra immediately started regretting she hadn't spent more time brushing hers after training. Korra never wore make-up, considering it something impractical and not fitting the Avatar, but suddenly, seeing Asami's, subtle and perfect, she felt naked without it.

Yes, a woman this beautiful couldn't think that Korra was pretty. She must have been at best just polite, at worst condescending.

But even if it was the latter, Korra was determined not to show any irritation, not in front of the new sponsor of their team.

"I'm glad that you could come." Asami said. "Please, sit down."

"Umm, sure." Korra said. "I hope I'm not late." she added, even though she was so nervous that arrived almost ten minutes early.

"You're not!" Bolin assured her. "We were here earlier as well so we could have the suits fitted. Thank you once more, Ms. Sato... I mean, Asami."

"Don't mention it." She beamed him a truly radiant smile. “It’s all part of our investment. We need you looking good to represent Future Industries.”
The words were followed by a short, humorous wink.

"Yeah, it's good to see you, Korra." Mako muttered. "We missed you at the practice."

"Yes! You need to come more often! We really missed you!" Bolin added.

"You really do." Mako frowned. "We need to keep training as a team, if we don't want to get eliminated right at the start of the championship."

Korra sighed.
"I know, I'm sorry... it's just I've been really focused on my airbender training lately and..."

She didn't finish, seeing what a poor excuse it was. It was especially poor form to be admitting to putting something else above trainings in the presence of the person who was investing a lot of money in her team.

If Asami held it against Korra, she was masking it well.
"And how is that going?" she asked instead, looking very interested.

Korra looked away.
"Not... not that great." she muttered.

"Don't worry! I'm sure you'll be great!" Bolin assured her. "You did save me from Amon and those Equalist crazies after all! You're the best!"

Korra found herself blushing, again.

“He’s right, sorry for giving you crap for not appearing during the trainings.” Mako said, his frown being replaced by a genuine smile. “Thank you for saving my dumb bro from Amon.”

“Hey! I’m not the dumb bro, bro!” Bolin protested.

“Oh yeah? So do you think the idea to join the Triads looking for work was a clever one?” Mako asked and then looked at Asami. “Before you contacted us with your generous offer, Bolin wanted to earn money for the ante by performing some… security work for the Triads, though I’m sure he didn’t know what kind of work exactly would that be. That’s when those Equalists snatched him!”

“Good thing Korra was there or that spooky Amon fellow would have taken away by bending! Forever!” Bolin exclaimed.

“Good thing indeed.” Asami said. “So what you’re saying is that Equalists were targeting Triad members? Isn’t that… a good thing? I know that plenty of Triad benders abuse and extort others, mostly non-benders. Didn’t you, Korra, get in a fight with them as soon as you came to the city?”

“Oh? Me?” Korra blinked, having only partially followed the conversation, her thoughts still on Amon, on the way he looked when he took Lightning Bolt Zolt’s bending. “Y-yes, I met a couple of them abusing some old shopkeeper and decided to step in. Not my best moment. There was… plenty of collateral property damage. Chief Beifong was… kinda pissed at me.”

“I’ve heard she’s kinda pissed at everyone.” Bolin said. “The word on the street is that’s her thing. To be honest, I’ve considered becoming a famous criminal just so I can be captured by the famous Chief Lin Beifong! She’s Toph’s daughter! That would be so awesome!”

“Maybe better stop doing crime for the next… hundred years or so, bro?” Mako said.

“So you don’t think the Equalists have a point targeting the Triads?” Asami turned to Korra. “Aren’t they protecting the ordinary people from benders?”

“Yeah, they might have a point but it would be awesome if they did their research better.” Mako said. “I know Bolin was in the Triad headquarters but it should have been obvious to anyone with at least one eye and one braincell that he was no Triad thug. I guess the Equalists don’t choose their leaders based on smarts.”

“I see” Asami said, pursing her lips.

“Besides, what’s to say that the Equalists would stop at Triad thugs?” Korra snapped. “I don’t know if you have heard Amon on the radio but he clearly has beef with all benders. How long before he starts grabbing random benders from the street? He’s all about how benders oppress non-benders and yet I can’t see Mako or Bolin oppressing anyone!”

“You know what?” Bolin said. “Equalists are so beyond dumb that I don’t want to think or talk about them anymore. Let’s focus on something more pleasant!”

“You’re right.” Mako said. “Asami, so what made your father want to sponsor our team?”

“My father has always believed in helping talented people reach their potential.” Asami said. “I’m sure he would like to personally tell you the story of how he started his business when you meet him…”

“Wait!” Bolin interrupted her. “We’re going to meet Hiroshi-freaking-Sato?! The most famous and influential industrialist in whole Republic City and maybe even the entire United Republic?”

Asami blinked, surprised by his enthusiasm but immediately smiled.
“Of course” she said. “He would like to personally discuss the conditions of our sponsorship deal with you.”

“Oh, right. You mentioned some conditions. I probably should have discussed these with you before accepting the money but we needed them right away and…” Mako began speaking, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

Asami lifted her hand and smiled reassuringly.
“Don’t worry, it won’t be anything terrible. You’ll probably need to rename your team to ‘Future Industries Fire Ferrets’ and wear our company logo on your outfits.”

“Asami, for this money I can tattoo it on my chest!” Mako smiled and Korra groaned inwardly.

Asami returned the smile.
“Now wouldn’t that be something to see. Tempting, tempting.” She said.

“Oh! Oh!” Bolin suddenly lifted his head. “Will Pabu also get a cute Future Industries outfit..?”

“Pabu?” Asami frowned. “I don’t believe I have met… him.”

“Pabu is Bolin’s Fire Ferret.” Mako informed. “A real one. As in an animal.”

“Yes! He is so clever and cute!” Bolin said.

“Then… I’m sure we can arrange an outfit for him as well.” Asami smiled.

At this point the waiter approached them.
“Are you ready to make your orders?” he asked, bowing down.

“Yes, I believe we are.” Asami said. “Unless, you need more time, Korra?”

“N-no.” Korra said, taking up the menu. “I’ll choose something quickly.”

“Asami?” Mako turned to the woman.

“I’ll take the Pi Chi eel shrimps with bamboo salad.” She said.

“Then I’ll take the same.” Mako said.

Asami turned towards Bolin.
“How about you?”

“Oh, oh, oh!” Bolin exclaimed, completely engrossed in the various meals. “M-maybe I’ll take the Han De dumplings… or maybe the Kao Shi otter crab sticks… with the Uret Kin frog chicken…”

“Bolin, maybe don’t buy everything?” Mako suggested.

“Well… okay… it’s just it all sounds so good…” Bolin.

Asami chuckled.
“I don’t mind if you want to try various things. I’m sure that if you can’t finish it, Mako will help you.”

“And Korra will help too!” Bolin said. “Apparently the amounts of food she consumes are the stuff of legends!”

Korra barely heard him, focused on the menu. What were these things? Pi Chi? Han De? Kao Shi? Uret Kin? Nai Jao? Rin Qum? Why couldn’t they have normal food? Seal meat for example? At least there were some fish but no species that she recognized.

“Errm…” she began. “Are there any noodles?” she asked.

“Hmm, if you are not sure what to choose and would like some noodles, the Spicy Rice Jars Heim noodles with frog chicken are something to die for.” Asami said, smiling at Korra. “Unless you don’t like spicy food, then…”

“No, that’s fine.” Korra said. “I’ll take that.”

The waiter bowed and left.

“Asami, so I’ve been thinking…” Bolin began. “I just can’t figure out where have I heard you recently.”

The woman turned to him, frowning in surprise.

“You just sound so familiar…” he scratched his head.

She smiled at him.
“Maybe I just have one of these voices? You know, very commonly sounding?”

Bolin shook his head.
“No, it’s not that! You have a beautiful, unique voice, isn’t it so, guys?” he turned to Korra and Mako.
“Umm, yes…” Mako said, blushing.
“I guess… “ Korra said, scratching the back of her neck, feeling her face get warm. Asami did have a nice voice.

“So it must have been on the radio, but it’s weird that I recognize you… usually the voices on the radio are so distorted… well, never mind that. What latest interview have you given?” he asked.

“Hmm… let me think…” Asami wondered. “There was the piece about saving the Harmony park… or why high-rise urban infrastructure is actually more environmentally friendly than the wider, lower one?”

“Nah… that doesn’t seem like something I’d be listening to…” Bolin muttered.

As he kept thinking, Asami turned to the Avatar.
“So, Korra… How are you finding our city? I know the welcome you received probably wasn’t what you expected but I hope you’ll enjoy your stay.”

“Oh, it’s fine, I guess.” Korra said. “I’m… I’m focusing most on my trainings. And before that on pro-bending. I didn’t get that much time to do any sightseeing, apart from what happened on the first day, but I quickly got into a fight with some Triad thugs and…” she finished with a shrug.

“I would love to show you around the city.” Asami. “Just tell me when you have time in your schedule and I’ll do my best to arrange something.”

“Uh… sure.” Korra said. “I’ll… I’ll need to ask Tenzin.”

“Of course. So how is living on the Air Temple Island treating you? I’ve hard much about this place, of course, but never got to visit it. Apparently they don’t seem to need a lot of satomobiles.”

That probably was a joke so Korra forced out a laughter. She knew that Asami was just trying to be nice, that at least she didn’t hate her like most of the city did, that she actually took interest in her life… but she just couldn’t relax. Amon was out there. He could be anywhere. Once, she would swear she saw a crouching Equalist silhouette in the shadow given by the restaurant lanterns. And the topic Asami brought up didn’t help Korra’s mood.

“It’s… busy. Getting up early. And… and there are these new airbenders. An they can airbend better than I can. I mean… I can’t do it at all.” She didn’t intend to talk about this but the words escaped her lips almost on their own. She sighed and forced a smile. “And there is no meat served during the meals.” She finished.

“Well, maybe you can’t airbend – yet – but you already can bend three other elements.” Asami tried cheering her up. “That must count for something.”

“I guess. But what kind of Avatar am I if I can’t learn all four? And if I’m not the Avatar, then what am I?”

“A failure.” Unalaq’s voice said in her mind.
“Nothing.” Amon seconded him.

Asami fell silent, not knowing what to say. She was saved, however, by the coming of the waiter with the dishes. Korra had to admit the food, although it looked weird and was presented in weird way, almost as if someone tried to make a painting with pieces of fish and rice, smelled delicious.
It was… she just didn’t have appetite. Wasn’t in the mood for eating. Unfortunately, everyone noticed it. But if Mako wasn’t one to inquire about someone’s feelings, Asami was too polite to say anything… Bolin was different.

“Don’t you like it, Korra?” He asked. “My meal is delicious! And you always keep telling us how much you eat, that you devour everything and ask for more! I was looking forward to seeing that!”

This made Asami take interest.
“I’m sorry if you don’t like what I suggested. It might be an acquired taste. I will gladly order something else for you.” She offered.

“No, it’s not that.” Korra said, trying not to show her annoyance and them bombarding her with questions like that. “It’s just…”

She shrugged, unsure how to finish the sentence. It’s just I’m afraid? She was the Avatar. She wasn’t supposed to be afraid. Ever.

“Don’t worry” Asami said. “Everyone sometimes has a worse day. And you’ve been through a lot lately. I know we barely just met and we’re hardly friends but I’m sure if you want to talk your teammates are here for you…”

“Hhh ysss” Bolin said, his mouth stuffed full.
“And I’m sure Tenzin and his family are also nothing but supportive. If however you need… another girl to talk to... I’m always here.” She finished.

“Thanks.” Korra said, offering her a weak smile.

Apparently Asami noticed that this attention got Korra uncomfortable, as she turned towards Mako and Bolin.
“So when would you like to visit my father?” she asked.

Chapter Text

Korra had never seen such an enormous room. Hall. She had never imagined that something like that could exist. And the noise! Louder than the cheering of the crowds in the pro-bending arena and less… natural. Less lively, less pleasant. She found her heart beating faster, sweat forming on her brow. She wanted out of this place. She felt exposed, at risk.

But Hiroshi Sato was obviously proud of this manufacturing plant and of the Satomobiles being created on the assembly line and it would be rude to just leave. She has disappointed her teammates enough already by skipping trainings, least she could do was not offending their sponsor.

“Wow,” she muttered every now and then, when Hiroshi paused to catch a breath as he was describing the process for creating those monstrosities on mass scale.

She actually admired his mission to manufacture Satomobiles at such a price that most people could afford it, she realized how useful this mode of transport was in Republic City… but she still couldn’t make herself like them, not with the amount of pollution they sent to the air.

“What do you think of my little operation here?” Hiroshi finally asked the Fire Ferrets.
“It’s very impressive, sir,” Mako said.
“Yes! Sooo cool!” Bolin exclaimed.

“Wow,” Korra added, though without much heart in it.
“Please, call me Hiroshi,” Hiroshi said. “So, I understand you're dirt poor.”

Korra blinked. Was that what you were supposed to say? Or did rich people have different standards.
“Dad!” Asami interjected.
“Uh, well...” Mako muttered, flustered.

At least Bolin was there to save the day.
“Not anymore, thanks to your generous donation!” he said. “I mean, we’re still dirt poor, but we can compete in the championship now!”

“Why… why exactly did you decide to sponsor us?” Korra suddenly asked.
Hiroshi sighed and then smiled in a kind, fatherly smile, that reminded Korra of her father.

“There is nothing to be ashamed of. I too came from humble beginnings,” He spoke. “Why, when I was your age, I was a mere shoe-shiner, and all I had to my name was an idea; the Satomobile. Now, I was fortunate enough to meet someone who believed in me and my work ethic. He gave me the money I needed to get my idea off the ground, and I built the entire Future Industries empire from that one selfless loan.”

“Oh, quite bragging, dad!” Asami said.

“So when my daughter passionately told me all about your hard-earned success in the Pro-bending Arena and about your team's current stumbling block, I decided to it was time to give back to the community. I'd hate to see you lose your chance at winning the championship just because you're short a few yuans.”

“Thank you, sir!” Bolin said and Mako and Korra nodded their heads.

“There is but one catch…”

“Asami already told us about the Future Industries logo!” Bolin said. “Mako and I can even have it tattooed on our chests! And I’m sure Pabu would look great in a Future Industries outfit.”
“Pabu?” Hiroshi frowned.
“The team Fire Ferret mascot,” Asami explained.
“We promise we will make most of this opportunity,” Mako said.

“So what other part of my operation would you like to see?” Hiroshi asked. “I’m actually working on a new contract for the Council…”
“Dad,” Asami interrupted him, looking at Korra. “Maybe we could continue this conversation in a more quiet place?”

Korra smiled at her with gratitude.
“Oh, of course, forgive the old man who sometimes gets too carried away talking about his work,” Hiroshi chuckled. “I’m sure my office will be suit us just fine.”

***

“So, I think this new partnership calls for a celebration with some good champagne, don’t you think?” Hiroshi asked taking out a bottle. Then he frowned. “You’re all of age, right?”
Korra frowned.
“Of age?” she asked.

“Drinking age.”
Korra was still confused.
“You have to have certain age to drink?” she asked. “I’m eighteen in that has any significance…”

“To drink alcohol, yes,” Hiroshi chuckled. “Here in Republic City, we have a lot of weird laws. But if you’re eighteen you’re good.”
“Well, Bolin is seventeen…” Mako began.
“Hey!” Bolin protested.

“I think we don’t have to be sticklers for rules today,” Hiroshi said, turning to Mako. “So, if you don’t mind if I pour you all a bit…”
Mako hesitated, looking at Bolin, who smiled at him sheepishly.
“Of course. It will be an honour,” He said, finally.

Korra jumped as Hiroshi opened the bottle and the cork shot out with a bang.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” He said. “I didn’t want to startle you.”

Korra blushed, feeling silly. Oh, the great Avatar, scared by a bottle.
“I… I’ve never had champagne before,” She admitted. “My life at the White Lotus compound has been rather… sheltered.”

She didn’t know why she was feeling so… embarrassed about it. It must have been the opulence surrounding the Sato family, the high-class alcohol, the enormous factories full of workers, the classy suit that Hiroshi was wearing or the absolutely gorgeous dress Asami wore. Korra was never a big fan of dresses, preferring things that were easier to fight in… not that Katara wasn’t able to kick ass even in a dress. But seeing Asami looking so gorgeous made Korra feel… inadequate. That was silly. These were just possessions. She was the Avatar. She shouldn’t feel bad because she didn’t look that nice!

“Don’t worry, Korra,” Hiroshi smiled. “It’s not strong. Besides, I don’t drink a lot either. And Asami just a year ago became of age. Before that she just had a glass or two during some bigger events.”

Asami smiled at her dad but when she looked at Korra there was something in her eyes that made Korra think that she might not have been such an obedient daughter as her father thought. Somehow that thought made her feel better and made her like Asami more.

“Oh, neither did I!” Bolin said, smiling at Korra.
“Well, you’re too young anyway!” Mako said.
“Don’t talk as if you were an expert on that,” Bolin countered. “Not a drink you got offered by the Triads!”
“Bolin!” Mako snapped, before looking at Hiroshi worried.

“Oh, don’t worry!” Hiroshi laughed. “My daughter did say something about those Equalists grabbing you by accident, thinking that you were part of a Triad.”

“Well, in fact we used to work for Triads!” Bolin said.
“Bolin!” Mako shouted, seeing as Hiroshi’s expression darkened.

“What? I think we should be honest with each other if we are to work together!” Bolin protested then looked at Hiroshi. “But it was long ago! And we only did minor work! Delivering messages and so on!”

“As kids we were living on the streets,” Mako said, his voice strained. “Our… our parents got… got killed by a firebender, when we were little. I tried my best to watch over Bo, but… but it was hard. The Triads… took us in. Not for free, of course, we were expected to do some work… but we wouldn’t have survived other way.”

Korra swallowed. Mako did mention a part of this story before, but only now she heard it all. That… that explained a bit why he was so aloof… why he was such a jerk. And why he was so protective of Bolin.

Right now he was looking at Hiroshi with a challenge in his eyes. But the businessman just sighed and relaxed.
“I’m sorry that you had to go through it. My… my beloved wife, Yasuko, was also killed by a firebender. One of the Triads. So…” he sighed.

“But you survived, Mako.” Asami interjected into the awkward silence that followed. “Both you and your brother survived and escaped the Triads. You are now one of the best pro-bender players in the city and you’re teammates with the Avatar. And not to brag, but with our support I’m sure you can win the tournament.”

Korra looked at her with gratitude. She was never one to know what to say to ease tensions and Asami seemed to be a natural at that. Her father as well as Mako and Bolin visibly exhaled, tension escaping their bodies.

“I’m sure it will be so!” Hiroshi said lifting the glass. “I raise this toast for the Fire Ferrets and the cooperation between them and the Sato family!”

They all drank, with Korra being the most cautious. However… by the spirits this was really good! She barely noticed when the glass was completely empty! But why did they pour so little? Well, it’s not as if those fancy glasses could hold much more. The wooden jugs used by the Water Tribe were so much more practical!

She looked around to see that the rest of the group was slowly sipping their drinks and she felt herself blush a bit.
“Oh, umm, sorry” she stuttered.
“Sorry for what?” Bolin asked, swallowing the rest of his drink in one gulp.
“Nothing to apologize for.” Asami said. “I’m sure plenty of champagne producers would love to be able to say that the Avatar enjoys their product so much.”

Korra chuckled but then grew serious.
“Yeah, I don’t think so,” She said bitterly. “If anyone knew I enjoy this drink, they would probably boycott the producer. I’m not miss popular around here.”

“The people didn’t get to know you, Korra,” Asami said.

“Yeah! Keep playing with us and they will fall in love with you in no time!” Bolin exclaimed. “Nothing better to get people to love you than succeeding at sports!”

“Then I think you will not have to worry about popularity for long,” Asami assured her. “We, Satos, usually support the winners.”

“And to that I’ll gladly drink again,” Hiroshi said, pouring more champagne. “A toast for the winners and those who support them.”

It seemed to Korra that Asami hesitated for a fraction of a second before she raised the glass, but the champagne was so good that she quickly stopped caring about that.

“So, Korra, do I understand we’ll see each other tomorrow in a more formal setting?” Hiroshi asked.

Korra frowned.
“We are?”

“You are?” Bolin asked.

Asami smiled.
“Oh yes, didn’t Korra tell you there is a gala organized in her honour?”

“There is?” Mako blinked surprised.
“Yes, by councilman Tarrlok.” Hiroshi said.

Korra snorted.
“I haven’t mentioned that, because I’m not going!” she said.

“Why?” Hiroshi asked, surprised.
“I’m the Avatar, not some trained monkey to be paraded around!” she said. “And Tarrlok is nice, sure, one of the nicer people I’ve met here in Republic City but he will…” Korra hesitated.

“Yes?” Asami asked.
“Never mind.” Korra shrugged.

“But Korra! You have to go!” Bolin shouted. “You won’t get Republic City to like you if you keep hiding on Air Temple Island!”

“I’m not hiding!” Korra shouted, louder than she intended to, but Bolin didn’t seem offended.
“Bolin is right, Korra,” Asami said. “All the movers and shakers in the city will be there. Circles that you need to be familiar with.”
“Indeed, I will be attending the gala myself,” Hiroshi said. “With Asami, of course.”

“Oh! Maybe you can take us! As your plus ones!” Bolin said, grinning.
“Bolin!” Mako groaned.

“But think of all the great food that will be there!”
“Bolin!” Mako repeated before looking at Hiroshi. “I’m sorry for my brother. Don’t worry, we won’t be coming!”

“Oh, no problem,” Hiroshi said. “I’m sure you can come. The gala is in honour of Korra and you two are her teammates. Even if you weren’t, I’m sure Korra could take you, Bolin as her plus one.”
“Umm, sure,” Korra said.

She liked Bolin but she didn’t even agree to go there in the first place… on the other hand Asami and Hiroshi might have been right that she should be there and going with Bolin would definitely be nicer than being on her own.

“In such case I would be happy to take you as my companion.” Asami offered Mako a dazzling smile and he blushed.
“Well… I… I can’t really say ‘no’, can I?” he said.
“You can but I’d rather you didn’t,” Asami said with the same brilliant smile.

“Then it’s settled!” Hiroshi exclaimed, taking a second bottle of champagne. “I think that calls for another toast!”

Korra wasn’t entirely sure what was happening. Did she just agree to go to Tarrlok’s gala? With Bolin as her partner? But she was offered another glass of champagne, so she stopped thinking about it and took a sip.

And then another. And another. And after this bottle another one was opened. And another. Where was Hiroshi taking those bottles from? And was there another one? At this point, Korra was too drunk to tell…

Chapter Text

“I’m so, so, soooo sorry!” Korra muttered, hugging the toilet bowl. “I’m the worst Avatar ever. And the worst guest!”

Asami hesitated for a moment before answering.
“No, Korra, that’s on me,” she said. “I should have taken into account that you’re not that experienced with alcohol. I’m a terrible host.”

“No… it’s me…” Korra slurred. “Korra the failed, drunk Avatar. Or drunk, failed? Complicated, so complicated…”
“You’re not a failed Avatar,” Asami said and went silent for a second. “You might be the Avatar, but you’re also human.”

To her surprise, Asami actually meant what she just said. Sure, it riled her to know the Avatar is such an irresponsible person, making huge, world-spanning changes like keeping the spirit portals open, without considering the consequences… She should have been angry at the Avatar for getting drunk. A person with this much power being drunk… was just a disaster waiting to happen. But Korra… Korra wasn’t aggressive. More of a sad drunk, really which, unfortunately, was something Asami could relate to.

“Also human..?” Korra asked. “I… I have… I have always been… just the Avatar. To everyone… maybe not my parents… but everyone else. I’m not human. I’m the Avatar.”

Asami blinked, shocked into silence. For a moment she didn’t care that her analysis about how Korra has been treated was spot-on and she didn’t even think about what it meant for her mission. She felt… genuinely sad for Korra. And the worst part? Korra should be saying these words with bitterness in her voice and instead… instead she only sounded lost.

“I’m a failure… I can’t airbend… I lost Aang… I lost Kyoshi… you would have liked her…and I lost Wan… an all the others… I think… people hate me… even though they don’t know me…” Korra continued.

Asami frowned. What did Korra mean by her losing Aang and Kyoshi? They were long dead, right? And who was this Wan? It seemed there was much she still needed to research regarding the Avatar. But for now… for now she had to focus on cheering Korra, who was feeling and looking so down that Asami felt sorry for her.
“I’m sure they’re just mad about the whole spirit portals and spirit vines things,” she said.

“Yes… but I wanted to do good… there is beauty in the Spirit World… I wanted to share it… I didn’t think about the consequences… but damn… how could I predict the vines… it’s not as if anyone… anyone… has ever done it before… but I wanted… I wanted to do good,” Korra kept muttering.

Asami sighed. She blamed the Avatar for acting without thinking so many times. Now she had the confirmation that Korra indeed did not think about the consequences. And yet… instead of getting angry, she felt sorry for her.

“And I shouldn’t have gotten drunk… I barely know you… but you’re so nice… you have this lovely house… and I got drunk… I’m the worst…” Korra muttered.

“Korra, believe me when I tell you that I got drunk way worse the first time I stole my dad’s liquor. Because I assure you that I didn’t wait until being eighteen before getting hammered.” She chuckled. “Good thing he was on a business trip, so I had time to clean up.”

Korra actually managed to chuckle.
“Ha! I knew… you weren’t just this prim and proper lady…” she grabbed her mouth, putting her head nearer to the toilet bowl before regaining control of herself. “Of course, you are that. You are prim and proper… primproper? Primprop? That’s funny!” she laughed. “So, you are primprop… and so beautiful and you dress and smell nicely. Dressmel? But I knew… there was something in you. You are a feisty one!”

Asami frowned. It felt weird, but not wholly unpleasant to hear Korra say that. Maybe despite her naivety, the Avatar wasn’t such a bad judge of character?

“I hope that one day you and I will be able to have some fun together,” She said. “But for now, if you’re feeling better…”

“I am!” Korra said.
Then she vomited.

“I think we can put you to bed,” Asami said, wiping Korra’s mouth after she had finished.

“No, I need to get back to Air Temple Island!” Korra said. “Tenzin… Tenzin will be so angry! He will kill me! He is always angry! He always kills me! But he’s… he’s a good person… it’s just I’m… I’m a terrible Avatar… and I’m his father… so that’s awkward…”

“We already sent a message there, saying that you are staying at our house so that you don’t go back to the island in the night,” Asami said, trying to keep up with Korra’s train of thought. “Of course, dad didn’t say anything about you being… indisposed.”

“Thank you, Salami! You’re the best Salami!” Korra slurred. “And Mabolin?”

“The arena isn’t far; I’ve asked our chauffeur to drive them back,” Asami said, chuckling at the ‘Salami’ part. Some girls did call her that at school to annoy her… but coming from Korra it was actually quite sweet. Maybe because for all the Avatar’s many faults, she wasn’t saying this to hurt her.

Korra laughed as well.
“Chooffoor… chauffoor…” she chuckled. “That’s fancy-talk for driver, right?”

“Yes, it is.”

“I also have a chauffoor!” It was adorable how excited Korra sounded that they had something in common. “Naga drove me! So, she was my adorable chauffoor! I’ll call her that when I see her!”

“Naga, your pet polar bear dog?” Asami asked, recalling the monstrous beast that launched herself between Asami and her Equalists and Korra and Mako. She remembered the sharp teeth and powerful paws and shuddered… and then immediately felt cold run down her spine.

That stupid mistake! What if Korra asked her how did she know about the polar bear dog? Then she relaxed. Korra was the Avatar after all. Her arrival must have been widely commented on. It wasn’t surprising that people knew about the *huge polar bear dog* that accompanied her.

She needn’t have worried, as Korra was too drunk to notice Asami’s hesitation, chuckling to herself ‘Naga the chauffoor!’.

“So, let’s go to your bedroom, shall we?” Asami said, helping Korra to her feet.

Korra stumbled but Asami caught her. The Avatar was heavier than she looked, but as she leaned on Asami, the latter feeling Korra’s tense body under her clothes, it was clear that the weight was mostly from the muscles. Korra had a very fit body, maybe not classically beautiful in the style that was propagated in Republic City society, but not unattractive and very strong, without a pound of useless fat on it.

“You’re strong!” Korra chuckled. “I didn’t think… you’d be so strong! And yet you’re strong!”

“Self-defence classes,” Asami said, helping Korra walk. “I can take care of myself.”

“Wow! You’re just sooo cool! You know… I’d really like us to be friends! But you’re just… too cool for me! You’re classy and too… and too… what was the word… and too primprop! Yeah, you’re too primprop for me!”

Asami joined Korra’s laughter, but suddenly she felt awkward. Feeling Korra wishing they were friends were everything she wanted, was exactly what she had planned… and yet… it felt… wrong.

“So… you taking Mako… to the gala… be careful… he’s handsome… I know… damn, handsome… but he’s such a jerk! Such a terrible jerky jerk who jerks!” Korra muttered. “Though he probably won’t be like that to you… no way, not when you are who you are…”

Asami sighed. Is that how it was? Would Mako only be nice to her because of who she was? Because she was a Sato and a source of money for their team? He seemed nice before, if aloof… but he must have said or did something that hurt Korra. The Avatar clearly didn’t have much experience with boys.

“Don’t worry about me, I can take care of myself,” She said.

“Sure you do, Salami! You’re the coolest! So primprop… but sooooo nice at the same time!” Korra said. “Bolin is nice too! I think… I think he might like me. You know… like-like me. But I… I don’t know how I… well… I don’t want to hurt him but… I just don’t know…”

Huh. In her wildest dreams Asami didn’t suspect that her getting closer to the Avatar will lead to hearing about the latter’s boy trouble. Another thing that made Korra seem so… real. Human. Normal.

“I barely know him, but he does seem nice. I don’t think he would get angry at you. But perhaps this is something we could talk about… when you’re feeling better.”

“You’re right, Salami, thank you!” Korra said.

Asami smiled and opened the door to the guest bedroom.
“This is the room for you. I hope everything is to your liking?” She hesitated, seeing Korra’s eyes wide open. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, oh yes!” Korra said. “I’ve never… slept in such a fancy room!”

“I hope you have a good night,” Asami said as Korra stumbled towards the bed and lied down on it. “There should be a nightgown somewhere here…” she muttered, turning towards a wardrobe… but before she could open it, she heard Korra’s loud snoring.

The Avatar was asleep already. Asami covered her with the blanket, left only to return with a bottle and a glass of water and a bowl in case Korra felt bad during the night and then left the bedroom, turning off the light.

Hiroshi was waiting outside the door.
“So, we have the Avatar sleeping in our mansion,” He said when they walked a couple of steps away from the door. “Amon would love to hear this.”

“Of course,” Asami said. “We need to inform him immediately. I just hope he won’t decide to do anything foolish.”

Hiroshi frowned at that.
“Foolish? Amon?” he asked.

“If the Avatar disappeared from our place or got hurt here… our cover would be pretty much blown,” She said.
“Hmm, yes. And too many people know that she is staying here already. I’m sure Amon is also aware of the consequences. Such a pity…” He scratched his chin. “But we need to inform him of this either way.”

* * *

Korra woke up not feeling well... and that was an understatement. Her head was killing her. Her throat was dry. She was going to vomit.
She opened her eyes. Where was she? Soft sheets? Fancy furniture? A large four-post bed? She closed her eyes, to stop the room from spinning. Wait, it was the Sato mansion. They were celebrating and…

She felt something and opened her eyes… and suddenly all the icy terror she felt chased her feeling sick away. Amon was standing in front of the bed, the eyes behind his metal mask watching him impassively.

“No… No…” she barely whispered from her dry throat.
A glass of water stood next to her bed, she could just grab it and waterbend the water at him…

No. It was just a dream. It was just a dream. She closed her eyes for a longer while and finally opened them.

She was alone. She sighed in relief.
It was just a dream.
And then she felt as if she was going to vomit. She barely managed to aim at a metal bowl, that someone - Asami? - had put on the floor, next to the bed.

She felt so embarrassed and so sick… but at least Amon was just a dream.

Wasn’t he?

Chapter Text

“Come in…” Came a weak groan as Asami knocked on the door.

She entered and saw Korra sitting on the room… glowing water touching her forehead. A quick glance at the bowl told Asami that it had been useful during the night.
“Hey, Asami,” Korra mumbled, avoiding looking at her direction.

“Asami?” she teased. “Not ‘Salami’ anymore? Pity, I kinda liked it.”
That did the trick and Korra chuckled, before looking at Asami, still blushing.

“I’m… I’m sorry for everything,” She said. “For the night and…”

Asami smiled at her softly.
“No problem, Korra,” She said and then, to change the topic somewhat, gestured at Korra’s head. “What’s that?”

“Oh… my head was hurting… I guess that’s what they call a hangover, right? Uncle Sokka told me about it,” she answered. “So, I wanted to check if some spirit healing would help.”

“And does it?”
“Yeah, not much but a bit.”

Asami chuckled.
“Pity you weren’t around when I was starting to experiment with alcohol,” She said. “But please don’t tell my dad.”

Korra smiled as well, shyly at first but it was there.
“As long as you don’t tell Tenzin,” She said then added more quietly. “And yes, I’d have liked that too.”

Asami frowned.
“Liked what?”

“To have known you earlier. I… I have never had a friend before,” She said before quickly correcting herself. “I mean, I know we aren’t exactly friends, we’re just… I don’t know, business partners, but you’re so nice and… and I’m babbling, am I not? I’m sure you had plenty of friends, I mean you’re so nice and beautiful that I’m sure you have been very popular… You know, let’s pretend this conversation never happened.”

“If you want, I will,” Asami said. It was all easy, way too easy. Maybe this was why the next words felt wrong again. “You’d be surprised. I wasn’t really Miss Popular. Too primprop, as you’d say,” she added and smiled as Korra blushed again. “I would have loved to be your friend back then… and I would love to be your friend now.”

“Really?” the look on Korra’s face was absolutely heartbreaking but Asami found the strength to nod.
“Absolutely,” she said. “I’d love to spend more time with you. And we’ll see each other tonight, won’t we? During the gala? Because you’re coming, right?”

Korra nodded her head slowly, before looking up at Asami.
“I guess I am.”

“I’m happy to hear that,” Asami said. “Now let’s go down for breakfast.” Immediately she raised her hand seeing the look of revulsion on Korra’s face. “Don’t worry, it will be very light and hangover-friendly.”

* * *

“So how was your stay with the Satos?” Tenzin asked Korra when she stepped on Air Temple Island.
“It was great!” she said immediately. “Absolutely great! Had great time! Really great! Why are you asking? Why wouldn’t it be great? Just great?”
Suddenly he grew concerned. “You’re… very pale, Korra. Is everything alright? They didn’t say or do anything to upset you?”

Korra sighed in relief and offered him a soft smile. She still wasn’t feeling that good but better than in the morning. Guess being the Avatar also helped for drinking too much.
“No, they were really nice. Especially…” she blushed and changed the topic: “Tenzin, I think I’ll go to Tarrlok’s gala.”

He frowned.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “You know he is not doing it from the goodness of his heart. That’s never a case with him. He will want to convince you to join his task force.”

Korra nodded.
“I know,” She said. “But… but if I’m to show people that I’m not that bad, I can’t be hiding from them.”

He kept looking at her, not convinced. Which was all the worse, seeing as she too was far from being convinced that it is the right choice… but she made this choice and she promised Asami and Hiroshi and she told Bolin that she would take him with her… and she didn’t want to go back on the promise. And so as much a part of her wanted Tenzin to convince her not to go, the other part didn’t want him to even try it, afraid that he would easily succeed.
“I’ve… I’ve already promised a couple people that I would go,” she told the truth.

Tenzin sighed.
“As you wish, Korra.” Tenzin said. “I’ll inform councilman Tarrlok.” His smile became a bit warmer. “And of course, I’ll be there with you.”

Not so long ago – mere days in fact - she wouldn’t have felt any better after such a declaration. Even worse in fact, seeing how Tenzin was far from being on her side regarding her stay in Republic City or any number of other issues. Now? She actually felt relieved. It was always good to have someone at least partially in your corner, supporting you. And even if Tenzin hasn’t always been the person most supportive of her choices, he wasn’t as bad as she had thought before.

Besides, he wouldn’t be the only person there that she knew. True, he often warned her about Tarrlok and Korra wasn’t naïve enough not to anticipate him trying to convince her again to join his task force, but he seemed to be one of the few people who were actually happy that she had come to Republic City.

Plus, there would be others. Mako could be a jerk, yes, but Bolin was very nice, Hiroshi seemed smart and reasonable and Asami… Asami was nice. So nice that Korra often found herself thinking – wishing? – that she actually might see the Fire Ferrets – or just Korra? – as more than just a sponsorship deal and investment.

Korra realized, she would really like for them to become friends and she hoped, oh so hoped, that Asami was genuine when she had offered her friendship.

Time would tell. First, she had to survive the gala. Preferably without embarrassing herself, Tenzin, the Fire Ferrets and the Sato family.

* * *

Korra stood in the middle of the huge hall and looked around nervously. She had only seen so many people during the press conference but then they were kept at a distance from her. Now they were all discreetly or not-so-discreetly eyeing her, and she knew it was a matter of time until they would start approaching her. She came here to mingle with people, to let her see and meet her… but now the reality of this seemed overwhelming. She didn’t know how to do small talk, how to mingle, how to joke and chat about nothing.

It was going to be a disaster.

Pema had to stay back at Air Temple Island taking care of little Rohan but Tenzin, true to his word, came and he took his other children with him, Ikki and Meelo having demanded it so long that even their father couldn’t resist them any longer. Unfortunately, they weren’t that much of a support as soon enough Korra was left alone as Tenzin ran after Meelo with a cry “This is NOT a toilet” and Jinora, the one on whom Korra had secretly counted to watch over her, quickly apologized to her and went after Ikki who tried to chat up with some rich looking old lady, jumping in front of her up and down on an air scooter.

Korra was left all alone.

Chapter Text

After looking around the hall, Korra realized how terribly underdressed she was. Sure, she washed her – one and only – formal dress after the trip to the restaurant – thank the Spirits she didn’t put it on for seeing Hiroshi – but it still didn’t help much. In fact, it was even worse than in the restaurant with Asami. There, Asami’s dress while undoubtedly classy and expensive seemed rather simple and here every woman – and plenty of men - was wearing extremely extravagant clothes, sagging under the weight of various pieces of gold jewellery. Asami also didn’t seem to mind Korra’s dress and here it seemed like most women were looking at her clothes with disdain.

And the smells! Korra has never had to use perfume before. Sure, she did her best not to smell bad – and she did sweat a lot due to her intense training regimen and active life – but she was completely at a loss when faced with the many fragrances that were available in Republic City. Them all combined in this closed – if huge – hall was overwhelming, and she felt as if it was a matter of time before she started having a major headache.

She groaned inwardly. Why she was even worried about such frivolities? She was the Avatar after all! She shouldn’t be worried about dresses and perfumes… and yet… if she were to be tolerated and accepted by the public, it seemed that she would have to join their game and play as much as she hated it. It wasn’t as if she could just use some firebending to make people like her more. If only it was that easy…

She sighed. Wasn’t Bolin supposed to meet her here? He was her plus one after all! Where was he?

“Ah, Avatar Korra!” she heard a familiar voice… but it wasn’t Bolin’s.
She turned around to see smiling Tarrlok approaching her. “I do apologize for not being here to welcome you as soon as you arrived. I know I am a terrible host, but I just had to discuss a matter with Lady Kmei, the councilwoman from the Fire Nation. It seems there is no rest for the wicked politicians, is there?”

He chuckled, and she followed his cue. She knew Tenzin didn’t like Tarrlok and warned her about him and she herself was worried he might still be asking her to join his taskforce… but for now she was so happy to see someone whom she recognized and who didn’t hate her. Besides he did take her out from Lin’s holding, didn’t he?

“It’s not a problem, councilman,” She said. “I am happy to see you.”
“Please, Avatar,” He smiled at her. “It’s just Tarrlok.”
“Then in such case call me Korra,” She said. “Tenzin does so.”

Tarrlok bowed slightly.
“It would be an honour, Korra.”

She offered him a tentative smile. At least he wasn’t overdressed like so many in here. In fact, his garb, only slightly more elaborate than hers, was quite similar to what she was wearing. They were both Water Tribe after all, if different ones.

“Let me introduce you to some people,” Tarrlok said, offering his arm and after a short hesitation she took it.

“This is the Council of the Republic of Nations,” he whispered as they approached three people. “Of course Tenzin and I are on the council as well but these represent the other three nations.”

He then introduced her to the old richly-dressed woman whom Ikki was bothering before – Kmei from the Fire Nation – a thin man who glared at her with barely contained hostility – Vir from the Earth Kingdom – and a chubby round faced man, who kept bowing and saying how he was at her service – Samiq from the Southern Water Tribe. Apart from them there was one other man, tall and sharply dressed in a smart, if simple, suit.
“This is Mr. Raiko, the mayor of Republic City,” Tarrlok said.
“Avatar Korra, it is an honour and a pleasure to finally meet you,” Raiko nodded, the smile under his trimmed, black moustache far from being genuine.

“Of course you already have met Chief Beifong,” Tarrlok continued, turning towards the stern-looking woman.
Lin, still in her full uniform, nodded stiffly to Korra. She didn’t even try to smile, but at least she wasn’t pretending anything… and she seemed to be feeling as uncomfortable in the gala as the Avatar did. Korra envied her that at least she was in her uniform, the clothing in which apparently she was feeling most as herself. Korra should have done the same, put on the clothes that screamed “Avatar” and not bother about winning these people with her attire.

“And last but not least, our premier industrialist, Hiroshi Sato,” Tarrlok said turning towards four figures approaching. “But from what I’ve heard you two have met already.”

“What? What did you hear?” Korra asked, suddenly alarmed about the possibility of her… indiscretion being widely known.

Hiroshi offered her a reassuring smile.
“I believe I haven’t been able to keep the information that I will be sponsoring the Fire Ferrets under wraps,” He said.

Korra sighed in relief and looked at those surrounding him. Asami offered her a lovely smile.
“Hey Korra, you look so good,” She said.
“You… um… look very snazzy,” Korra mumbled unable to look away.

The dress the socialite was wearing was also crimson red – this seemed to be Asami’s colour – but different from the one she was wearing at Kwong’s. It was darker and much longer than the previous one, going down to the floor and she was wearing long gloves of the same colour, almost reaching her elbows. The make-up was a bit more pronounced than the night before, but still spot-on. With her were Mako and Bolin, both in the suits they wore the night before. Suddenly Korra recalled what she told Asami about Mako and cringed. He was handsome in this suit, she had to give him that and she felt a sudden rush of annoyance seeing Asami holding his arm.

To hide her feelings she turned to Bolin.
“I thought we were supposed to come here together,” she said, already feeling guilty at snapping at him.

Bolin shot her an apologetic look.
“Yeeeah,” he muttered, avoiding her look. “Sorry about that. It’s just that I was going to come here early with Mako, but he kept putting the suit on and off for like two hours, changing his hair and so on. I’d say he was like a woman in front of a mirror but I’m sure you both girls dress waaaay quicker than he does!”

“It wasn’t two hours!” Mako muttered.

“You would think he was going for some big date!” Bolin continued and Mako blushed, glancing at Asami.

Korra felt the pang of irritation again… especially as she realized something. Wasn’t there some unwritten code that women shouldn’t be seen wearing the same dress twice? Especially night after night. It was dumb and she was the Avatar and she wasn’t supposed to care about such stuff and yet…

“Korra… is everything alright?” Asami asked, seeing her flustered.
“Yeah…” she muttered looking away.
“Come, Korra, let’s grab something to drink,” Asami said and took Korra by her arm.

Mako didn’t look happy with that, but Tarrlok and Hiroshi were engaging him in some polite conversation about the Fire Ferrets and Bolin disappeared in search for some food, so Korra let Asami lead her away.

“What’s wrong, Korra?” she asked.
“Nothing,” Korra muttered.

Asami only smiled and pointed at a waiter carrying a tray with drinks.
“Champagne?” she asked.

Korra chuckled.
“No, way! I’m drinking only water today!” she said, laughing. “But you feel free.”

This helped Korra recover from her anxiety and when Asami grabbed a two glasses of water and handed one to Korra.
“So what’s wrong?” she asked again.

“I’m wearing the same dress as yesterday,” She admitted. “Not to mention it looks rather… plain comparing to all these…”
She nodded in the direction of the crowd.

Korra had to admit, Asami had a beautiful laughter.
“Oh, Korra, is that what you’re worried about?” she asked.
“Hey! I never worried about such things… but I’m here because I want Republic City to like me. I have to try to… fit in.”

Asami stopped laughing and looked at Korra for a while.
“You really care about this?” she asked. “Korra… first of all, only me and the guys saw you in this dress. They probably haven’t noticed that it is the same one and if you tell them it’s a new one, they will believe you. Men are hopeless like that.”

Korra laughed out loud, feeling a bit better.
“You’re probably right,” She said.

“As for me… believe me, I don’t mind,” Asami continued. “And as for looking underdressed… the more jewellery the people around here have on themselves, the less they have to offer… and that includes me,” She said, touching her golden bracelet and smiling at Korra. “You’re the Avatar. I wouldn’t be surprised if Water Tribe Formal became the fashion of the season.”

Before Korra could thank Asami, Bolin was next to her. A piece of a shrimp was sticking out of his mouth, but he offered a plate full of meats, cheeses, sea food and salads to Korra.
“Fr yyyy!” he said, munching on the shrimp, before swallowing it. “You need to try these! They’re awesome!”

She smiled at Bolin.
“Thank you,” she said, taking the plate. “You’re so kind.”
“I’m really sorry for being late,” He said. “I really wanted to come here with you and spend more time together.”

Korra immediately felt bad for snapping at him earlier.
“No problem,” she said. “I was just feeling… exposed. Alone. I… don’t really fit here.”
“Hey, that’s their problem!” Bolin assured her.
“See?” Asami spoke. “Bolin agrees with me. You have nothing to worry about.”

Korra’s smile grew wider.
“Thanks,” She said. “You two are so nice. I’m glad to have met you.”

Asami sighed and took Korra’s empty glass.
“Idle talk over, it seems,” She whispers. “Now the official part begins. Tarrlok at your seven o’clock.”

Indeed, the councilman, smiling warmly, approached Korra.
“I’m glad to see you mingle, Korra,” He said. “How about I present you to the public now?”

It was clear from his voice that it wasn’t really a request and she did come here in order to do so, so she just smiled and offered him her arm. As he led her up the stairs to the dais, she turned around to see Asami and Bolin showing them they’re holding their fingers crossed for her and it did make her feel a bit better.

“Avatar Korra has honoured our city with her presence,” Tarrlok spoke. “Please give her a warm welcome!”

While people began clapping, the way they were doing it could at best be considered ‘polite’ and definitely not ‘warm’ or ‘enthusiastic’. Still, Korra smiled, trying to sound confident.

“Thank you… thank you so much,” She said. “I’m happy to be here!”

“Korra has already held a conference when she first came to Republic City, but now she has been here for a while, has fought the Equalists and encountered their sinister leader, Amon, so I’m sure she could say so much more,” Tarrlok continued.

She shot him a worried look. What was he planning? It quickly became clear, as he clapped his hands and from the crowd a couple of reporters appeared.

“Avatar Korra, you witnessed Amon take away people's bending firsthand. How serious a threat does he pose to the innocent citizens of Republic City?” First reporter shouted.

Korra cleared her throat, shot a worried look at Tarrlok, who gave her what was supposed to be a reassuring smile, looked at Tenzin, who was shaking his head sadly, then looked at Asami, Bolin and Mako who all gave her a thumbs up… but while Bolin was just smiling at her, Asami and Mako looked worried.

“I think he presents a real problem,” she said, confused.
What were they expecting to hear from her? Wasn’t the answer obvious?

“Then why have you refused to join Tarrlok's task force? As the Avatar, shouldn't you be going after Amon?” another reporter asked.

“Well, I…” she began.
How was she supposed to make them understand? They didn’t give her time though.
“Why are you backing away from this fight?” the reporter pressed on.

Anger flared in her. Why couldn’t they understand?
“What? No! I've never backed away from anything in my life!” she shouted.

“You promised to serve this city, aren't you going back on that promise now?” third reporter asked.
“Do you think pro-bending is more important than fighting the revolution?” another asked.
“What? No!” she said. How could they say it? She was skipping trainings too…

“How do you think Avatar Aang would have handled this?” another voice shouted.
She frowned. How could she know this? It’s not as if could ask him that… not after losing the access to her past life. Besides, she was Korra, not Aang! Was she to ever remain in his shadow? And truth be told… she doubted he would have joined a task force!

“Are you afraid of Amon?” the same reporter who accused her of backing away shouted a question.

She hesitated…
Yes, she was afraid. Terrified. But she wasn’t going to say it. Not in front of these… wasp buzzards. The flashes of the cameras, the shouts of the reporters, the angry, judging looks, all of them attacking her like Unalaq’s water strikes, like the chi-blockers attacks… she felt ringing in her ears, alone again against overwhelming odds, alone and surrounded and attacked…

“I am not afraid of anybody!” she shouted.
She looked at Tenzin, seeking support and saw sympathy on his face… but they both knew that there was nothing he could do to help her. And then she saw Lin Beifong behind him, shaking her head with the permanently angry expression on it… and she had an epiphany.

“However…” she continued. “I don’t think Aang would join a task force. What’s more… I believe the Republic City police can deal with this challenge and we should leave this work to them.”

Korra didn’t know what was more beautiful, the stunned silence that followed her words… or the absolutely shocked look on the faces of Lin, Tenzin… and Tarrlok.

Seizing the initiative she beamed a confident smile at her, trying to seem as calm and collected as she always saw Asami to be.
“I’m very happy to be with you, but I am not sure if this is the best way I can serve you as the Avatar,” She said. “I need to get back to my trainings to be the best Avatar I can! Which is where I’m going right now!”

She turned around and left, followed by their confused and angry questions.

***

Korra took a deep breath of the cold air, leaning against the railing of the balcony. She knew she made a mistake. She was supposed to convince the Republic City to like her and this… this was not the way. Tarrlok tried to trick her, of course, but he wanted to do good and she… she chickened out.

She heard a sound behind her and saw Asami Sato, walking out of a distant door… looking for someone.

She was probably looking for Mako, Korra thought bitterly. Oh, how pretty they looked together on the party…

However when Asami’s eyes found Korra, they lightened out. Was she looking for her? That was… sweet of her. Korra had barely met Asami and she already was often thinking that she would really like to befriend the girl. Sure, she was everything Korra was not – rich, classy, with great make-up and dress, social confidence… but there was something about her…

She felt wind brush her face and suddenly Tenzin was next to her.
“Korra, here you are!” he called.

Seeing him, Asami smiled softly at Korra, turned around and left… leaving the Avatar regretting she didn’t get to spend this time with her. She has never had an opportunity to spend some time with Asami, just the two of them… well, apart from that time at the Sato mansion, but she was feeling too bad to appreciate it.

“Oh, hey Tenzin. I screwed up again, didn’t I?” she asked.

Tenzin sighed.
“I told you Tarrlok was trying to manipulate you! I warned you not to trust him!” he said but, seeing as Korra slumped and looked down, he put his hand on her shoulder. “I’m proud however that you didn’t let him win.”

“But it won’t help me regaining some popularity in Republic City, will it?” she asked.
“No, I don’t think it will. But you shouldn’t worry about it. You could say Aang also wasn’t that… popular with the Fire Nation and despite that now they consider him a hero. Maybe you should do what he did?”

“Topple a tyrant?” Korra asked. “Would that be Amon?”
“No, I meant not worry about popularity and keep doing what’s right and have the results speak for you.”

Korra shrugged.
“Perhaps.”

“I think,” Tenzin began after a moment of silence “that you should start practicing your pro-bending again.”
“Are you sure?” Korra nodded towards the door to the building. “You’ve heard them. They already think I’m too busy playing pro-bending to serve the city.”

“It proved to be a good way for teaching you the basics of airbending” Tenzin said. “And you said that’s what you want to focus on, isn’t that so?”
“Well… yes…”

“Besides,” Tenzin smirked. “Don’t you sometimes want to just do some guilt-free punching? Wouldn’t pro-bending be great for that?”

This time Korra actually burst out with laughter.
“Who are you, Koh the Face Stealer?” she asked. “What did you do with Tenzin? I don’t believe my mentor is advising me to resort to violence to relax.”

Tenzin, smiling a bit, lifted his finger.
“Controlled violence, Korra,” He said. “But… you were dealing with politicians and reporters today. Two groups that after dealing with I want to airbend someone into a wall.”

“Well, I don’t want to fail my teammates,” Korra said. “And my sponsors of course.”
“Ah yes, I was surprised by Hiroshi deciding to sponsor your team.”

“Believe me, so was I,” Korra said. “So I shouldn’t disappoint him, right?”
Him, her teammates... and Asami, she thought.

Chapter Text

A stream of water, sent by Korra, knocked Bolin down, Bolin’s disk hit Mako in the chest, throwing him to the floor but not before a gout of flame hit Korra’s legs, making her fall onto the floor with a grunt.

“That was… that was something,” Bolin said laughing.
“Yeah, it was,” Mako said, smiling. “It's been great having you at so many back-to-back practices, Korra.”
“Feels good to be back, although Tarrlok isn't too happy about me refusing to join his task force,” Korra said and she meant it.

Ever since she started going back to the trainings she felt… maybe not good, maybe not completely unafraid, but better. Tenzin was right. She was a doer and she needed to be doing things. And the guys were really nice, it seemed even Mako was learning how to smile. Of course, she was a bit worried about the opposition they were to face during the competition and Tarrlok kept bothering her to take up his offer, but she was the Avatar, and she was ready to take on these challenges.

Plus, getting to hit people was also nice.

“Well, if Tarrlok has any problem with that, he can take it up with us!” Bolin yelled.
Mako smiled.
“Okay, come on, team huddle time!” He called out. As they huddled together, he looked at his team members. “It's our first match of the tournament tonight. I know the three of us haven't been a team for very long, but even so, the Fire Ferrets have never been this good. Are we ready?”
“We’re ready!” Korra and Bolin shouted.

“Not quite!” Asami Sato walked in. “You’ll need these!”
In her hands she held – and swayed a bit under the weight of it – pro-bending tournament gear, in darker colours than the ones Fire Ferrets were using before. These had more black in them, but instead of dark red of Future Industries, the red was more closer to orange, the original Fire Ferret colour.

Korra, Mako and Bolin immediately jumped and rushed to take the weight from Asami’s hands. Korra was faster than them – or maybe the deciding factor was that the two brothers bumped into each other – so she got to Asami first, grabbing the shirts.

“Thank you, Korra.” Asami smiled at her. “Check these out!”

Mako and Bolin grabbed the uniforms from Korra and the former immediately started putting his on. When he removed the protective gear that he had been wearing until know and shirtless, Korra’s eyes widened. He was handsome, she had to give him that, but she wasn’t used to men undressing in front of her. She glanced at Asami who was looking at her with an amused expression on her face. At that Bolin shrugged, smiled and started putting on his gear as well. It must have been lack of Korra’s experience with men, but suddenly she didn’t know where to look. Bolin wasn’t bad looking himself, a bit shorter and stockier than his older brother, but broader in the chest.

“By the way, Pabu’s outfit would take a bit more time,” Asami spoke to Bolin. “But I was assured that it will be ready for the match.”

“Awesome!” Bolin said. “Thank you! Pabu, thank her!”
Pabu run onto Bolin’s arm, looked at Asami and chirped something.

“Aren’t you precious and cute?” she responded, petting him on the head, before turning to look at Korra. “The guys’ outfits should be fine,” she said “I had their measurements from when I had suits tailored for them for the evening at Kwong’s. I don’t have yours though, so I’d like you to try yours out so, if anything’s wrong, I could get them adjusted before the match. We wouldn’t want you to stumble due to something being too loose or too tight, would we?”

“No, I guess not,” Korra said, looking away from both Asami and the boys, scratching the back of her head. “I’ll… I’ll check these out right away, it’s just…”

It was just that when the pro-bending arena was first commissioned, it was assumed that only men will be participating in this sport. While this misunderstanding has quickly been cleared and women were allowed to take part, the changing rooms for men have already been built next to the training area and the ones for women had to be fit wherever there was some place, which in this case meant quite far from the training field.

“Ah, I see,” Asami said and perhaps she really understood. Wasn’t she an architect as well? Perhaps she was familiar with the arena plans. She turned towards Bolin and Mako who were testing the new gear by stretching in it. “Ok, guys,” she said in authoritative voice. “Korra needs to change. Could you test the uniform by running a few circles outside this room?”

To Korra’s surprise, they complied immediately and without a question.
“Wow, you do have a way of making sure you’re heard,” She said.

Asami’s smile was somewhat bitter.
“I guess it goes hand in hand with the money and being the primary sponsor,” She said.

“Oh, I’m quite sure it’s not all that you are to them… to us. You’re really nice… and…” Korra chuckled nervously. “I’m sure Mako has a huge crush on you and probably Bolin as well.”
Asami frowned.
“They do?”

Was she actually surprised or was she showing fake modesty? It seemed impossible that she didn’t notice the boys’ – especially Mako’s – behaviour around her. Korra’s chuckle was even more nervous and she found her face going hot.

Korra’s chuckle was even more nervous and she found her face going hot.
“Well, I’m sure you know full well how attractive you are. And classy. And smart!” she said, feeling her face burn hotter and hotter.

"And primprop?" Asami asked and they both laughed.
"And primprop," Korra agreed.

“Thank you, Korra. You’re too kind,” Asami said, smiling softly at Korra and then, looking almost uncomfortable, quickly changed the topic. “So now that the guys are away, why don’t you change into the gear?”

Korra glanced at Asami and hesitated for a moment.
“If you want me to turn around as well, I don’t mind,” Asami said, slightly blushing.

“N-no, it’s ok!” Korra shouted, blushing even more.

She didn’t want Asami to think her some uncivilized weirdo. Besides, they were both women, right? And women didn’t feel weird changing in front of other women, right? She started taking off her gear, remaining only in her shorts and sports bra. She could see Asami’s eyes widen a bit when she saw her stomach, chest, arms and legs and she could feel Asami’s eyes notice in the scars that covered Korra’s body… scars from the beating Unalaq and Vaatu gave her, scars from her fights against the dark spirits.

“Yeah, being the Avatar didn’t do wonders for my looks,” She said, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.
“What? Nonsense, you’re gorgeous!” Asami protested immediately and then added in a quieter voice, almost as if talking to herself. “I… I didn’t want… to make you feel awkward. It’s just… those scars… I guess, I didn’t realize before how much you fought, how much you risked your life. You’re a year younger than I am and yet… you’ve been through so much.”

Korra shrugged.
“I guess?” she said then started putting the Future Industries gear on. “So how do I look?”
“Perfect, just perfect,” Asami answered, regaining her composure. “And how does it fit?”

Korra started stretching in the gear. It felt good, almost like second skin. Then she proceeded to moving to a series of punches and kicks, sending fire blasts forward. Then she grabbed a couple of stone disks, sending them at the net surrounding the training area. She finished it by going into fluid waterbending moves, sending curved streams of water, before pulling it back to her, her feet moving gracefully, her entire body following with the stream of water following her. The gear didn’t hinder her moves in the slightest and eventually she pushed the water back to her water satchel.

“Yup, it’s great!” she grinned at Asami. “Did you really need one look at me to size me up so well?”
Asami was watching her with her emerald eyes wide open, two of her fingers on her red lips.
“Wow, Korra… I… I mean... I knew you were a great bender… but… I have never thought that bending could be so… beautiful,” she said.

“Pity that in pro-bending they don’t give points for style,” Korra chuckled, before her mood got darker. “Nor does style matter much in real duels.”

“I’m sure you do quite well in those as well.”
“I wish. That chi-blocker I fought… she totally kicked my ass. Sure, she surprised me, but…” she shrugged.

Asami’s smile was somewhat nervous.
“Well, I’m glad the gear works well,” She said. “I’m looking forward to seeing you perform tonight. All three of you, of course.”

“Sure!” Korra said. “Thanks for everything.”
She began taking her gear off. This time Asami turned around, giving Korra some privacy.

Chapter Text

“Disgusting,” Hiroshi Sato said, his mouth curling into a sneer. “The way these… benders are celebrated.”
“Dad, it’s just a game,” Asami said, at the same time beaming a smile to Lon Hien from Republic Logistics who was entering the VIP Lounge.

She hoped he wouldn’t sit next to her as he was quite… insistent that ‘it was only prudent’ if they got married, preferably soon. He was however the son of the owner of one of the major logistics companies, whose services were often utilized by Future Industries, so she didn’t want to antagonize him.

“But this game?” Hiroshi snapped. “It’s just glorification of bending! No non-bender can compete in it and yet look at those crowds cheering those sportsmen as if they were… important.”

“It’s like that with most of the sports,” Asami pointed out. “Inborn talent and physical capabilities matter a lot. Do you think I could beat a grown-up man when it comes to javelin throwing for example?”

“Probably not. But you could try it. You might never be a professional volleyball player, but you can get some people and play it for fun. You will never be able to participate in this!” Hiroshi pointed at the arena.

Asami opened her mouth to respond but at this moment Lon Hien approached her and – of course – sat next to her.

“Asami!” he said. “Fancy seeing you here! So it is true? You’re actually sponsoring one of the teams?”
“Yes, we are,” Hiroshi said, back to his charming self. “We found one consisting of very talented but slightly… underprivileged players and decided to help them participate.”

“Underprivileged… and the Avatar, as I hear,” Lon Hien chuckled before lifting his hands. “Say no more, Mr. Sato. We all know the power of good marketing and of making yourself presentable.”

Hiroshi and Asami chuckled politely.
“Speaking of presentable… may I say, you look absolutely lovely, Asami,” Lon Hien said, his eyes taking in the spectacular view of Asami’s long, black, form-fitting dress.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” She added, truthfully for he was always a handsome man and his smart suit only emphasized that. “So what are you doing here? Republic City Logistics is also sponsoring one of the teams?”

“Oh, no,” Lon Hien said. “I’ve suggested that but couldn’t get dad to agree. His not that into pro-bending.” Asami saw that his words attracted Hiroshi’s interest, but Lon Hien kept talking. “No, I’m here because…” he shrugged. “Well, frankly it’s the opening of the tournament and apart from the finals it is the event to attend this season. I was curious who I will meet here, what… partnerships and business relations might be created.”

In other words, seeing how he knew Future Industries was sponsoring the Fire Ferrets, he could have reasonably deduced Asami would be here and came to continue hitting on her – or rather ‘proposing a mutually beneficial strategic partnership’.

“Oh, I think they’re going to begin soon,” Asami said, turning her attention towards the arena.

“Folks, after a year of waiting the Pro-bending Championship is finally here. Tonight is the first set of matches in our single elimination sixteen team bracket. And I gotta tell ya, these are the most tenacious and talented bending trios this arena has ever seen,” The announcer’s – whose name, as Asami learned during her research into pro-bending, was Shiro Shinobi - voice was heard over the speakers.

“Asami! Lon Hien! Fancy seeing you two here!” Asami heard a familiar voice behind her as a woman took her seat next to Lon Hien.

Tall, with short hair and a rather masculine attire – that nevertheless emphasized her feminine features – Deimi was always one to scandalize, both when it came to looks as well as behaviour. She had a fiancée but, as Asami has heard, she wasn’t entirely faithful to him… often having liaisons with others and among them even Lon Hien.

Asami began wondering if these two really met up here by accident. Soon she stopped thinking about it. It wasn’t her business and Shiro Shinobi was just announcing the teams.
“Introducing our first team, the Future Industries Fire Ferrets!” he called as the crowds cheered… but Asami could hear some amount of booing among the shouts.
She frowned at that.

“Don’t worry about that,” Deimi said, leaning closer to Asami, ostensibly to be able to whisper to her but at the same time leaning her face against Lon Hien’s chest. “I’m sure it’s just because the Avatar is in the team. Many people still aren’t fans of that bitch.”

Asami found herself clenching her fist. Sure, she opposed the Avatar and despised everything she represented… but Korra as a person didn’t deserve to be insulted and treated like that. She has been through enough. Being her father’s daughter, Asami was, however, skilled at masking her annoyance with a smile.

“Oh yes,” Lon Hien said. “I get what your father was trying to do here, but I’m not quite sure if supporting the team with Avatar was a good choice. She’s not exactly Miss Popular in Republic City.”

“Lon Hien, dear,” Deimi said. “I happen to approve of what Mr. Sato did. There is, after all, no such thing as bad publicity.”

Asami didn’t know what annoyed her more - the things they said or their assumption that it was Hiroshi who was behind the sponsorship. Her father was a genius in his own right, and she had still plenty to learn from him, but why couldn’t anyone believe that she had ideas of her own?

“The other two players in that team though…” Deimi said, biting her lip. “They’re just dreamy. Especially the taller one… I saw his pictures. Who doesn’t like tall, brooding types, right, Asami?”

“He is a very talented player,” Asami responded. “They all are.”
“Talented and probably veeeery grateful towards your family, Asami,” Deimi said. “So how is he in the sack?”

Asami looked at her, eyes wide.
“I wouldn’t know!” she said.
“Oh come on, don’t tell me you’re not taking advantage of that body!” Deimi said. “I sure would know how to seize such an opportunity. If you’re not using him, would you mind if I had a go?”

Asami’s bad mood evaporated, replaced by amusement, when she saw the annoyed look Lon Hien shot Deimi, at the same time pushing her face away from his chest. Apparently he didn’t enjoy Deimi commenting on how attractive other men were.

“Well, the Avatar, despite all her faults, is quite attractive herself,” He said, glaring at Deimi. “Maybe you would like a go at her? I’ve heard these Water Tribe savages bend… both ways if I may say so.”

Both Asami and Deimi looked at him with disgust… though likely for different reasons.
“Eww,” Deimi said. “I wouldn’t touch her with a ten-feel pole…”

Anger flared in Asami’s heart. The sight of Korra’s body came to her mind, her scar-covered skin a testament to the various fights she has been through. The Avatar might have been the enemy, but Korra was no coward and to think that a… rich nobody like Deimi would speak of her like this, would think of her like this, made Asami snap.

“Shhhh!” Asami said, more sharply than she intended. She was always so good at masking her emotions and true feelings... an yet their comments about Korra were starting to get to her. “They’re starting the game!”

* * *

“That's what I'm talking about!” Bolin called when the audience cheered for them and their victory. He waved at the tribunes before bowing down to them. “Thank you, thank you very much! Thank you all you fans!”

“Bolin is pretty much in his element now, huh?” Korra asked Mako as they were walking into the changing room.
“Oh yes, he’s a born performer,” Mako answered. “He just can’t get over the fact that he didn’t get a part when Varrick was starting his mover business last year.”

Korra rolled her eyes.
“Ugh, believe me, he’s better of like this,” she said. “Varrick is a shifty dude.”
“So I heard, but I didn’t know you knew him?” Then he slapped his hand against his forehead. “Oh right! The Water Tribe civil war thing!”

“Yeah, I had the misfortune of dealing with him,” Korra said then brightened. “But hey, enough of this – let’s talk about something nicer! We sure kicked ass there tonight! Three rounds to nil!”

“We sure did!” Bolin called, joining them and grabbing both of them from behind, giving them a warm hug. “Did you see how I hurled those disks? Not that you weren’t there, you were awesome, Korra! You were born to do it!”

“Oh, thanks!” she said, smiling at him.

Gently she removed his hand from her waist and went to her locker. The changing rooms next to the arena were all co-ed, so as their unspoken agreement was, they just turned their backs to each other and started changing. Korra was happy to say that she never caught either of the two brothers trying to glimpse at her as she was changing. She didn’t know how she would feel and she didn’t want it to become awkward between them.

“Oh! And remember when their firebender tried to take me down!” Bolin suddenly spoke. “It was so cool how you defended me, Mako, while you, Korra, shoved him out of the arena! Or… or when in round two Korra protected us from the water-and firebender and allowed us to take them one by one!”

“I remember,” Mako said. “I was there after all!”

“Congratulations!” Asami walked into the changing room, Pabu – dressed in Future Industries uniform – on her shoulder. The fire ferret chittered and jumped off the woman and ran towards Bolin, climbing. “You were great!”

“We really were, weren’t we?” Bolin asked, kneeling next to Pabu and scratching him behind the ears. “What do you think, Pabu? Were we good?”

Pabu just chittered again in response and licked Bolin’s hand, making the man laugh.

“Oh…” Asami muttered, looking at Mako who was still shirtless. “I’m sorry, I’ve asked the man in front of the changing room and he said that I can come in.”

“Yeah, Toza doesn’t really care who enters,” Bolin asked, still scratching Pabu, this time under his chin. “And when.”
“Oh, sorry,” Asami looked away from Mako, who started quickly putting a shirt on.

From Mako, she looked straight at Korra and blushed even more as she was just in her sports bra. Korra, on her part, did her best not to show how her heart started beating faster and flashed Asami a smile. Why was she reacting like that? Asami was also a woman, so there was no need to be prudish in front of her. Especially since she had already changed in front of her… and Asami did see her at her worst, drunk and vomiting, sad and whining.

“So you enjoyed watching the match, Asami?” Mako asked her.
The raven-haired woman glanced at him, saw that he was already dressed now and turned towards him.
“Oh yes, I did! You did great, all of you!” she said. “If I ever doubted – and I didn’t – that our investment into you was a sound one, my doubts would have been dispelled by now.”

Mako approached her.
“So… errm… Asami, what would you say if we went somewhere to celebrate this victory and a great opening of the season?”

Asami hesitated for a moment.
“That is… a good idea,” she said. “In fact I was going to…”
“Great!” Mako said. “I have a place I’d love to show you!”

Watching them, Korra frowned and stifled a sigh. What was he doing? Was he hitting on their sponsor? Asami didn’t seem completely eager, but she didn’t seem bothered or uncomfortable either. Besides, when did Korra ever see her be uncomfortable? If she were, she would surely have found a way to show to Mako, politely but firmly. So why was Korra so annoyed? It’s not that she blamed Asami. Mako was good looking, Korra had to admit it, especially now that she had seen him without the shirt. And he wasn’t as much jerk to Asami as he was to Korra… but even in this area he mellowed up a bit.

“Soooo, Korra…” Bolin suddenly was next to her. “Since we’re talking about celebrating, what would you say if we did our celebrating of our own?”

Korra turned to look at him. What did he mean by it? Did he mean it like a date? A date-date? She did get a feeling that he was… interested in her. She liked him, that was certain. He wasn’t bad looking either, maybe not as classically handsome like Mako, but definitely good-looking, buff, which she respected, had pretty green eyes – Korra suddenly realized that she never before has she found green eyes attractive but now she did – and one of the most sincere and prettiest smile she has ever seen. But was she interested in him… like that? In this way? Was she interested in Mako? Was it why she got annoyed whenever he flirted with Asami or tried to hit on her? Recently her feelings… were confusing.

“Celebrating?” she asked.
“Oh yes!” he said. “I’m sure we can have good time!”

“Bo, what are you doing?” Mako asked, surprisingly sharply.
“What’s wrong?” Bolin turned towards him, surprised and confused. “I’d also like to celebrate our win!”
“But…”

“Why don’t we celebrate together?” Asami suddenly suggested.

It was almost hilarious how both Mako and Bolin suddenly looked disappointed.
“Errm… I meant it more in the sense… that… well… you… and me…” Mako stumbled.
“Well… I don’t see why not…” Bolin stuttered. “But…”
“Great idea!” Korra shouted, perhaps overly enthusiastically.

This… maybe didn’t resolve her problems with her conflicted feelings but at least it postponed the moment when she would have to confront them.
Also, has she imagined it, or did Asami wink at her mischievously?

“Or is there any reason why you don’t want us to go together?” Asami lifted an eyebrow and looked at Mako.
“No… umm… no, of course not!” he said.
“No! Not at all! Definitely not! No, ma’am! No reason!” Bolin quickly added.

“Wonderful,” Asami said. “So, Mako, tell us more about this place where you wanted to show us?”

Chapter Text

“Ww!” Korra said, her mouth full of seaweed noodles. “Tht’s sss athntc!”
“Oh! Is it some Water Tribe dialect? Are you speaking it to make it more real?” Bolin asked.

Korra swallowed the noodles that she was eating and chuckled.
“I said that it’s so authentic! They taste like back at home! And definitely better than at the White Lotus compound, maybe except for the days when Katara was cooking.”

“Wow! Katara was cooking? Master Katara?! Aang’s wife?” Bolin opened his eyes wide in shock… and then began choking on the noodles he was eating.
Mako turned to help him, but Korra was faster, hitting him in the back.
“Katara of course was one of the White Lotus Masters, but she liked going into the kitchen every now and then,” Korra said when Bolin was able to breathe again. “She used to say that she liked how making good food is a very simple way to make many people happy and that she misses this simplicity when it comes to most of the challenges she faces.”

“I think I can understand that,” Asami said. “I’m not Katara, but I sometimes feel like that when I’m in a workshop. Designing or assembling something is not always easy but it is a challenge with certain simplicity to it, which requires one only to put their mind to it and keep working, keep thinking. Many other challenges… are more difficult. Machines are simple. Predictable. People… often aren’t.”

She went silent and Korra looked at her. She didn’t consider Asami to be two-faced but she understood that a person like her had to learn at young age to always put on a mask of perfection and decorum. She didn’t blame her for it. It was a bit like being the Avatar… except that Korra was terrible at showing any pretense of decorum. But now… for a short moment it seemed as if Asami’s mask slipped and Korra saw… self-doubt? Hesitation? Loneliness?

“Oh, you’re great with people!” Mako said to Asami, smiling warmly at her. “You’re great with… practically everything!”
“Thank you,” Asami smiled back at him and her mask was on again.
“You’re a known philanthropist, businesswoman, inventor…” Mako kept talking. “You seem kind-hearted and genuinely nice…”

Korra couldn’t put her finger on it, but something in his smile, something in the tone of his voice, in the way he was looking at Asami annoyed her. Instinctively she moved closer to Asami before stopping herself.

“Soooo… what is Katara like?” Bolin asked, ignoring the exchange between his brother and Asami.
“Oh, she’s cool! Really cool! Kind and good and wise… but you don’t want to get on her bad side.” Korra said. “As I discovered a couple of times since I haven’t always been the best student. But she was always quick to forgive.”

“I’m sure you weren’t that bad, Korra” Asami said, putting her hand on Korra’s shoulder. “You were… what? Just a kid? A teenager? We’ve all went through such phases!”

“Yes!” Bolin said. “But scary Katara must be scary!”
“True,” Mako nodded. “She helped Firelord Zuko beat Azula, right? I wonder what happened with her…”

“Well…” Korra began, scratching the back of her neck. “It’s funny you are asking, because Azula…”
“I hope everything is to your liking?” the owner, Narook, appeared in front of them, bowing.
“Yes, the food is delicious,” Asami said and Korra felt… happy that Asami liked the cuisine from her homeland.
“It’s great!” Korra said. “Tastes just like at home!”
Narook bowed again.
“It’s a pleasure to hear it, Avatar,” he said.

Korra suddenly stiffened. She wasn’t really expecting not be recognized by anyone, it’s not as if she was a low-profile person. However she really had hoped that the cook didn’t spit into her bowl.
“Relax, Avatar,” Narook said. “I know… some people might have been… less than pleasant to you… but you should know that some of us still respect what you did and what you are doing and representing. You’re always welcome here.”

“Oh… thank you” Korra stuttered, suddenly feeling both relieved and touched.
“I’ll leave you,” Narook bowed again. “And the meal is on the house.”

And he disappeared.
“Wow, Korra, you’re adorable when you blush,” Asami chuckled.

This, predictably, made Korra blush even more. Feeling awkward, she looked away… and saw a tall, lean, dark-haired man, handsome if not for a nasty, sleazy grin on his face, watching her. On each of his arms there was a girl, looking at him as if he was the reincarnation of Aang himself.

Which was kinda ironic seeing how Korra was Aang’s reincarnation and most people hated her, not adored her.

“Hey, who is the creepy dude who is watching us?” Korra asked.
Bolin turned around… his eyes opened wide in shock and he turned quickly towards his bowl of noodles.
“That's Tahno and the Wolfbats, the reigning champs, three years running. Don't make eye contact.” He whispered.
“Uh oh, he’s coming here.” Mako said.

Indeed, the man – Tahno – got up and lazily he approached their table, his girls and the other two Wolfbat players a bit behind him.
“Now don't mess with this guy, he's a nasty dude.” Bolin said and started to rapidly eat his noodles.

“Well, well, well, if it isn't the Fire Ferrets. Pro-bending's saddest excuse for a team.” Tahno said in a low voice. “Tell me, how did a couple of amateurs like you luck your way into the tournament? Especially you, Uh-vatar. Participating in pro-bending? What a pathetic way to get people to like you.” He winked at Korra. “You know, if you'd like to learn how a real pro bends, I could give you some private lessons.’

Korra got up and pushed against him. She was shorter than he was, much shorter, and had to look up, but she didn’t let that, she didn’t let him intimidate her. She had faced Unalaq and Vaatu. A cocky pro-bender was nothing to her.
“You wanna go toe-to-toe with me, pretty boy?” she asked.

Tahno smirked.
“Go for it. I'll give you the first shot”

“Korra, don't,” Bolin said in a stage whisper which was louder than his usual tone of voice.
Mako stood up and got behind Korra.
“He's just trying to bait you. If you hit him, we're out of the tournament,” He said, glaring at Tahno.

Tahno’s grin became even wider and even more sleazy.
“Oh, hiding behind Avatar’s skirt, Mah-ko?” he asked then he pointed at Asami. “No wonder they say chivalry is dead. I wonder what you’ll new girlfriend will think about you being such a coward.”

Korra could hear Mako breathing harder behind her. She wished she took Naga with her. If she had been here, it would be enough to whistle and she would appear, wiping this self-satisfied smirk from Tahno’s face without her even touching him.

Asami cleared her throat and got up, approaching Tahno.
“Good morning, sir,” she said in a voice so sweet, that Korra instinctively started looking for a place to hide.

She stopped doing that and her body tensed, ready for battle, when she saw the look Tahno gave Asami, his eyes sliding up her body. Sure, Asami looked undoubtedly attractive in the long black dress she wore but Korra doubted she wanted her figure to be appreciated with such stares.

“Well, well, hello pretty,” Tahno said, turning to Asami. “What are you doing with those losers?”
“Enjoying my meal,” Asami replied. “At least I was, before you decided to interrupt us.”
“Why don’t you dump them and join us?” he said, to which both of his female companions shoot angry glances at Asami, but didn’t dare to speak. “I don’t know if you are a bender or not, but even if you aren’t, I can give you some private lessons, if you know what you mean.”
And to make sure he isn’t – somehow – misunderstood, he winked at her.

“Listen, pretty boy…” Korra began.
“Get away from her, buddy…” Mako said, taking a step towards Tahno.
“Just leave, ok?” Bolin said, getting up.

They all stopped when Asami lifted her hand.
“I’ve got it,” she said, not turning her eyes away from Tahno’s.

She couldn’t have been enjoying this type of attention, could she?
“I must inform you, sir,” even Korra wouldn’t be able to bend ice as cold as the ‘sir’ that Asami has just used “that this type of behaviour could be considered harassing your opponents outside of the arena and as such falls under the paragraph six section eleven, subsections one to four from the Pro-bending Tournament rules and, as a breach against the tenets of fair play, may result in a penalty from fine up to and including disqualification and permanent ban from taking part in pro-bending matches.”

Korra couldn’t help but grin as she saw Tahno’s mouth open wide. He definitely didn’t look very attractive when he was like this, confused and unsure how to respond. Finally he figured something up but when he tried to say something, Asami lifted her finger, cutting him off.
“Additionally, what you said to me before could be considered sexual harassment,” she continued, taking out a dictaphone from her purse. “If it were to get to the press that you were witnessed sexually harassing daughter of the Future Industries owner… well, I doubt it would look good.”

This time the expression of shock on Tahno’s face was replaced by fear.
“You… you have no proof of that!” he stuttered, before pointing at the dictaphone. “And this… doesn’t count!”
“It does,” Asami assured him. “But, in addition to it, I have plenty of impartial witnesses” she added.

As Korra looked around, she saw that other patrons of Narook’s diner were indeed watching and listening to the conversation. The owner himself, looked Tahno in the eyes and nodded his head. Asami, however, wasn’t finished.
“Besides, proof or not, believe me, if our legal department contacts your sponsors with a lawsuit, they will drop you faster than a hot potato smeared in toad skunk’s poop.”

“Fuck that,” Tahno barked. “Wolfbats, we’re getting out of here! And I’ll make sure all our followers and fans know not to eat in this dump!”

“I’m sorry for us costing you business,” Korra turned to Narook, when Tahno and his entourage have left.
“Not a problem, Avatar,” he bowed. “I wouldn’t want such a customer dishonouring my establishment with their presence and lack of manners.”

“It is kind of you to say so,” Asami said. “And it so happens, that Future Industries has a number of employees from the Water Tribe who came to Republic City as refugees during the Water Tribe Civil War and decided to stay. We are doing our best to provide caterers to our company diners serving food from all nations but, until now, we couldn’t find a good place offering Water Tribe cuisine. I will reach to the managers of our catering departments and ask them to contact you and iron out some sort of cooperation, if you’re interested, that is.”

“Of course I am, thank you, Miss Sato!” Narook, bowed in front of her.
“No problem at all,” she smiled at him beautifully, before sitting back at the table. “So what were we talking about before we got interrupted?”

“Wow!” Korra shouted. “You were amazing!”
“Yeah, that was pretty badass!” Mako admitted, looking at Asami with even greater admiration.
This time Korra didn’t even mind. Ok, maybe she did mind, but only a little.

“I’ve never seen anyone harass Tahno like that!” Bolin added.
“Did you bluff him or have you really read the pro-bending rulebook?” Korra asked.

Asami blinked, surprised.
“Of course I have,” she asked looking at them. “You haven’t?”
“Well…” Mako said, looking down while Bolin was looking through the window and Korra was scratching the back of her neck.

Asami chuckled at that.
“I was, however, bluffing with the dictaphone,” she said. “It wasn’t on.”
“Why do you even carry it?” Mako asked.
“Oh, for these moments when an interesting idea for a design or something comes to me and I need to save it for later.” She said and smiled a truly beautiful smile. “Though today wasn’t the first time I used to threaten someone who making inappropriate remarks towards me.”

They all laughed.
“You are one of a kind, Asami,” Korra said, smiling.

Asami’s smile grew wider, though there was some strain in her expression and Korra had the impression in no longer reached her eyes.
“I just don’t like bullies,” Asami said. “And those who oppress others. Regardless of who they are.”

* * *

Bolin took a sip of the cocktail… and then burped. Immediately, he looked around sheepishly.
“Bolin!” Mako snapped gesturing at Asami.
“No it’s fine,” Asami said.
“Sorry…” Bolin said… and then burped again. “Sorry!” he repeated, his face going red.

Mako sighed… and then groaned as Korra burped, even louder than Bolin.
“Korra, Bolin!” Mako said. “Not in front of Asami!” He turned towards her, smiling apologetically. “Umm, sorry for them…”

Asami smiled sweetly, hit herself in the chest with a fist and burped, almost as loud as Korra. The Avatar and Bolin responded in kind and all three were soon laughing, while Mako was just sitting, his expression shifting between confused and annoyed.

Korra looked around, saw a young couple at a nearby table looking at them with disgust. She smiled at them and waved her head, which made them just avert their eyes and shake their heads.
“So… where do we go now?” she asked.
“I know a place with a great view!” Asami suggested.

* * *

“Wow, that really is beautiful!” Korra gasped as she watched the flying fish, glowing with silver light, jump out of the water of Yue Bay. “We didn’t have those on the South Pole!”

“But I’m sure you had other beautiful sights! The Northern, or rather Southern lights for example.” Asami said.

“Oh, that’s true, that was so pretty. And the spirit portals…”

“I’m sure that nothing there compared to you, Korra,” Bolin said approaching her.
She turned towards him, surprised.
“Me?” she asked confused, then looked away, scratching the back of her neck. “No, I hardly compare!”

“You’re too modest, Korra!” Bolin said. “You’re beautiful!”
Korra smiled at him and then, suddenly feeling shy and awkward, looked away from him – at first at Mako who had on his face an expression that was the usual for him mixture of confused and annoyed – and then at Asami who smiled warmly at her.
“Bolin is telling the truth,” she assured the Avatar. “You’re gorgeous, Korra.”

“Next to you?” Korra asked. “I look like a beggar and one that has no sense of style at that. You’re so beautiful and classy and…”
“…And primprop?” Asami suggested and they both laughed at their private joke. “Nonsense, Korra,” Asami added but before she could say anything more, Mako stood behind her, putting his hand on her arm.
“You too are beyond beautiful, Asami,” he said, surprisingly softly for him.

So he was capable of not being a jerk, just not to Korra, it seemed.

Asami lifted her eyebrows, looking at him slightly confused and took a step to the side, letting his hand fall off her.
“Let’s just agree we are all gorgeous people!” Bolin said enthusiastically. “And awesome at that!”
“Yes, you guys aren’t bad looking either, isn’t that so, Korra?” Asami turned to the Avatar with a wink.
“Oh, sure,” Korra muttered, which made Bolin’s face lighten up beautifully. Then her smile grew wider. “And we are definitely awesome and badass! Go Fire Ferrets!”

“Go Fire Ferrets!” they shouted, pumping their fists.

Korra couldn’t help but notice, that, as they did it, Bolin was staring at her, Mako at Asami and she… she was looking up, with a faint smile on her lips.

***

Next Bolin led them to a nearby green hill. It wasn’t a park, but just an empty space, overgrown with vegetation. There Korra and Asami gasped in unison as they saw spirits, resembling mice with dragonfly or butterfly wings floating around, chirping at each other. Seeing the four people they began doing various tricks in the air, flying in circles, whirling around and spinning traces of gold dust behind them as they did so.

Korra stared at them in entranced silence, combined with an intense feeling of guilt. She has heard that some people hated her for keeping the spirit portals open which led to spirits infesting the mortal world and Republic City… but she didn’t see many of them here, apart from on Air Temple Island itself, but there, the spirits mainly followed Jinora. Did the spirits in the city sense how unwanted they were by the population which led them to hide from the people?

Still, she was the Avatar, she was supposed to be the bridge between the Spirit World and the mortal one and yet… and yet, she ignored this responsibility. She hasn’t even tried contacting the spirits inhabiting the place. Sure, she had excuses – airbender training, pro-bending, Equalists but… but she needed to do better.
She turned around and was surprised to see a tear sliding down Asami’s cheek.

“It’s beautiful,” the heiress whispered. “It’s beautiful.”

For a moment it seemed as if both Bolin and Mako wanted to say something, but in the end they remained silent, just looking at the two women, who in turn admired the spirit show in front of them.

* * *

Then there was the fair that Mako led them to. Soon Korra, Mako and Bolin were taking part in the shooting gallery. For non-benders there were balls that they could throw at the carton turtleducks, but benders were allowed to bend their elements… though how the owner of the stall managed to make ends meet after constantly replacing the broken and burned targets was beyond Korra’s understanding.

Bolin did quite well, taking out five of the six turtleducks and winning cotton candy that he gave to Korra, who thanked him with a smile, never having tasted something like that. It turned out to be a bit too sweet for her taste, but an interesting experience, for sure and she did appreciate the gesture.

Mako and Korra did a bit better, taking out all of their targets. Korra considered using all three elements that she could wield but she didn’t know what reception she would get, if the man recognized her as the Avatar… besides using solely her waterbending would do least damage to the carton targets, unlike Mako’s flames.

They both won a plush turtleduck. Korra gave hers to Bolin who grinned as he thanked her and hugged first her and then the plush toy. Mako – of course! – offered his to Asami.
“Thank you,” she said. “Though I admit I have my eyes on something else, the fire ferret plushie!”

“Sure!” the stall owner called. “Though that requires buying three tickets and hitting all of the targets set to high speed. If you don’t feel that confident, you can buy two tickets and get the platypus bear plushy!”

“No, fire ferret it is,” Asami said, giving him the money.
“May I shoot these ducks for you?” Mako offered with a bow as the stall owner pulled a lever and the turtleducks began going fast in their tracks.
“They’re quite fast,” Korra said and then, forgetting that she was supposed to be keeping low profile, added: “I think you need Avatar-level power for that!”

Asami smiled at them both.
“I think I’ve got it,” she said taking the first ball.

One by one she shot all six targets down, with speed and precision that left Korra, Mako and Bolin with their eyes and mouths open in astonishment.
“I told you, I can take care of myself,” she said to Korra, winking at her, before turning to Bolin and offering him the stuffed toy. “It’s not as cute as Pabu, but please take this and let it be a symbol of our partnership and the many victories the Fire Ferrets will achieve.”

Chapter Text

When Bolin left the changing room, Mako stepped out in front of Korra.
“What kind of game are you playing?” he asked.

Korra frowned. What got into him this time?
“Uh... Pro-bending?” she responded. “We've got the quarterfinal match.”

Mako shoot his head, even more annoyed.
“No, I mean with Bolin. You've got him all in a tizzy,” he said. “I don’t know what’s your game. Are you just playing with him? Are you trying to get back at me?”

“We’re just having fun together! You’ve been there, with us!” she protested. “And what would I be trying to get back at you for? You being a colossal jerk to me ever since the first day?”
“Well, I’m sorry for not being in awe of the mighty Avatar!” he snapped.
“It’s not about that and you know it! You were nasty to me even before you learned I was the Avatar.”

Mako glared at Korra.
“So you are really trying to convince me it’s not you trying to get back at me for Asami?” he asked.
“Asami?” she asked. “What does she have to do with it?”
“Don’t play dumb, Korra. I know how you react each time I try to…” he looked away awkwardly “flirt with her. When I try to… go out with her… and her alone.”

“That was your idea of flirting?” Korra snorted and Mako blushed. “I just don’t think dating our sponsor during the tournament is a good idea!” she continued.
“And since when are you Miss Sensible?” Mako asked. “Admit it, you’re just jealous!”

“Jealous? Of what?!” Korra snorted.
“Me… being interested in her instead of you.”

At least he looked awkward when he was saying this, and Korra couldn’t do anything but chuckle. Her, jealous? Being interested in Mako? Who was a jerk to her ever since they met?
“You need to get over yourself,” she told him. “Not everything is about you!”

“And don’t change the subject!” he countered. “If you have anything against me, take it up with me and not out on Bolin!”
“I’m not taking anything out on Bolin! I like him!” Korra protested, feeling actually hurt.
“But he *really* likes you! And I don’t know if you feel about him the same way!” Mako said.

This time Korra didn’t reply. She wasn’t toying with Bolin’s feelings, she really wasn’t. But it was true that he was interested in her… and she wasn’t sure how she felt about him, Mako and about…

Seeing that Korra isn’t responding, Mako continued.
“Listen, I’m just looking out for my little brother,” he said in a calmer voice. "When Bolin falls for someone, he falls hard. I don't want to see his heart get broken.”

“I don’t know how I feel, ok?” she snapped. “But I’m not trying to hurt him!”
She pushed past him and went onto the arena.

As she did so, she saw Mako look at the VIP lounge and wave and then bow at that direction. She rolled her eyes and groaned, feeling another rush of annoyance. Really? He must be doing what he accused her of – hitting on Asami to spite her. Then she looked at Bolin, she saw a question in his green eyes… but she wasn’t in a mood to talk about it… whatever ‘it’ was as she herself wasn’t certain of what she was feeling.

Looking at him, she also felt a pang of regret. If she didn’t feel about him the same way he did about her, should she tell him that? But what if she and Mako were wrong, and Bolin was just nice to her? He *was* a genuinely nice person. Besides, she didn’t know how to have such a conversation with him. It would be so awkward! And if he did feel like this and she told him she didn’t, would it impact their friendship? Them working as a team? Pity she was taught how to face dark spirits and rogue benders, but not her own feelings.

That was something to think about… later. Now they had a match to win.

“Eight teams have been eliminated and eight advance into the quarter finals, which get underway way tonight. The rookies are about to take on the former and longest-reigning champs, the Boar-q-pines. Youth clashes against experience in a battle for the ages, or rather of the ages.” Shiro Shinobi announced and moments later the referee’s bell signalled the beginning of the first round.

Their plan was simple – Korra defended and Mako attacked. It wasn’t easy to keep herself from striking out when she saw the opening, but she stuck to the plan. With a wide arc of her hands she swatted the opponents’ water and fire attacks to the side and then summoned a water shield to protect Bolin from an earth disk…

But then Mako, as he was jumping up to finish his flame strike that would push one of the Boar-q-pines back one zone, bumped into Korra, hard, making her lose concentration and drop the shield around Bolin… just as an earth disk was incoming.

He gasped as the blow hit him and flew back, two zones landing on the edge of zone three. Mako barely seemed to notice whirling as he kicked, sending another gust of flames, knocking the Boar-q-pine earthbender down and pushing him back to zone two… with Korra barely dodging his kick.
“Watch it!” she snapped at him…

And the fact that she stopped focusing in her enemies was quickly exploited and a stream of fire hit her in the chest, knocking her back into Bolin and tossing them together into the water… She was still submerged so she didn’t hear the referee’s whistle or shout, but she didn’t need to hear them to know that the Boar-q-pines took round one.

“What was that?” she snapped at Mako, once she was back on the arena.
“I was following the plan!” he countered. “You defend, I attack! I have no idea why you took your eyes off them…”
“Well, I didn’t think I needed to watch out for you!” she replied. “We’re supposed to be in the same team, you know?”
“It’s pro-bending, Korra. You need some spatial awareness to compete. I thought you knew that!”
“Ok, drop it you two!” Bolin shouted. “Let’s just focus on winning this round, ok?”

Glaring at each other, Korra and Mako muttered something that, with a lot of good will, could have been taken as agreement. There was no time to argue anymore, however, as the referee whistled for the new round to begin.

The Boar-q-pines attacked hard, but Korra managed to block and dodge their attack. She glanced – only glanced – at Mako and saw him doing his weird spiralling jump-kicks again and while these were pretty strong, pushing their opponents back each time they connected, his actions were so over-the-top that he was signalling his attacks waaaaay in advance, which allowed the Boar-q-pines to dodge the majority of them. As Korra glanced at him again, she was almost sure, she saw him glancing towards the VIP lounge.

Angered flared in her. So that was what it was about? Him showing off against Asami, trying to… do what? Win her with his display of bending? Pfft, then she would have to teach him a lesson. Maybe when he learned that he can’t outbend *the Avatar*, he would stop making a fool of himself and focus on the actual game.

She removed her water shield, letting the water circle her once, twice… and then with quick motions of her hands divided the stream into three parts shooting them at each of the Boar-q-pines, hitting two of them and pushing them a couple of steps back, not enough to send them into another zone.

She glanced at Mako who glared at her as he went in with another kick, that sent one of the opponents that she had hit back into zone two. Oh yeah? Using the advantage she gave him to impress Asami? Korra jumped high, twirled in her flight, sending a powerful stream of water at the Boar-q-pine firebending, pushing him into zone three.

Huh! That’s how it’s done! Who would have thought? Not only is she showing Mako – and Asami! – how it’s done, but through this friendly competition they are kicking the Boar-q-pines asses…

She didn’t even see the attacks that hit her and, judging from his groan of surprise, neither did Mako. The fell and then other attacks came, pushing them, into zone two… into zone three… Korra barely stopped herself from falling. Mako didn’t and she almost – almost! – felt bad hearing his scream as he went into the water.

And then, only then, she realized that they could actually lose the match. Cursing herself for her stupidity, she got up, immediately summoning water to herself… and heard the referee whistle. So that was it, they lost the round and their only chance of winning the match was through a knockout in round three…

And then she hears Shiro Shinobi’s voice:
”…but thanks to Bolin, they narrowly notch round two. Not sure what's eating them, but this is not the same team who took out the Rabaroos.”

She didn’t care about him talking about something eating them. She focused only on the first part. Thanks to Bolin, they narrowly notch round two.

They won?
She looked at Bolin, who was leaning against the ropes surrounding the arena, panting heavily. She smiled at him when he looked but he just shrugged, tired, and looked away. She hated how disappointed he looked.

“Ok, team,” she said. “Let’s just focus and win this round. We can do it?”
“Who died to make you the team captain?” Mako snapped.
Korra glanced at Bolin, but he neither reacted to Mako’s behaviour nor did he say anything cheering and uplifting, avoiding both of their eyes.

Fine, let them sulk. She wasn’t going to give up.

It didn’t take long since the new round started, for Mako to be on her again.
“Watch it!” he snapped as he tried another extravagant flame kick.

She shot him an angry glare but didn’t allow herself to be distracted. As she had to have an eye both on her enemies as well as Mako’s shenanigans, this time she focused on very simple moves – short bursts of water, lightning-fast water whips, short-lived shields to protect herself, Bolin and – yes, even him – Mako.

Korra was rewarded by a warm smile from Bolin as she blocked two attacks aimed at him, allowing him to strike back, pushing the Boar-q-pine earthbender back one zone. Before he could manage to regain his balance, Korra’s water stream got him in the chest, pushing him back to zone three. Korra’s triumph, however, was short-lived as the same moment Mako got a hit from their opponent’s waterbender, sending him back to zone three as well.

She was focused on him a moment too long and when she saw an earth disk coming at Bolin she immediately rushed to lift a water shield in front of him, but it turned out to have been a feint and Korra was too distracted to act when the enemy earthbender altered the course of the incoming disk, hitting her so hard in the stomach that she immediately felt sick and tossing her back to zone two… zone three… she barely managed to stop herself from falling over the edge but when she got up, she was ready again, swatting the incoming fireblast with her water whip as if it was just an annoying fly.

“You let me get hit on purpose!” Mako barked to her ear just as he lunged forward, sending a gust of flame at the Boar-q-pine waterbender.

Korra ignored his accusation. She had already paid too much attention to his whining. She had fought Unalaq, Vaatu, Eska and Desna… and even when she had lost it wasn’t because she was distracted like she was now. The way she fought now was against everything she had learned about bending in combat, pretend or not. She should put her mind solely to this fight.

Seeing how the enemy waterbender brought another water shield to protect himself from Mako’s second fire attack, she shot a powerful stream of water at him, her attack piercing through the shield, taking its water with it in a powerful blast and pushing the opponent to zone three! Immediately Bolin went for the kill, sending an earth disk at the waterbender… but the referee’s whistle was heard, ending the round. Two players in zone three for each team, one in zone one. That could only mean…

“Round three is a tie! We go to a tiebreaker to decide the match.” The ring announcer called.

A tiebreaker… a duel between two players with the same element. Oh, Korra could do this. Duels were something she has been trained for. Of course, it wasn’t yet confirmed that it will be her team who chooses the player for the tiebreaker. It all depended on the…

“The Fire Ferrets win the coin toss!” the referee announced, before turning towards the Fire Ferrets. “Which element do you choose?”

“I’ve got this!” Mako said, glancing towards the VIP lounge.
Korra rolled her eyes again. So, was this another chance for him to impress a certain someone? With the silly moves he was making doing the match, she couldn’t let him duel the opponent firebender.
“I will do it,” she said.
“No way!” Mako barked and they glared at each other.

“I know you usually handle these and you, Korra, are the Avatar so are probably stronger than any bender on this arena…” Bolin began. “But frankly, neither of you seems to have your head in the game. I'm gonna take this one.”
“No! I’m taking it! We can’t risk losing!” Mako said.
“Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence,” Bolin snapped.

Mako leaned forward and whispered something into Bolin’s ear. For the first time Korra saw actual anger reflect on his face. He pushed his brother away.
“Yeah? And I saw the ridiculous spin-kicks you were doing! And how you were looking there?” he pointed with his head towards the VIP lounge.
Ah, so Bolin noticed that as well? Mako visibly blushed and took a step back.

“Do the Fire Ferrets have someone chosen?” the referee urged them.
“Well, since you’re voting for yourself,” Mako said to Bolin, “I’m voting for myself and Korra is voting for herself… then I, as the team captain, have the deciding vote. And I choose…”

“I vote for Bolin!” Korra said quickly.
“What?!” Mako snapped. “You can’t…”
However as he turned to her, Bolin approached the referee.
“Yes, we choose earth.”
“No!” Mako shouted but it was too late.

Already Bolin and Chang, the Boar-q-pine earthbender and team captain were lifted up on a platform, facing each other.
Moments later the tiebreaker began with both earthbenders launching a volley of earth disks at each other, the projectiles colliding in the air, break, dust covering both players. Watching them, Korra had to admit that Bolin was good, very good. She shouldn’t have been surprised by it, it was he, after all, who carried – and won – the entire second round of this match. But… he always seemed in his older brother’s shadow, less hyped by the pro-bending announcer than Mako, who had even scored a hat trick in one of his earlier matches.

Now, he was standing his ground against a more experienced opponent… though, Korra had to admit, he was being slowly pushed back. And then, in a move that surprised Korra as much as it surprised Chang, Bolin lunged forward and went for a grapple. Experienced as he was, Chang wasn’t completely blindsided by the move, trying to reverse it and use Bolin’s momentum against him… and even though for a moment it seemed it was going to work, Bolin must have received his share of wrestling experience, probably during his time with the Triads and after a short but intense fight Chang was thrown off the platform.

“The Future Industries Fire Ferrets win their quarterfinal match!” Korra heard and sighed in relief, smiling at Bolin as he was lowered down on the platform.

This time, he smiled back.

Chapter Text

“Wow, what a match that was!” Bolin approached Korra in the changing room, having of course waited for her to finish dressing.
“Yeah,” Korra scratched the back of her neck. “Sorry for being so… distracted in the second round.”
“No problem, everyone can have a worse moment,” Bolin smiled at her… and his gaze went over her head towards the approaching Mako.

Mako looked around awkwardly, then sighed.
“I… I must have been a bit distracted too,” he admitted. “You really did good there, Bolin.”
“Oh yes, the way you duelled Chang! That was great!” Korra said and Bolin’s face brightened.

Mako, if possible, looked even more uncomfortable for a moment, even pinching the bridge of his nose absentmindedly. Then he looked at Korra. Then he pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at Korra. “You did good as well. Thanks.”
“No problem,” she said, without much conviction.

He was still a jerk but at least he forced himself to apologize.

Bolin, however, wasn’t going to let it slide so easily. Perhaps he had been teased by Mako so many times before that now he was reaching for an opportunity for some payback. Korra didn’t have siblings so she couldn’t really tell, but watching Mako squirm was enjoyable enough.
“Well… uhm…” he muttered. “I was trying some new bending techniques…”
“That might have been flashy, but it sucked,” Bolin wasn’t going to let that go. “What gave you the idea to act in such a ridiculous way?”

“Speak of the dark spirit,” Korra thought, but without malice, hearing first a knock and after Bolin called ‘come in’, the door to the locker room opened and in walked Asami Sato.
Mako immediately forgot all about explaining himself to Bolin and apologizing to them. He turned towards Asami a truly lovely smile appearing on his face.

“Well, that was certainly an interesting match,” Asami said approaching them. “And to be honest, it helped me understand the appeal of pro-bending. Before you were beating your opponents so easily and it was fun, yes, but this match I was biting my nails and holding my fingers crossed that you’d win! Somehow, I even managed to be doing both those things at the same time!”

A short glance was enough for Korra to realize that Asami was speaking metaphorically as her nails were immaculate and perfect as ever. Korra blushed and looked at her own, uneven and broken in places from the strains of trainings and earth disks that hit her during the match.

“Yeah, Mako decided to spice this match up by trying those dumb moves,” Bolin said, elbowing Mako in the side.
“Shut up, Bolin!” Mako barked, shooting a nervous glance at Asami.
She, however, smiled.
“Well, it’s always good to try new things out, isn’t it?” she said. “And you did look good, Mako.”

Immediately the smile was back on his face.
“Though maybe they weren’t entirely… effective? Efficient? Not that I’m an expert on pro-bending.”
Korra almost laughed, seeing how quickly Mako’s smile disappeared.
“Asami, could we… talk for a moment?” he asked, shooting Korra an annoyed look.
She frowned.
“Aren’t we talking?”
“I mean… privately?”
“Sure, I don’t see why not,” she agreed, walking with him away from Korra and Bolin.

“What’s up with him? With them?” Bolin asked.
Korra looked at him surprised. She wasn’t the most experienced when it came to… dating, but even she thought that it was obvious. Suddenly she recalled her mother telling her dad that “sometimes men were so blind” and suddenly she understood her.
“Well… didn’t you get the impression that… Mako is hitting on Asami?” she asked. “And these weird moves he was trying were there to… dunno… impress her?”
“Ooooh…” Bolin said opening his eyes wider. “That… makes sense. And the way you went a bit… over the top… it was to impress Asami? Or Mako?”
“No!” Korra almost screamed. “I just… I just… got annoyed with what he was doing and decided to teach him a lesson… which almost cost us the victory.”
“Well, the important thing is that we’ve won!”
“Yes! And let’s hope he doesn’t keep making a fool of himself during matches,” Korra chuckled and Bolin laughed as well.

Suddenly he stopped, ran fingers through his hair and looked at Korra with a somewhat nervous smile.
“Korra… would you like to go out with me?” he suddenly blurted out.
She frowned.
“You mean… like last time?” she asked, wanting to be sure. “To celebrate the win?”
“Yes!” he said with a smile. “Except no. Not exactly like last time. Yes, as we’d have fun. No, in that I’d like to go with you. Just with you. Only the two of us.”

That took Korra by surprise. It seems she’d been right and Mako had been right - Bolin really was interested in her… in this way. Romantically.
“I…” she hesitated.
Bolin’s smile got a bit more anxious, but he didn’t back down.
“Listen, Korra,” he said. “You’re fun, I’m fun! Let’s have fun together!” his voice faltered for a moment. “No pressure about anything, ok? Just… let’s spend time together.”

Yes, she could do that. She liked him, she really liked him. Did she love him? No, but perhaps that would come. No one had ever taught her about how attraction and dating were supposed to work. It wasn’t part of the Avatar curriculum taught by White Lotus and she had always felt too awkward to ask her parents about it… and asking Katara would mean making her recall Aang, whom she had lost. But he was right – he was fun, and she could use some fun.

“Sure!” she said. “Having fun together? That sounds… well… fun.”
They both chuckled.
“Thank you, Korra!” Bolin said, sighing in relief. “So… maybe tomorrow? Here? At… six pm?”
“That sounds good,” she smiled, already liking his enthusiasm.

“What’s so funny?” Asami asked looking away from Mako for a moment.
“Oh, Korra and I are going out! Just the two of us!” Bolin said.
“What?” Mako asked, surprised, glaring at Korra.
“Ah… that’s… nice,” Asami said, slightly surprised which she quickly covered with a beautiful smile of her own. “I was going to suggest we went to celebrate this win, but I hope you two have great time. We can all go out another day.”

“Maybe in such case we could go somewhere together as well?” Mako suggested to Asami.
Korra couldn’t say if Asami was surprised or not. She seemed to consider this for a moment before slowly nodding her head.
“That sounds good,” she said. “Pick you up tomorrow… at seven maybe?”
“It’s a date then,” Mako said with a smile, Asami’s presence apparently relaxing him.
Korra had the impression that Asami’s smile was slightly anxious.

* * *

“Great camouflage!” Korra laughed somewhat nervously, seeing the approaching huge bouquet of flowers.
“Ha! Isn’t it?” the bouquet seemed to speak with Bolin’s voice. “I’ve heard that’s the best way to sneak upon the mighty Avatar and her fierce polar bear dog! Disguised as flowers!”

This time Korra’s laughter was louder and more sincere. Bolin was a huge dork… but she liked that about him.

“And you were correct! I didn’t saw it coming! But I don’t know if it fooled Naga, though…”
“Don’t worry, I have something even for such a formidable opponent!” Bolin said, before handing the flowers to Korra. As she took them, he took out a ball. “What do we have here? Good Naga! Fetch!”

As he threw the ball, Naga ran forward after it, not caring whom was she trampling on her way and Korra barely saved herself – and the bouquet she was holding – from the overenthusiastic animal. In an instant Naga was back with Bolin, holding the ball in her mouth. Bolin took it out, barely noticing the spit covering it and threw it again, further this time.

“That was sweet,” Korra said. “How did you know I was going to take her?”
“I didn’t,” Bolin replied. “I was going to give the ball to you to pass it to her.”
“Well, I hope you don’t mind,” Korra said. “I couldn’t decide what I should wear, as I couldn’t find the one dress I had, I think maybe Ikki moved it when taking it out from washing and when I was finally ready it was already late so I thought it would be quicker with Naga and…”
“Shh, don’t worry, Korra,” Bolin smiled, throwing the ball once more. “I’m happy to spend more time with Naga. You’re just the bonus.”
“You sure have a way with words around ladies,” Korra chuckled.

“I know, right?” he smiled back. “And you don’t have to worry about getting dressed for me. A) You always look good, B) I want you to feel comfortable.”
Korra could feel herself blush. In the end she did decide to put on an attire similar to the one she was usually wearing, just with a belt with the Water Tribe symbol and some earrings borrowed from Pema as the only additional decorations. She did feel more like herself though and she liked that Bolin didn’t mind.
“Oh… that’s nice for you to say,” she said.

“I’m serious!” he said. “I’d so want to hug you right now, but…” he lifted his hands, covered in the spit from the ball Naga kept bringing back.
Korra immediately hugged him and, after a second of surprise, he hugged her back.
“I’ve long stopped noticing when I’m covered in Naga’s spit,” she said. “I think you know me by now well enough to realize I’m not some elegant, prissy wallflower.”
She had almost said ‘unlike Asami’, but stopped herself, realizing how unfair that would be. Elegant? Yes, definitely. But prissy and wallflower Asami was not.

“Oh you’re no wallflower, that is true,” Bolin responded, finally letting go of Korra – only to throw the ball yet again. “You’re a firebrand alright! You’re great!”
She felt herself blush again. She knew that compliments were part of dating but Bolin’s… felt so sincere.

“Sooo… what are these for?” she quickly changed the topic, pointing at the flowers she was holding.
“They’re just like the ball! Just a token of my gratitude for saving me from those Equalists… and because you’re such a cool person. I mean… I didn’t know if you’d like them… some people could consider it a bit girly… not that you aren’t a girl…”
“Don’t worry, Bolin,” Korra said. “I love them! They smell so beautiful! There weren’t many flowers at the South Pole. In fact, there weren’t any at all. Maybe in Wolf Cove, the capital… but not at the White Lotus compound, where they were keeping me.”
“That’s so sad! Flowers are awesome!”
“Yes, they are,” Korra said warmly, taking another sniff.

“So... where do you want to go? What do you want to do? Are you hungry?”
“I’m almost always hungry, Bolin,” Korra said. “Especially ever since I’m on Pema’s vegetarian food.”
“Well, I know this cool diner. It’s a Triad place but…”
“A Triad place?!”
“Well, yes, it’s a front for one of their gaming halls but the food there is perfect. They don’t have to worry about being profitable and it’s being run by the aunt of one of the bosses, so she gets the best ingredients, the best chefs and so on.”
“Wow… sure, let’s try it,” Korra said. “I just hope I won’t be forced to teach anyone there a lesson. Triads and I don’t really mix, especially when they hurt others.”
“Nah, I think they’ll be fine,” Bolin said. "Don’t get me wrong, I know Triads are usually not good people… but when I’ve been living with them… I’ve learned they are not ALL bad. The system… the system isn’t fair towards some people and that forces them into life of crime. I know it doesn’t excuse hurting others but…”
He shrugged and fell silent.

“That… that must have been interesting life,” Korra said.
“Well, the only one I know,” Bolin said, then his face lightened up. “There were some cool people there. Shady Shin who taught me how to play pai sho… shame he lost his bending to Amon…”
“Pai sho?” Korra asked. “They taught me how to play it at the White Lotus compound.”
“Oh yeah, that’s their thing, right?”
“Yes, but they didn’t really like playing with me,” Korra looked away.
“Why?”
“Well… when they let me win, I got angry… and when they beat me, I also got angry. I might have firebent a pai sho board… once… or twice… or three times,” Korra admitted. “I guess… I was never great at accepting defeats.”

“No wonder!” Bolin exclaimed. “You’re the Avatar! You’re the strongest!”
“I wish it worked like that,” Korra said. “I… I… I got beat pretty bad in the Water Tribe Civil War. I…”
She stopped. She trusted Bolin but she just couldn’t say what she wanted, she couldn’t tell him about losing Aang and the other lives. It was still too fresh, too painful. The words just didn’t want to leave her mouth.

“Oh come on, Korra, even you can’t win all the time! No one expects you to! No one expects you to be perfect!”
“No?” she chuckled bitterly. She didn’t want this nice meeting and conversation to go this way, but she couldn’t stop herself. “Funny, because I think plenty of people expect me to be perfect and are disappointed when I’m… me.”
“Well, their loss! You’re great as you are! You’re much more than just the Avatar to me, you know?”

She smiled at him.
“Thank you, that’s kind of you to say,” she said. “I mean… you might be the only person apart from my parents who thinks so. And maybe Asami? But… Tenzin… even Jinora, I think… it’s not her fault, she is so nice… but I think she sees me as the Avatar first and Korra second. And Mako… he’s still a jerk to me… but a bit less than he was before he learned who I was…”

Suddenly she realized what did she say and to whom.
“I’m sorry! He’s your brother and…”
Bolin sighed.
“Don’t worry, Korra,” he said. “I love my brother to death, but I know he can be a jerk sometimes… often. He’s… very intense. But trust me, he’s not all bad. He did take good care of me after our parents… it took a toll on him. He was much… warmer and quicker to laugh before that. He’s a good man.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” Korra said. “But sometimes I wish he was nicer.”
Bolin chuckled.
“Yeah, so do I. Quite often in fact.”
“I wonder how his meeting… I mean, date… with Asami is going…” Korra wondered.

Chapter Text

Asami stood there, shocked, and stared at the red roses Mako was offering her.
“Thank you,” she answered, summoning a sweet smile to her face. “That is sweet of you.”
“Oh, I’m sure a woman as beautiful as you, has received plenty of flowers,” he answered, somewhat anxiously.
“Believe it or not, but I have not.”

She was telling the truth. The people who tried to ask her out in the past usually offered jewelry or invitations to posh events. Flowers, if they were given, were usually fake ones, with petals made of crystal, not real ones. Did they think flowers were too low-class for a girl of her station? If so, they were wrong. She took a deep breath, filling her nose with the aroma of the roses.

“They smell beautifully,” she said. “Thank you.”
Another nervous smile from the always so confident Mako.
“Pleasure all mine,” he responded. “It really is.”

“So where would you like to go?” she asked him. “I could get us a seat at Kwong’s…”
“Asami, I’ll of course happily go wherever you want to,” Mako interrupted her. “But how about I show you a place that perhaps you don’t know? And it’s on me, this time.”
“While I would love to see any place that you want to take me to,” Asami spoke “I am afraid I have to insist on it being my treat.”
“You’ve been supporting all of us more than enough,” he said. “Let someone treat you for once.”

There was only one thing she could say to that:
“Thank you,” as Asami spoke, she flipped her hair and almost laughed as she saw Mako’s eyes go wide and mouth open a bit.

* * *

The café Mako took Asami to was a small thing and it looked as if it had definitely seen better times. It was cozy, the staff really tried their best to make it feel nice, but Asami’s trained eyes could spot the places the paint was coming off, the tables were damaged and the saucer on which she received her – admittedly divinely-tasting – cookie was clipped. Her father would have left such a place in a huff and never stepped back and that’s how he had raised her but she didn’t want to cause trouble. She was rewarded with a cup of truly wonderful coffee.

“Mmm… that’s good,” she sighed, relishing in the sip she took. “How do you know this place? I guess you come here often?”
Judging by the warm looks the waitresses were giving Mako and by the fact that they asked him about ‘his usual’ she was pretty sure that was the case.

“I…” Mako began, hesitated and she saw his hands brush the smooth fabric of his red scarf. He took a deeper breath and started talking: “We used to come here, with our whole family. At least once a fortnight. Then… after my parents died… we didn’t have any money to come here… but I would sometimes slip away when I was sure Bo was safe and come here, watching this place… remembering the terrible jokes my dad told or how mum always had a witty response to any of Bolin’s kid questions… Soon the lady who runs spotted me but instead of shooing me away, would always let me grab some leftovers and sometimes would even offer me something hot to drink.”

Asami didn’t even notice when she took Mako’s hand. He looked up at her, surprised, but his face immediately softened and he smiled at her.
“When I started earning money…” he paused for a second, looking up at her anxiously. “Doing small jobs for the Triads… I started coming back here. I wanted to do with Bo but… but he was younger and didn’t remember this place as well as I did. Since then… you could say that I’ve become a regular, I guess.”

“I know I said it before, but I’m sorry for your loss,” she said.
She meant it but at the same time she couldn’t help but wonder, that if he wasn’t born with the bending ability, would the murder of his parents by a firebender cause him to join the Equalists as well? She thought it would. Mako had plenty of anger in him and Amon would direct it against those deserving it. She also felt that he had, despite his past as a Triad member, a desire for justice… and surely he would notice that Equalists are building a better, more just world. For a moment she allowed herself to daydream about how life would look if he joined the Equalists. With his intensity, he would quickly advance in their ranks and it was quite likely they would find themselves working together. Pity that because of Bolin being hurt in the Equalist attack against the Triads, Mako was an enemy, not an ally. And yet… just as it was with Korra, the Avatar, the personification of everything wrong with bending, it was hard to think of Mako as an enemy… And Bolin? He didn’t have a single bad bone in his body.

“I know I’m almost broke,” Mako said, bring her back to reality “but a yuan for your thoughts?”
Asami smiled at this softly, squeezed his hand and let it go.

“I was thinking about what-ifs and paths not taken,” she said truthfully. “What would happen if one major thing changed in our past.”
“Good question,” he said. “I think… that even if my parents would be around, I would try to get into pro-bending. Or maybe I’d try to become a policeman? A detective to be exact? I’ve always liked detective serial stories in the newspapers dad bought.”

“For what it’ worth, I think you’d be a great policeman,” Asami said. “Your heart is in the right place and seeing how you care about Bolin, I know you want to protect others.”
Mako blushed at that.

“And you? What how your life would have changed if…” he asked and immediately stopped himself. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to remind you… you don’t have to answer…”
Asami lifted her hand.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “While my mum was alive, I was spending a lot of time with her. She was an architect, you know? A great one. She would show me what she was doing, and I would ask her questions. After she… was gone, I did that with my father. I was… I was afraid that, following her death, he was pulling away from me so I tried to bond with him over engineering… and I began to like it… and that’s how I became an engineer as well. But if she was still alive… I think I would have become an architect.”

“I think you can still do that,” Mako said. “Someone as smart as you…”
She looked at him with gratitude in her eyes.
“Perhaps one day.”

She would like that, yes. But first, before she could rebuild and expand the city… it had to be saved, saved from the tyranny of the benders. Saved from the spirit vines. And she had no doubts that Amon’s revolution would cause a lot of devastation. The bending establishment was entrenched too deep to be easily removed. Maybe she could try to help undo the inevitable damage?

“Let’s talk about something happier,” Mako suggested. “Do you want a cake? The cheesecake here is to die for.”
“I’d love it,” Asami responded.

It was indeed marvelous, soft and creamy and with peaches inside.
“As good as I remember it from my childhood,” Mako said.
“It is indeed delicious. Thank you!”

“Pleasure is all mine,” Mako said then grew more serious. “I mean it. I like… spending time with you. A lot.”
“I like you too,” she said, somewhat warily.
“I… I would to see you more often,” he said.

“We will definitely be seeing plenty of each other in the coming weeks.”
“Yes but…” Mako pinched the bridge of her nose. “I mean… the two of us. Would you like going out with me?”
Asami looked at him for a long while.

Intellectually, she knew Mako was interested in her. Korra told her that after all and on some level it made sense. It wasn’t vanity to be aware that she was attractive, though it was always hard for her to understand the effect it had on others. This, combined to the fact that she was the heiress to the richest man in Republic City made her a frequent target of those trying to ask her out. She has always refused before. Partially because her father, overprotective as he was, disapproved of her dating, partially because she was too busy, first with her education, then with her work at Future Industries… and of course with her work among the Equalists. Naturally dating someone would be difficult if she had to be also hiding her allegiance to Amon and her activities as an Equalist high-up. And partially she didn’t date for a more pragmatic reason: because she believed that most if not all of those asking her out were interested only in her body, wealth or name. But the biggest reason was that she hadn’t found anyone who would make her heart beat faster.

After Korra mentioned Mako having a crush on her, Asami started noticing the signs in him, his nervousness around her, the looks he was giving her. Yes, he was undoubtedly interested in her and, though Asami always considered herself to have a healthy amount of self-esteem, she wondered why he would choose her instead of Korra. Korra was so kind, smart, brave, fierce, energetic, beautiful, all-around amazing… and of course she was the Avatar! Still Mako seemed to have chosen Asami and she didn’t know what to think about him.

He was handsome. Despite him being rather poor, she didn’t for one moment believe he was only after her money or that he was just trying to get into her pants. As a popular pro-bender he could have been sleeping with eager fangirls left and right and from what she learned – and she did thorough research on the two brothers when she learned that Korra had joined their team – this was not the case. Mako also clearly cared about his brother and she believed that underneath his cold exterior there was a good man… though it still angered Asami that he was such a jerk to Korra. Her father, of course, would say that there is no way Mako – a bender – was a decent person. He would say he was milking his undeserved status as a minor celebrity due to having been lucky being born with the bending talent. From what little Mako mentioned about his childhood, she knew calling him “lucky” wasn’t correct. Of course, her father would also hold the fact that Mako used to work for the Triads against him. Should she do it as well? The Triads took away her mother but… but she just couldn’t believe that Mako would do such a thing.

There was, however, also another dimension to her dilemma. Would dating Mako bring her closer to her – and Amon’s – objective or would it be an obstacle? She wouldn’t feel comfortable dating someone she didn’t feel attracted to, but would do it, would do her best to even seduce Mako, despite how inexperienced in these matters she was, if Amon and her father decided it was the best way to further their plans. But would it work? Would dating Mako get her closer to the Avatar? Or on the contrary, would it put a wedge between her and Korra? Was Korra, perhaps attracted to Mako, despite him being a jerk to her? Would she start resenting Asami if she “stole” Mako from her? That… that not only would have been an obstacle to her plans of befriending the Avatar but would also… hurt Asami, she realized.

“You mean dating, right?” she asked and he nodded. “I think… I think it wouldn’t be prudent, as long as you’re participating in the tournament. If anything would go wrong between us… I wouldn’t want it to reflect on the performance of the Fire Ferrets.”

Immediately as she said it, she felt her body tense. She couldn’t help it. She knew she was in a public place, she was aware that Mako was a good guy… and besides, she was reasonably certain she could take him if she had to. And yet.. the reactions of some of the men she rejected in the past were rather… aggressive. Mako, however just sighed and offered her a smile that was at the same time hopeful and nervous.

“Well, there aren’t many matches in the tournament left,” he said. “What would you say if we revisited this conversation after we’ve won the championship. No pressure from me, though.”
“We can and will,” Asami said. “And here’s to you winning the competition!”

They both lifted their cups, clicked them and drank.
“Now let’s enjoy the rest of the meeting, as friends,” Mako suggested and Asami gladly agreed.

Chapter Text

Waiting for Bolin’s move, Korra looked around. She was in a Triad place, an illegal gambling hall to be exact. She expected rough looking thugs at every corner and while there were a couple that fit this description, most of the people – both patrons as well as staff looked sooo… normal. Well, maybe apart from the serving girls who paraded in rather… skimpy uniforms. To Korra’s surprise, she found herself staring at them – and blushing at that – way more than Bolin did.

Maybe not everything she’d heard about what boys and men were like was true?

The food at the diner that was the front for this gambling hall, served by a tiny old woman, wrinkled like a dried plum, was also delicious and the owner was truly lovely. Korra insisted on Bolin showing her the gambling hall and he was happy to do so. She didn’t know how to play any card games – White Lotus Masters having disapproved of such frivolities – but she was fascinated by the roulette wheel. She didn’t have any money, but Bolin let her borrow some… which she promptly lost.

“That’s stupid!” she muttered to herself as he led her to one of the unoccupied tables.
Then he approached a cupboard and took from it a pai sho board.
“So, you said, you know how to play?” he asked.

Her eyes lit up.
“It’s on!” she exclaimed and they started playing.

She knew Bolin wasn’t dumb, but she always thought of him more as someone who excelled at physical sports. Meanwhile, he turned out to be a damn good pai sho player. She never saw anyone making moves so quickly in this game but sometimes she felt that he should have deliberated longer on them, which gave her a chance to beat him. Still, he won the first two games, lost the third one and now was wondering over his next move, scratching his chin…

And as they played, they talked.

“Well, I know you dislike the pollution and smog of Republic City… and you mentioned how you’re a bit overwhelmed by the number of people… and well, you didn’t get the best welcome… but what do you like most about the city?”
“You,” Korra said, smiling.
Bolin blinked surprised, blushed and made his move.

“M-me?”
“You… and Asami… and even Mako,” she chuckled, looking at the board. “The nice people I can spend time with. I didn’t have that in the White Lotus compound. Besides… maybe there’s a bit too many people for my taste in Republic City… but I love how diverse the place is! People from all the nations! And food from all the nations! It’s just so much to explore!”

She made her move.

“I’m glad there are things you’re enjoying here,” Bolin said, taking one of her pieces.
Korra frowned, thinking hard about her next move. She could take his piece but was it a trap?
“I really am… though I’d have preferred to have come here in a calmer time,” she said.

Without the threat of Amon and the Equalists looming over me. she didn’t add.

“Calmer?” he asked. “That’s not something I expected to hear from you.”
“I guess I’m getting my share of thrill and excitement from the pro-bending matches. Loving them, by the way, even when I’m getting my ass kicked,” she said making her move, ignoring Bolin’s bait. “Sooo… do you think I should have joined Tarrlok’s task force?”

This time Bolin thought longer, but not over his move but over Korra’s question.

“I’m sure you’d have been great at this,” he said. “Your firepower would do wonders against the Equalists… and, believe me, I do believe they deserve some serious, Avatar-level ass-kicking. But… politics is a dirty business and I’m saying it as someone who dealt with the Triads. I don’t think you should get into that dirt.”
“Thanks, Bo,” Korra smiled.

“Well, I’m not entirely selfless here,” he said making his move “but I like the fact that you have time to focus on our matches. I’ll support whatever decision you’ll make, though.”
“Thank you,” she replied, looking at the board. “So how do you see our chances for the tournament?”

“Not bad!” he said. “When we play as one team, we’re unstoppable! Sure, I’m worried about the Wolfbats but…”

Korra never learned what he intended to say as the door to the gambling den were rapidly opened and a guy ran in, almost completely out of breath.
“The cops… raid…” he gasped.

It was as if someone pushed a stick into a nest of hornet ants. Various patrons and members began quickly getting up, grabbing the money off the tables – to which other players often objected, leading to a shoving match. One of the more level-headed Triad members pressed a button on the wall and a piece of furniture moved to the side, opening a secret passage.

Those patrons who were not busy collecting their money or arguing about it, rushed towards the entrance. Moments later the door opened again and an armoured figure of a metalbending police officer appeared in it.
“Everyone freeze!” he shouted. “It is the police!”

One of the bouncers shot a sphere of water at him that hit his head and froze around it… but a second later another policemen came in, with a blow of his armoured fist shattered the ice and then shot metal cables from his wrists, binding the Triad waterbender and dragging him towards him.

“We need to run,” Bolin said, taking off his scarf. “Wrap your head around it. We can’t have them recognize you!”

He was right. The last thing she needed were newspaper headlines shouting “THE AVATAR RESISTING ARREST DURING A RAID IN A TRIAD GAMBLING DEN” or something similar but more snappy. As she used the scarf as a makeshift mask, Bolin led her to the secret passage, using his shoulders and elbows to make room for them.

Soon they were outside, but they were far from being safe. Korra was the first one to realize something was wrong, some sixth sense warning her, even before she heard more shouts ordering them to surrender.

She saw cables incoming so she quickly waterbent a stream of water from her satchel and used it to swat aside the cables. More came but by then Bolin earthbent a stone wall, protecting them from the policemen and Korra heard the steel cables slice and dig into stone.

She looked around. Behind them there was the secret passage, from which soon more policemen would come. The only two ways of escape were cut off by the policemen and the third direction… well, the river was there.

Oh, no!” Bolin shouted. “They got Naga!”
Korra looked where he was pointing… and laughed. Oh yes, the policemen “got” Naga, for a given value of “get”. Two of them wrapped their cables around her neck and body… and now were screaming their lungs out, as Naga was running circles, dragging them across the cobblestones and hitting them against the nearby buildings. From the wiggling of her tail and her general expression Korra could see that the polar bear dog was having the time of her life and was undoubtedly very happy that these nice men decided to play with her a bit.

Feeling slightly sad for ruining Naga’s fun, Korra whistled and Naga turned towards her and started running, knocking the policemen who tried to block her path aside as if they weren’t there.

“Let’s go!” she shouted, grabbing Bolin’s wrist and dragging him towards the river.
“But… we can’t go there!” he yelled even as he followed her.

“They can’t,” she corrected him. “We can. Grab me tight.”
He did, quite eagerly, she had to note. Meanwhile, Naga overtook them and jumped into the water, the two policemen she was dragging releasing their cables at the last moment to avoid going into the canal.

“And now jump!” Korra called, jumping into the river.
She could hear Bolin taking a deep breath. She didn’t bother doing that as, as soon as her neck touched the water, she waterbent it into an empty sphere around their heads, leaving them in a bubble of air while rest of their bodies was submerged and able to swim.

“You don’t need to hold your breath,” Korra told Bolin. “The air in this pocket will last long enough for us to swim to a safe place.”

Soon indeed they got out of the river onto the bank, far away from the police. Naga got out next to them.

“Won’t they recognize Naga?” Korra asked, suddenly worried. “It’s not that there are many polar bear dogs running around Republic City.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Bolin said. "They can suspect you of being here, but they haven’t seen you or captured Naga, so they have no proof. Believe me, I was in the Triads, without evidence the police can’t do much.”

“Thank you, oh Master Criminal Bolin,” she laughed, relieved.
“Don’t worry, my minion, always happy to impart knowledge.”

Korra laughed out louder until she saw Bolin shiver. Master Criminal or not, he didn’t have her South Pole upbringing to protect him from cold.

“Feeling cold?” she asked.
“A bit,” Bolin muttered. “Damn, we’re soaked.”

“Yeah, sorry for that,” Korra said, first pulling the moisture out of their clothes and then summoning a big flame between her hands. “Come closer and warm yourself up.”

Again she found him very eager to come closer to her, almost leaning against her.

“So after having escaped from the cops, how do you want to finish this lovely evening?” he asked.
“I… I actually might have an idea,” Korra said. “Once we dry… would you mind if we went to one place more?”

* * *

Soon they were both back on the overgrown hill Korra first visited together with Asami, Bolin and Mako. The spirits were back there and the two of them watched the show the flying, glowing beings were giving. Naga was running around, jumping and trying to hit the spirits with her nose, to which they lowered their flight, just so they could boop it before flying higher again.

“How did you find this place, Bolin?” Korra asked.
“Oh… it was my place to hide… when I wanted to be alone,” he said. “Back when I was young. It was beautiful even without the spirits. Some time ago I came here… wanting to see if it is still so nice. And found these things here.”

He looked her in the eyes.
“I wanted to bring you here. To show you that even though some people blame you for making the spirits stay… they just ignore the beauty of it. The beauty you brought to the world. Always remember that when you feel bad.”

“Oh, Bolin,” Korra whispered and, just as it happened with Asami, the first time they came here, she felt a tear go down her cheek.

He hugged and this time it didn’t feel awkward.

“So… some date, huh?” he asked, after a while.

Korra found herself immediately tensing. Yes, she knew it was a date and she liked Bolin… and yet, she was still unsure how she felt. If only White Lotus had taught her anything about dating. Or if she could ask Aang. Or if there had been opportunities to try doing it back in the compound.

“Yes… some date,” she finally said, when the silence started becoming uncomfortable.

Bolin pulled away a bit from her and turned so he could look her in the eyes. He was still smiling but this time there was a clear hint of sadness to his pretty smile.
“I’m not blind, Korra,” he said. “I… I see that you’re not into me, not as much as I’m into you.”

“Bolin, I had great time and…”
He lifted his hand.
“No problem,” he said. “I told you there would be no pressure from me.”

Korra sighed.
“I… I don’t know what I feel exactly,” she admitted. “This…” she waved her hand. “Dating… even friendships… it is all new to me. I like you; I really like you, I just don’t know if…”

“I understand,” Bolin sighed. “Well, I’m glad you have fun. Does that mean we can still do fun stuff as friends?”
“I sure hope so!” Korra smiled, but then her smile faltered a bit. “But… I don’t want to be leading you on. Mako already said…”

Bolin rolled his eyes.
“I love my bro and know that he thinks he’s taking care of me,” he said “but you’re not leading me on. This is my choice to be your friend and, I admit, hope that maybe we can become something more in the future. So, friends?”
“Friends,” she said.

* * *

Equalists were one of the biggest challenges Korra faced since moving into Republic City. Dating and her feelings were another. Figuring out how to use a telephone was the third one. First she went through all her belongings looking for the business card with Asami’s “private” number, whatever that was, which the woman gave them that day at Kwong’s.

Then, with advice from Jinora, however insisting she would do it alone, she tried to use the phone. She succeeded after third try.

“Hey, Asami, it’s me!” she shouted as soon as she heard someone pick up the received.
“Sato residence, who am I speaking with?” she heard a male voice; however, it wasn’t Hiroshi.

How was it Asami’s private number if some guy picked it up?

“Emm… it’s me. Korra. The Avatar. Avatar Korra. Can I speak with Asami?”
“Ma’am, can you prove that you’re the Avatar?” the man asked.
Korra blinked. No one has ever asked her to prove that!
“I can bend three elements, which I believe makes me the Avatar, but I can’t show that through this machine now, can I?” she snapped.

“I’ll ask Asami right away,” the man replied, unfailingly and annoyingly polite.
After a short while Korra heard Asami’s familiar voice.
“Korra, it’s you?”

Korra sighed in relief, releasing the breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

“Hey, Asami! Yeah, it’s me. Listen… can we talk?”
“Sure, how can I help you?”

“I mean… can we meet and talk?” she asked. Korra still didn’t trust these… phones. “I had this date with Bolin… and… well, can we just meet?”

Asami paused for only a second, but it still felt like an hour.

“Sure, Korra,” she said. “Tomorrow will be fine? Maybe around five o’clock? Let’s say on the Katara’s Pier? We could walk a bit and I’d show you some nice parts of the city.”
“Sounds perfect!” Korra said. “See you tomorrow!”

* * *

Asami put the telephone receiver down and turned around to look at her father.

“Was that the Avatar?” he asked.
“Yes,” she answered. “She wants to meet.” Asami hesitated. “Boy trouble, it seems.

Hiroshi smiled at these words.
“And she reached out to you? Perfect! Our plan is working,” he said, his voice full of satisfaction. “You two will be best friends in no time… and thanks to this, the Avatar will be vulnerable like never before.”

Asami forced herself to smile back at him.

“Once you two are alone… maybe you could convince her to do… you-know-what.”

Asami’s smile became even more brittle, but her father didn’t seem to notice. She knew what he meant. Amon wanted Korra to join Tarrlok’s task force. Only because he was sure that Korra would agree, Asami wasn’t asked to influence the Avatar on this matter. But when Korra refused… Asami went to speak to her on that balcony, to try to convince her to change her mind.
And yet… she dragged her feet a bit on that, forcing her body to go up the stairs… and in the end, when she saw that Tenzin got to Korra first, she actually felt some relief. Afterwards she kept finding reasons – they weren’t alone, Korra playing pro-bending damaged the Avatar’s opinion among the public, Korra wouldn’t agree – not to bring this topic again, when talking to Korra. But now… with her and Korra being alone? She would have no excuse.

But why she would look for excuses? Maybe she didn’t fully understand Amon’s plans, but she wasn’t stupid and saw the various ways that Korra joining the task force could be used for propaganda purposes. If that was Amon’s plan, she had to go through with it.

No matter what her personal feelings.

And those were complicated. Each time she heard people – Equalists but also ordinary folk – talking about the Avatar’s cowardice for not joining the task force, she recalled the scars she saw on Korra’s body. It was increasingly difficult to keep quiet in such situations. But she had to. Her path was set.

“Yes, dad, maybe I will be able to convince her,” she whispered.

Now Hiroshi hesitated, fidgeting with nervousness that was unlike him.
“And this boy?” he asked. “Mako?”
“What about him?” Asami asked.

“Are you going to be meeting him again?”
“We’re sponsoring their team, so yes, definitely.”

Hiroshi sighed.
“I mean… are you going to be meeting him… romantically?” he asked.

Asami slowly shook her head.
“No, I don’t think so,” she said. “I don’t think it would get me closer to the Avatar who is our real target.” She sighed inwardly. She knew who… what Korra was, but she hated thinking of her just as a ‘target’. “Especially since he’s been less than pleasant towards her. I’m afraid that getting together with him, might set her against me.”

“Are you sure?” her father asked. “The championship will soon end and this would give you a way into the team even after there are no more matches.”

Asami loved her father. She respected him. She believed in the Equalist cause and knew that her role would require certain sacrifices from her. She believed in Amon’s vision. But she was already annoyed, the thought of trying to convince Korra to join Tarrlok’s taskforce making her at the same time angry and worried. And now this…

“Of course, dad,” she said. “Let me just go onto a shopping spree and buy some skimpy lingerie. Then, I’ll ask him to come over. I think it would be best for my plans to seduce him, if you and the servants would be out of the house by them. I think I’ll just welcome him in bed and ask him to join me straight away. No time for subtleties, right? Do you think I should go with black lingerie or red one? A garter belt is a must, I understand? Forgive me, dad, I’m still pretty inexperienced when it comes to sexual stuff, but I’ll promise I’ll be an enthusiastic and fast learner.”

She felt some small amount of satisfaction, when she saw her Hiroshi’s face go completely red as he looked away, probably trying to banish the mental image her words summoned from his head.

“I… I didn’t mean… I’m sorry… well… no need for…” he sighed and looked at her. “I’m sorry, Asami. I trust you know what you are doing. If you think you shouldn’t be dating this Mako, so be it. Believe me, I would hate the thought of a Triad firebender being with you.”

Asami shook her head. Now that her anger evaporated, she just felt… sad. And while she wasn’t interested in Mako romantically, she didn’t like her father considering him to be just a Triad firebender.

“You know I trust you and your judgement, right Asami?” he asked.
“I do, dad,” she said in gentle voice.

But why am I losing trust in myself? she thought.

Chapter Text

“Hey, beautiful, you fancy a good time?”

While it was the Fifth Pier where the rich and powerful had all their yachts, which led to this part of the Port District to be the best maintained, Asami’s favourite place was Katara’s Pier, with its wonderful view at Yue Bay and all the stalls from all over the world. Unfortunately, that had one downside – drunken sailors looking for fun.

Most of them ignored Asami and those who didn’t, left after being on the receiving end of her glare, but one returned to her again and again, each time less willing to move away. Granted, Asami didn’t expect Korra to be running so late. In Asami’s world a fifteen-minute lateness was inexcusable, and Korra was already pushing twenty-minute delay.

“Sooo… what do you say?” the sailor repeated.
“Thank you, sir, but I’m waiting for someone,” Asami responded, still trying to be polite.

“Oh, for another customer?” he said. “Hey, I’m here right now and I have money!”
Asami’s glare became more furious. Usually, she wasn’t one to use the words “do you know who I am?” but this time she was tempted to. To take her for a prostitute?

“I’m afraid I’m not who you think I am,” she said.
“Not a… streetwalker?” he asked confused.

“I’m not walking on the street, but standing on it,” she smiled at him, trying to turn it into a joke. “Not a streetwalker then but streetstander.”

The sailor seemed to think about for a while.
“So… what you’re saying is that I can have you for free?”

“I’m saying that you can’t ‘have me’ at all!” she snapped. “Now get lost!”
“Hey! No need to be a bitch!” the sailor barked and tried to grab her.

Effortlessly she dodged his hands but then a stream of water erupted from the satchel he was carrying, wrapped itself around her waist and pulled her towards him. Of course, she should have figured that if someone was preying on those he perceived weaker than him, then he must have been a bender.

Asami had to use all her self-control to just not chi-block him but that could have brought too much attention if he suddenly started wailing how he can’t bend anymore. Instead, she let him pull her towards him and then kneed him in the groin and elbowed him in the throat. The water rope holding her dispersed her and spilled onto the cobblestones, while the sailor dropped to his knees, holding his crotch and gasping for air.

She turned to leave but after she has walked just three steps she either saw something with the corner of her eye or some sixth sense warned her and she turned around to face him again. Despite still being on his knees, the sailor waterbent another stream of water from his satchel, turning it into a sphere that he looked as if he was going to send at her.

Asami sighed. Some men just didn’t know when to quit. She went low on her legs, ready to dodge… but when he shot the water sphere at her it suddenly turned around doing a wide arc, at the same time freezing solid into a projectile of ice and rammed into the sailor’s chest, sending him back against a nearby wall. Only when Asami was certain he was out of the fight, just groaning weakly, she turned to see Korra standing nearby, still in a waterbending stance.

“Hi, Korra,” Asami said, calming her breath and instinctively flipping her hair. Interestingly, Korra reacted similarly to how Mako did, her eyes going wider at the sight. “Thanks for the save.”
“You didn’t seem to need it,” the Avatar responded. “You had him pretty well handled.”

“What can I say?” Asami shrugged. “Dad made sure I had the best self-defense teachers money could buy.”
“And it shows!” the clear enthusiasm on Korra’s face made Asami forget how annoyed she was with the Avatar being late. Especially when Korra looked down apologetically. “I… I’m sorry for being late. I… I… didn’t know what to put on… if you’d be taking us to any fancy place… and then I realized that if we’re meeting at the pier… maybe I shouldn’t take Naga because she would want to eat all the food from the stalls, so I had to swim here…”

Asami blinked, surprised.
“Wait, you swam here… from Air Temple Island?!”
“Oh, come on, it’s not that far!”

Asami approached her and put her hands on Korra’s shoulders.
“B-but… you’re not even wet!”

“Oh, I waterbent the water from my clothes as soon as I got out of the water,” Korra shrugged. “Bending sometimes comes it really handy.”
“Ah, yes,” Asami said, not entirely convinced or comfortable about this.

Korra scratched the back of her head, looking down.
“Again, sorry for being late,” she muttered.

“Don’t worry, Korra, no problem at all,” she said. “I’m just happy you got here. And you should never worry about dressing up for me. You always look good.”
“Aww, thanks,” Korra blushed and looked away, scratching the back of her neck.
Korra was wearing her usual attire, the sleeveless blue top, a pelt of some kind on her hips, somewhat baggy trousers and fur-lined boots plus her usual armbands. And yet… she managed to make this look not only attractive but quite feminine as well, despite the aura of strength she was projecting. Asami wasn’t surprised at all that Bolin fell for the Avatar, she was only surprised that Mako didn’t as well. And while Korra looked absolutely adorable in a dress, she felt obviously much more confident in her usual clothes and in Korra confidence was definitely an attractive trait.

“Sorry that me being late led to this jerk harassing you,” Korra said as they started walking away from the groaning sailor.
“Sadly, some benders think their power lets them do what they want to other,” Asami said. “Luckily he tried it on me and not on some woman who wasn’t able to defend herself.”

“I think here the problem was more with him being a horny sailor rather than a bender, but yeah, you really taught him a lesson.” Korra said, slightly frowning.

Asami mentally cursed herself for sounding like the Equalist she was. The encounter with the sailor rattled her more than she thought.
“I’m sure you’re right,” she said quickly.

“With how that Equalist chi-blocker beat me and how you kicked this sailor’s ass, I’m beginning to think that just being a bender doesn’t make me as tough as I liked to think.”

The conversation was navigating into dangerous waters, so Asami decided to quickly change the topic.
“Sooo… what did you want to talk to me about?” she asked. “You mentioned something about Bolin?”

* * *

Korra didn’t manage to gather courage to speak until they sat down on a small wall, overlooking the bay. Asami suggested they went to a local diner or a café, but Korra just wanted to sit and talk in peace and quiet and in private, just the two of them. Even then, feeling strangely comfortable just sitting there in silence, she needed to ease up into the topic.
“Sooo… how did your meeting with Mako go?” she asked.

Immediately she regretted the question as she felt Asami tense, if only for a moment.
“It was… fine,” Asami said. Korra didn’t know what to say to that, so she just waited and, eventually, Asami spoke again. “He… he’s complicated. I know he seems reserved and cold… but he does have feelings. He’s not a bad man.”

Bolin said the same, Korra thought. But truth be told, she never thought Mako to be a bad person. Just a jerk.

“But… but I think you were right about his… plans and feelings. He wanted this to be a date,” Asami said. “A Romantic one.” She added, as if it wasn’t obvious.

Korra wasn’t surprised that Mako wanted to date Asami. Who wouldn’t? Asami was smart, nice, kind-hearted and, of course, absolutely gorgeous. Being with her would be a dream come true for any guy.
“So… what did you say to that?” she asked.

Asami sighed.
“I… I wasn’t… and still not… sure if we should be doing that,” she said. “I told him… it wasn’t a good idea during the championship. If anything would go wrong… I wouldn’t want things to be awkward between us and for it to influence the entire team. You and Bolin also put a lot of effort into this competition and deserve a fair shot.”

“Maybe nothing would go wrong?” Korra suggested. “He obviously cares about you.”
In response, Asami just laughed somewhat bitterly.
“I can’t help it,” she said. “I always expect the worst and try to plan for it. That’s how I’m wired.”

Korra’s chuckle was also without much joy in it.
“I probably should be more like that,” she said. “Some say I just act without thinking about consequences and planning for them.”

Korra thought about the anger directed at her by the people of Republic City for leaving the spirit portals open. About her not being prepared to face Unalaq and the consequences of that.
“I guess… maybe each of us should become slightly more like the other one,” Asami suggested.

This time Korra’s laughter was much more sincere.
“Oh yes, we can teach each other,” she said. “You can teach me how to be more responsible and plan for the future and I can show you how to let go and just enjoy yourself.”

“I… would like that,” Asami said softly.
“So would I,” Korra admitted. “I like spending time with you.”
“Same, Korra, same.”

There was another bit of silence between them.
“Bolin also wants to date me,” Korra said. “Date-date.”
“And how do you feel about it?” Asami finally asked. Korra was surprised to hear how strained her voice sounded. “About him?”
Korra scratched the back of her head.

“I don’t know,” she whispered, so quietly that Asami barely heard her. “I… I am not the best when it comes to… feelings.”
“Believe me, Korra, I’m the same.”

“I’ve never… had much opportunity to date,” Korra admitted. “Not many eligible guys at the White Lotus compound, you know? And no White Lotus member would dare to approach ‘the Avatar’. Here… here I thought I could maybe find someone… but I’m beginning to think that I’m selfish for even thinking about that. With me failing at my airbending training, Amon threatening all the benders… I really shouldn’t be thinking about… dating.

“It’s natural to want to be with someone,” Asami noticed. “Believe me, with how overprotective my dad was, I also didn’t get much chance to meet others in this way. Plus, I guess a lot of them would be intimidated when it came to dating a Sato.”
“I guess so. I’m sure that it’s similar with trying to date the Avatar. Especially with how ‘popular’ I am in Republic City right now.”

“You’re not just the Avatar, Korra,” Asami reminded her. “And if someone wants to be afraid of you or hate you, without taking the time to get to know the real you, then they don’t deserve you.”

Suddenly, Korra saw Asami go silent, her face becoming pale, as if she suddenly realized something or a disturbing thought suddenly came to her.

“What happened?” she asked immediately. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Korra, nothing,” Asami said, offering a forced smile. “Besides… speaking of Bolin, I think he cares about the real you, doesn’t he?”

Korra smiled softly.
“He does,” she said. “At first, he was so excited to have met ‘the Avatar’ that I was worried that it was the only thing he cared about… but I was so relieved to have met someone who didn’t hate me… Soon I realized that he was just a genuinely nice person and that he liked me for me. A bit like you.”

It was adorable how surprised Asami looked for a moment, before looking away, almost as if in shame.
“So… so what’s the problem?” Asami asked after a while. “With Bolin?”

Korra sighed and looked forward, at the sea.
“I like him. And I know he likes me. But he likes me… in a bit different way. I… I don’t know if I feel the same,” she said. “I should, shouldn’t I? He’s great! And maybe I do feel this towards him… but I can’t recognize it because I never felt… this type of love towards anyone?”

Asami looked back at Korra and put her hand on Korra’s.
“I’m not sure I’m the best person to speak to about boys, dating and feelings,” she said quietly. “But I think… I think if you loved him, you would know. Of course, it’s possible that, even if you don’t love him now, you would grow to feel that towards him as you spend time together and get to know each other.”

“So, what should I do?” Korra asked, scratching the back of her neck again.
“I know it will sound like a cliche, but I can’t give you a different answer than ‘be honest to him and to yourself’,” Asami said.

“I think… I think I did that,” she said. “I told him… that for now I want us to be friends. I know he still wants more but…”
“I’m sure Bolin will respect your wishes,” Asami said.

“Yes, I think he will,” Korra agreed, before looking into Asami’s emerald eyes. “Thank you for this talk. I’m… I’m glad I have a friend like you. Because we’re friends, right?”

For a moment something like a shadow passed over Asami’s face but she didn’t avert her eyes.
“We are friends, Korra,” she said. “Believe me, I don’t have such talks with all of my dad’s business partners.”

They both laughed to that.

“I really think I can talk to you about everything,” Korra said, finally.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Asami said, though her voice was strangely strained. “There was something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh?” Korra lifted an eyebrow. “Sounds serious. What’s that?”

Asami hesitated for a heartbeat… and then summoned a smile, a beautiful one, but one that didn’t reach her eyes.
“You know what, never mind,” she said.

“Now you have to tell me!” Korra demanded, curious.
“Nah! You wanted me to show you some of my favourite spots in the city, right? Well, no time like the present.”

Korra knew Asami was trying to quickly change the topic, move away from the one she wanted to mention. And as curious as she was about it, Korra knew she had no right to insist. Asami would tell “No time like the present,” she repeated.
“Perfect! Let’s go!” Asami said, getting up.

* * *

They didn’t get far. Asami wanted to show her a nearby building, the headquarters of the harbour master. She said it was one of the last buildings designed by her mother which made Korra both somber as well as really curious. Later Korra thought about taking Asami to the spirit hill that Bolin showed them. She still remembered the tear coming down Asami’s cheek when she watched the spirits.

That was, however, not to be. As soon as they got to the street, Korra heard a shout.
“Get back to the South Pole, Avatar!” a female voice cried. “Stop ruining our lives!”

Korra suddenly turned around to see a short-haired woman looking out from a satomobile window, her eyes blazing with hatred.
“Down with the Avatar!” the woman shouted before Korra could say anything. “Equality for everyone! Long live Amon!”

And then she started accelerating, aiming straight at Korra and Asami!

For a second too long Korra just stood there, too shocked to act but then her instincts kicked in and she lifted her hands, teeth clenched, lifting part of the street up and earthbending it into a short makeshift wall. The driver tried to turn to dodge it but hit it with the side of the care and lost control of the vehicle, still approaching but in a chaotic, uncontrollable way now.

If Korra had been with anyone else, it wouldn’t be a problem, as she immediately jumped to push Asami off the way of the incoming satomobile.
If Asami had been with anyone else, it wouldn’t be a problem, as she immediately jumped to push Korra off the way of the incoming satomobile.

But since both of them reacted in this way and had similarly honed instincts they collided in the middle, each one trying to push the other in a different direction. Meanwhile the car was coming. Korra quickly earthbent a hole underneath one wheel but it wasn’t enough to stop or even slow down the car… but it did change its course a bit, enough for Asami to shove Korra hard off the way and jump after her…

Korra heard Asami grunt as the car mirror brushed against her, then the car hit the wall with its side and started speeding away. Korra got up, lifted her hands, preparing to earthbend a bigger chasm underneath the vehicle… and then, with the corner of her eye noticed Asami lying on the ground. Immediately she forgot about the escaping woman and turned towards her friend. The brush with the mirror didn’t hurt Asami but it pushed her against the wall of the nearby building and now Asami was groaning on the pavement, holding her head, blood drizzling from between her fingers…

“Someone get help!” Korra screamed and when people didn’t react, she stomped her feet hard enough to crack the street around her and shoot gouts of flame in the air. “Now!”

As people scattered to – hopefully – get help, Korra knelt in front of Asami, opening her water satchel and summoning a bit of water. She waterbent it into a sphere and made it touch the wound on the side of Asami’s head. Trying to steady her breathing and her beating heart, she recalled all the spirit healing lessons received from Katara.

“Shh… calm down,” she said as the water began glowing and Asami uttered a soft moan of relief. “It’s alright, Salami… all will be good. You will be alright. I’ve got you, Salami. I’ve got you.”

Chapter Text

“Really, Korra,” Asami tried yet again, rolling her eyes. She already knew better than to try get up from the bed. “I’m feeling good! Better than good! Great even. I’ve been having headaches for the last couple of days and whatever you did, cured even that. What… what was it? Spirit healing?”
“Yup,” Korra said. “I’ve learned from Katara and Kya, the best there are.”

“See? So, there was really no need to drag me here!” Asami looked around at the hospital room.
“I’m not listening, nananana!” Korra said, pretending to cover her ears with her hands.

“Come on, Korra,” Asami said, looking at her… friend, gently. “I… I saw your body. I saw the scars. Next to that my incident… was nothing.”
“Don’t say like that!” Korra said. “I was so worried!”

Asami blushed and looked down while Korra, also red on her face looked around the place. This single room was more luxurious than any place she’s ever lived in. It turned out the Kya Memorial Republic City Central Hospital – named in honour of Katara’s mother – had a special VIP suite, just in case someone important needed it and when Korra dragged the resisting Future Industries heiress here and said her name, she was immediately rushed in here.

The nurses also wanted to get Korra out, but she wasn’t taking any of that. In the end it was Asami asking for her to stay that made them relent, before Korra was forced to start to use waterbending at them.

“Spirit healing is great, but I’d feel better if you got checked up by an ordinary doctor,” Korra said. “Besides, weren’t you supposed to be the woman of science here while I’m the backwater savage?”
“You know I have never thought about you like that,” Asami said.

“I know, Salami,” Korra smiled in response and despite the chasm of difference in status, wealth and knowledge that was between them, Korra knew that Asami in this moment was sincere.
“Thank you for healing me, Korra,” she said. “It… it was so terrible. This driver…”
“A damn Equalist ruining our girls’ night out!” Korra muttered.
“I… I don’t think she was an Equalist,” Asami said slowly.

“No?” Korra raised eyebrow. “I think the whole ‘equality for everyone, long live Amon’ thing she shouted was a pretty good hint to where her sympathies lie.”
“Well, you might be right, but we shouldn’t be jumping into conclusions…”
“Oh, believe me, I want to find her and rip the conclusions from her body! If the Equalists want me, they can come anytime! But when they hurt my friends… when they hurt people I care about… when they hurt you… then it’s personal!”

Asami for a second stared at Korra, as if she saw her for the first time.
“Korra,” she sighed. “There is something I need to tell you…”
“Avatar!” a shout came from the door. “Get away from her!”

Hiroshi said rushed into the room unceremoniously pushing Korra aside as he came towards Asami. Korra opened her mouth to protest, but she fell silent when she saw tears streaming down Hiroshi’s cheeks.

“By all that’s holy, Asami!” Hiroshi went to his knees next to his daughter. “They couldn’t find me to pass the information! I came as soon as I learned what happened!”
“It’s fine, dad,” Asami smiled at him, hugging him. “I’m still waiting for the results of the tests, but everything should be good. Thanks to Korra, no less. She used spirit healing on me just after the… incident.”

Hiroshi suddenly turned towards to Korra. She wouldn’t be surprised if she saw him looking at her with gratitude or even with anger for making his daughter a target for the Equalists just because she was hanging out with Korra. But what she saw was utter surprise.
“You helped her?” he asked. “With… bending?!”

The mixture of emotions that was contained in the last word was too great for Korra to comprehend so she just nodded her head.
“I… thank you, Korra,” he said.

Before Korra could reply, she heard someone clear their throat at the door. She turned around and saw Mako holding a bouquet of red roses – seemed both brothers were very much into flowers as a token of interest – and behind him Bolin holding a… bag filled with, from what Korra could see, bread, cakes, bananas and other types of food.
“Is that a bad moment?” Mako asked in strained voice.
“Yes!” the nurse suddenly appeared in front of him. “We don’t know if she’s supposed to be seeing visitors and…”

“Please, let them stay,” Asami said softly.
The nurse looked at Hiroshi, who hesitated for a moment, then looked at Korra and something in his expression changed. He wiped his eyes clean and looked again like the Hiroshi Sato they all knew – shrewd and always in control. He nodded at the nurse, who sighed and stepped away from Mako.
“I guess, I’ll get a vase for these,” she said, looking at the roses.

Mako approached Asami, handing Asami the bouquet.
“Thank you,” she said with a beautiful smile.

Korra almost rolled her eyes. A bouquet of red roses? From Mako who agreed that he won’t be trying to get together with Asami until the tournament was over? She couldn’t help but chuckle though, when Bolin pushed forward and started unpacking food from his bag.
“I know that the food at the hospitals is famously bad, so I got you a little survival package, in case you had to stay here.”

“I don’t think it will be necessary…” Asami began but moments later the nurse was next to them, her eyes blazing fire at the mention of food in hospital being bad.
“Oh, I forgot to ask you, Ms. Sato,” she began. “What will you be eating for dinner? Today we can offer Kam Ling sushi, Ju Hao duck in three sauces and a Ong Han bamboo and rice noddle salad.”

Korra laughed out louder when she saw Mako and Bolin open their mouths wide… though she had to admit her stomach rumbled at the thought as well. Seemed being a VIP had additional privileges.
“Oh, Ju Hao duck sounds great!” Bolin exclaimed.

“Mako, Bolin, keep my daughter company for a moment, if you don’t mind,” Hiroshi said. “I’d like a word with the Avatar. In private.”
Korra felt a cold chill run down her spine… which got even worse when she glanced at Asami and, instead of a reassuring smile she expected, saw a worried look on the woman’s beautiful face. She couldn’t do anything though but follow Hiroshi out of the room and onto the corridor.

“I… I am sorry that I snapped at you, Avatar,” he said slowly.
“No problem,” Korra was quick to assure him.

“When I thought about losing Asami… like I lost my Yasuko…” he sighed. “I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
“It is my fault,” Korra admitted. “The person who tried to run us down was an Equalist. She was after me. Asami… was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
And in the wrong company, Korra added bitterly in her mind.

Hiroshi opened his eyes wide in surprise.
“An Equalist? Impossible!” he blurted out before calming himself down. “I mean… are you sure?”
“Pretty sure, yup,” she said. “Or at least someone high on their rhetoric of hate.”

The businessman shook his head as if lost in thoughts, before looking up at Korra.
“Avatar… please, don’t get me wrong,” he said. “I… I don’t blame you for what happened. But… but I can’t help but think… that maybe if you had joined Tarrlok’s task force… you might have stopped the Equalists by now… and Asami wouldn’t have been hurt.”

Korra took a step back as the guilt hit her with greater power than a satomobile. He was right. She was, airbending or no airbending, the Avatar. Her mission was to confront threats like Unalaq… and Amon. She refused to do so… and Asami got hurt.
“I…” she began but what was there to say.
“I’m sorry to have said so,” Hiroshi said. “Don’t mind me. I’m sure you did what you thought was best. Far from me to lecture the Avatar.”

“I…” again, that was all that she managed to say.
“I’m grateful that you were there to heal my daughter,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind, but I want to get back to her now.”

“Of course not,” Korra said quickly.
“I hope to see you around, Avatar,” Hiroshi said before going back to Asami’s room.

* * *

Even the masks they were wearing couldn’t hide how confused the glance the two chi-blockers exchanged were.
“Sir…” one of them said, stepping forward to block Hiroshi’s path.
“Get out of my way!” Hiroshi barked, pushing the man, hard.

The Equalist fighter no doubt was able to take down the older businessman without much effort, but he also was high enough in the chain of command to know who Hiroshi was and how distinguished and important he was for their cause.

Fortunately, before he had to take a firmer stand, the door opened, and Lieutenant Tazaki looked out.
“Ah, Mr. Sato,” he said. “I must say, I’m surprised to see you here. Our meeting isn’t due for a couple of days. And we do have… safety procedures for emergency. I hope you weren’t followed?”

There was just a hint of a steel edge in his respectful voice.
“I need to speak to him! Right now!” Hiroshi said.
“Mr. Sato, I know that you’re upset but…”

“Let him in,” Amon’s voice came from inside the room.
Lieutenant Tazaki immediately relaxed and stood aside, letting Hiroshi pass. As the businessman entered the room, he saw Amon, with his back towards the door. Slowly he turned towards the entrance.
“My friend,” Amon spoke calmly, his impassive mask looking at Hiroshi. “I have heard of Asami being attacked. You have my sympathies. I hope that everything will be fine?”

Hiroshi took a deep breath.
“Yes, she’ll be alright,” he admitted. “Korra… the Avatar…” he waved his hand and took a step towards Amon. “Who gave the order to launch this attack?” he demanded.

“Sir, I’m sure you are aware we don’t want the Avatar dead…” Lieutenant Tazaki began.
“I don’t care about the Avatar!” Hiroshi roared. “My daughter was hurt! Did one of you decide that her presence would cause the Avatar to lower her guard? Did one of you use Asami as bait?!”

There was a momentary silence. Hiroshi was aware of every sound in the room. Tazaki’s breathing, the flickering of the electrical light, some rustling of the curtains.

Amon sighed sadly, taking a step towards Hiroshi… then another. Slowly, very slowly, he lifted his hands and… took his mask off. Hiroshi barely stopped himself from gasping in shock. He had never seen Amon without the mask but heard from Lieutenant Tazaki of the burn scar the Equalist leader bore. It was truly a thing of horror, a mixture of burnt tissue and reddened skin, going from the left side of his mouth and left cheek up to the right side of his forehead, leaving his mouth in a permanent smirk. It was a miracle that his eyes hadn’t been destroyed in the attack that left him so scarred.

“My friend,” Amon said. “You wound me with your accusations. Neither of us would ever greenlight such an attack. As the lieutenant said, it is not our wish to kill the Avatar and make her into a martyr. And even if we wanted… we would never do it in a way that would put Asami in danger. To be honest, it’s likely we would ask her to perform such an assassination herself, seeing how close she got with the Avatar.”

Hiroshi blinked at that.
“My daughter is not a killer!” he snapped. “Unlike me.” A darker voice spoke in his mind.

“But she is committed to our cause,” Amon said. “But you don’t need to worry. We will not ask her to kill the Avatar. I repeat, it is not our wish to turn the Avatar into a martyr.”
“Then if it wasn’t you behind this attack, who was it? Which Equalist is responsible for it?”

Amon put his hand on Hiroshi’s shoulder.
“None.”
“What?”

“It wasn’t an Equalist who performed this attack,” Tazaki said. “All our men have strict orders that the Avatar is off-limits.”
“So, who…?” Hiroshi began.
“An ordinary person,” Amon said. “A humble citizen, who listened to my speeches, who heard the voice calling for Equality, who could take no more of the tyranny of benders and took the matter into their own hands. Misguided, perhaps, and operating without our approval. But don’t worry. I will make sure it will never happen again.”

Hiroshi sighed in relief.
“Thank you. I… I’m sorry that I rushed straight here but… Asami… when I learned she got hurt… I just couldn’t think straight…”
“I understand,” Amon said. “There is nothing to be sorry for.”

“For a moment…” Hiroshi closed his eyes. “For a moment… I regretted having her join our movement. I thought… that it would be better if she never got involved with what we do. I…”
“Don’t beat yourself up, friend. Everyone can have a moment of weakness. A moment of doubt. Are you still unsure if you and your daughter are walking the righteous path?”

Hiroshi slowly shook his head.
“No,” he said finally. “If this was an ordinary citizen who performed this act… then it means the city is waking up. The world is waking up. The days of the benders and of the Avatar are coming to an end.” When he lifted his head, there was resolve burning in his eyes again. “I think I planted seeds of guilt in Avatar’s mind. I told her how this attack was due to her not being a part of the task force.”

“Very good,” Amon said with satisfaction. “A great way to seize the opportunity. When she joins Tarrlok’s group… her end will be this much closer.”
Hiroshi nodded his head.

“Speaking of which… I am loathe to talk business when I am sure you want to focus on caring about Asami…” Amon put his both hands on the businessman’s shoulders. “However, I need to know if the manufacturing of our two… weapons… is on track.”
“Oh yes,” Hiroshi said, the pride of an industrialist delivering good product evident in his voice. “Everything is ready for the next phases of our operation.”
“Good… soon we’ll throw the city to its knees and burn the old order, so that a new one, a just one, may grow on its ashes.”

* * *

After Hiroshi left, Lieutenant Tazaki watched Amon put the mask back on.
“You can come out now,” his leader spoke and soon, from behind a curtain a silhouette appeared.

It was a thin, short-haired woman with a scared look in her eyes. Immediately she fell to her knees.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” she kept babbling.

“So, this was Hiroshi Sato, our greatest supporter among the city elite,” Amon spoke in cold voice. “It was his daughter that you injured today. Your attack has almost cost us his support.”
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” the woman repeating.

Amon approached her and leaned forward, taking her chin in his fingers and making her look up, at him. Lieutenant Tazaki tensed. The woman had been searched before being let in, but he was ready to act at the slightest hint of danger to Amon.
“Laiti, that is your name, right?” Amon spoke.

“Yes, sir,” the woman said.
“As I told Hiroshi, your actions were horribly misguided. We do not wish to turn a living, screw-up Avatar into a martyr and a new, reborn one, behind whom the benders could unite.”
“I’m sorry…”

“But your heart was in the right place,” he continued and for a moment Tazaki in the woman’s eyes saw confusion that quickly turned to… hope. “I can understand your need to strike at the benders and the Avatar is the symbol of all their oppression. I think we can find a place for you among us. Would you be interested?”
“Yes! Yes! Thank you, sir!” Laiti shouted.

“Welcome to the Equalist movement,” Amon spoke. “I think Lieutenant Tazaki has a task perfect for someone with your… conviction.”
“Yes, sir.” Tazaki spoke. “I do.”

Chapter Text

"With all due respect, this is not your decision to make, Chief," Tarrlok said, trying to keep his voice calm.

The look Lin gave him made it clear how important his respect is to her.

"Be reasonable, Councilman," she said. "What did this precious 'task force' of yours accomplish?"

"We've broken several Equalist rallies..."

"Mostly peaceful ones."

"But also we raided two chi-blocker training facilities," Tarrlok pointed out.

"Sadly, as much as I'd wish it was otherwise, knowing how to use chi-blocking as well as having Equalist sympathies is not yet illegal." Lin countered.

"Well, maybe it should be," Tarrlok muttered.

"Oh yes, please pass a law outlawing political views that you don't like," Lin snorted. "But have the courtesy of informing me beforehand so I can turn in my badge. I won't be the one saving your ass when the entire city, or maybe even the whole United Republic, revolts."

"I need more time!" Tarrlok said. "We know the Equalist leaders are there! We know Amon is hiding somewhere!"

"And we aren't any closer to bringing him to justice."

"I need more time! I need... I need the Avatar!"

Lin chuckled.
"The Avatar? She's done enough damage, already," she said. "I was surprised to see her show restraint and refuse joining your stupid crusade."

"Watch your tongue, Chief!" Tarrlok barked. "I am on the Council!"

"Yes and I wonder how much longer you will be on it," Lin shrugged. "I know the other Councilmen dance to whatever tune you're playing... well, apart from Tenzin. At least one good thing came from his stubbornness..."

"Yes! Tenzin is against the task force! Shouldn't you be in favour of it?"

"Oh, I have my beef with Tenzin, but that's none of your business," Lin snapped, taking a step closer and jabbing her finger at Tarrlok's chest. "And if you even think about using it to manipulate me again... well, you really haven't seen me angry yet."

The Chief of Police and the Councilman kept staring each other in the eyes for a long, long time and finally Tarrlok looked away.

"I know the rest of the Council is already starting to regret allowing you to run this absurd task force," she said. "That's what happens when you have politicians doing the job of policemen. Soon they will pull the plug on this project Tarrlok. And I'll be there to say 'I told you so'. Damn, maybe I'll even let Tenzin say it first."

When she finally left, Tarrlok sat at his desk. It was all... wrong. After some early successes the task force informants started disappearing and soon he had no actionable intel to work. The places they hit seemed harmless enough, so were the Equalist sympathizers they arrested - and promptly had to release. Even if some of them turned out to be wanted, they were small fish, unable to lead Tarrlok and his task force to any higher-up. In the meantime, the city indeed was reaching a boiling point, newspapers constantly criticizing either the lack of task force successes, its excessive brutality or both.

It was all wrong.

Lin was right. Tarrlok could lose everything he fought for so hard.

He needed a win.

Or...

Wait a second.

Tarrlok has always been someone who seized any and all opportunities.

He needed to win big... or he needed to lose big.

* * *

"Did you see that?" Ling asked.

"Yeah, he's an airbender!" So Chi replied.

"Wow! Just think of the reward!" Hingo said.

"Oh, I'm thinking about it alright. I will finally be able to buy the dress Jetii wanted so much..." So Chi grinned.

"Less talking, more grabbing," Uri, the fourth one among them said. "They're getting away."

It was a coincidence that they spotted it. If they were staring at the armless, emaciated freak that walked with the other two, they wouldn't have seen that when a flower pot fell from one of the windows and was going to hit the other man in the head, when the tough-looking man in the middle waved his hand and a stream of air pushed the pot against the wall.

The whole trio immediately began walking faster, trying to disappear, but it was too late. Ling and his Dai Li buddies noticed it. Hou-Ting's decree was clear - all airbenders were to be apprehended and sent to the capital.

Ling and his men started following the trio. None of them seemed to show that they knew they were being followed, but they did start walking faster and suddenly they split. Even better. The tough-looking way, the only one they wanted, tried to disappear in the maze of narrow streets, but it quickly became clear that it was the Dai Li who were on their turf and quickly managed to surround the man.

Up close he didn't look so tough. Sure, he was tall and broad-shouldered, but with his greay hair and beard, he looked old and tired.

"Is there anything wrong, officers?" he asked.

"We need you to come with us," So Chi said.

"Just routine questioning," Ling lied.

"I'm sorry, officers," he said, bowing slightly "but I'm afraid that I have a schedule to keep. It's ironic that even I allow myself to be chained by dates and times, isn't it?"

The four Dai Lee officers exchanged looks. It seemed the man was insane. He did have a bit of a 'mad prophet' look. Oh well, the Queen's order wanted all airbenders. Sanity wasn't required.

"I'm afraid, we have to insist," Ling said.

"Insist you may, but you cannot make someone who is truly free obey you," the madman said.

"This is where you're wrong."

Ling threw his hands forward and so did Hingo and four fists of stone shot from their sleeves at the madman. In one fluid motion he jumped to the side, dodging Hingo's projectiles and with the a sharp movement of his hands summoning a stream of air that knocked Ling's to the side, crashing them against the wall of a nearby house. So Chi and Uri attacked as well... but the man just bent his body in a weird way and not one fist got him.

And then he started attacking. So Chi, hit by a powerful blast of air, hit a wall and fell motionlessly to the ground. Ling shot another fist at his target, but the airbender just caught it in a sphere of air... and turned it around, making it hit Uri, knocking him to the ground. Hingo just started ripping stones from the ground, shooting them at the enemy but he either dodged them or pushed them aside with his power.

Ling sent another attack at the airbender, from behind, but he jumped off the way, without even turning his head. With the corner of his eye, Ling saw Uri get up...

"Ok, together! Let's grab him together!" he called.

But Uri didn't turn towards the airbender. In fact he was looking at a lone, slender person that appeared on the street. It was the armless woman. She looked so harmless... if it wasn't for her smile. A smile that made Ling shiver.

But Uri must not have seen it or just ignored it.
"And who are you?" he asked, immediately sending a stone at her.

Suddenly her cloak was pulled apart and... and there were tentacles of water everywhere, swatting Uri's stone and then turning into ice and impaling him to the ground. Hingo and Ling stared at this for a second... and this moment of distraction was all that the airbender needed. He appeared next to Hingo, dodged a stone fist, grabbed the Dai Li agent in a whirlwind of air and started turning him around, quickly.

Ling felt sick as he saw - and heard! - his friend's head hit a nearby wall again and again...

This was too much. Ling turned around to flee... and froze to see the third member of that accursed trio, a tall, powerfully-built man with long black hair, blocking the exit. Still running, Ling shot a number of stones at this new opponent... but they all turned to dust. Then the man stomped his foot and the ground shifted beneath Ling's feet, knocking him down... and just as he was supposed to hit the street, a chasm opened it in...

"It's not fair!" was the last thing that came through Ling's mind as he saw the chasm he was falling to fill with lava.

* * *

"This is a mistake," Tenzin muttered, watching the six mechs approaching the lines of the spirit vines.

He could understand why the people living in these newly-created "Spirit Wilds" were angry about losing their homes to the vines and spirits, but was attacking the vines and angering the spirits truly the best solution? Tenzin was sure that different alternatives could have been presented... expanding the city, building a new district, demolishing unused industrial sites...

It would be easy to blame the whole situation on the rest of the Council and on mayor Raiko, but truth be told, he didn't spend enough time searching for a solution that would satisfy everyone. Between the rise of Equalists, the growing tensions in the city, teaching Korra and looking for new airbenders, he just didn't have time.

And yet... once again he was feeling as if he failed his father; his father who spent so much time working hard to reconcile humans and spirits. Who was truly the bridge between the two worlds. Was this also something he should have been teaching Korra? But she was so hot headed and he was worried that her intervention would make the situation even worse. Besides... she already carried so much weight on her shoulders. And now with Asami having been wounded...

Asami...

Tenzin's eyes went to the spot where Hiroshi Sato accompanied Raiko. For a moment Tenzin felt regret that Asami wasn't here. Sure, she was on her father's side and was one of those who sold the design of the mechs to the Council, but maybe Korra's opinion of the heiress rubbed off her, because for a moment Tenzin had hoped that he would be able to reason with her, convince her that this is the wrong path to take.

No, it wouldn't do any good. It wasn't really her decision. She just, if one were to believe Hiroshi and Tenzin believed him on that, designed the mechs and helped sell them to the Council. It was them who made the decision, despite Tenzin's protest. Them... and that meant Tarrlok, for he played the rest of the Council like a fiddle.

Tenzin hated Unalaq with passion unbecoming a pacifist Air Monk, but the one good quality that madman had was the respect he showed towards the Spirit World. To think Tarrlok, coming from the same tribe, would go so far to basically declare war on the spirits...

Right now a number of glowing beings flew from the tangled vines, approaching the mechs. At first they flew straight but as they were getting closer they were becoming more and more agitated.

Tenzin looked at the second line of defense - two squads of metalbending police officers and among them Lin Beifong. They looked at each other for a while, but Lin just turned her eyes away from him. Despite all the years that passed from... from the time he hurt her, he had never managed to regain the camaraderie they once shared.

Suddenly he felt someone take his hand. He turned to see Jinora. He wasn't happy that she came here, but he couldn't have stopped her. Besides, with her connection with the Spirit World, she had the right to be here.

"They're... they're angry," she whispered. "Everyone is angry. The spirits, the people... so much anger."

"I know, Jinora, I know," Tenzin sighed.

Suddenly one of the spirits, a thing that was partially feline and partially crustacean dove at one of the mechs, hitting it hard but bouncing off the shell. The other machines stopped for a moment... and then continued. Another spirit, a winged fished bounced off the machine's armour, while another mech swatted another spirit with its metallic hand.

"They're angry, they're so angry!" Jinora said.

Indeed, they were, for in Tenzin's eyes, the glow coming from the spirits started changing, growing darker and more sinister, their eyes turning blazing red.

It was...

"It is wrong, Tarrlok!" Tenzin said to the Councilman. "You must see it is wrong!"

For a second, Tarrlok hesitated.
"I... I too am not happy with it, Tenzin," he said, slowly. "But... we are chosen to represent the people. And people need their homes back."

"But..."

A feline-prawn-like thing landed on one of the mechs, its semi-transparent clothes hitting at the mech's chassis without any effect. A second mech aimed its arm at the spirit and shot cables that went through the being... but the electric discharge that followed lit the spirit up and forced it to escape back into the Spirit Wilds, the other spirits following.

Finally the mechs reached the line of the vines. They lifted their arms, the metallic fingers going together and transforming into wide blades that soon began vibrating as if they were chainsaws. And then the cutting started.

Jinora gasped... but didn't turn around.

The vines however, weren't done fighting yet. For a second there was no reaction... and then from all directions, the vines started attacking, striking like snakes going for a kill... but just as with the spirits, the attacks weren't enough to pierce the armour of the mechs and their lack of legs made it almost impossible for them to be tripped.

Almost - for four vines grabbed the arms of one of the mechs and began slowly pulling him to the ground... but then another one turned its arms and this time a stream of fire came from it, burning the vines holding the war machine.

"Get the civilians away from here!" Lin Beifong's characteristic, sharp voice cut through the cacophony of shouts and only then Tenzin realized that the ground the vines were losing in their fight with the mechs, they were regaining in other places, reaching towards the positions of the council and the onlookers.

Four vines attacked, going for Raiko and Hiroshi - did these things know who he was? - but Tarrlok cut one off with a stream of water turned into a blade of ice. Two more were cut by Lin's sharp metallic cables and Tenzin pushed the last vine, one going for Hiroshi to the side. He didn't like the man and what he represented but he wasn't going to let him get hurt. Especially not so shortly after Asami was wounded.

One vine hit Lin in the chest but slid off her armour and Tenzin saw as she turned part of her metallic suit into a wrist-mounted blade and cut the vine into pieces.

"Ms. Beifong, please!" Jinora called. "You're all hurting them! Just leave them be and no one will get hurt!"

Lin glared at Jinora for a second, but then her gaze softened.
"Sorry, young one," she said. "I don't like this shit any more than you do... but it's my job to protect the people... even if they are idiots."

Before Tenzin could say anything more, Lin jumped towards the vines creeping towards the Council.
"You'd better leave, Jinora," Tenzin sighed. "Please."

* * *

"We got news," Zuko said, breathing heavily. "Zaheer was spotted in the northern reaches of the Earth Empire. According from the information from Hou-Ting's official, he and his Red Lotus minions attacked and murdered a Dai Li patrol, completely unprovoked."

"Ghazan and Ming-Hua?" Tonraq asked, remembering which prisons were lost.

Zuko nodded his head.

"Then at least we know where Zaheer is going," he said. "To free his woman. To free P'li."

"We need to stop him," Zuko said. "But to catch them..."

"We can use the spirit portals," Tonraq said. "This way we'll get to the Northern Water Tribe before Zaheer."

"I'm going with you," Senna said, immediately getting up.

"Love," Tonraq shook his head. "I know you want to protect Korra. But if anything happens to me... I need you to rule the Tribe in my place. And to... well... be there for Korra."

"If I go with you, there will be less of a chance that something happens," Senna crossed her arms.

"Senna, dear... if you are there... I will be distracted. I need to have a clear head if I am to face Zaheer."

"But you and lord Zuko? Would that be enough?"

"We'll have Druk," Zuko said, referring to his dragon.

"And we'll get Eska and Desna to help us," Tonraq said.

"Besides, I'm going with you," Kya said entering the building.

As Senna hugged Tonraq tight, Kya and Zuko left for a moment, to give the two some privacy.

Chapter Text

Otaku got only halfway through the obstacle course when he slipped and fell down the pole, falling into the pool of water beneath. The obstacle course that Tenzin had prepared was, according to his words at least, less brutal than the one in the proper Air Temples, where there were swinging bags of sand and the poles were built over stinging cactuses. Air Temple Island didn’t have space or equipment for such a proper obstacle run, but Tenzin did his best to imitate that course with what limited resources he had.

It was almost ironic, Korra thought, that he had asked a Future Industries construction team to construct a pool and embed the poles in it.
Despite having landed in the water plenty of times already, Otaku once again starting panicking, splashing the water in frenzy, trying in vain to stay afloat.

“Korra, could you?” Tenzin sighed.
She lifted her hands, commanding the water in the pool to push Otaku out, onto solid ground.

“Thank… thank you, Avatar,” Otaku said, trying to wipe his wet glasses… with his equally wet robes.
“No problem,” Korra smiled at him as she approached him and with a quick movement of her hand, pulled the moisture out of his clothes and sent it back into the pool.

Suddenly she froze, having recalled how they talked with Asami about this application of waterbending… shortly before her friend got run down by that crazy Equalist – for despite Asami’s insistence on the contrary, Korra was sure the attacker was a part of Amon’s movement. No, she shouldn’t be thinking about it, about Asami lying on the street, with blood tricking from her injured head. Asami was fine and that was what mattered.

“Korra?” Tenzin repeated.
“Huh?” she looked at him.

“Ok, so since your thoughts are… elsewhere,” he said, not unkindly, “maybe Jami could go now?”
Jami gulped as she climbed the first pole. She hesitated before making her first jump onto another pole, but when she finally jumped, she cleared the distance between them quickly and landed well, only for a moment swaying on her feet before catching balance. While she lacked Otaku’s knowledge of the customs of the Air Monks, she was much more agile than he was.

Korra had to admire her as she jumped from a pole to a pole. Once, when she jumped slightly too far, she found herself slipping forward off the pole but quickly saved herself by blowing a strong stream of air, pushing herself back… but she overcorrected and now was falling back… but once again she saved herself with a handy gust of wind.

Jami was becoming a better and better airbender, Korra had to, grudgingly, admit. Finally, she managed to catch her balance and jumped onto another pole and another…

What Jami was absolutely terrible at, was meditating and achieving inner peace. She almost rivalled Korra in how terrible she was. Even Tenzin, who couldn’t hide his disappointment in Korra continuously failing to centre herself and meditate, didn’t criticize Jami… not after the one time that she suddenly broke off her meditation after breaking into sobs and running away and hiding in the pantry.

Only Pema and Jinora together managed to calm her down and if they have learned what caused this reaction, they never shared it with anyone other than Tenzin.
Unfortunately, these problems didn’t only reflect on Jami’s (lack of) ability to meditate in peace. Whenever she was doing really good on the obstacle course, she would begin to hyperventilate, shake, hesitate longer and longer before making a jump… and sooner or later she made a mistake, slipped or misjudged the distance and landed in the water again.

At least she could swim to the edge of the pool and get out of it without Korra’s waterbending assistance.
“Korra it’s your turn,” Tenzin said. “Are you ready?” his voice softened. “Though if you’d prefer not to do it today…”
“I’ll do it,” she said, more harshly than she intended.

Korra had her criticisms of Tenzin as a teacher, however ever since Asami’s “accident” he was surprisingly gentle with her, seeing how this attack rattled his student. She didn’t want to just sit and mope, however, or keep blaming herself for what happened to Asami. Korra always did better when she was doing something. Leaving her alone with her thoughts… didn’t work as well. And this obstacle course? This was something she could do with her eyes closed.

While she still hadn’t been able to make even the slightest gust of air, unlike Otaku and Jami, she had a waterbender’s feeling of balance. Pro-bending helped as well and by now Korra got so good at going through the spinning training gates that she rivalled even Jinora’s skill and more and more often was thinking of challenging Tenzin for a race through them.

Quickly she got onto the first pole and jumped onto the next one. And the next one. The next jump she did slightly too far but instead of trying to recover her balance, she pushed herself from the pole as soon as her foot touched it, landing firmly on another one. That was something she could do. A challenge she could easily take. Something nice and easy and physical, unlike the various emotions that were bottled up inside her and she didn’t know what to do with them and…

And she slipped and landed in the cold water.
Aaaargh! Get your head together, Korra! she thought angrily, getting out of the pool.
“What happened, Korra?” Tenzin looked at her surprised. He knew how good she usually was at this track.
“Just… got distracted,” she said. “I want to try it again.”

Since neither Otaku nor Jami were that eager to get on the obstacle course again, Tenzin nodded his head.

Jump, jump, jump. Turn slightly and jump. Regain balance and jump. This time, she wouldn’t let herself be distracted. She was good at it, and she knew it. She’d love to see Mako try this obstacle course! Despite what a skilled pro-bender he was, she had a feeling he would soon find himself in the drink. So would Bolin. She wondered how Asami would do. She saw her beat that rude sailor without breaking sweat and she knew Asami was fast, fit and agile. She imagined her gracefully jumping from one tip of the pole to another…

If the blow to her head didn’t cause a concussion. If she hasn’t lost her sense of balance. No, that was absurd. The doctors said everything was fine. Korra also helped with her spirit healing. She shouldn’t be worrying so. But if the car had hit Asami harder...

Korra shivered at the thought.
Cold assaulted her body as she landed in the pool. This time she didn’t bother swimming out and just waterbent herself out of it in a wave that left Tenzin and Jami dripping wet.

“Is everything alright, Korra?” Tenzin asked, worry instead of anger in his voice.
“Yes,” she says. “I’m tired. I need to go… I have a match tomorrow.”
And not waiting for his, or anyone else’s response, she turned around and left.

* * *

The weather was lovely, the wind was blowing gently, the sun was shining, the birds were singing and Asami was smiling.
“Will you stop worrying about me, Korra?” she asked. “I’ve told you – multiple times! – that I’m fine!”

Korra chuckled nervously. They were walking together down the pier, completely alone here.
“I’m really glad to hear that,” the Avatar responded. “I don’t want anyone to be hurt because of me. I don’t want you hurt because of me.”

“Oh, Korra,” Asami chuckled but her laughter felt strained. “You can’t always control that.”
“I know, but…”

“And besides, this injury… is on me. I knew what would happen, if I spent time around you.”
“What… what do you mean?”

“Face it, Korra, people around you often end up getting hurt, isn’t that so?” Asami asked. “You’re just bad news. You bring pain and suffering wherever you go, Avatar.”

Korra felt tears well up in her eyes.

“Yes, I know…”
“I wish I had never met you.”
“B-but… Asami…”

She didn’t finish as from the shadows that suddenly grew longer to envelop the whole pier, a masked Equalist chi-blocker jumped. By her movements alone, Korra recognized the one she fought before. The one who had defeated her before.

“Asami, watch out!” Korra said, sending a wave of fire at her enemy… who effortlessly dodged it.

Right now, however, they were fighting on a pier with water around them and Korra had the advantage. She summoned a wave of water and sent it at the approaching Equalist, who jumped through it as if it wasn’t there. Then Korra lifted a water sphere, froze it and shattered into a myriad of ice shards that she sent against her attacker… and which all broke against the chi-blocker’s body, not causing any harm.

Then the chi-blocker was already on her, a flurry of blows hitting Korra’s chi points, sending her to her knees, unable to fight, helpless.

Suddenly Asami lunged at the chi-blocker. The Future Industries heiress was fast, strong and skilled but she was no match for the Equalist fighter. With a powerful kick to Asami’s temple, he sent her onto the wooden pier… before slipping back into the shadows.

“Asami!” Korra ran towards her unconscious friend. She almost froze, seeing how shallow Asami’s breathing was and noticing the amount of blood that was coming from the wound in the woman’s head. “Somebody call the ambulance!” she screamed, but the shadows on the pier swallowed her voice.

“Come on, Salami,” Korra whispered. “Stay with me!”

She tried to focus, to repeat the spirit healing process… but with her chi being blocked and unable to bend she was powerless. Useless.

She was nothing.

* * *

Korra woke up with a scream. Naga was immediately next to her, growling and looking around for an enemy.

“I’m sorry, for scaring you again, girl,” Korra whispered, burying her face in Naga’s fur. “Just a bad dream. Another one.”

Naga whined and licked Korra’s face. Despite this having calmed Korra up a bit, she found herself unable to fall asleep again. And to think that on the next day – or was it this day already? – she had an important semi-final match for which she should be well-rested. Sighing, she got up and, accompanied by Naga, left her bedroom. She approached a small gazebo, overlooking the bay.

She didn’t know how long she had been staring at the moon – hello, Yue, she thought – when she heard footsteps behind her. Tenzin? No, these were too light, too soft to be his.

“Can’t sleep, Korra?” Jinora asked.
“Nightmares,” Korra admitted. After what the two survived in the Spirit World, Korra didn’t mind trusting Jinora with her embarrassing secrets. “You?”

“Ikki’s snoring,” Jinora chuckled. “I could hear it even through the wall. It woke me up and I decided to grab a glass of water… and well, saw your door open and your bed empty.”
“Don’t worry, about me. Go back to bed.”

But Jinora didn’t move.
“I’m sorry what happened to your friend,” Jinora said. “It’s ok to be worried and afraid.” When Korra didn’t say anything, the young airbender continued talking. “Dad is worried about some stuff. Mum is worried that he is constantly worrying. I’m worried about them both. None of them… none of us share our worries with the other two because of the fear of adding to their problems… but I can’t help but think that trouble shared is trouble halved.”

“When did you get so wise,” Korra chuckled. “So, what worries Tenzin these days? Let me guess, the terrible Avatar who’s like a hippopotamus bull in a porcelain shop?”
“Dad can sometimes be difficult, but he likes you, Korra,” Jinora replied. “No, what worries him most is politics… Tarrlok and his task force… Equalists… some guy named Zaheer.”

“Who’s that?”
“I don’t know, probably some politician. Or maybe a criminal? I just heard dad mention his name once over the phone.”
“Poor Tenzin,” Korra sighed. “I’m not making stuff easier for him, am I? What else worries him?”

Jinora was a terrible liar and had a poker face even worse than Korra who had never played poker before.
“What is it, Jinora?” she asked, seeing the girl shift uncomfortably.
“Well… I didn’t want to say it… you and Asami seem to be good friends…”

“Asami?” Korra asked, suddenly worried. “Is there something wrong with Asami? Did she faint or something? Are the results of her tests worrying?”
“No, no… it’s just…” Jinora sighed. “See, Korra… Future Industries has pitched a design of… something like battle mechs. Similar to those that Varrick sold to Unalaq during the Water Tribe Civil War.”

“But… we’re not at war,” Korra frowned.
“Well… according to some people in the Council… and by some people I mean all of them apart from dad… we are. A war against the spirit vines… and maybe even the spirits. Some time ago, Asami and her father convinced the council to order the mechs and use them to clear the spirit vine infestation.” Jinora made an air-quote when speaking the last word. “The first batch will be completed soon and they want to use it on the vines. Dad and I… we don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Why?”
“Did you see many spirits in the city Korra?” Jinora asked.

“N-no,” Korra admitted. “Just a couple here and there, a bit more on a single overgrown hill.”
“Exactly!” Jinora said. “And the city should be full of them! But they keep to the areas with the vines, the so-called Spirit Wilds. Removing the vines… will drive the spirits away. And… that would be terrible. We… the people of Republic City would lose something beautiful… that they don’t even know that they have.”

“But… the spirit vines… have taken over entire city quarters, right?” Korra said, repeating what she has heard from Asami… and from those criticizing her for the infestation. “Plenty of people have become homeless. I… I kinda understand why they want their homes back.”
“I guess…” Jinora didn’t sound convinced. “But the spirits… they have the right to be here as well. You said it yourself it was their world once. Aren’t… aren’t you supposed to be a bridge between us and them?”

Korra sighed. Jinora wasn’t trying to be unkind, but it still hurt. She was right, Korra wasn’t doing much of… bridging since she got to Republic City. Too consumed with her airbender training, pro-bending, the threat of Equalists… and now her own feelings, she didn’t even reach out to the spirits.

“I haven’t been doing a good job as the Avatar, have I?” Korra asked.
“It’s not that,” Jinora said. "I know it’s not easy.”

“It’s not, but…” Korra sighed. Then the words were coming from her mouth as if on their own. “It’s just… I know I should have reached to the spirits… but… I don’t have a pretty good track record in… anything, really. Maybe I feel that if I don’t even try then I can’t fail? And I fail everyone around me. Fail and risk their lives just by being near…”

“Korra…” Jinora started gently but the Avatar wasn’t listening.
“You should know it better than anyone else! You offered to help with Unalaq, to take me into the Spirit World… and we almost lost you forever in the Fog of the Lost Souls. I couldn’t even save you from the danger I brought, if it hadn’t been for Tenzin…” Korra’s voice broke but she kept talking. “And now Asami… sure, she’s fine… but just by being next to me, she got targeted by those Equalist bastards! Who knows who will be hurt next just for being next to me? Your parents? Ikki or Meelo? Rohan? Mako or Bolin?”

“Korra!” Jinora shouted, but without anger in her voice. “Don’t do that!”
“Don’t do what?” Korra blinked, confused.

“You can’t control everything. And you can’t take our choices away,” Jinora said. “You know… yes, you’re right. I led you to the Spirit World and I almost got lost there forever. And before that Unalaq had almost killed me. I was scared like never before.”

Korra looked down…

“And you know what, Korra?” Jinora continued. “Given the choice, I would do it before, even without knowing that it will end happily for me like last time. I made my choice to help you, because I believed in you and I believed that you had the best shot at stopping Unalaq. I made a choice, Korra! Don’t take it away from me.”

“But you’re just a kid!”
“And you’re just a teenager! And you’re already the Avatar! With all the responsibility that brings! And Aang was just a kid when he had to face Ozai. Hard choices come for some quicker than for others. That’s life.”

“Ok, but Ikki? Meelo? Rohan for spirits’ sake? You can’t tell me they can make an informed decision here!”
“Thirty years from now, Ikki still won’t be able to make an informed decision about anything,” Jinora muttered. “But my parents made the decision for them, and they decided that they trust you, Korra. And whatever risk there is associated with being your friend, they’re willing to take it.” When Korra didn’t say anything, Jinora continued. “And Bolin?” she asked. “From what you’ve said, he wasn’t captured by the Equalists because he knew you but because he had dealings with the Triads. In fact, if he hadn’t been your friend, there wouldn’t be anyone to save him on time and he would have lost his bending. Being your friend Korra is not only a risk.”

“But Asami…” Korra began.
“I’ll be first to admit, I’m not happy with Asami being the one supporting using mechs to clear the spirit vines and drive the spirits away…” Jinora hesitated “but from what you’ve told me and what dad has told me, she is a smart, spirited, fearless woman who doesn’t blame you for the attack that hurt you. So, if she decided to be your friend, it means she knew what she was getting into.”

“Thank you, Jinora,” Korra whispered.
“Go back to bed, Korra,” Jinora, despite being the younger one, said and Korra did so.

She managed to fall asleep, not on the bed but on the floor, resting against Naga’s warm body. Whether it was the effect of the polar bear dog’s presence or of the conversation with Jinora, no other nightmare haunted the Avatar that night.

Chapter Text

As soon as Korra entered the locker room, she realized that something was wrong. The air seemed… tense. Mako just grunted something as a response to her ‘hey’ and while Bolin smiled at her, he didn’t hug her and the smile didn’t really reach his radiant eyes.

“Wow, who died?” she tried to lighten the mood.
“Let’s just play the match, shall we?” Mako grunted and went towards the platform.
“What got into him?” she asked Bolin, who just shrugged, and walked away.

But… did Korra… in Bolin’s breath smell a faint but all-too-familiar and all-too-disgusting whiff of alcohol and… vomit? What happened? But what else could she do but to follow the brothers to the arena and give her best in the game?

* * *

Her best turned out not to be good enough. The whole match was an absolute disaster. Mako bumped into her and instead of looking to his defences, he spent time glaring at her and muttering something under his breath. Bolin seemed to be avoiding both his brother and Korra and his moves have been slow and uninspired.
Their opponents, the Buzzard Wasps, took note of this fact and started targeting him… Mako came to Bolin’s defence, but with Bolin doing his best to avoid his brother, their defence was clumsy and easily dismantled by the attacks of the Buzzard Wasps. One stone disk to the stomach later, Bolin took off his helmet and was bending over the edge of the arena, emptying his stomach.

“And Bolin loses his noodles! Literally. Which reminds me, this match is brought to you by our sponsor, Flamey-O Instant Noodles! Noodliest noodles in the United Republic.”

Korra cringed, looking at him with pity. She remembered when she was feeling like that… But she was alone, well, with Asami and Hiroshi who turned out to be discrete. For Bolin to humiliate himself like that in front of all those hundreds of people watching the game. She clenched her fists, hearing them laugh.

She didn’t have time to worry about it any longer as the match resumed. Bolin quickly got tossed off the arena, with her and Mako being pushed into zone three.
Suddenly a chill ran down Korra’s back. They were going to get defeated by knock-out! The Buzzard Wasps were approaching, going deep into Fire Ferrets territory, stopping at the edge of zone two. The three opponents lifted their hands preparing themselves to deliver the coup-de-grace…

DING!

”... And the Ferrets are bailed out by the bell! They had better pull themselves together for round two, otherwise they can kiss the finals goodbye.” Korra heard Shiro Shinobi’s commentary and sighed in relief.

* * *

“Ok, guys, what’s wrong with you?” she asked as they were preparing themselves for another round.
“Don’t talk to Bolin like that!” Mako barked. “Haven’t you hurt him enough?”

Korra took a step back.
“Wow… hurt him? What do you mean?” she stuttered, looking at Bolin.
“Leave her alone, Mako,” he mumbled, still pale. “I’ve told you it wasn’t her fault.”

“What isn’t my fault?” Korra frowned.
“You know how I found Bolin last night?” Mako asked. “At Narook’s, completely drunk! I told you that when Bolin falls for someone, he falls hard! I told you not to play with his emotions!”

“I didn’t!” Korra protested. “I… we... we discussed things… and we agreed to remain friends!” she looked at Bolin. “Didn’t we? I thought we were ok?”
“Yeah, you should have seen him yesterday to see how ‘he was ok’,” Mako glared at Korra.

“Hey!” Bolin snapped. “Don’t talk about me as if I wasn’t here! And I told you, it wasn’t her fault!” he sighed and looked at Korra. “Listen, we were… we are fine. Friends, right? I don’t blame you for anything and I know you haven’t been playing with me. But… I won’t lie… I did hope for more than friendship… and I went to Narook’s… and well… one drink became… a couple. But I don’t blame you…” he glared at Mako. “And Mako shouldn’t either!”
“Yeah, forgive me if I don’t believe you,” Mako said. “You’re my little brother and I’m going to be protecting you no matter what!”

“I’m not little anymore!” Bolin replied. “And how is attacking Korra protecting me?”
“Attacking? Face it, everyone around Korra gets hurt! You, Asami…”
“Mako!” Bolin snapped. “What is wrong with you?”
They both looked at Korra, who was standing there, frozen in place, her dark skin having gone a bit paler… and tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

“He didn’t mean it… right?” Bolin said quickly, then looked at Mako. “Right?”

Mako opened his mouth to respond, but the referee’s gong signalled the beginning of round two. Korra turned around, wiped the tears off her eyes and walked onto the arena.

* * *

This round didn’t go any better. If anything, it went worse. No matter how Bolin tried to distance himself from him brother, Mako was hovered over him like a mama turtleduck until Bolin finally has had enough.

“Stop trying to protect me!” he snapped.
“Hey, I’m just trying to help!” Mako protested.

“Well, don’t! Your ‘helping me’ caused already enough damage!”
“What do you mean?” Mako asked, taken aback.

But before Bolin could answer a waterjet hit him hard, knocking him to the edge off zone three and moments later a fireblast finished him off, pushing into the water. Fighting nausea that threatened to overcome him, Bolin climbed out of the water and on top of the platform… and then heard a splash as Mako landed in the water as well.

He hesitated only for a moment, before reaching with his hand and helping his brother onto the land.
“Mako, please, don’t take it out on Korra,” Bolin said as they both approached the elevator.
“I told you dating… or trying to date a teammate was a bad idea.”

“And I told you, you’re a bad idea!”
“Listen… I just don’t like you being hurt.”

“Neither do I, but hey,” Bolin said. “that’s part of life, isn’t?”
“Since when did you become so wise,” Mako muttered.

“Well… it’s the first time someone… ‘rejected my advances’,” Bolin said. “I also need to learn how it is. I don’t have your experience with getting rejected again and again!”
“Hey!” Mako said. “First of all, low blow, bro… secondly, it hasn’t been that many times.”

“Do you blame Asami for rejecting you?”
“No, of course not!”

“Then why are you attacking Korra? She should be able to pick who she chooses without any pressure.”
“Well, yes but…”
“And you blaming Korra for what happened to Asami? That’s a damn low blow! Can’t you see she’s already blaming herself? Can you imagine how she must feel right now?”

Mako looked away… just to see Korra on the arena, grabbing one of the opposing players in a water stream and bouncing him up and down.

* * *

” Face it, everyone around Korra gets hurt! You, Asami…”

Mako’s words played in her head again and again, as she dodged the incoming attacks, the lone Fire Ferret standing. He was, of course, right. She didn’t want to hurt Bolin and she didn’t want to hurt Asami… but they both ended up hurt.

Sure, she raised this with Jinora and Jinora told her not to blame herself and forgave – or rather insisted there was nothing to forgive – Korra putting her in danger… but Jinora could have done it… because she was there. Asami didn’t come to this match, didn’t see Korra after that one time in the hospital. How could Korra apologize?

She even considered facing the monstrosity they called the telephone and calling Asami… but what if the heiress needed some space? What’s more, what if she would call and Hiroshi would pick up. Despite him mellowing down later, Korra could still remember the look of utter fury, when he found her next to his daughter’s bed.

In the end she didn’t call. She was a coward.

Korra dodged another earth disk. Oh, the Buzzard Wasps wanted to play hard ball? She was going to indulge them. After all she already felt like punching someone… and the offered convenient targets. For the first time since that time when the barrage of attacks made her flash back to Unalaq and reveal herself as the Avatar on the arena, she reached towards the darker feelings that she kept bottled up. She liked how pro-bending was violence without hatred and aggression, just competition and test of skill… but would it really be a problem if sometimes, not often, she would let go? Showed everyone what a pissed off Avatar can do? After all, if she were to defeat the Buzzard Wasps by knockout, they would win the entire match.

And if with how bad the Fire Ferrets were playing today, they needed it. Korra doubted they would win otherwise. Seemed it was all on her shoulders. She dodged one blow, shot at the opponent earthbender, ramming him hard against the ropes at the sides of the arena. She sent the Buzzard Wasps firebender into zone three with a blow so hard that left him, curled into a ball… which she tossed over the edge.

Was the referee whistling? Korra didn’t care. She was back in her element, right now, she took control of the water stream the enemy waterbender was trying to prepare, used it to swipe him off his feet, grabbed him with it and started bounding him up and down, preparing herself to just throw him over the edge of the arena…

Yes, the referee WAS whistling.

She turned around towards it, letting the Buzzard Wasp waterbender fall hard on the arena floor.
“Unnecessary roughness! Move back one zone!” the referee called.

Unnecessary roughness? Wow, if only someone could tell Unalaq that he was ‘unnecessarily rough’ with her and Raava. Maybe Tenzin was ready. Maybe they shouldn’t have made combat side of pro-bending into a sport if they weren’t able to take it and worried about such things as “unnecessary roughness”.

“I’ll unnecessarily rough you up!” Korra yelled at the referee, splashing him with water.

* * *

”And the Avatar is slapped with the red fan which means she won’t playing in round three. The Ferrets are their own worst enemy right now. It's just sad to watch. With the Buzzard Wasps leading two rounds to zilch, the Ferrets' only hope of winning is with a knockout.”

“Yeah, a knockout isn’t going to happen,” Bolin muttered. “There goes our shot at the championship.”
“I don’t care about the championship anymore,” Mako said. “I care about us.”

“Are… are we going to be alright?” Bolin asked in a barely audible voice.
“Of course, we are. We’re brothers.”

Bolin took a deep breath.

“We’re brothers, Mako,” he said. “And I love you. But… but you really need to be nicer to Korra. You’ve been giving her crap since day one and… and that’s just not fair. She’s… she’s a great person.”
“I see she’s got you wrapped around her finger!”

“No!” Bolin protested. “We’re friends! Am I sad that it’s nothing more? Sure, yes. But that’s her choice, I respect it and she wasn’t ‘leading me on’ or anything.”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt, bro,” Mako said for the n-th time.
“I know but… you can’t keep protecting me my whole life. And… the thing you’ve said about Asami being hurt because of Korra? I can see it hit her hard. You know it wasn’t her fault!”

It was Mako’s turn to sigh.

“I know,” he said, looking away.
“So what are you going to do about it?” Bolin asked but there was no time for Mako to answer as they platform got extended and they walked onto the arena.
Without Korra.

* * *

Asami turned off the radio. She was listening to the Fire Ferret match but she just couldn't take it any more. Her not being there and having to listen how they were failing? It was stupid that it hurt so but when she thought how hard they worked to get to this round, how devastated Korra would be if they lost... No, she wasn't going to torture herself by listening to it.

“I didn’t think I’d find you here,” Hiroshi said.
“I… I sometimes come here,” Asami responded. “To think and to...,” she gestured at the radio.

And to be alone, but she didn’t say that. She knew her father avoided this part of the garden, the part nearest to Yasuko’s office, where she liked to sometimes work. So when Asami wanted privacy, she came here. But if Hiroshi went here, looking for her, then he must have been really worried about her.

“And what are you thinking about?” he asked approaching her, but couldn’t make himself sit on one of the wicker chairs Yasuko liked to relax on so much. “A yuan for your thoughts?”

Asami smiled to herself, recalling that Mako asked her the same thing during their “date”.

“I should be there,” Asami pointed at the direction in which, far away behind the walls surrounding the Sato mansion and its gardens, was the Pro-bending Arena. “I’m the team sponsor. My absence will be noticed.”

After that first game Hiroshi didn’t keep coming to the Fire Ferrets matches, partly because he was too busy with his duties as the Future Industries CEO – and Amon’s advisor – and partly because he despised the sport so much. He was happy for Asami to take him place, especially as it helped her to get to know the Fire Ferrets players – especially the Avatar – better. This time, however, he was insistent that she stayed at home and didn’t go.

“You’re in no condition to go…” he began but Asami would have none of that.

Quickly she got up from her chair.

“In no condition? Dad, I’m feeling great,” she said. “All the doctors agree that the accident didn’t leave any lasting effect and that I’m in great shape.”
“But there are so many people at the arena… and it is so loud…”
“Not any louder than in our factories.”

Hiroshi sighed, approached one of the chairs, but didn’t sit on it, instead just leaning, his hand on its armrest.

“You were always a willful child,” he sighed. When Asami didn’t comment on that, he took a deep breath and spoke again: “I was thinking… I think it would be best if you stop seeing the Fire Ferrets, especially in private.”
“Oh?” Asami asked, not entirely surprised. She thought this conversation was coming.

“Yes, I thin it would be safer this way.”
“Safer?”
“Safer,” he repeated, then hesitated again before continuing. “I think… I think that In particular, you would need to stop meeting the Avatar in private.”
“Dad, let me remind you that it was a person on our side of the fight, whether an actual Equalist or not, who hurt me and it was Korra who healed me with her powers,” Asami said coolly, trying to hide the turmoil inside her that her father’s words created.

She was already missing Korra… and the rest of the Fire Ferrets of course. But to stop seeing her completely?

“Yes, I raised this with Amon… he assured me it wasn’t one of us, who hurt you,” Hiroshi said. “But if people are waking up, we might expect other attacks on the Avatar.”
“I thought Amon doesn’t want her dead?” Asami asked sharply.

“He doesn’t! But not everyone in the city knows his plans!” Hiroshi protested. “Besides… those who are against the Avatar might try hurting those she is close to. And since your role in our movement isn’t widely known, for obvious reasons, you might be targeted too!”
“Well, it seems to me this is more of an argument of me keeping close to her,” Asami said. “If I’m going to get attacked for my associating with her, I might as well have her next to me to provide spirit healing when I inevitably get hurt?”

Her father opened his eyes to say something, but she didn’t let him.

“Besides, if our supporters are in for attacking people for mere being friends with the Avatar…” she hesitated but was too riled up to stop. “Then maybe we’re on the wrong side.”
“You don’t mean it!” Hiroshi snapped. “Asami… we knew the revolution won’t be nice and clean. Amon… Amon is doing what he can to make it as bloodless as possible. But after decades, centuries of abuse from the benders, is it so hard to understand that people want to strike back?”

Asami just shook her head.
“I need to be at Korra’s side,” she said. “I’m spying on her, remember?”
“Is it still needed?” Hiroshi asked. “It’s not as if the Avatar is a particularly sneaky person. It’s not hard to know what she’s doing. As to getting her to join the task force… I think I planted the seed.”

Asami frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“I implied that if she had joined and it stopped Amon, you wouldn’t have been hurt,” Hiroshi said. “You should have seen how it rattled her!”

“You did… what?!” Asami shouted, feeling suddenly lightheaded.
“Asami, are you… are you alright?” her father took her hand and squeezed gently.

“Yes… yes, I’m fine,” she said quickly.
“There is another reason I’m thinking about you leaving the Avatar,” Hiroshi said slowly. “I’m beginning to get a feeling that you… begin to like her.”

Asami thought about lying but decided against it. Her father knew her too well.
“She is a good person, dad,” she said. “But she is the Avatar and I am still committed to our cause.”

It was obvious from the look in Hiroshi’s eyes that he wasn’t entirely sure if he believed her but decided to drop the subject. They looked at each other for a while in silence, before Hiroshi finally spoke.

“When Korra used the spirit healing on you…” he began. “How did it feel?”
“It was strange,” Asami said. “At first it was cold… and it hurt a bit… and then there was relief flooding my body, the pain receding.”

There was also something else. The feeling of concern coming from Korra, her fear for Asami’s life. She didn’t tell her father that, however… especially as, so suddenly that she almost cried out, his face changed, becoming a cruel mask of hate and anger, one that she has seen only once before, when he killed the two Triad thugs who murdered Yasuko.

“Can you imagine?!” he snapped. “If only one of us was a spirit healer… if only one of us was born with that power… if only we had one at the mansion that day… my wife… your mother might have been still alive. How many other good people died, because they weren’t born with this… gift?! It’s just… NOT FAIR!”

His anger left Asami speechless. Finally, he calmed down and looked at Asami.

“I trust you, Asami,” he said. “If you believe you should still be in contact with Korra… then so be it. But don’t forget where your loyalties lie and… and be careful. If something happened to you…”

Her father’s voice broke, he shook his head and left her in the garden. Asami just kept sitting there, until the evening chill chased her back to the house.

Chapter Text

Maybe it was better this way. Friendships were overrated. It led to people getting hurt. Her losing her focus. If she hadn’t cared about Jinora and let Unalaq just kill her instead of opening the spirit portal for him, Vaatu would never have been released.

So, was this the true lesson that she was supposed to learn from coming to Republic City? That she was better off on her own? And yet… and yet no one denied that Aang succeeded in part thanks to Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko and Suki. Aang… how she wished she could ask him for advice right now. And if being alone was the fate of the Avatar, why did her heart beat so fast in her chest as she saw the Buzzard Wasps knocking Bolin and Mako all over the arena. Why did she gasp and bite her own fist, as a stone disk hit Bolin hard, probably dislocating his shoulder.

” Face it, everyone around Korra gets hurt! You, Asami…”

Mako’s words came once again.

But then Bolin got hit with a water blast and got pushed over the edge of the playing field. She got to the elevator leading towards the swimming pool and waterbent him out of the water.

They rode up in awkward silence.
“Listen, Bolin…” Korra began.
“No, Korra,” he interrupted her. “Please, listen to me. Yes, I was sad that the things with us… didn’t work out exactly the way I wanted. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping for more. But I didn’t blame you for your choice, still don’t, in fact. I… I really hope we can still be friends.”

Korra looked at the arena, where Mako was being slowly pushed to the edge of the arena.
“Can we?” she whispered. “I mean… this is the end of our pro-bending career. Sure, there’ll be next season but… And do we… do we have actually have anything in common apart from this sport? Won’t we just go our separate ways? You and Mako, me… Asami… I doubt her father would want to sponsor any team anytime soon.”

“Of course we have a lot in common!” Bolin said. “We’re fun! We’re awesome! We enjoy each other’s company! We love teasing Mako! We started as teammates, but we’re more than that now…”
“I don’t know…” Korra said dejected.
“And Asami? She is one tough nut to crack - seriously, where do I know her voice from? - but I’ve got a feeling that she sees more in us than just one of her father’s investments.”

This thought… made Korra feel a bit better.
“Besides… if we were to split, you’d ruin a love story for the ages!”
“Love story?” Korra asked, confused.

Was he hitting on her again? No, Bolin must have meant Asami and Mako. So even he thought they had a ‘love story for the ages’ going?
“Of course! Naga and Pabu! They’re already madly in love and the feeling will keep growing! You can’t get in the way of THAT!”

This time Korra couldn’t help herself and burst into laughter.
“So, friends, even after we’re out of the tournament?” she asked.
“Friends, no matter what,” Bolin. “Unless Naga breaks Pabu’s little, gentle heart. Then it’s a bitter rivalry to the grave!”

“Works for me,” Korra said. “Let me see that injury of yours.”
“One moment, Korra,” Bolin says, turning back to the arena, where Mako barely dodged a stone disk. “If it’s our last game, I want to see it all.”

* * *

Mako dodged another disk, pushed an incoming flame strike to the side and brought up his fiery shield just in time to block a water attack.

Once again it was him alone, against everyone else. Why did it always end like this? Mako may not have been a guy very much in touch with his feelings… but he wasn’t entirely devoid of a capacity for introspection. And he was man enough to admit, when something has been his fault. Well, sometimes, at least.

And… as painful and difficult it was to admit it, the conclusion that it was all his fault was even more difficult to evade than the attacks of the Buzzard Wasps… and when it hit him, it also hurt more than a stone disk to the chest.

Bolin was right. He HAD BEEN a jerk to Korra. At first because he thought she was just another stupid fangirl and relationships with those never ended well. He tried them at first, when he was just getting into pro-bending… but they always turned messy quickly. The girls always either had their own vision of how he should be… or wanted him just to brag about having a pro-bender boyfriend… or couldn’t understand that taking care of Bolin would always be his number one priority. So, he stopped dating at all.

Mako twisted his body, going between a water stream and a gout of fire, dodging them both.

Then, he learned that Korra was the Avatar… and he was ashamed to admit that he felt some form of resentment for her. While he was scraping every yuan on the streets, trying to survive with Bolin, while he was compromising the values his parents passed on to him by working with the Triads, just to make a better life for the two of them… she was having all her needs met by the White Lotus, to the extent that she didn’t even understand the concept of money and thought everything should be given to her because she was lucky to be born as a reincarnation of Aang.

Slowly he began to understand that her childhood was nothing to be envied and that, in her own way, she worked harder than he ever did. But then… but then came Bolin, crushing hard on Korra. Yes, Bolin was almost an adult, yes, he had the right to make his own choices and mistakes… but Mako just couldn’t watch as his little brother made this particular mistake. And it was a mistake. It had to be. A relationship with the Avatar? There was no way this could end well. It would end in heartbreak – at best. At worst… with the Equalists on the rise, Mako didn’t even want to contemplate this option.

He almost got out of the way of a stone disk, it hit his side. He recovered balance fast enough to duck under a fire strike and he used the momentum to kick, sending a fire blast at the waterbender who was preparing some vicious combo attack. The shot hit its mark and the surprised opponent fell back to zone three. For a moment, the Buzzard Wasps were surprised by the sudden change of the circumstances and he used this, seizing the initiative and following with a flurry of lightning fast attacks.

Korra rejected Bolin, that was good… but his brother still clung to hope, Mako could see that… and it seemed like she let him keep it, leading him on. And yet… if he were entirely honest with himself, wasn’t he angry because Korra was such a vibrant soul, full of life, passion and energy… and by being a jerk with her, he burned any chances of… of being with her? Was he really taking care of Bolin… or was he jealous of his good relationship with Korra?

Seeing Bolin with Korra, after him being kidnapped, fighting together with her to free him. They did make a pretty good team and…

The Buzzard Wasp earthbender wasn’t fast enough, got a flame blast to his chest and fell back to zone three, but Mako was too focused on attacking and saw the flames coming from the other side of the field too late. He blocked them, but didn’t manage to raise his defenses fast enough to stop a stream of water from hitting him and pushing him to zone two…

No, that was absurd. Mako wasn’t interested in Korra. He was in love with Asami. Asami… Mako… Mako was really interested in her. Yes, dating your sponsor during the tournament was probably one of his worst ideas ever but… Asami was special. And yet… seeing Korra sigh or roll her eyes or even act in this weird… protective way each time he flirted with the heiress… was beginning to get annoying. Was she into him and showing her jealousy like this? Or was she actually worried he would hurt Asami? That was just hurtful. She should have known him better than that!

Asami…

Bolin was right. Blaming Korra for Asami being hurt was out of line. The poor girl was already putting too much on her shoulders, blaming herself for every failure and the last thing she needed was her teammates – for Mako did not think he deserved to be called Korra’s friend, not really – adding to it. He needed to apologize to Korra…

Mako rolled over the floor, dodging both a fire and water strike and quickly got up, kicking fire at his opponents.

He would apologize to Korra as soon as the match was over. And that wasn’t going to be long by now. His entire body ached from the effort and from the repeated blows. He barely had any strength left and even if he did, it was a matter of time when a well-placed (or just lucky) blow would hit him and send him off the edge of the playing field. Sure, all of his opponents were in zone three, but even if he could win a 1 vs 3 fight, he wouldn’t be able to do it in the couple of seconds that were left.

He wasn’t that good. He… he wasn’t Korra.

And finally it happened, a blast hitting him hard in the chest, sending him flying back and then sliding towards the edge of zone and the water below…

That was it. The end of their dreams of the tournament. The end of his dreams of giving Bolin a better life with the prize money. And the end of his friendship with Korra. An end even before it properly began. He saw no reason to Korra to hang out around them… around him… if there weren’t going to be a team. The Fire Ferrets would be no more and…

…and it would have all been his fault.

Anger flared in him and as he was sliding across the floor towards the edge of the arena and as the Buzzard Wasps were already beginning to grin… he kicked. Flames shot from him legs in a wide arc, propelling him off the playing field faster but before he would go down into the water, he grabbed the edge of the arena with his hand, stopping his fall. He lifted himself, just to take a look at the Buzzard Wasps, to see their faces after his one farewell-strike…

And didn’t see anything. The Buzzard Wasps weren’t on the field. Have they left the arena already? Did he miss the arbiter whistling the end of match?

”It's the big kibosh! What a knockout!” Shiro Shinobi’s voice carried across the arena, with the crowds erupting in crazy cheers and applause.

The referee whistled and two red lamps were lit!

”It didn't seem possible, folks, but the Fire Ferrets are headed to the finals!” Shiro announced, proving to Mako that yes, indeed, this was REALLY happening.

Thoroughly stunned, Mako lost his grip and fell into the water.

With Bolin’s arm being injured, it was Korra who helped him climb out of the pool. He was tempted to look away but forced himself to look into her eyes.
“You did good, Mako,” she whispered. “Really good.”
“Listen, Korra,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I… I owe you an apology. A big one. The thing I’ve said about Asami being hurt because of you? It was wrong… and it wasn’t true either. Equalists didn’t target Bolin because of you. It was you who saved him. Being around you… isn’t not a risk. It’s a privilege.”

She looked up at him, surprised.
“And… and I’m sorry for all the other times I’ve been giving you grief… I… I can’t promise I’ll be all good from now on,” he glanced at Bolin who was standing in the distance. “I still hate seeing Bolin with his heart broken. But this also wasn’t your fault… and you didn’t deserve me acting like a jerk since I’ve met you. I’ll try to do better. I will do better.”
“You… you really mean it?” she just asked.

He nodded.
“Yes,” he said. “In fact… when I thought that it was over for us in the tournament… I was going to ask you if you’d still want to hang out with us.”
“I would have liked that,” Korra said, finally a soft smile appearing on her face… which then grew wider and cockier. “But hey, we’re still in the game, Mr. Hat-trick.”

“We are,” he said. “And I’m really happy to be playing with you.”
“Likewise,” she said. “But right now, I think I need to take care of your brother’s shoulder.”

In the locker room, Mako stood and watched amused as Bolin panicked as Korra helped him strip from his protective suit… and then as she summoned a sphere of glowing water and placed it on the bruised shoulder.

“It’s not dislocated, don’t worry,” she said in calm, soothing voice, as his protests turned into a long sigh of relief.

Mako watched her with surprise. He knew Korra was talented when it came to various forms of bending – she was, after all, the Avatar – but he had thought that she lacked the personality of a good healer. He thought her too… loud, aggressive, impatient… and watching her now, her touch so gentle, her voice and eyes so full of sympathy and concern… once again he felt he might have misjudged her.

“Sooo… Fire Ferrets are still in the game!” Bolin said.
“Yes, we are,” Mako said. “And if we work together, the championship is as good as ours.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Mah-ko,” Tahno said as he and the Wolfbats walked into the locker room. “As for you, Uh-vatar… I hope you won’t get disqualified from our match. I can’t wait to give you the ass-kicking you deserve.”
“Wait...?” Korra asked, too confused to lose her nerve. “You just walked onto the arena! How come you’ve finished already?”

Tahno shot her a radiant glare and pointed towards the arena door that were still open… and through which the Fire Ferrets could see three of the Wolfbats opponents being taken out… on stretchers.

Chapter Text

Zaheer pulled his cloak tighter and lowered the hood as he looked at his target, visible in the distance. Finally, they got there. The journey hadn’t been easy, but his goal was finally within reach. He took a couple of breaths, steadying and centering himself and his thoughts, focused only on the task at hand. It was time to act.

* * *

It was pure coincidence that Korra spotted the man.

It was evening, she had finished her supper – just in how many ways could one try to make rice and tofu taste different? – and didn’t feel like going to bed. Normally she would have played with Naga, but Jinora, Ikki and Meelo were having so much fun with her, that she didn’t have the heart to stop the game.

So, she went out to train some more – or rather to wave her arms uselessly in air, making fwoosh sounds and hoping, in vain, that she would be able to summon even the tiniest gust of air. She chose a relatively secluded part of Air Temple Island, no wanting other to be witnesses to her failures.

Besides, it had a nice view, she concluded, when, sweaty and tired, she sat on a rock and looked at Yue Bay. On the other side, of course there was the pro-bending arena… but after the last match, she didn’t want to think about it. She tried to think of other places in the city, but the sad truth was that she didn’t know that many of them. Asami was supposed to take her sightseeing…

That’s what they were supposed to do it last time before they got so brutally interrupted. She sighed. The rational part of her knew that Asami was generally fine and that she needed time to recover, but she still wanted to speak with her in private. Last time she tried, Hiroshi barged into the hospital room. Korra hardly blamed him for wanting to be there with his daughter, but she still recalled his furious glare when he saw her at the Asami’s bed. She understood his rage but this… what she saw in his eyes… that was pure hatred. She shivered. Asami said she didn’t blame Korra for the attack but that didn’t really matter for Korra blamed herself. On one hand she could completely understand if Asami decided she doesn’t want to spend any more time with her and actually thought it a prudent choice… and on the other, she wished that she could see Asami, talk to her, support her and learn how she was feeling, emotionally. Korra didn’t do emotions that well, but she would do the effort. The one thing she truly dreaded was to see in Asami’s eyes the same hatred and fury she saw in Hiroshi’s.

And was Hiroshi right? Was Korra’s refusal to join Tarrlok task force responsible for the injuries Asami sustained? Could she have prevented that, had she gone after the Equalists? Could she have defeated Amon and took down the entire Equalist movement by cutting off the head of the snake? Another cold shiver down her back. She remembered the fight against Unalaq and Vaatu and what it cost her. At least, when they were done with her, she still could bend. If she lost to Amon…

She didn’t want to think about this.

That’s when she saw the small boat, bound to a stone and partially hidden in the reeds. Interesting. Korra visited this place quite often and she didn’t recall the boat being there before. Trying to be as stealthy as she could, she got down and approached the boat to investigate. Quickly she spotted footprints in the sand and after following them for a while, after turning behind another piece of rock, she saw a silhouette of a man.

It must have been a man, she was sure of it, even despite his cloak concealing his features. He was really tall and broad shouldered and climbed the stones without any visible effort. With the heavy cloak he was wearing, the hood of which concealed his face, she couldn’t recognize him however… there was something familiar in his moves. She just couldn't recall what…

Quickly she climbed the stones in a different place and slowly approached the place where he would come up near the temple itself. She saw no reason why someone would be sneaking on Tenzin, his family and the Air Nomads and this weird behaviour needed to be investigated. Besides, as usual in the last couple of days, she wanted to punch someone, so she was hoping that it would indeed be an intruder.

However, when she reached the place where she expected him to finish his climb… there was no one there. She rather felt than heard his presence behind her. A person like this trying to sneak behind her? They were definitely up to no good.

Waterbending a water whip from her satchel, she turned around and slashed with it in a wide arc… but, surprisingly agile for his stature, the hooded men dodged the blow. She froze her whip mid-strike and send ice shards at him… but then he waved his hand and powerful stream of air knocked them aside, shattering the ice projectiles against a nearby stone.

Oh, that’s how he wanted to play? She suddenly shifted her feet, sending a tremor through the ground at him. He stumbled and lost his balance for a moment, but instead of landing on his ass, just fell to one knee. Korra lunged at him going in for a grapple. Bending or no bending, despite her small stature, there weren’t many people who could beat her in hand-to-hand combat…

…but this man turned out to be one of them. He grabbed Korra and threw her over his head. She grunted as she hit the ground, but quickly got up and turned him, fire lighting up in her hands. So, he wanted to play hard ball? She could give him that. But then Korra saw that their short fight has caused the man’s hood to fall, revealing his face…

“Bumi?!” she shouted, shocked.
“Hey, kiddo,” Tenzin’s brother grinned under his bushy beard. “I guess trying to sneak on you wasn’t one of my best ideas!”

She lunged at him once again, this time to crush him in a hug.
“Bumi!” she repeated. “I’m so happy to see you! And you too Bum-Ju!” she said, seeing the glowing dragonfly bunny spirit fly from behind a rock.
“I’m happy to see you too, kiddo! We both are!”

“But… but what are you doing here?” she asked.

He freed himself from her embrace and stepped back, looking down.
“Well… about that…”

* * *

“You got fired?!” Tenzin gasped.
“How do you get fired from being the Commander of United Forces?” Korra asked.
“Well…” Bumi scratched his cheek. “It was more like me resigning. After being forced to do so.”

They were sitting in Tenzin’s office. At first Pema and the kids were there as well and Bumi kept entertaining them with his tall tales, but then Pema had to go and feed Rohan and she told the children to go to sleep. Reluctantly they agreed, surprisingly with Jinora being the least happy about that. Or perhaps it wasn’t that surprising? She and her uncle got really close as they fought together against Unalaq.

Korra knew that despite the love that was between them, Tenzin has always been feeling awkward around his older brother so he didn’t protest when Korra asked if she could stay.

“And wait… since when are you an airbender?” Korra asked.
“Or rather since when did you know that you are one?” Tenzin corrected her.
“Yeah… that’s what they call irony, I guess…” Bumi muttered and chuckled nervously.

* * *

“Fuck, it’s cold,” Ghazan muttered, shivering despite the couple of layers of fur he was wearing. “Do you really want to get sick so bad?”

His question was aimed at Zaheer, who has taken off his cloak… and shirt… and shoes… and stood barefooted on the snow, the North Pole wind sending snow into his face.

“Guru Laghima once said that when one reaches balance between their body, mind and spirit, external circumstances like cold and heat become just a mirage that can and should be ignored, lest it deceives you and causes you to leave the path to enlightenment,” Zaheer spoke.
“Yeah, well I definitely haven’t reached the proper balance of something and something, so I’d appreciate if we could get moving.” Ghazan countered.

“I’m surprised you aren’t in a bigger hurry,” Ming-Hua muttered, clenching her ice-hand into a fist. As a waterbender she was dealing with the cold and snow far better than Ghazan but was also getting impatient. “Your girl is waiting for you, after all.”
“Time is another illusion,” Zaheer answered.
“Yeah, not sure if P’li got that memo.” Ming-Hua said.

“It is more important to be prepared than to be fast. Our enemies have arrived here first. It won’t be an easy fight.”
“Do they have any firebenders?” Ghazan asked. “I’m actually tempted to let them set me on fire just to escape this fucking cold.”

Zaheer took another deep breath then turned towards his companions and began putting his clothes on.
“The time has come,” he said and then, in barely a whisper, added: “We’re coming, love.”

* * *

“So let me get this straight,” Tenzin began, when Bumi finished his story. “You got pressured to leave the United Navy for not being a bender… and then you realized that you have become an airbender?”
“Told you,” Bumi said. “Irony. One could even call it ‘Iroh-ny’. Or would that be ‘Commander Iroh-ny’?”

Korra and Bumi chuckled as Tenzin just rolled his eyes.

“Bet why would they do that?!” Korra asked, when she finally stopped laughing. “You’re probably the best and most experienced…”
“Oldest…” Tenzin muttered.
“Most experienced commander they have!” Korra finished, glaring at Tenzin.

“Well… see if the current Equalist problem… they… and by ‘they’ I mean the entire command structure… are suspicious of non-benders in positions of power.”
“But you’re Aang’s son! There is no one more devoted to his vision!”

Tenzin cleared his throat at this point, but Korra ignored him..

“That’s actually part of the problem,” Bumi admitted. “See… they might think that since I’m… well, I was, the only non-bender among Aang’s children, I might feel some resentment towards my siblings… and the whole world. So, I would be more inclined to join the Equalists.”
“But that’s absurd!”

However, with how Bumi and Tenzin were avoiding looking at her and – especially – each other, she quickly realized that there was something to that. She saw the hints in the past, of course and while she couldn’t imagine what Bumi’s life was like, she knew that being the only non-bender of the three Aang and Katara’s children, couldn’t have been easy. There was bound to be some resentment.

“I will talk to the Council,” Tenzin said. “They must realize that, at this time of crisis, pushing a loyal and experienced officer such as you out is folly!”
“Aww, that’s the sweetest thing you’ve said to me in years, little bro,” Bumi smiled. “But don’t bother. I think… I think the whole Equalist thing is just a pretext for them. They wanted me out ever since that Unalaq mess… and I can’t say I blame them.”

When the Water Tribe Civil War erupted, Bumi wanted to pledge the assistance of his Second Division to Korra and her father, but the United Republic Council refused to intervene in the conflict. Bumi then took all the shore leave he had gathered for the various years of the service and joined Korra, Tenzin, Kya and Jinora in their fight. Sure, it required him to bend some rules, but he was the commander and son of Avatar Aang, so the Council didn’t know what to do with him. They couldn’t really have him court-martialled as the backlash would be too great.

All ended that ended well – if you didn’t count the past lives Korra has lost – but it seemed that even though Unalaq was stopped, Bumi’s actions weren’t forgotten nor forgiven, and he was finally forced out. But that meant…

“So it’s my fault that you were made to resign?” Korra sighed. Yet another decent person suffering because they got in my orbit. “I’m so sorry, Bumi. If I can…”
He clapped her shoulder.
“Don’t worry, kiddo,” he said. “Helping you was my decision and I would make the same one again.”

Huh, it seemed that Bumi and Jinora were even more alike than Korra thought.
“Besides, I think it is time I retired,” he said. “Especially now, that I learned I can do… this!”

His hand suddenly shot forward… but nothing happened. He shook his hand and did it again… with the same (lack of) result.
“Huh, it usually works,” he muttered.

“Don’t worry,” Korra muttered. “Been there, done that.”
“Well,” Bumi grinned at Tenzin. “Since, despite these small issues, I am an airbender, it is high time I started training. And who better as a teacher than my dear little brother?”

Tenzin looked absolutely mortified at the thought.

Chapter Text

“Focus, acolyte, focus!” Tenzin called as Bumi was tossed around from one spinning gate to another, making a loud “ufff” each time one of these training tools hit him… and then the last of the blow pushed him off the obstacle course… on the opposite side of it than Tenzin was standing.
“Ta-da!” Bumi muttered, getting onto his wobbling feet. “I got through it!”

“The task was supposed to get through it, without being touched by each of the spinning gates!” Tenzin corrected him icily. “I don’t think this counts.”
“Be the leaf, uncle!” Meelo shouted.
“Sure, kid,” Bumi laughed. “An old, torn-up and banged-up leaf, but a leaf I shall become!”

Tenzin shook his head.
“Korra?” he asked.

Korra approached the spinning gates, shaking her head with some irritation. Really? Tenzin should know that by now it didn’t present any challenge to her. In a dance-like motion she entered the obstacle course, spinning to avoid the first gate. She could do it – and often did – with her eyes closed. Long ago it ceased to be a chall-

The gate hit her hard, knocking her off rhythm, pushing her against another one…

Several hard blows later she was lying on the ground, stars dancing before her eyes, her head spinning even faster than the gates did. Suddenly she felt a gentle hand on her own and a sweet, delicate voice asking with concern: “Korra? Are you alright? Can you stand up?”
“Just a moment, Salami,” Korra muttered. “Resting for a moment.”
“Salami? Jinora chuckled. “I know that they say you are what you eat, but we’ll all vegetarian here.”

For some reason Korra found her face getting warm.
“Oh, right. I don’t know what I was saying. I…”
“Don’t worry, Korra,” Jinora said. “These gates banged you up quite hard. I think you should take a rest for a moment.”
“Good point, Jinora,” Tenzin said, looking at Korra with concern in his eyes, before he turned around. “Otaku, your turn!”

***

Korra had to admit that while Otaku was usually pretty terrible when it came to the spinning gates or any obstacle course, his ability to meditate together with Tenzin, something that she had thought to be completely useless, allowed him to achieve the best level of control over his airbending powers of all the new acolytes. She watched him as, frowning intensely, tip of his tongue sticking out of his lips, he held two hands in close distance from one another and between them, tossed aside by wind currents, danced a leaf.

Jami also wasn’t bad. In fact her use of airbending followed the path of most of her trainings. She would do well, really well at first but then it would be as if the realization that she is actually airbending would hit her and start to stress her out. Her concentration would start slipping and this was usually the moment when the spinning gates hit her or she fell off the pole or the leaf got shot out of her hands carried by a gust of wind too powerful for her to control.

Korra, of course, was still as hopeless as she had been before. Sure, pro-bending was supposed to teach her think like an airbender, she was clearing – well, she had been, her recent slump aside – the obstacle courses and spinning gates without any problem… and yet, she wasn’t able to create the tiniest stream of air. Tenzin kept assuring her that it would all come when “she achieves balance” or “truly starts to think like an airbender” but she could see he was worried as well about her lack of progress.

As for Bumi… if she hadn’t experienced his airbending firsthand, she wouldn’t believe he was an airbender. The leaf between his hands fell to the ground again and again, not the tiniest gust of air lifting it.
“Wow, we’re both terrible,” Korra muttered.
“Ha! So, there is some form of bending in which I achieved the level of the mighty Avatar!” Bumi exclaimed and Korra couldn’t help but chuckle.

“But I saw you bend!” she shook her head. “Why can’t you do it now?”
“Beats me,” he shrugged.

“Well, we were fighting and you are a soldier… but you need some sort of a conflict to unleash your airbending?”
“Don’t tell my brother that,” Bumi said. “He’s all about that ‘airbending comes by achieving inner peace’ nonsense.”

“Oh, don’t I know it,” Korra sighed.
“Conflict?! Oh yes!” Meelo, who apparently has been listening, shouted enthusiastically. “Look lively, uncle!”

And he airbent a small stone at him.
“Meelo! Don’t…” Tenzin shouted…

But the projectile froze in the air, surrounded in a sphere of air. Soon it dissipated and the stone fell down.
“Oh, thanks for the assist, brother,” Bumi smiled at Tenzin. “Now Meelo, we don’t throw stones at old uncles.”
“I… I didn’t do it,” Tenzin said. “It was all you, brother. You really ARE an airbender.”
“Told you!” Bumi and Korra said in unison.

***

Sure, Bumi might have been a bit overweight, but he was hardly out of shape as his short wrestling match with Korra proved. No, despite being an officer, he was a perfectly capable soldier, ready to endure a lot of discomfort, to walk for hours carrying heavy equipment and then still have enough strength to wrestle a platypus bear into submission… but this didn’t necessarily correspond to a great sense of balance and the ability to keep it when jumping from one narrow pole to another. He wasn’t doing bad, still better then Otaku… and yet…

Bumi misjudged the distance, his foot slipped when he landed and soon he was falling… but then he grabbed a nearby pole, wrapping it with both his hands and legs… and instead of falling into the water he slooowly slipped down the pole into it.
“UNS Bumi sinking!” he called as he slowly disappeared under the surface of the water.

Quickly he swam to the edge and, taking Korra’s arm, got out.
“You need to focus, acolyte!” Tenzin shouted.

“Yeah, yeah,” Bumi muttered. “So you keep saying.”
“You need to be light like the wind!”

“So no longer a leaf in the wind?”
“No! During this exercise just the wind!” Tenzin declared.

“Tenzin, I want to learn airbending, not jumping on the tips of my toes on an obstacle course like some commando ballerina!”
“You first need to learn to think like an airbender! The ancient Air Monks knew what they were doing when they designed the training activities!”
“Did they?”

Tenzin sighed.
“Ok, next! Jami, your turn!”

One splash later Tenzin announced that HE needed a break.
“Wow, uncle you’re terrible at this!” Meelo said.

“Yes, I am!” Bumi chuckled and patted Meelo.
“Is it because you’re fat, uncle?” Ikki asked. “Why are you so fat?”

“Ikki! Meelo!” Jinora shouted at them.
“Don’t worry, love,” Bumi smiled at her, before turning to her younger siblings. “It’s actually an interesting story. You see, one day I was in danger of starving to death after my ship hit an iceberg near the North Pole and…”

As much as she enjoyed Bumi’s tall tales, this time Korra didn’t listen to it and instead approached Tenzin.
“Hey, Korra,” he said. “I am a bit worried about you. You used to clear these courses without problem.”
“I’m sorry, Tenzin,” she said. “I guess… I’m kinda distracted lately.”

It was true. The matches, the whole thing with Bolin and Mako… and of course her worrying about Asami and feeling guilty for the attack. She hasn’t seen the woman ever since that time in the hospital… but didn’t want to go to her, in case she wanted to rest. Or was she worried that Asami would look at her with the same fury in her eyes as her father did? Sure, she said she didn’t blame Korra – she didn’t even blame the Equalists! – but maybe she has changed her mind.

Korra hoped she hasn’t.

“I understand,” Tenzin said. “Either way, you’re still doing better than my brother is.”
“Yeah, about that…” Korra scratched the back of her neck. “Don’t you think you’re a bit too hard on him? It wouldn’t kill you to call him by his name, you know? Instead of just ‘acolyte’. You call all of us, Jami, Otaku and me by our names, don’t you?”

Tenzin shook his head.
“I can’t give Bumi any special treatment,” he said. “I have to be extra hard on him, just so that the others don’t think I’m going easy on him.”
“Iiiii don’t think anyone is going to think that.”

“Besides… I know Bumi. He responds well to challenges. I need to push him hard.”
“Well, he’s your brother… but I think he went to you because he wanted you, Tenzin, to be teaching him. He didn’t just want some stern ‘airbending master’.”

“He went to me, because he didn’t have anyone else to go to,” Tenzin said with surprising bitterness. “If there was any other airbender capable of teaching him, he would have gone to them, I am sure of that.”
“There is always Jinora…” Korra suggested.

“Jinora is too young and not ready to be a teacher!” Tenzin snapped.
“Suuure, ok, whatever you say,” Korra sighed and turned to leave.

She stopped when she heard Tenzin whisper something.
“What was that?” she asked.
“Besides… I have to do it... for me as well,” Tenzin said.

“Do what?”
“Separate Bumi-the-brother and Bumi-the-acolyte in my head. I’ve always… I’ve always looked up to him. The way he could get up after his failure to master air- or waterbending, the way he… he made a life for himself. Life outside of Aang’s shadow. That was something I could never achieve. I need to stop looking at him and seeing my own failures if I am to teach him well. And… and he deserves the best teaching he can get.”
“I’m not sure, you’re right,” Korra’s voice was also almost a whisper. “About Bumi getting out of Aang’s shadow.”

Tenzin glared at her… and then his gaze softened.
“I loved my dad,” he said. “But he did cast a long shadow, didn’t he?”
“He did.”

“And… and we both know how hard it is to escape it.”
“We do,” Korra agreed again.

“I’ll... I’ll try to go easy on Bumi,” Tenzin said. “Or at least easier.”
“I think it’s a good idea.”

“I don’t know how Kya did it,” Tenzin said suddenly. “I’m sure she had her own issues with dad… but I think she grew up to be the… best adjusted of our three. I miss her.”
“Maybe we could invite her here?” Korra suggested. “I wonder what she’s up to. I haven’t seen her around in a while.”

“I’m sure she’s just enjoying staying with mom, taking up her work as the premier healer of the Southern Water Tribe.” Tenzin said. “She was a firebrand in her younger years. Better than me when it came to combat bending. But after dad died… she calmed down a lot, stayed with mom, focused on healing… now she isn’t one for excitement.”

***

“I don’t like the look of this snowstorm,” Zuko said looking at the blizzard approaching them from the distance.

His dragon roared while Eska and Desna looked impassive as ever. Kya and Tonraq looked at each other.

“That’s no snowstorm,” Kya whispered, getting ready for a fight.
“That’s Zaheer,” Tonraq said.

Chapter Text

Korra didn’t know what was wrong with her lately. She used to be able to clear the obstacle courses without problem. And lately… lately she’d been failing again and again. Even Tenzin was getting worried. Ever since…
Ever since the attack on her and Asami. Ever since she reacted too slowly and her friend paid the price.

She jumped onto another pole, almost lost her balance and, before she could fall into water, turned her sudden movement into a jump onto another pole. Here she managed to land firmly, steadying herself and breathing deeper.
Korra was never great at self-reflection, but she knew that the problem was in her head. But she couldn’t get over it. She knew she had to be better if she were to be able to help her friends, to keep them safe around her.

Unless… unless she couldn’t keep them safe. Unless she wasn’t supposed to endanger other people. Unless she was supposed to stay clear from them.

True, she already raised this topic with Jinora and Jinora insisted that Korra was being silly and it wasn’t Korra’s choice. But perhaps it should have been. The Avatar had to make decisions that ordinary people couldn’t, right? Besides… yes, Jinora was smart and wise, but she was just a kid. A kid that already suffered because Korra put her in danger once. A kid who was in danger yet again because of Korra.

What if Equalists were to attack the Air Temple Island because Tenzin was trying to teach Korra airbending? What if Jinora, Ikki, Meelo… little Rohan… got hurt.

Korra jumped onto another pole, misjudged the distance, barely managed to regain balance.

What if Mako and Bolin got hurt? Sure, they were both talented benders and Jinora had a point that Korra helped save Bolin but…

But what if Asami got hurt.
Because of her.
Again.

After next jump Korra’s foot slipped and moments later Korra hit the cold water. How glad she was that she was practicing in the evening, with no one here to watch her. As if she needed more people to witness her being a…

…failure.

She swam to the edge of the swimming pool, grabbed at the edge and…
…was surprised to feel someone – gently, yet firmly – grab her arm and start lifting her out of the water. She looked up and for some reason when she saw Asami’s emerald eyes looking at her with worry, her heart skipped a bit. Or two.
“You’ll be wet,” Korra said. “From water. That I’m dripping.”

Asami smiled teasingly.
“Didn’t you say you have some super-secret waterbending technique just for that?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t call it super-secret but…” Korra began and, with a wavy movement of her hands, pulled the moisture from Asami’s clothes, formed it into a sphere in the air, did the same with her own clothes and shot both watery spheres back into the swimming pool. “Ta-da!” she said.

Asami pretended to be clapping.
“Who knew bending could be used for such practical things?” she asks.

“Definitely not the Equalists, who keep yapping as it’s only used to oppress others,” Korra muttered.
Immediately she regretted it, seeing something like a shadow pass over Asami’s face. Good job, Korra, way to remind her of the Equalist attack on her.
“Listen, Asami,” she quickly said. “About what happened… to you… I want to you to know that I’m so, so, sooo unbelievably sorry…”

“Korra,” Asami took a step forward and put her hand on Korra’s shoulder “we’ve been through this already. You have nothing to apologize for. And all’s well that ends well, right?”
“Listen… I know you’re fine… but I can’t risk you suffering in another attack,” Korra said.

She could hear her heart beat faster. It was this moment. She was going to say it. She was going to tell Asami that it was best if they stopped meeting. Why was she so stressed though? It’s not as if she needed Asami or even friends. she spent all her childhood and teenage years alone or just with her teachers. Besides, Asami probably wasn’t a real friend, she was just looking after her father’s “investment”.

Even as she thought that, Korra immediately realized that she was unfair to Asami and that she was thinking that, just to make what was coming easier for herself… and she hated herself for this cowardice. She took a deep breath.
“I just… I just can’t have you near me,” she whispered. “I’m a lightning rod for trouble… which is funny because I was never able to learn how to use or redirect lightning.” She forced out a bitter laughter. “What I’m saying is…”
“No,” Asami spoke.

“Excuse me?” Korra blinked.
“No, Korra,” Asami said. “I don’t allow you to push me away like this. You’ve said you wanted me to be your friend, right?”
“Well, yes, but that was before…”

“I didn’t have many… or any, really, friends when I was growing up,” Asami admitted “but as far as I know friends stay with each other through thick and thin. And I’m a grown-up, Korra. Older than you, in fact!”
“Hey! Only one year!”
“And I choose to be your friend. With the risks and all. Now, if you want to… I don’t know… break up with me… then do it. But don’t think that you’ll be doing me a favour because…” Asami’s voice broke a little. “Because you won’t be.”

“B-but…” Korra’s head was spinning. Asami and Jinora, saying the same thing. But she couldn’t dismiss Asami by saying she’s just a kid.
“So, it’s your decision, Korra. Friends or not?” Asami asked.

For a moment they stood like this, green eyes looking into blue ones. This was the moment. Korra was almost grateful to Asami for making it so easy. She just had to say that she chooses not to be friends, she chooses not to risk Asami’s life. Or maybe even insult Asami, tell her how she’s probably just pretending to be her friend. Yes, that would be the best solution. Korra took another deep breath. It would be a shame to end this friendship but it was the right thing to do.
“I… want to be your friend,” Korra said. “And I want you to be my friend.”

It looked as if Asami exhaled air that she didn’t even know she was holding… and moments later, she was hugging Korra. Awkwardly, Korra hugged her back. They stood like this for a long time, before Asami pulled free and turned away from Korra – was it to hide a tear? – and turned towards the training poles sticking from the water.
“This looks interesting,” she said. “You think I could try?”

“Well… it’s not easy,” Korra began… but Asami was already approaching the edge of the swimming pool.
“Let’s see,” Asami said and, with grace only few benders could match, jumped onto the nearest pole.

Korra watched as the Future Industries woman immediately jumped to another one and another, each time catching her balance immediately and without any trouble. One look at Asami could tell Korra – anyone, really – that she was as full of grace and dexterous as she was beautiful and Korra did see the ease with which Asami dealt with that drunk sailor. But she didn’t expect this level of agility, this smoothness of movements. Watching Asami’s body move was a pleasure in itself.

And yet… something began to gnaw at Korra’s mind. These fluid motions seemed so familiar. She has seen someone move like this not so long before. In fact…
“Wow, that was fun!” Asami called from the other end of the obstacle course, her voice breaking Korra’s train of thought. “Mind if I come here more often?”

“I’m sure Tenzin wouldn’t mind,” Korra replied, actually not that sure of it, getting to the edge of the pool as well.
“Korra, what are you doing?” Asami asked, suddenly sounded worried.

“Coming to you!”
“No offense, Korra, but maybe you should take a rest? I’m sure you can clear this course easily but I saw you before and you seem to be tired…”

Korra stopped listening to Asami. No, she was still listening to the woman’s beautiful voice, but she was ignoring everything that was said. Asami was full of grace indeed but Korra was the Avatar and she just couldn’t let anyone – not even her new friend – think they were able to do something that she couldn’t.

Her eyes focused on Asami, Korra jumped onto the first pole. Then she moved to another. And another. One by one she jumped from pole to pole, confidently and without an error. Why did she have so much trouble with these before?

It was easy.

It was easy, a voice said in her mind, when she wasn’t distracted by worrying about Asami.

Finally, she landed on the platform next to the Future Industries heiress.
“Yes, that is fun,” Korra said, with a grin.
“Wow… that was… wow,” Asami muttered. “The way you move… I mean… I saw you bending but this…”

Korra shook her head.
“Oh come on. I know I’m good but you… you’re something else entirely. Next to you I’m a panda bear in a porcelain shop.”
“You’re so sweet, Korra, even when you’re wrong,” Asami said and Korra felt her face go warm. “I’m happy that I came here.” She suddenly said. “My dad was against it, he thought I should rest more…”

“Well, he might be right…” Korra began but Asami wasn’t listening to her.
“…But I feel good and I haven’t seen you for so long,” she kept talking, growing more serious. “I… I missed you.”

Korra just opened her mouth, unsure what to say, her face suddenly burning hot as if she was trying to firebend with it. Asami, however, kept talking.
“And the last time I saw you… you were so down.” She said, looking down.
“I missed you too but I… I was sorry that I brought this attack on you!” Korra said. “I still am!”

“No, Korra!” Asami said. “It wasn’t your fault and if I hear you apologizing or blaming yourself for it ever again, I swear I will throw you into this swimming pool.”
“But you could’ve been hurt and…”

Korra didn’t finish, because Asami turned out to be a woman of her word. She pushed Korra, hard, and the next thing the Avatar felt was her falling into the cold water. For a second she was too dumbfounded to act… but then she shot from the swimming pool on a stream of water landing back next to Asami.
“I can’t believe you did it!” Korra said, laughing. “To treat the Avatar like this! I’ll have you know that the Avatar is a sacred position and its bearer deserves respect and…”
“I’ve told you already once,” Asami said, both her voice and her expression surprisingly serious. “You’re not just the Avatar. You’re human like each one of us.”

And then a smile appeared on Asami’s face and it was as if sun came from behind clouds. At least until the moment she shoved Korra into the swimming pool again.
“How dare you, Salami?!” Korra yelled, shooting out of the swimming pool.
“What? Didn’t expect a primprop lady like me to do something like this?” Asami laughed.

Korra took a step towards Asami.
“Oh, you’re gonna regret this!”
“You need to catch me first!” Asami shouted jumping on a pole and then to another.
“It’s on, Salami!” Korra called after her, jumping onto another pole and starting to give chase…

* * *

They were both alternating between coughing out water and laughing, even as Korra waterbent them out of the pool and then used her bending to dry their clothes. She managed to catch Asami just before she got to the end of the obstacle course but she didn’t even realize when and how they were both falling into the swimming pool, laughing.

“Not bad, Kor…” Asami began when a shadow fell onto them.
“Oh, hi Tenzin,” Korra said looking sheepishly up at the stern face of the airbending master.

“Good evening, Ms. Sato,” Tenzin spoke. “I am surprised to see you here partaking in… such activities. I am sure of course certain that Korra forgot to inform you that this was a sacred airbending training tool…”
“Tenzin, calm down,” Korra sighed. “The spinning gates might be a priceless relic but this training course was built a couple of days ago. In fact it was her company that did it!”

“Well, my father’s,” Asami corrected. “I do apologize, Master Tenzin,” she said, getting up and bowing. “Please don’t be angry at Korra. It was me who wanted to check how well I would do here.”
“And she cleared it like a true airbender!” Korra said. “I don’t know if you’d do it as well!”

“Hmmpfff,” Tenzin muttered then his face softened. “Well… I supposed there is no harm. And I am glad to see Korra was able to complete the course as well. I was getting worried.”
“Yeah, I’m back in the game!” Korra threw her fist into the air and then flexed her muscles, to which Tenzin rolled his eyes and Asami chuckled nervously and looked away quickly.

“Whatever our differences when it comes to Council business,” he spoke and Korra realized he must have meant the Future Industries contract for removing spirit vines “I must say I really am happy to see how happy Korra is in your company. You and Bolin really make her happy and I appreciate that. She needs friends.”
“Tenzin!” Korra muttered, hiding her face in her hands in embarrassment.
“I’m happy to hear she considers me her friend as well,” Asami said… but Korra knew her enough by now to detect just the faintest hint of strain in her voice.

* * *

Asami wiped a tear, as Future Industries motorboat was taking her away from Air Temple Island.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! No, not stupid. Selfish. So terribly selfish.

It was time to face the truth, the sad truth, the inconvenient truth: As much as Asami was taught to despise the Avatar, she liked Korra more. A lot more. She… she was feeling bad manipulating her. She wanted to be her friend for real. And a good friend… a good friend would sacrifice her own happiness if it meant protecting Korra from… from her. From the Equalists.

This night Korra gave her a perfect way out. She just needed to agree that they should keep away from each other… she would tell her father and Amon that Korra broke off their friendship and they wouldn’t expect her to be manipulating or spying on the Avatar any longer. This is what a friend would do.

And yet, the terrible selfish coward that was Asami Sato couldn’t just take losing Korra. She just couldn’t imagine not being her friend anymore, even just a pretend-friend. And they have barely just started getting to know each other. She wanted to think it was some Avatar trickery that influenced her like that, but she knew better than that. Korra wasn’t like this. She didn’t do trickery, she didn’t manipulate others.

Unlike Asami.

She liked Korra and she hated that she would have to betray her. Because sooner or later, she knew that she would have to do it.

Chapter Text

Tahno was looking at them, mocking them with his smirk. At least until Bolin’s earth disk cut one of his faces in two, Mako’s fireblast incinerated the other face and Korra’s stream of water took out the majority of the third one.

“Woohoo!” Korra shouted, lifting her fist into the air, as the torn pieces of Tahno’s photos fell from the rope onto the floor. “Man, I got a good feeling about tonight. I don't care if we are the underdogs. We can take those pompous Wolfbats,” she said.
“It's going to be our toughest match ever, but I think you're right,” Mako said, smiling at Korra.

Ever since Asami started visiting their trainings again, he seemed more relaxed and altogether nicer… even to Korra. It seemed he was still feeling guilty about blaming her for Asami getting hurt. Was he turning a new leaf?

Her thoughts were banished as she saw Bolin hug Mako.
“Introducing your new champs, the fantastic Fire Ferrets!” the younger brother called.

It was good, really good. Them laughing and training together, music – apparently brought by Cabbage Corp – playing from the radio…
…until Korra heard Amon’s voice on the radio.
“Good morning, citizens of Republic City. This is Amon,” spoke the all-too-familiar, slow and deliberate voice. Even Pabu, sleeping until now against the radio, squeaked and ran away. Clever fire ferret. “I hope you all enjoyed last night's pro-bending match, because it will be the last,” Amon continued. “It's time for this city to stop worshiping bending athletes as if they were heroes. I am calling on the Council to shut down the bending arena and cancel the Finals, or else there will be severe consequences.”

Korra, Bolin and Mako exchanged glances. The Council couldn’t… could they?
“That guy's got some nerve,” Bolin snapped.

Mako turned to Korra.
“You think the Council will give in?”

Korra shook her head. They all worked too hard for that.
“I'm not waiting to find out. We need to get to City Hall,” she said.

* * *

“Thank you, big girl!” Bolin said to Naga as she came to a stop in front of the Council building. “Travelling in this way is so much more comfortable then with you holding me in your teeth.”
“You’re the best,” Korra petted her polar bear dog.

Naga seemed only a bit winded from carrying three people on her back, but kept wagging her tail, before licking Korra’s and Bolin’s cheeks.
“Not sure that’s the best make-up to meet the Council in, but thank you, Naga,” Korra said laughing, before they all headed into the building, Naga staying on the giant steps, watched cautiously by the security personnel.

* * *

The security guards in front of the main Council chamber tried to stop them, but Korra’s main argument – ‘I’m the Avatar and you’ve got to deal with it!’ – seemed to be convincing enough.

“Korra, you shouldn't be here. This is a closed meeting,” Tenzin said, rising from his seat as the Fire Ferrets entered the chamber.
“As the Avatar and a pro-bending player, I have a right to be heard. You can't cancel the Finals,” Korra said.

“I know winning the championship means a lot to you,” Tenzin sighed. “But as far as I'm concerned, we need to shut the arena down.”
“What about the rest of you?” Korra asked as she looked around at the Council members, especially Samiq, the Southern Water Tribe Councilman, who, during the gala, kept repeating how he was at her service. Each one of them was avoiding her eyes.

Except, of course, Tarrlok.
“Tarrlok, there's no way you're backing down from Amon, right?” she asked.

He cleared his throat and stood up.
“Actually, Tenzin and I agree for once,” he said.

Korra couldn’t believe her ears. Was it his way of getting back at her for refusing his offer to join the task force?
“The Council is unanimous,” said Tenzin. “We're closing the arena.”

As Mako and Bolin erupted in protests, Korra turned to Tarrlok.
“I-I don't understand,” she stuttered. “I thought you, of all people, would take a stand against Amon.”

Tarrlok shook his head.
“While I am still committed to bringing that lunatic to justice, I will not put innocent lives at stake just so you and your friends can play a game,” he said, his voice becoming harsher. “Perhaps if the task force had been able to capture him before, we wouldn’t be in this situation now…”

Ah, so that was it, him punishing her for not agreeing to help him.
“Pro-bending might only be a game to you, but think of what it means to the city! Right now the arena is the one place where benders and nonbenders gather together ... in-in peace!” Mako shouted, surprisingly eloquently and passionately for him. Soon however, he found himself having trouble finding the correct words. “Gather together to watch benders…”
“Beat each other up!” Bolin jumped in. “In peace! It's an inspiration to everyone!”

“I appreciate your naive idealism,” Tarrlok responded, his voice dripping with barely contained disdain “but you're ignoring the reality of the situation.”
“The reality is if you close the arena, you let Amon win!” Korra shouted.

How could they be so blind and not see it?
“Yes, exactly what she said! Yes!” Bolin exclaimed.
“I'm sorry, but our decision has been made. This meeting is adjourned,” Tarrlok said, picking up his gavel.

He raised it… and then the door flung open and a steel cable shot forward, wrapping cutting off the head of the gavel. Everyone turned towards the door to see Chief of Police Lin Beifong, her eyes blazing like pools of green fire.
“I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with the Avatar,” she said, making a face as if the words left a bad taste in her mouth.

It wasn’t easy to surprise Tarrlok, but Lin managed to do just that.
“You do?” the Councilman asked.
“Yeah, you do?” Korra was no less surprised.

“I expected this kind of cut-and-run response from Tenzin,” Lin said, glaring at the airbender who tried to look as indifferently as possible. “But the rest of you? Come on, show a little more backbone. It's time that the benders of this city displayed some strength and unity against these Equalists.”

Korra knew Lin was losing them. Apart from Tenzin and – despite all his faults – Tarrlok, none of the other members of the Council showed anything even resembling backbone.
“We must prevent the conflict between benders and nonbenders from escalating into all-out war!” Tenzin called. “The council is not changing its position, Lin.”

And then, for an instant so quick, that Korra was unsure if she really saw it, something changed on Tarrlok’s face, as if a gear shifted in it.
“Now just a moment, Tenzin,” he spoke, his voice again sweet like honey. “Let us hear what our esteemed Chief of Police has in mind.”

Tenzin grunted and folded his arms. Lin did her best to ignore his presence.

"If you keep the arena open, my metalbenders and I will provide extra security during the championship match,” she said, her voice as sharp as a scalpel and just as precise. “There's no better force to deal with the chi-blockers. Our armor is impervious to their attacks.”
“Are you saying that you will personally take responsibility for the safety of the spectators in the arena?” Tarrlok asked.

Lin nodded curtly.
“I guarantee it.”

As if he was just waiting for it, Tarrlok turned to the rest of the council.
“It is hard to argue with Chief Beifong's track record,” he spoke. “If she is confident her elite officers can protect the arena, then she has my support. I am changing my vote.” He raised his hand. “Who else is with me?”

One by one the three members of the Council, save for Tenzin, who huffed and looked away in disappointment, lifted their hands.
“The arena stays open,” Tarrlok said, before turning to Korra and the Fire Ferrets with a smile. “Good luck in the Finals.”
“All right!” Bolin shouted.
“Yeah!” Mako pumped his fist into the air.

“Thank you!” Korra called… but felt a shiver run down her spine, especially as Tarrlok turned towards Lin.
“And good luck to you, Chief Beifong,” the Councilman said.

“A word please, Lin,” Tenzin approached the Chief of Police and they both left the chamber.
“Wow! We’re playing in the Finals!” Bolin shouted, hugging Korra and Mako hard.
“Yeah, we’ve got a real shot at the championship!” Even Mako couldn’t hide his smile.
“Great,” Korra said, suddenly worried. She freed herself from Bolin’s embrace. “Guys, I need to talk to Lin and Tenzin.”

She caught them down the corridor… and while Tenzin was trying to be discrete with their conversation, Lin was… anything but.
“Do what you want!” she snapped, throwing her hands up in frustration. “It's not like I've ever been able to stop you before.”

Korra cleared her throat and approached them. Despite her being the Avatar, Lin was one of the few people who terrified her.
“Excuse me, Chief Beifong. I wanted to thank you for your help,” she began, but Lin didn’t even look at her. “It... really... means a lot ...” these words were spoken already to Lin’s back, as she left, completely ignoring Korra.

Korra sighed in frustration.
“What is her deal? Even when she's on my side, she's against me!” she turned to Tenzin.

Tenzin sighed heavily.
“I've known Lin since we were children, she's always been…” he hesitated, as if searching for a right word, “...challenging.”
“What did your father do to make her hate the Avatar so much?” Korra asked.

Pity she couldn’t ask Aang about that. There surely was a story there…
“My father and Lin got along famously,” said Tenzin, looking away. “I'm afraid her issues ... are with me.”

Suddenly it all clicked. Jinora mentioning some history, some grown-up stuff, being between her father and Lin. Lin almost chewing her face off during their first meeting, when she mentioned her being “Tenzin’s”.

She gasped at the realization.
“Wait a second!” she said, unable to stop herself from smiling. “It all makes sense now! You and Beifong, Beifong and you. You two were a couple!”
It was beyond adorable to see Tenzin go a weird mixture of red and pale and start stuttering like an embarrassed teenager.
“What! How-?” the airbending master asked, looking around as if to see no one was around to hear it. “Where'd you get that idea?”

Korra laughed.
“So... Pema stole you from Beifong. I'm surprised our ‘esteemed Chief of Police’ didn't throw her in jail.”

“Oh, she tried,” Tenzin muttered. “Anyway, Pema didn't steal me, Lin and I had been growing apart for some time. We both had different goals in li-,” suddenly he went silent, going all red again. “Why am I even telling you this? It all happened a long time ago and we've moved passed it!”
“Hm, apparently Beifong hasn't.”
“What do you…” Tenzin stuttered. “Of course, she has! Anyway, this is none of your business!”

And he walked away.
“See you at home, Mr. Heartbreaker!” Korra called after him and laughed, seeing him hang his head down.

It felt… good. Not only were they playing in the Finals but also it turned out that even older, seemingly more experienced, people had relationship issues and drama. In such case she shouldn’t be feeling that bad about the emotional chaos that she was struggling against.

This has almost made her stop worrying.

Almost.

* * *

Lieutenant Tazaki approached the table.
“I just got word,” he spoke. “The Council defied your threat. They're keeping the arena open.”

It was, of course, impossible to see Amon’s expression under his mask, but his voice was full of satisfaction.
“Perfect,” he said. “Everything is going according to plan.”

Tazaki turned to Asami.
“The information you gave us was correct,” he said. “The Avatar indeed went to the Council chambers, demanding to be able to play.”

Asami forced herself to smile in response. Amon asked her how Korra would react to the threat of the finals being cancelled and it seemed Asami knew her well enough for she correctly predicted that Korra would not take it lying down. In fact, anyone who knew anything about Korra would be able to guess that… and yet, telling all this felt as betrayal. Why did she feel like that? She was loyal to Amon to Equalists, not to Korra!

“I’m glad to have helped,” she just said.
“Asami’s friendship with the Avatar is already bearing fruit,” Hiroshi complimented her and Asami had to fight hard to maintain her smile and not look away.
“However it seemed it wasn’t the Avatar who convinced the Council to keep the arena open,” Tazaki said. “It was Lin Beifong’s doing. She is not stupid. She must be expecting our move during the finals and is surely preparing the security force.”

Amon got up and approached to the window, looking at the Pro-bending Arena in the distance.
“If our dear Chief of Police is expecting us to come,” he said slowly “we can’t disappoint her, can we?”

Chapter Text

“Are you sure you want to be here?” Hiroshi whispered to Asami as they sat in the VIP lodge.
“Yes, dad,” she answered. “Korra’s spirit healing got me up on my feet right after the accident. All this time at the hospital and keeping me in the mansion… it was all just a waste of time.”
“I had to make sure they ran all the necessary tests, to know that there isn’t any hidden damage,” Hiroshi said. "If anything happened to you…”

He looked away.
“It’s just… you know today is going to be… intense,” he said. “And if you aren’t ready…”

Intense.
That was one word for it. It was the big day. For the city. For the Fire Ferrets… and for the Equalists.

“I’m ready,” she said.

At least her being hurt in the accident gave her an excuse not to participate in Amon’s operation more directly. Once, she would love to be at his side as he made his move, but now… now the prospect stopped being so appealing. Especially if the Fire Ferrets would be the one to win the match. Amon, however, assured her that his informants were clear that the Wolfbats were bribing the referee and were certain to take this win.

As much as it hurt Asami knowing that the Fire Ferrets were bound to fail and lose, no matter how well they played, she knew that the alternative, letting them win would be so much worse. She was surprised to even think it, but she didn’t want to see them equalized.

Of course, she knew that the day would come when Amon would have to take Korra’s bending away but… well, she hoped this day wouldn’t come to soon. And maybe at least Bolin and Mako could be spared. As for Korra… she would be crushed, for sure, but maybe… after some time has passed… she would realize it is for the better? That she would finally be free to be the person she wanted, without the weight of expectations that people placed on the Avatar’s shoulders. She could finally be Korra instead of just the Avatar.

Even as Asami thought that, she realized she was just trying to deceive herself, to make herself feel better about what she knew was wrong. But her emotions here didn’t matter. If a new world, a more just and equal world, was to be created, sacrifices had to be made… and Korra needed to lose her bending.

But… hopefully that wouldn’t happen today.

She looked at the arena, where the Fire Ferrets were entering the arena.

“The anticipation is palpable as we are just moments away from the championship match. Shiro Shinobi’s voice carried over the arena. Will the Wolfbats' ferocity help them repeat as champs? Or will the underdog Fire Ferrets serve up a surprising bowl of smackdown soup?”

Asami could clearly see Mako looking at the direction of the VIP lodge… and Korra doing the same thing. She wanted to meet with them before the match, to wish them good luck, but the increased security with the roadblocks around the arena caused them to be almost late.

She looked around, her eyes catching the armoured silhouettes of metalbending police officers, stationed among the audience, with two of them guarding the VIP section. Then she looked up, where through the glass roof of the arena, she could see the shadow of the police airship moving slowly overhead.

“So, so annoying,” Deimi said, taking a seat next to Asami. “All these security measures? Such an overkill. As if a bunch of low life-thugs like the Equalists posed any threat.”

Asami groaned inwardly. Deimi’s presence was the last thing she wanted or needed… but she shouldn’t be surprised that he was here. As Lon Hien had said, the only event bigger than the opening match was the finale and he just had to be seen. And, of course, Amon’s threat only made it more exciting for her to be here. Sge almost sighed. It was going to be a long evening… but there was one thought that made her almost smile. Deimi was a firebender… so perhaps, before the evening was over, she would be in for a big surprise… and she would see firsthand what threat ‘a bunch of low-life thugs’ posed.
“Lon Hien didn’t come?” Asami asked.

Deimi just snorted.
“That coward actually got scared off by the threats of these Equalists,” she said, dismissively. “And to think that once I thought him to be a man. Pathetic!”

Suddenly, a light shined at the ring announcer who stepped to the centre of arena.
“Introducing the challengers, the Future Industries Fire Ferrets!” he exclaimed to the microphone.

The Fire Ferrets approached the announcer, with Bolin taking the lead, Pabu on his arm. Asami could see Bolin whisper something to Pabu, who jumped onto the ground and started walking on his front paws before doing some backflips. Then Bolin with his earthbending lifted one of the earth disks, removed its centre, making a hole in it, and held it the air… and Pabu jumped through it, ending the performance standing on one paw.

Asami started clapping and was pleasantly surprised to hear a lot of cheering on the tribunes, with some fangirls truly going insane. Maybe they were the challenger and a new team and maybe they did have Korra, unpopular as she was in Republic City at the moment, but the Fire Ferrets had their fans. Perhaps… perhaps pro-bending would really help Korra regain some admiration from the citizens of Republic City.

Deimi yawned wide.
“Don’t tell me you enjoyed this veritable village circus,” she turned to Asami. “They even have a village idiot and his pet monkey!”
“Bolin is not an idiot, but a charming, kind man and Pabu is beyond sweet,” Asami snapped.

With the corner of her eye, Asami saw her father glance at her, surprised by the fire in her words. Deimi, however, couldn’t care less… especially since now was the time for the Wolfbats to enter the arena.

“And their opponents, the three timed defending champions, the White Falls Wolfbats!” the announcer called.
The three pro-benders, clad in purple capes and with their faces hidden behind bat masks, appeared, howling wildly as they spread their hands… and suddenly the sound of explosions filled the arena, eclipsing for a moment even the cheering of Wolfbats’ supporters.

Asami tensed for a second and saw her father did so as well. What was happening? It was too early, way too early for the Equalists to act. Did the plan change?

But no… these were just fireworks, shooting over the arena as part of the Wolfbats presentation. She released the breath she was holding and glanced at Deimi to see if the socialite noticed Asami’s strange behaviour. Deimi, however, was utterly transfixed by the Wolfbats, staring at them – or rather at one of them – with hunger in her eyes.
“Now, now, isn’t he just delicious?” she said, actually licking her lips as Tahno removed his mask and flipped his hair.
“Tahno?” Asami snorted. “A creep and a perv, all too happy to sexually assault a woman.”

“Really?” Deimi asked. “Did you have some… contact with him? Lucky you. Now I see why you aren’t getting it on with that Fire Ferret firebender…”
“What? No!” Asami protested.
“Mmm… I like creeps and pervs,” Deimi continued, devouring Tahno with her eyes. “And he could sexually assault me anytime.”

Asami opened her mouth to say something…
“By the Spirits, I swear I wasn’t aiming at being fashionably late,” Councilman Tarrlok said, appearing in the VIP section.

Asami saw Deimi scan him with her eyes, up and down, biting her lips. Seriously, did this girl think about anything other than man? Tarrlok wasn’t bad looking, far from it, but he was much, much older… but it seems the aura of power he exuded made Deimi overlook such a triviality.
“Councilman Tarrlok, it’s an honour and a pleasure to see you here,” Hiroshi Sato said, getting up from his seat.
“Mr. Sato, Miss Sato,” Tarrlok bowed. “I decided that with our Chief of Police providing security, I needed to show my full confidence in her abilities as well as send Amon and his fanatics a message that they do not scare us.”

“Very brave, Councilman, very brave!” Deimi said, immediately getting up.
“Councilman, this is my… friend, Deimi,” Asami forced herself to say.
“Enchanted,” Deimi purred as Tarrlok bowed.

Moments later, however, he completely forgot about her existence, taking his seat next to Hiroshi.
“I’m sorry, Miss Sato,” he turned to Asami “that you didn’t get to see how the mechs are doing. The spirit vines and spirits are fighting back, but your mechs are doing good progress and cutting into the Spirit Wilds.”

Asami felt a short pang, thinking of what Korra would say to that. She masked that with a smile.
“I’m glad our mechs are working well,” she said.

“Future Industries provides a ten-year warranty, remember that, Councilman,” Hiroshi said and both men laughed.
“But maybe let’s stop talking business, dad,” Asami said. “The match is going to start any moment now.”

“Oh, I’m curious to see the Avatar in her element,” Tarrlok said leaning forward.
“Wow,” Deimi whispered into Asami’s ear. “Do you have your claws in this guy? A powerful politician, not bad looking… I bet if you tried you could get him jump into your bed without any problem!”

“No, Deimi, Tarrlok and I…” she almost shivered at the thought. “No, just no.”
“So, you won’t mind if I try?”

Exasperated, Asami rolled her eyes. The Equalist attack couldn’t come fast enough.

* * *
It was amusing, to say the least. Tenzin, who once fought tooth and nail against the construction of the Pro-bending Arena, calling pro-bending “a travesty and a mockery of the noble tradition of bending”… now completely stopped caring about securing the premises and was watching the match, completely engrossed in it.

Lin scanned the area. Her men were in positions among the audience while police satomobiles, motorboats and airships patrolled the area around the arena. She was sure that nothing could go wrong.

And yet…

Maybe it was Tenzin’s whining, but she felt tense. How would the Equalists attack? Were there some tunnels to the arena that she didn’t know about? Would they dive and swim underwater, under the patrolling motorboats? She didn’t even discount the possibility that the Equalists were hiding among the tribunes, ready to ambush her men… but they had to realize that their chi-blocking blows were useless against the metalbending police officers’ armour.

Or maybe…

Maybe the whole thing was a diversion? Maybe Amon wanted her and the Council to commit all their forces to protecting the arena, while he was planning to strike elsewhere?

But she didn’t have a choice. She personally guaranteed the safety of this event and besides, striking here WOULD be a perfect propaganda opportunity for Amon and his fanatics. Especially if the Avatar would win the championship. And for all her annoyance at Korra leaving a trail of chaos and destruction throughout the city ever since she came here, Lin wasn’t going to allow her to be hurt. And, to give credit where credit was due, at least the Avatar was smart enough not to try to disrupt Amon’s “Revelation” on her own but instead turned to Lin for help. Maybe there was hope for her after all.

A gong signalled the beginning of the round and Lin, convinced that the situation is for now under control and the arena is secure, found her eyes drawn to the arena. One of the Wolfbats began the fight by rushing towards the line dividing the two zones and going for an a waterbending-enhanced uppercut, causing Korra to backflip to protect herself… only to blast her with another water strike, pushing her back.

Then she saw the Fire Ferret earthbender – it was Bolin, right? – bounce an earth disk from the ropes marking the end of the arena at the Wolfbat firebender, knocking him down. Lin never had patience for pro-bending, but she knew a good earthbender when she saw one and could appreciate that. Moments later, however, Bolin received a loooong blast of water, that pushed him into the third zone.

“The waterbenders slug it out, looking evenly matched. Tahno gets a little too worked up and unleashes a deluge on Bolin that would certainly elicit a foul.” Shiro Shinobi kept providing commentary.

Lin was happy Shiro got this cushy job as pro-bending commentator. While as a journalist he was a major pain in her ass, she respected him a lot, knowing the danger he put himself in while writing various exposes on the Triad crimes. And while he criticized her and her police force so often that more than once she was tempted to arrest him and throw away the key, he also highlighted how underfunded the RCPD was and played a major role in getting the Council to approve additional funds for anti-Triad operations. As for him exposing the corruption among the Republic City police? As much as she hated the negative publicity that it brought, she had no sympathy for corrupt officers and was thankful for whatever evidence Shiro brought to her.

“Oh, damn right it was a hosing foul!” Tenzin shouted next to her.

Lin smirked.

Almost everyone thought Tenzin to be this stoic Air Nomad, thoughtful, peaceful airbending master… but Lin knew him better than most and knew he had more than a bit of a temper. She liked that in him. It was always amusing to see him get worked up so much about something.

”And the Wolfbats advance despite Tahno exceeding the waterbending time limit. A questionable call by the officials. Shiro commented, actually giving credence to Tenzin’s claims.

Suddenly, as the Fire Ferret firebender, Mako, was stepping over one of the holes that provided earthbenders with their disks, one of the Wolfbats pulled the disk from under Mako’s foot, tripping him.

“Clever move,” Lin said, nodding her head.

Seemed the Wolfbats also had a crafty earthbender. Why didn’t it surprise her that in both teams the earthbenders were the most creative players? Apparently though, neither Shiro Shinobi nor Tenzin shared her appreciation.
”Ming trips up Mako with another dirty trick!” Shiro commented.
“Oh, come on, refs! There was some funny business in that last play!” Tenzin called.

Lin couldn’t help but chuckle at that.
“Wouldn't have guessed you knew the rules of pro-bending?” she said.

Tenzin cleared his throat in an adorably embarrassed way.
“I've been brushing up. That Wolfbat blatantly bent a disk outside of his zone,” he muttered.

Lin would never, ever admit it, but… It felt nice to be on speaking or teasing terms with Tenzin. Oh, she was still pissed at him alright, for the things he did and the things he didn’t do… but after so many years, her hot anger turned into a dull ache in the spot of her soul where once another feeling dwelt.
“Like old times”, he said and she had to admit… she missed the old times.

”The Ferret brothers are backed up to zone three and the Wolfbats smell blood. Looks like Tahno snuck in an illegal icing move but once again there's no call,” Shiro commented as Bolin slipped on an icy surface created by the Wolfbat waterbender. Soon Korra got two powerful strikes from Tahno and Ming and found herself pushed to zone three, with the Wolfbats advancing. ” I don't know what match the refs are watching but it's obviously not this one. Oh ... a splash-and-clash sends the Avatar to zone three as well.”

Lin snorted. She wasn’t into this match, but the blatant disregard of the rules by the referee started to annoy her. She wondered if that fell under some section of the criminal code. Perhaps she should take interest…

Mako got in front of Korra, trying to protect her from the combined attack of the Wolfbats. How chivalrous… or rather how stupid, for he failed and the opponents’ blasts pushed both him and Korra off the playing field.
“It's a knockout! The Wolfbats win the championship for the fourth year in a-,” Shiro announced as Lin watched Tenzin close his eyes and shake his head. He really cared about this Korra, didn’t he? Suddenly Shiro’s voice brought Lin back to reality. ” Hold on a second, folks! Scratch that! The Ferrets are still alive, but just barely.”

What did he mean? The Fire Ferrets got eliminated, right?

And then Mako appeared as if… thrown from over the edge of the arena?! He landed on the ground and shot a powerful flame blast, hitting Tahno from behind and knocking him down.
” What an unbelievable move! These Ferrets aren't just bending the elements, they're bending my mind! The underdogs survive to see round two.” Shiro’s voice was full of enthusiasm.

Chapter Text

Asami was clenching her fists so tightly that her nails were painfully digging into the flesh of her hands. On the arena, Korra and Tahno were standing on a platform that was being raised, ready to decide the second round with a tie-breaker duel.

The second round went a bit like the first, with Asami’s annoyance growing with each illegal icing move, each headshot the Wolfbats took. Their insolence angered her. When one cheated, one should be subtle and discrete about this, not flaunting it for all to see! Even Shiro Shinobi’s commentary more and more often mentioned that the referee’s decisions were questionable at best.

This time, however, the Fire Ferrets were prepared and managed to hold their ground, leading to the round ending with a tie, which meant that there would be a tie-breaker duel. Asami remembered the tension surrounding Bolin’s tie-breaker fight but now, as Korra got onto the platform, she found her heart beating even faster.

“Oh, I hope Tahno ravages her in this fight,” Deimi purred. “Though not exactly in a way I want him to ravage me. On the other hand, I’m sure the Avatar would enjoy this as well…”
“Shut up!” Asami barked.

Deimi just stared at her, shocked.
“Calm down, Asami,” her father leaned over and whispered into Asami’s ear. “You know this fight doesn’t matter.”

That was true. With the referee bribed the Wolfbats were sure to win… and even more importantly, they had to win. If they lost… Asami shuddered at the thought. Would Amon change his plan and go after the Fire Ferrets? She knew he didn’t want to equalize the Avatar… yet. No, Korra and the Fire Ferrets had to lose so that the Equalists could follow the plan and target the Wolfbats.

And yet… and yet, in her heart of hearts, Asami wished Korra would kick Tahno’s ass. Especially when she recalled what an annoying, condescending pervert he was during their encounter. No, he needed to be taught a lesson and who better to give him one if not Korra?

She leaned forward to see better, looking at Korra and Tahno facing each other. Then there was a gong and they started moving.

Korra was faster sending a blast of water in a wide arc, giving Tahno plenty of time to start dodging while at the same time sending his own attack at Korra. By now Asami knew Korra and her bending style well enough to know she would never go for such a telegraphed attack. Therefore she wasn’t surprised at all, when Tahno’s water stream splashed harmlessly against the floor after he got hit by Korra’s real attack, a powerful, fast water blast sent at him with a quick kick.

“Yes!” Asami clapped her hand and shouted… attracting surprised looks from both her father and Deimi. She couldn’t help but laugh at Deimi, whose jaw dropped almost to the floor as Tahno got knocked out.
“By the way, Asami, I’m glad you’re feeling good now,” Deimi finally managed to say. “I’ve heard about your accident.”

“Thank you, Deimi,” Asami responded warily.
“I’ve heard it’s a good thing the Avatar was there to get you help,” her ‘friend’ continued. “How is it that she was there?”

Asami turned to her and looked her in the eyes.
“I was showing her around the city,” she said in even voice. “We’re basically business partners, aren’t we? And in truth we get on together quite well. Are you surprised we spend time together?”
“Well… no… but…” Deimi began stuttering, surprised by the honest answer.

“I must admit… the Avatar is very skilled and powerful,” Tarrlok said. “A pity she didn’t join my task force. The things we could achieve with her power…”
“For the record, I too believe that the Avatar should join the task force and go after the Equalists,” Hiroshi said. “I think that after this finale, when she will no longer be concentrating on pro-bending, she will be more receptive to that. What do you think, Asami?”

Asami blinked, surprised by being included in the conversation. She didn’t want to answer, but her father was looking at her in a way that almost seemed… suspicious. Her father had never been suspicious of her before.
“I think that restless as she is, after the pro-bending tournament is over, Korra will look for something she can focus on,” she said, but Hiroshi’s gaze clearly told her he expects more from her… and she knew what he expected. “Besides, I also believe she could do a lot of good in the task force. While I don’t know how successful it will be, I intend to mention this when I have opportunity to talk about her in private.”
“That would be great,” Tarrlok said. “You would be doing the whole city a great favour, Asami.”

”Oh yes, I would,” Asami thought bitterly. ”But maybe not in the way you think.”

She captured Hiroshi smile at her, satisfied with her answer and she smiled back, before looking back at the arena, where Korra was celebrating the win over Tahno, unaware that her fate is being discussed and planned.

* * *

Lin found herself nodding her head with appreciation. This Korra might have been a pain in the ass, but she knew how to fight.
“I can't believe your sweet-tempered father was reincarnated into that girl. She's tough as nails,” she said, turning to Tenzin.
“Reminds me of someone else I knew at that age,” Tenzin responded. “You two might get along if you would only give her a chance.”

Lin just snorted in response.

She was still pissed at Korra for leaving the spirit portals open, for bringing the spirit vines, for causing the mess Lin and her men have been dealing with for months now. She was somewhat aware that she couldn’t really put all the blame on the Avatar but…

When Tenzin said that Korra reminded him of someone else he knew, Lin was aware that he meant her… but to be honest Korra reminded her of a different person.

Clever, talented, head-strong, with no respect for authority, leaving mess for others to fix and thinking she will get away just because of who she is, expecting someone, for example Tenzin or Tarrlok to get her out of any conflict with the law… It was Suyin all over again. And even though she was somewhat aware she wasn’t fair being mad at Korra for reminding her of her sister, she just couldn’t help it. There were just too many similarities.

But maybe… just maybe… she should give Korra a chance. She looked back at Tenzin, but he didn’t seem to notice how preoccupied with her thoughts she was, his mind completely focused on the arena and the match that was now in its third and final round.

”One round apiece: who wants it more?” Shiro Shinobi’s voice echoed through the arena. ”The Wolfbats fly out of the gates, swinging with bad intentions. The challengers are showing a lot of heart but the champs are really starting to find their rhythm now. Can the Ferrets hang in there with the best, especially when the best are frankly getting a little help from the refs? It's all down to this final round! Mako is leaving it all in the ring.”

Lin found herself also paying more and more attention to what was happening in the arena. Shiro was right, the Wolfbats were getting assistance from the referee. She had to give the Avatar and her team this – despite the odds being so in the favour of their opponents, they weren’t giving up and they were doing their best to kick some asses.
“What is he doing?” Lin asked Tenzin as she watched the Wolfbat earthbender lift a disk behind his back and break it in three.

Tenzin leaned in, to see better, as Tahno grabbed the broken parts of the disk in his water and using them knocked Mako and Bolin off the field… with Korra following soon after.
“Oh, this has gone too far! Shiro was basically shouting into the microphone. ”That water had rocks in it!”

The referee didn’t seem to be bothered by it, however.
“Knockout!” he exclaimed with the audience going wild, some with cheers… others with shouts of anger.

Tenzin definitely belonged to the latter group.
“Oh, come on! Those were illegal head shots! Open your eyes, ref!” he shouted.

”Well, folks it's a controversial call but the Wolfbats notch a nasty knockout to win the match!” There was clear resignation in Shiro Shinobi’s usually enthusiastic voice. ”For the fourth year in a row, they'll be crowned tournament champions.”
“Disgraceful,” Lin muttered. The Avatar and her team deserved better than this.

Tenzin turned to her, anger still visible on his face… and in one moment it changed into a look of alarm.
“Look out!” he shouted.

Lin started turning around but she managed only to spot a masked silhouette… with a gauntlet that had arcs of electricity crawling on it. The gauntlet connected with her armour and everything became pain.

* * *

Tahno and his teammates relished in the cheers of the audience. Sure, there was some booing, but who cared? The attention of the audience and fans was a fickle thing and soon everyone would forget how exactly the Wolfbats achieved their victory and only remember that they won. It was almost like that, year after year.

Though… he had to admit, there were moments he was worried that they might lose. His chin still hurt after that sneaky blow the Avatar hit him with. Oh, it felt good to send her into the drink after that! Besides, that was only fair! She was the damn Avatar and her even competing in this tournament was unfair! With her power, one had to look for any advantage to even the scales!

Not that he was going to admit how close the match had been.
“I barely broke a sweat! Anybody else wanna scrap with the champs?” he called, removing his helmet.

Usually this brought even more cheering from the tribunes but this time… this time his ear, sensitive to the sounds of his fans, caught more than one false note among the sounds coming from the audience. And it wasn’t just the case of Fire Ferrets fans – if such a thing even existed – being dissatisfied with the referee’s call. Now, this wasn’t booing… these were… screams of surprise and fear?

Suddenly he heard the platform being lifted again. What? Were the Fire Ferrets returning? Was there going to be another round or was the referee’s decision overruled? He didn’t see how that was supposed to be possible but…

All thoughts about the match and victory evaporated from Tahno’s head as he saw who was lifted on the platform. Surrounded by a group of Equalists there stood a masked, hooded figure. Amon.
“What's going on here, ref?” he asked, turning to the referee.

The man only lifted his arms in confusion.
“I don't know!” he responded.

Tahno felt a cold shiver run down his spine.

No. Not that.

Suddenly he wished the Avatar and her team had won this match instead.

* * *

It was starting.

The White Falls Wolfbats were waving at their supporters who were cheering for the stolen victory. If Asami ever had doubts whether Amon’s revolution was needed, this image alone would cure her of her doubts. Scores of people, many of them non-benders, cheering and applauding abusive, arrogant benders who gamed the system to their advantage, hurt others with unnecessary brutality and abused their fame and position.

People needed to wake up. Fortunately, Amon was going to do just that. While almost everyone’s eyes were fixed on the arena, Asami scanned the crowds. Every now and then she would see a person put a mask on or notice an electrical discharge as another metalbending policeman fell to the ground. So the gauntlets she designed were working. She wasn’t really surprised by that, the weapons having gone through numerous phases of tests, but she knew using them in controlled environment and utilizing them in the field were two completely different things.

She tried acting natural, when, with the corner of her eye, she noticed three Equalists sneak into the VIP lodge. In this case ‘acting natural’ was her screaming in sudden fear as she heard the screams of two policemen guarding the lodge as they got zapped and fell to the floor. Her father also got up.
“What is happening? What is the meaning of this?” he shouted, playing the part of a shocked civilian.

Tarrlok and Deimi reacted as well… and while Asami wasn’t really surprised to see Tarrlok immediately start slinging ice shards at the Equalists, Deimi’s response to the attack was a surprise.
“Stay behind me, Asami!” the screamed, igniting two daggers made of fire in her hands. “Get your father to safety! I’ll cover you!” she shouted before lunging at one of the Equalists.

Who knew the shallow, annoying, nasty and mean Deimi had it in her to protect others, without even a moment of hesitation? Did it make up for the nasty comments she made about Korra? No, not really… but it was enough to make the satisfaction Asami felt as the Equalist pounded the woman with a series of chi-blocking blows before finishing it by zapping her unconscious evaporate.

Tarrlok proved harder to take down. His sudden barrage of ice blades took the Equalists by surprise. One of them managed to jump away, dodging all the attacks, but the other fell to the floor, his side and arm pierced by the shards. As the other two Equalists jumped at him, a stream of water shot from the pool surrounding the arena and latched itself to the Councilman’s arms. With a whiplike motion, Tarrlok slashed with the water, knocking one of the Equalists back before wrapping the water tendril around the waist of the other… and then he screamed in pain as the Equalist put his gauntlet into the water, firing it… zapping himself but also, through the water tentacle connecting them both, shocking Tarrlok.

The Councilman fell onto his knees before getting back on wobbly feet. Seeing the opponent he knocked down earlier getting up as well, he stumbled towards the exit of the lodge.
“I’ll… get help…” he muttered towards Hiroshi and disappeared.

The one Equalist left standing hesitated, unsure what to do.
“Don’t just stand there!” Asami’s father barked. “Get him!”

This Equalist must have known Hiroshi’s true role in the movement, because she nodded her head and followed the escaping Councilman.

” Folks, there is some sort of electrical disturbance in the stands. Metalbender cops are dropping like bumbleflies. There appear to be masked members of the audience wielding strange devices on their hands.” Shiro Shinobi’s voice cut through the chaos on the arena. ”One of them is in the booth with me right now, folks! He is leveling one of those glove devices at me now and I believe he is about to electrocute me. I am currently wetting my pants.”

Despite what he was saying, Asami couldn’t help but respect how Shiro Shinobi was saying it. He didn’t seem frightened at all, narrating his upcoming assault as if it was just another match. She felt sorry for the commentator. Asami knew he was a brave man, especially as he was now refusing to give the microphone to the Equalist in the booth. But why was he resisting? All his professional life Shiro was reporting on the crimes of the bending Triads! He knew better than most the ways benders abused their powers. He should be the premier spokesperson of the Equalist movement…

Suddenly Asami realized how much public support the fact that Shiro Shinobi was against them, that he was bravely narrating the assault on his person, could cost their movement.

Then his scream echoed throughout the arena, before being cut and Asami looked away. For some reason she had a bitter taste in her mouth and a lot of her excitement disappeared.

* * *

Laiti’s heart was beating so fast that she thought it might burst from her chest. It was happening! She was taking part in a major Equalist operation, in an attack that was going to alter the situation in the city forever! And she got to kick the asses of some benders! The elation she felt as the policeman she zapped fell down, writhing as the electricity coursed through his body, was unlike anything she’s ever felt.

And she almost laughed out loud under the mask, being so close to Asami that she’s almost run over with her car before, and not being recognized! If she were to bring Tarrlok down and offer him to Amon… her hurting Asami would definitely be forgiven. Who knew, maybe she would take that prissy girl’s place at Amon’s side? What achievements did she bring into the cause, apart from befriending the Avatar, that could match capturing a member of the Council of the United Republic of Nations.

But Tarrlok proved a more difficult opponent than she expected from a politician. The shock he received apparently robbed him of any will to keep fighting and, stumbling every couple of steps, he was now running away. He was so weak that when he saw her chasing him and turned to send an ice dagger at her, his aim was so off that she didn’t even need to dodge.

The Councilman opened the nearest door and ran onto the balcony. Laiti smiled under her mask. If he thought he would get to the water this way, he was in for a surprise for the balcony on this section of the arena was over the street, not the water line. She entered the balcony as well and laughed even louder, seeing Tarrlok looking around, searching for a way of escape.
“Nowhere to run, Councilman,” she said approaching him.

The turned, slashing with a water whip but he hardly had any water left in his satchel and she dodged the blow without any problem. Her shock gauntlet still hasn’t recharged but that was fine, she didn’t need it. Quickly Laiti closed the distance and started to rain blows on Tarrlok. She hasn’t been with the Equalists for long, but she was a diligent student when it came to learning how to chi-block and she was going to put this knowledge to good use now. A blow with two fingers between his ribs, a strike to his solar plexus, another hit to his arm. She prepared to land a couple blows more… but suddenly she froze, unable to make a move.

She strained and strained, but she just couldn’t. It was as if millions tiny fishhooks bit into every inch of her body, their lines holding her in place. As she tried to force her body to move, the only reaction was intense pain radiating throughout it and yet she remained motionless. She could see Tarrlok, his one hand lifted, fingers bent as if they were claws.
“Damn you!” he said with utter hatred in his voice… but something there made Laiti unsure if this hatred was truly aimed at her. “I swore to myself that I would never use this power again! And yet you forced me to!”

The Councilman was almost screaming, but Laiti barely care as her shocked mind finally made the connection. He was bloodbending her! How could a Councilman be a bloodbender?! And it wasn’t even full moon!

Suddenly he moved his hands… and she found herself moving again, her legs starting to run… towards the edge of the balcony. As she jumped off it, the hold he had over her disappeared and for these final couple of seconds before her body crushed against the street below at least it belonged to her.

* * *

“Come on, come on,” Kya pleaded, pouring her power into the glowing water, trying to cover all the burn marks with it as she performed her spirit healing.

The wound on her patient’s head required the most attention, of course, but the chest was hurt as well, and the blast of the explosion broke also a couple of ribs. And the leg? Burned by the contact with lava that suddenly erupted from the ground… could she heal it?

“I don’t think they’re coming back,” Lord Zuko said, as he limped towards Kya. “How is he?”

Kya didn’t respond, completely focused on her task.
Remember about triage, she told herself. Panicking and despairing won’t help anyone. Focus on helping those that you can help and that most need your help.

Being a healer with decades of experience she usually didn’t need such reminders… but it was different if the wounded was someone she knew personally and cared about. She forced herself to focus.

Zuko’s wounds were painful, but not life threatening. His dragon was also similarly bad shape, a huge chunk of flesh blown in its side. The beast, however, was big and powerful and dragons were famously tough. As for Desna… Kya lifted her head only for a moment, to see tears freezing on Eska’s normally emotionless face.

No one could help Desna anymore.

She looked down at her patient and focused harder on the healing water. Tonraq’s condition was bad, but there was a chance that Kya could still save him.

Or so she hoped.

Chapter Text

Despite the fear gripping his heart, Tahno wasn’t going to go down without a fight. True, they might have had a bit of… help from the referee, but he and his Wolfbats were the finest benders in the city and Amon was just some non-bender shmuck with poor taste of fashion.

“All right, you want a piece of the Wolfbats?” he asked. “Here it comes!”

He sent a blast of water at Amon… who dodged it easily. Shaozu took aim as well, sending a wave of flames but the Equalist leader evaded this as well, grabbing the firebender and pushing him to the ground. Seeing how Amon lifted his hand, Tahno summoned another stream of water… but then found himself bound by one of the Equalist’s bolas. With Ming being similarly restrained next to him, he couldn’t do anything but watch as Amon placed his thumb on Shaozu’s forehead… and then stepped back, allowing the firebender to fall to the floor, barely conscious.

Then, in slow deliberate moves, Amon started walking towards Tahno. Despite being tied, Tahno tried to struggle and break free but the Equalists were holding him too firmly. No… it couldn’t be happening… not this… he was about to lose his bending… and without it… he would be…

Nothing.

“Wait, please don't do this! I'll give you the championship pot,” he pleaded as Amon raised his hand. He knew how pathetic he sounded but he just had to try. “I'll-I'll give you everything just… please don't take my bending!”
And then Amon’s hand descended, his thumb touching Tahno’s forehead…

* * *

“What is happening?” Korra asked, frowning.

She was still floating in water, after they have been knocked out of the arena. The sounds coming from the audience were ones of confusion and fear not of excitement or even anger at how the Wolfbats cheated the Fire Ferrets of their victory.

Something was wrong.

Quickly she realized what that was when she saw the moustache Equalist standing at the edge of the pool, his sticks surrounded by arcs of electricity. As he began lowering them into the water, Korra waterbent herself into the air, dropping the water stream an instant before the electricity surged through the pool. She found herself falling into the water again, but she kicked the air, fire shooting out of her feet, burning her shoes off but propelling her forward, onto dry land.

As soon as she landed, she kicked, sending a water blast at the surprised Equalist, hitting him in the chest and throwing him back. She wanted to chase him but first she turned towards her teammates… and swore. Both were unconscious from the shock, but while Bolin was floating on his back, Mako had his face in the water. With a sweeping movement of her hands she waterbent them out of the water and moments later, she was kneeling next to Mako, pulling the water out of his lungs. As soon as she was done and his body was being rocked by coughing, she wanted to turn to pursue the Equalist who zapped them… but just then three semi-conscious bodies were dropped from the arena into the water. She summoned water streams to pull them out of the pool as well and recognized the Wolfbats. They weren’t completely out cold like Bolin and Mako were, but she recognized their groggy, unfocused expressions. She saw similar ones during Amon’s “Revelation”. The Wolfbats have had their bending abilities taken away… and as much as she despised Tahno, she would be the first one to agree that even he didn’t deserve THAT being done to him.

Korra looked around. She didn’t see the Equalist anywhere. He must have escaped while she was busy pulling people out of the water. Another coughing fit by Mako attracted her attention… and too late did she notice a movement behind her. When she turned she saw the Equalist with his electrified sticks jumping at her from behind one of the pillars supporting the arena. She lifted her hand to firebend his ass but she was too slow and his sticks connected with her flesh…

And everything disappeared in a flash of light and pain…

* * *

”I believe I have your attention, benders of Republic City,” Amon’s voice came from the speakers, echoing throughout the arena. ”So once again, the Wolfbats are your pro-bending champions. It seems fitting that you celebrate three bullies who cheated their way to victory because every day, you threaten and abuse your fellow nonbending citizens just like the Wolfbats did to their opponents tonight.”

Asami glanced at her father and saw him nodding his head as Amon was speaking, silently expressing his support for his words.

” Those men were supposedly the best in the bending world and yet it only took a few moments for me to cleanse them of their impurity. Let this be a warning to all of you benders out there: if any of you stand in my way, you will meet the same fate,” Amon kept talking and Asami heard a collective gasp escape the lips of crowds. ”Now, to my followers: for years the Equalists have been forced to hide in the shadows, but now we have the numbers and the strength to create a new Republic City. I'm happy to tell you that the time for change has finally come. Very soon, the current tyrannical bending regime will be replaced by a fair-minded Equalist government. You and your children will no longer have to walk the streets afraid! It's time to take back our city.”

More than a few cheers erupted from the audience. Asami was collecting the statistics on Equalist numbers and the support they were enjoying in the city but even she was surprised by how many people decided to openly cheer Amon and his actions.

At the beginning of this road, she doubted that they could ever reach this stage, but she believed Amon because her father did. And yet… in just a couple of months, Amon was on the verge of converting the city to his cause. The way the public despised the Avatar also played a factor in it, Asami realized and felt a bit more of her satisfaction at how much they have achieved evaporate.

As she watched Equalist banners being rolled down from the stands, she thought about Korra. She had been knocked out into the water by the Wolfbats, yes, but there was no way Amon would let her stay like that. She knew she would have someone – Lieutenant Tazaki most likely – waiting for her there. Would he also try to capture Korra so Amon could take her bending away? The Equalist leader insisted that the time for that hasn’t come yet but what if he changed his mind..?

Suddenly she became aware of two things. Her fingernails digging into her hands as she was clenching her fists hard… and her father’s concerned look. She couldn’t let him know what she was worried about. She smiled at him, but he wouldn’t be fooled.
“You’re worried about the Avatar, aren’t you?” he asked.
“It wouldn’t be prudent to have her drown,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm.

“Amon wouldn’t let that happen,” Hiroshi said, then sighed. “Asami… I’m worried. I’m under the impression that… you actually grew to like the Avatar. You know she’s our enemy, right?”
“Of course,” Asami said quickly, but her dad knew her too well and apparently wasn’t convinced.

“Listen around,” he said. “People are cheering Amon… in public. Soon our day will come. We will build a new world, a just world. That’s what matters.”
“Yes, father,” Asami said.

He was right. She liked Korra, she really did… but she was part of the unjust bender regime, a symbol and banner for them to rally around.

And yet…

“Besides… you know that when everything will be done, the Avatar will just lose her bending,” Hiroshi added. “Amon won’t risk killing her. We want an equalized Avatar, not one reborn with full strength. Don’t worry. Korra won’t die.”
Surprised, Asami realized that it was probably the first time in their private conversations that Hiroshi called Korra by her name instead of just ‘the Avatar’. It was supposed to be reassuring but… Asami couldn’t help but think if Korra would consider losing her bending a fate worse than death. Once that thought would anger Asami, to think that someone was so used to the unfair advantage that the accident of their birth gave them that they would prefer to die instead of living like an ordinary person. Now… she just felt sad.

“For centuries, benders have possessed an unnatural advantage over ordinary people. But thankfully, modern technology has provided us with a way to even out the playing field,” Amon spoke and Asami saw him lift an electric glove in his hand. “Now anyone can hold the power of a chi-blocker in their hand. My followers and I will not rest until the entire city achieves equality, and once that goal is achieved, we will equalize the rest of the world. The revolution has begun!”

This time the cheers were even louder.

“This is our doing,” Hiroshi whispered to Asami. “And also thanks to your design of the shock gauntlets. You should be proud of yourself.”

Asami knew he was right. And she was… or rather had been proud of her design. The revolution was starting and she contributed to it.

So why did this victory leave such a foul taste in her mouth?

* * *

Korra’s body hurt. The masked Equalist was approaching her, ready to fight. Korra attacked again and again, flinging fire, water and earth, but the Equalist dodged it all, with an almost supernatural grace. Her moves were lovely and if it wasn’t a real fight, Korra would just enjoy the sight. The Equalist chi-blocker dodged another fire blast, closing distance to Korra. Korra went in for a powerful jab, which the Equalist blocked…

…Asami kicked, which Korra barely avoided. She countered with two fast blows, but Asami dodged one and blocked the second one, before elbowing Korra in the solar plexus and going in for a grapple… which Korra reversed, throwing Asami on the floor of the training hall… but Asami managed to swipe Korra’s legs from underneath her… Korra hit the floor as well but continued to grapple with Asami, trying to pin her down…

…and suddenly all was still. Korra was on top of Asami Sato, pinning her hands and legs to the floor, their faces inches from each other. Asami’s lips, with a smile that could mean everything, were so red and her eyes were so green, so, so green like…

…like the goggles of an Equalist chi-blocker who was now underneath Korra, pushing her off and getting up to go in for a kick…

Korra opened her eyes. She tried to move but couldn’t. Quickly she realized that she was bound to one of the pillars. She pulled on the ropes hard… but it was no use.

“They’ve tied us good,” she heard Mako’s tired voice. “Believe me, I’ve tried to free myself.”

She quickly realized that he was tied down next to her and on the other side she had…
“Have no fear, Bolin and Pabu are here!” Mako’s brother exclaimed with surprising optimism… and then he began making some weird chirping sounds.

Korra lifted her head to see Pabu swimming towards them.
“Pabu! Listen up, buddy,” Bolin said and began chirping and chattering his teeth again.

“Stop fooling around!” Mako snapped.
“I'm not! I'm trying to save us!” Bolin protested… and indeed Pabu began chewing from their ropes. “See? Pabu's not just a one trick poodle pony.”

Korra found herself smiling at Bolin and their fire ferret saviour.

Then her smile disappeared when she recalled her weird dream. The female Equalist that beat her before and Asami? The subconscious side was trying to tell her something… and it didn’t take a genius to figure out what it was. Her subconsciousness was screaming at her to wake up because Asami was in danger. The heiress was in the audience, after all, and so was her father. True, she wasn’t a bender, but could be in danger as well, even for being a friend and sponsor to the Fire Ferrets. Korra had to get out of these ropes and fast and take the fight to the Equalists so they would forget all about the Satos.

Suddenly an explosion rocked the arena and rubble and debris started falling into water. Were the Equalists trying to blow up the entire building or just the pro-bending platform?
“It's okay, Pabu. Just a little explosion,” Bolin said to Pabu in soothing voice. “Keep chewing, you're almost through it!”

Then he began chittering again… and the fire ferret obeyed, redoubling his efforts. Soon Korra and the brothers were free.
“Yes!” Bolin called. “Great job, buddy!”

Korra, however, was already running towards the pool.
“I’m going after Amon,” she shouted.
“Be careful!” Mako yelled a warning, but Korra was barely listening, too focused on planning.

She had to deal with Amon. Yes, she was terrified of him, but she didn’t know for sure if Asami was still in the VIP lounge or if she had been taken somewhere. Stopping their leader would stop the Equalists and Korra wasn’t going to let them hurt Asami. Not on her watch and not again.

* * *

Lin did her best not to show that she regained consciousness. The two Equalists that got her and Tenzin were standing guard over them… but with the corner of her eye, she could see that for now they were paying much more attention to what was happening on the arena and to the crowds around them. That would be their undoing.

She waited a bit longer, gathering strength… and then jumped onto her feet. The Equalists were fast, she had to give them that, but she was faster. The first one went down from one blow with the edge of her metal gauntlet to his temple. The second one lunged, electric energy sparking on his gauntlet but this time Lin was ready, dodged his attack, wrapped her cable around his leg… and when he bent over to zap it, she unwrapped it and rammed her elbow in the back of his head, making him drop like a sack of potatoes.

Lin heard a groan behind her and turned to see Tenzin getting up on his wobbly legs. It was not the time for it… but she did feel a pang of satisfaction that she took the zap better than he did. That feeling was short-lived as soon she had other problems to deal with. Trying to eliminate all the Equalists among the audience was doomed to fail. No, she had to cut off the head of the mongoose snake… but the mongoose snake was about to make his escape. There was a loud sound of an explosion and she looked up, to see glass falling from the ceiling of the arena, shattering on the playing field and through the hole in the roof she saw a hovering airship… and definitely not one belonging to the Republic City Police. Cables were dropped from it onto the platform, allowing Amon and his guards to grab them and soon they were all being lifted up, up and away from Lin’s reach.

Or so they thought.

“Give me a lift,” she told Tenzin and not waiting for his reaction she jumped over the edge of the stands.

For all his many, many, maaaany faults, Tenzin always understood her well and this time wasn’t an exception and soon she found herself being lifted up by a powerful stream of air. She waited a moment… and then shot one of her cables, wrapping it around the beams supporting the ceiling, lifting herself up after escaping Amon.

She looked down for a moment… and blinked. What in the…

Propelled by a powerful column of water, Korra was shooting from the pool surrounding the arena, apparently also in pursuit of Amon. Lin had to admit the girl had balls… but maybe not the smarts. The water cyclone wasn’t enough and it began quickly losing pressure and power, leaving the Avatar falling down.

Lin almost sighed. Yet again, it looked as that she would just have to take care of everyone, didn’t it?

Chapter Text

Even feeling her father’s eyes on her, Asami couldn’t help but gasp as she saw Korra shooting up from the water, propelled upwards by a powerful stream of water, chasing behind Amon.
”No, Korra, don’t do it!” she couldn’t help but pray.

She didn’t know what would be worse – Korra failing to catch with Amon and risking a looong fall… or her catching up with him. Amon assured Asami that it wasn’t the right time to make the Avatar into a martyr and to take away her bending but if forced to duel Korra, would he equalize her?

That, however, seemed to be a moot question as suddenly the water column lifting Korra slowed down, lost power and dispersed… leaving Korra to fall.
”No!” it required all of Asami’s willpower not to shout out loud.

As soon as Korra started falling, an subconscious part of Asami’s mind calculated the where she would go down and a shiver run down the heiress’s spine. The angle with which Korra was coming after Amon meant that she wouldn’t hit the water, where she could use her waterbending powers to soften the fall, she would hit the ruined, burning pro-bending platform.

”No, please, no…” she repeated in her head, clenching her fists tightly.

And then… and then suddenly another person appeared in her sight. It was Lin Beifong, holding with one metal cable to the beams supporting the ceiling… and shooting the other after Korra, wrapping it around her waist. Then, with a powerful pull, undoubtedly aided by her metalbending powers, she pulled Korra up, throwing her towards the hole in the roof and after the escaping Equalists.

”No, please no…” Asami kept repeating in her mind.

* * *

”Lin?!” Korra thought shocked, but there was no time to be surprised as the Chief of Police send Korra up.

Shooting fire from her feet, Korra aimed her flight after the escaping Equalists, getting onto the small platform at the end of the cables they were using to escape, knocking two chi-blockers off it. She looked up and saw Amon’s mask looking straight at her.

Amon.

Taking away bending. Haunting her in her nightmares. Taunting her.

”Without your bending, you will be nothing.”

Amon who attacked the pro-bending finals, endangering so many civilians. Endangering Mako, Bolin, Tenzin. Even Lin.

Endangering Asami. Asami who got already hurt once by an Equalist – or someone drunk on their rhetoric of hate.

Korra allowed her anger over come her fear. Amon already got pulled out into the airship, but she sent flaming blasts behind him, the fire balls exploding inside the ship loading bay… but as his Equalists screamed and jumped to fight the flames, Amon just stood there, looking at her, his entire posture speaking of calm and confidence.

An Equalist landed next to Korra… only to be grabbed by a cable and pulled down, onto the roof of the arena. Korra looked down and saw Lin standing on the roof as well, ready to fight… and then Korra looked around and saw the RCPD airships drifting lifelessly in the air, torn by explosions coming from inside, the only functional airship in the vicinity the one belonging to the Equalists.

She fired another bolt of fire at Amon, who just took a step back, letting the attack fly past him. At his signal two chi-blockers slid down the cable, one of them kicking Korra off the tiny platform she was standing on.

She grunted as her back hit the glass skylight, a web of tiny cracks appeared in the construction that had already been weakened by the explosions. She rolled over and got up. A bit to the left of her Lin grabbed two chi-blockers with her cables, slamming them first against each other and then against the glass roof. But when the metalbender shot her cable up, wrapping itself around one of the cables used by the Equalists to make their escape, the moustached Equalist jumped her from behind zapping her with his electrified sticks.

Immediately four other Equalists were on top of Lin, trying to immobilize her in order to allow their commander to shock her again… but Korra would have none of that. With a fire blast she dropped one and ran him over as she approached the others, jumping in between them, kicking and flinging fire. Lin was quickly on her feet as well and she and Korra stood back to back, defending against the coming chi-blockers. Lin used her cable to grab one of them by the wrist as he was preparing to strike Korra, pulled him towards her and kicked him hard in the chest, the blow of her metal shoe strengthened by the use of metalbending. Korra kicked another one with a flaming kick, forcing him to roll over the roof, trying to fight off the flames… and then the moustached Equalist with two electrified sticks attacked her.

She barely dodged his strikes, before pushing him back with a wave of fire. He watched her with narrowed eyes, reading her movements, preparing himself. Now, up close, she recognized him. He was the one who duelled Mako after they broke Bolin out of the Equalist ‘Revelation’ rally. Then she basically sucker-punched him, but now, with him ready for her, he proved to be a much harder opponent to pin down. It wasn’t helping that up here, on the glass roof, she only had access to firebending and while she liked using that element, she wasn’t really used to sticking to only one way of attacking. Mixing elements had always been her forte, ever since she learned how to use earthbending.

Her opponent dodged the first two blasts and dived under her fiery kick, only to go in with a flurry of his own blows. Korra could feel the hair on her hand stand up as the electrified stick passed so, so close to her. She bent back, once again evading his strike. Another blow and she backflipped, landing on her hands and kicking fire at him, forcing him back. Quickly she went on the offensive, sending flame after flame at him, in a hurry to deal with him as already she saw two chi-blockers running to aid their commander.

And damn, this Equalist was really good. In his movements she saw the similarities to those of the chi-blocker that beat her before. Was it the same person? She had been rather sure that that chi-blocker from before was a woman, but perhaps she’d been wrong?

A smile appeared on her face as two cables shot from behind the incoming Equalists, grabbing them and slamming them against the roof. Moments later, Korra saw Lin shoot up, grabbing the airship with one of her cables and lifting herself up towards him.

Distracted Korra barely dodged one of the Equalist’s electrified sticks. Losing her patience she closed in, grabbed his arm and using it as leverage, threw his hard. As he got up she jumped towards him, elbowed him in the face and finished with sending a wave of fire at him. He dodged it, but he landed on the part of the arena dome that was curving downwards… and with a look of surprise he began sliding down.

Soon he disappeared over the edge of the dome. Korra’s smug smile of satisfaction lasted all of three seconds when she realized that she was standing in the middle of a growing web of cracks in the glass.
“Oh…” she began, preparing to jump… and then the roof broke underneath her feet.

* * *

No, that was too much for Asami. She prided herself on being calm but it was just too much! Korra first captured by Lieutenant Tazaki. Then falling down onto the platform. Then disappearing from Asami’s sight, leaving her wondering how Korra was doing against Amon, if she’s facing him. And then falling again.

And then there was some commotion and Asami turned quickly, to see Councilman Tarrlok, surrounded by six police officers, enter the VIP lodge.

Huh, so he really went for reinforcements instead of turning tail and running? Curious. Of course, the fact that they managed to get here meant that the Equalists have withdrawn after Amon’s escaped. Tarrlok’s further words confirmed her suspicions.
“The Equalists are in retreat,” he said as if it was him that made them run away instead of it being their plan all along. “Since I can see the situation here is under control, I’ll leave some men with you and go to find Councilman Tenzin. I’ve heard he was hurt in the attack and I need to talk to him.”

Asami turned quickly, but she couldn’t see Korra anymore. Either she saved herself or crushed against the platform and was now lying there in the fire, obscured by smoke, wounded or…
“I’m going with you,” she said, without thinking.

Tarrlok looked surprised but he didn’t say anything. Maybe it was the expression on Asami’s face that told him, she would not be swayed away from accompanying him. She had to see Tenzin as he might know what happened to Korra.

* * *

”Now would be a GREAT time to suddenly unlock my airbending powers,” Korra thought as she was plummeting – yet again – down the arena.

No, it definitely wasn’t her day for falling from heights. And, of course, yet again, it seemed she would hit the damaged platform, instead of the water.

She shot fire from her feet, trying to slow down her descent and change the angle so that she would fall into water and not hit the concrete but even as she tried, she knew that it wouldn’t be enough.

Suddenly she felt one of Lin’s cables wrap itself around her waist. She looked up and saw Lin hanging from the ceiling, using one of the cables, holding her with the other, just as she did it when she caught her before.

”Well, saved by Lin… twice,” Korra thought. ”That’s embarrassing.”

Lin swung her, before releasing the cable and dropping Korra onto the stands. As Korra was going through the air, her eyes fell on the VIP lodge. She couldn’t be sure if she saw Asami there, but just to be sure she waved her hands… which made it impossible for her to brace herself for the fall and she fell hard against the wooden benches on the stands.

“Need a hand, Avatar?” Lin said, landing gracefully next to her.
“Nah, thanks,” Korra muttered, getting up, her pride hurt more than her body.
“You all right?”

Korra smiled.
“I am, thanks to you.”

Then, Korra was rewarded by a phenomenon almost as rare as Sozin’s Comet – for a moment it looked as if Lin would smile at her. She didn’t, of course, but the effort was there.
“Don’t mention it, kid,” she said, softly, then she sighed. “Looks like we lost this one.”

Suddenly the other two Fire Ferrets – and Pabu! – appeared on the stands.
“I'm so glad you're okay!” Mako called with surprising sincerity, hugging Korra.
“Me too!” Bolin added, embracing them both. Even Pabu chirped enthusiastically.

Korra smiled at them, but as they released her from their embrace, her smile disappeared as she saw the serious look on the approaching Tenzin’s face.
“Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yes,” the two women replied together, leaving Tenzin blinking in surprise.
“I can't believe Amon did this. I played right into his hand,” Lin sighed.

“He played us all,” Tenzin sighed. “Republic City is at war.”
“No, he played all of you,” Tarrlok said, walking towards them. “I on the other hand kept saying to cancel the match. There will be consequences of this!”

Korra probably should have protested, should have paid more attention to his words… but she found both her eyes and thoughts going to Asami, who was standing behind Tarrlok and smiling in the most beautiful smile of relief that Korra has ever seen.

Chapter Text

Korra sighed, looking at the Pro-bending Arena, empty and dark. There was already scaffolding surrounding it, a Future Industries Engineering and Construction Division being offered the contract of repairing and rebuilding the site.
“I still can't believe they're shutting this place down,” Mako said.

She didn’t answer. She knew there was no other choice, the Arena was in no condition to be used and no one would risk staging another match and bringing Amon’s wrath again.
“Yeah. We had some good memories here, didn't we?” Bolin said.

Korra summoned – or rather forced – a smile onto her lips.
“Well, great news, guys,” she said, trying to sound enthusiastic. “You don't have to go back on the streets. I talked to Tenzin and made all the arrangements. You can come live on Air Temple Island with me!”

Mako shifted uncomfortably.
“Oh, we'd love to, but...” he began.

Bolin was much more enthusiastic.
"Asami already invited us to live in her dad's giant mansion!” he shouted. “From here on out, it's gonna be the lap of luxury for us.”

Korra blinked surprised. She didn’t expect Asami to offer this or rather for Hiroshi, as nice as he has been to the Fire Ferrets to agree to that. But it made sense. They would definitely be more comfortable… and probably safer in the Sato mansion than they would be in the Air Temple. So why did this this thought, especially the embarrassed smile on Mako’s face, annoyed her so much?

“Oh, that’s so nice of her,” she said, still smiling.
“That’s the least dad and I could do,” Asami said, walking in, Pabu on her arm. “I’m sure a new Pro-bending season will start as soon as the current situation is dealt with and, when that happens, Future Industries would still like to have Fire Ferrets in our corner.”

“We’ll never forget what you did for us!” Mako assured her with eagerness that almost made Korra roll her eyes.
“We’ll always be in your corner!” Bolin added.

Korra, however, could see that Asami was keeping her voice intentionally light. Just as Korra did, Asami seemed to have doubts whether Pro-bending was coming back anytime soon… if ever. The Equalist attack changed everything.
“So, are you ready to move?” Asami turned towards the two brothers. “I’ve got a separate car for your belongings and…”

Mako and Bolin both laughed.
“Oh, no offense, Asami,” Mako said pointing at the three large bags. “But these are all of our belongings.”
“All?” Asami began, then chuckled. “I’m sorry! Well, in that case, let’s go right away, shall we?”

“Right!” Mako said, grabbing two bags and approaching Asami’s satomobile, looking at her with utter devotion and awe in his amber eyes.
“See you soon, Korra!” Bolin added, grabbing the last bag and following his brother.
“Yeah, I guess I'll see you guys around, some time,” Korra muttered.

Asami turned to her with a truly radiant smile.
“Why not tomorrow? I'd love to have you come visit the estate,” she suggested.

“I don't know. I have some ... Avatar stuff to do,” she muttered, looking away.
”Like brooding and wondering about what to do,” a voice in her head said.

It seemed as if Bolin was going to say something, but Asami stepped forward, standing in front of Korra.
“Please, Korra!” she said. “Pro-bending or no pro-bending, but I’d still like to see you… all of you… often.”
“Yes, Korra!” Bolin added. “We all deserve a little rest and relaxation after all this craziness.”

A smile appeared on Korra’s face again, this time unforced.
“Oh, okay,” she said, before looking Asami in the eyes. “See you tomorrow, then!”

* * *

“Is it true that Cabbage Corp is conspiring with the Equalists?” a reporter’s voice came from the radio.
”The evidence points in that direction, but the investigation is ongoing. For the time being, we have frozen Mr. Gan-Lan's assets and are closing Cabbage Corp,” came Lin’s – captain Lin’s, no longer Chief Lin’s – answer.

In the background, a long scream ”No! Not my Cabbage Corp!” was heard.

“It seems it worked perfectly,” Hiroshi said, switching off the radio to music. Even in his office, they had to talk quietly and carefully, as not to risk Bolin or Mako overhearing anything. Especially the former really took Asami’s words to feel like at home to heart and kept exploring the giant estate.

“Indeed,” Asami said.
“Still cross about it?”

She shrugged. Oh, she knew that it had to be done and had to admit Amon’s men did their job very well. They infiltrated Cabbage Corp, planting the blueprints and prototypes of the shock gloves as well as of the explosives used to cripple the RCPD airships. Then it was just a matter of letting the police know and, with Lau Gan-Lan’s arrest, not only was any suspicion diverted from Future Industries but also one of Hiroshi’s biggest competitors suffered a tremendous blow. Still, it irked her that everyone would think that the shock gauntlets, one of her better designs, one that she was proud of, would be believed to have been created by Cabbage Corp. Everyone had to make sacrifices, it seemed and in this area at least hers weren’t as big.

“We did what needed to be done,” she responded.
She was saying – and thinking – that a lot, lately. Especially when she learned about the casualties caused by the Equalist attack. Only three so far but there weren’t supposed to be any!

“Speaking of which…” her father’s gaze fell onto the locked door to his office. “Are you sure that inviting these two pro-benders…” he said this word with distaste “under our roof was a good idea?”

Asami nodded her head.

“Yes, dad,” she said. “Another way to divert any suspicion of us supporting Amon’s cause. Besides, we’re their sponsors. We have to be seen aiding them. Not to mention that it would be good promotion, too.”
“Hmmpff,” Hiroshi muttered. “We could’ve rented them a room in a hotel…”

His daughter put her hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed.
“It’s better to have an eye on them here,” she said. “Especially if Korra is going to be visiting. This way we can also watch her.”

“Fine,” her father shook his head. “But I hope you’ll be doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to dealing with them. I can be polite to them for a time, but with them living here…” Hiroshi’s voice broke. “Especially this firebender walking these corridors, sitting in her chair…”

Hiroshi went silent and Asami hugged him. She knew no firebender visited the Sato mansion since the two Agni Kai firebenders broke in and killed her mother.

“Don’t worry, dad,” she said. “I’ll take care of them. I’ll be the perfect host. Besides, wasn’t it you, who wanted me to… entertain that firebender?”

Her father’s face went red when he recalled what she had told him then… but at least he stopped thinking about Yasuko, if only for a moment.
“No!” he almost shouted. “I didn’t mean… not like that… I mean… I forbid you to…”

Asami laughed and kissed his check.
“Don’t worry, dad,” she said. “I’m not planning on seducing Mako anytime soon.”

Before he could respond, there was a knock at the office door.
“Coming!” Asami called, approaching it and opening. “Oh, hello, Batei,” she said, seeing her butler.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Sato,” he said, bowing. “Your guests have been looking for you. Apparently you had planned to join them in the swimming pool?”
“Ah yes, thank you, Batei,” Asami said. “Please let them know I’ll join them right away after I’ve changed.”

As the butler bowed and left, she turned to her father.
“No rest for the wicked, it seems,” she said. “Or rather for the perfect host.”

“Asami,” Hiroshi’s voice stopped her. “Didn’t you also invite Korra?”
“Oh yes, I did,” Asami responded, keeping her voice deliberately light. “Especially now, we need to keep an eye on her, don’t you think?”

From the look in her father’s eyes, she knew that he was concerned… and unsure of her motives, but he didn’t say anything and turned back to his papers.

* * *

“Stay here, big girl,” Korra said, scratching her Naga’s chin.

Her companion seemed nervous and anxious so Korra was glad she wasn’t taking her into the giant mansion. Spirits only new how many thousands of yuans worth of damage a massive and overenthusiastic polar bear dog could cause in this posh place.

She’d never been to Asami’s home before and now gasped surprised and took a step back as a butler opened the door just as she was going to knock at it.
“Avatar Korra,” he said bowing. “Please come in. It is an honour to see you.”

“Uh… thanks?” she said.
“Mr. Sato is currently busy, but his daughter and her friends are expecting you at the swimming pool,” the butler said.

No wonder Hiroshi was busy, as far as Korra knew from Tenzin, there were talks to contract Future Industries Engineering Division with the repairs of the Pro-bending Arena. As for Asami’s “friends”… Korra thought it was really nice of both Asami and her father to offer Mako and Bolin a place to stay at the mansion, with the Pro-bending Arena being out of order.

Still…
“At the swimming pool?” Korra asked surprised.

Why was she even surprised that this colossus of a mansion had a swimming pool?

“If you allow me, Avatar, to show you the way,” the butler said, bowing yet again.
“Umm… sure.”

As she walked the corridors of the estate, she couldn’t help but watch the interior décor with her mouth wide open in awe. The high-quality marble and wood, the chandeliers, the sculptures and paintings… everything was so beautiful and so classy… and probably sooo expensive.

She stumbled at one point when she saw a photo, among the books on one of the bookshelves that went along the wall in the corridor. Hiroshi Sato, but younger, with hair black instead of white, with a bit slimmer build. A young girl, with a soft smile on her serious face and long, straight black hair.

And next to her a woman who looked like Asami looked now, but more relaxed, more cheerful. Less guarded. With beautiful, kind eyes and a sweet smile.

“That’s Mrs. Yasuko,” Batei said, standing next to Korra. “She…”
“I know,” she cut him off, perhaps too quickly. “I know.”

He nodded his head.
“Please follow me, Avatar.”

* * *

“Earthbending bomb!” Korra heard and then a loud splash.

The butler led her to a huge swimming pool that was right now occupied only by Mako, Bolin (and Pabu) and, of course, Asami.
“Avatar Korra ... has arrived,” the butler announced, but Korra barely listened to him, looking at her friends.

She had to admit that Mako and Bolin looked good, really good in the swimming suits. Some part of her wondered how come Asami knew their sizes so well, even when it came to swimming apparel. She didn’t want to think about it, so she banished these thoughts and…

Yes, the guys looked good but Asami…

Wow.

WOW.

Asami looked great. She was sitting at the edge of the pool in a dark one-piece swimsuit that clung to her body like second skin. And sure, Korra saw Asami in a suit and in a dress and she always looked so perfect but seeing her like this…

Korra suddenly realized, equally surprised that she had this realization as well as that she had it just now that it wasn’t just that Asami was classy and dressed up well.

She was also very attractive.

Beautiful.

Gorgeous.

Stunning.

It’s not that she hasn’t noticed that before. She did and she hated how it made her feel inadequate and jealous but… she has never noticed it before. Should she be noticing it? Wasn’t it weird? Would Asami think that Korra is staring at her in a weird way? But girls could notice other girls being attractive, right? Korra changed into the pro-bending clothes next to Asami, showing her body, her scars… and it wasn’t weird.

But she’d better stop staring. Yes. Definitely.

“Hey, Korra!” Mako said, smiling, leaning against the edge of the pool.
”No wonder he’s so relaxed,” an unwanted thought came to Korra. ”It’s everything he wanted. The championship is over, so he can try dating Asami again and with her looking like that there is no way, he won’t.”

Korra banished the feelings summoned by this thought. Sure, Mako was good looking, really good looking and he hasn’t really been a jerk to her lately, but was she really jealous of him being interested in Asami? She didn’t think so, but in that case what were these thoughts and feelings that threatened to overwhelm her.

She was just tired. Stressed from the aftermath of the Equalist attack. Hesitant about whether she should make a certain choice. That was it. She just wasn’t thinking clearly.
“Glad you made it,” Asami said with a lovely smile.

Korra opened her mouth to say something, but nothing other than a nervous ‘hey’ escaped her mouth.

“Welcome to paradise!” Bolin exclaimed, surfacing from the water and lying on his back, with Pabu jumping onto his belly.

She sat down on a bench at the edge of the pool.
“Looks like you guys settled right in,” she said, unsure why her voice sounded so bitter.

Was she really cross that they didn’t choose the stay at the Air Temple instead of coming her? The Sato mansion made much more sense. Or was she just unfairly resentful that they were relaxing here, while everyone on Air Temple – maybe apart from Pema and Bumi – was walking on eggshells around Tenzin as he was dealing with the consequences of Amon’s attack.

Mako started swimming towards Korra with Asami following him.
“Pretty much,” he said, before turning to Asami and smirking in a way that made her want to waterbend the smile off his face. “Except someone forgot to ask her father if we could stay here.”

Asami just shrugged her shoulders.
“Yeah, but I smoothed it over with him,” she replied to Mako with a smile and then winked at Korra. “It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.”

Korra feels her face go red and hot. Was there some subtext hidden here? Was Asami talking about Mako? About dating Mako? Was she saying that she decided to date Mako despite her father not approving it? But didn’t she tell Korra before that she wasn’t interested in him? Did she change her opinion? Or did she say it back then to spare Korra’s feeling?

Why was she even thinking about it?

She should be thinking about the Equalists, about Amon and not whether Asami and Mako wanted to date. Sure, they were both very attractive and spending time together at the mansion would definitely lead them to getting closer and she didn’t really want Mako so why did she care that he wanted to be with Asami and…

“This is the greatest place in the world! Watch this, watch this…” Bolin said, full of enthusiasm, as he emerged from the pool, Pabu on his shoulder, and sat on the bench next to Korra. He turned to the butler who was still there. “Fetch me my towel, good sir,” he said with an exaggerated formal tone.

Grateful for something to pull her thoughts away from Mako (and Asami, a voice in her head whispered), Korra actually chuckled at that. She laughed even louder, covering her lips with her hand, fearing it might be considered rude, as she watched the butler approach Bolin stiffly.
“Yes, Master... Bolin,” he said.

“Master Bolin! Ha, I love this guy,” Bolin said, getting up from the bench, while Pabu got onto his head and chirped something. “Now pat me dry.”
“As you wish,” the butler said and quickly and efficiently dried Bolin with the towel.

“Don't forget Master Pabu!” Bolin reminded him.
“Wouldn't dream of it, sir.”

As soon as he was done drying them both, Bolin jumped back in the pool. Korra barely stopped herself from laughing as she saw the butler’s annoyed face. She felt a bit guilty about it, but it felt good to relax and let go, if even for a moment.
“So, what do you have planned for us today?” Korra asked as Asami swam closer to her.

The heiress climbed out of the pool, every movement full of grace and Korra just couldn't look away from her silhouette, from the water dripping from Asami’s body, the long, black, wet hair sticking to her back. She looked over her shoulder at Korra with a lovely smile.
“I have a couple of things in my mind,” she said and something in the way she said it made Korra feel lightheaded for a moment.

Chapter Text

“Aaaah…” Korra sighed in pleasure, leaning back against the edge of the pool.

With all the things happening, it was so good to rest. She probably shouldn’t be doing that, should be doing some… some… some important Avatar stuff. It was more and more difficult to remember what this important Avatar stuff was. The warm water in the swimming pool just felt sooo good. Korra loved swimming and every morning spent some time swimming in the waters around Air Temple Island.

Ok, every other morning. Well, on some mornings. But it wasn’t her fault that mornings were evil! As much as she didn’t mind swimming in the cold waters of Yue Bay, it felt so good to just float in the warm swimming pool at the Sato mansion.

She tried to protest at her offer, but Asami was insistent and Korra’s defenses crumbled quickly. Her last-ditch effort was stating that she didn’t have a swimming suit so if they wanted to see her go skinny dipping… At that moment, Mako looked very awkward, Bolin blushed beautifully while Asami… Asami just smiled and said that she was sure she could find some swimming suit of Korra’s size. Defeated, Korra went to Naga to tell her that she’d be going to spend some time at the mansion. Asami also asked her butler to give some large pieces of meat from the mansion pantry and they both laughed – after he had left – at how he went pale at the thought of feeding the giant polar bear dog.

“Isn’t it a bit creepy that you have a swimming suit of just my size?” Korra asked. “Are you a secret spy or, even worse, an obsessed stalker?”
“Oh yes,” Asami said. “I’m an Equalist spy, who tried to get close to the Avatar just to learn the size of the clothes you’re wearing.”

Korra laughed at that and, after a moment Asami did so as well.

“No, I had your size after we’ve fitted the pro-bending outfit for you and when I invited you yesterday to come, I thought you might want to use the swimming pool and had some bought,” Asami explained after a moment. “In fact, I got them in a couple of sizes, just to be sure something fits.”
“Ah, prepared for everything, are you?”

“I try,” Asami said with a lovely smile.
“Ok, ok, ok!” Bolin shouted. “Let’s race! Four lengths of the swimming pool!”

“Are you really challenging a Water Tribe, waterbending Avatar to a swimming race?” Mako asked.
“Yes, I am!”

Korra looked at Asami who just shrugged and soon all four of them – five if you count Pabu, who apparently also wanted to take part in the race – took their starting positions at one end of the pool.

“Go!” Bolin just shouted and immediately started swimming.
“Wait… you didn’t say ‘ready, set…’,” Mako began before, seeing as no one was listening to him and everyone started the race, groaning and starting to swim as well.

Fit as they were, it quickly became obvious to Korra that Bolin and Mako were no challenge for her. It was clear that neither did train swimming – and how could they, living on the streets? – apart from learning it well enough not to drown when they were pushed into the pool surrounding the Pro-bending arena. Bolin was splashing around more than he was actually moving forward and Mako did much better but still, was swallowing way too much water and every now and then he would stop and try to cough it out.

Asami on the other hand…

At first Korra made the mistake of going easy on her friends and Asami quickly used it to take the lead, shooting forward like a torpedo. For a second, Korra was actually too shocked to react. But then she started moving her hands and legs faster, slowly, very slowly, catching up with Asami… then slowly overtaking her… before losing her lead as Asami began swimming faster.

They got to the end of the pool at the same time, turned around and started to race the second length of the pool. And then the third. Finally, Korra reached the end of the fourth length a moment earlier than Asami did.

“Phew,” the heiress said, smiling, despite trying to catch her breath. “That will teach me to get into a swimming competition with a Water Tribe girl.”
“Wow, you were so good! I barely managed to stay in the lead!” Korra responded, returning the smile.

She meant it. Asami’s movements under the water were all perfectly timed, graceful and flawless. And, despite heavy breathing, it was obvious that she still had strength to keep going. There was strength in Asami’s beautiful body that Korra couldn’t help but respect.

“Thank you,” she said. “I try to swim a bit every day and at school I was in the Swimming Team for the Grand Republic City Competition.”
“Of course, you were,” Korra chuckled.

At that point Pabu got to them, swimming in a relaxed way on his back. Then, much, much later Mako reached the finish line and much, much, MUCH later so did Bolin.

“Can we… now just please… relax… in the water…” Mako gasped, fighting to catch his breath. “Not all of us… have otter penguins… as parents…”
“Yeah… the race… was not… the best… of my ideas…” Bolin added to which the two girls just had to laugh… and even Pabu chirped in an amused voice.

* * *

Oh yes, relaxing was nice, especially when Korra used her waterbending, to turn the swimming pool into a giant bubble bath.
“Mmm… it feels so good,” Asami moaned, feeling the water massaging her body, twisting and turning so that the water touched all the tense spots. She didn’t even know she was carrying so much tension inside her, but feeling it slowly release, replaced with relief, felt sooo good.

“Aunt Kya taught me that,” Korra said with some pride in her voice. “She’s always believed that such form of relaxing helps spirit healing.”
“Wise, wise woman,” Bolin muttered, his eyes closed.

“I definitely need to think about replicating this with technology,” Asami thought out loud, her mind beginning to work on this problem. “I’m sure Future Industries could make a killing selling such bathtubs! People who don’t have a friendly waterbender at hand would love to be able to experience it as well!”
“Don’t you give this big, beautiful brain of yours a moment of rest?” Korra asked and, for some reason Asami felt that she was beginning to blush. “And don’t you worry, just let me know you want it and I’ll come to make you a bubble bath.”
“That’s… that’s sweet of you,” Asami said.

Yes, it felt good to be relaxing. After everything that had happened recently… to just let go and spend some time with her… friends? Were they her friends? If so, they the first real one she’s ever had for she would never count Deimi among those... even though she did send a 'Get Well card' to Deimi after the fight in the arena. She remembered how Deimi tried to protect Asami and her father... did she misjudge her? But no, she didn't want to be thinking about Deimi, right now.

Korra and the brothers being friends... This was… a strange thought that she just had to dwell on more.

Bolin was her friend or at least would gladly be one, if only she reached out to him. She liked him too, she was sure about that. Mako and Korra were more complicated though. The two brothers were really good company after they’ve moved into the mansion but she was always a bit awkward around the older brother. Not that Mako was anything other than a perfect gentleman but she was always worried that any moment he would bring up the topic of them dating again. After all, with the Pro-bending season cut short and with the uncertainty if it will start again, she lost her excuse for not dating him during the games.

And what did she feel towards him? She admired many of his qualities, she wished he was on her side, fully, she wished she wouldn’t have to be lying to him… and yes, she did think him handsome and attractive. So why was she so apprehensive about dating him?

But maybe she shouldn’t be worried about that? Maybe he’d lost interest in her and that’s why he wasn’t asking her out again? Suddenly Asami recalled how startled Korra was as she approached the pool for the first time, the awkward looks she gave both Mako and Asami. Was that it? Was Korra interested in Mako? Well, Asami had to admit that he was much nicer to Korra than he had been before. Was he also interested in her? Was it the reason why he didn’t ask Asami out?

If so…

Was Korra jealous to have seen Asami and Mako in the pool? Was she worried that Mako would turn to Asami again? Surely not, she saw that they weren’t doing anything untoward! And Bolin was with them! Wait, didn’t Korra ask Mako and Bolin to move into Air Temple Island just after they’d accepted Asami’s offer of moving into the mansion? Was Korra under the impression that Asami was trying to steal Mako from her?!

By the Spirits!

Asami didn’t know why this thought worried her so much. Well, surely she was just worried that Amon’s plans for Asami manipulating the Avatar would fail if Korra broke contact due to jealousy over Mako. Yes, it must have been that.

But no, she was surely exaggerating. Korra wasn’t a good liar - unlike you, Asami, a voice in her mind spoke – and she wouldn’t be so relaxed right now, if she was angry with Asami. The two wouldn’t be laughing together after the swimming race.

The race! Asami found herself remembering how Korra moved in the water, as if she was one of those water spirits that the sailors sometimes spoke about. The grace, the strength, the agility hidden in this body… Asami almost found it hard to believe that Korra didn’t use waterbending to give herself edge in the competition. Oh, she knew Korra would never do that, she was too honourable for that… but no human, not even the Avatar, had the right to move like that in the water. And yet… Korra did, without the use of her powers. Those moves were all her.

“A yuan for your thoughts, Asami!” Mako said.
“Yeah, you made a strange face!” Bolin said. “As if you were daydreaming about something nice! Oh, I know! Maybe a cactus cream cake! I always loooove imagining myself eating those! And I love imagining Mako’s face when he discovers I ate his part too!”

Once more, Asami found herself blushing.
“What? No! Nothing special!” she blurted out.
“Oh? Was it something naughty?” Korra asked, then blushed as well. “Sorry! Forgot I asked!”

But Asami didn’t miss the way Korra’s eyes went quickly from Asami to Mako and back.

Was she really suspecting that Asami was trying to steal Mako from her? That was ridiculous! Any guy in the world, maybe except Amon, would be thrilled if Korra took interest in him and would never look at any other woman! Korra was smart, kind, brave, strong, funny, sweet and…

“Oh, look!” Asami quickly said, feeling a wave of relief wash over her as she saw Batei bring a tray with cocktails, each one adorned with a lime and a tiny umbrella.
“Oooh! Didn’t I say?!” Bolin exclaimed. “This place is paradise!”

Asami smiled softly at him. She knew it didn’t take much Bolin who spent his childhood on the streets… but she was happy to find out someone enjoying the mansion so much. She appreciated the building for the well-built, well-heated, spacious house that it was, she was happy that a whole library, workshop, swimming pool and gym could have been – and were – built into the place… but she never felt really cozy here. Never truly at home.

Well, not never – not since her mother died. The place was just too big for her and her father and the staff who always maintained some distance from their employers. It felt good to be able to share the mansion with someone who truly liked this place.

“Come!” she said, swimming to the edge of the pool where Batei has placed the tray with drinks.
“Can I have one too?” Bolin asked Mako.

“Maybe I should skip it,” Korra said, looking beautifully awkward as she scratched the back of her head.
“Don’t worry guys,” Asami assured them. “It’s virgin.”

Asami couldn’t help but laugh as she saw Korra blush and look around awkwardly.
“Well… uhm…” she stuttered.
“That means ‘without alcohol’,” Asami put her out of her misery. “Just pineapple juice, frozen raspberries, orange juice and some mint leaves.”

“Oh,” Korra said.
“By the way, Korra,” Mako turned to the Avatar. “I’ve never asked you how did you feel after that night when we celebrated with Asami and her dead and were drinking champagne? Bolin took it quite hard…”

“Hey!” Bolin protested.
“But as we know, he’s not great with alcohol,” the older brother continued, glaring at the younger one.
“Hey!” Bolin muttered, looking around awkwardly.

What was that about? She would have to ask Korra.
“Well…” Korra looked even more awkward then Bolin as, undoubtedly she recalled how drunk she got that evening.
“Oh, Korra felt quite well,” Asami quickly said. “I guess there are some additional perks of being the Avatar, right?”
“Right!” Korra said with relief, smiling at Asami.

“So, what do we drink to?” Mako asked taking the drinks and handing them to the four of them, with Pabu jumping on Bolin’s shoulder and sniffing the glass.
“I raise a toast to the Fire Ferrets!” Asami said. “May the recent complications not stand in the way of them going strong!”

“To the Fire Ferrets!” the trio pro-bending trio responded.
“And their lovely sponsor, Asami!” Mako said, smiling at Asami.

She smiled back, somewhat nervously, and quickly glanced at Korra, that she would be angry or awkward with Mako complimenting Asami. Korra, however, was only looking at her with such a radiant smile, that Asami couldn’t do anything other than smile back.

Her smile, however, faltered a little and suddenly the water in the swimming pool felt colder. These were her friends, yes… or at least they thought so. She… she was lying to them. She was their enemy. When she didn’t know what got into her when she ‘joked’ about being an Equalist spy but it did feel good to say it, even in a way that she knew wouldn’t be taken seriously. It felt freeing. And yet, she knew she would never be able to confess it for real. If she did, she would betray the Equalists, disappoint her father, possibly bring Amon’s wrath on herself and her dad… and she would lose Bolin who got targeted by Equalists. She would lose Mako who would never forgive someone who hurt his brother.

And she would lose Korra, who was the greatest enemy of Equalists.

The choice was simple. She could keep lying to their friends and keep them around, together with her father’s love… or she could tell the truth and lose everything that mattered to her in her life. Asami never thought herself a coward without any sort of integrity, but it seemed that was exactly what she was.

That was all that she was.

Chapter Text

The four of them (plus Pabu, naturally) spent a lot of time in the swimming pool, but it was more relaxing than active training, so when they got out, Asami suggested they check out the gym that was in the mansion. Korra muttered something about needing to go back to Air Temple Island, but she didn’t protest too much or very long and soon they were in sports clothes.

“Listen, Korra,” Mako said, approaching the Avatar, while Bolin was finishing his warm-up, Pabu trying to mimic his movements to the best of his ability. “We need to talk?”

“Oh?” Korra lifted her eyebrow, surprised by the way Mako looked around uncomfortably, lowering his voice to a pretty suspicious whisper.

“There’s … there’s a pretty big favour I need to ask you,” he said, shifting in place awkwardly.
“Go on,” Korra urged him.

Sure, they did have their differences and arguments but after Mako’s apologies after the match with the Buzzard Wasps they have got along much better. Not everything that had been said had been forgotten but most things were well on the way to be forgiven and Korra actually considered Mako a friend. But why was he asking in such a weird, suspicious way? Did his favour somehow relate to Asami? Korra thought a feeling of annoyance. Oh yes, because that’s what she needed in her life now – being the wingwoman to Mako wooing Asami.

But why did this thought annoy her so much?

“You see… I’ve seen the new announcement by the RCPD,” he began.

“The new what by what?” she asked, the topic surprising her.

“Well… you know… this new big recruitment drive,” he explained. “The new Chief, Saikhan, invited all benders to join the police to combat the Equalists.”

Yes, of course she knew it. She’d heard Tenzin talking to Pema and Bumi about it… even to Lin who was currently suspended from her position and temporarily replaced by Saikhan. Though, to be honest, from what Korra heard, it seemed that during the next Council meeting that change would be permanent and Lin would be lucky if she found herself only demoted and not expelled from the force or even prosecuted for negligence… something that Korra found deeply unfair. Lin did her best to stop the attack and Amon surprised everyone.

“Ok, yes, sure, that…” Korra said quickly. “But what do you… wait, you want to join the police?”

“Well… umm… yes?” he said.

Korra first laughed but then, seeing the slightly hurt and more-than-slightly annoyed expression on his face, she stopped and actually thought about it. Mako… wouldn’t be a bad officer, actually. He was a jerk, just like Lin was and she was an awesome policewoman. From what she heard Tenzin say, this Saikhan was also a jerk, so it seemed it was a requirement to join the police force. It was more than that, though. For all his many, many faults, Mako did have a strong need to protect others, especially Bolin… and seeing how his brother got kidnapped by the Equalists, Mako definitely had personal reasons for going after them.

“Oh, sorry,” she said. “I mean… it’s not a bad idea.”

“You think so?” Mako sounded really relieved. “Asami said so as well, but I wasn’t sure…”

Oh, Asami said so as well? They were even discussing their plans for future now? They were really getting along better and better…

“Yeah, I bet you’d be great,” Korra said, then frowned. “But… I’m not exactly sure why you’re telling me all this. I’m not exactly the RCPD recruitment office.”

“Well… you’re the Avatar, you have ins in the Council, you’re buddies with Lin…”
Korra snorted.

“Me and Lin being buddies? Hardly,” she said. “And besides, Lin doesn’t have too much pull in the police right now. As for the Council…”

“Please, Korra,” Mako said. “We can’t be living off Asami forever and I need to be doing something… and I have no idea if and when the pro-bending matches will return. And being in the police? Not only have I wanted it since I was a kid, but that’s the best way to protect Bolin. But with my Triad background…”

Korra sighed.

“I don’t think there’s much I can do, Mako,” she said. “But I will do my best. I’m sure…”

She went silent, seeing Asami stand behind Mako. There was this… slightly hurt look on her face.

“Oh, hey, Asami!” Korra said, maybe a bit too cheerfully and too loudly. “Glad you’re back!”

This strange look disappeared from Asami’s face, replaced with a beautiful smile, so fast that Korra suddenly stopped being sure if she’d even seen it. She sure hoped she was wrong. She would hate if Asami thought that Korra was abusing her hospitality by hitting on the guy the Future Industries heiress was interested in…

* * *

What was this pang that Asami felt when she saw Korra and Mako, huddled and whispering together? Asami wasn’t used to feeling jealous – as she didn’t really have much of dating history and, frankly, without any false humility, when it came to personal achievements of various kinds, people were usually jealous of her, not the other way round. So, was she really that jealous of Mako whispering to Korra about something? He didn’t owe her anything, she told him she didn’t want to bring their relationship onto an even closer level, so she couldn’t blame him if he turned his eyes towards Korra.

Because, honestly, who wouldn’t fall head over heels for Korra?

“Oh, hey, Asami!” Korra said, maybe a bit too cheerfully and too loudly. “Glad you’re back!”

And that weird feeling just got stronger when she saw Korra make this guilty face and speak in a bit too forcefully cheerful tone. Korra wasn’t a good liar and Asami liked her for it.

“I’m sorry, I had to use the restroom,” she said, keeping her voice deliberately light.

Fortunately, Bolin came to the rescue.

“Sooo… are we starting?” he asked.

“You go ahead,” Asami said. “I need to just do a quick warm-up.”

As she did the various exercises, as she bent her body, stretched it, did sit-ups and pull-ups, she kept feeling Korra’s eyes on her. She hoped Korra wouldn’t start disliking her, wouldn’t start suspecting her of trying to steal Mako away from her. She valued Korra’s friendship way too much for this… plus of course, the Avatar’s enmity would complicate her efforts to spy on Korra.

“Oh, oh!” Bolin called. “Korra, I challenge you!”

“Sure, Bolin!” Korra smiled, finally looking away from Asami and walking into a small ring Asami had in her gym.

Asami found herself stopping her warm-up, staring at the two. She watched as Korra lunged forward and knocked Bolin down, without even using her bending. Once again, she couldn’t help but notice how graceful Korra was, in combat as well as outside it. Bolin took the defeat well, laughing it off and accepting Korra’s hand as she helped him to his feet.

The next round started in this time Bolin held his ground, taking Korra’s blows and withstanding them, before grabbing her and forcing her to the ground.

“Good one!” Korra also laughed as she got up.

They lunged at each other once again and once again Bolin went for grapple… but this time Korra was ready and both Asami as well as Mako watched with eyes wide open as Korra grabbed Bolin and threw him against the floor, hard enough to knock the air out of his lungs.

“Ooof…” he gasped, getting up onto somewhat wobbly legs. “Ok… again!”

It was obvious that Bolin was strong and tough and living on the streets plus the training he got as a pro-bending player made him a skilled and dangerous opponent… but Korra was on a completely different level. Soon Bolin found himself lying on his back again, held firmly by her and struggling in vain to free himself.

“Ok, maybe… not again…” Bolin finally said as Korra finally released him. “At least let me catch a breath.”

“Sure,” Korra said, helping him to his feet again.

“If you’re down with the warm-up, maybe we could go now?” Mako turned to Asami.

“Ummm, yes, sure!” she said quickly.

To be honest, focused on watching the duel, she completely forgot about her warm-up. She felt ready and walked onto the ring, thanking Mako with a nod of her head as he held the ring ropes lifted for her.

“I’ll try to go easy on you,” Mako said.

Anger flared in Asami and he must have seen it for he took a step back.

Easy?! No one ever went easy on her and she didn’t expect them too! She has always trained and worked hard to be the best she her she could be and achieved everything the hard way, on her own.

“I didn’t mean it like that…” he immediately started saying, but she didn’t give him the chance and rushed him, dodging his blow and when he kicked she swiped the other leg from beneath him, making him fall on his ass.

“Well, I deserved that,” he said, getting up, not eyeing her much more carefully. “Again?”

Asami glanced to the side and saw Korra watching them. No wonder, Asami knew that in many cultures fighting could be a form of flirting, though Asami couldn’t remember if it was so in the Southern Water Tribe. Nevertheless, close combat duels were, in their nature, very… physical. Was Korra jealous of watching Mako engage in such a fight with Asami, not her? Well, Asami didn’t want Korra being envious and she decided that the best way to avoid it would be to kick Mako’s ass in the hardest and at the same time least sexy way she knew.

“Again,” she said and attacked.

Dodge, dodge, block, a series of blows, low kick and high kick against Mako’s chest knocking him down, having him land on the floor with a groan.

“Again,” he said, getting up and rushing her this time.

Dodge, elbow strike, block, block, kick the back of Mako’s knee, grab him by the hand and throw him against the floor.

She didn’t follow it with a chokehold, deciding that this could seem… almost intimate to the watching Korra. Instead she allowed Mako to get up and when she attacked, she dodged him, struck him in the stomach, causing him to bend over, before knocking him down with a kick. As Mako hit the ground again, Asami heard a soft chuckle coming out from Korra, who quickly covered her mouth. Somehow, this made her feel better.

“Again!” Mako said, getting up and Asami took a fighting stance.

Soon, he was on the ground again.

“Ok… I think… I need to rest,” he muttered.

He looked so down that Asami, couldn’t help but smile at him reassuringly and patted his arm.

“You did good, but you signal your attacks too much and you’re not used to close quarters fighting without bending,” she said. “You need to work on that.”

“Thanks,” he muttered, getting off ring.

Asami wasn’t tired yet and turned towards Korra. For a moment she wanted to invite her in, but hesitated. Was Korra angry that Asami beat the guy she was interested in? Or would defeating Korra be a good idea? She was famously competitive and Asami didn’t want to risk her getting angry at being defeated.

She was hesitating a bit too long, because Bolin jumped into the ring.

“To paraphrase Firelord Zuko, I need to defeat you to restore our family honour!” he called to Asami.

“Oh, do try,” Asami responded, winking at him.

And Bolin tried. In a way he was a more difficult opponent for her than Mako was. He was slower than his older brother but the difference wasn’t big and he was heavier, better balanced and seemed to barely feel her blows. Still, he was a bender first and foremost, not as good in non-bending fighting… and besides, she had already beaten him once and knew his weaknesses.

Asami didn’t let him catch her, moving to the side and went in with a couple of precise blows, not exactly aimed at his chi-points but at his muscles, slowing him down before dropping him to the ground.

“Wow, you’re good!” he said, getting up. “I don’t think anyone ever gave me such a beating! Not even Ming when I angered him! Ok, maybe apart from that Equalist who captured me! You even fight similarly to her!”

She froze. She couldn’t let him make this connection in his mind. He already was sure that he’s heard her somewhere…

“Ready for another round?” Bolin asked and Asami just nodded her head.

She didn’t throw this fight, not exactly. But whenever she was gaining advantage she would start hesitating, thinking whether her movements wouldn’t be too easy for Bolin to recognize… and as she was thinking, instead of relying on instincts, Bolin was kicking her ass.

After the third time he knocked her down, he finally suggested they stopped at that and she accepted with relief.

“Don’t worry,” he said, trying to reassure her. “You were just tired after beating my bro! You’re badass and awesome! Next time we go fighting Equalists, you’re coming with us!”

* * *

Korra frowned. Not that she underestimated Bolin, he was a damn good fighter, but after seeing Asami beat up Mako, she was surprised Asami got defeated so quickly. Oh well, maybe Mako just threw the fight against the girl he wanted to date? Well, let’s see how he would do in a real fight!

“Mako, you and me, let’s go!” she said, turning to him.

“Sure, Korra,” he said jumping onto the ring.

She followed him.

“No going easy on me,” she reminded him. “Because I certainly won’t go easy on you!”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said.

Korra attacked hard and fast. She wanted Asami to realize that Korra wasn’t trying to steal Mako from her, wasn’t interested in him at all! What better way to do that than knock him around the ring?

“Ugh… again!” Mako said when she threw him to the floor.

“Damn… again!” Mako groaned when she threw him against the ropes surrounding the ring, waited for him to bounce back at her, before dropping him with a powerful blow.

“Did someone note down the license plate of this satomobile?” Mako muttered as she knocked him down with a kick. “Again…” he muttered getting up.

To be honest… kicking him ass was also doing wonders when it came to her resolving the issues she had with the way he had been treating her in the past. And when he slowly got up after she knocked him down for the fourth time, she actually hugged him, completely ready to forgive him.

Quickly she realized her mistake and turned around to see Asami watching them with her green eyes narrowed down.

“Asami?” Korra asked.

“Korra?” Asami said in exactly the same moment.

Asami nodded and entered the ring.

Chapter Text

“Dammit, Salami, hold still!” Korra muttered as Asami dodged her blow. “How am I supposed to hit you, if you’re jumping around like a toad hare?”

“What? Maybe you want me to tie myself down as well?” Asami asked. “Or just knock myself out and spare you the trouble! Also, thank you, I think this is the first time someone compared me to a toad hare!”

Korra lunged again but the heiress managed to get out of the Avatar’s reach and she immediately counterattacked with a kick, pushing Korra back.

“Oh, it’s on, Salami!” Korra muttered.

“And what? Before that it wasn’t?” Asami looked at Korra with the look in those laughing green eyes that Korra… hated so much yes.

Yes, hated. Totally. She hated that smug smile. Yes.

Still, she couldn’t help but laugh as she attacked Asami again, this time not stopping the offensive, following Asami inside the ring. Damn, Asami was good, really good. The way she dealt with that drunk sailor was nothing, Korra saw. Asami was good. She was fast, she had perfect balance, moved gracefully and light on her feet… The way Asami moved! Korra had to force herself to focus on the fight, instead of just staring and admiring Asami’s agility and grace!

Suddenly Asami stopped retreating, dived under Korra’s hands and hit her with her elbow, the edge of her hand and then kicked Korra’s legs underneath her. Korra quickly rolled to the side, got up, blocked one of Asami’s blows, grabbed her hand…

And then suddenly Korra was on the ground, held tightly in a chokehold by Asami. How did it happen? How did Asami manage to trip her? She… she didn’t know and somehow, she didn’t really care. She knew she was quite good at close combat fighting, but bending has always been her forte. Asami on the other hand…

“Wow, that was… wow…” Korra muttered, looking into the emerald eyes and red lips so close to her face.

“What? Not very primprop of me?” Asami chuckled.

“No, not very primprop,” Korra laughed. “But… wow… Bolin was right, we’re taking you next time we’re going Equalist hunting. The way you move… Wow, you could easily be a chi-blocker! And I’m lucky that you’re not because if you were, I wouldn’t have stood a chance, bending or no bending.”

Asami went still, the beautiful smile on her face suddenly freezing and looking brittle, like glass or thin ice.

”Way to go, Korra, way to compare your friend to a member in a terrorist group that recently launched an attack on Republic City,” she thought bitterly.

“I’m so sorry!” Korra said quickly. “I didn’t mean to…”

“Oh, no, it’s fine,” Asami chuckled, somewhat nervously, letting Korra go and getting up, before offering the Avatar her hand.

Korra took it and got up.

“Erm… another one?” she suggested.

“Sure,” Asami said.

This time Korra did a lot better. It seemed she’d learned some of Asami’s tricks and she stopped exposing herself so much when attacking. She decided to treat this time of combat more as bending. One movement going changing slowly into another, a smooth flow of strikes and dodges…

And despite that, she had a terrible feeling that, when she threw Asami onto the floor and the heiress signalled that Korra took this round, it was because Asami was going easy on her. Her attacks weren’t as fluid as before, her dodges and blocks were all half a second late. But there was something other, something that Korra could read in another fighter – this time Asami’s head wasn’t fully in it. There was hesitation in her movements.

Was she afraid how competitive Korra would react if she lost? Spirits, please don’t let Asami be another person who pitied Korra! She could accept it from her parents, from Tenzin, from Jinora… but please not from Asami.

“Oh, come on!” Korra snapped; a bit more angrily than she intended. “Don’t go easy on me, Salami! Show me what you’ve really got there!”

For a second Asami looked almost… hurt? But then, that look was replaced with one of determination.

* * *

It was like with Bolin. Thinking about every move, every attack, every dodge, every block. Thinking not to make them too good, too flawless. Thinking instead of fighting, just so Korra wouldn’t connect the dots, wouldn’t discover Asami for the Equalist-trained fighter she was. She was already so close to reaching into this conclusion…

And yet…

And yet, she didn’t want to keep lying to Korra. No, of course, she couldn’t tell her the truth. It would ruin Amon’s plans (Korra would hate you.). She had to maintain the Avatar’s friendship in order to be spying on her (You would lose her.). But there was something about pretending to be weaker than she was when fighting Korra that felt… wrong. Disrespectful. Or maybe it was the fact that Asami hated when people went easy on her… and believed Korra was like that as well.

And so, suddenly, she stopped thinking and started fighting allowing her instincts and training to take over while still maintaining her keen mind. It was, after all, her greatest weapon.

“Not bad, Salami!” Korra said, finally smiling as Asami went on the offensive.

But this time… even though Asami did her best, Korra wasn’t easy to take down. She wasn’t stupid, not in life and not in the ring. Her blue eyes were keen, and she learned Asami’s moves. She knew Asami was faster and better trained, but she also knew she was tougher and stronger, so she accepted Asami’s blows, probably hoping to tire her opponent out.

And the fact that Asami read it in Korra’s stance, in her moves, that she anticipated her adopting this strategy… didn’t mean it was a bad strategy or that it could be easily thwarted. Asami did her best to methodically dismantle Korra’s defences, raining blows at her pressure points from all directions, but Korra just accepted them with a small grunt here and there and her counterstrikes missed Asami by only centimetres…

When they both took a step back from each other, they were breathing heavily, sweat on their bodies.

“Tired, Salami?”

“Don’t count on it, Av… Korra,” Asami corrected herself.

She didn’t want to call Korra the Avatar. She wanted, even if for a moment, forget that her friend and the Avatar were the same person.

“Umm… girls… maybe you could take a break?” Bolin suggested. “Call it a draw?”

Neither of the two fighters risked even a glance in his direction. Instead, they lunged at each other. And then they were on the floor, grappling, fighting, Asami’s hands and fingers brushing Korra’s skin – surprisingly soft if not for some of the scars that she bore on her body. Once… twice… they rolled over each other, fighting to get the advantage…

And finally, Korra, as the stronger one, grabbed Asami’s wrists and pinned her down getting on top of her.

“You yield, Salami?” she asked, breathing hard.

“Never, Korr,” Asami said, with a sudden pang of sadness that she didn’t fully understand.

“I can’t. It’s just not me. I always bring a matter to the end,” Asami thought as she slipped out of Korra’s hold, grabbed her neck between her thighs and twisted her body, pushing Korra onto her back.

“Never, Korr,” Asami repeated, looking into Korra’s blue eyes.

Korra’s beautiful smile was her only response.

* * *

Bolin and Mako wanted to fight, but it seemed the two girls really did a number on Mako, and he moved stiffly and wasn’t really into it.

Asami suggested something else. First, however, a short trip to the big bathroom to wash away the sweat from the fighting. As big as Asami’s mansion was with its own gym and swimming pool, it was always understood that these are to be used only by friends and family so there was only one bathroom, though with a couple of showers. In order not to keep the boys waiting, Asami and Korra went in together to wash and change.

Korra… didn’t really mind, somewhat surprisingly. It wasn’t the only time Asami saw her undressed and even when she noticed Asami’s eyes wondering over her body, noticing the scars, Korra never thought that Asami was repulsed by them… or, which would be even worse, felt pity. Then again, it’s not as if Asami had any reason to be jealous. Even without the scars making Korra look more like some war veteran (at best) and freak (at worst), Asami towered over Korra in the looks department so much that it wasn’t even funny. Once again, she glanced at Asami… and almost gasped as she caught a glimpse of Asami walking into the shower, holding her towel wrapped around her body. What little she saw of that body… wow.

Just wow.

Asami was just perfect. Every centimetre that Korra saw – and she was pretty sure the ones she didn’t see were no less perfect – the long black hair, perfect lips, green eyes… No, there was no way Korra could compare. Not in the looks department and not in the brain department. In fact, the only thing Korra had going for her would be her being the Avatar and it seemed that in Republic City it was more of a disadvantage than something to be proud of.

Well, no wonder Mako preferred Asami. Korra couldn’t really blame him and to be fair, she didn’t. But then why did imagining him with Asami anger her so much?

Well, good thing he, too, was handsome as he and Asami would make a pretty couple. Not wanting to think about it, Korra went into the shower, where, utilizing her waterbending she washed herself quickly.

“You’re done already?” Asami said walking out of her shower.

“Ah, yes, I used waterbending,” Korra said, trying not to stare at Asami as she started putting her clothes on.

“Cheater,” Asami chuckled. “Besides, you’re losing much. I loooove long showers and baths.”

“Well… I can’t say I ever had that pleasure.”

“Really? You have to…”

“Hey, girls?!” Bolin shouted from behind the door. “Less talking, more washing! Mako’s sweat really doesn’t smell that great!”

“You’re the smelly one!” Mako responded.

Asami rolled her eyes to Korra and they both chuckled. Quickly she finished dressing up.

“Calm down, coming out,” she called as they left the bathroom, letting the boys get in.

“So, what do we do now?” Korra asked.

Asami’s smile could only be qualified as a sly one.

* * *

With a roaring engine, a Satomobile– looking very different from the ones on the streets – sped in front of Korra’s eyes. Shortly after a second one passed.

“Wow… a true racing track!” Bolin gasped.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Asami asked, unable to contain a smile.

“Oh yes!” Korra said, her blue eyes lighting. “I mean, I’m not the biggest fan of these loud, air-polluting machines… but that looks so exciting!”

Well, it wasn’t exactly the compliment Asami was – as she realized with some surprise – counting on, but she would accept it.

“This is where Future Industries test-drives their Satomobiles,” he explained, before turning to Korra. “Ever been behind the wheel?”

Korra laughed.

“The only thing I know how to drive is a polar bear dog,” she replied.

Asami looked at Korra for a moment.

“You want me to take you for a spin?” she suggested.

How could one smile so much with… with entirety of herself? When Korra was down… she was down, as Asami recalled the things Korra was saying when drunk. But when she was happy? She was positively radiant illuminating everyone around her with the joy she radiated.

“Let's do it!” Korra said and Asami found herself smiling just as wide as the Avatar was.

* * *

Korra put the protective goggles on. Asami in front of her, behind the wheel was all tense and ready, a small smile on her lips as she looked to her right at Akin, the other driver. He smirked at her as well…

…and they were off! In almost an instant the Satomobiles reached a speed even Naga couldn’t run at! Wind was slapping Korra’s face, and she suddenly understood the need for the protective goggles as they raced through the track. Korra couldn’t see Asami’s face but knew her well enough by now to know how focused Asami was on the race, her entire attention put into this contest.

For the longest time Asami and Akin were going side by side, sometimes one getting a bit ahead, sometimes the other. Akin had a small advantage though. Being a small and wiry man, he still weighed more than Asami… but not more than Asami and Korra combined. His Satomobile slooowly started getting ahead…

Korra gasped as he suddenly turned his wheel, his mobile coming at the one driven by Asami! She stepped on the brakes and swerved to her left, keeping distance, barely stopping her Satomobile from hitting the protective railings surrounding the racing track.

With that, Akin shoot forward, speeding away from them. Korra was still in shock, that he would do such a trick and actually try to crash into Asami’s Satomobile! But then she realized that while Asami may have been the daughter of Akin’s boss but a woman like her would never expect to be given any special treatment or for her opponent to go easy on her. Still, Korra couldn’t help but sigh in disappointment at their defeat…

But Asami wasn’t done yet and wasn’t going to surrender easily. Stepping on the accelerator, she began slowly catching up with Akin’s vehicle… but he kept pushing his into their way, blocking them.

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Korra shouted. “If you want me to earthbend him just say the word!”

To be honest, with the sound of roaring engines and the wind hitting them in their faces, Korra couldn’t be sure if Asami even heard her and, just in case, decided not to follow on her threat.

Asami, it seemed, had the situation covered. She swerved hard to the right, her tires scraping against the railings… and while it cost them some speed, it meant she was now going on the inner side of the track, slowly catching up with Akin’s Satomobile. He tried to block their way but reacted too slowly… and Korra had the impression that he wasn’t as good driver as Asami and didn’t want to risk crashing into the railings.

Slowly but surely Asami’s Satomobile was catching up… when Akin swerved hard at them, deciding to risk it all and block them completely. Asami must have seen it coming because already she was stepping on the brakes. Akin wasn’t as fast, the side of his Satomobile hit the railing, him losing control over his vehicle as it began spinning in the middle of the track… while Asami and Korra shot past him, crossing the finish line before their rival could regain the control of his Satomobile.

“Wow, that was amazing!” Korra shouted, taking off her goggles and helmet and jumping out from their Satomobiles. “I really didn’t think we’d make it!”

Asami took of her goggles and helmet off and flipped her hair in this special way only she knew how to do.

“Well, you can’t be afraid to mix it up sometimes,” she said and winked at Korra, who felt her face get hot.

“I’m glad I had you pegged right,” Korra said offering her hand to Asami. “You’re so primprop but you’re also seriously badass!”

Asami laughed at that.

“People often assume I’m daddy’s helpless little girl, but I can take care of myself,” she said, taking Korra’s hand and getting out of the Satomobile. Then she put her hand and the level of her waist. “I've been in self-defence classes since I was this high. My dad made sure that I would always be able to protect myself.”

“Smart guy,” Korra said. “And I saw how you handled that drunk sailor… and I experienced first-hand how you fight in the ring, so I think the lessons weren’t wasted.”

“Thank you, Korra,” Asami said softly. “It means a lot, coming from you.”

“Sadly, I need to be going now,” Korra said.

“I understand,” Asami said, also sounding disappointed. “How about we meet soon to resume the trip around the city that got so rudely interrupted last time? Just the two of us?”

“I’d like that,” Korra responded. “But won’t Bolin and Mako be disappointed?”

“They’d understand that ladies need some together time every now and then,” Asami smiled. “Besides with the unlimited access to the Sato gym, swimming pool and the kitchen, I don’t think that Bolin at least would notice us being gone.”

“Then it’s a date!” Korra said then immediately realized what she said and started blushing and stuttering. “I mean… a meeting. You know.”

“I know, Korra,” Asami said, laughing. “Let’s meet up with the guys and I’ll walk you out.”

* * *

Everyone made mistakes, even Asami Sato. But rarely did she made mistakes so serious and potentially so deadly. She could blame it on her being relaxed after spending time with Korra and the boys, still excited after winning the race… but the fact was, she made a mistake and now it was possible that she was going to die in this moment.

Naga was there, that night when Asami fought and chi-blocked Korra, the thought came to her, too late to make any difference, as she saw the giant polar bear dog lift her head and sniff the air, before her eyes fell on Asami. Naga was there and she remembered Asami's scent.

Chapter Text

Asami had been careful until now but in truth it was mostly just good luck. When she was meeting Korra in the Republic City or the arena, Korra would get there on her own, usually swimming or waterbending herself from the Air Temple Island (as ridiculous as the former sounded) and when Asami was the one visiting Korra, Tenzin’s kids were usually playing with Naga somewhere, finally having found someone with their insane levels of energy.

All this meant, that Asami didn’t get to see Naga, not since that day she faced her during kidnapping of Bolin. But, judging from the way the polar bear dog narrowed her eyes now, as Asami, Korra, Mako and Bolin approached, and how she growling she lunged forward, Naga didn’t forget Asami’s scent, nor did she forget how Asami beat Korra that night.

“Naga, what are you doing?!” Korra shouted, freezing in place in shock, as her loyal companion jumped on her friend.

Only Asami’s honed reflexes allowed her to jump back, moments before Naga’s giant toothy maw closed in on the space where her neck had been moments before. But nothing the Equalists had taught her could prepare Asami for facing an enraged polar bear dog, not without a shock glove or an electric bolas or a damn mech-tank.

Naga kept pressing on, getting on her hind legs and slashing with her claws. Asami dodged again, but this time she was a moment too slow, and she heard herself screaming as one of the claws cut through her clothes, leaving a long, if thin, cut on Asami’s side.

Only then did Korra manage to react, jumping in front of Naga.

“No!” she yelled firmly. “Stop! Bad Naga!”

For a second it seemed that Naga would listen to her, but then she jumped over Korra, landing in front of Asami, who stumbled and fell on her back.

It was Mako, who saved the day, jumping in front of Naga and lashing at her with a fiery lash, hitting the side of her neck. Still, the giant beast only hesitated for a moment, before roaring at him… before pulling back as he kicked her, his foot enveloped in flames.

“Back!” he yelled, his hands also aflame as he took a step back, while Naga got on her hind legs again, ready to gut him with one swipe of her paw.

This time Korra managed to get between them on them. She lashed with two water whips, one putting out the fire on Mako’s hand, the other wrapping itself around one of Naga’s legs and, with a powerful pull from Korra, forcing her onto the ground.

The polar bear dog was on her feet in an instant though, lunging at Asami again.

“Bolin, now!” Korra shouted and they both earthbent a wall just in front of Naga.

It cracked from the strength of the beast’s attack but didn’t break down.

“Enough, Naga!” Korra shouted. She wrapped one of the water whips around Naga’s snout, lashing her with the other one. “Stop!” she repeated, lashing her companion again as the polar bear dog tried to move towards Asami. “Bad Naga!” another blow of the water whip, forcing Naga away from the lying woman.

Despite her fear, despite the pain in her side, the thing that hurt Asami most were the tears in Korra’s eyes… and the way she fought her companion and best friend, who whined and looked at Korra with absolute lack of understanding.

“Get her out of here,” Korra shouted to Mako. “I don’t know how long I can hold her! Bolin, help me with containing her!”

“Let’s go!” Mako said, grabbing Asami’s hand and helping her to her feet.

As he led her to the mansion, Asami turned around and saw Korra and Bolin locking the frenzied Naga in an earthbent stone cage…

* * *

“Pity I didn’t have Korra with her spirit healing at hand,” Asami said watching the stitched injury. “This is going to leave a scar.”

Immediately she realized that it wasn’t the right thing to say in the presence of her father, as he turned to her absolutely furious.

“You’re not getting anywhere close to the Avatar, ever again!” he yelled, grabbing the phone. “The next time you’ll see her will be in court when I’m suing her and Tenzin’s asses! And that’s only before I call the police and have her put that… that beast down! Now that your injury was taken care of, I see no reason not to report it right now…”

“No!” something in Asami’s voice, stopped Hiroshi’s hand, even as he began dialling the RCPD number.

“What?” he blinked.

“Don’t do it,” Asami said. “Please!”

“What?!” he repeated. “That monster almost killed you! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the Avatar… especially this Avatar has shown such a lack of responsibility. Every step she has taken, every decision she has made was a disaster, but to bring this… this thing into the city! I wonder how many people this beast has eaten and if Tenzin was in on covering it up!”

“Dad!” Asami shouted, despite the situation barely stopping herself from laughing. The image of Naga stalking the streets at night and eating people with Tenzin covering it all up in the morning was just too hilarious to treat seriously… even when Asami still shivered at the thought of the polar bear’s teeth and claws. “Can you hear yourself? Naga hasn’t eaten anyone! And you know perfectly well that she had a good reason to attack me!”

“She almost killed you! For the Avatar to bring her here… the irresponsibility of it…” Hiroshi muttered.

At this moment the phone rang.

Hiroshi picked it up and put the receiver to his ear.

“Tenzin?!” he yelled when the person on the other side introduced himself. “Listen…”

“My father will call back,” Asami said gently, taking the receiver from her father’s hand.

”Oh, Asami… I am... I am happy to hear you…” she heard Tenzin stutter on the other end of the line. ”I am so terribly sorry for what happened! Korra is too! Please…”

“Tenzin, I need to hang up, now,” Asami said. “My father will call you back soon, ok? Please, don’t worry and tell Korra not to worry.”

After she has hung down, Asami turned to her father.

“Dad,” she began. “Korra hardly could know that Naga would jump at me. Naga is pretty friendly around everyone else so there was no reason for Korra to think it would be different with me. It’s not as if could have told her it was me who beat her up in front of her polar bear dog. That’s on me. I should’ve realized that she would come on Naga, and I shouldn’t have been there.”

Hiroshi just muttered something in response.

“I want you to promise me, dad,” Asami said, looking him in the eyes “that you won’t involve the police or the courts or anyone in this matter.”

“But…”

“If I am to keep spying on Korra…”

This time Hiroshi didn’t let her finish.

“Spying?! You’re not meeting Korra ever again!”

Asami sighed.

“We can’t let that small incident stop us,” she said. “I’m sure Amon would agree. I’m also certain Korra will keep Naga far from me right now and I need her to know that I’m not holding a grudge or whatever.”

“But…”

There was one more card to play, but Asami was loathe to do it.

“No offence, dad, but despite you guilt-tripping her into it plus the entire attack on the Pro-bending Tournament finale, Korra still hasn’t joined the task force,” Asami said. “You need me to convince her to do so.”

“Well… you also haven’t had much luck on it,” Hiroshi muttered.

That’s because I wasn’t even trying, Asami thought bitterly. And I’m still not sure if I will try.

“With Korra it’s a slow process,” she said instead. “Listen, before Naga’s attacked, Korra and I decided to have a girls’ night out. It was supposed to be tomorrow evening. I want to call her and tell her that we’re still set for it. You can talk later to Tenzin and inform him that we don’t blame him or Korra for this sad incident.”

“If you think I’ll let you go and see Korra like this, soon after you’ve been hurt…” Hiroshi waved his hand as Asami’s hurt side.

“Dad, I’m fine,” she said. “It was just a shallow cut. And if I start bleeding to death, Korra will be there to use her healing powers on me.”

From her father’s glare it was obvious that this was not the appropriate joke to make at this time.

“Please, dad, just trust me on this, ok?” Asami asked.

“Seems I’m doing plenty of this lately… and you only keep getting hurt,” he replied.

“Just trust me,” she repeated. “I know what I’m doing, and I can take care of myself.”

* * *

“R-really?” Korra stuttered, unable to understand what she was hearing. “You still want to meet up? This evening?”

“Sure, Korra,” Asami said on the other and of the phone line. “If you’re up for it.”

“But shouldn’t you be resting? And… you know… hating me?”

“Nope and nope,” came Asami’s response. “So, what do you say? At five at Katara’s Pier? Let’s finish the sightseeing that was so rudely interrupted last time.”

“Ummm, yes, sure,” Korra said quickly. “I’ll be there.”

“Perfect, Korra! Can’t wait to see you!” Was Asami’s voice a little too forced to be natural? Korra couldn’t tell.

“C-can’t wait to see you to,” Korra replied. “Listen, Asami, I’m so, so, so sorry for what happened!”

“Korra, I need to be running now,” Asami said quickly. “Could you put Tenzin to the phone? My dad wants to have a few words with him. He won’t bite off his head, I promise!”

“Yes, of course, bye!” Korra said and offered the receiver to Tenzin, who accepted it, looking like a man who was going to face a firebender firing squad.

Korra didn’t stay to listen to Tenzin’s side of the conversation. She had another important talk ahead of her.

The Air Temple Island complex had only a couple of basements, so instead of taking one of them, Korra earthbent a big hole and asked Naga to jump in. Now she jumped down to her. Her companion quickly approached, to lick her face, but the stern look in Korra’s eyes stopped her.

“Bad Naga!” Korra shouted and Naga whined, looking down.

Korra felt a pang of pain in her heart, but quickly she recalled that Asami could have died.

“Why did you do that?” she shouted in frustration. “Asami is a friend! A friend!”

At the very mention of Asami’s name Naga growled, which angered Korra that much more.

“I really want her to like me! It’s not as if I have many friends… and she’s so good and nice and understanding!” she kept talking. “She didn’t blame me for the attack on her even though it was clearly my fault she was in danger! And now… and now you almost tear her head off!”

Naga growled and jumped up.

“No! Bad Naga! Biting off heads bad!” Korra said. “Unless they’re Equalists! But Asami? Asami is good!”

Another growl from Naga, her teeth barred…

“No!” Korra shouted and stomped her feet, hard enough to crack the stone around them. “Asami good! Asami is not an Equa…”

She suddenly stopped.

Asami wasn’t an Equalist, right?

But what if she was?

That would explain why Naga was so hostile towards her… and no one else. But no… how would Naga know Asami was an Equalist? Was Asami a chi-blocker? With how she moved, with how skilled she was in combat… that wasn’t exactly impossible. But in such case, why would an Equalist run her over or try to run Korra over with Asami being so near? And why would Asami risk injury to protect Korra?

No.

Korra suddenly felt a rush of anger born of shame. Shame that even for a second, she considered that Asami could be an Equalist. She had no doubts in her mind that the thought came to her only because she didn’t even know how to be angry at Naga and was thinking hard about any possible excuse of her companion’s behaviour. Naga’s always been her one true friend, the one who consoled her when Korra felt imprisoned in the compound, who slept with her when Korra had nightmares about Vaatu ripping Raava from her. Who always understood and who never judged.

But…

Asami, who took them out to restaurants? Who shot turtleducks on the fair and watched spirits in the secluded spot? Asami who laughed as she jumped over the airbender training poles and then laughed even more as she pushed Korra into the water? Asami who took care of Korra when she was drunk? Who always told Korra that she was more than just the Avatar?

Was Korra really considering that Asami could be an Equalist.

No.

Korra might have been naïve and too trusting, but Asami was definitely not an Equalist.

“I’ve called a vet to see if you’re not sick,” Korra said finally to Naga, who whined but this time didn’t dare to protest the word ‘vet’. “And to look at those burns,” Korra’s fingers brushed the place where Mako’s firebending singed the polar bear dog’s fur.

Despite being angry at her companion, Korra provided spirit healing as soon as they were far from Asami’s mansion, but she would feel much better if a vet took a look at Naga… if there was a vet in Republic City that knew a thing about polar bear dogs, of course.

“You’re staying tonight here,” Korra said, looking at Naga, who sent her a truly heartbreaking look.

Asami could have died, she repeated in her mind not to fall under the charm of Naga’s puppy polar bear dog eyes.

“The weather will be nice, and you’ll be getting food and water, of course,” Korra continued. “But before we let you out, I need to make sure you won’t behave like that again!”

Naga whined.

“I don’t want to be forced to send you back to the South Pole!” the Avatar shouted, and Naga whined louder, looking away.

“Listen, let’s make sure it doesn’t come to that, ok?” Korra said one more, looking sternly at Naga. “Remember: Asami good. Asami good! Understand? Asami good!”

Asami is good. Asami is not an Equalist.

Chapter Text

For all of Korra’s reflexes, this time Asami was faster. As soon as they had said their hellos and hugged each other – with Korra being super-extra-incredibly careful not to touch the places where Naga hurt her friend – as the Avatar was taking a deep breath, preparing to speak, Asami put her finger on Korra’s lips.

It felt nice.

“Rule number one of this meeting,” Asami said. “You’re not apologizing for anything.”

“But…” Korra protested.

“We’re on a pier,” Asami said. “If you test me, I won’t hesitate to throw you into the water.”

“That would hardly stop me!” Korra pouted.

“Still.”

“But…”

“No, Korra,” Asami’s voice was dead serious. “I’ll tell you this much – I had to have a couple of stitches, but I’m good. I hope you weren’t too angry at Naga.”

“Of course, I was!” Korra shouted. “She could’ve killed you! I…”

“Korra!” there was clear warning in Asami’s voice… and in how she looked at the cold, dark water surrounding the pier.

“But… but I don’t understand!” Korra said. “Naga… Naga always is... was… such a good girl! I just…”

Asami put her hand on Korra’s shoulder.

“Maybe she thought she was protecting you?” she suggested.

“That’s how it looked but why…”

“Well, maybe… I don’t know… she felt my smell on you, from our fight in the ring… and somehow realized we were fighting but thought it was for real?”

“I don’t know… I sparred with Mako and Bolin too and she didn’t react like that…” Korra muttered.

Asami chuckled.

“Ah, because they didn’t kick your ass,” she said, smiling. “I did!”

“You just got lucky!” Korra immediately said, also laughing.

“Sure, Korra,” Asami said. “You can take a rematch next time you come and visit.”

“It’s on, Salami,” Korra grinned. “But for now… weren’t you supposed to show me around the city?”

Asami flipped her hair in a way that worked so well on Mako and totally, absolutely didn’t work on Korra at all, not one bit. Because it would be weird if it did work.

“Gladly,” she said.

* * *

There was the building that Asami’s mother designed, the one they were going to see when the driver tried to hit them. There was a small bakery where Asami got them cupcakes and Korra, blushing, asked if she could have one more. And one more. And one more, the last one, promise! There was the coffee shop where Korra decided that mornings may be evil, but coffee is even more evil, so Asami got her hot chocolate.

It was then that Korra started feeling embarrassed for Asami buying everything and, blushing, she explained that she literally didn’t have any money, because well, the Avatar didn’t get paid and that she knew Asami was wealthy but she didn’t want to elbow-leech on her but then Asami put her finger on Korra’s lip again in this special way she did it and said that it was all good and indeed it was all good.

Then there was a hill with an old water tower, with Asami using her hairpin to unlock the padlock on the door. From the top of it there was a truly lovely view of Republic City, nestled against the shore of Yue Bay, with its skyscrapers, streets, parks and even Air Temple Island in the distance. With all her distaste for pollution and noise of the traffic, for the Satomobiles and for the crowds of people, Korra began to think that there was a beauty in Republic City, there was beauty in so many different people all working together.

Pity the one thing most of them agreed on was that she was a terrible Avatar, but somehow, on this day, Korra didn’t let it keep her spirits down.

* * *

There was a part of Harmony Park that Korra missed during her first visit to it. It was more wild, the trees not growing in neat, even distances from each other, but forming a green wall, the spaces between them occupied by bushes and vines.

“My mum designed this part of Harmony Park, too,” Asami said as they were lying on the ground, looking at a nearby stream. “The Council asked for something more… wild, for people who didn’t like nature neatly ordered.”

Korra chuckled.

“People like me, you mean?” she asked.

“Glad you like this place,” Asami replied, smiling.

“Your mum must have been a really special person.”

“She was… from what dad tells me,” Asami said. “Sadly, I don’t have that many memories of her… But I loved her a lot.”

Despite the difficult topic, the silence that followed wasn’t awkward at all. More like… respectful.

“You know,” Asami began after a while. “The fun part is, that the part of our garden that she designed is completely unlike this section of the park. It seemed, despite having strong characters, she liked things in their place. An architect’s mind, it seems.”

“Well, then I’m even more impressed, that she created such a wild area here,” Korra said.

“Yes…” Asami said slowly. “It seems… it seems she believed that even if you don’t share someone belief’s… you should make an effort to understand them.”

“The world would be a better place if more people thought like this.”

“I guess…” Asami hesitated. When she spoke again, her voice was careful, guarded. “See… this is why I think I understand why the Equalists have so much support. The Council is full of benders, without any non-bender representation, non-benders are at a disadvantage on the labour market…”

“Sure,” Korra said. “I get it. But what Amon is doing? Terrorist attacks? Sowing hatred? Threatening to ‘equalize’ the whole world? Hurting others is not the solution.”

“I’m sure he thinks that he’s doing the right thing,” Asami said. “So do those who support him.”

There was a long silence.

“Sorry, Korra,” Asami said, her voice trembling. “I didn’t mean to imply that I…”

“I didn’t tell you much about the Water Tribe Civil War, did I?” Korra interrupted her, her eyes looking somewhere into the distance… or perhaps into her past.

“No, you didn’t. But that’s okay. You were just a teenager, thrust into a war and…”

“No, don’t worry,” Korra said, gently. “I want to tell you a bit about it. I assume you know something about it? About how it began?”

“Well… we had it covered in newspapers… but frankly, it rarely got to the front page,” Asami said, looking away as if ashamed. “It was considered by most… including me, I guess… too distant. It didn’t touch us, so we didn’t really care. Future Industries organized some relief efforts for the civilians, we provided some aid… and probably thought that we did our part.”

“It was Unalaq who started the whole thing,” Korra said, barely listening to her friend. “He was my uncle, you know that? My father’s younger brother. He got him banished from the North Pole and… never mind. That’s not what I wanted to say. See… Unalaq was always power-hungry, but he had a point. I didn’t see it back then, but I was just an Avatar in training, held, no, sorry, protected in the White Lotus compound. They taught me how to fight and then, when all the efforts to stop Unalaq failed, they pointed me in his direction and told me to fight him, so I did.”

“They used you as a weapon?!” disgust and anger fought in Asami’s voice for dominance.

“I guess…” Korra shrugged. “I didn’t question it, even though I knew him… he had visited me in the compound before, teaching me about Spirits and so on. And always, he spoke about how the Water Tribe culture was eroded by the ‘wide world’ about those who were ‘overseas’. About how the world stopped respecting the Spirits and I, as the Avatar, needed to bring this respect back. When we faced each other… I think he really thought I would join him… but I was told to fight so I fought him.”

She laughed bitterly.

“By then I knew how he had treated my father, so I was happy to kick his ass,” she added. “Of course, it didn’t turn out that way and he kicked my ass. Seems training doesn’t trump real battle experience.”

Asami put her hand on Korra’s shoulder.

“Korra, you don’t have to be telling me this…”

Korra shook her head.

“Don’t worry, besides it’s not this I wanted to tell you about. Sorry, I started rambling,” she offered Asami a thin, nervous smile as she composed herself. “See… when I fought Unalaq, he was a clear-cut villain for me. But after I got to Republic City…” she shrugged and looked at Asami sheepishly. “Ok, I won’t be lying to you. Besides, you already know that I’m not a fan of technology, Satomobiles and the city in general. And yes, the Spirits don’t get much respect… well, not that I’m the one to be complaining here, seeing how I utterly failed at being a Spirit bridge. Either way, what I’m trying to say… Unalaq had a point. The culture of the greater world, the pursuit of profit and progress at all costs… was hurting the Water Tribes, destroying our traditions, causing the best and brightest of our people to move into places like Republic City looking for a chance of a different, more comfortable life.”

She took a deep breath.

“He had a point,” she said. “Maybe if I saw it back then, if I tried to connect with him, instead of fighting him because I was told to… maybe I could have convinced him to stop. Or maybe not. But what I’m trying to say is… he might have had a point once, he might have wanted to make the world a better place… but instead of trying to work to it slowly, he tried to force the change in one powerful swoop… and yes, I’m aware how it must sound, me advocating restraint,” Korra smiled sheepishly. “Unalaq however… despite his once good intentions, he ended up trying to release Vaatu… a primordial spirit of darkness and chaos… and to engulf the world in ten thousand years of darkness.”

“What?!” Asami said, her eyes going wide.

“Yeah, that was a real thing that happened,” Korra chuckled bitterly. "Or almost happened.”

“Wow… I just…”

“My point is… Amon also might have started from a good place. But… I think he lost his way. And I don’t think he wants to find it back. I just hope that not all of his followers are that blind.”

They were quiet for a long time.

And then… a spirit, a glowing thing that resembled a cross between a cat and a squid came out of the bushes and sat on the ground, watching them, while they were looking back at it.

* * *

“I’ve failed them,” Korra whispered, in a truly heartbreaking voice.

The Spirit Vines slithered, closing in front of her and creating a veritable wall, making her impossible to pass.

Asami tried to convince Korra not to come to the Spirit Wilds, but after encountering the Spirit in Harmony Park and after reminiscing about Unalaq, she insisted on it. As Asami predicted, seeing the battlefield that the Spirit Wilds have becomes, with plenty of space cleared by the mechs but at the cost of some of the machines, their wreckage scattered, shocked Korra to the core.

“I… this…” Korra waved her hand. “It’s wrong. Removing the Wilds like this… is wrong.”

“Korra… the people who were living here… they deserve to have their homes back,” Asami said as gently as she could.

“I know… that’s what I told Jinora,” Korra said. “She wasn’t happy about Future Industries providing the mechs to clear this space, I’m sure Tenzin isn’t happy about it as well.”

“I…” Asami began but Korra kept talking.

“I get it, I really do… but there must have been some other way… I should have been the other way! I should have been the bridge between our worlds and the Spirit World, I should have… dunno… negotiated with them or something. Instead… I completely ignored the matter, afraid that I’d only make it worse, the failure of the Avatar that I am. I focused on learning airbending – no progress here – on pro-bending – and we both know how that ended – and on the Equalists – and the less said about that, the better. I neglected my duties but…”

She swallowed.

“But I… I don’t know what I could’ve done,” she admitted. “But there had to be something!”

Asami also didn’t know what to say, so she just put her hand on Korra’s shoulder again. Then she gasped, surprised, as Korra hugged her tight.

“I… I didn’t achieve anything here,” Korra whispered. “My coming to Republic City was a mistake. The Spirits won’t even talk to me now, the Equalists are stronger than ever… I can’t do anything right.”

“Korra, that’s not true,” Asami said. “I know you feel like that right now, but you’re amazing! You can bring change, good change! You can still make things better!”

“Because I’m the Avatar, right?” the bitterness in Korra’s voice felt like a knife to Asami’s heart.

“No,” she said. “Because you’re a passionate person with a good heart and the desire to do good.”

“I… I need to do something,” Korra said, pulling away from Asami. “I need to.”

* * *

It was evening and the sun was painting the sea in beautiful colours. Asami and Korra were walking back after watching the sunset, when they heard angry shouts from behind a corner. They both went tense immediately.

“Please no wannabe Equalist driver this time!” Asami thought to herself…

But that wasn’t the case as a very tall, very thin man, with a big moustache and messy hair ran out of the corner, pursued by a group of angry people.

“Get him!” one of them shouted at the two girls standing in the escaping man’s way.

“He destroyed my shop!” a woman yelled.

“And my stall!” another one screamed.

“And my cabbages!” a guy called.

Neither Asami nor Korra moved, but the men turned in front of them, running into a small alley… which turned to be a dead end.

“Now we’ve got you!” a man, probably a butcher, judging by the cleaver he brandished, said taking a step closer.

“No!” the fugitive screamed; his voice high from panic. “Don’t come any closer!”

“You’ll pay for everything!” the butcher said taking another step.

“Hey!” Korra shouted. “Back off everyone…”

No one listened to her however and the butcher took another step…

And then flew back, along with the rest of the pursuers as the fugitive waved his hands erratically and blasted them in a powerful gust of air.

“An airbender!” Asami gasped.

“Probably the one who was causing all this trouble in the city,” Korra said. “The one Tenzin was after!”

“Let’s get the bastard together!” the butcher said, getting up.

“NO!” Korra shouted, stomping her foot and sending a tremor through the ground, knocking the people back.

“Damn, it’s the Avatar!” the woman screamed, recognizing her.

“Fuck! Her again?” someone complained.

“Yeah, you better focus on getting rid of the Spirits, not on fighting law abiding citizens such as ourselves!”

“Get out, Avatar!”

“Make me,” Korra said, her hands blazing with fire.

Asami needed just one look at her, to know that Korra was serious. She would prefer to scare these off but if they attacked…

Fortunately, they were too cowardly – or rather smart – for that and, flinging some last profanities at Korra escaped. One curse in particular rang in Asami’s ear.

”Amon take you, Avatar!”

As soon as the men left, Asami and Korra turned to look at the airbender… only to see him gone, having jumped – or rather airbent himself – onto the roof of the nearby building.

“Ok, you can come down now,” Korra shouted at him. “They’re gone.”

He didn’t move.

“You’re safe!” she tried again.

He took a step forward, standing on the edge of the roof, looking down.

“Hey, what are you doing?!” Korra shouted.

No response.

Asami felt as if some giant fist gripped her heart.

“Korra, he’s…” she began.

Before she could finish, Korra earthbent a pillar of stone from the ground, shooting herself up into the air and then, with fire streams from her feet propelling her onto the roof.

“Damn…” Asami muttered and rushed into the building, running upstairs and onto the roof entrance as fast as she could.

As she got onto it, breathing hard from the exertion, she heard the man shout.

“Don’t come any closer, Avatar! Or I’ll jump!” he yelled.

“Sure, sure!” Korra quickly said, lifting her hands, palms up. “Let’s not do anything stupid. So… you already know who I am, but I prefer to go by Korra… and this is my friend Asami. What’s your name?”

The man hesitated for a moment.

“It’s Daw,” he finally said.

“So… Daw… I hope you’re not considering doing anything stupid?” Korra said.

“What… what else is there to do?” he asked.

“Eat a good cupcake?” Korra suggested. “My friend here knows a great bakery. Or maybe noodles?”

The man… Daw… shook his head.

“Ever since I got this… curse… I ruin everything!” he shouted. “I can’t control it! My brother hates me because I ruined our shop, all these people…”

Asami opened her mouth to say something… and closed it. Despite interviewing people, often desperate people, applying for work in Future Industries plants, she found herself unable to find the right thing to say. Agreeing with him and calling airbending a curse, sure wasn’t the right approach. Besides… it seemed Korra was getting through to him. At least he hadn’t jumped yet.

“Why didn’t you go to Air Temple Island?” Korra asked. “Tenzin was looking for you all over the city!”

“He’s in the Council! He would have to have me arrested for all the damage I did! I can’t go to prison! I can’t afford to pay the fines!”

“Man, calm down,” she said. “Tenzin is good people. He wouldn’t let you be arrested for it. You would be trained how to use your airbending… well, he couldn’t teach me, but it turns a rock is a better airbender than I am!”

“But I don’t want to be an airbender!” Daw screamed. “I want my life back!”

“You could… contact the Equalists,” Asami quickly suggested. That was something she was good at – suggesting solutions. She shuddered a bit at the shocked expression Korra shot her but kept talking. “Their leader… Amon… can take people’s bending away. I’m sure he would do it for you. You would go back to how you were.”

“No!” the man screamed. “I won’t go to this madman! He hurts people!”

The utter terror in his voice almost stunned Asami. Why was he resisting? Didn’t he see that it was the most logical explanation? That Amon would only take away his bending, equalize him, but that he wouldn’t hurt him?

“Listen, mate,” Korra said. “Change is hard. I get it.”

“Do you?” Daw asked. “You’re the damn Avatar!”

“Yup! The most hated person in the city! In a recent poll I ranked below some of the Triad bosses,” she said with a smile. “You received this power you weren’t ready for and that you didn’t want… while I had something taken from me.”

There was a silence from all three.

“I could access my previous lives, you know?” she asked. “Talk to Aang, Roku, Kyoshi… even Wan, the first Avatar. I was barely starting to learn about this power… when it got taken away from me. The past lives lost, presumably forever. Believe me… it wasn’t easy for me to learn to live without it.”

She chuckled without any joy in it.

“I’m still learning, to be honest,” she shrugged and then looked down. “In fact… I was also… thinking about… this. Doing this.” She pointed at the ledge. “Sometimes… sometimes I still do. Maybe… just maybe… the next Avatar would have the access to the past lives again? Maybe it’s just me who lost it? Who am I to keep this gift from the world?”

Asami didn’t even notice when she put her hand on her lips. This day… she learned a lot about Korra. About the Water Tribe Civil War, about the thing called Vaatu, about Unalaq, about Korra’s fears… but it was the first time she really, truly saw how vulnerable and how close to breaking Korra was.

“But… I refuse to surrender,” she kept whispering. “Or maybe I’m just afraid? Dunno. But… I don’t think it is a solution. If you look deep into yourself… and if you think there is a tiny, tiniest chance that you might find your path again… then you owe it to yourself to try. It doesn’t matter if you are on the run, ask Amon to remove the bending or Tenzin to teach you. I mean it matters, but not as much as whether you choose to live. On your own terms.”

“So, I should… embrace this change?”

Korra snorted.

“Embrace? No,” she said. “Do you think I embraced what was done to me? No. You should accept it… and learn live with it.”

Daw took a deep breath. Then another.

“You’re right, Av… Korra,” he said as he took a step off the ledge.

And then he slipped.

Asami started running immediately but Korra was closer. She grabbed Daw by the arm and lifted – no, not lifted, threw – him onto the middle of the roof. Asami was already sighing with relief, when part of the ledge Korra jumped on started crumbling, sending her down. Just as Korra did with Daw moments before, Asami jumped on the ledge, grabbing Korra’s hand…

She would have held her if not for a sudden, sharp pain that shot from the injuries caused by both Naga and the driver who hit her. She screamed, lost her balance and was pulled by Korra over the ledge, falling down, down, down…

Until powerful whirlwind of air caught them, slowing their descent and landing them gently on the street below.

“Wow, good one, Daw,” Korra chuckled looking up. “See? Airbending can be useful.”

But Daw’s face, visible on the top of the building, was looking down in utter shock.

“I don’t think it was him, Korra,” Asami said, then smiled. “I think you saved us. You unlocked airbending!”

Korra was looking at Asami for a long, long time with an expression the heiress couldn’t decipher.

“No, Asami, I didn’t,” finally, she spoke. “You did.”

Chapter Text

All the sounds suddenly became muffled.

There was one exception: her heartbeat being louder than an earthquake.

Everything was spinning in front of her eyes.

There was one constant: Korra’s astonished face, those eyes so big and beautiful.

She was saying something. Asami could catch words, phrases: “it was you!”, “incredible”, “it was you!”, “awesome”, “it was you!”, “it’s amazing”.

“It was you!”

Was she… an airbender?

She was an airbender.

Her father would hate her.

Her father will hate her.

Benders were evil.

They exploited others. They had unnatural, unfair advantages. They killed her mother.

She was a bender.

Benders were evil.

Korra was a bender.

Korra was the bender.

Korra wasn’t evil.

Korra…

Asami looked at Korra again. She looked so happy for her… and yet… Asami couldn’t help it, but a part of her, a part that was brought up in the polar bear dog eats polar bear dog world of the rich socialites, started whispering into her ear that Korra was her friend because there was at least one thing – bending – that she could do that Asami couldn’t. What if… what if Asami learning airbending, the one art Korra was unable to master, would make Korra jealous?

What if Korra would hate her?

Her father will hate her.

Will Korra also hate her?

* * *

Silence.

Long, long silence.

Asami never realized that the clock in her father’s office was so loud. Each tic was like a thunder, each toc like an explosion. Every sound amplified by her tense body, by her senses going into overdrive, as she had her eyes glued to the floor, unable to look up at her father’s face, worried that she will see disappointment on his face… or worse yet, disgust or hatred.

“Are you sure?” he asked, sounding tired and hollow.

“I… I’m not but…” she hesitated.

Silence.

Tic-tock.

“Can you show me?” he asked, and it was clear how much it cost him to ask this question.

“No,” she shook her head. “It doesn't… work.”

Tic-tock. Tic-tock.

“So, you’ve tried? After… that one time.”

“Yes, dad,” she responded.

What kind of a question was that? She was an engineer. Tests and experiments had to be run, even if the results were… inconclusive.

“So maybe it isn’t so… maybe you aren’t…” her father hesitated. “Maybe it wasn’t you.”

“It wasn’t this Daw, dad,” Asami tried to sound calm and reasonable. “And it wasn’t Korra.”

“How can the Avatar know that it was you? From what I know she doesn’t know airbending but perhaps…”

“I think she knows how bending feels like. If the Avatar tells me it wasn’t her who did the airbending, I’m inclined to believe her.”

And she needed her father to believe it as well. Even if he were to hate her, even if he were to cast her out and disown her… not that he would risk such a public display of his anti-bending sentiment… she had to know. She needed him not to be in denial any longer, needed to know how felt about her being an airbender.

She heard his chair being pulled back from the desk and him getting up. He approached her, every step slow and hesitant as if he was suddenly afraid of her… or doing something to her.

Asami didn’t know which was worse.

Hiroshi stopped in front of her. Still looking down, she could see his shoes.

Tic-tock, tic-tock.

“Asami,” he said, taking her by the hand and lifting her to her feet, making a gesture as if he wanted to embrace her, but stopping mid-movement

His face contorted in a mask of fury as he zapped the Agni-Kai thugs again and again…

His sad, worried, loving face.

“Asami, even if it is true…” he began.

“It is true, dad,” she said.

“Even if it is true, you are my daughter and I love you more than life itself,” he said.

“Oh, dad!” Asami couldn’t help but sigh in relief and hug him, hug him tight.

He returned, holding her fast as if it was the only way from stopping her from drowning. Or from stopping himself from doing it.

Tic-tock, tic-tock.

Finally, the hug ended, and they pulled away from each other.

“So, what do you want to do about it?” Hiroshi finally asked.

* * *

Amon didn’t ask Asami if she was sure if it really happened, if she was really an airbender. He only asked if she was sure of her decision.

“Yes, I am,” she said, kneeling in front of him and looking up at the mask covering his face.

She couldn’t not notice that Lieutenant Tazaki was there as well, but no other Equalists, no other chi-blockers. It seemed Amon still trusted her… but then again, she came to him out of her own free will. She could have hidden her… powers. But she came and told him everything.

She wished he didn’t have his mask on so that she could have seen… something, anything on his face.

“You are so brave,” he said, bowing lightly. “Truly a gift to our cause. Some people, less dedicated people, could turn away from our movement, once they discovered they were benders themselves.”

Asami’s thoughts went to that Equalist-turned-airbender she saw saw Amon speak to, what seemed to be a year ago. What was his name? Ah, Maraki. He too, preferred to have his bending removed, instead of living as an airbender.

Asami thought a lot about him in the last couple of hours.

But she truly believed in the Equalist cause. To turn against it, just because now she was one of the benders, because she selfishly wanted to keep this gift – this curse - it would be hypocrisy.

Whatever her faults, Asami was not fickle, was not a hypocrite. She joined the Equalists to make the word a better place and wasn’t going to change her mind just because she became a bender.

But wasn’t she having doubts before?

Korra…

Nonsense.

She was loyal to the cause.

She looked up as Amon moved, reaching out with his hand… taking her by the chin and lifting her head, making her look at his face….

“You and the Avatar are already friends… or at least the Avatar thinks so,” Amon said… but what did this short pause mean. Was he suspecting her of liking Korra more than her role demanded? No, if he distrusted her in any way, he would equalize her here and now. “With you as a student in in the Air Temple… you will be in a perfect position to provide us valuable intel… and to strike at them when the time comes.”

Asami thought about Maraki as well, Maraki who rejected the same offer. She remembered that she’d thought he made a mistake, that it was his duty to spy on the Tenzin and the other airbenders. If she’d felt so back then, could she do anything less now? She felt a shiver down her spine as she thought about planting explosives or starting a fire in this place devoted to peace. She hoped Amon didn’t notice her reaction.

“Anything for the cause,” she said.

“Your sacrifice will be remembered. To live with this… curse… I respect your bravery. And once our sacred mission is complete,” Amon continued, helping Asami get up. “I promise I will free you from this vile power that was thrust upon you without your consent. Just another proof that the Avatar and bending can strike and anyone, try to corrupt anyone. Good thing that your resolve is unshakable.”

Spying on Tenzin’s family? She didn’t know if she could do it.

No.

She had to. It was for the cause. Tenzin might have been a good person, but the airbender family were the obstacles on the way of technological progress, holding to ancient beliefs. Besides, for all their talk of pacifism and freedom, the current airbenders were in a way one of the most restrictive bender regimes, with the so called “Air Acolytes” always serving the benders from Aang’s lineage – and now other, new airbenders.

But could she spy on Korra?

Well, Amon already had agents among the Air Acolytes. Her presence there wouldn’t change a thing. And besides, if she ever had any doubts about the information she learned… she could always decide not to pass it… even though even admitting the possibility of such an option was in her mind almost equal to treason.

“It is.”

“Has everything been arranged?” Amon asked, looking up at Hiroshi.

“Yes, we’re seeing Tenzin in an hour,” Asami said. “Korra by now has told him for sure of what happened and he’s expecting me.”

“In that case, let’s not keep the master airbender waiting,” Amon said.

Asami bowed her head.

* * *

“Hey, Sami!” Korra was already waving at her from the shore.

“Hey, Korra,” Asami said, getting out of the boat.

She couldn’t help but look around, nervously.

“Don’t worry,” Korra said, catching that. “Naga is… currently locked down.”

It was clear that it hurt Korra and that made Asami appreciate the gesture even more.

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t worry,” Korra said quickly, too quickly. “I’m sure we’ll get her to like you. But hey, it’s your big day! The day of beginning your airbending training! Listen, Tenzin can be…”

“Oh, good morning, Asami!” Jinora called, dropping in on a glider, Ikki and Meelo following.

“Dad says your father is a ‘ruthless capitalist’,” Ikki said. “What is a ‘ruthless capitalist’?”

“Well…” Asami said.

“Ikki!” Jinora snapped.

Korra knew she too had her doubt about the Satos and the role they played in providing the Council with the mechs to clear out the Spirit Wilds, but at least she was trying to remain unbiased.

“Wow, you’re pretty!” Meelo said, his eyes wide as he looked at Asami. “Can I have a piece of your hair?”

“Ummm…” if anything, Asami was even more taken aback by his words than by Ikki’s.

“Meelo!” Jinora shouted at him.

Korra couldn’t help but chuckle at Asami’s horrified face… and at the partially lovestruck and partially disappointed look on Meelo’s face.

“Tell me, Asami, are you dating that cute firebender boy?” Ikki asked. “He is sooo dreamy, but Korra said he was mean to her, and she doesn’t like him but that you went on a date with him…”

“Oh, I will duel him for your hand!” Meelo shouted, jumping up and down and shooting wind left and right. One of the gusts of wind brushing against Asami’s hair, flipping it around her in a way that… made Meelo’s jaw drop.

Asami glanced at Korra, but she had a weird, vacant expression on her face too, as she was looking at Asami, her head slightly tilted.

“Well, we were on a date, and I think Mako would like something more but for now we agreed to remain just friends,” seeing that no rescue was coming from Korra, Asami explained to Ikki.

“Oh, that’s good!” the girl said, her eyes lighting up. “Because he is so handsome that he will be my husband when I get older. Unless I decide to become the fairy spirit of the stars.”

“That’s… an interesting career choice,” Asami said, relieved that it seemed that the topic would change.

“Besides, that leaves you free for Korra!” Ikki exclaimed with a wide grin.

“Ex-excuse me?” Asami said, looking quickly at Korra who found herself blushing hard but seemed unable to speak through the suddenly dry throat.

“You know that Korra likes you, right?” the girl continued, proving that she was even more merciless than Amon, Unalaq and Ozai put together.

“Ummm… yes… I’m happy to call Korra my friend, right Korr?”

“Right, Sami!” Korra nodded quickly, way too quickly, her face still looking as red as if she was trying to firebend with it. “Good friends! Besties!”

“But I thought…” Ikki continued but then Jinora blew her back with a powerful blast of air.

“Ikki, Meelo, enough!” she said. “You will scare our newest student away! Let’s go, Asami, my father is waiting for you."

* * *

Meelo didn’t see it coming. No wonder, as he was completely focused on peeping through a tiny gap between two planks making the door. Without thinking, Korra pulled a stream of water from her satchel, bent it into a water whip and brought it on his ass!

“Aieee!” he jumped.

“Get out!” Korra barked at him and stomped her foot.

She didn’t even need to do any earthbending, but Meelo still summoned an airscooter and on it got away on it. What was up with him?

She knocked at the door.

Asami had gone there after Tenzin told her to put Air Nation clothes on… and she wasn’t coming for quite a long time, so Korra went to look for her.

“Asami?” she called and knocked again.

Was there anything wrong? Did she lose consciousness or something? Korra opened the door – there were no locks on most of the Air Temple doors – and…

And immediately understood what Meelo was staring at through the gap in the planks of the door.

Asami Sato was standing there, in her underwear, looking down at the Air Nomad red and orange clothes in her hands. No, not looking as she was having an absolutely vacant look on her face.

Korra quickly closed the door behind herself.

“Asami?” she asked again, louder.

Only now did Asami turn around to look at her, her face coming back to life.

“Oh, Korra, I’m sorry, I just got… I guess… distracted…” she said.

“Well… yes, I can see that,” Korra said. “I… we were getting worried.”

“Was I out of it for so long?” Asami looked at her with disbelief. “I’m sorry, these things usually don’t happen to me. I’m rather good and not getting distracted. However…” she sighed and lifted the clothes in her hands once more. “The thought of putting it on… feels so strange.”

“Yeeah,” Korra said then pointed at her blue outfit. “As you can see, I’m also not a fan of these Air Nation clothes. Since with my utter lack of ability to airbend even a tiny bit, Tenzin is mostly giving me individual lessons… and by lessons, I mean ‘he is trying increasingly crazy ways to somehow awaken the airbending within me’, and he allows me to dress in my regular, waterbending clothes. I guess he thinks that the more comfortable I am, the easier airbending would come to me… but well, not much success on this front.”

“I’m sorry, Korra,” Asami said.

“Nah, don’t worry,” Korra tried to keep her voice light. It was Asami’s big day, and she didn’t want to bring her down with her own problems. “But hey, if you think, you’ll feel more confident if I change into these lame-looking clothes, then that’s fine by me!”

It was so strange to see anything else than utter self-confidence on Asami’s face but the vulnerable look she shot Korra was beyond adorable.

“Could you?” she asked.

“Oh, of course!” Korra said, grabbed the bottom of her shirt… then turned towards the door. “I sure hope no one is watching us!” she said. “Or I’d be very angry and tell Pema!”

“I sure hope so as well,” Asami chuckled and shrugged her shapely shoulders before running her hand up and down her body in a dismissive gesture… that somehow was just… wow. “As you can see, I have nothing to hide. But why would anyone do it?”

“No reason, no reason at all,” Korra said quickly and took her shirt off.

Chapter Text

“Hmmm…” Tenzin said, scratching his chin. “I think… we need to… try something different.”

And then he left as Asami rolled her eyes, frustrated at her inability to summon even the tiniest bit of wind.

“Don’t worry, Sami,” Korra reassured her. “I still can’t airbend and, as the Avatar, I should be a damn prodigy.”

“I know but…” Asami sighed.

How was she to explain it? That she always found new things easy to learn? That it was just so annoying to discover a new skill by accident and then be unable to repeat the feat?

“Yeah, don’t worry, girl,” Bumi stood next to her. “At first even my brother couldn’t get me to airbend and look now at me!” he exclaimed making a throwing gesture… after which nothing happened. “Well damn!” he said and then a stream of air hit Asami and Korra. “See! It works! Almost! Sometimes! But the point is, Tenzin didn’t even believe I could airbend! Meelo had to throw a rock at my face, for me to do some airbending!”

“Ooooh!” Ikki shouted, suddenly appearing from nowhere between Asami and Korra. “Maybe that’s what we should do? You used your power to save you two, didn’t you, Asami?” she asked and, not waiting for an answer, she kept talking. “That must have been so romantic! You two falling together and you summoning the power of winds to land safely! I wish I could do that to Mako!”

“By the Spirits, Ikki, please tell me you won’t try to toss Mako off a cliff just so you can ‘save’ him?” Korra gasped.

Ikki’s face lit up.

“Now that’s an idea! Thanks, Korra! But let’s focus on Asami now!” she said and then yelled as loud as she could. “MEEEELO! Toss a rock at Asami!”

“No!” Meelo protested. “No one is tossing rocks on the pretty lady on my watch!”

“Ah, but tossing them at your old uncle is alright?” Bumi said and Meelo had the decency to look down in shame.

“Well, I guess I need to do it myself,” Ikki muttered then turned to Asami. “You’re going to thank me for that!”

“No, Ikki!” Tenzin landed next to them. “No rock tossing!”

“Fiiiiine… you can take your boring teaching methods and…” she stopped as her father glared at her.

“Well, Asami,” he began. “I think we might try the spinning gates!”

“Oh, neat!” Korra shouted. “You’ll love that!”

* * *

As Tenzin and Jinora put the spinning gates into motion, Asami thought that she definitely won’t like this.

“Jami, could you please show Asami how it’s done?” Tenzin said and the pretty girl took a deep breath as she stepped forward.

Asami watched her walk onto the course, walking low on her legs, her hands lifted to her chest, turning around at a moment’s notice, each time barely avoiding the gates hitting her… but avoiding them. Asami, however, could see and sense the lack of confidence in her movements and that, what was most surprising, it seemed that with every step, every obstacle defeated, she grew less confident instead of more.

And that was when she stumbled, got hit by a gate then by another and another and another…

“Well, that wasn’t… entirely bad,” Tenzin said. “Maybe you, Otaku..?”

“Ugh…” the boy just groaned something.

“So maybe Jinora can…” Tenzin began but Korra interrupted him, by holding her hand high as she jumped up and down.

“Me! Me!” she shouted with a grin.

“Ummm… sure, Korra,” Tenzin said, putting the gates into motion again.

It was amazing really. Each time Asami saw Korra move or fight, she told herself she shouldn’t be surprised with how graceful and beautiful her motions were that by now she should know them well enough. She studied them and she fought Korra, after all! And yet… each time she couldn’t help but stare.

This time was no different, Korra entering the obstacle course with her eyes closed and began to… dance. There was no better word for it. Moving in fluid motions, her entire body moving like a river, flowing from one stance to another, look of utter… tranquillity on Korra’s face… she danced through the field of spinning gates as if they weren’t even there as if there was nothing in the world but herself and this dance.

All too soon, for Asami could stare at this scene for ages, Korra was on the other side of the obstacle course and the look of tranquillity on her face was immediately replaced with a wide grin.

“See, Sami?” Korra called. “It’s not that hard!”

Jami and Otaku just groaned something in response.

“Of course, Korra is… not doing it exactly as it should be done,” Tenzin said to Asami. “She’s putting… her own spin on it, so to speak. Adding some waterbending moves. But, well, she’s the Avatar so it’s expected that she tries to combine the techniques she’s been taught.”

“Hmmm,” Asami muttered, barely paying attention to his words, imagining again and again the wonder that was Korra dancing through the obstacle course.

“Jinora actually might be better to show you the proper… well, the airbender way of clearing the course…”

“No,” Asami shook her head. “I think I can do it.”

“Are you sure?” Tenzin asked.

Asami nodded her head and stepped in front of the obstacle course.

Tenzin sighed, shrugged then looked at Jinora and together they put the gates into motion.

Asami stood there for a moment, just watching them move.

“Remember, be the leaf, pretty lady!” Meelo shouted.

Asami still didn’t move.

“If you’re not feeling confident, maybe Jinora can…”

“No, it’s good,” Asami said, not even looking at him.

Her eyes and mind were focused solely on the obstacles in front of her. She was looking how fast the gates were spinning, her mind was calculating the frequency of the movements, the optimal angle of her body. Her brain was charting a path from the obstacle course and once she thought she had the best one, she started moving.

Step, step. Wait for two seconds. Step to the side to let a gate pass, and two steps forward. Rotate body, lean back little. Wait for a bit over three seconds, immediately three quick steps forward, one to the side, turn your body, two steps forward – a gate ruffled her hair as it passed her – then wait for a bit over one second, a step to the side, wait a moment two steps forward, two to the side, three steps forward… and she was out of the obstacle course!

“Bravo, Sami!” Korra shouted, clapping her hands. “I knew you could do it!”

Asami felt strangely lightheaded seeing Korra’s lovely smile – from the concentration and exertion on the obstacle course, most likely – and she smiled back at the Avatar.

“Hmm, that was very good,” Tenzin said, walking over to Asami. “Not very airbender-like though, but good, nevertheless. Maybe try to airbend now?”

Asami focused on what she was feeling inside the obstacle course, looked at the nearest tree, imagined exactly how the branches would bend, calculated the necessary speed and force of the wind to achieved and pushed her hands forward, pushing with her willpower.

“Weeeeell… you can say you’re as good of an airbender as the Avatar is!” Korra said putting her hand on Asami’s shoulder when nothing happened. “Though, to be honest, you’re probably a much better one seeing as you have one successful attempt at airbending against my zero.”

“Thanks for saying it, Korra,” Asami smiled at her.

“Hmm… maybe it’s because you didn’t do it the airbender way?” Tenzin wondered out loud. “We can try again…”

“Oh damn,” Korra suddenly shouted. “Sorry, Sami, sorry Tenzin! Need to run! I’m meeting someone!”

“What…” Tenzin blinked, confused.

“But…” Asami began but Korra was no longer there, running away.

Suddenly Asami felt much more vulnerable and alone. Despite any reservations Tenzin might have felt towards her for the Future Industries providing mechs to fight the Spirit Wilds, he treated her with utter politeness and his kids were very kind (Ikki wanting to throw rocks and her and Meelo being obsessed with her in a slightly creepy way aside)… but without Korra here, she suddenly felt much less confident. Jami and Otaku had already been training long time together and kept to themselves… and Bumi was equally nice to everyone but naturally was spending more time with his nieces and his nephew.

Another thought came to her, unwanted. Who was Korra meeting? Not that she was feeling jealous or possessive in regards to Korra or her time – what an absurd notion, she had no right or reason to be jealous – but… was Korra meeting Mako. Were they beginning to date? But Korra really didn’t need to hide from Asami. The thought of them being together-together hurt, just a little, but Asami wasn’t sure how she felt about Mako, and she definitely wasn’t hopelessly in love with him so if Korra wanted him… Asami wouldn’t stand in their way.

“Well… before we get back to the gates, maybe we could try the jumping over water obstacle course?” he suggested and then, a slight smile appeared on his face. “Judging from what I’ve seen before, you and Korra already had a lot of fun on this one, so it shouldn’t be much of a problem for you.”

Asami felt her face go red as she recalled chasing Korra by jumping from pole to pole, throwing her into water, falling there together…

“Excuse me?” she asked, realizing that Tenzin has been talking to her for some time. “I… I got distracted.”

“Hmppfff,” Tenzin muttered. “I was saying that perhaps finishing this exercise would help you with connecting to your airbending powers. Shall we try?”

* * *

“I’m sorry sir, but she insisted on coming and…” the secretary, a small mousy man with grey hair and thin golden glasses, protested as Korra pushed past him.

“Korra, I don’t have time for you now,” Tarrlok said, getting up. “I’m leaving for the Council session. We need to change our laws in order to combat the Equalist threat better.” He glared at her. “Some of us, still believe in fighting them, you know.”

“I know,” she said. “That’s why I’m here.”

“Oh?” Tarrlok asked, then looked at his assistant. “Leave us and contact the Council that I might be late for the session. Sit down, Korra.”

She hesitated. She preferred to be standing, but she was on his turf and needed his goodwill, so she had to play by his rules. As she sat on the – very comfortable – chair on the other side of Tarrlok’s desk, she looked him in the eyes.

“You were right,” she said. “Hiroshi Sato was right. I was wrong.”

“I’m surprised to hear that from you, but could you please elaborate?”

“My inaction led to Equalists hurting people,” she spoke. “It’s too late to change what happened, but their latest attack showed me that I can’t hide any longer. I want to join your task force.”

“Do you, now?” he asked, leaning back.

“Yes, I think you have the best chance at stopping Amon.”

“Does Tenzin approve of your decision?”

“No, he doesn’t,” Korra admitted. “A wise woman once told me that it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Not that I need his permission, being the Avatar and stuff. I know he wants to keep me safe, and I appreciate that… but I want to help you stop these fanatics.”

Tarrlok was looking at her for a long, long while, calculating, thinking, assessing the situation. Finally, he smiled, got up and bowed slightly.

“I’ve asked you to join the task force once before and the invitation still stands,” he said. “If you truly want to join, then I will be honoured to have you there.”

“Thank you,” Korra said, but she didn’t allow herself to relax just yet. Now came the difficult part, however. “I have a price, however.”

“A price?” Tarrlok looked shocked. “I thought you were doing it to stop the Equalists and…”

Korra sighed. She hated talking politics.

“I meant, now that we’re on the same team, I’d like to ask you for a favour,” she said. “Or two.”

“Oh? And what would these be?”

“What’s going to happen to Lin?”

Korra managed to speak with Lin once in the two days that have gone since the attack. The Chief of Police was sure she would be demoted, forced to resign from the police or, at worst, even prosecuted. And she was certain that, hungry for blood and looking for a scape armadillo goat. She didn’t seem particularly distraught about it, though.

”I’ve made a mistake and now I have to pay the price,” she had put it.

“We have many wounded and…” Tarrlok hesitated “and three dead. One died due to heart failure after being zapped and two more trampled in the crowd. Not to mention some policemen who were wounded by the explosive charges in the airships… we don’t know if all of them will pull through. Lin had personally guaranteed the safety of the event. She also failed to anticipate and stop the sabotage of the police air fleet.”

Yes, Korra knew that it was the sabotage of the airships that shocked Lin the most. How could someone sneak explosive charges onto so many ships?

“The public needs to see that consequences are being taken and that someone more able to solve this Equalist crisis,” Tarrlok continued. “Her fate will be discussed in the Council session.”

“I want her to stay on the force,” Korra said.

“Well, it’s the decision of the Council, not mine,” Tarrlok said.

“I’m sure you can convince them to do what you want, especially since I’m sure Tenzin will vote for the Council to be lenient” Korra said, leaning forward. “That’s the deal, Councilman: if you want me to join the task force, Lin stays on the force.”

Tarrlok chuckled.

“Well, Korra,” he said. “I can see you’re learning how to do things, Republic City style. You have a deal. I don’t think I can stop the Council from demoting Lin and removing her from the position of the Chief of Police, but I’ll do everything in my power to stop her from being forced to resign.”

“Thank you, Councilman,” Korra said. “Now the second favour.”

“I’m all ears.”

“Mako…”

“Your pro-bender teammate?” Tarrlok frowned. “What about him?”

“He wants to join the RCPD,” she said.

“And why are you coming with it to me? There are proper channels…”

“Mako has Triad background,” Korra cut him off. “But he would be a great asset to the police.”

“Well, if he doesn’t pass the background check, there is not much I can do…”

“Lin and Tenzin told me that it is most likely that commissioner Saikhan will become the new Chief of Police and that he listens to you,” she said. “If he puts a good word for Mako, I’m sure they will skip the whole background check.”

“Fine,” Tarrlok said. “Once again, you got yourself a deal.”

Korra sighed with relief.

“I’m looking forward to fighting side by side with you, Korra,” he said, offering his hand.

Korra shook it.

She didn’t know why she felt dirty doing so, but it didn’t matter. Three people died in the Equalist attack. There could be more casualties. And could have been more. Tenzin and Lin could’ve been among the dead. Or Mako. Or Bolin.

Or Asami.

Someone had to stop Amon. She was still afraid of him, but now she realized it had to be her. And she would have a better shot at doing it with Tarrlok’s task force having her back.

Tenzin was right. Republic City was at war.

And so was she.

Chapter Text

The food was surprisingly good. Simple and vegetarian, of course, but the Air Acolyte cooks knew what they were doing. From the talk between Ikki and Meelo that Asami overheard, it was clear that once Pema was preparing food it was even better, but these days she was spending most time tending to little Rohan and didn’t have time to be cooking for everyone.

Asami wished Korra was there as well, as apparently everyone else was too intimidated with Asami’s presence to really talk. Well, except Ikki, who was bombarding her with the weirdest questions:

“How many Future Industries employees were lefthanded?”

“Wouldn’t ‘Mobile Sato’ be a better name than ‘Satomobile’?”

“Why did she have a surname when almost no one else had?”

“Did only rich people like the Satos and Beifongs get to have surnames and how much did it cost to buy one?”

“What kind of girls did Mako like and did Asami think that she, Ikki, was mature for her age?”

and Meelo, who was trying various pickup lines on her:

“You must really be an airbender because you take my breath away!”

"Are you from the Earth Kingdom? Because you just rocked my world in the best way possible."

"Are you a pro-bender? Because every time I'm near you, I feel like I've been knocked out of the ring of sanity."

"Are you a chi-blocker? Because every time I see you, you leave me feeling numb." (that one made Asami almost choke on her spicy rice, as for a second she thought that out of all the people it was Meelo who figured her out).

Jinora must have seen Asami was feeling awkward, and she did her best to engage her in a polite conversation but most of it consisted of her scolding Ikki and Meelo to behave.

She wished Korra was here.

And then she appeared, standing sheepishly in the door, looking so un-Korra that Asami suddenly felt worried. Tenzin must have also noticed that something was wrong as he got up, approached the Avatar and, after a short, whispered conversation, they both left. Feeling suddenly as if she was unable to breathe, Asami excused herself from the table, muttering something about needing to go to the toilet and left as well.

She was worried that she wouldn’t be able to find Korra as she didn’t know the temple plan that well yet… but then she heard Tenzin’s booming voice.

“You did… WHAT?!” he shouted.

Asami moved in closer. Tenzin was completely red on his face while Korra was looking slightly guilty, but she was holding her ground, looking him in the eyes.

“I joined Tarrlok’s task force,” she said.

Asami almost gasped. She did… WHAT?!

“But… how could you?!” Tenzin shouted, walking in circles nervously. “That’s a terrible idea!”

“Well… after this attack on the arena… I had to do something!” Korra protested. “I refused Tarrlok before and what happened? The Equalists are running unchecked and staged this attack!”

“But that’s… that’s not the solution!” Tenzin protested. “Meeting force with force…”

“Sometimes you have to do it like that! Just as Aang had to beat Ozai!”

“The Equalists are not Ozai! They are misguided people, afraid of the benders!”

“Just like the Fire Nation under Ozai were brainwashed by him and he needed to be stopped in order to stop the war,” Korra pointed out. “Here also, we just need to stop Amon and…”

“And before that happens how many innocents will get hurt? Tarrlok’s task force will be more of a sledgehammer than a scalpel! He will surely strike at some people who just support Equalist rhetoric but aren’t violent themselves!”

“Innocent people are already getting hurt!” Korra shouted. “I’m the Avatar! I can’t be just standing on the sidelines!”

Tenzin sighed.

“Korra… I just don’t want to be used in Tarrlok’s power play,” he said.

“I know, Tenzin,” Korra’s voice was also softer now. “But I have to do something… I really do. People died in the arena. People who came to watch me play. You and Lin got hurt. Bolin and Mako got hurt. Asami could’ve been hurt… and she got injured before. Someone needs to stop Amon… and with Tarrlok’s help it seems I’m the best bet.”

“You’re really so sure about it?”

“No,” Korra admitted. “But I think I need to do it.” Her eyes lightened. “Besides! I got Tarrlok to keep Lin in the force! That is something, right?”

“You did?” Tenzin asked, his gaze and voice softening. Even a small smile appeared on his lips. “She can’t know you arranged that or the sheer awkwardness of her trying to show gratitude would kill you both.”

Korra allowed herself a small chuckle too.

“Got it!” she said.

“Just remember, Korra, Amon is not like Unalaq, a crazy tyrant who wants to cover the world in darkness,” Tenzin warned her. “He’s cunning… and many people adore him. They won’t thank you for stopping him. Anyone can be his eyes and ears.”

“Even you, Pema or Asami?” Korra chuckled out louder. “Jinora always looked suspicious to me, too well-behaved comparing to Ikki and Meelo.”

Even Tenzin chuckled at that.

“Well, maybe not them,” he said. “Come Korra. Eat with us.”

“Gladly! I’m starving!”

Asami quickly turned around and ran back to the table, thoughts flying through her head at lightning speed.

Korra joined the task force? That… that changed things. Asami felt… disappointed. And sad. And somewhat… annoyed that Korra didn’t discuss it with her. Now… now suddenly spying on her started making sense. With her leading the charge against the Equalists, Asami needed to be informed, so she could keep her allies safe from Korra.

And so she could keep Korra safe from them.

* * *

“I… I joined Tarrlok’s task force,” Korra said.

Since Korra joined the meal relatively late, she was still eating when everyone has already finished with Asami keeping her company. Then they helped in cleaning the dishes, with Korra having calmed down enough that she broke only one plate with her waterbending.

“I know… I heard you and Tenzin…” Asami admitted, after they’ve both escaped Pema’s wrath and found themselves sitting on a bench outside.

Korra actually seemed relieved to hear that.

“Look at you eavesdropping! You’d make a great spy!” she laughed. “To be honest, I’m glad I don’t have to repeat myself. It… wasn’t an easy decision to make.”

“Are you sure it was the correct one?” Asami asked.

“No… not entirely,” Korra said. “But I have to do something… and hey, this at least lets me punch some Equalists! They deserve it!”

“Well…” Asami shifted awkwardly in her spot. “And… did you mean that? One of the reasons you joined them being me? Them attacking me?”

Why was she doing that? She should be dancing with joy, the Equalists objective met! And if Korra did it because of her… that was even better, right? No way Amon or her father would doubt her conviction!

“Well… yes and no.”

Asami lifted her eyebrow and waited.

“See… it was because of you, yes,” Korra said eventually. “But not because the attack or the fact that you could’ve been hurt on the arena… at least that wasn’t the biggest reason.”

“Oh?” Asami urged Korra to continue.

“See… our talk… that day we went to visit the Spirit Wilds and I was feeling down…” Korra said, scratching the back of her head. “You told me… that I’m amazing… and that I could bring change. I decided I needed to do something. To be… worthy of your good opinion of me!”

“Oh, Korra!” Asami said and hugged her friend, tight. “You don’t have to do anything to be worthy of me.”

I don’t deserve your friendship. she almost said as Korra hugged her awkwardly.

She should have been happy. Korra joining Tarrlok’s task force? Because Asami convinced her to? Mission accomplished. And yet…

“But Tenzin was also right,” Asami whispered. “Make sure Tarrlok doesn’t use you.”

“Don’t worry!” Korra shot her that cocky grin that Asami liked so much. “I’ll keep my eyes open. Oh! And I got Mako into the police!”

“You did… what?” Asami frowned.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Korra said. “Mako asked me to…”

“Ah, here you are!” Ikki appeared, as usual, out of nowhere. “Look at you two, whispering sweet nothings to each other!”

“We weren’t whispering!” Asami said, feeling suddenly defensive.

“And these weren’t sweet nothings!” Korra added.

“But did I hear you mentioning Mako?” Ikki asked, already, to Asami’s relief, forgetting about the previous talking. “Is he coming here?”

“Nooo… I was saying he’ll be joining the police,” Korra said.

“Ooooh! A policeman!” Ikki’s eyes went wide with glee. “That’s even better!”

“Emm… why were you looking for us?” Asami asked.

“Oh, right! Dad is asking you to come back for airbending training! See you there!”

And with that Ikki jumped on an air scooter and drove away.

“Let’s not keep Tenzin waiting then,” Korra said. “I’ve worried him enough already.”

* * *

It was stupid.

Asami was standing in front of the gates, now motionless and looking at them. Again and again, she completed the obstacle course without being hit a single time… and her airbending skills were as non-existent as ever. Even Daw, who got knocked around by the gates each time he stepped there, was making better progress than she was… for at least he was making some progress. She was happy to see it too, the terrified man she saw on the edge of the roof, considering suicide, now being slowly but surely replaced by someone bright, confident… and happy even.

But she still couldn’t summon a single gust of wind.

And the stupid part was that it annoyed her.

It shouldn’t have. She got what she wanted – whether she could master airbending or not, she got into the Air Temple and among the students and was perfectly placed as a spy for Equalists. Besides, it wasn’t as if she wanted to become an airbender. After her mission was completed, she would have Amon take her bending away.

But… she wasn’t used to trying to learn something and failing at it, again and again. The worst part was, that she didn’t even know why it she was failing! It wasn’t as if bending was an exact science in which such a motion always produced such a result.

She was almost happy that Korra wasn’t here. Asami didn’t want her friend to be watching her failing at airbending and recalling her own failures. She would be much happier however if the reason why Korra wasn’t on the island was something other than the Avatar going to meet Tarrlok in regards to the task force.

Her family butler, Batei, was visiting her on Air Temple Island twice per day, asking if she didn’t need anything delivered and through him, she passed a coded message concerning the recent developments. She could almost imagine how proud her father would be for her to have “manipulated” the Avatar so expertly.

She felt as if she was going to throw up.

To occupy her mind with something else, she looked back at the gates. She came here, in the evening, when all the other airbending students were resting, hoping to figure out what she was doing wrong. She jumped through the obstacle course over the pool three times already and was feeling her legs begin to ache… but still she wasn’t anywhere closer to learning how to airbend. And, of course, she wasn’t able to try the spinning gates without an airbender present to start them. Maybe she could suggest installing some big fans so that…

“Want me to spin them for you?”

Asami turned instantly, barely stopping herself from adopting a chi-blocking stance. Rarely did she fail to notice someone approach.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Jinora said, smiling softly.

“Don’t worry,” Asami said quickly. “I was just…” she shrugged.

“Sooo… want me to start spinning them?”

Asami shrugged.

“I don’t think it will help much,” she said.

“Well, maybe you have the wrong approach. Perhaps if you… ah, never mind.”

“Oh, come one, don’t leave me hanging,” Asami urged her. “What did you want to say?”

“It’s nothing,” Jinora said, looking almost ashamed of something. “Just listen to dad and you’ll be mastering airbending in no time!”

“I have nothing but greatest possible respect for Tenzin,” Asami said carefully “but it seems his methods aren’t exactly working for me.”

And for Korra, she thought but didn’t say out loud.

“If you have a different approach to suggest, I’m all ears,” she said instead.

“Weeeell…” Jinora said, then took a deep breath and started talking: “I saw you looking at the gates before you enter the field. You look as if you were… I don’t know… calculating something?”

“Yes, angles, speeds and so on,” Asami said.

“That’s… that’s not entirely the airbender way,” Jinora said. “And by ‘not entirely’ I mean it’s not airbender way at all. Too… structured. Ordered.”

“Can’t help it,” Asami said. “It’s how I’m wired.”

“Hey, I don’t want you to become erratic or chaotic,” Jinora said. “Look at my family, for example! No one could call my dad chaotic and I’m… well, suffice to say Ikki, Meelo and I differ a bit in terms of personality.”

Asami chuckled.

“That’s putting it mildly,” she said.

“Nothing bad about having an ordered mind! But… air is the element of freedom. You can’t… lock it in equation and formulas. You can’t order or control it. Think of it… oh, I know! You have servants, right? And employees? Air isn’t like that! You can’t tell it to do something. It has to be… your friend. Someone who’s next to you all the time, who understands perfectly well what you need and wants to help but has to be given the freedom to do it the way they feel best at. Imagine that air… that air is like Korra! A really good friend, but with a bit of a temper and sometimes stubborn!”

They both laughed at that.

“And how does it help me with beating the gates?” Asami asked finally.

“Don’t go inside with every step you’re going to take planned,” Jinora suggested. “Imagine… you’re thrown into a difficult situation without a plan and you have to think on your feet.”

“That… I can do.”

Jinora smiled at her and with a powerful stream of air, made the gate spin.

Okay, don’t plan, just get in there and think on your feet…

Four attempts later Asami was all beaten up.

“Maybe… let’s call it a day?” Jinora suggested, sheepishly. “I’m sorry! I thought it was a good idea!”

“No… no problem,” Asami muttered, getting to her feet.

She knew she would be all bruised tomorrow. Even after her sparring session with Korra or trainings with lieutenant Tazaki, she wasn’t that sore. She took a step forward, stumbled… and stopped herself from hitting the ground by summoning an air cushion.

“Well… it seems we’re getting somewhere,” she said, smiling at Jinora who looked at her with wide open eyes.

Chapter Text

Tarrlok looked around at the policemen from his task force – and Korra – sitting around a table.

“My fellow task force deputies,” he spoke in deep, rich voice “tonight we will execute a raid on an underground chi-blocker training camp located in the Dragon Flats borough. According to my sources, there is a cellar underneath this bookstore,” he rolled out a piece of paper showing the blueprints of a building “where Equalists train chi-blocking in secret.”

All the task force members nodded their heads. Korra saw that despite being trained and experienced officers, some of the men were fidgeting nervously in their seats. She, on the other hand, was calm. No, not calm. She was restless. Ready for action.

“Our armour should take care of their chi-blocking but watch out for those shock gloves and electric bolas,” Tarrlok continued. “I want us all coming back home after scoring a big win, understood?”

“Sir, yes, sir!” the task force police officers shouted.

“Korra, you sure you don’t want to put armour on?” one of the metalbenders offered.

“Nah,” she said. “I’m not used to using it and I’ll be faster without it.”

“Suit yourself,” he said.

Korra had an impression that the other officers weren’t happy with her being there.

“Everyone knows their role and position?” Tarrlok asked. “Then let’s get moving!”

They were manning a big, armoured Satomobile with a water tank attached to it. The driver got it in front of the bookstore and the rest of the task force got out. One of the officers opened the top of the water tank and they began waterbending its contents out.

Korra thought Tarrlok would accept only metalbending police officers into his task force as they were supposed to be the ones best trained for dangerous operations, but she was happy to see he included waterbenders too. In hindsight, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise – as a member of the Water Tribes and a skilled waterbender himself, he knew all too well the power of waterbending. There weren’t any firebenders in the group, which was for the best. The last thing both Korra’s and Tarrlok’s PR needed was collateral damage in the form of setting a couple of city blocks on fire.

Through one of the tiny windows showing the basement of the bookstore, Korra could see plenty of people – their faces concealed by scarves, even here, when alone – training martial arts. Some were sparring with one another, while others were striking at training dummies.

It looked like an ordinary dojo… if not for three things: the concealed faces of the trainees, a huge poster of Amon on one of the walls… and the fact that Korra recognized at least some of these moves. These were indeed chi-blockers in training.

“Ready? On three,” Tarrlok said. “One… two… THREE!”

As one three earthbenders spread their hands, opening holes in the walls while the waterbenders poured the water through it, grabbing the chi-blockers and freezing them in place.

Now it was time for Korra to move. Earthbending a larger hole she jumped into the dojo, serving as the tip of the spear, the other policemen behind her.

The Equalists were fast, she had to give them that. As she and other waterbenders directed the waves of water at the group, swiping some of them off their feet, ramming the them against the walls and freezing the chi-blockers, some of the Equalists managed to jump out of the way of the incoming water.

Korra saw two gas grenades coming at her, the same ones as the ones used on her that night when she was trying to catch those escaping with Bolin. This time she was ready. She waterbent a sphere of water at them, catching them in it and freezing before the gas could get out. A couple of chi-blockers ran at her, but a sudden stream of water swatted one of them to the side, while she did the same with the second one. She saw one of the Equalists jump at a member of the task force… and smiled as she saw his chi-blocking blows deflected by the policeman’s armour. Moments later the cop earthbent a brick from the wall into a projectile and knocked the Equalist cold with it.

Suddenly Korra felt a sudden sense of danger and turned, seeing an Equalist jump at her, a shock glove arcing electricity on his hand. She dodged his attack and send a whip of water at him. She saw him move his hand, trying to zap her through the water… but she was ready for that, freezing her attack mid-flight and hitting him in the chest with several ice shards. She felt sick as she saw one of them pierce his side and dig into his flesh, blood spurting from the wound, but it was no time for worrying about her opponent. She looked around to see if any of her comrades needed help and saw that while they had the situation covered, two Equalists managed to run into a secret tunnel that appeared in the wall.

Oh no, she wasn’t going to let that happen, she wasn’t going to let anyone escape! Especially on her first mission!

“I’m going after these two!” she shouted, running behind them.

All was going well until she tripped on a wire, stretched across the floor. As she was in the air, before hitting the floor, she managed to think that a) that she really should have seen it coming and b) it would be another awesome moment for her to discover airbending.

“Ugh!” she groaned as she hit the floor…

…and moments later two Equalists were on her.

She didn’t let them land a blow, kicking with both legs in the air, sending streams of fire through them, forcing the chi-blockers back so that she could get up. She dodged the kick from one of them, elbowed him in the face and as the other one came at her, she stomped her feet, launching a large slab of stone from underneath his feet against the ceiling – with the Equalist on it. She heard some bone or bones in his body break, but her mind was occupied with blocking the attack of her other opponent. She exhaled fire at him, pushing him back… and that’s when he got hit by a powerful stream of water that pushed him against the wall of the tunnel and froze there, leaving the chi-blocker immobilized.

Korra turned around to see Tarrlok in a waterbending stance.

“Nice timing,” she said. “Thanks, Tarrlok.”

Perhaps… perhaps she was wrong about him… and perhaps Tenzin was wrong too. Maybe he was a sleazy politician, but he didn’t hide behind his men and wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He did lead a squad of metalbending police officers to retake the pro-bending arena… it wasn’t his faults that the Equalists were already doing the ‘running’ part of their hit-and-run tactic. And he did get her released from Lin’s custody on the day she got to Republic City.

“We make a good team, Avatar,” he said, smiling.

She smiled back at him.

“Yes, we do.”

“Sadly, now comes the part I don’t think you’ll enjoy,” he said.

“What’s that? Paperwork?” Korra sighed.

“I would never demean the Avatar by making her deal with such trivialities,” he said, waving his hand and she liked him even more. “No, I’m talking about a photoshoot with the press. And issuing a statement.”

Korra hesitated for a second… then clenched her fists as a cocky smile appeared on her face.

“Oh, I’m all for it,” she said.

“Are you?” Tarrlok looked pleasantly surprised.

“Yes! I want Amon to know that I’m coming for him!”

* * *

Retaining balance never came hard to Asami, especially not after all the self-defence classes she took… not to mention the chi-blocker trainings. It was all a matter of calculation and iron control of her body.

Unfortunately, she was beginning to learn that iron control and airbending didn’t exactly go together. She could either clear an obstacle course without any problem or balance her body on a narrow pole without even thinking on it… or she could try to access her airbending powers, but not both. When she was trying to use them to get through the spinning gates, jump from pole to pole or balance a leaf above her hands… she would quickly start losing balance and would end up wet or banged up (or both).

But she was making progress.

And she hated that she liked that. It wasn’t the airbending that she liked, this chaotic, unscientific… thing that was forced onto her… but she liked the feeling that she was getting better… even if her progress seemed almost random. Sure, she could summon and command air more often now… but only without thinking about it, completely un- or subconsciously. When she tried to command it… nothing happened.

Tenzin was puzzled about her slow progress but was happy that she was improving at all… and Asami didn’t really have the heart – or feel the need to, really – to let him know she was meeting with Jinora to train whenever Tenzin was gone dealing with Council business.

Asami didn’t understand why Jinora wanted to hide the fact that she was helping her with these private lessons. Wouldn’t Tenzin be proud that his daughter was such a good teacher? But Jinora insisted, the quite confident girl suddenly looking timid and shy when she was asking Asami to keep a secret, so Asami did as she asked.

And between trainings, they talked.

“It must be very hard to be like that,” Jinora said sympathetically after Asami did – or tried to do – an airbending assisted jump from pole to pole, calculated the speed and angle incorrectly, slipped on the wet wood and fell into the pool. Now she has undressed almost completely from the wet Air Nomad clothes and was putting her own back, when she froze, hearing a long howl of Naga, one that even eclipsed the gentle music coming from the radio.

“Oh, I forgot she was confined,” Jinora said. “I don’t know when Korra would be back, so I better take her for a walk in the Harmony Park. Poor Naga…”

Immediately she shot Asami a guilty look.

“I mean, I’m sure you don’t feel like that about her, seeing how she attacked you and all but…”

“No, no,” Asami raised her hand. “I get it. I don’t know what got into Naga when she jumped at me but… it can’t be easy for a powerful creature like this to be locked. I’m… I’m really sorry about that.”

She meant it. She was the only one who knew that Naga had a very good reason to dislike her and hated that because of her Naga was suffering in confinement, even though Korra made sure to earthbend Naga a giant play pen. Asami even suggested that she would move back to the mansion and would come to Air Temple Island every day to train, just so Naga could be released when Asami wasn’t here, but surprisingly it was Korra who disagreed with this offer, stating that she needed for Naga to get used to Asami’s scent and start behaving. It also pained Asami to know how hurt and angry Korra was at her oldest, furry friend.

“She must also be missing Korra,” Jinora said.

“We all are,” Asami muttered, before realizing that she said it out loud. Was Jinora looking at her in a strange way now or was it just her imagination?

“Yes, we all are,” the young airbender said softly.

“You… you said something about being very hard to ‘be like that’,” Asami said, eager to quickly change the topic. “What did you mean by that?”

“To be so guarded, always in control, not showing others what lies inside you,” Jinora said, then quickly added: “I’m not telling you to share anything that you aren’t ready to or I’m not saying that it’s wrong… It just… have to be hard.”

Asami shrugged.

“Can’t really say,” she replied. “It’s how I’ve been my whole life… or at least since my mother died. I… don’t know how to be different.”

“And I’m not saying that you have to change!” Jinora said. “But… never mind.”
“Tell me,” Asami said. “Or I won’t sleep, thinking about what you wanted to say.”

Jinora shrugged and looked at the older woman with an almost sheepish look on her face.

“It’s just… airbending is all about embracing change… around us and in us,” she said. “I’m… I’m wondering if you aren’t having all these problems learning it because either… no, it’s silly.”

“Please, finish,” Asami said, fighting to hide the strain from her voice.

“Well… maybe it’s because either you are going through a change and are fighting it… or because… because you don’t like something about yourself but are resisting the change that you know you should embrace,” Jinora said.

“I…” Asami began but stopped, while Jinora continued.

“I think… I think Jami might have the same problem, but I can’t be sure. And while I want you to be the best airbenders you can be, but I won’t try to force your secrets out of you.”

“I… don’t know if…” Asami began, unsure what to say.

“Or I might be completely wrong!” Jinora quickly said with a nervous smile. “I barely know you, after all. But… I thought I would dislike you. You know the whole thing with the mechs manufactured by Future Industries and you being all science-y while I’m spiritual… but you’re nice.”

“Th-thank you.”

“I’m not saying that I really know you of course,” Jinora continued. “I feel there’s a lot you don’t share with anyone else. But you seem like a good person. And hey! Korra likes and trusts you!”

That hurt. The reminder that Korra trusted her and Asami was abusing this trust.

“What about you?” Asami asked, again trying to change the topic. “You seem pretty calm and focused too, a bit unlike…”

“Unlike my siblings?” Jinora asked, with a smile.

“I was going to say, ‘unlike how Aang was described in his youth’ but yeah,” Asami chuckled.

“I think I take after my dad, though I’m a bit less nervous and prone to angry outbursts,” the younger airbender chuckled as well. “It’s just… you don’t have to be a scatterbrain to be an airbender. I’m devoted to the Air Nation way; I love learning about it… but when I feel that I need to change in order to help others best… I try to do it. For example, I never thought of myself as a teacher, but I got a feeling that you needed one, so I decided to give it a shot.”

“And I’m glad you did,” Asami said. “Speaking of Aang… I was always meaning to ask someone…”

”And now for the news!” a voice from the radio replaced the music. ”Avatar Korra and Councilman Tarrlok led their special task force in their first joint raid against an Equalist training facility. Following their spectacular victory, that left a number of chi-blockers arrested, the two leaders of the task force held a brief press conference. For Avatar Korra it was her third press conference, following the ones she took part in following her arrival in our city and the gala that was organized in her honour, the gala on which she refused to join the task force. When today she was asked about her changing her mind, the Avatar stated with utter sincerity that ‘the vile Equalist attack on the pro-bending arena and the danger they cause to civilians, bending and non-bending alike, showed her how wrong she was in the past by standing on the sidelines’. She assured that she was ‘going to rectify that mistake by hunting the Equalists down whoever they are and wherever they hide’ and that tonight’s raid was ‘only the first of many that were to come’.”

Jinora got up and turned off the radio.

“I can understand why she’s doing it… but I can’t help but think Korra is making a mistake joining this task force,” Jinora said.

“Me too,” Asami whispered. “Me too.”

Chapter Text

Asami never thought herself picky when it came to food. Sure, her father had decided early on that he much preferred ordering food from the best restaurants to their home rather than having a cook, so Asami was brought up eating only the highest quality meals and when she got older these were the places she tended to visit most often. She wasn’t, however, adverse to trying some street food and when losing the sense of time when working in the workshop or studying, she found herself often resorting to eating just snacks.

Besides, it wasn’t that the food provided on Air Temple Island was bad. The Air Acolytes were quite good in the kitchen and each of them provided their own spin on the meals they were eating, making the dishes quite varied.

But, as shallow as it sounded, she missed meat. Putting the piece of salad into her mouth, she looked at Korra, who was uncharacteristically quiet for herself, eating quickly and almost automatically. It wasn’t that Korra was feeling down or depressed – not that Asami became an expert on the Avatar’s moods, but she knew enough to be aware that if Korra was feeling down, then she didn’t have any appetite, just like in their first meeting at Kwong’s… now however Korra was clearing her plate quickly, just in silence.

No, she wasn’t down, it was more the case of her thoughts being far, far away from here and now. What was she thinking about? Asami didn’t feel comfortable asking it with all those people around them, with Otaku talking enthusiastically that yesterday he got hit by the spinning gates only three times, Jami being silent, Daw clinging to Jinora and asking her about airbending with a look of a lost puppy, Bumi entertaining Ikki and Meelo with one of his tall tales and Tenzin looking as if he’d rather be helping Pema deal with crying Rohan than be listening to the cacophony of voices at the table.

So, when Asami noticed that Korra finished her meal and got up to leave, she cleared her plate as well and, still chewing on it, caught up with Korra.

“Hmmpff, Krrr!” she said, with her mouth full.

“Oh, hey Sami,” Korra turned around and smiled, the look on her face slightly… vacant. “Sorry for me to run away so quickly, I just…” she shrugged.

“Never seen you leave the table so quickly,” Asami said… and mentally kicked herself in the head for this remark.

What’s wrong with me? Way to go with the small talk.

“Oh, yeah, right,” Korra said. “Well, the food is great but…”

“Maybe you’d like to grab a steak with me in the evening?” Asami asked and blinked, surprised at herself for asking this. “I miss the meat.”

’I miss the meat’? Really?! That’s the best I can come up with?

In truth… she missed Korra. There was no point in denying that. She didn’t have much experience in this… ‘friendship thing’ and didn’t know how close of friends she and Korra were… but she enjoyed spending time with her. In fact… apart from spying and learning to control her airbending so she doesn’t cause chaos wherever she went, one of the reasons she suggested going to Air Temple Island to train was to spend time with Korra (to spy on her for the Equalist cause, of course, what other reason could there be?).

Sadly, that turned out not to be so. Korra was missing more and more airbender trainings… in fact she was spending less and less time on the island, most of her time and attention devoted to Tarrlok’s task force. It would be good to just hang out. Talk.

“Umm, I’d love to Asami,” Korra said. “But I don’t think I’ll manage…”

“Oh, come on, Korr,” Asami insisted. “After the evening airbending training? You’ll be on it, won’t you?”

“Yes, Korra,” Tenzin said, approaching the two women together with Jinora. “You will be on the evening training, won’t you?”

Asami felt a pang of disappointment at Tenzin and Jinora joining them. There were more things, she wanted to talk to Korra about… but she would prefer to do it in private. She felt even more disappointed as she saw Korra scratch the back of her neck awkwardly, a guilty look on her face.

“Well… I… I don’t think I’ll manage,” she said. “I’m meeting with the task force…”

Tenzin frowned.

“I’m quite certain no task force operation has been planned for today,” he said.

“Shhh, Tenzin,” Korra said. „“You never know where the Equalist spies are hiding!”

The joke fell flat and received only a glare from Tenzin… while Asami’s heart skipped a beat or two.

“So why do you..?” he began.

“I need to train with them, ok?” Korra said, raising her voice. “We still aren’t the well-oiled machine we should be, if we want to make sure the Equalists aren’t able to surprise us!”

“And where are you going now?” Jinora asked.

Korra looked away.

“We’re meeting with Tarrlok to go over our last operation and strategize, what could have been done better,” she said.

“Korra… you know I wasn’t a fan of you joining the task force…” Tenzin began.

“That’s putting it lightly,” Korra muttered but Tenzin continued as if she hadn’t spoken.

“But I do appreciate that you are trying to do something about the Equalist threat. However, you need to make sure you aren’t focusing only on the combat-related applications of bending,” he said. “Being the Avatar is so much more than fighting!”

“We’ve talked about this already, Tenzin!” Korra said. “The bad guys don’t care about me being the bridge between worlds and keeper of balance! They need to be fought and stopped! And besides, it’s not as if the airbending lessons are working for me!”

This time it was Tenzin’s turn to look away, ashamed.

“Korra… we just don’t want you to get too focused on violence,” Jinora said softly.

“Well, as soon as I’m done kicking Equalist ass and Amon is in chains, we can go back to peace love and so on! But for now… the Equalists need to be stopped before they hurt someone else!”

She looked at Asami, but with the chaos of thoughts inside the heiress’s head, whatever was reflected on her face, wasn’t the support Korra apparently expected – needed? – to see.

“I need to go,” she just muttered, turned around and walked away.

Asami watched her go and then exchanged a sad look with Jinora, while Tenzin was shaking his head in frustration.

That morning he got another reason for frustration, as Asami was unable to do the slightest bit of airbending, all her thoughts preoccupied with Korra.

* * *

“So let me get this straight… you saw nothing, you heard nothing, and you can’t recognize the guys who extorted you?” Mako asked, tapping his pen against his notepad.

“I wasn’t extorted by anyone!” the phonograph shop owner shouted. “I didn’t see anything because there wasn’t anything to see!”

“No, no, no…” detective Teng, Mako’s partner, said as he came closer. “See… we got good intel that you were bothered by some criminals, one of which was recognized to be an Equalist sympathizer. So, either they were extorting you like the Triads before, having filled that void… or you’re in league with them. You wouldn’t want me to think it’s the latter, would you?”

And then he stomped his foot hard, lifting a cobble stone from the street and fire it at the shop window, breaking it into pieces.

“Nooo! Leave me alone!” the old man shouted and lunged at Teng, but the police officer just changed his stance and a stone moved underneath the shop owner’s foot, causing him to stumble and fall.

“You’re lucky we don’t charge you with assaulting a police officer on duty!” the policeman laughed.

“What are you doing?!” Mako snapped at his partner, grabbing him by the arm, but he pulled free from his grasp.

“Watch your tone, rookie!” Teng barked.

Mako glared at him and turned to run to the lying old man, helping him to his feet.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” he stuttered. “But… please… understand! We want to help! To stop the Equalists!”

“Help?” the shop owner gasped. “It is the Equalists who helped me! Who stopped the Triads from extorting me! And you… you’re all acting no better than the mobsters! I hope Amon equalizes you all!”

As Mako stumbled back, shocked, the man got up, spat at the ground and walked back into the shop.

“What by the Spirits was that?!” Mako shouted when they entered their patrol Satomobile.

“You did good, rookie!” Teng laughed. “You played the good cop really well! And here I thought that with your brooding, you were a natural bad cop! But don’t worry, you’ll learn that too!”

“I wasn’t… I wasn’t playing anything!”

Teng only laughed louder.

“So, thanks to you, we now know this bastard is an Equalist supporter!” he said. “We need to keep an eye on him and see who visits him and we’ll soon have a lead.”

“And if he doesn’t see anyone suspicious?”

Teng’s grin sent shivers down Mako’s spine.

“Then we’ll earth- and firebend his store into rubble and see to whom he runs to complain!”

Mako kept looking at Teng in utter shock during the entire drive to the station. Oh, how he wanted to hit him with a nice firebending blast!

* * *

Mako hit Teng with a nice firebending blast, straight in the protective gear, not unlike the one worn by pro-benders, knocking him back.

“Chill down, hotshot,” Teng muttered, getting up.

The emergency situation brought by the Equalist attack on the arena meant that new police officers – like Mako – were put into the field after finishing basic training and without waiting for them to finish the mandatory sixty hours of combat bending training. They still had to do it, in their own, unpaid time.

Normally Mako didn’t particularly like training with Teng, though truth be told, one of the few positive qualities of this officer was that he didn’t mind getting blasted by Mako during their sparring sessions and wasn’t jealous of the younger officer – who had been, after all, a pro-bender – being better. That day, however, the prospect of giving Teng a beating in the guise of training together appealed to Mako a lot.

It was so easy, too. Even Bolin hit harder and more accurately than Teng and after the sparring sessions with Korra, Mako was all sore… which made him think, that like he was doing with Teng now, she too might have been going hard on him, as a response to how rude he was to her.

Korra… he wished he could see her now. With both Asami and Korra being away from the Sato mansion, Mako found himself quite lonely… not a familiar feeling to the aloof firebender who had preferred to be spending his days alone or just with his little brother.

Yes, he wished he could see Korra…

That’s when he saw Korra.

She marched in with a couple of benders from her task force.

“Ok, rookies,” one of them task force officers said to Teng, Mako and the other officers who were training. “The big boys are taking over the training room. Go play somewhere else!”

“Hey, who do you think you are?!” Teng got up, standing in front of the task force officer who was a head taller and, in his armour, three times more impressive. “I’m no rookie!”

“Well, you bend like one!” the officer sneered.

“We had the room booked for an hour,” Mako protested. “We’ve only been twenty minutes. So, if you come back soon…”

“We’re not waiting!” another officer barked. “Don’t you know the drill? We’ve got dibs on whatever we wish. Councilman Tarrlok’s orders!”

Mako looked at Korra, but she looked away.

“Fine, let’s go,” he said, leaving together with Teng.

“Ok, Avatar,” as he was leaving, he heard one of the task force officers speak. “Show us that trick you did last time. You know, the one with…”

“Sooo, was I wrong or was there some tension between you and the Avatar?” Teng asked, jabbing Mako with his elbow into the side.

“What?!” Mako asked.

“Oh, come on!” Teng insisted. “You banging her? You’ve been banging her and now you’re awkward? We’ve heard that she pulled some strings to get you into RCPD. I don’t mind, man, but if I was banging the Avatar, I’d like everyone to know!”

“I’m not banging anyone!” Mako snapped. “And no one is banging the Avatar!”

With a huff he left Teng and went to the locker room.

“And what about that Sato chick?!” he heard Teng laughing behind him.

* * *

Asami glanced at the empty seat at the table. Moments later, as if summoned by her thoughts, Ikki spoke.

“Why isn’t Korra eating with us?” she asked.

“Emm, Korra hasn’t returned from… her… umm…” Tenzin stumbled, apparently not entirely sure what Korra was up to. “From the things… with the police.”

“Oh!” Ikki frowned, thinking about it, then began shooting questions again. “Didn’t she also get that handsome firebender into the police? Is that why she did it? So, they both work there together? Is she trying to seduce him like that?” It was clear that in Ikki’s mind and heart jealousy over Mako was fighting with how romantic the story of him and Korra seemed to the girl. The latter side won in the end. “That would be so romantic! Them fighting together Equalists, learning to trust each other again! And then, when they think no one will save them, Mako finally admits his feelings towards Korra, and they kiss but other policemen come and save them and then Korra arrests Amon and they get married…”

“Who? Korra and Amon?” Meelo asked.

“No, silly! Korra and Mako! And they have a perfect wedding, with Mako’s hand still in a cast from how he took a blow meant for Korra and I’ll be their flower girl and live happily ever after and have a lot of children and…”

Asami liked how sincere Ikki was and behaved but this time she felt a sudden rush of annoyance at her words.

“I don’t think Korra and Mako work together,” Tenzin informed his daughter. “Korra is part of Tarrlok’s task force while Mako joined the regular rank and file policemen as rookie…”

Asami didn’t listen after that, having suddenly lost all appetite. She excused herself from the table, took her plate back to the kitchen and walked out the temple.

She wasn’t one to be surprised easily, but completely lost in thought she didn’t realize that Bumi was next to her, until he spoke.

“So… I heard you talk to Korra in the morning,” he spoke.

“Oh?” Asami muttered, trying to hide how he managed to startle her.

Besides… suddenly she didn’t want to talk or think about Korra. Or Mako. Or definitely not Korra and Mako.

“Yeah, and I agree with you completely,” Bumi said.

“You… do?”

Asami asked, trying to recall her short conversation with Korra this morning. Did she express her worries about her fighting the Equalist as a part of the task force? Did she say something more personal? Asami had always great memory but now… she found herself too confused and distracted and…

“Oh yes!” Bumi said, nodding his head enthusiastically. “One can’t live only on this plant crap! Are we camelephants? Are we cabbage slugs?”

Surprisingly, he seemed to be expecting a response, so Asami stuttered a soft: “N-no?”.

“Exactly! We’re not! Sooo… how about we run away and go for some nice meaty dinner?”

Asami opened her mouth to protest… and closed it. She could stay here, in the best-case scenario getting frustrated and beaten up by various training machines while trying to learn airbending and in the worst-case scenario just being miserable because of… actually she didn’t know herself what would be the reason for it, but she knew she would be sulking. Or… she could actually go out and occupy her thoughts with something other than thinking about her failures as an airbending student, about the Equalists, about the taskforce, about the dilemmas she was facing, about…

About Korra.

“Sure, why not?” she answered.

Chapter Text

“Bumi?!” Bolin shouted. “Best day ever!”

“Wow, if I knew meeting you would do such wonders for my ego, I would have met you ages ago!” Bumi chuckled before shaking Bolin’s hand.

Bolin turned to Asami.

“It’s BUMI!” he repeated in stage whisper.

“Yes, it is,” Asami said with a smile.

Bolin’s enthusiasm was contagious and Asami was glad she thought about inviting him in. She hadn’t really been seeing much of him, ever since she moved to Air Temple Island for training and Bumi didn’t mind either, apparently having been following the Fire Ferrets playing, whenever he could get the signal on his ship. For a moment at least, Asami stopped wondering about Korra, her father, Amon, airbending, Tarrlok’s task force and she actually thought she might enjoy herself.

“Wow! So glad to see you two!” Bolin said as they entered the restaurant. “Asami, your place is awesome, but you know… it isn’t that much fun without you and Mako being there… and without Korra visiting.”

Aaaand just like that Asami’s thoughts came back to Korra. Asami hoped to be seeing her more after she moved to Air Temple Island, but Korra herself was barely there, sometimes only coming back to sleep and sometimes even opting for sleeping at the police station. And even when she was there, her thoughts were focused on the task force, on the fight against Equalists. What felt even worse was that Korra started to seem… almost distant. Korra, who was always so full of life, full of energy, full of fire… now was almost cold. And while Asami never forgot about her role in the Equalist movement and her being a spy among the Air Temple, she found herself thinking that as impossible as Tenzin’s speeches about Air Nomad pacifism seemed in this cruel world, they constituted a beautiful dream of a better world, something they shared with the Equalists, even if they differed in how they wanted to achieve this dream. Meanwhile, Korra was now focused almost entirely on combat and using bending for fighting.

In those short times Korra was on Air Temple Island, she barely even joined the airbending training. Once, Asami, knocked down by the spinning gates a bit too much and needing a break, went to find Korra, hoping that a nice chat would cheer her up… but when she found her on the beach, she froze. Korra’s moves were still fluid and graceful, but while there had always been beauty in how she moved in pro-bending matches and even in her past fights against the Equalists, her moves were now sharp, ruthless, efficient… leaving no place for beauty.

Asami watched as Korra turned around, kicking in the air and sending a wave of fire at a nearby cliff, singing the rock. Then she turned around sharply again, summoning the water from the sea and turning it into a hail of icicles that she used to pepper the cliff with… before making a pulling gesture with both her hands, ripping pieces of stone from the rock, breaking them into tiny pieces and sending them back in a hail of projectiles.

Even from the distance, Asami could clearly see the mask of utter focus that the Avatar’s face turned into. But in those rare moments the mask slipped… Asami shuddered, because underneath there was another one – as on the Avatar’s beautiful face there was a frozen look of hatred.

Without a word, Asami turned around and left Korra to her training. When Jinora saw her and asked what was wrong, Asami couldn’t even answer, but something in the way Jinora looked at her told her that she might have also seen Korra like that before.

“Are you ready to order?” the waitress asked, mercifully pulling Asami out of the grim thoughts in which she was drowning.

“Oh yes!” Bumi spoke immediately. “I want a double helping of the meatiest meaty meat that you have on your menu!”

“Umm…” the waitress hesitated. “I think that would be the…”

“Perfect!” Bumi said before she could finish and then looked at Asami and Bolin. “And what are you getting? And it’s my treat tonight!”

Once everything was ordered and the waitress left, Bolin turned towards Asami and Bumi.

“So, how’s the airbender training going?” he asked. “Do you get banged up as much as Korra did?”

“Oh yes! Much more in fact!” Bumi replied with a wide grin.

“Yeah, it can be… painful. And embarrassing,” Asami chuckled.

“And is Tenzin as much of a hardass teacher as Korra claimed?” Bolin kept asking, apparently determined to drop Korra’s name in every question, just to make sure Asami wouldn’t stop thinking about her.

“Tenzin is a great airbender,” she replied cautiously, glancing at Bumi. “He can be a bit intense sometimes…”

“That’s one way to put it,” Bumi snorted. “Oh, come on, Asami, don’t tell me you’re not fed up with all his Air Nomad talks!”

“Well, it’s interesting to learn about their culture…” she started to speak in a diplomatic manner, but Bumi would have none of that.

“Interesting? Then why do most students fall asleep during his lectures? Or at least I think they do. I can’t be sure because I’m certainly fast asleep!”

“Well, it’s natural for him to be proud of the Air Nomad culture, especially now that there’s is a real chance to restore the airbenders of the Air Nation…”

“Ok, so don’t get me wrong,” Bumi said. “I respect what my little bro is doing here. None of us, Aang’s children had it easy, but dad’s hopes for the return of the Air Nomads had always been focused solely on Tenzin and that was the burden he had to bear by himself. He thought that with only his children to carry on the legacy, it will take dozens of generations for the Air Nomads to regain even a fraction of their former power…”

He stopped as the waitress brought food and immediately started devouring the steak he was given. Asami, slowly eating the pasta with spicy pig chicken started to think that he forgot about the conversation, when Bumi suddenly looked up, his mood much more sombre.

“You know… I don’t think he did it consciously, but I wonder if that didn’t figure into him breaking up with Lin,” he spoke slowly. “Tenzin wanted… needed to have children to carry on Aang’s legacy and she didn’t want that.”

Asami put her chopsticks to the side, focused solely on Bumi’s words, ignoring the sounds of Bolin eating.

“We… Kya and me… were a bit worried about that… about Tenzin treating his children only as vessels for the resurgence of the Air Nomads… but we were happy to see that he really loved them for who they are,” Bumi said and chuckled. “Though to be honest, all of them are easy to love, each one in their way.”

A moment later, having finished the second steak, Bumi burped – reminding Asami of the burping contest between her, Bolin and Korra – and spoke again:

“And I see how Tenzin has to be so happy for the airbenders to return to the world,” he said. “But he has to understand that all of them had their lives and may not be interested in becoming old school Air Nomads. I for one am not going to be living in some upside-down temple in the middle of nowhere and be eating just roots and grass for the rest of my life!”

Suddenly he looked up, piercing Asami with a clear, sharp gaze, so unlike his usual ‘goofy, kind uncle’ look.

“I think you can relate,” he said. “Us both… we have achieved a lot without any form of bending. Me a bit more than you, of course, but that’s because I’m daaaamn old. We’re not going to forget who we were just because we suddenly learned to be airbenders! And I think most of the other students feel this way. My brother would be wise to take notice of that… but he never listens to me.”

Bumi shrugged.

“So yeah…” he looked at Bolin, who was finishing clearing his plate. “My brother’s training methods are a mixed bag. But you, Asami, you’ve been making surprisingly good progress! So, I guess they’re working for you… which is strange, because you were even more terrible than I was at first!”

“Well…” Asami said awkwardly and, seeing both Bumi and Bolin look at her expectantly, she shrugged. “I’ve been getting private lessons from Jinora,” she admitted. “Not that I have anything against Tenzin’s methods, but I think hers fit me better.”

“Oh yeah!” Bolin said. “I mean, I don’t know her that well, but from what Korra told me, Jinora would make a great teacher!”

“I actually think that if Tenzin allowed her to take more teaching responsibilities, the whole process would go much smoother, not only for me but for other students as well,” Asami agreed.

“Yeah, Jinora is great!” Bumi said with a wide grin… then grew more serious. “And yes to her being a much better teacher than my little brother. But…” he sighed. “Listen, maybe you’ve heard it from Korra, maybe you didn’t… but during the Water Tribe Civil War and the fight against Unalaq, Jinora took Korra to the Spirit World, becoming her guide. She… she was almost lost there, and Tenzin barely managed to recover her soul. I know teaching airbending is not as dangerous as leading the Avatar through hostile parts of the Spirit World and I’m sure my brother is aware of it as well… but Tenzin grew even more protective of Jinora and his other children after that… and I don’t think he wants to acknowledge that she’s growing up as that would lead to her leaving sometime in the future and facing the dangerous world again.”

“I… I didn’t know that,” Asami admitted.

That explained a lot about Tenzin… and about Korra and her fear that other people would get hurt because of her.

Fortunately, the rest of the conversation had a lighter tone, mainly with Bumi and Bolin exchanging tall tales or Bolin fanboying about Bumi and asking him many questions about Aang and his whole family. While Asami enjoyed herself a lot and it didn’t even annoy her when it turned out Bumi forgot his wallet and that she needed to pay, the one objective of this going out hadn’t been met.

She was still thinking about Korra.

* * *

When Asami and Bumi returned to Air Temple Island, Korra was there. Asami found her on the balcony, arguing with Tenzin.

“I’m not asking you for your permission, Tenzin!” Korra snapped.

“But I’m asking you to think for a moment!” Tenzin snapped back. “I’m getting the reports from all over the city! The supposed excessive brutality of the task force is only bringing new members under the Equalist’s banners!”

“There is no ‘brutality’!” Korra barked, before correcting herself. “At least not excessive! With the Equalists having chi-blockers and their shock gauntlets and electric bolas, we need to be hitting them hard and fast! And all that talk about our brutality is just Equalist propaganda!”

Asami stopped to listen, hidden from their sight. She knew both of them were right. Equalist propaganda did spin the attacks by Tarrlok’s task force as relentless and merciless persecution, and it did bring a flood of people joining their cause. But she also heard about the injuries, broken bones, concussions of the captured Equalists, many of which seemed to have been unarmed or taken completely by surprise. Each time such a piece of news dropped, Asami told herself that it wasn’t Korra who stood behind it.

“Maybe this task force isn’t the best approach!” Tenzin insisted.

“Well, Amon doesn’t seem to be willing to sit down the negotiation table, does he?” Korra responded. “Whatever, Tenzin. I need to be going. That raid against the chi-blocker training camp in the Northern Metalworks District may be our biggest yet! I need to be rested for it!”
And with that she stormed off.

“Hey, Korra!” Asami spoke, when Korra was passing her.

“Hey, Asami,” Korra muttered, slowing only for a moment. “Sorry, I need to run!”

And she was off.

* * *

Somehow, all of that made Asami’s mood, improved by the meeting with Bumi and Bolin, sour again. It wasn’t helping that Tenzin was apparently annoyed by Korra’s behaviour as well and he wasn’t his nicest self during the training.

* * *

“Jami! You’ve been here the longest!” he snapped after one of her gusts of air went off target and knocked him back a couple of steps… straight onto one of the spinning gates. “And you still lose control like this?! I swear, it’s almost as if you weren’t sure if you want to be an airbender!”

When the girl turned her head, Asami was quite sure she saw tears in her eyes.

* * *

“Bumi!” Tenzin shouted. “That’s an easy question! You of all people should have the easiest time answering it! I’m sure you heard Dad speak about it hundreds of times…”

“Maybe to you!” Bumi snapped. “He stopped trying to pass this mumbo-jumbo on me when it became clear to him that I’d never be an airbender!”

“Hmmpff, then you must have heard me speak about it hundreds of times!” Tenzin muttered.

“Well, I’m still learning how not to tune your voice out as background noise.”

Asami could see Tenzin’s face go red, then he slooowly calmed himself down, even though one of his eyelids was still twitching, by the time he turned around to the rest of the group.

“Anyone? Which chakra is blocked by shame?” he asked. “Daw?”

“Ummm…” the tall man began to stutter.

“Asami?”

“I… I don’t remember,” she admitted.

Sure, learning never came hard to Asami, but with everything going on, with Korra in the task force, with spying on the temple, with Korra being distant, with the pressure from her father and Amon, with Asami getting banged up during her secret classes with Jinora, with Korra being away, with the turmoil in her heart as to what she should do, with Tenzin’s shitty teaching, with Korra being always angry… Asami just couldn’t focus on doing the homework given to them by the airbending master.

“Really?!” he snapped.

“The Fire Chakra is blocked by shame!” said Otaku, who had been raising his hand up for a while now. “Its colour is yellow; it’s located in the stomach and it deals with willpower!”
“Very good, Otaku!” Tenzin said. “At least one of you actually pays attention!”

“Oh, come on, Tenz!” Bumi sighed. “I remember enough from Dad’s stories to know that it was some guru who taught him about the chakras! It wasn’t part of the normal Air Nomad curriculum and definitely wasn’t needed to learn airbending!”

“Hmmpfff!” Tenzin snorted again. “Well, my father decided to include guru Pathik’s training when training me! He believed that learning one’s chakras could bring one closer to a sense of harmony with oneself and he believed that any Air Nomad – any person, really – could use some harmony! And I’m seeing a clear lack of harmony coming from all of you!”

“Shouted Tenzin,” Bumi muttered and Asami couldn’t help but chuckle.

* * *

Meditation didn’t come easy to Asami. She did appreciate having a time of peace and quiet to calm her thoughts down and to plan… but that was it. She couldn’t just stop thinking, wasn’t able to have her thoughts flow idly, which was apparently what meditation was all about. For her, that was a waste of time. As soon as she closed her eyes, focused on the quiet – minus Meelo’s snoring and Ikki’s restless shuffling – she began to think, to plan.

Images of inventions floated in her mind, ideas for the best course of action concerning the Equalists, Korra, the Air Temple…

“It’s not doing anything!” Daw muttered.

Next to him, Jami was beginning to hyperventilate.

“Yeah, it’s a waste of time, bro!” Bumi said and yawned. “Can’t we actually get back to, you know, doing something? Or if we are to rest, maybe we could do it in our beds?”

“Meditation has long been a tool for Air Nomads to focus their minds and souls on, allowing them a greater access to their bending gift!” Tenzin said. “Do you think it’s a coincidence that among Air Nomads pre-genocide every single member was an airbender? No other nation had anything close to that! If you are to become like Air Nomads, you need to…”

“But I don’t want to be an Air Nomad!” Bumi snapped. “I’m well over sixty, brother! I’m not going to change my whole life and who I was and am!”

“Yeah!” Daw protested, surprising Asami with the fact he found the courage to stand up to Tenzin. “I also don’t want to be an Air Nomad, Air Acolyte or Air-Whatever! I want to go back to running my shop, but I need to learn to control my airbending so I don’t destroy it again!”

“You… you have to embrace Air Nomad culture!” Tenzin shouted. “It’s the resurgence of the Air Nation my father would have wanted! Now that you have the airbending gift…”

“No offense, Tenzin, but we don’t have to embrace squat,” Bumi said, surprisingly firm.

“You never understood Dad’s vision!”

“But I respected it!” he replied. “I’m sure he would love for there to be more airbenders but that doesn’t change the fact that we all have our lives! We want to learn airbending not…”

Tenzin, however, stopped listening to him and turned to Jami.

“What about you?!” he asked, making the girl yelp and jump up. “Don’t you want the peace that comes with being an airbender?”

Jami opened her mouth… then turned around and ran away.

“What’s up with her..?” Tenzin muttered, before looking at Asami. “And you, Asami? I know Korra respects you a lot. Don’t you feel better now, as part of the Air Nation? Knowing you don’t have to worry about your possessions, about your father’s company, about money… just focus on exploring your inner self?”

“I don’t have to..?” Asami repeated shocked. She told herself that she wasn’t going to challenge Tenzin at all, whatever he said… she was here, after all, to pretend to be a good student and keep spying for the Equalists… but his insolence triggered something inside her. “Tenzin, I helped my father build a lot of Future Industries! I’m not turning my back on it! Ever!”

“But an Air Nomad chasing money? Running a company?!” Tenzin protested. “That’s ridiculous!”

“Good thing that – just like most of us here, it seems – I don’t want to be an Air Nomad! I too have a life! There are things I’ve achieved without being a bender and I’m not going to forget about it, just because I received this…” she almost said ‘curse’ but corrected herself in time: “gift. I’m sad that Sozin killed the Air Nomads, but I don’t think making us become them is the correct answer!”

“Well, with such attitude from you all, I’m not surprised you are having problems learning even the basics of controlling your airbending powers!” Tenzin snapped and left.

“Emm…” Jinora said sheepishly, taking Tenzin’s place on the platform. “I… I’m really sorry about that. Let’s make a break for today, ok? I’ll… I’ll talk to my father and… ummm… sorry.” She said and left.

* * *

Later in her room, Asami was sitting in her room, looking at her desk.

Why was she having any second thoughts, really? The last lesson with Tenzin showed her clearly that Amon was right. Even the ‘peaceful’ Air Nomads, when given an inch, would immediately start forcing their vision on the others… just because they were benders. And Tenzin expected – demanded, even! – for other benders to follow him blindly, just because they were benders. As if everything they were before, suddenly lost its significance. As if being a bender was the only thing that mattered. And Tarrlok, using Korra as a tool, a weapon to strike at the Equalists? No, not using, at least not entirely – Korra seemed all too eager to unleash bending violence at others, at those who wanted to make the world a better, more just place.

After a long, long while, she took out a tiny piece of paper and, using a code utilized in the communication between her, her father and Amon, she began to write a report that she would pass through Batei.

Deciphered it meant: Av + TF ag chibl in N MW Dst Tnght

Chapter Text

“I knew we could count on Asami,” Amon spoke after reading the report. “Putting her on Air Temple Island is bearing fruit already.”

“Now that we know when and where the task force is going to strike, are we going to warn our men?” Lieutenant Tazaki asked.

“Or are we moving into the final phase of the task force plan?” Hiroshi asked.

Amon was silent for a moment, thinking.

“Neither,” he finally spoke. “For our plan to truly work… we need the Avatar to be even angrier. That will truly expose her for the mindless weapon that she is. And for that… we need Tokuga.”

* * *

The metal door stood no chance against the metalbenders. With Korra at the tip of the spear, the task force rushed into the training hall. One overeager policeman knocked the nearest silhouette down with a powerful shot of a metal projectile… but that turned out to be just one of the training dummies.

In fact, the training dummies were the only thing that was in the training room.

“Someone must have warned them!” Korra screamed in frustration, blasting the nearest dummy with a powerful fire blast.

“Maybe they’ve left something important,” Tarrlok said, before turning to his men. “Spread out and search for clues.”

“Damn cowards!” Korra snapped, walking around like a polar bear dog in a cage – a not pleasant thought, reminding her of poor Naga.

“The Equalists just know they’re no match for us, not when we have the Avatar on our side,” Tarrlok spoke softly, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Amon can’t hide forever. Sooner or later, we will catch him.”

“Hey, I’ve found something!” one of the policemen said, using metalbending to pull a metal crate out of the wall. He knelt, looking into the hole. “It’s some kind of a chest…” he muttered. “I think it’s… A BOMB!” he screamed.

“Everyone, out!” Tarrlok screamed. “Go, go, go! Korra…”

“I’ll cover you!” she screamed.

“No!” he snapped. “We can’t lose you!”

“I’m the only firebender here!” she shouted back. “I can slow down or redirect the explosion! No time! Go!”

* * *

Tokuga, watching from his observation point, sighed in frustration, seeing all the policemen escaping the emptied training facility. He wanted nothing more than to press the button on his detonator and kill at least some of them… but Amon’s orders had been clear – under no circumstance was harm to come to the Avatar. It wasn’t time for it yet. Had she left as one of the first, he would gladly detonate the charges, killing the task force member who remained behind, but of course she just had to play the hero and stay there, covering their escape… and this way unknowingly saving all of them by preventing him from activating the detonator.

It was frustrating but didn’t matter. There would be plenty of occasions to go kill policemen in the future.

When Tokuga saw Korra finally leave the training hall, he pressed the button and smiled as the explosion tore the building apart, the blast wave knocking the Avatar and a couple of policemen down.

Still smiling, he hid his detonator and left.

* * *

Every cell in Asami’s body demanded that she push Tenzin aside and be the first one to run into Korra’s hospital room… but using all her control she managed to calm herself down and walk in second, just after Tenzin.

They got the call from Mako, who got the news of the attack on the police grapevine before it went official. He, however, couldn’t have gone as he was just on a patrol, so Asami promised him that she would inform him as soon as she knew something. She wanted to call the Sato mansion and order Batei to bring the Satomobile to the harbour so that she could drive everyone to the hospital… which – as well as the fact that Tenzin actually thought it was a good idea – just proved how shaken and not thinking clearly she and the airbending master were. It was Jinora, who suggested that taking an air bison would be much quicker. And while she really wanted to go with them, Asami asked her to take her bison to the Sato estate and get Bolin to the hospital as well.

And now, both Tenzin and Asami were standing in utter shock, looking at the nurse making the empty bed.

“Where is she?” asked Tenzin. “Where’s Korra?”

“The Avatar?” the nurse asked.

“Avatar Korra!” Tenzin snapped, losing patience.

“She’s gone,” she said simply.

“WHAT?!” Tenzin and Asami snapped immediately, Tenzin growing completely pale and Asami feeling weirdly lightheaded.

“Yes,” the nurse said. “She insisted that she had only minor concussions, nothing ten minutes of spirit healing wouldn’t fix and that we should, I quote, ‘just stop making such a fuss over her and wasting her time’” the nurse continued with utter disapproval. “Then, against my advice, she left the hospital.”

“When?” Asami asked, feeling the wave of relief wash over her.

“Not five minutes ago. If you hurry you’ll catch her at the entrance,” the nurse answered. “To be honest, I didn’t think the Avatar would be such a rude…”

But neither Tenzin nor Asami were listening, racing downstairs already, not caring that the nurse was muttering something about having thought ‘the Councilman too would have better manners’.

Despite him being much older than she was, Asami could barely manage to keep up with him, the airbending master jumping in powerful leaps rather than running. Asami thought that only him taking care not to knock the people in the hospital – staff and patients alike – to the sides stopped Tenzin from using the ‘air cycle’ way of transportation that he had once showed them during training.

As soon as they got outside the building, it wasn’t hard to spot Korra, even despite her small stature. The aura of fury radiating from her was almost palpable, making people avoid even coming into her orbit.

Suddenly, Asami found herself jumping forward, propelled by airbending power that she didn’t realize she was using, overtaking Tenzin and landing just behind Korra.

Which has proved to be a mistake, for Korra suddenly turned around, an expression of anger on her face, her hands burning with fire…

…before she froze and sighed.

“Oh, hey Sami,” she said, before looking to the side. “Hi Tenzin. Sorry... I’m… well… kinda twitchy right now…”

Asami hesitated only for a fraction of a second - should I hug her now? How firmly should I hug her? How tight and close to me should I hold her? - but that was enough for Tenzin to grab Korra in a powerful embrace.

“Korra, I’m so glad that you’re fine!” he said.

Korra’s eyes for a moment locked with Asami… and then she hugged Tenzin back.

“Yes, when the nurse told us you were… gone…” Asami stopped, realizing with some surprise that her always confident voice was breaking.

“Ah, that damn nurse!” Korra almost spat, freeing herself from Tenzin’s hug. “Can you imagine she had the audacity of telling me I’m too weak to be using spirit healing on all the members of the task force?!”

“She… she might have been right,” Tenzin said, responding to Korra’s furious glare with a calm look of his own.

“Are you really alright?” Asami asked.

“Yeah, I’m great,” Korra muttered.

Asami looked at her carefully. Her friend was looking a bit pale, making the dark circles under her eyes all the more visible. She had a big bruise on one of her cheeks and another, even nastier one on her left forearm. She also seemed to be favouring one leg… but apart from that she didn’t seem injured, which Asami took with relief. She definitely didn’t look as if she had enough strength to keep healing multiple people.

“I’m sure that the task force policemen are in good hands,” Tenzin said. “Were there many seriously injured?”

Korra shook her head.

“No, fortunately not,” she said. “We got out before the building exploded and I managed to bend most of the debris flying at us away. We have only one broken bone and a couple of people getting concussion from the blast wave…” she shrugged… and then suddenly tensed, anger appearing in her eyes again. “But these were my comrades! Those cowardly Equalists will pay for setting this trap! I’ll be hunting all these honourless scum until I get to Amon!” she screamed with intensity that made Asami take a step back.

“What… what happened?” Tenzin asked. “What do you mean by ‘setting a trap’?”

“They knew we were coming!” Korra snapped. “Those bastards have spies everywhere! But that won’t save them from me! I’ll…”

“Korra! I don’t believe you should be out!” Asami turned as she heard Tarrlok come out of his Satomobile and approach them.

“I’m alright Tarrlok!” Korra snapped turning around. “How are..?”

“All the men are more or less fine,” he responded. “Some will be out of commission for a couple of weeks or months, but all will live and are projected to make full recovery. You don’t have to worry. Go back to the hospital…”

“I’m not going back there!” Korra said.

“Then, please, come with us to Air Temple Island,” Tenzin said. “You’ve been through so much. You need to rest.”
“Why aren’t you resting, Tarrlok?” Korra asked. “You were also at the blast site.”

“Yes, but I stood far away from the ground zero,” he responded. “Besides, I need to think of a proper response to these events…”

“Then I can help you with that,” the Avatar said. “The Equalists, the press and the Republic City need to learn that our resolve remains unchanged and that we are going to bring these bastards down!”

“I… I wouldn’t say no to your help,” Tarrlok said before looking at Tenzin who scowled. “But I think Tenzin is right and that you need to rest a bit.”

“Please, Korra,” Tenzin said. “Come with us.”

“Yes, you really deserve some rest,” Asami said, then forced a smile onto her face. “Jinora went to get Bolin, I’m sure they both would love to see you! And Mako, too! He sounded really worried about you…”

Korra hesitated, looking from Tarrlok to Tenzin to Asami.

Please say ‘yes’. Please say ‘yes’. Asami kept repeating in her head. Please say ‘yes’.

Finally, Korra sighed.

“Sorry Tenzin, sorry Sami,” she said. “I’ll come back as soon as I can. But we can’t let Amon think that he got a drop on us. Tarrlok, I’m going with you.”

And before either Tenzin or Asami could react, she was heading with the Councilman towards his Satomobile, before disappearing inside.

Asami and Tenzin exchanged a worried look. Moments after the Satomobile took off, Jinora’s air bison landed on the ground, knocking them down.

“Asami, Tenzin!” Bolin asked, jumping off the bison, stumbling on the ground and quickly regaining balanced, while Jinora airbent herself from the animal. “What happened?” he asked, noticing their grim looks. “Is she..?”

“No, Korra is alive,” Tenzin said quickly. “In fact, she’s quite well.”

“So why the long faces?” Bolin asked.

“She left with Tarrlok,” Asami explained. “She won’t stop fighting even for a moment.”

* * *

Following the explosion, Tenzin left for Council business, so with no airbending classes, Asami decided to leave Air Temple Island. The mood there was so sour, that no one tried to stop her, though Jinora, also looking beyond just worried, asked if she could accompany her. To be completely honest, Asami would have preferred to be left alone, but seeing Jinora, with whom she had grown friendly with, so worried, made her relent and soon both of them were entering the Sato mansion.

“Wow,” Jinora gasped. “This is where you grew up? This place is… so different from Air Temple Island!”

And while Jinora’s words were full of admiration, Asami had the feeling, the girl still liked the simplicity of the Air Temple more than the monumental magnificence of the estate. There were moments, recently more and more often, when Asami found herself thinking the same way.

“Asami! Jinora!” Bolin shouted running towards them from the inside of the building, almost trampling Batei on his way. “So good to see you! I’ve been going crazy here on my own! Well, Pabu has been keeping me company…” the fire ferret climbed on top of Bolin’s arm and chirped. Bolin quickly grew seriously. “Did you hear from Korra? Mako says she, Tarrlok and Saikhan have been locked in the briefing room for hours now but…”

“No, no news from her,” Asami said, shaking her head. “Hey, Bolin, could you show Jinora around the place? I’d like to have a word with my father.”

“Oh sure,” Bolin said, but before he could even turn to Jinora, Pabu jumped off his arm and started walking on its front legs in front of the airbender girl.

“By the Spirits, he’s so cute!” Jinora laughed, for a moment forgetting about her worries.

That’s how Asami left them.

“Please keep an eye on them,” she whispered to Batei’s ear. “I want to speak to my father undisturbed.”

“Yes, miss Sato,” the butler said.

Hiroshi was of course in his office. For once, Asami walked in without knocking, making sure to lock the door behind her.

“What was that, father?!” she snapped. “You almost blew Korra up! Not to mention all those other policemen! That wasn’t what we agreed on! Amon said…”

“Amon said that he doesn’t want Korra dead and it still stands,” her father responded. “The Avatar was never in any danger. The bomb was remotely detonated and our man made sure she was out of the building before he triggered it.”

“And the other policemen? If Korra hadn’t left last, would he collapse the building on top of them?”

“I… don’t know,” Hiroshi said, taking off her glasses and sighing as he rubbed his forehead. “But Asami, you have to be aware that this revolution will lead to casualties. That it will require sacrifices! These policemen are part of the bending establishment…”

The office was soundproof, she knew that, but still, it felt strange to be finally talking about these things aloud, without any metaphors or embellishments.

“For all their – many! – faults, these policemen joined the force to protect and serve the citizens!” she protested.

“The citizens? Or those in power?” he countered.

For a moment they were silent, just looking each other in the eyes.

“This isn’t what I expected to happen when I sent the information about the planned raid,” she said quietly, forcing herself to remain calm.

“But this is what Amon decided to be the best course of action,” her father replied. “We’re all grateful and impressed that you discovered this piece of information and passed it on.”

Asami chuckled bitterly.

“No need to be impressed,” she said. “Korra and Tenzin were arguing so loudly that everyone on the Air Temple Island must have heard it.”

“Our other agent there didn’t, so your assistance was invaluable, Asami,” Hiroshi said, then looked at her closely. “Are you ok, dear? You seem to be… torn. Unsure of yourself and of our cause. That’s unlike you.”

“My heart is in the same place as it was,” she replied curtly.

“Don’t worry, love,” Hiroshi spoke. “Soon you won’t need to be staying on the island any longer. If what our agents at the police station is correct, the Avatar is already beside herself with fury. We’re ready to proceed with the final phase of the task force plan. And once her image will be destroyed in the eyes of the public, you will be able to leave Air Temple Island and get rid of your bending. Sure, we’ll feign you being kidnapped by Amon and equalized against your will… the pity points we’ll score this way will help in making sure no one suspects us of being involved with the Equalists.”

“Final phase?” Asami frowned, ignoring everything else her father was saying, as she tried to recall what that final phase was and realized she didn’t know. Why… why didn’t they share this plan with her? “What is it about? Dad, what do you have planned for Korra?!”

Hiroshi responded with a smile colder and more cruel than she thought him capable of.

“We’re give Avatar what she wants,” he said. “She wants to get Amon? We’ll give him to her. I’m afraid, however, that their meeting won’t go to her liking.”

Chapter Text

“First things first,” Tarrlok said. “Since we’re down a couple of men following the last cowardly ambush, I’ve issued a call to any policemen who want to join the task force on a temporary basis. I want to make one thing clear, however. This is not a game. The Equalist scum are fighting back, using their shock gauntlets and bombs. It is dangerous. I want volunteers only. If you want to walk away, now is the time. No one will think less of you.”

Korra looked up at the men at the table, her glare telling everyone that at least she would think less of them. No one made a move. The anger among the force at the Equalist cowardly attack was still fresh and the policemen wanted payback.

“We got intel about a major Equalist rally taking place in an old night club,” Tarrlok continued. “I’m not sharing any details on purpose. I know I can trust all of you, but the Equalists have some good sources of intel and we need to make sure that our plans don’t leak this time.”

“Tell them the best part, Tarrlok,” a cold voice cut the silence… and only after a while did Korra realize that the voice was hers.

She cracked her fist, looking at the smooth metallic surface of the armour she put on. The shit got real and with explosions, shrapnel and what have you, potentially flying around, she decided that an additional layer of protection might be prudent, even taking into the account the threat posed by the Equalists armed with shock gauntlets. She would just have to make sure she didn’t allow any one of them near her. A small smile, that had nothing to do with humour or good mood, appeared on her lips. She cracked her fist again. She was going to enjoy it.

“The ‘best part’, as Avatar put it,” Tarrlok said “is that according to our informant, Amon himself will be at this rally.”

There was a faint murmur among the policemen.

“Yes, so you can see that you have to be particularly careful,” Tarrlok continued. “There is a serious risk that even if you don’t die, one mistake means you’ll be losing your bending. Forever.”

More hushed whispers. Two policemen, looking down, avoiding the eyes of their comrades left the group and the room. Cowards.

“Remember, men,” Tarrlok said. “If we succeed… there is a good chance we will cut off the head of the snake and stop the Equalist movement once and for all. Any questions?”

“Yeah,” one of the policemen said. “Are we really that desperate that we’re taking on rookies?”

He pointed at Mako who glared at him.

“This rookie has more experience dealing with Equalists than most of you combined!” Korra snapped, before Mako could say anything. “So yeah, when he volunteered to join, I asked Tarrlok to make the exception and let him in. If anyone’s got problem with it, now it’s the time to raise it. With me.”

Silence.

“Thanks, Korra,” Mako mouthed at Korra, and she nodded curtly in his direction in return.

She was happy that Mako decided to join. Despite all their differences, when it came to fighting Equalists, she could be sure that he would have her back. Besides, he too deserved some payback.

“If there are no more questions,” Tarrlok said, looking at the men “the Avatar will provide a briefing on the opposition we might expect. Listen to her closely especially as she mentions the Equalist weaponry, or the ways Amon and the man identified only as ‘Lieutenant’ fight. Understood?”

“Sir, yes sir!” the policemen responded.

* * *

The men had already left and only Korra with Tarrlok remained, going through the maps one more time, when there was a knock at the door to Tarrlok’s office. Moments later the door was opened and a picture of fury that was Lin Beifong entered the room.

“I want in on the task force,” she spoke immediately, not giving anyone time to react.

“Wh-what?” Tarrlok asked, surprised.

“I want to take part in the raid,” she said. “I’ve got some unfinished business with Amon.”

“That would be awesome!” Korra said. “Together we’ll kick their ass so thoroughly that…”

“No,” Tarrlok said.

“What?!” Korra and Lin asked as one, looking at the Councilman.

“I can’t agree to that,” he said.

“Why?” Lin asked after a moment.

Tarrlok sighed.

“I need everyone on my team clear-headed,” he said. “While you…”

Lin didn’t let him finish.

“Because the Avatar here is the picture of self-control?”

“Hey!” Korra snapped, slightly offended. She was on Lin’s side, no need to talk about her like that!

“And besides, all of the cops there want are itching for some revenge and payback… and rightly so,” the former Chief of Police continued. “So, I wouldn’t call anyone clear-headed.”

“Be that as it may, I have to insist.”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea, Tarrlok?” Korra asked. “We could use her firepower.”

She knew from Tenzin that Tarrlok kept his end of the bargain and made sure Lin didn’t suffer any repercussions from the backlash following the Equalist attack on the pro-bending arena, apart from being demoted from the position of Chief of Police to a relatively cushy post as a police Captain. Being busy with the task force, however, Korra didn’t get to see her since then.

“Why, Tarrlok?” Lin asked, ignoring Korra. “What’s the real reason?”

“The men still respect you,” Tarrlok said after a while.

“And that is bad because...?”

“Because if you and I give different orders, they might follow yours instead of mine.”

“That’s refreshing honesty from you, Tarrlok,” Lin snapped.

“It’s not about just power,” the Councilman responded. “The chain of command has to be clear. Any mistake during this operation, may mean failure or death.”

“For fuck’s sake, Tarrlok!” she barked. “I thought the one good thing about this damn demotion is that I would be able to take part in actions! And as a Captain I’m still just dealing with pushing papers, setting up shifts and so on!”

“I thought you would be happy about staying on the force,” Tarrlok responded.

Korra’s eyes were going from one to another, as if she was watching an exchange of blows during a pro-bending match.

“Bored to death, more likely,” Lin said. “And are you sure it has nothing to do with you being able to claim the victory for yourself instead of having to share it with me?”

“You wound me, Captain,” Tarrlok said. “I’m more than happy to share the credit with the Avatar. But I can’t have you on the task force.”

“But…” Korra began.

“I’m sorry, Korra,” he said, in a nicer, but still firm voice. “But this time my decision is final.”

Korra could see Lin clench her fists. Surely, she wouldn’t attack Tarrlok here, in the office? Just in case Korra prepared herself to intercept any attack the metalbender could launch. She couldn’t let Tarrlok get injured, not when taking down Amon was so close.

Lin noticed Korra preparing herself to protect the Councilman and just shrugged, a faint hint of disgust… and disappointment on her face.

“Lin…” Korra shouted, but the Chief – no, not Chief, Captain now – turned around and left.

“Well, that was… entertaining,” Tarrlok muttered before looking at Korra. “Let’s get back to work. We need to decide what’s the best point of entry. I was thinking that maybe you could earthbend the floor and attack from below…”

* * *

“Ok, men, listen up,” Korra said to her half of the task force as they gathered in the sewer underneath the nightclub. “We’ve got confirmation that Amon is there. Remember, we want him alive however…” she actually hesitated for a second here. “However, if push comes to shove… use of deadly force is authorized.”

All the men nodded their hands, some looking more confident, while others – Mako among them – looking as if they were beginning to have some doubts.

“The action plan is simple,” she said. “We hit hard and fast. No demands of surrender. We attack and keep attacking until all targets have been subdued.”

She took out her chronometer and looked at it.

“Everyone in position?” she asked. “We begin in two minutes…”

* * *

“The city begins to wake up!” Amon spoke. “Soon…”

Irume never learned what would happen soon as the ground suddenly started trembling and the floor opened. Immediately figures started jumping out of, figures clad in heavy police armour. At the front of them there was a woman and a man, both of them propelling themselves upwards with fire shooting down from their feet.

The woman landed on the floor and made a swiping gesture with her hand, a wave of water hitting people gathered at the rally and forcing them back, knocking them against each other. Some tried to rush the attackers, but the tall, lean man breathed fire at them, pushing them back… and moments later the metalbender policemen started shooting small metal bars, bending them into handcuffs as they hit the wrists of their targets.

Irume, with some other men turned towards the door but as it was opened… only a powerful, massive wave of water came in, knocking people of their feet before freezing them down. Irume barely heard the second group of policemen enter over the sounds of broken bones and screams of pain.

And then a terrible pain erupted in Irume’s side as a metal bar hit him. Either a metalbender aimed at cuffing him but missed… or simply decided that breaking a couple of his ribs would be an easier way of subduing the target. Before Irume lost his consciousness, he saw Amon rush towards the Avatar.

“Equalize the bitch,” he managed to think, to pray, before darkness took him.

* * *

Time slowed down as Korra saw Amon approach her. He wasn’t moving fast but she just stood, watching him come, seeing his mask looking at her. She remembered her nightmare, him taking her bending away, making her become…

nothing

Anger flared in her.

No! She wasn’t afraid! She wasn’t going to panic or run away! She wasn’t going to let him take her bending away! Bending, being the Avatar, was her entire life and she wasn’t going to let him ruin it. She struck at him with an ice-bullet, knocking him down. As he got up, she kicked flames at him, making the right sleeve of his robe catch fire. As he was screaming pitifully, trying to defeat the flames, she ripped stones off the wall and sent them at him. They hit his arm and legs, and she heard the crack of bones being broken, shatter.

Amon fell to the floor, but she wasn’t finished.

She sliced with her water whip, hitting him squarely in the face, knocking him onto his back, the cracked mask falling off his face.

His face… was absolutely ordinary. Nothing to be afraid off. The burn scar he spoke about was really small – and looked quite fresh, to be honest – nothing that would justify him wearing a mask. Nothing but his love for theatrics and the need to cause fear around him.

“I’m not afraid of you!” she screamed, feeling more powerful than ever, standing over him, looking in his terrified eyes, summoning fires.

He talked about a firebender taking his face? Oh, she could arrange that for real! Gladly!

“Korra!” Mako shouted. “You got him! Don’t do it!”

“Shut up, Mako!” she snapped. “He almost took Bolin’s bending!”

Then she looked back at Amon, trying to curl into a ball, despite his useless hand and leg being limp. The flames in her hands became hotter, with even other policemen pulling away.

She was dimly aware of Mako shouting something at her, pulling on her arm.

She didn’t care.

She saw Tarrlok looking at her, expectantly.

She didn’t care.

She saw the look of pain and fear on Amon’s face.

She didn’t care.

She should kill him. As long as he was alive, he would remain a threat.

Sure, Aang would have left him alive, but you couldn’t just take away bending of a non-bender, right? What would others have thought? Toph would probably kill him. Azula definitely would. Mako was trying to stop her and she didn’t understand why. Jinora was pure and innocent and naïve. Tenzin… Tenzin wouldn’t approve of it but perhaps he would sigh in relief, knowing that Amon wasn’t able to hurt his family. From what Korra learned about Katara searching for vengeance against those who cost her her mother, the old waterbender would at least understand Korra’s urge to end Amon.

Asami…

Pain exploded in every cell of Korra’s body. She found herself writhing on the floor, her muscles twitching, spasming out of control. It took all her strength to look up and see Mako, standing behind her, sparks from the lightning attack he shot at her back still dancing on his fingers.

* * *

“…my sources say that two members of the rally are still in critical condition with fifteen more being wounded,” said the voice on the radio.

Hiroshi smiled to himself and opened a bottle of his best whisky. He offered it to Lieutenant Tazaki, but he shook his head, looking solemn.

“We should have fought them,” the tall, lean mean said, for the first time since Hiroshi met him sounding tired. “We should have fought the police and the Avatar.”

“We are fighting them,” Hiroshi countered. “Just in a different way.”

He took a drink of whisky. Yes, sacrificing those true believers was a sad necessity… but the propaganda win they’ve just scored was beyond priceless.

* * *

“A person who, in his respect for our cause took my mask on, almost paid for it with his life. The Avatar tried to murder him, without giving a chance to surrender,” the voice kept talking.

Far in Wolf Cove, Senna shook her head.

“No,” she whispered to herself. “It’s a lie. Not my Korra.”

Where was Tonraq? She needed him with her more than ever before!

* * *

This is the truth about the bending establishment and their pet attack beast, the Avatar. They want to kill and destroy that and those that they can’t rule or control.” the voice continued.

“So, the Avatar became just a tool of the establishment,” Zaheer sneered. “That was to be expected. It is just as the Xai Bau said…”

“Not Guru Laghima this time?” Ghazan asked from his spot on the couch, while Ming-Hua snickered.

“No,” Zaheer responded. “The founder of Red Lotus, Xai Bau said that…”

“No,” P’li said sharply, turning away from the fireplace. “Tonight, I don’t need to hear about the Avatar, Guru Laghima, Xai Bau or our mission. Tonight, I need three things… a warm room… a warm meal… and a warm touch.”

Her eyes focused on Zaheer.

“Get a room, you two!” Ming-Hua chuckled.

“We are in a room,” P’li corrected her coldly. “What we need to get… is some privacy.”

“Umm, right,” Ghazan said getting up. “Ming-Hua and I… will scout… for shit and stuff.”

P’li didn’t even watch them leave, her eyes, sharper and more intense than Zaheer remembered, looking at him with hunger.

* * *

”I, however, am still here!” the person who identified as Amon spoke.

Mako, and a couple of other police officers on the stations shook their heads.

“It can’t be Amon!” one of them said. “They brought some new guy to record it! We’ve got the real Amon!”

But Mako wasn’t so sure. In fact, he was sure they didn’t get the real Amon. The way this guy moved… it was nothing compared to him he danced between bending attacks during the Revelation. At this moment… he barely cared about it. His thoughts were circling around Korra. Around her being – he was certain of it – so, so close to killing the fake Amon. And around her screaming in pain as he decided to stop her by zapping her with his lightning, barely managed to decrease the power of the attack so that she wouldn’t end up dead.

Would she ever forgive him? And was it the right thing to do? Maybe he should have trusted her and believed that she would stop herself before she crossed the line after which there was no return?

* * *

“And I assure you all,” the voice spoke with force “that my resolve has never been stronger. And so do all of you need to stay strong, strong for our wounded friends and comrades. Our day will come. The benders will tremble before us.

Asami, Jinora, Bumi and Bolin, huddled around the radio on Air Temple Island looked at each other, without a word.

They are winning! Asami thought bitterly. We are winning!

* * *

We will win!” Amon, the real Amon, she had no doubts about it, no one could fake THAT voice, oozing charisma from every word.

An ice-bullet from Korra hit the radio, shattering it. She watched sparks fly out of the destroyed machine with empty eyes, lying in her hospital bed. She shivered at the sight of the sparks, immediately recalling the arcs of electricity on her body when Mako shot her with the lightning.

Immediately anger rose in her… but not at him but at herself. Anger born from shame that he felt the need to shock her so that she wouldn’t kill a defenceless man. The worst part was that she couldn’t really blame him. She didn’t know if she would be able to stop herself.

She just didn’t know.

Suddenly the door to her room opened.

She turned around hoping to see…

“Oh, hi Tenzin,” she muttered.

He looked at the destroyed radio, lifted an eyebrow and looked back at Korra.

“I know, I’ve screwed up, big time,” she said, her voice flat and… dead.

“We…” he said, also unsure. “We’ll talk about it… later. I’m here… about something else.”

He sat next to her and with a sudden shiver, Korra realized that Tenzin was afraid.

“I’ve… I’ve received a message from… from Kya,” he said. “It’s… it’s about your father. He’s been hurt.”

Chapter Text

“Wait… you’re telling me… wow… I mean…” Korra tried to wrap her head around the information she’d just received. “So, the reason why I was kept… under watch…” she almost said imprisoned “was because these Red Lotus guys had tried to kidnap me?”

“Yes,” Tenzin said, sitting next to her on the bed.

The first shock after receiving information about her father subsided as Tenzin assured her that Kya said Tonraq’s condition was serious but stable. Now that Korra’s worries about him subsided a bit, she could focus on the other question she had.

Who hurt him? Zaheer? Who was Zaheer? What was this Zaheer doing in the North Pole? And for that matter, what was her dad doing there? Who was P’li?

And the biggest question of them all:

What was the Red Lotus?

“They attacked when you were around five,” Tenzin said. “We – your parents, my mum, uncle Sokka and Suki, Kya and I – managed to stop them but…” Tenzin sighed. “But we lost Suki… and Sokka was never the same again. While we took down and imprisoned the Red Lotus leadership, there were enough members of this organization on the loose that it was decided that you would be better protected under constant supervision of the White Lotus.”

“And that’s how the idea for my prison was born,” Korra muttered.

“Listen, Korra, it was all done for…”

She, however, wasn’t in the mood for listening to his explanation.

“And now this Zaheer and other leaders of the Red Lotus are free?” she asked. “And my dad and Kya and others tried to stop him… but they failed, and my father got hurt for it… and Desna died?”

She still didn’t believe the last part. If she were to be honest with herself, she wasn’t heartbroken about Desna’s death. She got along with her cousins, after they turned away from Unalaq and joined her side, helping her win… but they were never close, and she couldn’t forget that they almost helped their father bring forth the end of the world.

But her father… if she lost him…

“But what does the Red Lotus want?” she asked Tenzin. “It’s not as if they can kidnap and brainwash me now. I’m kinda too old for that.”

“We don’t know what their plan is,” the airbending master responded.

“I need to go there,” Korra said. “To my father. I…”

“No,” Tenzin protested, putting her hand on Korra’s. “Kya made it clear: she suspects the Red Lotus are counting on this. They might be lying in wait to strike at you when you go to him…”

“Then they’ll be in for a nasty surprise!” Korra snapped. “I’ll show them what the Avatar is capable of!”

“Korra… I know you’re strong…”

“I sense a ‘but’ incoming…”

“But the just the three of them took down your father, Kya, Zuko, Eska and Desna… not to mention Zuko’s dragon. Now all four are free. I don’t think even you could take them on. And if something happens to you… can you imagine how Tonraq would feel?”

“I…”

“If Kya says the situation is under control, we have to trust her. Once Tonraq feels better, we might think how to lure the Red Lotus into a trap…”

“Sure,” Korra muttered, not having the strength to fight. “I’d… I’d like to write to dad. And to mum. I… I’ve neglected them. With all the things happening… the task force…” she looked up at Tenzin. “I… I screwed up, didn’t I?”

Tenzin looked away.

“The situation… has worsened somewhat,” he responded after a while. “Amon… is milking the latest attack for all the propaganda points he can score. There were mainly old and sick people at that rally… and even some reporters who were there to get a scoop on Amon. The task force attack is being described as excessive brutality, bender persecution of defenceless people and so on.”

“I should’ve known it wasn’t the real Amon,” she said. “I walked right into it! The intel we received… it was from an Equalist agent, wasn’t it?”

“Tarrlok is not too eager to discuss the details of the operation with anyone, especially me… but yes, that is what it looks like,” Tenzin nodded.

“These Equalists… how can we beat them if they’re like damn shadows! And they know so much about our moves… how they can be so well informed..?”

There was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” Korra said, turning towards it and as it opened, a smile appeared on her face. “Oh, hi Sami!”

* * *

Asami stood in front of the door to Korra’s room, eavesdropping on Korra’s and Tenzin’s conversation. She was learning things that she had no idea about. Things, she was sure of it, Amon would love to know. Things, that helped her understand Korra better.

Amon and the Equalist believed that the White Lotus brought the Avatar up in seclusion to mold her into their mindless, obedient weapon. Now, Asami was learning that while the execution maybe had not been perfect and had left Korra… lonely with a void to fill in the place where relationships with other people should be… at least the motivation behind the actions of the White Lotus was more understandable.

Korra, being a target since the age of five. Moved to a golden cage combined with a brutal training regimen. That… explained so much about her. And now, just after the fiasco of the task force, she learned that her father got wounded by those… Red Lotus.

Who were they? Asami has never heard of such group before and wondered if Amon knew of them. Were they potential allies of the Equalists? Unlikely, if they consisted of benders. But if they had the common enemy in the Avatar…

And they killed Suki! Asami knew of Suki, of course, everyone knew about the story of Aang’s “Team Avatar” (though Asami always preferred the affectionate nickname ‘Gaang’), but the details of her demise were kept vague. Even the Equalists, who considered Suki a proof that one doesn’t have to be a bender to fight for freedom and justice, her fate was an enigma.

”“These Equalists… how can we beat them if they’re like damn shadows! And they know so much about each our move… how they can be so well informed..?” Asami heard, coming from Korra’s room.

No, she couldn’t have that. She couldn’t have Korra – and Tenzin – thinking too much about having a spy in their midst. Not when such questions, could have brought them to her. She knocked on the door, and when Korra called for her to come in, she entered.

“Oh, hi Sami!” Korra turned around and, for a second, all thoughts left Asami’s head.

Then she began noticing things – the dark circles under Korra’s eyes, the almost unnoticeable shaking of her hands, the smile on her lips not being as bright as usually was, coming from Korra.

“Hey, Korra,” Asami said. “As soon as I learned that you were awake, I had Jinora drop me off on Pepper. She took Bolin to fetch Mako and they’ll be here soon as well,” Asami took Korra’s hand and gently squeezed it. “We were all so worried about you.”

“Well… emm…” Tenzin got up. “I will… go and… ask the doctors… about… well… stuff. And then I will wait for Jinora to arrive.”

And without waiting for anyone’s answer, he left the room.

“I… I screwed up, Sami,” Korra said. “I really screwed up.”

“I’m sure that…”

Korra kept talking, not even listening.

“I don’t even mean getting played by Amon,” she whispered and Asami saw tears welling up in Korra’s beautiful eyes. “I… I wanted to hurt them all. It felt good to feel the Equalists scream in pain and fear, to see them trample each other as they tried to escape. And when I thought I was facing Amon… for a moment I froze in fear… but then I turned my fear into anger… and I started hitting him with all I had. I enjoyed how he writhed in pain, how he looked at me in terror. With every blow I hit him with, with every scream I brought from his mouth… I felt my own fear lessen until it disappeared, replaced only by hatred. I… I wanted to kill him. I wanted to kill him slowly.”

Asami just stared at Korra for a while.

A part of her knew, that right now, she should be thinking something about how Amon has been right all along about the Avatar being just a rabid attack beast, about her being someone who relished in causing pain and in violence. She should now be thinking how she misjudged Korra, who turned out to be a blood crazed monster.

That she should hate the Avatar and all of her doubts about spying on her should now be gone.

And yet, all she could think of, was how sad, how broken Korra seemed right now. And how, while she did make her choices, she was manipulated into an impossible position, by those who were supposed to be her allies and friends – like Tarrlok… and Asami.

There was nothing to say, so she just hugged Korra, who, in turn, stiffened for a second… and hugged Asami back, holding to her as if she were her lifeline.

“Tenzin brought other news too,” Korra whispered. “About my father. He…”

“Shhh” Asami said, pulling away from her friend and putting her finger on Korra’s lips.

Like before, at the pier, the touch felt good.

“I’ve… I’ve heard,” she said. “I’m sorry, I was coming to your room, and I heard you talking to Tenzin, and I know I shouldn’t have eavesdropped, but I didn’t want to disturb you and…”

Asami knew that she shouldn’t have said that, she shouldn’t have admitted to listening… but she didn’t want Korra to be forced to speak about her father being wounded, about what she learned about the Red Lotus.

“Don’t worry, Sami,” Korra said. “Don’t worry. I’m… I’m glad that you know.”

They held each other for a moment longer.

“I… I hope these people… these people that I and the task force hurt… will survive… and recover,” Korra whispered… but… there was something in her voice that alarmed Asami. “I know that plenty of people who follow Amon are good deep down.”

“I… I like to think so, yes,” Asami said.

Suddenly, Korra’s eyes were cold and hard, like ice.

“It’s Amon, who is evil,” Korra said. “He needs to be taken down.”

“What… what are you planning?” Asami asked.

Before Korra could answer, the door to her door opened and Bolin – along with Pabu – rushed in, with Jinora and Mako walking in behind him. The conversation that followed was light and pleasant, but Asami barely took part in it, overcome by bad feelings.

* * *

“Question for the Avatar!” a female reporter stood up. “Despite you violently breaking up peaceful rallies and hurting innocents, Amon remains at large. Why have you failed to locate him?”

Korra took a step forward. She knew Tarrlok shot her a worried glance, but she didn’t care. He had two choices after their fiasco – blame everything on her or support her in every way. To what seemed to be Tenzin’s immeasurable surprise, the Water Tribe Councilman decided to stand behind Korra so now, when she demanded a press conference, he could hardly say ‘no’ to that.

“You want to know why? Because Amon is hiding in the shadows and behind people wearing his mask, like a coward!” she snapped into the microphone, before grabbing it. “Amon, I challenge you to a duel! No task force, no chi-blockers, just the two of us tonight at midnight on Avatar Aang Memorial Island. Let's cut to the chase and settle this thing, if you're man enough to face me.”

The murmur of the gathered crowds sounded like music to her. She tried not to think about the worried looks on Tenzin’s, Mako’s and… Asami’s faces.

* * *

Asami was almost grateful for her father’s summon. The atmosphere on Air Temple Island, with Korra, Tenzin and Tarrlok constantly arguing about Korra’s challenge was starting to get suffocating and, despite Jinora trying her best to lighten the mood, Asami just couldn't focus on airbending.

“Good to see you, Asami,” Hiroshi said, while Lieutenant Tazaki nodded his head in respect.

“Indeed, Asami,” Amon spoke, his voice only slightly warmer than the look of his mask. “I haven’t thanked you yet for all the services you provided for us while spying on the Avatar. If… or rather when we win, it will be in a large degree your doing.”

“I do whatever I can to help,” she responded. “But that challenge… that wasn’t my doing. I guess you’ll be ignoring her challenge?”

“No,” Amon said. “I intend to appear.”

“B-but…” Asami looked at him surprised. “With the recent task force disaster… the support for our cause has been greater than ever. Why risk it?”

“Because, the time has come for the Avatar to be taught a lesson,” Amon said.

Fortunately, it was the moment that Hiroshi chose to speak up.

“No offense intended, sir,” he said. “But… with all your skill… are you sure you can take on the Avatar in a duel?”

Asami could almost feel Amon smile behind his mask.

“It will not be a duel,” he said.

“But…” Asami began, but stopped when he suddenly turned to her.

“That’s why we need you,” he said and nodded at Tazaki who rolled out some blueprints on the temple.

She immediately recognized the plans of Avatar Aang’s Memorial Island and the museum devoted to him that was there.

“As much as I admire your technical genius, friend,” Amon turned to Hiroshi, before looking back at Asami. “Your daughter is the only one among us with knowledge of architecture. I’m sure Tarrlok and the police will have the island surrounded… but is there an additional way to get there? To bring my chi-blockers so that they could overwhelm the Avatar?”

Asami looked at him for a long, long while, before looking down on the plans to hide her turmoil. It would be so easy to tell him there was none! But… what if he would have her decision double-checked? And besides… why was she even considering lying to him? Wasn’t that what they wanted? To guarantee Equalist victory?

Besides… didn’t Amon say he didn’t want to take Avatar’s bending yet?

“Over the tunnel that provides water and removes sewage,” she finally said, making her decision “there’s a technical tunnel, big enough for people to crawl through. It’s been sealed off by earthbenders…”

“But we can unseal it,” Tazaki said.

“Good work, Asami,” Amon said. “The time has come for the Avatar to finally be equalized.”

She looked up at him, her mouth wide open.

“But… you said you aren’t going to take her bending!” she protested. “That… it would make her a martyr!”

“Now, as the public hates the Avatar… we don’t have to worry about that.” Amon said. “The time has come to deal a decisive blow against the Avatar and the bender establishment. The time has come to take away her bending… for good.”

Chapter Text

Korra didn’t want to be thinking about the symbolism of it, not when she was expecting Amon to show up at any moment… but it was impossible to avoid. Her, little, under the enormous statue of Aang. Even if the people of Republic City didn’t hate her, there was no way that she could measure up to his legacy.

He ended the One Hundred Year War, stopped Ozai, helped to found the United Republic of Nations and Republic City, was beloved wherever he went, while she was…

a failure.

Her conversation with Tenzin about escaping Aang’s shadow? That was hippopotamus bullshit. She would never escape his shadow. She would forever be remembered as ‘the Avatar that came after Aang’ and probably ‘the Avatar that ruined Aang’s legacy’.

More than ever, she wished to be able to speak to him, to ask him for advice. But Unalaq and Vaatu took that from her, because she wasn’t strong enough, because she was…

a failure.

The clock striking midnight chased those thoughts out of her head. She had to focus. She couldn’t make any mistakes, not when it came to facing Amon. She looked around over the Aang Memorial Museum roof that she was on. No movement. No sign of Amon.

Oh, she wouldn’t be surprised if he showed up some time later, hoping to catch her after she had already dropped her guard. But she wasn’t going to let that happen.

To make sure, she didn’t fall asleep – the events of the last couple of days took a toll on her – she started practicing bending stances, but she couldn’t focus on that, every gust of wind, every faintest sound causing her to jump and turn around, ready to strike.

She also wouldn’t be surprised if Amon didn’t show up at all. He was, after all, a coward, hiding behind his minions. But if he didn’t show up… that would be the propaganda win Tarrlok needed. The great mastermind Amon hiding behind his men but too cowardly to face the Avatar! It would have a nice spin.

Fifteen minutes.

An hour.

An hour and a half.

Two hours.

Seems, it was safe to say that Amon was a no-show.

“Huh, who’s scared now?” she muttered as she got down from the roof, heading towards the beach. She sent two flaming blasts into the air, her signal to Tarrlok waiting with the police that everything was fine, and that Amon didn’t appear.

She couldn’t wait to get to bed, but she knew she would have to first assure Tenzin that everything was fine. It was… it was nice to have people who worried about her. Tenzin, Jinora, Bolin and Mako of course, with Bolin deciding to move to Air Temple Island from the Sato mansion to be with Korra following the task force fiasco. And Asami. Korra was sure she was worried as well.

Who would have thought that they would grow to be such good friends?

Suddenly Korra felt guilty. She had been quite cold and distant to Asami lately, focused entirely on the task force. She would have to make it up. Maybe she could…

Korra screamed in surprise as a rope shot from the inside of the museum, wrapped itself around her legs and pulled hard, making her fall to the ground.

And she screamed even louder when she was pulled into the darkness of the empty museum.

Oh, now, she wasn’t going to go down so easily! She kicked both of her legs, burning through the rope and illuminating the room for a moment… for long enough to see well over a dozen of Equalist chi-blockers surrounding her.

Stupid! Why hadn’t she guessed that Amon, the honourless terrorist scum that he was, wouldn’t come alone but with his minions?! She would teach them all a lesson… but even as she thought that, she felt cold fear grip her heart.

She made a roundhouse kick, with flames shooting from her foot and in the light, she saw the chi-blockers rush her. She stomped her foot, raising a semicircular wall from the ground, protecting her from half of the attackers. One, that was almost on her, got a traditional, non-bending elbow to his face. Two nearest ones got blasted with flame strikes… but there were just too many of them.

Soon ropes were shot and grabbed her hands… but Korra wasn’t done yet. She pulled hard and heard one of the Equalists holding her arms fall. Then she kicked in the air, sending a stone boulder into the darkness, blind… and was rewarded with a scream of pain. As they rushed her again, she exhaled fire on them, catching one chi-blocker… but soon blows began raining on her bound body, leaving her numb… and unable to bend.

Only then did they release the ropes and allowed her to drop to the floor, fighting hard not to lose consciousness.

That ceased to be the problem, when through the numbness spreading throughout her body an icy cold blade of fear pushed through… as she saw the hooded, masked silhouette of Amon come out of the darkness. Immediately, strong Equalist hands grabbed her and lifted her to her knees, ignoring her weak struggles for freedom. Only now that she was unable to bend and held firmly, did the Equalists turn on their flashlights.

Feeling her heart beat so fast that she thought it might burst out of her chest, her body hyperventilating as she swallowed a breath after a breath, Korra looked up at the figure looming over her. Amon there for a while… then reached out with his hand towards her face…

“No, please… no…” she whimpered, not even caring anymore how weak she sounded.

* * *

It was both beautiful and as well as painful to watch. The way in which Korra fought, how she dodged and dealt blows, send fire and rock at her attackers… She must have known she had no chance, but she wasn’t one to go down quietly.

And then the chi-blockers began raining blows on her and each time one connected, Asami felt as if she was being hit. Through the whole fight, she didn’t move an inch, protecting the precious cargo she was holding.

And then… Amon stood over Korra, reaching with his hand. She felt her body tense, on her own, as if she was getting ready to strike. At whom? Amon? Her comrades? That was ridiculous! She could feel Lieutenant Tazaki’s eyes on her. Was he aware of the chaos in her mind?

The biggest question that raced through Asami’s mind, however, was: What decision would Amon make?

* * *

Asami looked up at Amon, her mouth wide open.

“But… you said you aren’t going to take her bending!” she protested. “That… it would make her a martyr.”

“Now, as the public hates the Avatar… we don’t have to worry about that.” Amon said. “The time has come to deal a decisive blow against the Avatar and the bender establishment. The time has come to take away her bending… for good.”

“No!” Asami blurted out.

Immediately she felt everyone’s surprised gaze fall on her.

“No?” Amon repeated.

“It… it wouldn’t be a good idea,” Asami forced her voice to remain calm.

“Asami… this has been the whole point of all our actions,” Tazaki said slowly. “Everything we do leads to the Avatar being Equalized once she loses popular support.”

“Why do you think it’s not a good idea?” her father asked, looking at her with a mixture of worry and curiosity on his face.

“I…” she took a deep breath, thinking desperately about something that she could say that would make them change their minds.

Why did she even care? Tazaki was right. Equalizing the Avatar was the goal of so many of Amon’s plans. Why wouldn’t she want it. Korra would suffer, yes, but in the end, wouldn’t it prove to be for the better? Wouldn’t she finally have the chance to be Korra and not the Avatar?

Unless she…

A cold shiver ran down Asami’s spine. She knew what she needed to say to convince Amon and the others. The problem was… that saying it would be a massive betrayal of Korra’s trust, a betrayal greater than all of Asami’s spying had been. But… she had no choice.

“The day I’ve unlocked my airbending… I’ve learned something about the Avatar,” she said. “I didn’t mention it since… well, I was too shocked about discovering that I’m a bender to remember it at the time.”

They all were listening to her in silence.

“This new airbender, Daw, was considering… jumping to his death,” she said.

“Pity he didn’t,” Tazaki muttered.

“The Avatar tried to talk him out of it,” Asami continued, ignoring the Lieutenant. “As she did… she said something. See… the previous Avatars… could speak to their… don’t know how to put it… ‘past lives’.”

“What?” Tazaki asked.

“Impossible!” Asami’s father muttered.

Amon remained silent.

“When Korra faced Unalaq in the Water Tribe Civil War…” Asami decided not to mention this… Vaatu. She had trouble wrapping her head around it herself. “…Unalaq did… something… that cut her from accessing her past lives. She… she was… seriously depressed about it.”

“Oh, how sad,” Hiroshi said in cold voice. “Poor Avatar being forced to live like all of us, ordinary people do.”

Asami didn’t let the sudden rush of anger overwhelm her.

“She said… she had considered… suicide,” Asami almost whispered, hating herself for revealing this.

“So?” Tazaki asked.

“If… if the Avatar loses her bending… she might… she might actually do it,” Asami didn’t want to even think about it. “And if she does… if Korra dies… a new Avatar will be reborn, probably one able to bend.”

“A baby would be of no threat to us,” Hiroshi said, dismissively.

“Korra is no threat to you!” Asami protested. “She is hated by the public! She has no support at all! She can’t use airbending! She’s a… failure.” She clenched her fists so hard that they hurt. “If a new Avatar is reincarnated… it will immediately become a symbol of hope for benders all over the world. They will rally behind it. And imagine if you were to go after it! Can you imagine how it would look? Equalists hunting a newborn?! That would make our movement look downright evil… and I mean Ozai-level of evil. Even non-benders might start turning against us!”

Silence.

“Korra… Korra is a hippopotamus bull in a porcelain shop, making a mistake after a mistake, each one driving more people into our arms,” Asami concluded. “A new Avatar… could cause us to lose all the ground we have won.”

“I… I will think about it,” Amon finally broke the silence.

* * *

Amon’s hand grabbed Korra’s chin.

“Look at you,” he said. “Trembling. Scared. Pathetic. You’re a failure.”

”Do your worst!”…was what Korra wanted to say… but what got out of her mouth was: “Please… don’t… don’t do this.”

She couldn’t… she couldn’t lose her bending. She just couldn’t.

“Please…” she begged once more, tears appearing in her eyes.

“Do you want to keep your bending?” Amon asked.

“Please… don’t… take it away from me,” she whispered.

“What are you willing to do to keep it?” he asked, utter disdain in his voice.

“Anything!” Korra blurted out.

Amon nodded towards the men holding her and the hands holding Korra pulled away.

“Kiss my boot,” Amon said.

“What?!” Korra gasped.

“You’ve heard me, Avatar,” he said. “If you want to keep your bending… I want to take a picture of you kissing my boot.”

Amon pointed to the side, where Korra saw another masked chi-blocker, holding a professional camera.

“It is your one and only chance,” Amon said. “If you want to keep your bending… kiss my boot.”

Anger flared in Korra but quickly got subdued by fear. She knew he was probably just toying with her. He would have her degrade herself for him… and he would still take her bending away. However, she had to grab this tiniest sliver of hope if she were to remain sane. She had to hope, he would keep his end of the bargain.

Bending was all that she was.

Without it, she wouldn’t be the Avatar, she wouldn’t be Aang’s legacy.

She would be just Korra and Korra was…

Nothing. A failure.

Hating herself for it, she leaned forward and did what Amon wanted from her. A terrible taste filled her mouth, but she barely paid any attention to it.

* * *

Nothing Asami had ever seen in her life was as heartbreaking as the sight of Korra kissing Amon’s shoe. She knew what a propaganda win a picture of her doing it would be, sent to all the newspapers… but it still angered Asami that Amon chose to degrade Korra like this. The Avatar was the enemy, yes, but there was a difference between defeating the enemy and humiliating them like this.

What was worst, it was her, Asami, who was supposed to take the photos.

And she did.

She took one after another, making sure she got the best angle, best perspective, best light, forcing herself not to cry as she did it, repeating to herself that it was the price for them both to pay for Korra to keep her bending.

If Amon decided to spare her.

“Enough,” he finally said, leaning down, grabbing Korra’s hair and forcing her to look up at him. “You are truly pathetic, Avatar. It would be the easiest thing in the world to take your bending away, but that would be premature. You are no threat to me.” He let her go and got up. “Rest assured that the time for our duel will come and when it does, I will take away your bending and destroy you. I will be seeing you, Avatar.”

And he hit Korra hard in the side of her head, making her drop to the floor unconscious.

“Good job, everyone,” Amon said. “We’re another step closer to our victory. And now it is time for us to leave.”

Only as they were escaping the island through the tunnels, did Asami allow herself to cry, grateful to the mask she was wearing for concealing her tears from the people she called brothers in arms.

“Is everything alright?” Lieutenant Tazaki asked her.

She only had the strength to nod her head.

* * *

The Equalist chi-blocker fighting Korra.

Asami and Korra sparring together in the Sato gym.

The chi-blocker dodging Korra’s blasts.

Asami jumping from a pole to pole on the airbender training course.

“Korra!” Asami helping Korra out of the water, her green eyes, green as the goggles of the chi-blockers, but much, much kinder, looking at her with concern.

“You are nothing,” Amon telling her.

“You might be the Avatar, but you’re also human.” Asami saying gently.

Amon appearing at the Sato mansion, when she was drunk.

Mako flirting with Asami. Korra being angry. Surely, she wasn’t into Mako, was she?

Naga lunging at Asami.

“Remember: Asami good. Asami good! Understand? Asami good!” Korra repeating to Naga.

“So, it’s your decision, Korra. Friends or not?” Asami asking Korra.

“I… want to be your friend,” Korra saying. “And I want you to be my friend.”

* * *

“Salami..?” Korra groaned, seeing a tall, blurred silhouette approaching her.

“Korra!” Tenzin shouted, kneeling next to her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and helped her sit. “Korra, are you alright? What happened? Was Amon here?”

“Yes… he ambushed me,” she whispered.

“Did he ... did he take your bending away?” Tenzin asked, worried.

At least he asked her if she was all right first. At least he pretended that there was more to her than just the bending, even if she knew that wasn’t true. She summoned a small flame.

“No, I’m okay,” she said.

“Ah, thank goodness.”

She wanted to cry… but didn’t even have the strength or will to do that. So instead, she just hugged him tight.

“He played me like a fiddle,” she whispered. “He’d been doing that since day one. I can’t beat him. And when the pictures get out…”

“Pictures? What pictures?”

But Korra only hid her face in Tenzin’s arms.

“I was so terrified, I felt so helpless,” she whispered. “I am terrified. I am helpless. I am a failure.”

“No! Of course, you’re not!” Tenzin assured her.

She didn’t – couldn’t – believe him.

* * *

Asami did her best to get to Air Temple Island as soon as she could.

To deflect suspicion. To see what state Korra was in. To keep an eye on Tenzin’s actions.

Or at least that’s what she told Amon and Lieutenant Tazaki.

She got there just in time to see Tenzin fly on his air bison, Korra unconscious, or maybe just sleeping, in his arms. Asami knew that the blows she received, while painful, weren’t dangerous, so she stood back, allowing Tenzin, Pema and Jinora take Korra to her bed.

As she was walking around the courtyard… Asami heard… crying. Who was that? Ikki? Since everything was better than making circles in the courtyard, wallowing in her own dark thoughts, Asami went in that direction.

There… she saw Jami.

“Hey,” she said, feeling suddenly awkward. She hasn’t spoken to the girl a lot.

She could tell herself that it was because Jami was spending most of the time with Otaku… but a part of Asami was wondering if she didn’t keep the distance from other airbending students on purpose, so that spying on them and betraying her would be easier.

“What… what’s wrong?” she asked, crouching next to the girl.

“I… I saw how badly they’ve beaten Korra!” Jami sobbed. “These Equalists… they are monsters!”

Asami never knew that Jami cared about Korra so much.

Was she in love with Korra? a thought suddenly came to Asami’s head. Or was she just a good, sympathetic person.

“I think… she’ll recover,” Asami said. “I’m sure she will. She’s strong.”

“But how could they be so filled with hatred!” Jami cried. “Benders aren’t saints… but Korra has always tried to do best!”

“I… I know,” Asami said. “They must… they must consider her a symbol of the benders. For what she is.”

“But they don’t care who she is! It’s as if they saw only the bender and not the person! They’re so drunk on their hate that… that… that once someone becomes bender… they are the enemy.”

That wasn’t exactly true, as Asami knew from Amon not declaring her – or Maraki before her – an enemy of the movement once they discovered they’re airbenders… but she couldn’t help but wonder how he would react if she decided that she wanted to keep her airbending.

Something however… something was wrong. Jami’s sadness… seemed to have a deeper, more personal reason. She didn’t know how to ask about it, so she just hugged Jami, who kept crying into her shoulder for a while more.

Finally, with her voice slightly calmer, Jami spoke again.

“My father is an Equalist or at least their supporter,” she said.

“Oh, I didn’t know that,” Asami responded, kicking herself for how dumb it sounded.

“I… I didn’t really advertise that,” Jami said. “My mum… died when I was little. I always thought him… to be a kind soul. I was worried that he was getting too deep with the Equalists, parroting their rhetoric of hate… but I was sure he was a good person.”

Silence.

“As soon as he discovered I was an airbender… he beat me… and kicked me out of the house,” she said.

“What?!” Asami snapped. “We have to go to the police and…”

“It’s been months now,” Jami shrugged. “And they have more important things on their mind than him.”

“But… but that’s wrong!”

“That’s what you get when you let hate drive you,” Jami said. “I’ve told it only to Tenzin and Pema. Tenzin thinks this is why I have trouble mastering airbending. Whenever I start to make progress… I start thinking how he… how my father… would hate me… and I start making mistakes.”

“If… if you want… maybe you could go… and find Amon?” Asami suggested. “So that he would remove your airbending and you would be like you were?”

“And go back to my father as if nothing happened, even though he told me how he hates me and that to him I’m dead?” Jami snapped bitterly. “And no… I’m not going anywhere near that Amon. He is the one who made my father hate me. He is the one who had Korra beaten like that. He is a monster.”

Feeling more ashamed that she has ever felt before, Asami just kept hugging Jami.

“I will become an airbender,” Jami finally whispered. “And I will become a great one.”

Finally, after Jami went to bed, Asami went to see Korra. Soon, however, it turned out not to be so easy, as when she approached the door, Naga burst out of it, growling and barking at Asami, staring at her with eyes full of bloodlust.