A time-travel piece of fanfiction centering around Korra, Lieutenant, and Amon. :) Enjoy! Chapter 1: Corruption
"Qui Xong, I hope you realize the severity of your trespasses on Republic City," Korra intoned, reading from the mental script she had taken a week to prepare. Across the table, Amon's lieutenant sat, his eyes trailing over the wood grain of the tabletop. Shackles kept him bound to the arms and legs of the chair and, with no ability to bend, the man was left virtually helpless. Korra felt agitation itch across her skin as she waited for the man to respond or even look at her. He did neither. She pressed forward, determined to sound eloquent and Avatarly, "Stoking the fire of fear in citizens, terrorism, promoting mass hysteria, destroying a large portion of the city, assisting a psychopath. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
Slowly, the man brought his eyes to Korra, his lips pressed into a thin line. The young woman was slightly taken aback by the expression. It wasn't anger or rage or even any remote agitation. He appeared resigned and saddened, as if something were lost to him forever.
Well, as far as Korra was concerned, that something would be 'freedom.' Any man capable of following Amon - a charismatic psychopath intent on destroying innocent lives - wasn't worthy to walk the streets.
"Well?" She snapped while mentally taking inventory of how the man had changed while in prison. The meals weren't adequate, he was losing weight. Bruises colored what little of his skin he could see; companionship wasn't being found behind the walls of Republic City Penitentiary, either. His mustache had been shortened, out of concern that he may commit suicide or another prisoner could use it against him. Stubble dotted his face, unable to retrieve a razor. Or perhaps he didn't care.
"I understand, Avatar." The man replied, his deep voice resonating through the cell, "In the name of equality for non-benders, I accept the responsibility."
Korra stared at him, narrowing her eyes. She wasn't prepared for him to say that. She expected a fight, full of piss and vinegar, over inequality and non-bender rights and how the bending bourgeoisie would forever quash the rights of those without powers. Some insane radical speak that would remind her that this man wasn't pitiable, but despicable.
"Good." She found herself saying, rather lamely, as she rifled through the folder Chief Bei Fong had given her before entering the room. It was full of confessions from other Equalists, reports concerning the demolition of Equalist hideouts, dragging some of the more underground members from their hidey-holes. One particular piece of paper caught her eye. She plucked it out, tugging it from its brethren. Korra glanced to the man, wanting to stir him, to catch a rise out of him. He was too calm for a prisoner; he had to be fidgety, uncertain, remorseful.
The words poured out of her mouth before she could check them, "Especially since your beloved leader is dead."
A chill hung in the air, the atmosphere altered. The former-lieutenant's brows dropped into a 'v', his lips twisting into a scowl. In his eyes, emotions swirled. Qui had been betrayed and, yet, Korra knew there was fondness for Amon in the former-lieutenant. There was no other way to explain the contortion of emotions and the look in his eyes. Smugness swelled in Korra as she idly glanced over the paper, playing it nonchalant, "I suppose you haven't heard, though the news is old. After the leader of the Equalists fled, taking Councilman Tarrlok with him, pieces of his boat were found. Some of the boards were stained with blood; a molten engine and a battered Equalist glove were found. Not too difficult to discern what happened."
The man held very still, but it seemed his pale features became even more pallid. Korra could imagine his stomach clenching with sick worry and fear while conflict warred in his mind. Good. He needed to feel distressed. He needed to feel, instead of remain calm and cool and collected. It wouldn't be fair if this man was allowed calm, when she had months of fear and horror in her mind and dreams.
She decided to press further, lying, "Rumor has it two bodies were found just recently. Charred, bloated from seawater, half-scavenged by animals. Autopsies are underway now."
The room became even colder and more tense. Korra snapped the folder shut, staring at Qui Xong as he mentally fought through emotions and logic and remaining calm. Though his exterior was strong and unshakeable, Korra was glad to see inner turmoil in his strained features as he fought to remain stoic.
"I'll leave you alone with your thoughts." With that Korra gathered her papers and left the quiet room. She was tempted to flick the lights off as she left, reinforcing how little the man mattered anymore. The Avatar decided against it, though, and simply shut the door behind her with a kick of her foot.
xxx
"Korra, do you feel that was the best route to take with him?" Lin's voice nearly startled Korra from her thoughts while she overviewed the article about Amon's boat.
She flicked her gaze to the chief, eyebrows furrowing, "I didn't peg you for one to be easy on prisoners, Lin."
"It's one thing to get a job done," Lin sniffed, crossing her arms and pursing her lips, "But an entirely different matter to throw a human into turmoil over personal bias."
Korra gave Lin a hard look, wondering if the newly reinstated Chief was pulling her leg or being serious. The expression Lin gave her denied any kidding around. Given that the officer's penchant for humor was hardly existent, Korra should've known the metalbender was sincere in her words.
"That man helped a psycho!" Korra snarled, clenching her fists and crinkling the papers she had just been reading moments earlier, "A psycho that took your bending and threatened to destroy airbending!"
Lin shifted uncomfortably, feeling the same radiations of anger. Yet, she remained firm in her position, "We can't allow our emotions to corrupt justice, Korra."
The Avatar snorted, rolling her eyes at the hardboiled officer's statement. With no time or patience to discuss it - the meeting with Qui Xong had been strangely drainging - she waved a hand at Lin and began to walk away, "I've got no time for this. Talk to you later, chief, I've got other Avatar stuff to take care of."
As Korra marched down the hall, still fisting the papers. Lin watched her leave, a grim expression pinching at her features along with a middling of agitation. She turned, barking at a lower-ranked officer to return Qui Xong to his cell , before marching back to her office. Though Lin left, her shadow lingered, unknown to the constable who had ducked quickly into the room to retrieve the prisoner. The feminine shade put her hands on her hips, seemingly to gaze in the direction the Avatar had left. It shook its head, disappointed, before dissipating to crevices and cracks.
xxx
"I'm serious, I'm the Avatar!" Korra couldn't believe the words passed over her lips, but here she was, defending herself in front of Chief Bei Fong. Not Lin, but Toph.
The metalbender gave Korra a critical look and Korra became intimate with just how unnerving a sightless gaze could be. The young woman shifted in her chair, knowing full well that Toph could see every movement through vibrations and that she had undoubtedly honed her abilities as a lie detector as police chief. Though she was telling the truth, Korra had to admit that her heart slammed in her chest and her whole body felt strung out tightly. She might as well be lying, with how stressed out she was.
"Interesting story, kid, but Aang is still alive." Toph shifted, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair, "Now, how about you tell me why you were out after curfew?"
"I can prove I'm the Avatar!" Korra snapped, hands slamming on the table; a glass of water rattled on the surface, before toppling over.
Toph's gaze didn't trail from Korra's face, her expression impassive, "Fine, prove it, then. Waterbend."
Korra's gaze snapped to her pants, where a wetness soaked into the fabric. Her eyes flickered back to Toph's face and Korra's expression pinched with indignity, "Fine, I will!"
With movements oh-so-familiar, Korra twirled her wrist, coaxing the water from the material of her pants. Yet, the water didn't move. It lingered and ignored her hand, like a stubborn children ignoring a mother's beckoning gesture. Korra's eyebrows dipped into a frustrated 'v' as she tried, over and over, to waterbend.
Nothing.
"Impressive." Toph muttered, pushing her chair away and standing up.
"But I can do it!" Korra felt her face burn with a flush.
Toph strolled to the doorway, arms folded over her chest, "Look, kid, we're busy here at RCPD, but we can't transport you after curfew. We'll take you to the loony bin in the morning."
"What?!"
"We'll take you to the asylum in the morning, kid." Toph repeated, rather slowly, "It's not safe for you on the streets." And that was it.
Toph marched out of the interrogation room, Korra only catching one last glimpse of her dirty soles before she entirely disappeared from view. Korra heard Chief Bei Fong order one of her officers to escort her to a cell for the night, and further inform him of the next steps once morning light hit.
The future Avatar clenched her fists, but kept her mouth shut. She had no clue what year it was, what was true and what had yet to happen. What if she made a mess of Time? Would she even be able to do that? Korra's head hurt trying to think about the complexities of time and space. Asami had opened difficult discussions - mostly hooplah - about such subjects. Korra wished she had paid more attention to such talk.
However, the time for talk had passed. If she was committed, Korra saw no escape. No one listened to the loonies. They were insane and unhinged. No one would believe her, or even pay her any mind if she wore a straightjacket and lived in a padded room. Korra would be stuck in the past, unable to return to the future and possibly become so drugged up, she'd forget all about her life. That meant the future would be without an Avatar, until she died in the past.
Korra's mind swam with the consequences of life and death in the past and how that spelled out problems for her beloved era.
Though she was without bending, Korra could still fight! She was at a gross disadvantage, considering the police department had many scattered metal sources throughout the building. She at least knew some rudimentary chi-blocking, minor lessons given to her in light of losing her bending rather briefly. Her eyes flicked to the door, which began to squeak open as a young male officer, with metal cuffs at the ready, entered.
She could only try. Korra's muscles tensed, prepared to use what knowledge she had of fighting styles - and new knowledge of chi-blocking - to battle her way out.
The future Avatar didn't need to. A round ball clattered into the hallway, bouncing along the stone, visible through the open doorway. The sound of metal on stone caught the eyes of both officer and "loony," just seconds before white smoke spewed out of the contraption. Instincts forced Korra to stumble backward, memories flashing through her brain and red alarms going off in her head even ask the smoke began to make her drowsy.
Two figures loomed through the smoke, both sporting goggles and scarves. One struck the officer, hitting vital chi-blocking points and letting the man fumble to the floor. The other approached Korra, taller than her. Shock registered in his body language as he called over to his companion, "Who's she?"
"Isn't it Lei Ming?" The other called, close to the door. A lookout.
"Unless Lei Ming is now from the Water Tribe, then no."
"What?! But they were interrogating a simple non-bender curfew-break-"
Korra didn't hear the rest of the argument as her eyes rolled back in her head. Darkness grasped at her consciousness, pulling her under and into a deep and familiar sleep.
xxx
Korra spun around, caught in the middle of a throng of tall, gnarled grey trees. No sunlight crept through the canopy, no space could be seen between the trunks. Somehow, a faint orange glow illuminated the area.
"What's going on!" Korra snarled, fists clenched. She couldn't do anything, her bending wouldn't work in the Spirit World.
"A decision has been reached, Avatar Korra."
She spun on her heel, catching sight of a group of shadowy spirits in her gaze. They appeared wrapped in black, transparent gauze; almost like a mix of ink and spider-rat web. A variety of heights, a variety of figures, Korra wondered if these Spirits were intentionally masking their appearance. She didn't even know that was possible.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Korra shot back, hands on her hips and a scowl carved over her lips.
"It means your fate has been chosen." A feminine voice replied, stepping from the throng. Korra thought, briefly, she could make out features and red-tattoos on the woman's face through the gauze, "We fear we must make a necessary choice."
"What about?"
"You...have not yet learned particular lessons," Another stepped forward. This time male, wearing a more opaque robe. He kept his hands in front of him, tucked into his large sleeves, "Lessons we feel are pertinent to being a successful Avatar."
"What're you talking about? I'm a great Avatar!" The young woman took a step forward, briefly wishing the rock would rumble under her feet, "I've defeated not just a terrorist, but his whole cell! I saved a city and maybe even the world!"
"And yet you show no compassion for those who chose to band together, to fight, to uprise." The female form before replied, cool and hard, "You haven't taken into account their struggles or their point-of-view."
Korra didn't have a chance to reply before the male spirit interjected, "There's a reason they resorted to revolution, Avatar Korra, but you keep your mind blind to the reasons behind their plight."
"There's no good reason to rid the world of bending! I've been charged with keeping the balance!"
"You see it in extremes, Avatar Korra," Another shuffled forward, somehow not quite in human shape. His voice obviously masculine and somehow husky. A black feather fell from beneath the robe he wore, "Neither side will profit from such black-and-white thinking. You do not yet understand true balance."
"Oh, so what are you going to do?" Korra challenged, crossing her arms and glaring. With terrorist trials, arguing with the Council, and additional airbending lessons, she was not a happy camper. Not to mention things falling apart with Mako, Bolin being pouty over less time to hang out, and Asami nearly disappearing with her newfound duties as CEO of Sato Corp, Korra felt as if work were consuming her life. Now she was being told by the Spirits her job was less than satisfactory. Korra was not amused. At all.
"In order for you to understand, you must wake in a world where you are neither a bender nor Avatar."
Korra narrowed her eyes, wondering just what the Spirits were seeking to accomplish. Her name was world-renown, both connected to the title of Avatar and the profession of bending. There was nowhere they could transport her that wouldn't know of her celebrity status, "That's impossible! There's no place in the world that doesn't know me!"
"There is a time for everything, Avatar Korra." Replied the female spirit, bowing her head in humble respect.
With that, the gentle orange glow drained from the alcove of trees and the Spirits dissipated into smoke, leaving Korra utterly in the dark.
xxx