Notes: I was really mad during this scene in episode 7; I would have titled this "Mako-the-Jerkbender" because he acted like a jerk, buuuuttt I called it "Burning Bridges". I like writing fics on friendship!Makorra. This is one of 2 parts.
Burning Bridges
by kirei na yukki
Mako was angry. He was furious with Korra for doing this to Asami.
They were all fine just the other day, enjoying each other's company in the Sato estate, and today, Councilman Tenzin, Chief Beifong, and her metalbending cops were invading Future Industries, searching for proof that he knew Korra didn't have.
Why would she do this to Hiroshi? To Asami? To him?
He wanted nothing more than to grab her by the shoulders and give her a good shaking, but he knew she wouldn't just stand there and take it. Mako found Korra's assertiveness infuriating.
"C'mon Naga, let's check over here," he heard the Avatar say to her best friend. His amber eyes narrowed dangerously as Korra earnestly searched for proof to persecute the kindest people he had known.
Was she that jealous of his relationship with Asami that she felt the need to accuse Hiroshi of such absurdities? Mako's anger bubbled to the surface and when Korra unsuccessfully finished her search, he had decided to act.
"Why is she doing this?" Asami asked her boyfriend angrily. Mako shrugged and wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder, squeezing for comfort.
"I don't know, but she's going to stop this." he answered back venomously.
When Korra met with Tenzin and Lin in the middle of the factory, Mako approached her; he silently motioned for her to follow him. Asami remained rooted in front of Lin; the two glared sharply at each other but said nothing else.
When the firebender and Avatar were out of earshot, Mako rounded on Korra.
"So? I hope you're convinced now," he said shortly. Korra could tell that this conversation wasn't going to end well and immediately stood up straight. She didn't like his accusing tone and was not going to allow him to talk down to her like that.
"No, I'm not!" she responded hotly, "I don't care how cooperative Hiroshi is being, I know he's lying."
"Why are you doing this? Are you that jealous of me and Asami?"
Korra gasped at his accusation, shocked that he would even bring up such a matter at this time. She couldn't deny that she wasn't jealous of their budding relationship, but to allow such an unpleasant emotion to dictate her actions as the Avatar was ridiculous.
Mako was absurd.
"What?" she burst, "Don't be ridiculous! That has nothing to do with this!"
When Mako realized that she wasn't going to back down, he stood up taller, towering over Korra's smaller stature. He scowled at her. He had had enough of Korra just doing what she wanted without considering people's feelings. She was hurting Asami, and he wasn't going to stand for it.
"If you don't drop this," he threatened dangerously, "consider our friendship over."
Korra's face drew a blank and her heart had slowed a few beats.
Was he really willing to end their friendship because she was trying to protect the city. Inwardly, the Avatar let out a bitter smile. Her azure eyes shut briefly and Mako waited on her response; he remained looming over Korra.
He was serious about this. She had really gone too far.
"I'm sorry," Korra began, "But Hiroshi is not the man you think he is."
And the more she thought about this unfair ultimatum, the angrier she became. Korra was not going to let Mako get away from her without a few scratches and bruises; she wasn't going to hit him, no, but she certainly was going to slap his ego back down to where it should be.
"Mako." she said.
When the 18-year-old silently acknowledged her, she pressed herself against him, now furious with how this all had turned out.
"Spirits, you're so stupid!" she said, shoving him away from her. When Mako plummeted to the ground, Asami was there in an instant, helping her stunned boyfriend onto his feet.
Asami opened her mouth to scold the Avatar, but Korra swiftly cut her off, her blue eyes blazed with fury.
"Do you really think I'm going through all of this because I'm jealous?" she burst, "Mako, in case you haven't noticed, the world does not revolve around you! People are getting their bending taken away and the balance of the world is at stake here and you want to give me an ultimatum? How dare you!"
Her voice rose a few octaves higher when she said 'an ultimatum', as if it were an insult (which it really was). Lin and Tenzin appeared behind Korra's trembling form and placed a hand on her shoulders. They were shaking from the rage that she felt.
"I'm the Avatar, and that takes higher priority than anything else in my life, including my feelings. If I believe Hiroshi Sato is supporting the Equalists, then regardless of how I feel about him as our sponsor and Asami's father, I have to see if it's true or not! Because if I don't and he is one, many more lives are going to be in danger! And I am not going to turn my back on the world to keep any friendship."
She turned away from him and Asami, both shocked into a stunned-induced silence.
The young Avatar looked over her shoulder, directly at Mako and he could see tiniest hint of sadness buried beneath her angered azure gaze.
"I thought, you know, as my friend, you'd understand that. Guess not." Korra laughed bitterly; she grinned at Mako one more time before turning away from him, "Goodbye, Mako."
She whistled for Naga and, once mounted, rode off into the deeper parts of the factory to resume her search.
Lin and Tenzin frowned at Asami and Mako with disapproval. They could not believe that these were Korra's "friends".
'She certainly knows how to pick them,' Lin thought sarcastically.
"My mother," Lin said lowly, wanting to concisely reiterate what had rushed out of Korra's mouth like a stream, "was friends with the previous Avatar, Aang. As was Tenzin's mother and Uncle. And I was beginning to think you kids could live up to their legacy, but apparently I was wrong."
"My parents," Tenzin continued, "Sokka of the Water Tribe, Toph Beifong and Fire Lord Zuko all amounted to greater things than they had imagined because their friendship was strong enough to withstand any obstacle. Korra's title as the Avatar is so much more than being able to bend the four elements. You need to understand that."
The Airbending master and Chief of Police left Mako and Asami to also resume their search. Asami tightly held onto her boyfriend's hand, trying to comfort him.
"It will be okay, Mako."
Would it be? Mako had no idea. The fact that Korra was more than willing to burn any bridge she had constructed left an indescribable and unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Was it sadness? Guilt? Who knew?
'Exactly what was the job of the Avatar if it wasn't just bending four elements at once?' Mako thought to himself. He watched as his now former friend galloped around the factory, her Polar Bear Dog sniffing at various crates and packages.
'I guess I'll never know,' he concluded, 'Well played Mako, well played."
Notes: I'm gonna need someone like Lin, Tenzin, Katara, or Zuko to tell these new kids how the Avatar rolls. Because fighting Equalists on her own isn't acceptable. At all.