It was disappointment more than anything else the second those four walls literally closed in around Asami. She had been so certain they were in the clear, she heard the sounds of battle fading behind them fast and nothing but the desert was before them. She was sure she'd outrun them, that Mako and Bolin had kept them occupied long enough for her to get Korra to safety.
And then the earth rose up to cover her on all sides. The moonlight vanished in an instant and dust filled her nose as he air immediately became stuffy. Her first instinct was to grip tighter to Korra, quiet and restful in her arms. She heard the shuffling of feet and she was sure the Earthbender in Zaheer's group had trapped them. She braced herself tightly for heat to begin to radiate from all sides and beneath her feet.
There would be no way to fight. She was trapped on Naga with Korra's entire weight in her arms. Her only chance was to run as soon as the walls even hinted at coming down.
"Naga," she said, placing a hand on the polar bear-dog's head, "We need to get out of here fast." She wasn't even sure that Naga understood. Korra talked to her often enough, but Korra had also explained Naga was her animal guide, their spiritual connection probably kept them in communication.
"Korra's in danger," she added, hoping that would spark something inside Naga.
The more movement she heard outside the harder Asami's heart began to pound as she gripped tight to Korra, still somewhere in the Spirit World. Every second that passed, spent eyes closed, spirit somewhere else Asami began to worry that Korra had walked into an awful trap.
"Come one Korra, I need you to get back now," she said. There was nothing.
That's when she heard the rumble as the walls came down on all sides in a kick up dust clouds everywhere. With no other thought she yelled to Naga and snapped the reigns. They took off quickly and blindly through the thick veil of smoke that, she hoped, protected them from whatever lay beyond.
They did not get far.
With a hard smack a block of earth rose up to hit Naga square in the chest and sent her to tumble sideways her sideways. As Naga fell, Asami quickly dislodged her feet and thrusted out of the saddle, tugging Korra along. They were safe from the weight of Naga's falling form only by inches and Asami shuddered at the passing thought of their legs crushed under the weight of the polar bear-dog.
Regaining herself as quickly as possible, she clawed her way to her feet, placing one leg on either side of Korra on the ground so she was situated right over top of her.
"If you want the Avatar you'll have to go through me," she said feeling far braver than her shaking voice.
And she meant it. In her nineteen years she had been a social person, skilled in mingling, skilled at posing for photos, very good at compliments. She'd been told many times how she absolutely had to visit some gala or someone's country home in Gaoling. But none of those relationships were fruitful in earning Asami anything more than another ticked off acquaintance on the list of Republic City's important people. It was Ms. Sato they were after, not Asami.
That was until she'd met Mako and his quick-tempered, blunt-mouthed, abrasive teammate.
She gave her heels a snap and pushed an inch or so into the sandy ground beneath. Rule 1 in training had always been hold your ground and Korra was her ground. She could not protect Korra forever, not even for long but she would force them to batter their way through her first, anything to give Korra even a few moments more.
"It is a happy accident then that we want you as well Miss Asami Sato," said a voice and as the dust cleared out she realized just how awful a mistake she had made.
She was face-to-face with many soldiers, clad in green and gold, striking up familiar stances all eyes intently on her. The wanted posters. All the way out in the desert Mako assumed they'd only have to deal with bounty hunters and thugs, but they'd been tracked.
"You need to listen to me," Asami said quickly, abandoning her stance to crouch down next to Korra, "The Avatar is in danger—"
"The Avatar is under arrested," said the man who'd spoken earlier. "As are you Miss Sato, for crimes against the Earth Kingdom."
"Please!" Asami all but shouted as placed a hand on Korra's arm, "There are escaped criminals who are after her and if they find her something awful might happen!"
"This does not concern the Earth Kingdom," he said.
"She's the Avatar, it concerns everyone!"
She defensively grabbed Korra when she saw them encroach toward her. She wondered if she should try to plead to their humanity instead of their government, please she's my friend and they're going to hurt her!
But it was too late, all at once the Earthbenders moved in and Asami launched herself at the nearest one on reflex. She landed a solid front kick right below his throat and sent him tumbling backwards. She knocked the next closest one with spinning backfist right to his cheek and hoped she felt the crack of bones breaking beneath her knuckles.
Then she turned and launched towards Korra where three more soldiers were closing in but it was over before she'd even turned. She was caught mid-leap by another solider who held tight through her flaying limbs. She kicked, and punched wildly trying to dig her way through the air to Korra. But it was a horror mover before her eyes as they lifted her with ease from the ground. The solider who'd been on the receiving end of her backfist appeared to help hold her down.
"You can't take her back to Ba Sing Se!" she shouted as she was being dragged back, "He'll find her there!"
But her pleas fell on ears chock full of shrill commands from the Earth Queen. She watched as the three of them lifted Korra between them and carried her off. Asami was forced down to her knees and felt something cold and heavy click on her wrists and suddenly they were bound behind her back.
Naga, weakened from the blow and struggling through growls and howls at her master's jailers to rise to Korra's defense.
"Tranquilize it," the commander said, "We don't need it."
And Asami cried out as a long needle was produced then quickly buried in between Naga's shoulders. Within thirty seconds she was out, unable to do anything more for Korra. As Asami was pushed forward she hoped when Naga woke she'd have a trail to follow or perhaps find Mako and Bolin.
It was then that she noticed the sounds of battle had stopped, all was quiet at the Misty Palms, where she was being directed, following Korra's still body. She prayed the calm of the battle there meant things were alright, that Mako and Bolin would be rushing up to find them any second and help her break free and get Korra out. But the closer and closer she was forced to march toward the town, the less hopeful she got.
Inside the oasis many residents were outside their homes and hotel rooms surveying large amount of damage. Everything was wet, scorch marks were sprinkled over many walls and displaced earth was everywhere. This was certainly the site of Mako and Bolin's fight but the pair were nowhere to be seen.
"Do you see now? These people are dangerous and you have to let us go," Asami tried one last time, hoping the clear damage would be evidence of something to them. But the commander nodded them forward, still she saw a glint of something in the eyes of the man holding Korra's feet.
They commandeered a holding cell just outside the bar. Asami was brought in first, her arms pulled over her head as she was chained up to the rafter in the ceiling and it quickly proved to be the most impossibly uncomfortable feeling ever. She was forced to stand and any attempt to slouch or lessen her direct weight resulted in painful bruising to her wrists.
All the while Korra was nowhere to be found. She hoped they'd at least grant them the same cell, she needed to explain to Korra what happened, she needed to keep watching over her body if she had not yet returned.
But the second she got her wish, she wished she hadn't. Korra was bound from head to toe. Her mouth was muzzled over from the nose down, her arms pulled across each other with a and over her chest with a straightjacket, her legs and torso bound by multiple ropes and chains to a metal contraption which was in turn then chained the wall.
It was a grizzly sight. Asami watched Korra for a few moments, mouth hanging open. Team Avatar had fallen apart at every possible seam. It was obvious by now that Mako and Bolin were captured.
Asami thought of Toph Beifong, Chief Sokka, Master Katara, Lord Zuko, all of them had seen Aang through a war. They'd gotten him safely throughout the world while managing to train him all the while. He'd defeated the Fire Lord and returned back to his friends because they'd strategically placed themselves throughout the battles to do all they could. And Asami couldn't even get Korra a mile out of harm's way.
"I'm sorry Korra," she said to the ground.
She was new to friendship and now no longer new to the feeling of letting friends down. Korra trusted her, trusted them all, to watch over her and Asami had landed her in a prison cell, rigged up to something that would look at home among archaic torture devices.
That's all she could say as she watched Korra breath in and out, no groans, no snores, nothing to indicate what she was doing was anything close to sleeping. Her eyelids were still as she remained so close yet illusively out of reach.
All Asami could do was play witness once again to Korra's physical form and pray that, somehow, the Avatar would return.