1. Welcome to Republic City

"Electrocute the box to knock her out…"

Korra woke with a start, looking up at clear winter sky. She lay at the center of a snow crater, two pairs of eyes watching from behind the rim.

"What's going on here?" she asked, her throat raw.

"You tell us!" said the boy, approaching wearily with his spear. "How'd you get in the ice? And why aren't you frozen?"

Pushing the spear away, Korra looked around at the forest. "I'm not sure. It was snowing..."

"You must've been caught in last night's blizzard," said the girl, walking forward.

"I guess," said Korra. "But why did I…" Memory tumbled into place. "How can I get back to the city? It's urgent."

"Don't answer that!" said the boy. "Did you see that crazy bolt of light? She was probably trying to signal the Equalists."

"The paranoid one is my brother," said the girl, helping Korra up. "Don't worry, you can catch the train in town. And you better take my coat before you freeze again. I have another one at home."

The gray coat was worn but warm. "Thank you," said Korra, smiling. "I'll see it gets returned."

#

Korra tried to order her thoughts as the landscape chugged by. She had to get Mako and the others out of jail. Tarrlok being exposed might help. How did Amon beat a bloodbender? If he had that kind of power, could he ever be defeated?

Aang's statue came into view as the train rounded a bend. Knowing Tarrlok's backstory was interesting, but not immediately useful. Couldn't Aang have sent her a vision regarding Amon? It dawned on Korra that there had been something odd about the statue. She looked again. The statue wore Amon's mask.

Korra's mind whirled. Amon had struck! But there was no obvious fighting in the city. Had he already won? How long had she been away? She slowly looked around the passenger car, feeling all eyes on her. Undoing her ponytails, she pulled her coat closer.

The train station snuffed any lingering hope that she might be mistaken. Equalist banners hung from buildings, mecha tanks patrolled the streets. Korra bought a copy of Empire News and checked the date. She collapsed on a bench. Six months. She'd lost six months. What else had Amon taken from her in that time? She scanned the propaganda pieces. Ba Sing Se was under siege, but the Empire was still threatened by bender spies and saboteurs. So there was a resistance! The article encouraged loyal citizens to report suspicious persons to the authorities, so they could be "processed" on the Island. Korra looked at the accompanying photo. The former Air Temple had been expanded and renovated in Equalist black and red. Were Mako, Tenzin and the others even alive?

Korra walked the streets, avoiding eye contact. Amon gazed at her benevolently from the posters on the walls. The Temple had finally become a new home. Another piece of her life taken from her. Was there any place left in the city that was not alien and hostile? She stopped and looked up. Without thinking, she had arrived at the boardwalk. The shuttered arena looked as abandoned as she felt. A relic of a different time. It seemed Imperial city planners had found it too distasteful even to repurpose - good. Picking her way through the gaping fence, she walked the familiar hallways. She paused by a window looking out on the Island. She had been happy here, once. She decided to rest before nightfall.

#

Korra torpedoed out of the water and into the bushes, the reverse of the cross-bay swim she had taken so long ago. The lone sentry she had spotted from the water rounded the corner. A short silent scuffle later, Korra adjusted her new chi blocker mask while the gagged and bound sentry struggled in the brush. How long before they noticed?

Korra joined the squad of chi blockers waiting at a platform, spotlights outlining the approaching airship. She started breathing again when no one commented on her arrival. Imperial police officers emerged from the ship with three prisoners in custody. They seemed rather old to be saboteurs, how had they helped the resistance? One of the officers exchanged forms with the squad leader, and the prisoners were handed over. Korra took the rear as they escorted them into the compound.

The interior was barely recognizable, Air Nomad architecture overrun by functional steel and wiring. The cell block had been built deep into the rock. Korra looked for familiar faces, but found none. As the prisoners filed into an empty cell, the squad leader stopped the last one.

"Not you, pal." He nodded at the door at the end of the hallway. "You're Special Crimes."

"I can take him, sir," Korra blurted.

The squad leader shrugged. "Throw him in cell three."

Korra led the prisoner past the door and locked him in his cell. One of the inmates looked like he had been metalbending police. Korra reached the end of the wing and gasped.

"Tenzin?"

#

"I still won't tell you anything," Tenzin said drowsily. He had aged years.

"No, wait," said Korra, tearing off her mask. "It's me."

Tenzin blinked. "Korra? We thought we had lost you!"

Kneeling, Korra held him through the bars. "I thought I had lost you too."

"What happened?" asked Tenzin. "Where were you?"

"Tarrlok kidnapped me," said Korra. "I escaped, but I got stuck… in ice."

Tenzin smiled weakly. "Typical."

"I'm so sorry, Tenzin," said Korra. "If I hadn't confronted Tarrlok, I would've been there to help you fight Amon."

"Perhaps it was for the best," said Tenzin. "You must stay out of Amon's grasp. People need you."

"Well I need you," said Korra. "I'm busting you out."

Tenzin shook his head. "I will only slow you down. You stand a better chance alone."

"No way," said Korra. "We'll find the resistance. They'll help us."

"Korra," said Tenzin, "there is no resistance."

"What?" cried Korra. "What happened?"

"We went underground when Amon attacked," said Tenzin, "waiting for outside help. It never came. The Republic fell in days, then they invaded the Earth Kingdom. The Imperials raided the sewers, Lin and I were captured. I don't know what happened to Pema and the kids, or your friends. They… they took our bending."

"Oh, Tenzin," said Korra. "We'll go to Katara. If anyone can heal you, she can."

"Enough," said Tenzin. "There are more important matters. Does Ba Sing Se still hold?"

"I think so," said Korra. "If the newspapers can be believed."

"Then there may still be time," said Tenzin, handing her a slip of paper.

Korra puzzled at the series of numbers. "What does it mean?"

"These are coordinates to an Imperial facility in the Earth Kingdom. A former cellmate of mine worked there until they found out his wife was a bender. He was working on some kind of weapon that could change everything. A drill."

"A… drill?" asked Korra.

"My father told me the Fire Nation once built a giant drill to break through Ba Sing Se's Outer Wall," said Tenzin. "Maybe Amon has improved on the design. You must take this information to the Earth Queen. There may still be time to act on it."

"Fine," said Korra, folding the slip into her pocket. "But you're coming with me."

Alarm bells rang. The door slammed open.

"There she is!" cried the squad leader. "Get her!"

"There's no time," said Tenzin. "You have to go."

"I'll be back for you," said Korra.

Taking a deep breath, Korra dove into the rock floor, closing it behind her. She kept punching into the dark, through solid stone. She tried calming her heartbeat, she needed to save her breath. Her only guidance was the distant pull of water, with it the promise of sweet, sweet air. Her progress slowed as her lungs ached. She could almost feel the waves. Gathering her remaining energy, she finally punched through into the night. She lay panting in her makeshift tunnel. She did not notice the electric gauntlets.

"You idiots owe your heads to the seismographs," said the Lieutenant, eyeing the rappelling chi blockers. "Get'er ready for transport. Amon will be pleased."

#

Her punches grew weaker, but the water came no closer. She was running out of breath.

Korra woke with a start. For a terrifying moment she thought she was still in the tunnel, but realized it was only the restraints on her legs and arms, the mask covering her mouth. Movement and sound told her she was on a train, but her car had no windows. She closed her eyes and tried not to wonder about her destination.