[ Submitted for Borra Week on Tumblr! ]

Title: Of Nomads and Spirits

Author: fangirltothefullest (Tashi)

Rating: T [[For some swear words and darker themes ]]

Words: 1498

Pairing/s: Borra

Summary: Rogue metalbenders have been kidnapping people and causing havoc. But when Team Avatar tries to stop them, Bolin is captured! Now, it's up to Korra and her team to rescue him and discover the dark secrets the Nomads hidden in the mountains are keeping, and what they plan to do to Bolin, now that they have him alone...

ENJOY!

Part 1: Stolen

"I- I can't take their bending away!" Korra's panicked voice could be heard echoing 'round the confines of the city's tall buildings, the sound ricochetting around in circles, bouncing like a ball against stairs. They had been holding off these rogue metalbenders for forever it seemed, and Korra, with Mako and Bolin at her back, finally managed to get hold of one and do the reverse-granting of the time she gave the others their bending back. Surprisingly it was not too hard for Korra to take bendng away- she knew the art was a terrible thing, but at times like this, she knew it was necessary.

Lin had ordred Mako to allow none of the police force to persue the rogues, because they were too swift, and tended to take people prisoner when they got away! And so far, they always got away. She had specified, however, that if he deemed it practical, she would allow him and any others he thought were strong enough to handle these metalbenders, to accompany Korra and put an end to the stupidity of their violent actions.

He deemed himself, Bolin and Asami the only team best suited for this kind of job and as snow came down upon Republic City, Team Avatar came together to stop the madness. The only problem was, that regardless of Asami's piloting skills, Bolin's swift and precise shots, Mako's fiere blasts and quick decisions, Korra could NOT take their bending away. "It's like they're blocking me!" she glared and kicked the unconscious metalbender aside. "How is this even possible?!"

Bolin, having constructed a large (albeit not very aesthetically pleasing) barricade, frowned. "Well... the Chi Blockers can turn off a person's bending, maybe these guys can do it backwards?" He suggested.

"It just doesn't seem right." Mako said from his perch above their barricade. "Bolin, we don't really have time to make silly assumptions- I know you're trying, but we need to concentrate on containing and arresting them, as opposed to finding their motives. We can do that later. Right now we have to hurry this up- Asami's got several of them backing up, but we're not out of the clear and nowhere near good enough to catch all of them."

Korra groaned. "Uhg! I need to ask Aang what to do-" She said with a begrudging sigh, and her arms crossed under her chest with a pout.

Mako groaned and glared. "Fine, just hurry it up!" he insisted, and leapt off the barricade, fire blazing. "Bolin, We're going to have to keep Korra's body safe while she contacts the other Avatars!"

"Right!" He nodded and grinned confidently.

Korra, however, shook her head. "He needs you out there too Bolin, trust me, I'll be fine. Get out here and fight with the rest of them, champ!" She flashed him a double thumbs-up and grinned widely.

"You got it!" He nodded in return and turned to look back at her. "But don't worry Korra, I've got your back!" And he circled around the barricade swiftly and pushed forward, his heels pressing sharply into the ground. Shrapnel of rocks flew towards the metalbenders, who dodged, but it pushed them back.

Finding it a bit easier to contact Aang nowdays, Korra criss-crossed her legs and closed her eyes. After some time, she finally opened her eyes again, glowing bright blue as she sought out her predecessor in the Spirit World. "Aang!" She called, but she did not see the spirit world this time, images blurring across her vision: Airbenders; Aang among them- but why was he so disappointed? Why did he look so sad? She saw fire and smoke, water, mist, earth and various other forms of the elements across her gaze. Suddenly a large round clock appeared, winding backwards, as springs and gears flew about, and she tumbled farther and farther down it. "AAAAHH!" She gasped, flailing as she tried to get a grip on something. Only air greeted her fingertips.

Fire shot out behind Mako and Bolin turned, glancing back at his brother as he spun wildly in his fiery inferno. "What are you DOING Bolin?!" Mako hissed in anger though it was not directed at his brother really, and was actually spawned from the fact that about six metalbenders were surrounding him, hellbent on attacking him. He shot fireballs, but it did no good since they were so fast, and so he'd resorted to spinning in his tornado-like flames. "Korra's still over there! You can't just leave her! Go fix the barricade so it's less- breakable!"

The earthbender pulled several rock-disks from the ground and hurled them at the enemies trying to attack him from behind, then turned to glance back at Korra. "But Mako, she said to help out, out here!" He protested."

"Bo, we need to keep KORRA safe-" He insisted. "Ignore what she said this time and do as I say!" The Avatar was not responding in the makeshift rock barricade, and he groaned at the sight of the poorly-built barricade. "There are some closing in- get rid of them!"

He groaned once again, feeling like an idiot somehow, but at the same time, Mako was telling him to go protect her, and protect her he would. With his life if he had to! Seeing several close in, he pushed himself into the air, his earthbending giving him a boost and he cried out loudly as he slammed his fists into the ground, about six pillars of solid rock shooting up under the attackers and sending them careening into the air with loud grunts. "Korra!" He called, rushing to the barricade again. Quickly he began to lower the walls he'd made before. Mako was right... he had definitely not thought about making the baricade structurally sound, but this time he would fix that! He toppled one wall and began to push it forward, rising another beneath it and replacing the old. He shifted his feet, the earth heavy, and slid sideways, erecting more in fine slots that combined together to make a circular barrier. He was about halfway through when he gasped and jerked, something cold gripping his wrist.

He was pulled back and gasped in pain as his arm was roughly yanked behind him. "No you don't!" He grunted and turned, pulling with his free hand to force the metalbender forward fast enough to punch him. He got him square in the jaw with skilled force and kicked him back harshly, sending the other into the wall of a nearby building. Several more metalbenders were before him and reeling in their lines. They were ready to strike again, and Bolin had no time to panic.

"You will not get Korra!" He insisted, becoming the barricade for her, and deflecting the barrage of cables with shield upon shield, rock by rock and brick by brick. He was fast, dodging and swerving, but this time he had to keep his ground and not allow a single cable to hook onto Korra- of he did, she would be pulled and he might not be fast or adgile enough to free her!

A cable caught his leg and he twisted, pulling again, but it let another bender's cable shoot out and grip his wrist. This time, however, it twisted too much and again he gasped, his heart racing. They were catching him! He panicked this time, not used to this kind of thing- where was Mako when he needed him?! Apparently busy fending off several of his own...

Beneath them, the ground began to rumble in his fear, and it shook as cracks ripped through the earth and tried to swallow the rogues. He turned and pushed, trying to move forward to continue protecting Korra as they danced on the edges and laughed at his attempt, lassoing his other wrist. He struggled and twisted, pushing up another barrier to seal her off from them, and was heaved back when two more cables caught around his chest and neck. "Gahk!" He gasped, falling back and clutching his throat frantically for breath.

One came up behind him, and with several cracks to each of his chakra points, Bolin's bending abilities were stifled. "Ahhk! Mko- h-hlp- hnng-" He choked, but his brother did not hear him as he was bound and gagged, then stuffed into the back of a dark vehicle and stolen away.

"Bolin, I need a little help here-" Mako grimaced, feeling tired and currently fending off three at once. Suddenly, however, they began to move off and Mako took the chance and leapt into the air and shot off several fireballs at them. "Yeah, that's it, RUN!" He hissed, but turned. "Korra!" He sped off towards the barricade. "Bolin, they're leaving, drop the baricade-" He pounded on the dirt and paused. No reply came. "Bolin?" He looked around the deserted street. "Bolin?!" Running around to the other side, dread hit him. "Korra! Korra you've gotta wake up, KORRA!" he insisted, fear gripping him. "Bolin's been taken! KORRA PLEASE!"