Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Korra.
One hour before impact.
Korra squinted her eyes and averted her eyes from the sunlight reflecting off the lake in central park. It was an odd day in Republic City; it was the middle of winter and the sun was out in full force. The snow was slowly melting around Korra causing the ground to dampen beneath her boots. Korra looked up from the ground and wrapped her sweater around her body tightly. Since Amon's fall to power Republic City entered peacetime once again. The first few months after Korra's return from the South Pole were hectic and exhaustive. Korra had the task of returning bending to those who it taken by Amon. Korra recalled returning the bending to thousands and returning to Air Temple Island late at night and sleeping endlessly for days when she finished.
Korra looked ahead of her to see Mako positioning the camera, he quickly stepped away from it and rushed towards Korra throwing his arm around her. Korra smiled as the memory of their first 'I love you' resurfaced in her mind.
"Ready?" Mako asked. Korra nodded in return, Mako took a deep breath, "One, two, three…" Mako counted down as he pushed a button and a flash emitted from the camera. Korra rubbed her eyes trying to get rid of the white spots that imprinted themselves in her vision.
"Spirits, could that light be any brighter?" Korra said sarcastically. Mako laughed as he packed up the camera.
"Come on let's go to my place so I can develop the picture."
Korra and Mako roamed through the streets of Republic City before they reached Mako and Bolin's new apartment. Ever since Mako got a job as a police officer him and his brother were able to live more lavishly. The apartment was only thirty minutes away from Republic City Central Park; it was the tallest building in the city giving a bird's eye of the whole city. After taking the elevator to the 25th floor Mako and Korra entered the apartment. They entered the opening room to find out that Bolin was out on a date. Mako quickly set the camera on the coffee table and removed the film from the camera.
Thirty minutes before impact.
"I am going to the dark room," Mako told Korra.
As Mako headed towards the dark room Korra took refuge on the couch. She peered around the apartment that was now decorated with photos of their past adventures. Korra picked herself off the couch and made her way to the adjacent wall that was filled with framed photos. Korra picked up a photo of her Mako and Bolin in their Pro-Bending uniforms cheering after they had just won a match. Korra smiled to herself remembering how much she liked Mako and was hoping to Agni that he had liked her back. She would have never imagined that they would be end up together, but fate took its course. Korra placed the picture back on the wall and picked up the next picture beside it. This picture was of the new Team Avatar; her, Mako, Bolin, and Asami were smiling around a panting Naga.
Korra felt a pang in her chest remembering the pained expression on Asami's face once her and Mako announced that they were together.
"It's done!" Mako said as he reentered the room smiling.
Mako's topaz eyes met Korra's with concern, "Hey what's wrong?"
Korra looked down at the photo once more, "It's just…sometimes I feel that it is my fault for Asami's disappearance."
"Why?" Mako placed a hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her.
"When we told everyone we were together she looked so crushed, and she cut us out of her life completely."
"Korra, I know what I did was shitty, but if I stayed with Asami I would be hurting her more by pretending to be in love with her when I was meant for someone else. Sometimes you can't make everyone happy."
Korra sighed placing the picture back on the wall and giving Mako a kiss on the cheek. Korra smiled, "Now let's see the new addition!" Korra snatched the photo from Mako's hands and held it before her. She saw herself smiling at the camera, her eyes sparkling with joy. Mako was standing next to her his arm draped over her shoulder; unlike Korra though Mako was not looking into the camera instead her was looking at Korra with gentle amber eyes and a loving smirk.
"I love it." Korra said kissing Mako and handing him the picture. Korra loosened her sweater as she entered the kitchen.
Ten minutes before impact.
"Are you hungry?" asked Korra.
"Yes! Let's make some fire noodles."
Korra nodded as she went over to the sink to gather some water to boil. Korra placed the pot in the sink as she bent the water from the faucet putting the exact amount in the pot. Korra looked out the window that gave a flawless view of Central Park; the sky was still bright and clear, but off in the distance there were clouds approaching.
"Oh looks like the snow is coming sooner than we anticipated," remarked Korra. Mako moved from the stove and went to stand by Korra to see what she was talking about. The clouds were approaching the city quickly.
Mako scrunched his eyebrows together, "Herm strange clouds can't move that fast." Korra shrugged disregarding his comment and moving the water to the stove to boil the water.
Suddenly a bright ball of light emerged from the clouds and was hurling towards the city. Mako's eyes widened as he watched the ball of light inch closer and closer to Central Park.
Forty seconds till impact.
"Korra, Korra," Mako felt himself panic.
Korra shifted her focus from the stove to Mako, "Mako, wha..." Korra's eyes widened as she saw the ball of light.
Fifteen seconds.
"Korra move!" Mako grabbed Korra and rushed her toward the door of the apartment.
Five seconds.
Before Mako got a hold of the doorknob the light made impact. There was a large explosion; Mako and Korra's body's jerked forward and slammed against the wall. The building crumbled around them. Outside at Central Park a mushroom cloud took form shutting out all sunlight from the city.
Ten minutes after impact.
Mako regained consciousness as he felt the debris on his body. A layer of dirt and dust clung itself to Mako's face, he felt the blood rushing down the side of his face from his temple. Mako shifted his body pushing the debris from his body; he placed his calloused hand on his temple feeling the freshly cut skin. Mako moved quickly looking for Korra; he found her a few feet away from the door under a block of cement. Mako used all of his strength to push the block off of her.
He looked at Korra's face to see that she had various cuts on her face and had blood rushing from her temple, "Korra!"
Korra shifted groaning in pain as she opened her eyes, "My head…" She tried to hoist herself up but winced in pain, "Ah! I think I few of my rips are broken and my ankle hurts." Korra looked over at Mako seeing that he had blood rushing from his head. "Mako I need to heal us."
"No we don't have enough time." Mako peered on the floor looking for something; he quickly picked up a bowler hat from the ground and placed it on Korra's head. "Conceal your identity. They may be after you." Mako didn't know why, but he had a feeling that things were going to get dangerous really fast. He stepped forward towards the door and felt something crack beneath him; he moved his foot to see a picture of him and Korra smiling into the camera as they entered the Probending Arena. The glass was cracked right down the middle separating him and Korra. Mako composed himself again and pulled Korra as they left the apartment taking the stairway down making sure to avoid any unstable ground.
Forty minutes after impact.
They finally made it to the streets only to find themselves huddled with others who were running for their lives. Korra looked at the ground to see a pair of vacant eyes gazing back at her.
"Mako!" Korra felt her body freeze over. Mako tried pulling her so they could run with the crowd, but it was no use.
"Korra we need to keep moving!" Mako screamed.
Cars began pulling over on the side of the road, doors were opening and closing as men in uniforms began to file out and grab those who were running. Shots were fired at those who resisted; the crowd around them ran faster as shots were fired. Many who resisted lay on the ground lifeless along with those who had been killed by the initial blast. Mako looked at Korra as men began to approach them, he stood in front of her protectively.
Korra felt the urge to fight with the resistance as she tried to push past Mako, "Mako, I can…" Benders near them who put up a fight were shot repeatedly.
"No, Korra don't use any bending they will kill you." Korra's eyes widened as she came to the realization that her and Mako might die. Another car had pulled over on the side of the road and a stout man emerged from the passenger seat. He was wearing a black uniform with various medals decorated across it. He approached Mako and Korra making sure his freshly shined boots were not scuffed.
He looked at Mako disgusted, "What filth do we have here?"
Mako looked into the man's beady eyes with rage. The ground began to rumble as machines approached them. The whole street had been cleared in an instant, the machines pushing aside dead bodies carelessly. The deceased were being burned, while those who were still alive were being piled into trucks.
The man stood before them smirking, "Ah, here we are." A few machines about 8 feet high halted before them. The machines turned towards Mako outstretching their metal handles grabbing Mako. He breathed fire at them trying to break free, but his bending had no affect.
"A bender!" said the uniformed man with a maniacal laugh.
"NO!" Korra screamed. Mako looked at Korra with pleading eyes hoping she wouldn't do anything. Korra looked into the beady man's eyes, "Take me instead."
The man moved towards Korra with a sinister smile, "So this is your lover?" Korra kept her eyes at level with the man trying to show her determination.
He inched towards her stopping before their lips touched, "My you are exotic." He grazed his hand over her side; he looked at her with hungry eyes. Mako fidgeted in the machine's grasp.
"Commander what do we do with the male?" the machine asked.
The commander removed his gaze from Korra, "Take him away, I will have her." Korra felt the tears streaming down her face. She tried to push the commander aside, but he grabbed her arm.
"Oh a feisty one!"
"Let me go!" Korra spit in his face as he lost grip of her. He pounced towards her knocking her down. He withdrew his gun and hit her in the back of the head with it knocking her out.
"That will teach you a lesson!"
Mako finally released himself from the machine and he was shooting lighting at them trying to slow them down, but nothing worked. He hovered over Korra's body holding her close to his chest; he felt the tears welling up in his eyes.
"Ah, young love. They call it young for a reason. Remove him," ordered the Commander.
Mako quickly took the picture of him and Korra that they had taken just a few hours ago and shoved it in Korra's jacket pocket. He held her close whispering, "Don't bend, don't let them know who you are. We will find each other I promise. I love you." Deep down he knew Korra had heard every word. Mako felt the machines yank him once more.
"Let's make sure you don't escape this time." The Commander said as he raised his gun and pulled the trigger. The bullet had lodged itself in Mako's leg.
"AHHHH!" Mako screamed as he was thrown in the back of a truck.
90 minutes after impact.
A/N: I hope you all liked it! I have been playing around with this idea for a while and I finally decided to write it out. Reviews are welcome. I am putting a little hold on Discovering (my other story) so I can work and develop this one. Thanks for reading!