Asami stared at the book in her hands. The characters within were so strange compared to what she was used to, and she had come to find that communication was difficult when M'Gann was not around. Whatever this new place was, the language was completely different from what she was used to. It had been a few weeks since her lessons had started, and she was beginning to grasp the new concepts. The sentence structure was different, as were the sounds. The language was fascinating, but trying to learn it within a few weeks had been rather difficult.
She smirked when she heard Conner's familiar voice from down the hallway, followed by a quip from Gar. She could only translate a bit of what they were saying. Conner was mad, and Gar was noting his anger. Whatever followed was a jumbled mess to her.
She sat up on the couch before turning to face where the team was entering. Her expression lit up when she met Nightwing's gaze. Of all the members on the team, he was the one she had been growing rather fond of. There was something about the way he spoke, as well as his personal views that had her enthralled. He fought, not for revenge, but to help people. He truly cared about the state of the planet he occupied, even down to the city that he heard him talk so fondly of. She had no idea how he could be so fond of what he described as a hellhole, but she thought it was rather remarkable.
She thought it was amazing that he had chosen this life for himself.
"Now that we're done with that, can you finally tell me that story you promised?" Gar grinned as he raced over to Asami's side. He plopped down beside her, and then gave her a hopeful look.
Asami giggled, and nodded slowly. She had not noticed that M'gann had linked her. "Sure thing," she said as she leaned back against the cushions.
"So…what is a bender? You called Red Tornado an air bender when you saw him. Why's that? He is obviously a machine," Gar said with a toothy grin. His enthusiasm had Asami laughing at him.
She caught blue out the corner of her eye. She found herself watching Nightwing take a seat on the chair beside her. She gave him a small smile before returning her attention to the green child that was waiting for her explanation. "Where I come from, some people are born with the ability to manipulate the elements," she began as she rose to her feet.
"They bend earth, fire, air, and water," she quickly added. She closed her eyes, and imagined Korra's stances. She felt ridiculous as she sloppily tried to mimic what she had seen before. She found herself laughing, and then fell back onto the couch.
"Not everyone is born with that ability, but there is one person who can do it all," she began as she leaned on the arm of the couch. "Only the Avatar can master all four of them. They're a spirit that is always reincarnated. Just like you keep balance in this world, the Avatar does the same where I'm from," she said. Her voice was dreamy as she thought back to her Avatar.
"If you could see the animals there, you'd love them, Gar," she sighed. The memories were flooding her. Nostalgia came over her as she imagined the many different creatures that she had yet to see in this new world. She could remember going to the zoo with her father...
"If you don't mind…I could help?" M'gann offered as she sat down next to her little brother. The woman's voice brought Asami back from her thoughts.
Gar curled up next to M'gann. He placed his head against her shoulder, and gave it a light nuzzle. "I can," she paused and tried to figure out the correct way to finish the sentence. "Animate the memory," she finally finished, and glanced to see if Asami understood what she meant.
Asami's brow rose. She flipped her hair back, and then placed her hand on her chin. "We could give it a try," she mumbled. She did not like having the woman probing around in her mind, even to set up the psychic link, but she knew it was not harmful. Nightwing had made it clear that M'gann respected her privacy.
Still, the thought of sharing one of her memories with Gar, Nightwing, and M'gann in such intimate detail made her a bit nervous. She glanced at Nightwing, checking to see if he would intervene. It was obvious that he thought it was safe. She sighed before turning to face Gar. "I was living with these people for a while…and well, they were all kind of like family," she began.
M'gann's eyes lit up, and suddenly the scenery around the group changed. Asami was back at Air Temple Island. Korra, Mako, and Bolin were positioned in a triangle before her. She held her breath, and watched as the three sparred. Korra sent a stream of water toward Mako, who easily dodged it, and punched fire toward his brother. Bolin forced the earth in front of him up, blocking the attack completely. The earthbender grinned as he pushed the wall back down, and sent chunks toward Korra.
"Airbenders are very rare, so when I saw Red Tornado, and thought he was one, I was surprised," Asami stated dully. Her voice sounded miles away. She found herself shaking as she watched her friends. Even if Mako was a jerk, even if Bolin was immature, and even if Korra was hotheaded, the three were more than just her friends. They became her family the moment she turned her back on her father.
Seeing them there, as if they were more than just a mere memory was upsetting. She reached out. She wiggled her fingers, and tried to grasp onto Mako, but it did nothing. Her hand went through the image. She quickly retreated, and shook her head. "I'm sorry," she quickly muttered as she jumped to her feet.
Asami briskly walked out of the room. She crossed her arms, and held them close as she walked away. She wanted to go home. It had been a few weeks since she was summoned to this world. That was far too long for her to be waiting, and hoping Zatanna would find a way to send her back. She wanted to help her family. She wanted to know they were safe, and that Amon did not win.
The unknown was driving her crazy, and the memory had just made it worse. She cared so much about all three of them, and now they were gone.
"Asami," Nightwing murmured as he came up behind her.
Asami placed her fingers against her forehead. "I'm fine," she told him forcefully. She wanted to be alright. She was going to be just fine. She had survived the loss of her mother, and she got by when she left her father. This was just another bump in the road.
"Those were your friends, weren't they?" Nightwing sounded cautious, but she could detect the concern laced in his tone.
"What this team is to you, they are…were to me," she said with a quiet voice. She leaned against the wall, and directed her gaze toward the ceiling. She dropped her arm to her side. "I know there's no going back to them…and I don't know if they're safe. You don't understand," she said, her voice slowly gaining volume.
Her brows furrowed deeply. A scowl set in on her pretty features. "I left in the middle of a civil war. I don't know what's become of my home or my family…biological and otherwise," she continued. She slammed her fist into the side of the wall. The anguish was becoming rage. She felt so helpless, which was not something she was used to. She had always been able to handle herself. She may have not been a bender, but she was a fighter. She was strong, and she sure as hell was never afraid of anything.
"Amon could have Mako killed…he could have destroyed Korra…spirits, he could have destroyed the whole city," Asami croaked. She bit down on her lip. "I was petty, and jealous, while the two of them went off to face Amon…and now I'm here, and they're stuck fighting the war my own father helped bring about. Tell me none of this matters," she continued, her voice raising, "tell me that now I'm here, none of that even matters."
Nightwing remained silent. He knew what she said was true. The chances of finding a way back were slim to begin with. Whatever Klarion had done was permanent. Asami was stuck there, and there was not a damn thing they could do about it. They could not give her the closure she needed. There was no way to tell her if her friends made it, unless Zatanna somehow found a spell to let them see the world. However, even that was difficult. None of them could figure out where the hell Asami even came from.
The acrobat finally circled around until he was facing her. He stared down into her intense, green eyes. He pushed some of her black curls back. "I told you before-"
"I have all of you now, I know. Believe me, I am grateful I fell into such kind hands, but that does not erase my history," Asami said as she stepped away from him. "You have been nice, Nightwing…spirits why do I have to call you that? That's ridiculous! I don't even know your name-" the young woman made an irritated noise after cutting herself off.
The two stood there in silence. Dick watched her regain control over her temper. She took a few, deep, calming breaths. Her shaking body slowly stilled itself as she released her clenched fists. She flexed her stiff fingers before dropping her head. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.
"Dick," Nightwing finally said.
Asami slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze. "What?"
"No one else knows, and I want to keep it that way," he said with a smile. He put a hand against her cheek before gently rubbing his thumb along it.
Asami could not control the blush that tinted her cheeks. "You all have such weird names here," she whispered. "If you don't want anyone to find out, you should take me out so I can call you that all I want."
Nightwing found himself chuckling at her. He pulled his hand away, and then gave her a small nod. "It's a date, then."