"Now for a demonstration," the masked figure on stage intoned. "Please welcome…Lightning Bolt Zolt."
Korra clenched her fists and stared up at the stage as the subdued gang leader was dragged forward. True, Zolt was clearly a scumbag, a bender who abused his powers, just as the Equalists were claiming. But if Amon's claims were true…
Minutes later, she had her confirmation. Zolt feebly thrust out a fist, but no flames burst forth. It couldn't have been a simple bluff, a run-of-the-mill bit of chi-blocking. Not only had she seen Amon do it—there had been no tell-tale strikes to his arm muscles—but more to the point, if this wore off in a few hours or even days, Zolt would make sure that everyone would hear about it.
Korra swallowed hard. She'd always known that this power existed. But Avatar Aang had been the only one ever known to possess it, and he'd used it only once, for indisputably noble reasons. To see it being wielded as a weapon, here, was frightening beyond belief.
"We have to save Bolin," she whispered to Mako. He nodded curtly.
"We can't just rush in there," he whispered back. "There's too many of them!"
Mako proposed the idea of the steam distraction, and Korra agreed; it was a good plan. She slipped through the ranks of Equalist sympathizers—so many of them, she thought, troubled—and into a side corridor. It didn't take her too long to discover the pipes, and what looked like control valves designed to regulate pressure. She pulled hard on the wheel, and was rewarded by a thin trickle of steam. It's not enough.
"Hey! You!"
Korra turned. A lithe older man, clad in nondescript worker's clothes, glared at her. "What're you doing back here?"
"Umm…looking for the bathroom?"
He lunged for her, brandishing a wrench wildly. Korra dodged, twisting under his blows. He was fast. When he lurched past her and stumbled into one of the pipes, an idea struck her and she smiled. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.
The next time he attacked her, she trapped his wrench in her scarf and turned his own momentum against him. He went flying into the pipes. They cracked under his weight, and steam screeched as it billowed out. The man groaned feebly. "That'll do it," Korra announced cheerfully. She bent the steam out of her way and stepped past him. She had to find Bolin and Mako.
"Bender!" the man gasped indignantly. Korra turned, startled to find that he was still there.
"What are you—"
She'd underestimated him. He was on his feet again, and this time when he rushed her, he didn't bother with the wrench. Korra scowled, whipping water from her hip pouch. She might as well finish this quickly—
He dodged her water whip and ducked under her guard, too fast, and Korra felt her stomach plummet as his fingers stabbed quickly at her arms. No!
She tried to retreat, but it was too late. The man pressed forward, smiling grimly, and jabbed her again, this time going for her legs and shoulders. Korra cried out and pitched forward. The man grabbed her by her ponytail and smiled. "Another target for tonight," he purred. "Amon will be pleased."
—
He dragged her out onto the stage. Korra was gratified to see that Bolin, at least, wasn't here. Had he escaped during the chaos of her fight with the guard? Had Mako gotten him out safely?
Her escort threw her down onto the hard wooden platform and Korra grunted as her knees struck the floor. She glared up at Amon. Up close, he looked much more intimidating than he had from afar, though she'd have been loathe to admit it. "Amon," she spat.
"Avatar Korra," he returned. She knew it was just a mask, but still, that awful face of his seemed to mock her.
The crowd was gone, having fled when the steam exploded through the wall. The stage was empty, save for them and the miserable ex-gang leaders. Korra only needed to look at their huddled forms to know that they'd been stripped of their bending.
It took all her willpower not to flinch when Amon grabbed her by the chin and forced her to look at him. "I hadn't planned on confronting you so soon," he mused. "But it's not every day that the spirits give me such a wonderful gift. I can only assume that they intended for my men to capture you tonight."
She scowled at him. "You're deluded, if you think the spirits are on your side," she retorted.
"Mmm." Amon hummed noncommittally. "It's a shame that we'll have to do this without any pomp and ceremony. You'd make for a wonderful rally. But I shouldn't pass up this opportunity." His fingers still on her chin, he reached with his other hand to press his thumb and forefinger against Korra's forehead. "It was wonderful to make your acquaintance, Avatar."
The fear hadn't really hit her until then. She'd held it at bay with adrenaline and impotent rage. But she'd seen him take Zolt's bending, had heard the firebender's miserable cries. Knowing what this meant, Korra felt her bravado collapse. Her mouth went dry.
"No—!"
It was too late. She felt the energy coursing through Amon's fingers, felt her own internal connection to her spiritual energy snap like dry kindling. He let go, and she collapsed to the floor, tears in her eyes. No.
"Take her away," Amon commanded. "Leave her somewhere so that she'll be found. Do her no harm."
As Amon's men lifted her by the elbows, Korra felt rage and sorrow burning in her belly. I will come for you, she vowed, fighting tears. Bending or no bending, I will take you down.