A/N: Had this one floating around in my brain for awhile now, needed to get it out and all that, so here we are. (Plus I'm going through a bit of writer's block with my other stories...) Anyway, this AU splits from canon about halfway through season 1, and diverts with an interception of an Equalist convoy carrying Future Industries tech...
The truck made a painful-sounding crunch as it collided with the steel web established by the police force.
"We need to discuss your purpose in leaving Republic City." Ordered Lin, emerging from the alley, her forces in tow, and the two figures driving the car attempting to sprint off, only to be caught by metal vines.
"What part of 'we need to discuss your purpose in leaving Republic City' was so unclear?" Asked Lin, growing annoyed.
"We'll never talk!" Declared one of the duo.
"In that case, we will discuss this further at the station, book them and search the vehicle." Instructed Lin, as the two captives were taken into the police car.
"Chief, you may want to look at this." Said the subordinate assigned to the search, as he emerged with a crate of shock gloves, and a slip of paper stuck in it. "These are those electrical weapons the Equalist foot soldiers use, and here's this confirmation of order." He expanded, showing Lin the paper. "It's signed by Hiroshi Sato, of Future Industries; he seems to be supplying The Equalists!"
"Excellent work, we have a major lead, place Hiroshi Sato under house arrest, and-"
"I'll take things over from here." Announced Tarrok, from behind Lin.
"You are not authorized to enforce this city's laws, the police will take care of this." Lin firmly stated.
"The police will indeed, but without your aid, I have used all of my emergency powers to install myself as Republic City's primary authority until further notice; with skilled and influential figures such as Hiroshi Sato working with The Equalists, we can't afford to risk anyone escaping punishment through due process, and your bleeding heart may cost us this war." Countered Tarrlok.
Lin was speechless as a good number of her forces followed Tarrlok toward the wealthy neighborhood where the Sato Estate was located.
"Huh?" Muttered Asami, as she was jolted awake from bright light flooding into her room; was it morning already? Asami, still groggy from her sleep, climbed out of bed, and began getting ready for a typical day in her life; perhaps she'd work on that airship design she'd been letting sit for awhile. As she pulled on her normal brown jacket however, she was proven very wrong.
"Freeze!" Shouted a metalbender as he crashed through the window. "You're under arrest for treason!"
"Treason?" Questioned Asami. She saw it now; that was a search light, and the police were raiding her home.
"Your father has been aiding and abetting The Equalist Movement, and as someone inextricably tied with him, Tarrlok has ordered you be put under arrest as well."
"I'm innocent! Just because he's my father doesn't mean I'm his loyal servant!" Asami protested.
"Tell it to Tarrlok." Muttered the officer, as he shot out his vines of steel, in an attempt to ensnare the heiress.
Asami jumped over the metal and kicked off of the officer, who lay on the ground unconscious as a result, while also launching Asami out of the room. "What's going on? Is my father really an Equalist?" Asami thought to herself as she ran down the corridors of the mansion, hoping to find an area that wasn't blockaded.
"Asami!" Shouted a voice from the other end of the hall, whom Asami recognized as belonging to Hiroshi.
"What is this? Are you one of them?!" Demanded Asami, forcing back tears.
Hiroshi nodded. "Amon can create a better world, free from the violent chaos called bending! Your mother would be proud Asami; and so should you! Join me, and we can escape together, and the better world that awaits us all will soon become real!"
Asami gave her father's words some careful consideration; was it worth it? Was bending a stain on society? No, The actions of a few doesn't justify the wholesale persecution of those with only a superficial connection to these crimes, Tarrlok himself had more than proved that. Asami had made up her mind.
"Take this." Said Hiroshi, handing her a shock glove.
Asami took it, and proceeded to shock Hiroshi. "Mother would be ashamed!" She cried as she continued her search for a way of escape. After numerous failures, she settled on a window close enough to a tree branch, and promptly leaped onto said tree. "So far, so good." Asami muttered as she made her way down the tree and started looking for an unguarded exit. Unfortunately for Asami, she was suddenly, inexplicably frozen in place. "Bloodbending? But the moon..." Asami managed through the shock.
"Not so fast, Equalist!" Shouted a voice belonging to a man Asami couldn't see through the darkness. "What do you know about Amon?"
"N-nothing! I'm not one of them!" Asami protested.
"Like hell!" Insisted the man as he tightened his grip on Asami's blood. "All of you nonbenders are the same! Now tell me what you know about Amon, and I'll be more lenient concerning your sentence."
"I don't know anything!" Shouted Asami, against the rising pain.
"Tarrlok sir!" A metalbender shouted to the man, distracting him for long enough for Asami to break free and run. In her brief window of opportunity, Asami managed to escape the property and dart around the area, desperately trying to lose the officers storming the area. "Keep running, find someone to help." Asami repeated to herself as she ran. After several minutes, Asami felt confident that she had eluded the misguided men and women of the law, and ventured out, gingerly, into the main street. She didn't recognize this particular part of town, but she got the impression it was a bit... derelict. Far from the posh surroundings that had defined most of her 18 years. These buildings looked as though they hadn't been used in a long time, and electric lighting was few and far between. "Well, it isn't much, but I've got to hide..." The ex-heiress muttered, searching for a place to stay for the night. Eventually, she settled on a seedy looking tavern that had a sign posted outside advertising rooms. She entered the building, and found herself inside a dark, dank, and rather foul smelling establishment dotted with tables occupied by a grungy looking collective of thugs. Treading carefully, Asami made her way to the man at the bar. "Do you have a room?" Asked Asami, nervously, and starting to lose her composure.
"Ya got cash?" The man responded.
Asami froze, in the confusion, she had forgotten about money, desperately, she searched her pockets and found her wallet, by some miracle. She must have picked it up when she thought it was morning. Asami sighed with relief as she paid the fee. She was safe, at least for now.
The room was nothing much, just a small bed, a table, and a clock; the floor was uneven, and the stench from the bar below pervaded. Despite this, Asami didn't mind; after what she'd been through, a safe-ish place to sleep was more than enough. Without much thought, Asami climbed into the bed, and began to dream about a happy memory...
Flashback: 13 years ago.
"Mommy, why is that man shooting fire from his hands?" Asked a young Asami, sitting next to her mother on a park bench, watching a firebending street performer.
"He's a firebender honey." Explained her mother.
"Firebender?" Inquired Asami, a confused look dotting her eyes.
"You see, some people can control fire, water, earth, or air, and one special person, called The Avatar, can do it for all four." Mrs. Sato concisely explained.
"But why can't all of us do it? That isn't fair." Pouted Asami.
"Well, nonbenders-that's what we are-aren't out in the cold, we may lack a natural ability like that, but on the other hand, that gives us more time to do other things, and just because you can't bend doesn't make you useless, and with the right moves, you can stop a bender dead in their tracks."
"But wouldn't we be better off without benders? Then they couldn't use it to be mean to us." Continued Asami.
"No, the firebenders give us the energy for lights, and earthbenders can catch bad guys with their powers; it may not be perfect, but it works." Reassured the girl's mother.
"Oh, can we stop for ice cream?" Asked Asami, her mind quickly drifting to another place.
"Sure honey." Laughed Mrs. Sato.
End flashback.
Asami awoke in the room she had checked into and the memories flooded back. Her mother was still dead, and she was still a fugitive. "Damn you, Hiroshi Sato." Asami sobbed, not knowing what she should do. Reluctantly, she got out of the bed, and decided to venture out, perhaps to clear her name.
"Tarrlok is the problem, I just need to depose him... he's strong, I think I'll need a bit more than this shock glove" Asami thought to herself.
The day passed by and Asami still wandered the city without much progress to show for it; there was just no way for her to amass a following for eliminating Tarrlok, he was just too well liked on top of being strong. As she was walking near the pro bending arena, another thought struck her: where would she sleep; it'd be risky to return to the tavern she'd been at the previous night...
"And Avatar Korra wins the match for the Fire Ferrets!" Shiro declared, in reference to Korra smartly jabbing the opposing team's last player into the water below. It had been a stressful match; Korra was the only Fire Ferret standing, and had to take on two opponents at once, it was a close shave any way she sliced it.
The locker room soon filled with the sound of celebration from the brothers.
"You Korra, were awesome!" Complimented Bolin. "We were all like-"
"It really was amazing." Interrupted Mako.
"Hey guys, I'm a bit hyper from that, so I think I'm just gonna ride around on Naga for awhile, see you guys later." Decided Korra, leaving the vicinity to relieve her stress.
Riding on Naga felt good. For the first time in entirely too long, Korra's head felt clear; she was on top of the world. Nothing could- "Are you alright?!" Korra asked, nervously, as she inspected the woman that Naga had accidentally beaned with her back paw; none other than Asami Sato.
A/N: Not sure how often I'll update this, but I was kind of eager to get this out there, so I hope you all like it... Until next time!