One year has passed since the battle of Republic City and the opening of the third portal. While tensions are high between the new Earth Union and Republic city, a new stability and peace have finally taken root. The people of the United Republic have re-elected president Raiko for a second term, in a narrow victory. Avatar Korra and the Air nation have remained the vigilant protectors and keepers of balance in the world. All is peaceful, but for how long?
It was a quarter past six at the Sato estate and as usual Asami was taking much longer than her counterpart. Two months earlier, Bolin finally popped the question to Opal and they were set to be married next month with a quiet little ceremony in Zaofu. The crew rarely had free time these days but they managed to find the time to have a small dinner, just the two couples and Mako.
"Are you ready yet Asami!?" Korra tapped impatiently on the up stairs powder room. "It only took me about five minutes! We're gonna be late!"
"Hold your horses, I'll be out in a sec."
"Fine," she reluctantly sighed, "I'll be down stairs."
Having lost her mother at a very young age, Asami was no stranger to loss. However, the sacrifice her father made to save her opened Sato's eyes to how brief life could be and how you should cherish every moment with the ones you love. So about two days into their vacation she elected to make the first move. Ironically, they shared their first kiss in Xia Bau's grove. This feeling was new to both of them, but love is love. It was a bit awkward for the first weeks only because it took most by surprise. Opal and Mako both claimed to have known for weeks, while Bolin was taken completely off guard. Regardless, the new couple received nothing but love and support from their friends and family.
Korra sat in the small sun room next to the main doors, fiddling with her regrown wolftails. She rather enjoyed her short hair because it was alot cooler in the summer and required less upkeep than her classic style, but both preferred her longer look.
"Kooooorra." Asami's voice rang out from up stairs, or at least she thought it was. It dissipated a few moments later. "Kooorra." Hearing it a second time proved even more puzzling.
"Sami?" She inched towards the stairs. "That you?"
"Koooorra." This time more faint and fallowed by a playful laugh. She didn't recognize this voice, yet it seemed familiar.
Asami rounded the corner at the same moment, "Yep, ready to go?"
"That was odd." the two made their way to the Satomobile waiting in the drive.
"What was?" Asami asked with a perked brow.
"Nothing. Just going crazy I guess." Korra retorted with her usual sarcasm.
"So then I tell the guy, at least it wasn't a hog monkey!" Bolin laughed with a mouth full of bread.
It managed to get a laugh from everyone, especially his fiancé.
"You know Bo, your stories are starting to sound more and more like Bumi's." Korra added while sawing at her steak. "So, whats mister head detective been up to? Haven't heard from you in weeks?"
The group had been closer than ever since Kuvira attacked Republic City. Korra's role was pretty self explanatory; Mako had been named head detective after solving a string of bank robberies, murders, and a plot to assassinate the president with the help of the Avatar. Bolin and Opal founded the Benders without Boarders organization (or B.W.B.) which helps feed, cloth and heal people of all nations. And Varrick "legally" merged his company with Asami's, creating a new and very much improved future industries.
"Well that reminds me," he stopped for a moment to swallow, "I kinda need to talk to Korra in private after we're done tonight, some police business that concerns the avatar."
"Oh come on Mako," Bolin pleaded, "we've got the big corner booth all to our selves and it's way to loud for anyone to hear."
"I can't, it's confidential."
"And when has that ever stopped you before?" Asami added with a coy smile.
He paused before finally giving into peer pressure, "Fine, but remember this is all just speculation, no hard evidence to support it yet. Just my gut."
"Yeah, yeah, spill it." Korra leaned in next to him. Opal and Bolin sat across the U shaped booth listening intently with Asami leaned in from the bend.
"Well remember that murder a few days ago we thought was triad related?"
"The one in the apartment down on 10th street?" Asami asked.
"Yeah, well the autopsy's back and it looks like his heart was...well, smashed for lack of a better term. No external injury of any kind. We think he was bloodbent."
A uneasiness crept into the booth.
"Is that what you needed to talk to me about?" Korra asked.
"No, it's this next part." He took a quick sip of his leachy wine before continuing, "This guy had seven dead bolts on his door and none of them were broken or even unlocked. The windows had bars and were completely sealed shut, you'd have to break'em to open any of them."
"So...your thinking this is a very skilled bloodbender, like Amon skilled? If they could bloodbend without having to see them." Korra couldn't imagine having to face off against another renegade bloodbender on par with Amon. Especially one as brutal as this.
"Probably, but that's not even the scariest part. He had hundreds of files in his apartment about all kinds of things, it took days just to sort through it all. We just finished tonight before I got off work."
Korra eagerly motioned with her hands, "Aaaaand?"
"This guy was a member of the Red lotus."
An unnatural silence fell over the table for several seconds.
"He had blue prints of Zaheer's prison along with several of the guards schedules."
She cringed at the thought of that monster walking free. "I assume security has been upped?"
"Of coarse, about two minutes after we found out. Everything checked out too. He was just meditating in his chains." He looked to Korra, "You can't block him from doing that, can you?"
"No, and even if I could...I don't think I would. He's a monster but I don't think he could do much damage from the spirit world. I've actually had plenty of talks with the spirits since then and they didn't really seem to agree with anything he did. Most of them don't even trust him. He could be communicating with someone though." With Zaheer no longer striking fear in the heart of the Avatar, she came to a decision. "I'll stop by and have a little chat with him tomorrow."
"You sure about that?" Asami questioned, gentle placing her hand on Korra's for reassurance.
"Yeah I'm sure." She repaid her girlfriends affections with a smile. "Maybe It's time to take his bending, just in case he manages to break out anyway. I guess I probably should have done that a long time ago."
This revelation was unsettling to say the least. The only person who could conceivably kill a red lotus member is another red lotus member. In the four years since they emerged, next to nothing had been discovered about their origins or members; other than a man named Xia Bau broke away from the white and formed the red.
The once happy atmosphere seemed to be darkened by the grim news.
"See, this is why I wanted to wait until after dinner to ruin everyones day." Mako sarcastically changed the subject. "So, how have you guys been?" he asked, stuffing a fork full of baked potato into his mouth. He had become a bit desensitized compared to everyone else, that comes with the line of work but Mako remained the type of person you could trust with your life.
"Good." Asami replied, "Been pretty busy lately with the new model of Satomobile rolling out next month."
The group managed to distract themselves for another hour or so with small talk of the up coming wedding, politics and a new model of luxury train car. Korra was just finishing her slice of chocolate cake when she heard a faint voice over the rumbling of the friday night crowd.
"Koooorrraa." They were in the back corner of the restaurant and the voice seemed to come from behind. She didn't react. "Koooorrra." Again, but this time from the front.
Korra perked up and peered around the room looking for the source. She tapped Mako on the shoulder, "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" he looked around in a similar fashion.
"Thought I heard my name."
"Koooorrrraaa." This time a bit louder and with a slight tinge of humor.
"There, tell me you heard that?"
Mako looked a bit bewildered, "You sure your not hearing things?"
Asami had managed to catch the last part of the conversation, "I don't hear anything sweetie."
Nothing but the crowd and band blaring.
"I guess it was nothing."
The couple made it back to the mansion around 10:30, both rather exhausted from the long day and ready for sleep. They slipped into the kitchen to retire a bottle of wine they picked up on the way home.
Asami snuck up behind, wrapping her arms around Korra's waist pulling her close, "I was about to take a shower before bed," Sato lightly kissed the nap of her neck forcing a blush, "wanna join me?" she whispered seductivly.
Although flattered, her mind was to scattered to focus on her partner properly. "Sorry Sami, I think I'm just a little to tired tonight."
She backed away slowly, dawning a look of defeat with a hint of irritation, "Is everything ok?" A question Asami didn't want to ask.
Truth be told they were growing apart, and they both knew it. The spark that ignited over a year ago had dwindled to an ember. Asami seemed to be caught up in work and Korra was gone for weeks at a time with the air nomads. They even recently took a trip to ember island resort in an attempt and rekindle the lost flames, but with no luck.
"Asami...I think maybe we should take a break." A thought that had been running through her head all week.
She paused, not sure how to respond. "I had a feeling you were gonna say that."
"I don't know how to explain it," conversations like this were easier with Asami then with Mako, they both seemed to always understand what the other was thinking. "but I just feel like we've been drifting apart over the last few months...and it hasn't gotten better. I know this sounds weird but maybe some time apart would help?"
"I've been feeling the same way, I just didn't want to say anything." Asami took both her hands gently, reminiscent of their first pilgrimage threw the spirit portal.
Korra wasn't really one to tear up but she made an exception. "I know I still love you, and no matter what happens I always will Sami."
"And I'll always love you." The two shared one final kiss before separating.
"Actually, what do you say we make tonight our night, eh?" Asami added with a devilish grin.
Asami was the dominate one when it came to bedroom activities, forcing the watertribe girl's cheeks to turn a soft shade of pink. "Fine, but I'm still pretty tired so your gonna have to do the work." Korra said with a shy smirk.
"Oh, don't you worry about that, I've got enough energy for the both of us, sugerlips."
The avatar couldn't help but let the woman move in for another quick kiss before heading to the shower.
"Asami?"
"Yeah?" she stopped only to peek over her own shoulder like a curious child over a fence.
"I-I think I should move back to air temple island for a while. I think not seeing each other everyday could make us yearn again." she hoped the emerald eyed vixen would understand.
Luckily, they were both still good at reading each other, no further explanation was needed, opting to approve with a simple nod and that signature Sato smile.
The large holding cell was cold, damp and dimly light by a faint green glow. Zaheer had become so accustom to the conditions now that he would simply use his knew found gifts to float where it was more comfortable, mastering the technique so that he could actually sleep while levitating.
But tonight was special, tonight was the night the anarchist would finally be free to soar the open skies again. About a week and a half ago Zaheer had met with one of his closest followers in the spirit world who used the conflict a year back to obtain vital schematics to stage a break out for the grand lotus. Patients being one of the greatest virtues of the both the White and Red.
A minute passed, then five, then ten, but complications were to be expected. Finally, the clamoring of the cell door. He couldn't withhold a smirk but dare not say a word, just in case. The first door closed, then the inner door screeched. To his surprise, it didn't slowly reveal his comrade; it unveiled a rather tall, muscular, tan skinned woman with long black hair nearly down to her thigh, tied off in three equally distanced spaces. She dawned what appeared to be a tattered white lotus uniform, loose fitting almost like a cloak, enough to see her white under-wrappings. But the colors on the uniform were black where it should be blue. She wore standard brown leather boots up to the calf. Most of her face was covered by a black scarf and a thick black strap across her forehead, showing only her cold blue eyes. Eyes that could stare a hole through steel.
"Hello there Zaheer." She spoke with a calm commanding presence, but with a subtle femininity to each word. The woman stopped a foot from the circle that was his boundary. "First time I've ever actually seen you in person."
He remained hovering in a meditative position while addressing her, "I'm sorry I don't believe we've me-" Zaheer was brought violently to the ground with a subtle motion of the woman's left hand. He cried out as his bodied was grotesquely contorted when she clinched her open palm. "W-who the hell are you!?" the airbender managed to squeeze out before riving in pain.
She drew him to his knees with a turn of her wrist, his arms hoisted above his head. Although the man would never admit it, he was trying his hardest to resist the bloodbenders will, but to no avail. "I want to thank you Zaheer."
"For what!?"
"For helping Korra become the person she needed to be."
Zaheer felt a sharp pull as she cliched her fist tighter, drawing blood from her palm. Then a quick pop that bellowed from the cavity. The pain was to severe for any person to handle...or survive; he fell with a thud at the woman's feet motionless, splattering a small amount of blood onto her boots. With slight disgust, she bent the liquid off with a flick.
The door behind her reopened allowing her exit. Once through, she was met by three accomplices; two men and one woman, all dawning robes of the white lotus.
"We got about an hour before the sheer-shu toxin wears off on the other guards, should give us plenty of time." one of the men said.
The other asked, "Ma'am? Is it time to move on Avatar Korra?"
"No," she snapped with no hesitation, "not yet, I need to have a little chat with Kuvira before we can confront Korra."
The foursome finally passed threw the huge stone archway, "Now, you two head back to the safe house, their gonna know who to look for right away so stay in hiding until I say otherwise, got it?"
"Yes, Ma'am." the two barked before heading for a parked jeep.
"Ma'am?" the young girl asked, almost expecting a scolding.
"Yes Rya?" sounding motherly this time.
"Not to pry, but is Avatar Korra going to be alright?"
She turned to place a comforting hand on the worrying girls shoulder, "She'll be fine Rya. I'm not going to let anything happen to her."