Title: Disobeying Destiny
Summary: AU in which Tonraq and Senna never revealed Korra as the Avatar, and like Aang, had initially avoided her Avatar duties out of fear of global enemies. The world is in chaos due to her cowardice. While fighting in the front lines of another Water Tribe Civil War, Korra struggles with trying to ignore her destiny, and all her enemies from the entire series at once.
Chapter Three
"Don't worry, Ms. Sato," Viper smiled, leaning back in his chair, "The servants aren't snitches here, unlike your staff at Future Industries. No one's going to tell Amon that his squeeze is having dinner with one of his enemies."
Asami grimaced at his remarks. "I'm not his squeeze," she retorted.
"But his is after you, no doubt…"
The CEO watched the mafia leader study her face with amusement. She knew she couldn't trust her staff, but no one was in her office when Amon last spoke to her. Either the Triple Threats had bugged her office, or her receptionist was listening at the door after she showed Amon in; either way, she knew she never really had privacy, especially in her office.
After her brief encounter with Amon, she had made her way to the public library. Even before the dictator made personal visits to her business, she knew she had to be careful when traveling to meet her rebel allies, the Triple Threats. The had organized a rendezvous at the library- the mafia forces of Republic City had joined together years ago to create an underground system that made for easy access to key locations in the city, and the library was one of the many gateways to the underground highway. Asami had chosen the library checkpoint simply because it was the least suspicious place for an inventor to be seen after business hours. Sato had wondered why Amon had not destroyed the library, like dictators before in general history, but being one of the "brilliant minds" of Republic City employed by Amon, she was allowed the "privilege" of knowledge, while the rest of the every-day citizens were banned from the building, and spoon-fed Equalist curriculum. She made her way to the basement of the library, where she met up with a Triad who escorted her to where she was now, dinner at an undisclosed location with Viper.
"Listen," Asami said, changing the subject, "I need your help with something."
Viper reached for his glass of red wine and took a long sip. He was in no position to deny support, after all Asami had done for the Bending Resistance, no matter how much his mafia-boss ego wanted to always call the shots.
"What do you need?" He finally asked, placing the glass back on the table.
"I need to be escorted to the Southern Water Tribe…"
Viper glanced at the CEO in confusion. "How ridiculous. What for?"
"I made a shipment deal to them, but I want to be present for the exchange."
"Ms. Sato, let me ask you something," Viper said, leaning back in his chair again, the dim lighting of the room giving him a suspicious atmosphere. "I understand you've gotta make business, but… why the Southern Water Tribe? Why not the Northern Water Tribe? Or the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom? What makes the Southern Water Tribe so special?"
Asami did not respond immediately, but watched Viper pick apart greasy pieces off the roasted duck on his plate, waiting for her answer. She wanted to keep as much of this trip confidential as possible, but a voice in the back of her mind whispered that notifying them of the Avatar's presence potentially being in the Southern Water Tribe's forces might give her all their support.
"I've received word that the Avatar is fighting alongside the Southern Water Tribe." Asami said confidently, watch Viper's eyes bulge.
"The Avatar?!" Viper spat in disbelief, "And who is this contact of yours?"
"I will keep that to myself until I have your support," Asami said, choosing not to reveal her entire hand of cards.
"The Avatar's alive?" Viper asked to himself, his eyes searching the table as if the answer was hidden somewhere on it. He looked back towards Asami. "How many cycles have passed? Or is this still Aang's successor?"
"I don't know," Asami answered. "All I know is that I want to see if it's true before I complete the deal. Maybe if we help the Avatar win the civil war, he or she will help us fight Amon."
Viper remained silent, but his eyes shinned with excitement and new-found faith. HE leaned across the table eagerly, then nodded at her words.
"We'll stage another robbery at one of your warehouses. The coastal one," he began. Asami leaned in too, accepting this as his agreement to support her, and listened. "We've done it flawlessly before, so flawlessly that Amon and his investigative police still believe you were legitimately robbed of sato-mobiles and weapons. They have no idea that you made a deal with us to take them. This time," his voice shook with excitement over his plan, "we'll stage a robbery and a kidnapping. We'll pre-fill a Future Industries ship with these goods you promised the Southern Water Tribe, and when we're ready, we'll attack. We'll make it seem like the Triple Threats and the Agni Kai's stole you and gear to build weapons for the Resistance in an unknown land. We'll pay off some of the naval guards… we have a couple in our pockets still. Amon and his top officers will be so concerned with an external threat, he may forget about protecting certain areas of Republic City again. We can gain more ground as he searches for you. But, we need to plant some of my guys in before the attack. I will assign Mako and Bolin. They will come to you soon for mock interviews. Give them positions close to you at all times."
Asami recognized the first name as the man she met up with earlier in the café, but the second eluded her.
"Tell your contact that we are working towards your departure. This could take some time, we obviously can't make this work in one day. But you're gonna have to be a sport, Asami, and stomach as much of Amon's advances. Trust me, I teased you earlier, but none of us really want you in that position, no matter what leverage or coverage it gives us."
"Hey boss," said the gruff voice of a goon who had just showed himself into the private dining room. "Bolin caught a duck for you and your dame…"
"How wonderful," Viper said, putting on his smooth persona. "Ms. Sato, I know we just had some really succulent duck for dinner, but perhaps you'd like to see how well my boys can hunt?"
"Of course," Asami nodded, understanding the lingo immediately. She stood up from her chair, and Viper followed in good etiquette. "Lead the way…"
Viper stretched out his arms in front of him besides his goon, implying an "after you". Asami followed the hired muscle with Viper casually on her tail, and soon the goon led them to a room with a safe-mechanism as a door. He cracked the code immediately and swung open the metal door to let his boss and business partner in first.
They were in a room with one wall like a sheet of glass- a two-way mirror, Asami recognized immediately. On the other side of the mirror was a young man kneeling on the ground in chains. He was dressed in Amon's chi-blocker uniform, and his face was frantic and bloody. She could hear his anxious breathing. He was probably not much older than 15.
"There's your duck, Ms. Sato," Viper said triumphantly.
"A duckling," she corrected.
A door on the other side of the room screeched, and a man dressed up in her anti-chi-blocker prototype suit came strutting in to face the boy who tried so hard not to tremble.
"Ha!" Viper shouted, placing his hand over his gut as he laughed. "Bolin caught the boy, so naturally Bolin's gotta try the suit too?"
Asami watched the man suspiciously, eager to see why this young man named Bolin was going to be entrusted by Viper to protect her and escort her to the south. He moved awkwardly in the suit, the padding over his chi-points were pulled tightly- Asami did not imagine such a broad muscled man to wear the suit. If she had known, she would have made the fabric of the suit more elastic. He bent down to unlock the boy's shackles, and immediately, the boy took to his defense, sending an assault of punches all over Bolin's body. The man grunted in annoyance at the boy's stamina, but pulled his arms up to his chest, raising the ground beneath them to trap the boy in a cage of earth. The boy whimpered in panicked defeat and shame, as the man named Bolin turned to face the mirror.
"How'd it work?" Viper asked from a small microphone in their half of the room.
"Alright," Bolin said. "Suit could be a little looser. Padding could be a little thicker. He didn't get to fully block my energy, but he got some of it with his hits."
"Not bad for a prototype," Viper said, pleased. "If the demo suit could protect him enough with how it is, I can only imagine what the finished product will be like."
"I'll get to improving it right away," Asami said, nodding at the achievement of the promising suit of armor.
In the Southern Water Tribe, war hero Korra was facing a crisis. She had been summoned from her company by her father's command, the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. He was in a meeting with the Council as she waited for his return.
"Mom, Varrick told this outsider about me- well, not about me, but- that the Avatar is here. He basically used me in his barter. I am basically expected payment," Korra said, looking desperately at her mother.
"You don't know that just yet," Senna tried to comfort her daughter, wrapping her arms around her shoulders as Korra found solace in her mother's embrace. Like all mothers, sometimes Senna found it strange to known that her daughter was an adult now, but times like these reminded her just how much of a child she still was to her. "There is no word that this woman will come down here to see you."
"But why wouldn't she come here?" Korra asked, still distraught despite relaxing in the hug. "Why wouldn't see want to see the Avatar when I've never entered the global spotlight? She's going to come, mother. She is…"
Both women turned around as they heard the door to their home open, and found themselves looking into the solemn face of Tonraq, Korra's father. He didn't have to ask why the two women why they had been hugging, or why Korra looked up at him desperately for words… he knew.
"Varrick has used you as leverage," he said with a sigh. "I'm sure that you heard by now that Varrick has sold the promise of the Avatar for weapons from one of the top suppliers in the world. Everyone is practically on the look-out now for you, Korra. They obviously don't know you are the Avatar, though."
"Dad, what am I supposed to do?"
He looked at her for a second, almost considering being blunt with her, but looked away as if it pained him to keep eye-contact for so long. "Varrick has just received word from this CEO that she will be on her way soon. There was no date disclosed, but that she is for sure going to make her way down here as soon as she can… when she arrives, you will protect her. That will be your new assignment. You may not want to reveal yourself to the world, but I will not let this woman die for you if she made this trip."
Korra slumped to the ground in despair, crossing her legs as if prepared to meditate.
"Oh honey," Senna sighed, feeling her daughter's emotion.
"It's like I can't avoid it…" Korra said, eyes shut tight.
"You can't…" her father said. "Korra," he sat down next to her. "In life, destiny or not, we all have to do something eventually. Everyone has trials and tribulations they must meet and solve. This is yours. You must move with life or lose it. I am speaking as your father, not as your commanding Chief. You must do what's right and keep this visitor safe. You know you must."
"Can I… can I have a moment alone?" Korra whispered, not looking at either of her parents.
Tonraq and Senna exchanged glances, then nodded at their daughter and left the humble house.
Shifting into a full meditative stance, Korra closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and slipped further and further away from the conscious world.
I should let Varrick be exposed as a liar… but will the Tribe experience danger from this? What would the consequences be? Will I put my people more in danger for denying to be the Avatar once more?
"Korra…"
The Avatar opened her mind's eye to see the image of Aang standing before her in the spiritual void.
"Aang… I… I don't know what to do. I don't want this," Korra admitted shamefully, looking away from her predecessor. The Air Nomad watched her compassionately.
"I too feared my responsibilities as the Avatar in my youth, you are not the first to be intimidated."
"But there's so much happening in the world right now. How can I bring peace and balance to the world when every nation is full of its own chaos? They will not accept me." Korra frowned, feeling overwhelmed by the thought of pleasing the public.
"It is not your duty to please politicians and polls. It is your duty to protect the world. There are billions of people in this world, Korra, and not everyone is going to be your ally or approve of your actions, but that does not mean that it is not worth being the Avatar. You will find support, and you will find disciples and dedicated souls to fight besides you. You will not be alone forever. As long as you shun the world, you will struggle."
"But Aang… I can't just arrive at any of the four nations and expect to solve their problems effortlessly. You make it sound easier said than done…"
"Korra," Aang's voice became stern, but nor cruel. He gazed upon her like a father. "You are a prestige soldier in the Southern Water Tribe. You protect your people through the medium of war. You already have the strength, courage, and discipline to be the protector of the world. Bringing balance back to the world will require time and strategy, of course, but you have been training all your life to face fear. You did not choose becoming a warrior for the war glory, but to learn how to be an honorable fighter, to be able to face death every day. To be willing to die to protect the people you love. Your military achievement can grow, Korra, and be applied to your Avatar destiny."
"So should I just let everyone know? Right now?"
"You should let the world know… but not yet. You have allies on the way…"
"What?"
"Do not fear the visitor from Republic City, Korra. This may be your chance to build your team. You moment is dawning…"
Korra's heart felt an indescribable surge of excitement. Aang's words filled her with pride and anticipation. Maybe her predecessor was right… apart from size, how much different would being the Avatar be in comparison to being a warrior. She had faith in her skills… perhaps giving in to her Avatar duty was no longer her problem, but her heaven-sent solution.
"I will wait…" Korra started, studying Aang's gentle face. "Until she arrives. This woman from Republic City. If she proves to be a true ally and not just an average businessperson, I will reveal my identity to her."
Aang nodded silently.
"I must end this war though…" Korra continued. "I will do my duty, Aang. I will go to the rest of the world. But I must end this war… I'll end it not as a warrior, but as the Avatar."
"Good morning, Asami," said Amon, who had showed up at her officer door. Immediately standing out of her chair, Asami bowed respectively, with her fist at the base of her palm, before giving him a friendly smile. "No need for curtsies," he said, his eyes watching Bolin and Mako suspiciously. The benders had passed their "interviews" two weeks ago, and it had been three weeks in total when Viper and Asami made the heist plans at dinner. Today was the day of the hit.
"I'm sorry," Asami chuckled, "Old habits. Mako, Bolin, leave us, please."
The brothers obeyed and quickly shuffled out of her office and into the reception area, where they held the company of some of Amon's chi blockers waiting for his return. Mako had closed Asami's doors behind him. When the doors shut, Amon turned his attention back to Asami. He reached up towards his face and pulled off his mask and his hood, revealing his scared face. Asami had learned to keep her shock to herself and watched sincerely. On the inside, she was retching. She tried to keep this balanced- enough to keep Amon interested, but enough to keep her somewhat comfortable.
"What brings you in today?" Asami asked, with the trademark smile of any business person trying to strike a deal.
"Always professional," Amon said with an amused smirk. Ever since his first visit a few weeks ago, Amon had been slowly perusing Asami. Visiting more frequently, sending her gifts of flowers, and jewelry, and books, and had even extended an invitation to her for a rally, which she accepted (solely to keep up the act, of course). She had to keep making him believe she was loyal, even though she wasn't, and if he was interested in her, she could most definitely play along. She had even given him a kiss once, the first time he revealed his face to her.
"Your mother would've been proud of you."
The comment was unexpected, and for the first time in years, Asami couldn't hold up her guard and was violently affected by the words. Her heart felt like it had been pinched and her faux smile dropped from her face.
"Please," Asami said, the last bit of her manners struggling to hold control. She didn't know if she wanted to cry or to yell at the man in front of her. "Don't talk about my mother."
"It is okay, Asami," Amon said, moving closer to her. "I know how it feels. I lost my family too, and to fire benders."
"I know your story," Asami snapped. Amon seemed taken aback at first, but recovered with a small smile.
"I don't want to anger you," he continued, "but I am strangely touched that you would not hold back your anger from me. It tells me you're genuine with me, Asami, and I appreciate that. Deeply. It means I can trust you. But I mean it…" he closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her tense shoulders in a gentle hug. "She would. She would be proud of you."
Asami shuddered with anger, but her mind was focused on foggy memories of her mother, asking herself if her mother really would have been proud of her. Would she be proud that she was letting a man she didn't want touch her? Would she be proud of her for not trying harder to save Hiroshi, her father, from his Equalist emotions? Would she be proud that she was rebelling at all?
Placing her hands on his chest, she gently pushed away from his embrace. "I appreciate your comfort," Asami began, searching for a way out of this encounter. "But you'll have to forgive me, I must have time alone. I … I can't be reminded of my mother in such a way. I apologize…"
"Of course," Amon said, caressing her cheek. "It's my fault. I should be the one apologizing. Please, take time to yourself." He gathered his mask and secured it on his face before turning to the door. He didn't say any words on his departure, but left silently, closing the door behind him. Asami sank into her chair and exhaled loudly. Her body felt so tense and her heart was trying to calm down from her emotions.
Asami felt herself being to zone out, and she didn't know how long she had daydreamed, but soon she was yanked out of it by hearing a loud boom, which also shook the room. The attack plan must have begun. She reached into one of her desk drawers and pulled out her electric Equalist glove and equipped it.
Another sound of an explosion and her door broke open and Mako and Bolin barged in.
"Let's go!" Mako commanded. Charging in after them was one of the guards Amon had assigned to Future Industries.
"Ms. Sato, we must get you to the panic chamber!" he said frantically.
"You have a panic chamber?" Bolin asked, genuinely intrigued. The guard turned to the Earth-bender, completely oblivious to Mako behind him, who charged a volley of fire at the man's face. The guard cried out in agonizing pain, raising his hands to his head as if he could protect himself from the attack. Asami cried out as well, in horror of the sudden image of the man's face practically melting before her.
"Why'd you do that?!" She shouted at the fire-bender.
Mako ended his attack as he turned to face her. "This has to look real," he explained seriously. "We have to fool Amon so tat there's no room for suspicion. We're only going to leave one guard alive. Those are our orders."
"And it couldn't be him?" she shrieked, pointing at the corpse on her floor, blood and charred tissue matter sticking to the rug.
Mako glared at her in response, and firmly grasped her wrist. "Come on, Bolin. Lead the way."
The fire bender's brother obeyed and took the lead, passing through the broken office doors first into the reception hall. Asami noticed that her receptionist was nowhere to be found, and she hoped she escaped at the first sign of trouble. The foundation trembled at the sound of constant explosions in the distance and she could hear the mixed commands of Amon's guards and the Triple Threat thugs echoing through the halls.
"Amon?" she asked, as Mako continued to roughly pull her after him.
"Don't worry," Bolin said before Mako could open his mouth, "We waited for him to leave and be a significant distance away before commencing the attack. We have eyes stationed ll over Republic City who radio some of our members. And uh…" Bolin stopped in his tracks to face Asami as they stood before another large door; this one lead to the man hallway to all the offices and hangers of the warehouse. "It's probably best if you pretend to be fighting us of as we take you to the rendezvous point. We need you to act. This is supposed to look like a kidnapping, remember?"
Asami nodded, subconsciously trying to wring her wrist free from Mako's grip.
"Alright," Bolin sighed, "here we go!" He slammed open the doors and Asami saw the chaos unfolding in her warehouse. Employees frantically tried to escape, dodging all forms of bending, and Triad and Agni Kai members ran rampant donned in her anti-chi-blocker suits, corrupted with bloodlust as they practically destroyed chi-blocking guards in their way. Asami tried to wriggle out of Mako's hold, putting on the show she was ordered to, and Mako reciprocated by wrapping his arms around her waist tightly, and dragging her through the hallway.
"Let me go!" she shouted, reaching up behind her to try and claw at his face. Mako tried to dodge her hands as they dragged through the hallway, Bolin knocking out anyone who came towards them, but soon Mako couldn't stand her defiance and let go of her briefly just so he could slap her viciously across the face. Asami shouted in pain and surprise as Mako grabbed her waist again. Tears welled up in her eyes as a red mark began to grow on her cheek. Weakly, she tried to continue her act of resistance in his arms.
"Ms. Sato!" cried a voice, "How dare you hit her!"
Asami looked up to see one of her workers take a trembling stand before the trio amongst the chaos. He was one of her main shift supervisors. A man of fifty years old and who had a family.
"Get out of the way! Save yourself!" Asami shouted, her jaw feeling tight from the slap.
He shook his head in the negative and charged all he could for his age towards them. "Let her go!"
"No!" Asami pleaded as she watched Bolin punch the man right in the temple without a second thought. It sent the old man to the ground instantly, and was out cold. "How could you?!" she cried to Bolin.
"He was valiant, you don't see that anymore," said Mako in her ear. "The old man will be fine. Points for bravery." They stepped over his body and continued to make their way down the hall with Asami pretending to be overwhelmed by the fire-bender's attempts of restraining her. Many of her staff knew her to not be the damsel in distress, but during this attack, they didn't seem to doubt her struggle, as they watched even Amon's stationed guards drop like flies.
Soon they had made their way outside the warehouse and were on the docks, making their way towards their marked ship that had been previously filled with goods the night before. The gang members were crowded along the docs, laughing at their victory as the two brothers escorted Asami on board.
"Did you secure our passage through the harbor?" Asami asked anxiously, worried that after such a violent attack that police reinforcement had not yet arrived.
"Viper said he paid some commanders off," Bolin said as they watched from a window, the ship leaving the dock.
There was an entire fleet ahead of them, and some changed in formation.
"They're going to fire," Asami said. They sailed closer and closer to the fleet, approaching the coastal city limit. A battleship angled their cannons towards the ship and Asami's stomach dropped. The sense of failure washed over her, followed by the feeling of imminent death. And before they knew it, a ship fired. Asami closes her eyes and braces for the impact, but the vibration from the hit doesn't feel like she expected and she opens an eye in curiosity. Bolin is clapping at the view in front of him, and Asami runs towards his window. One of the boats had fired upon the other preparing to attack!
"We're about to have a full on naval battle in a second," Mako said, as their ship continued to glide. "Best to just sail without getting ourselves tangled in this. Our allies in some of those ships will give us enough cover to escape."
Asami watched in jubilant awe as they sailed past the battle now unfolding, ships confused as to who their enemy was and who was their ally, and as they glided away from the battle, Asami took one last look at Republic City, not knowing when she would be able to return….