Korra's stunned eyes lowered to the gun barrel poking her in the chest, it being still warm from the previous shots fired at the fighting Navy officers. She was too shocked to feel confused by this action against her. Asami was here. After six months of searching, Asami stood before her. She had her long, raven locks tied back in a red bandana, her bangs still pushed to the side of her pale face. Her white button down shirt was spattered with blood stains and her black boots left a line of bloody footprints behind her.
"Asami." Korra said, voice shaky and unsure. Her eyes traveled back down to the gun digging in her chest.
"Bingo." Asami said with a click of her teeth, pushing the gun even harder into Korra's chest, "Sounds like we have a bit to discuss don't we?"
"I-"
"Or maybe you want to fake your own execution to get out of it? Is that it?" Asami words were almost a purr as she looked Korra up and down.
"I saved my own life!" Korra said hotly, her temper flaring up at Asami's accusations.
"Right right," Asami hummed, tapping her chin, "But this isn't the place for such a discussion, it's indecent." She gestured to Korra's crew, who looked on with dumbfounded expressions.
"I'd like to ask why you have a gun pointed at my heart." Korra growled, tapping the barrel with her finger.
"I'm just making sure you don't run away for the time being." Asami said, "I just want to have a nice chat, then you can scurry away with your tail between your legs like always."
"Shut up you bitch!" Kai bellowed from across the deck, struggling against Mako and Bolin's grip on his arms, "Captain Korra is ten times the pirate you are you-!"
"Kai!" Korra shouted, "Shut your trap unless you want to end up dead."
"Don't let her treat you that way Captain!" He continued, "Fight back!" Mako clamped a hand over Kai's mouth and attempted to drag him away.
"You let your subordinates talk to you that way?" Asami asked with a snicker, "It's amazing you have any respect around here."
"He's right," Korra said lowly, "And you're right as well."
"Glad you're starting to get it." Asami mocked.
"Shoot me." Korra commanded calmly, holding out her arms.
There was a collective gasp around the ship and a few yells of shock. Even Asami's brows furrowed slightly in surprise.
"What are you talking about?" Asami said, tightening her grip on the gun.
"You're right, I was a coward for escaping my death." Korra explained placidly, "Here's your chance to set my reputation right. The Avatar humbly accepts death." The gun did not leave Korra's chest, nor did it push any deeper against her loose cotton shirt. Asami smiled and exhaled roughly.
"You were always one to put on a show." She said with a laugh, twirling the gun in her hands and stowing it in a holster. Korra did not lower her arms, narrowing her eyes at Asami who snapped her finger at Wei. He tossed her a long scimitar which she held up to Korra's throat.
"So you'll do it then?" Korra growled, small droplets of blood running down her neck from the blade. Asami pursed her lips and looked thoughtful for a moment, almost revelling in the situation.
"No." She said finally, "It's almost not fair if I do it now." The blade dragged ever so slightly across Korra's flesh, drawing more blood. Korra felt the slightest inkling of relief, but never averted her eyes from Asami's.
"Where do we go from here?" Korra asked through her teeth. Asami thought for another moment.
"Seeing how I'm a microscopic distance from your jugular, I say we wrap up this little party." Asami hummed, withdrawing her blade and wiping Korra's blood on her boot, "Let's be clear about one thing though."
"What's that?" Korra grunted, holding her hand up to her wound.
"If I see you on these waters again," She leaned down and put her lips dangerously close to Korra's ear, "It's war." She straightened up and flipped the sword back to Wei. An older woman with wiry, gray hair and a stern face lowered herself from a rope, landing smoothly next to Asami.
"All treasure is accounted for." The woman said, eyeing Korra with disgust, "This is the Avatar?"
"Thank you Lin. And yes. Look long and hard, this is the last time you'll see her on her knees." Asami gave Korra one last look before turning on her heel and signaling to her crew.
"Asami!" Korra shouted, slamming her bloody fist on the deck. She didn't turn around. "ASAMI!"
Asami and her crew crossed back onto their ship, Asami giving Korra one last salute before drifting back into open water.
"ASAMI!" Korra was borderline screaming as she scrambled off the deck, opening her neck wound even wider. Her hands clutched the side of the Navy ship as she watched Asami's ship become nothing but a speck on the horizon.
"Korra." Mako said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder, "You're bleeding-"
"We have to go after her!" Korra snarled, "She can't just- I had a reason-" Her fingernails dug into the wood, teeth grited and brows furrowed. Blood soaked her shirt collar and sweat was pouring down her troubled face.
"Korra come on you're bleeding pretty badly." Bolin said, pulling her away from the edge of the ship. She allowed him and Mako to lead her back onto their own vessel where the rest of the crew silently followed. Even Kai walked in stunned silence. She shook Bolin's grip off her arms and went into her private quarters without so much as a word.
Korra didn't emerge for three days.
She spent her time thinking. Thinking hard.
/
Four Years Ago
/
"Korra get back here the lesson isn't over yet!" A Naval instructor shouted from the classroom. Korra snorted a laugh over her shoulder and continued sprinting down the immaculately clean hallways. She tore off her Navy neckerchief and tied it around her head as a bandana, bursting through the front doors and breathing in the warm, salty air. At first Korra had angrily resisted her transfer to the Republic City Naval Base, causing as much of a fight as she could. But after spending a few months around the ocean, she fell in love with the sight of the open waters.
Korra skidded to a stop just before hitting the crowded docks. She weaved in and out of the crowd, looking around curiously to find out what was happening. She spotted one of her classmates and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Hey Mako what's going on?" Korra said, standing on her tip toes to try and get a better look.
"Are you skipping class?" Mako said incredulously.
"What are you gonna report me?" Korra asked breezily, smirking up at him.
"Obviously not but you shouldn't be ditching."
"Enough with the lectures, what's with the crowd?"
"Not sure." Mako said, "Oh hold on look." He pointed to a large armored ship pulling into the harbor, the Naval insignia painted in a deep blood red color on the side. It drifted near the edge of the largest docks and one of the crew members tossed a large anchor over the side.
"Prison ship." Mako grunted.
"You would know." Korra laughed, elbowing him playfully in the ribs.
"It's got pirates on it." Mako added, making Korra stop.
"How do you know?"
"They've got their flags on the mast." He pointed up towards the tip of the ship where the Navy flag hung the highest, followed by three tattered, bloody pirate flags. Korra watched in silent fascination as a ramp was lowered onto the dock and two officers followed by the first few prisoners walked down. Many of the pirates' faces were gaunt and waxy as they glared at the jeering crowd. Some of them were young and still reckless, yelling back and shaking their chains threateningly.
The last prisoner was silent, looking down at her hands. Korra jumped on Mako's back to try and get a better look, eliciting a loud complaint from him. The girl was around their age with wavy, black hair and a pale, Fire Nation skin tone. She looked up from her chained hands and glanced around. Korra stared in shock. The girl was gorgeous. Breathtakingly so. She gripped Mako's shoulders, only realizing she was doing so when he gave a yelp of pain.
"Can you get off now please?" Mako snapped, rubbing the fingernail marks on his arms after Korra slid off his back.
"Where are they going?" Korra asked breathlessly.
"Probably the prison behind the base." Mako said, "I don't know if any of them will be executed." Korra's stomach dropped as she helplessly watched the girl being led away. She looked up and for a fleeting second their eyes met. The girl looked Korra up and down and gave her a tiny smirk, casting her eyes back down at her shackles.
"I gotta go." Korra said suddenly, bolting off before Mako could yell anything after her. She raced down a dirt road in the opposite direction of the prisoners. The narrow path lead to the back of the huge Naval Base and was hardly used except for the occasional janitor. Korra slowed to a trot and followed the curved wall until she was behind the prison area. She scrambled up the wall, managing to peak over at the empty courtyard. Twenty cage-like cells were lined up in a neat line, all of them empty.
Korra waited, arms beginning to ache, until she saw the back gate open and officers marching the captives across the dirt. The girl still had her eyes down to her feet. Each pirate was assigned a cell and shoved into it roughly. The girl landed gracefully on her feet, turning back and spitting in the officer's face. Korra silently cheered as he slammed the cell gate shut and stormed off with the rest of his men.
Waiting for the coast to be clear, Korra shimmied across the wall, landing silently on the ground. She snuck behind the cell blocks and stopped behind the one on the very end. She rounded the corner and saw the girl sitting with her face to the wall. Korra sat down in the dirt with her legs crossed.
"Hey." She said. The girl jumped, turning around and looking at Korra with intense dislike.
"You looking to get spat on?" The girl snapped, eyes narrowing into an icy glare.
"I was actually hoping for conversation maybe." Korra said, scritching her cheek, "But whatever floats your boat."
"I don't talk to Navy pigs." She snarled, turning back to the wall. Korra tilted her head in confusion. Then she looked down at her uniform.
"Oh!" She laughed, tugging at the deep blue shirt and pants, "I'm not in the Navy. I'm just a student at the base."
"Same thing." The girl said coldly, not turning around.
"If it makes you feel better, I hate it as much as you." Korra mumbled, "They took over my tribe." The girl looked over her shoulder, her expression considerably softer.
"So you're from the Water Tribe?" She asked, twisting her body so she was finally facing Korra.
"Yep! South Pole." Korra boomed proudly, "I was transferred here a couple months ago actually."
"So if the Navy took over your tribe, why are you going to their academy?" the girl asked with a slight scowl.
"It's not like it was voluntary." Korra said, "They made it a rule that all kids had to train with them. Blows right?"
"Sounds more like a slap in the face." The girl frowned, "Stealing your land and trying to force a new culture on you."
"I've always put up a good fight." Korra said with a grin, "The Tribe branch couldn't handle me anymore so that's why I came here." The girl cracked a smile for the first time, making Korra's heart flutter. "I'm Korra." She stuck her hand through the bars.
"Asami." The girl replied, taking Korra's hand and pumping it a couple times.
"I figured you were a Republic City girl." Korra smirked.
"Actually I'm part Fire Nation." Asami said, "My mother was from there."
"So what did you do to get locked up?" Korra asked.
"There you are!" a voice barked. Korra jumped up out of the dirt at the sound of her instructor's booming voice. He was standing at the entrance, face red with fury.
"Well Asami it was nice meeting you!" Korra said with a smile, dusting off her pants, "I'll be back later if I can."
"You're going to be doing push ups until your arms break!" The instructor bellowed, marching over to the prison cells.
"Don't get in too much trouble." Asami replied with a wink.
"If I survive, you owe me that arrest story!" Korra gave Asami one last comedic bow before vaulting on top of the cell and jumping over the base wall. Korra pounded her feet down the dirt path, already plotting her next trip to see the mysterious pirate Asami