Title: the showdown that was always meant to be [4/?]
Fandom: The Legend of Korra
Summary: Finale AU. Did you seriously swallow every word from the man that kidnapped you days ago?
A/N: Season 1 finale rewrite GO. And rewritten after a certain scene, because up until certain points in the finale, I had hope.
This is in continuity with my fic "Misbegotten Sons." In case anyone wonders, this is not really in continuity with "all a dream."
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to the Legend of Korra or Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Lin was listening at the door. She narrowed her eyes at the sounds of crackling ice and fire mingling with shouts. Then silence. Followed by low urgent words she couldn't decipher, though she could recognize an argument when she heard one.
Her body tensed at the familiar crackle of electricity.
"Back away from the door," a young woman curtly ordered.
Lin scowled. "If you're so concerned, keep the door closed. I can hear you just fine from here."
"She's got a point-"
"Shut it!" Hissed the first speaker to a young-sounding adolescent. The first speaker's voice regained its curt authority. "Very well. Chief Bei Fong, you're aware of Air Temple Island passing to another?"
"From you to Tarrlok and the gangs-yes, the former councilman visited me with a predictable offer."
"Since you're still here, I trust you refused."
"Tarrlok knew I would. He just wanted to gloat. And now you come to me with your tails between your legs?"
"As if you could do anything on your own. Sure, you'd be useful to us, but we don't particularly need you as much as you need us right now. We're not the ones locked in a cell, after all."
"So this is mercy, is it?"
"Just business."
"You sound like Hiroshi."
"He's a worthy man to emulate in some ways." Then the first speaker snarled. "Now just to get everything out in the open, because if we do this, we should try to get along, even if it's temporary: you don't like us, we don't like you; you blame us for this, we blame you for this; but right now neither of us can just let Tarrlok and the gangs take over Republic City, now can we?"
"That we can't," Lin said, and the Equalists opened her door. They then went to free the rest of her officers, the Air Acolytes that had remained to fight, and the White Lotus guards as they went about retaking the island, or escaping it. Whichever one was most doable.
###
"Uncle Bumi!"
"Ah, my darling nieces and nephew-"
"Nephews! We have a baby brother now!"
"You do?" Bumi delightedly howled, looking over to Tenzin talk quietly to Pema on their bison, while his older nieces and nephew clung to him. Above them flew other bison with their Air Acolyte passengers.
Then Tenzin stepped down. "Brother—"
"You're hitching a ride with us to Republic City, Pema and the kids and the new baby are going on ahead without you, along with the acolytes."
"Some of the acolytes will stay with them as well, but others wish to join us in returning to Republic City, and, well, just to be safe, could you—?"
"—get you an escort for them on the bison and following them below in the water?"
"If you please."
Bumi reassuredly slapped his baby brother's shoulder. "Of course, Ten-Ten."
The older man's grin widened as Tenzin's brow twitched. Then Bumi barked out the orders to his men, and the escorts were mobilized.
Bumi hugged Jinora, Ikki and Meelo good-bye, gave another hug to his sister-in-law and briefly cooed over his new nephew before also wishing him safe travels. He stood back as Tenzin said his own farewell, hugging his children tight, ondly holding Rohan for a moment, deeply kissing Pema.
As Tenzin watched his family fly away with their escort and the acolytes, and their other escort swim out beneath them in their smaller ship, Bumi patted his back.
"We'll throw a proper welcome party for Rohan when this is all over."
Tenzin briefly favored his older brother with a small, grateful smile.
A/N: And here Tenzin and Bumi are a better functioning brother relationship paralleling the sheer traumatic one between Amon and Tarrlok currently. Bolin and Mako may be in between these two, but they haven't shown up together yet. Kinda of a hope spot and respite here... Ohman, the Air Acolytes bug me, because I'm not sure what happened to them in canon. Did they flee with Tenzin and his family? Did they stay behind to try to fight off the Equalists? Eh, I'm gonna say some of them stayed behind to fight, while others fled, though they were separated from Tenzin's family's main escape route. And I was tickled by the idea of Tenzin having the equivalent to a 'Zu-Zu' nickname at the hands of his sibling(s).