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The Pro-bending exhibition was an event which was planned around fan reaction to the regular season and involved any team willing to participate in it. The Rabbiroos were doing it for extra practice, she'd learned from Umi later that first week.
"We all need it," she'd said. "Especially you."
"Excuse me," Korra murmured to herself. It wasn't like she hadn't been practicing, but airbending was really hard for her!
Ugh. Pro-benders.
Korra saw the participation list of teams for the exhibition almost a week after she'd joined the team and saw that the Ferrets, who lived down the hall from Umi and Ula, were going to be in it too.
Exhibition training was brutal. Korra practiced most of her time away from Air Temple Island with Ula and Umi, who drilled her as if she'd never firebent a day in her life. (An assumption that was absolutely not true, considering she'd spend most of the last three years perfecting her firebending for that last test.) When it wasn't their time in the gym, they bargained for time by holding scrimmages with the other teams there. They'd played against the Ferrets more than a few times and against the Platypus Bears a lot as well. It seemed that there were several teams with members holed up in the arena, living there.
One afternoon, arriving from airbending practice with Tenzin, she finds Umi and Ula working in the gym and decides to ask them about themselves, because they'd been so focused on bending for days on end that it was like she hadn't met them at all.
"So," Korra says, "what's up with you guys?"
"Nothing," Umi says, "We're training."
"I mean, what's your story? We haven't learned anything about each other and it's been nearly three weeks since I joined this team."
"Hmm," Ula says, volleying disks with rapid speed at the nets, "I was born in Ba Sing Se. Both of my parents were Earthbenders. I already told you about my dad, right?"
"Yeah, you mentioned it."
"He taught me everything. We moved to Republic City when I was thirteen. Started training with a different master at that age and we got caught up in Pro-bending…"
"And I met Ula here when we were fifteen. We've been best friends ever since," Umi says, smiling. "Do you remember that season I met you? You and your dad were here practically every night of the tournament then."
"Yeah," Ula says, laughing with recognition. "Adi was with you."
"And then your dad suggested we get a team together."
"Best suggestion he ever made," Ula remarks.
"That's cool," Korra says, remembering that she didn't really have any friends of her own growing up in the compound. Just White Lotus sentries and bending masters. It was a sort of boring life. A prisoner's life.
"Adi broke her leg about four days before we posted that flyer. She was our firebender," Umi explains. "She couldn't play this season so we needed to get somebody new."
"I'm sorry…that must stink," Korra imagines debilitating injuries like scars on the egos of their victims.
"It did," Umi says, "we were about one day away from withdrawing our participation."
"Thanks for giving me a chance," Korra says gratefully.
"Thanks for giving US a chance," Umi says. She's not usually like this. Umi is hardcore during practice, one of the most hardcore waterbenders she's ever met. She always keeps her hair tied up tight to focus solely on bending. "If you hadn't showed up to fill that spot, we wouldn't even be in the running for tournament status at all."
Korra, for the first time in a long time, was speechless and just smiled back at her teammates.
"Okay, so you should practice that acrobatic move one more time," Umi says, changing the subject. "It'll come in handy when they aim low."
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After a while in the gym, Korra is once again exhausted and after changing out of her sweaty exercise gear, lays down on the floor and stares at the ceiling.
Thinking about the pro-bending exhibition and tournament approaching, she sighs. There are so many teams she has to defeat this time around. She hasn't even actually played in a real match yet. Covering her face with her hands, she groans, thinking about everything she has to worry about. Airbending, pro-bending, and dealing with this "Amon" fellow. She hadn't had to deal with the Equalists much yet, but based on that protester's display her first day in the city, it wasn't going to be a simple issue.
Korra covers her face with her arm and sighs.
"Get your ass in the gym. You haven't been here at all!"
"Screw you, man. We've done fine in all of our match up until now!"
"Not because of you! It's probably in spite of you!" Korra hears two boys yelling at each other as they approached the gym, but Umi and Ula had left to eat dinner in their apartment a long time ago and Korra is not interested in getting off the floor.
"Good grief, Hasook!" She sees Mako and the other Ferrets round the corner into the gym. She looks down and realized that she hadn't put her shirt on yet because it had been so hot.
Scrambling to get up and find her shirt, which was inconveniently located at the gym's entrance where the boys were, she's thankful for underclothes. She usually wouldn't be this nervous, either.
"Korra!" Bolin says, waving. "What brings you to our illustrious gym?"
"Daily practices," she says, exhaustion seeping into her voice as she pulls her shirt over her head. Nothing was exposed anyway, so she doesn't particularly mind with Bolin. "You've got one, too?"
"Yeah," he says, jabbing his thumb at Mako, who is stretching to warm up, and Hasook, who doesn't appear to be doing anything except basic waterbending exercises.
"Bolin," she says, pulling him aside, "what's going on with Hasook? He doesn't really seem to have it together."
"He doesn't," Bolin says, looking frustrated. "He needs a lot more training and an attitude adjustment."
"If you want," Korra says, "I could help you out."
"Could you?" Bolin looks incredibly relieved. "Because this crap has gone on long enough."
"Leave it to me," Korra says, "I'm the Avatar."
Staying the gym, Korra puts back on her regretfully cold exercise gear. She's waterbending today, so she has to warm up first. Bending whatever water was in that uniform out of it, it doesn't suck so much to stretch her aching muscles again and put the no longer damp suit on her body.
"Hasook," she says assertively, "fight me."
"Do I know you?" he scoffs in response. It might actually be possible, Korra thinks, for someone to be a bigger asshole than Mako.
"Well, you should," Korra says. "I'm the Avatar? I've been on the radio and in the papers?" Pulling the Avatar card, she hopes to put this guy in his place. Korra crosses her arms over her chest.
"…Oh," Hasook says, looking a little less confident and haughty than usual. "Sure, I guess." Bolin looks on, smirking, while Korra and Hasook set up.
It doesn't take three minutes for Korra to knock him off his feet. Additionally, she's waterbending, which she doesn't do very much these days, and she's exhausted.
"AGH!" Hasook yells, getting up and waterbending himself dry. "What was that for?"
"I'm trying to prove a point," Korra says. "I think that your showiness is getting in the way of your gameplay."
"How would you know?" Hasook responds angrily. He isn't good at taking criticism.
"I've seen every one of your matches since that one with the Tigerdillos," Korra says. "You have plenty of talent and potential, you just need to calm your ego, pal."
Hasook stands there, looking irritated and saying nothing.
"All you really need to do is focus on your opponent and try to send attacks only to send them back," Korra says, putting her hands on her hips and pulling her helmet off. "I had your same problem! Thinking you can do more than you're capable of is rough, but practice makes perfect. So keep practicing," she smiles, "and don't let anyone get the better of you."
"Hmph," Hasook responds, but he stays in the gym, and there are less nasty retorts to Mako and less flashy bending than usual.
Korra stays in their practice, knowing that she herself has a long way to go still.
Partway through, she realizes that she can't actually hold her arms up to firebend anymore and collects her things to leave.
"Bye guys," she says, her bag on her shoulder.
"See you later, Korra!" Bolin says enthusiastically, waving as she walks out the gym.
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Dragging her feet through the hallways of the arena, she passes Ula.
"Korra, I'm glad I caught you. Umi wants to do a team bonding thing."
"Team bonding?" Korra asks.
"Yeah, it's basically you staying over with us this weekend. Does that sound okay?"
"Sure, I'll see you then," Korra says. "When do I need to get here?"
"Around 5, I think," Ula says.
"I'll be here," Korra says, feeling herself get more and more tired as she trudges toward the lobby.
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