Disclaimer: The Legend of Korra, all characters and settings, and anything else you would recognize as pertaining to this cartoon does not belong to me. I do not intend to make any money off the writing of this fan fiction; it is merely for entertainment purposes.
Title: The Caress of Water.
Summary: The Avatar battles both the powerful Equalist activists and her own feelings for their mysterious leader—a tale of unbreakable family ties, tolerance, and self-exploration.
Pairings: Amon/Korra, unrequited Tarrlok/Korra, slight Mako/Asami, slight Mako/Korra, slight unrequited Bolin/Korra.
This chapter was totally revamped for your enjoyment on November 1, 2017.
Chapter VII: Skulking and Schemes
"How could you?" Bolin screeched, stabbing a finger at his brother, who had immediately ripped away from Korra. As tears poured from his eyes, he clenched them shut, as if to try to rid himself of what he'd just seen. Through broken sobs, he demanded, "You knew I liked her and did this anyway?"
"Bolin…"
"You have a girlfriend! Maybe leave some women for the rest of us?!"
"I didn't mean to—it was nothing…" he helplessly trailed off, taking a few steps toward Bolin with his hand outstretched.
"No! No, don't come near me, you traitor!" He shoved past them, his pounding footsteps disappearing down the courtyard.
An extremely frigid silence descended over them.
"Mako…"
"No, Korra. Don't." He turned his head away. "He's right; that shouldn't have happened. I have Asami—and I can't believe she wasn't here to see me mess up, too. It was a mistake to kiss you back."
Korra's face fell, and she stared down at the toes of her slippers. "I'm so sorry, Mako. I don't know why I thought that was a good idea."
"You didn't think; you just did it. Because you like me, I guess?"
"I… don't know. I thought so." Her eyes drifted shut. All she could see behind her eyelids was Amon—Noatak—coolly staring down at her while she leaned in for a kiss; Amon touching her, threatening her, ripping her life apart. "You're the right choice. I know this, but… it's just the wrong time."
"Oh, I'm one of a few choices?" He snorted. "Lovely."
"I'm conflicted, Mako," she ground out, glaring at him. "I did like you, but you went out and dated the first woman who spoke to you—well, other than me."
Mako glared back. "I didn't date you because Bolin is completely in love with you! It couldn't be more obvious! I've always taken the hits because he's my younger brother, and I take care of him. When we only had one scrap of bread, I gave it to him and chose to starve. When he was caught stealing, I'd take the punishment instead. In my right state of mind, I'd never hurt him."
Korra, shocked by his declaration, wasn't able to moderate her words before she blurted out, "You would've dated me if Bolin didn't already like me?"
"This is hardly the time, Korra! I'll be lucky if my brother speaks to me again—oh, and this is another thing I'll have to lie to Asami about. She'll definitely be wondering why Bolin's gone."
I used him. She took a step back as her eyes filled with tears. "I'm… I'm sorry. I know it doesn't change anything, but I am."
His face twisted with guilt, and he averted his gaze, hunching his shoulders—because of her. Because of what she did. It was agonizing.
"I… I need to go. I'm so sorry, Mako." Korra rushed away and didn't stop until she'd collapsed on her bed, awash with tears and sobbing her heart out into her pillow. It horrified her that she ruined their friendship, that the kiss had meant nothing, that it didn't excite her or make her yearn for the next. She didn't have feelings for Mako anymore, and it was his fault.
In her nightmares, she tossed Mako and Bolin to the mask shapes and watched as they swallowed them whole.
Korra was awake, bathed, and dressed before the sun rose that morning. After having furiously scrubbed at her face until all of the cosmetics had finally come off, she ate a quick breakfast and escaped Air Temple Island before anyone could spot her. Blankly, she wandered through the streets of Republic City with no clear destination. Faceless, nameless citizens passed her, but she paid them no mind.
Physically, she was exhausted. Her recurring nightmares had tormented her for the few hours she managed to sleep, and the truth behind them made her want to yell until her lungs collapsed. She'd thrown away her friendship for—what? A man who wanted nothing more than to parade her around like a war prize while he burned down everything she treasured. Emotionally, her mind and heart were at war with each other, leaving behind a sickeningly bloodstained battlefield.
Amon—Noatak. She felt like it was a cruel jab at her failure to trick his followers into believing that he was a waterbender. For him to attend her gala just to taunt her was a clear indication that he didn't consider her a threat, that he didn't even respect her—and why should he? It took almost no effort on his part to unhinge her; his voice alone both immobilized her and incited rage to the point of literally breathing fire.
She was certain that, if he could see her in such a pathetic state, he'd be amused, delighted, reveling in her agony and plotting about how to use it against her. She was a game to him, and he knew exactly what he was doing to her when he touched her, leaned closer, and pointed out her body's reactions to his proximity. He knew that he was slowly seducing her, the final piece standing in the way of a clean victory.
Korra had no more tears. Without her friends, she was hollow, longing for that anchor of normalcy in her chaotic world. Instead, Mako and Bolin were avoiding her as if she were a complete stranger, and, with their absence, almost everything good that had happened to her since arriving in Republic City was taken away.
She felt a flicker of anger toward Amon. It wasn't explicitly his fault that she and her friends had separated, but she resented him for his cruel seduction. As she recalled the night of the gala, every foul part of it, the anger roared to life, and, desperate for release, she knew just who to visit.
"Your enthusiasm for the task force is admirable," Tarrlok commented, tracing the rim of his steaming teacup. "You storm into my office and demand work, and I haven't even finished my morning tea."
"I need something to do," Korra explained impatiently, cracking her knuckles for emphasis. "What's on the agenda? I could really use a reason to knock some heads."
"I don't know why you're so angry. Personally, I thought the gala went well."
"It wasn't the gala, Councilman, but the reason doesn't really matter. The point is that I'm ready to get something done. So, which gang are we targeting first? Just tell me where their territory is, and I'll take care of it."
He stared at her. "You're serious."
"'Serious' doesn't do this justice." She pointed at her very serious expression.
"I see. Well, I was going to assemble the task force this evening to follow a lead on the Equalists. Some men I hired to keep watch over Dragon Flats claim to have seen them about the area. It could be worth an investigation."
"All right, I'll be there. But, for now—Red Monsoon, Agni Kai, or Triple Threat?"
Thoughtfully sipping at his tea, Tarrlok flipped through a few scattered documents on his desk. After a few moments, his glacial eyes regarded her with sudden interest. "Red Monsoon. I believe they currently hold the Midnight Abode, which is divided from Dragon Flats by a wide street to the east."
"Done."
"Do be careful, Avatar. It's still rather early in the morning, and I'm sure it'll make them grumpy to be awoken by a young woman splashing water at them," he teased.
"It's the perfect time to strike. Like I always say, mornings are evil."
He snorted in amusement as she hurried out of his office.
Once Korra departed from City Hall, it didn't take her long to figure out where the Midnight Abode borough was located based on her previous ventures about town. It was the first in a line of organized residential sectors that snaked through the city and were circumscribed by prominent shopping centers. It was also one of the smaller sectors, featuring two parallel lines of identical buildings. Scattered trees provided a shady canopy, the roadways were a fashionable and attractive cobblestone, and walls with open gates to the northeast and southwest protectively encircled it—comforts and amenities that were fairly expensive.
Korra knew the instant she had stepped into Red Monsoon Triad territory. All around her, she could spot evidence of their tyrannical reign: unnecessary destruction to the properties that lined the borough with a once-tidy placement; dead and decaying foliage, littered with trash; and power lines sagging down toward the torn-apart cobblestone streets. The homes were once appreciated and needed by families, but, now, they appeared to have extensive damages that wouldn't be cheap to repair.
She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as adrenaline pumped fiercely through her veins. With silent footsteps, she approached the first house on her left, nearly yanking the weary door from its hinges as she entered the dim confines. To avoid damaging the delicate infrastructure of the house, Korra reminded herself that ripping the plumbing apart with her waterbending was not the best plan of action. Also, since all of the gang members were waterbenders, she needed to use an element they couldn't bend. Firebending was out of the question, of course, because she didn't want to burn any homes down. She was on an extremely tight—nonexistent—budget.
Airbending would be really helpful here, she berated herself, not for the first time.
Noticing various splintered holes in the floor, a quick plan formed in her mind. She squatted and solidly rooted her feet to the floorboards. With a flex of her arm, she tore earth out of the foundation, and the noise disturbed the slumbering men in the foyer. Whipping her arms forward, she watched as the earth shot through the air to obey her. The gang members were jostled awake by their arms wrenching painfully behind their backs, their ankles clamping together, and makeshift gags clasping around their mouths and to the backs of their heads. They wiggled and squirmed in their restraints and screamed muffled nonsense. One man fell at her feet and glared up at her through bloodshot eyes.
"'Mmhm ahhmh' to you, too," Korra muttered. With a pump of her arms, she summoned more earth to hover around her as she swiftly cleared both floors of the apartment building.
By manipulating the earth bindings, she tossed the criminals out the front door, and they landed face-first in a crude pile, where they continued to wriggle around like helpless worm grubs. In the meantime, Korra moved on to the next building and brought plenty of makeshift bindings with her. With her opponents sluggish from sleep, it was simple to restrain them and keep moving, silently and effectively, narrow-minded with focus.
She almost cleared the first street before encountering a pair of dozing guards, who jerked awake at her approach. One guard wiped the drool from his lips and pushed himself upright with the aid of a nearby lamppost. He stared, jaw dropped, at the sight of his gang incapacitated and piled across the street behind the intimidating Avatar. The second guard wasn't so slow to act; he promptly cried out in terror and flung himself toward the dangling cord of a massive silver bell. As he rang it, its noise echoed shrilly through the borough.
Korra growled and thrust her arms in the bell ringer's direction, throwing her makeshift bindings at him. He dropped into a crouch to avoid her attack, popping off the cork of a waterskin hanging from his shoulder, and his companion followed suit with his own. She yanked the earth back before it could intercept an innocent bystander, who screamed hysterically and fled from the open gate. With a slice of her arms, she flung the remaining rocks to the ground at her sides and ignited her fists instead.
In response, the men emptied their waterskins, throwing them down for more mobility, and they simultaneously charged forward. Twin water whips snapped threateningly inches away from Korra's face, but she countered them with a roaring burst of flames, dissipating the water into a puff of steam.
With a gesture of her hands and a tilt of her front foot, Korra regretfully took the moisture from the last of the grass and used it to flood the street with a dense mist. She took off running toward the shadowy silhouettes of her opponents, and she leaped and somersaulted over them. Landing behind them, she dropped to one knee and slapped her palms on the cobblestone. The vibrations of her earthbending cracked the ground beneath the waterbenders, and, with startled shouts, they fell through, imprisoned in the shoulder-deep craters.
Ignoring their cursing, Korra stood and glanced at the abandoned waterskins at her feet. She made the split-second decision to snatch one up and fill it with the mist. Shouldering it, she rushed back to the second row of apartments, where weary gang members were already stumbling out into the morning light and grumbling at the noise.
"The Avatar's messing with us—get her!" someone yelled out before tearing the lids from a line of barrels, filled to their brims and ready to be used. He and his brethren overturned them, flooding the street with filthy, rocky water.
When the waterbenders raised their hands, the puce water lifted into a staggering wave that uprooted grass and mailboxes alike as it rumbled down the street. Korra snarled, darting forward, and she slammed both fists into the ground—splitting her knuckles in the process—sending a counter-shockwave that jutted upward in spiky, mountainous formation and slashed through the middle of the wave. Continuing to run, she called the water into shape, and it followed closely behind her.
Darting upward, she quickly reached the highest peak of her formation and used it as leverage to propel herself up into the air so she could mount the wave. She fell with it as it crashed over the groggy gang members and pelted them with sharp pebbles. With a blast of firebending from her hands, she launched herself up into the air.
Keeping herself afloat for a few seconds more, she exhaled a chilly mist that froze the soaked men in their tracks. Then, with the very next breath, she shot fireballs from her throat and melted what she had created, knocking her opponents off their feet and into the hot, squelching mud. Korra landed nearby and, with a squeeze of her fist, immediately hardened the mess, completely immobilizing every muddy body. Panting heavily from her exertion, she fell to one knee.
In her moment of weakness, a dagger whistled through the air, and, if Korra hadn't tilted her head to crack her neck, it would have made impact. Instead, a few strands of hair from her bangs were snipped off. She whipped around and spotted three more Red Monsoon men, armed with knives and swords, rushing from an alleyway between two apartments. Uncorking the borrowed waterskin on her back, she extracted the water and formed three shimmering water whips. She sprung upward and flew through the familiar motions, and the water obeyed, slithering through the air and connecting with the men in deafening snaps.
With roars of agony, they lost their footing and tripped over the uneven landscape. She easily dispatched them with earth bindings and sat on top of one of the squirming men to catch her breath. Distant sirens alerted her to the approach of the Metalbending Police Force, and she propped her chin up on one hand while she waited. The tension of battle drained from her muscles, the adrenaline fizzled into nothingness, and she was left feeling exhausted but extremely satisfied. Her knuckles stung, but she inspected the wounds with little interest.
From beneath her, the man bellowed, "You little—how dare you mess with us? Who sent you, Avatar? You're going to wish you were never born when we're done with—"
Korra promptly silenced him with a punch across the face, smearing her blood over his jaw, just as the metalbenders arrived and surveyed the destruction. Chief Lin Beifong strutted forward, and her narrowed eyes homed in on Korra.
"Check the apartments! Arrest all Red Monsoon members and take them to the station for containment!" To the Avatar, she demanded, "Okay, where's your team? We need to take down some details for our report."
"Hm? Team? I think you're mistaken; I'm the only one here." She posed for a quick photograph when she noticed a man with a camera lurking behind the chief of police.
"A mildly amusing suggestion. Is Councilman Tarrlok finishing up in one of the apartments? Where are the earthbenders who did this?" Lin waved her hand at the array of spikes lining the path and the numerous restrained criminals at their feet.
"Actually, Tarrlok was having his morning tea last I spoke to him. I haven't even met his task force yet." Korra smirked up at the dumbfounded expression on her face. "I wanted to brush up on some of my skills, so I came here. It's about time you showed up."
"You mean to tell me that you took out well over one hundred waterbenders… alone? Impossible. I'll just wait for my officers to bring them to me," she scoffed. "By the way, this was extremely reckless, and the damage your team inflicted will be noted. I should've guessed you couldn't go more than two weeks without causing trouble."
"Most of this damage isn't even mine," the Avatar protested, though she knew she'd be ignored. "I tore up the streets a little bit, but that's all."
Metalbenders freed the Red Monsoon from their crude bindings and replaced them with handcuffs. The gang was led into the backs of Satotrucks, which were emblazoned with the logo of the police. Korra soon had to relinquish her chair, albeit reluctantly.
Two metalbenders dropped down next to Lin and saluted. "Twenty apartments cleared, Chief. All present Red Monsoon Triad members have been detained and are being stowed away for transport."
"And the Avatar's team?"
"We didn't find anyone; she's here alone."
Korra grew smug under Lin's disbelieving stare.
Tarrlok slammed a very fresh newspaper in front of Tenzin, startling him and the other councilmembers. The headline read, "Avatar Single-Handedly Takes Down Red Monsoon Faction!" Underneath it was a prominent photograph of Korra standing on the backs of earth-bound waterbenders with a wicked grin that nearly split her face. She was pointing at the photographer as if to say, "You're next!"
Tenzin's expression was nothing short of horrified.
"That happened this morning as the sun was rising. In two hours, she apprehended over one hundred criminal waterbenders." The chairman was oozing satisfaction from every pore.
"Why would she do something so reckless? She could've been hurt!"
"She was sending a message. We're letting the dregs of this city know that we're not toying with them. While this was only one borough of the Red Monsoon, it was their largest one, and she had all of them arrested in mere hours." As an afterthought, he added, "She refused to leave my office until I gave her something to do."
Tenzin rubbed his temples. "If she needs something to do, tell her to come back to the air temple and work on her airbending! I was against her joining your task force from the beginning. I know you're proud of her, Tarrlok. I'm well aware of her strength and bending proficiency, but she isn't a fully realized Avatar. She's veering completely off-track."
"There's plenty of time to become a fully realized Avatar later. The city calls for assistance now. Don't you understand how wonderful this looks? The people love it when we take dramatic action to back up our words."
"Yes, you're building your image up well by using a teenage girl to do your work."
Tarrlok shot an irritated stare at him. "The Avatar is more than just a teenage girl. Just wait—this is child's play compared to what I have planned."
"That doesn't relieve me in the slightest," the airbending master retorted.
The chairman retrieved the newspaper and folded it up. Tucking it away in his coat, he shrugged. "Be that as it may, this city's going to change, and it's going to change for the better. You'll see."
With that, Tarrlok left City Hall and hailed a taxi at the main street. It took him to downtown Republic City and stopped in front of the police headquarters, where several dark airships loomed overhead. He paid the driver and passed under the metal lines that fed from the front of the looming headquarters.
A few metalbenders flew past him on the lines, and the wind ruffled his hair and clothing. Flicking a piece of disheveled hair from his face, he ascended the modest staircase to the front entrance. Inside, he found the chaotic activity of prisoners being carted around for documentation and questioning, while reporters crowded around and tried to receive statements from the silent, humiliated waterbenders.
"You, there! How did the Avatar take down a third of your gang in only a few hours?"
He sidestepped them and continued to the front desk, where Lin sat alone. "Hello, Chief Beifong."
"Good morning, Councilman Tarrlok." Her tone mimicked one who had just bitten into a lemon.
"I was under the impression you'd be somewhat pleased about today's arrest. Isn't this the largest number of prisoners you've had at one time?"
"Indeed… As for you, you look undeniably pleased. You knew the Avatar would be successful in her solo raid."
"Of course. I have nothing but the utmost confidence in her, which is why I wanted her to ally with me. If she can do this alone, imagine what she could do in a team. We'll neutralize the Equalist threat in no time."
"Hm, Equalists—right. Another time, Councilman," she dismissed. "Well, I suppose it's about time we started to do something about this pesky gang problem. But it'd be silly to assume this raid is without consequence; two-thirds of their organization will want revenge."
"I wouldn't worry about that; we'll handle it. Just be there to make the arrest, if you would."
"Just as soon as we start carving out more cells to contain them."
Tarrlok chuckled and leaned down to write his name on the guest list.
"Allow me to pick your brain?"
"Of course."
"My officers informed me moments before you arrived of reports of recent attacks against a series of businesses, including Cabbage Corp. The details were, for the most part, standard: broken furniture, smashed bottles—presumably alcohol—and an absence of merchandise and supplies."
"Really?" He glanced up, conveying mild interest, and gestured for her to continue.
"Yes. Mr. Lau Gan-Lan phoned us and demanded an investigation of his facilities. Thus far, we've been busy dealing with this mess—fingerprints, questioning, imprisoning. As soon as my officers are free, we'll conduct the investigation." Lin steepled her fingers together. "What I can't grasp is why Cabbage Corp was targeted. The other reports we received this morning were from businesses in Dragon Flats, nowhere near the industrial sector. It's my understanding that these gangs have a ritual of 'making the rounds,' as they phrase it."
"They travel to the businesses they control and demand a cut of the profit." He nodded. "I'm aware."
"Right. Well, these calls are anticipated, but we've never gotten one from Cabbage Corp." She shuffled a few of the papers on the desk and perused them. "I've been keeping track of the businesses in the order we receive the calls. These calls always come directly after the collectors leave, when they plead for us to go after them."
"But, of course, I've graciously decided to take over that role," Tarrlok interjected smoothly.
"Indeed. Allow me to finish, Councilman." Her sharp eyes flicked up at him for a few seconds before returning to the paperwork. "We write up the reports and file them away until we have the resources to follow through with them. Anyway, these attacks were ritual, and that means Cabbage Corp was targeted for a very specific reason. Mr. Gan-Lan was at the Avatar's gala last night and hovered around the drinks for most of the night."
"Yes, he had his fill of champagne and was probably late to work this morning because of it. What makes you think the gangs had anything to do with the raid on his business? He clearly wasn't there to see the perpetrators, so I'm assuming an identity wasn't in the report."
"You assume correctly. I don't know that any gangs are to blame; I just think the timing is suspiciously right."
"Which gang collects today?"
"Red Monsoon."
Tarrlok thoughtfully tapped a finger to his jaw. "Interesting. It's a solid theory, but we shouldn't count out the possibility of someone else having been responsible. It was public knowledge that Lau was going to be at the gala all night, so someone planned the attack during that time. It provided a sizable amount of time to steal—" With a shake of his head, he cut himself off before continuing, "See, that's where my doubt comes from—the finished product, the prize, is not in the factories. What would a gang need with automobile parts? There has to be more to it."
Lin peered up at him in surprise. "That's very insightful. Do you have any theories?"
"With my limited knowledge of the robbery, I'm afraid not. I'd have to see the damage for myself, and—oh, that reminds me; the entire reason I'm here is to ask the Red Monsoon faction leader a few questions. I need to plan the next few evenings for my task force, and I'd like to try to squeeze out some information about their sister boroughs."
"As soon as my officers are finished, you can have a turn. Good luck with that, though; they rarely talk until we start interrogating with the methods developed by my mother. She was… frighteningly creative."
Tarrlok nodded and didn't press for an explanation.
"I'm interested in any more theories that come to you about the attack on Cabbage Corp. Would you like to join me for the investigation?"
"Certainly. However, if I may, I have a request."
"Yes?"
"I want the Avatar to come with us. I think it'd be beneficial for us to keep her informed."
Lin sighed. "I want to decline your request, but I need a second opinion—one from a brilliant mind. I'll allow it this time."
Tarrlok arched an eyebrow at her unexpected compliment. "Most appreciated. I suppose I know how criminals work."
"Suspicious," she quipped.
His lips quirked.
"Oh, thank ya, thank ya, Avatar! I thank ya again!" A short, toothy-smiled man fell to the ground at Korra's feet and kissed her boots.
Mortified, she noticed the crowd gathering to stare at the spectacle they made. "S-sir, I know you're grateful, but, surely, you have some dignity."
"'Dignity'?" He snorted, rising to his feet and brushing the dirt from his trousers. "I ain't know th' meanin' o' this fancy word."
Korra snickered. "Don't worry about it. And, really, it was nothing; I was happy to rid this area of the Red Monsoon."
"Yeah, them's a terrible group. Always comin' by my store an' demandin' payment. Payment fer openin' business on their street. It's ridicul-a-mous, I tells ya." He grumbled incoherently to himself for several moments before remembering the Avatar was there. "Oh, tha' reminds me! Come, look around my store an' pick out somethin' ya like. Free o' charge, jus' fer th' mighty Avatar!"
"That's really unnecessary, sir." She held up her hands in polite rejection, but the man grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his store.
"Nonsense! Go, look, enjoy!"
Having no other choice, she browsed his shelves, admiring the craftwork of the wooden children's dolls and statues. Her fingers flitted over a small statue of Avatar Aang, and she smiled as she traced his arrow tattoo and squinted at the detailed eyes. "Wow, this is incredible! Do you make these?"
"O' course I make them! I make e'erythin' ya see in th' store. It's how I pay fer my apar'ment."
Korra finished examining the shelf and turned around. At the sight that greeted her, she yelped and leaped backward out of reflex.
The store owner approached to see what she was frowning at. "Wha's th' matter? Them's th' prizes o' my collection. Rather insultin' reaction."
She slid her eyes from mask to mask, eyeing their alternating feminine and masculine details: swirls on the cheeks and chin; thin noses, pointed noses—large, flat; expressive eyebrows—thin, thick, arched, furrowed. Truthfully, she was slightly intimidated by them, but she cracked a weak smile at the owner. "N-no, they're great, just like everything else. I mean, wow, that statue of Avatar Aang is—"
"—Ya wan' one o' them masks?"
Korra stared at him in mid-gesture at the little figurine behind her. "What?"
"Ya seem t' hate th' ones 'ere, so I'll make ya one extra special. How's 'bout tha'?"
The Avatar contemplated the eerie masks for a few moments. She hesitated, but, in the end, she agreed. Strange inspiration struck her at that moment, bringing a mischievous smile to her lips. "Can I describe it to you?"
