Lin hasn't moved from the windows of her airship, even though she's no longer following the Avatar. There's no need to anymore.

Then, someone appears behind her, shroud in the nightly shadows, the figure towering over the chief.

Lin remains still. "You know what must be done…"

This person says nothing, barely nodding confirmation.

"Good. Time is on the essence, go now."

Just as quietly the person leaves.

Lin's eyes never strayed from the city below. 'The end is near, girl. Major Shen will find you… and crush you.'

Korra flinches, as if feeling something sharp and cold stiffening her spine. She's back within the heart of the city, standing before City Hall.

'They retreated…' She thinks. Normally that would be a sign that she's victorious, and yet… she knows something is about to happen, and she knows it has something to do with the fiftieth opponent.

Korra remains silent, and her eyes are closed, relying on her other senses. The fruit of her lessons under the one Toph Bei Fong, is that one could see so much more without eyes. Korra's one to take such profound lessons to heart, and right now is the best time to utilize what she's been taught by the current chief's own mother.

Especially when something's hurtling towards the blindside of her back. Swiftly she ducks forward and the projectile sweeps over head. In a crouch, she raises her head and is baffled that it isn't a cable or bola, but a strangely shaped metal plate. Korra doesn't have the chance to contemplate as something else – something larger – is storming and she just barely somersaults out of the way. She's close enough to be effected by the shockwave of the impact.

Korra didn't know what to expect when the dust cleared, but a kneeling woman in center of the small crevasse had been the lowest. Assessing this woman's position, the way her hand is clawed, her fingertips forcefully implanted…

Korra subconsciously strokes her neck. 'She meant to knock me out.'

The powerhouse of an officer stands, and Korra swears this woman is a copy of Lin – only taller, younger… scarier. The new Avatar, overlooking her overconfidence and tendency to act before thinking, is quite perceptive. And she can perceive that it's going to take a lot to beat this one.

Korra's wise not to make the first move this time, instead to focus on conserving her energy. Her back against the wall, she's in full defensive mode, which is why she managed to evade the first strike. The dexterity of this woman's manual hands alone is no small feat whatsoever. More of those strange metal diskettes of various sizes and shapes kept hurtling at her, it wouldn't be much of a problem if not for the sharp precision of each strike, coercing her to maneuver in ways that would be impossible for an average person. To make matters worse, Korra has to sidestep the physical assault of her opponent simultaneously. Korra is literally bent over backwards just trying to interpret this woman's next move.

This juggernaut that's supposed to be a woman is very careful not to cause permanent damage to the area that makes the heart of the city, and purposeful has the one-sided battle away from City Hall. Only the ground is getting marred, collateral damage that's easily fixable. This woman known as Major Shen is exact in her techniques, and a part of her is savoring the sight of the Avatar forced to dance by her terms.

But the Major could self admit that the new Avatar is a slippery one, never mind the fact that she's just now noticed that the girl's eyes are completely shut. The girl's relying on all her senses to tell her what her eyes would fail to catch, no doubt something that's been learned from the legendary mother of Shen's own chief.

Major Shen is very quick, but Korra would be quicker if not for one drawback – she's getting tired. In spite of her supernatural stamina, Korra's still a mortal being with limitations and right now, she's reaching her limits by a hairbreadth. One plate targets between her shoulder blades while another goes for her torso, and she scarcely ducks just in time for the metallic objects to collide. But then another disk unearths right below her and she just manages to leap away. Her landing is a bit jarring, causing Korra to briefly trip up.

Big mistake.

The Avatar is right where the Major wants her. Seizing the sought out opportunity, Shen performs her signature as all the metal plates surrounding the girl swiftly charges and melds together, wrapping around the Avatar's body to the ground in a metal casing. Only Korra's face is visible now and she acts on pure instincts and struggles, with her shoulders shifting and her head jerking. She soon stops herself, however, as she realizes that she's just wearing herself out. Her body relaxes and she takes a deep, long breath, now limp in the Major's steel grasp.

Within the bird's eye view of the airship, plenty of the retreated officers watch the spectacle down below.

Quin Lee gives a low whistle as she peeks over Ryuu's shoulder. "That was quite the show."

Ryuu sweeps away Quin's perching hands. "The Avatar's giving up just like that?" He questions dubiously.

Tarou gives his two cents. "There's roughly two minutes before this challenge is over, and Major Shen is very precise."

Aya scoffs. "Serves her right."

Lin says nothing, keeping a sharp eye on the opposing duo. Yes, it does appear her best officer has bested the new Avatar. Yet, Lin follows the lesson her mother instilled in her: "Appearance and deception go hand-in-hand."

Hand-in-hand indeed. Korra's eyes remain close, seemingly admitting defeat. But the way her brows are hunched and her lips thinned, it tells Shen to stay on guard. Whatever the girl has planned may be for naught, because her entire body is encased, her limbs immobile. Even the most ignorant would know that a bender needs movement in order to bend. No movement, no bending. Yet what the Major had learned from her subordinates, the new Avatar has an array of skills, so what the girl could do may just not be bending at all.

Right then, Shen feels a strange pulse against her metal surrounding the girl, then another, and another. The fourth pulse is the strongest felt, so strong it burst open Korra's imprisonment. Shen's face remains stern but her eyes are wide, for nobody, not even a metalbender could break free from such a constraining hold.

No matter, that was the third strike and if the Avatar is trapped once more, it's an instant game over. That assured, Major Shen charges in, metal plates flying.

But Korra's not taking any chances, for when those disks draw near… she uses a wave of one hand to stop them. No pause, the Avatar turns the tables and manipulates the metal panels to charge the Major instead. Utterly shellshocked, Shen rarely encounters a situation when her control is snatched away, but here's the Avatar once again taking the advantage.

So quick the disk clutches the Major's wrists and ankles, forcing her to the ground with a resounding thud. The wind forced out of her, Shen gasps for breath, with the Avatar appearing in her slightly dazed vision. Korra stands over her, her hands raised with other metal plates ready to strike for even the tiniest move.

So, it would appear that the new Avatar had a trump card.

The Major refuse to back down, the second she regains her bearings she'll easily break free and—

DING… DING… DING…

That sound. That ear-ringing sound. The toll of bells that signifies midnight. The waning crescent is at its peak in the sky.

It's over, time is up. Major Shen looks horrified at her failure as the Avatar gives a vicious victorious grin.

"I win."

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Whew! I hope the conclusion is satisfactory, you cannot BELIEVE the do-overs I did for this one. And the moment where Korra did that pulse of her chi to break through Shen's metallic casing, yeah totally inspired when Neji focused his chakra to break through that freaky spider-guy's (don't care to remember his name) weird web substance trapping him.

I'm just glad I uploaded sooner than last time, that just goes to show the fruition of my progress, I'm even doing better with my own original story.

Overall, that leads to the final segment and this episode is done! HUZZAH!

DEVIANT DISCLAIMER:

Major Shen belongs to fellow Deviant FantaPrime! Check out her awesome character design, but look into her info at your own potential risk of spoilers.