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I OWN NOTHING; I DO NOT OWN THE LEGEND OF KORRA.

Chapter Nine- Preparations and Choices

It's the next day; early in the morning. The sun is out, high in the baby-blue sky and not a cloud above.

In the Bending Brothers' apartment, Mako is sleeping on the couch, Asami on his bed, and Bolin on his own bed. Both brothers agreed that it was too late for her to walk home alone so they all agreed after seeing the General and Lin that Asami will stay with them for the night.

Mako, still thinking of Korra's promise that she will be home by the time he wakes up and she'll be sleeping on the couch, fell asleep sitting up on the couch. He was waiting for her to come to the apartment all night, but sometime during the night, his eyes fell shut and he fell into darkness.

Slowly the Firebender's eyes open. He stretches and looks around, but his eyebrows knit together when he doesn't see Korra. She's not here.

Mako's eyes widen and he jumps off the couch and starts searching the apartment. No sign of her what so ever.

Mako runs his hands through his hair a few times before running to Bolin and waking him up. "Bo . . . Bolin, wake up!"

"Huh . . . wha-?" Bolin says, half asleep. He yawns and rubs his eyes, "Bro, do you not see how early it is? I mean, I know firebenders rise with the sun and all, but not earthbenders."

Mako rolls his amber eyes, "Bolin, Korra's still gone. She's still missing."

Bolin gives his brother a confused look, "Maybe she went to the Island?"

Mako shakes his head and sighs, "She promised she would come straight here. Something must have happened to her."

"What do we do?" Bolin asks, sounding worried.

Mako shrugs, "We go to see Lin and the General and hopefully they could help us find her. I'll go wake up Asami."

"Okay and I'll start getting ready." Bolin says and then with that, Mako goes off towards his room to wake up the Nonbender.

*With Korra.*

Korra's eyes slowly open and a moan escapes her lips. "My head . . ." She moans. She rubs the top of her head and lets out a sigh. The sun is so bright. The Avatar rubs her hands over her face and then her hands though her messy hair.

The Avatar blinks a few times, her eyes adjusting to the light, and then she gasps. It's morning. She's here. Not in the apartment. Wait . . . where is she?

Korra slowly stands up and looks around. She's outside and was just lying on the ground behind a building. What in the Spirits happened?

The Avatar starts wandering around, still confused. She can't remember anything that has happened in the last few hours.

However, as the Avatar is walking around the area, she sees one thing and that makes her remember everything. Her eyes widen and a small smirk appears on her lips.

"You lost, Amon." Korra mumbles to herself. She stares straight at the secret door to Amon's hideout. She shakes her head and lets out a sigh.

"Now, should I go by myself or get everyone else?" Korra says to herself with another sigh. She looks around and sees no one

However, right as the Avatar goes to take a step towards the door of the hideout, she gasps. Her sides are killing her. Yeah . . . doesn't look like she could go today . . . and definitely not by herself.

She stares at the hideout one more time before turning on her heels and walking away, holding her sides and holding in the gasps of pain she wants to let out.

. . .

"Chief Beifong?" An officer says as he opens the door to Lin's office.

Lin raises an eyebrow at the officer. General Iroh is standing next to herself while Mako, Asami, and Bolin are standing in front of her desk. "Yes? What is it?"

"Well, um, the Avatar is here. She wants to see you." The officer says with a nod then leaves.

Lin and everyone else's eyes widen and they instantly rush outside the office and outside City Hall.

Once outside, they see Korra sitting on the steps, clenching her sides with her hands.

"Korra!" Mako yells, rushing to her side and hugging her tightly against him.

"Ow . . . Mako . . . you're crushing me and . . . I'm in . . . pain." Korra manages to choke out, smirking when he pulls apart and smiles down at her.

"What happened to you?" The General asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Well," Korra begins with a shrug, "good news is that I found Amon's hideout. Bad news, the Lieutenant and I got into a fight and he hurt me pretty bad. I passed out behind a building once I found the hideout."

"You're lucky Amon and his Equalists didn't find you, Korra." Asami says with a shake to the head.

Korra shrugs and nods her heads, "Yeah, but I'm fine. Right now, we need to get ready. We need to get into that hideout and save Mako and Bolin's parents."

"Yeah, but you're hurt, Korra, can you really go ambushing and sneaking into hideouts right now?" Bolin asks, full of concern.

Lin nods her head, "The Earthbender has a point. You stay here while we go, okay?"

"What?" Korra yells, "No! I'm going with you guys. I'll go heal myself, we'll all train and then we can go tonight."

"Why don't we go tomorrow?" Iroh asks with a raised eyebrow.

Korra looks down and Mako looks away. Lin looks at the two of them and raises an eyebrow, "Are one of you going to explain?"

"Long story." Bolin mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck.

"If no one talks, then no one goes to the hideout except for the General and me. Understood?" Lin says, clearly annoyed.

"It's Amon . . . he-" Korra begins, but gets cut off when one of the officers comes and talks, "Chief, I think you may want to hear this."

Lin gives him a sharp nod and they all hurry inside, over to a radio where all the other officers are surrounding.

Korra's eyes widen. She knows that voice on the radio.

"Last night I mentioned how I had leverage over the Avatar. Well, it turns out I definitely do and the Avatar was informed. You see, tomorrow night, I am offering the Avatar a deal. She is searching for her friends' parents and I am willing to hand them over. For a price." Amon starts.

He then continues with a dark, mocking chuckle, "Come alone to Avatar Aang's Memorial Island, Avatar Korra. Come alone because if you bring someone, which I will know, then I'll gladly kill your friends' precious parents. It'll be me against you, Korra. I know you're listening. Tomorrow night, twelve o'clock midnight, be there and I promise you, the Era of Equality will begin while the Era of Bending will come to an end. Good luck, Avatar, you'll need it."

He then disappears off the radio. Lin runs her hand through her hair and she shakes her head, "This is what you were going to say?"

Korra slowly nods her head. "Yeah . . ."

"Before you came he also mentioned how there will another rally tonight, Chief." An officer tells Lin, who simply nods.

"Back to work. All of you; now!" Lin tells her officers, who instantly obey her.

"Korra-" Mako begins, but Lin stops him. She looks at Korra directly in the eyes and nods, "Amon won't be in his hideout because he has a rally tonight. Your choice."

"I'm coming with you to the hideout tonight." Korra says, a bit confused. Why would Lin be asking her that?

"Not what I meant, Korra." Lin says, shaking her head. "I trust your judgment, Avatar. If you go tonight and you decide to go tomorrow night as well to face Amon, can you handle it?"

Korra looks at Mako and she stares into his pleading eyes. He doesn't want her doing this. He doesn't want her going against Amon on her own just to save his and Bolin's parents.

Korra looks at Asami, then the General, and then Bolin. She takes a deep breath and then faces the Chief, "I know what I have to do. I'm going with you tonight; we'll all meet back here tonight when we're all ready to go to the hideout."

The Avatar then turns on her heel, about to walk away, but Lin calls after her, "You didn't answer my question. Are you going against Amon tomorrow night alone?"

"Watch." The Waterbender says quietly and then walks to the room they have in the building where the officers put immediate information on the radio when it's breaking news or etc.

Her friends –including Lin and the General- follow her, confused to what the Avatar is doing.

Korra grabs the microphone, turns on the radio for breaking news. Everyone in Republic City is about to hear what she has to say.

The Waterbender looks at Mako one last time, she takes a deep breath, and then she starts to speak, "You, Amon, challenged me to a fight tomorrow night at midnight. If I show up alone at Aang's Memorial Island, it'll be one against one. You and me. Well, Amon, I accept! You give me my friends' parents and I'll be gladly to come and face you. I'm not backing out of a challenge, Amon, but I'll give you some advice as well, you better pray to the Spirits because you'll need it."

Korra gets off the radio and turns to her friends. "If we don't find your parents in that hideout tonight, then that's my decision . . . my choice. If your parents aren't in the hideout, I'm going against Amon, one on one, tomorrow night at midnight."

Mako wants to stop her. Wants to tell her she shouldn't do this and she can't do this, but before he could say anything, Lin nods her head and Korra tells them all with a nod:

"It's time to end this war. I made up my mind and decided my choice. Either way, if we get back your parents tonight or not, I'm going against Amon tomorrow night at Aang's Memorial Island."

She then adds:

"I'm taking down Amon, once and for all."

Well, that's it for this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it! Please let me know what you thought of it.

Next chapter should be up soon!

Thanks for reading! ^_^