AN: Guess who's back? Back again? It's me just fyi :D
Lin clutched her knuckles down tightly until the whites of her bones knocked against the metal of her uniform hand piece. The anxiety continued to grow inside of her though as she awaited for someone to open the front door. Anyone really...but she'd prefer if it was the little engineer she had been man hunting for the past two days.
Countless unanswered calls had been filed into the police department recently. Only instead of being about crime or something substantially serious, it was the media. All of Republic city was losing their shit over where Asami Sato had disappeared to and why no notice on account of the girl's whereabouts had been disclosed from her father.
In the beginning, the chief had blown it off as nothing more then another revenge tactic her good friend had chosen to enact. Upon the scum of the city...But after countless days had passed...Lin bean to worry. And in response the Search For Sato had begun.
Metalbenders everywhere investigated/interrogated/checked every auto shop, mall, and club owner in the city. Sadly though no sign of the young woman had surfaced.
Finally having enough of playing Scooby Doo, Lin took a giant leap and defied Hiroshi's request to "be left alone for work reasons". Now here she was, standing in front of the estate, on the brink of losing it along with every blood thirsty reporter swarming the mansion gates.
"Lin? Hello."
It was the wrong Sato that answered.
"Hiroshi I apologize, I know you are busy but this is getting ridiculous. Is Asami home?"
A sudden look of sadness crossed the older gentleman's face, before he ushered Lin inside. quietly
"I'm afraid my daughter has gone away on business. She isn't expected to return for some time."
This was more then a trip though, the police officer could see it clear as day on her long time friend's features.
"Cut the crap. What happened! I'm not going to let this disappearance slip under the rug like the speeding tickets. If she is missing why wont you let me help you?"
Hiroshi wasn't surprised that Lin could read his expression so easily. She knew him almost as well as his own daughter did. Perhaps even more so.
With a heavy sigh, he pricked up the receiver to his land line. Motioning for the chief to take a seat as he too arranged himself down into his desk chair.
"Varrick? I'm terribly sorry to do this, but something has come up...no nothing lethal. I need to reschedule for tomorrow. Okay...thank you.."
Lin patiently waited for the older man to finally gather his bearings. And once the phone call had been ended with the city wide nutjob, Hiroshi met her eyes.
"Asami is away. But not on business...she is not coming back."
There was actual sweat forming on the calm woman's hands. Her blood pressure has spiked as she stood in a suddenly rage filled frenzy.
"She is gone as in GONE or gone as in relocated?"
"Gone as in she is never coming back...I don't know if she is okay or not..."
Lin began to pace, two seconds away from calling in her entire force to begin a nationwide hunt.
"What the hell happened Hiroshi! Is she in trouble!?"
Closing his eyes, the older gentleman lost his composer as he clasped onto his hair with shaking hands.
"I DIDN"T KNOW! I didn't know what was happening! Asami came and offered herself and and-"
He looked like he was having a mental breakdown, and Lin wasn't positive if she should call someone yet. Maybe even some reinforcements to restrain the distressed father.
"Hiroshi! HIROSHI1"
Metal bending her cuff off to slap over the man's mouth, Lin patiently waited until the older gentleman calmed himself enough to breathe on his own. Then with a harsh flick of her wrist, the temporary band fell away from his shaking face.
"Okay...Now. Hiroshi. Are you calm?"
A weak nod.
"Good...now. Tell me everything that happened."
Unknown though to either of the adults, far across the city limits a light dusting of snowy weather were beginning to gather along with an ominous group of dark clouds. In fact a possible thunderstorm seemed equally as likely as if only one spark was needed to ignite the skies.
However instead of hiding away in the castle along with almost everyone else, Korra was at the top of the roof. Firmly planted at the highest peak of her home, watching with a lost expression as the storm continued to brew in the distance.
"You should come inside soon. Pema's worried you'll fall off or get struck by lighting."
"...I'm not that lucky."
Frowning deeply, Tenzin moved to sit beside his oldest student. Patiently putting a hand onto her cloaked shoulder, only to have it shrugged off. He was use to such responses by now though.
"I thought we were trying to work past this Korra. You know that doing such a thing is not the answer."
Snorting out indignantly the tan girl continued to remain in her trance. Fascinated by the power being held in the far off clouds containing both cold and electric nature. Nothing was as worth marveling at though then the city lights just barely in her vision over the tree tops. The poor civilization probably had close to no idea about the hell about to be raised before nightfall should mother nature loose her cool.
"The only reason I'm 'working past' anything is because the Cycle would be screwed if I were to succeed. Nothing more nothing less."
Noticing the saddened look on her old mentor's face, Korra sighed.
"No offense to any of you guys. You know I love you all."
"...But even all of us are not enough it seems."
It felt like they had had this conversation a million times. Tenzin had tried to get Korra to see that she had a life to live for BESIDES saving the world, but nothing had worked and everyone began to become distressed over how many times she tried to "fix" their situation. Once nearly succeeding had Mako not been able to restart her heart with a jolt of lightning.
Thankfully, or maybe not so, Korra had eventually convinced herself that because she had lost her connections, there was no longer a point to allow the next incarnation be stuck with just herself.
As though living out the remainder of her days would somehow give her enough time to prepare and explain her failures to the next version of herself.
"Korra there is always a time and a place for when we leave the earth. And it is not for us to cheat ourselves by accelerating that date."
Moving to stand, the airbending master prepared to descend off of the rooftop, wanting his pupil to deeply consider his words. Before he went, a small nag tugged at his throat.
"Besides, it's not just US you have to live for anymore, is it?"
Like a flash Korra's head snapped to glare at Tenzin, but he had already bent himself safety back inside. Far far away from the confusion and anger on the water tribe girl's face.
"DAMN IT TENZIN!"
Asami. She had been something of a mystery to Korra for the past two weeks. Everything about the older girl was both infuriating and so beautiful.
She had seen Korra's face, she had stayed after the incident in the forest, she had talked to Korra almost every day, even agreeing to spar with her one morning. She had done everything perfectly, and it drove Korra's blood cold.
She hated the way Asami made her heart feel. She hated the idea of falling for such a girl...most of all...she hated the idea of her curse breaking.
Yes as twisted as her mind worked, Korra may hate her life now, but the idea of having to face the world again. To see the disappointment and resentment on every man woman and child's face...it sounded like a fate worse then death.
Don't think less of her though, she had considered her options greatly. At first she had worked hard to accept her fate. She had even gone as far as to perhaps force love upon herself with Mako or even Bolin. But that had made her stomach churn and her own anger at herself to grow.
Eventually she questioned what else she could try to do? She tried, she failed. She cried, nothing changed. She meditated and no one answered her pleas. So after an ungodly amount of time Korra did the next logical thing.
She gave up.
But attraction is funny in the way it works. No matter how hard she denied herself, the former Avatar's heart cried out for any type of love that wasn't pitied. Any kind of affection that didn't burn at her own guilt. It craved Asami like a mothfrog to a fucking flame.
Her only condolence for her ignorance though was that this love was one sided.
Her appearance, her attitude, everything about her must be repulsing the older woman, Korra was positive of it. Anyway Asami had made it clear she was only staying to honor their agreement...
"Fuck!"
Punching her fist down with a crack towards the rooftop textiles, Korra breathed heavily, barely registering the blood on her knuckles.
If she could just outlast the petals to her rose and wait until the curse was terminally set...maybe then she could run. She'd have a plausible enough excuse wouldn't she? Permanently having no bending means no avatar, and no avatar means Korra would be free to live out the rest of her life hidden away to die alone with her guilt.
She was positive her servants would be all to happy to be freed from their obligation to the Avatar. And then Asami would no longer be stuck with her...if she ran Asami's end of the deal was over.
Standing so she could face the oncoming clouds, Korra laughed to herself. Dipping her head back with anything but humor.
"Is this what you wanted Amon?"
Silence.
"You certainly won, didn't you? I'm all alone, I have a unrequited love, and the world lost it's bridge to the spirits. Had this been your goal?"
The first signs of lightning crackled in the distance, causing more manic giggles to turn the blue eyed girl's heart all the colder. As though the voice in her head were being spoken from the forces of nature around her.
"Such a shame isn't it? The second I fail this stupid test everyone will be free. Cruelly ironic."
Using her many practiced years of training, Korra took a strong leap onto the second hightest landing of the castle rooftop, barely stilling her body before it slid clear off the basing. Heaving greatly she bent down and jumped onto the next highest flat, practiced hands easily grasped onto the side pipe work. Moving down until she was able to reenter the Went Wing balcony.
Stretching her limbs out lazily, Korra placed her arms behind her head. Moving to open her bedroom door, only to be immediately hit with an oncoming body.
"Korra! Oh thank spirits, we have a problem!"