My first week of college is over! I did a lot of writing recently so I thought I'd update a bit early. The book 3 finale hit me with so many feels that I just kept writing and writing. What would you guys think of the idea of Korra getting injured in this fanfic? I've been mulling the idea over for a while now. But I'm not sure if I want to do it or not. Tell me what you think.
Consternation (惊愕)-amazement or dismay that hinders or throws into confusion
~~~~~WELCOME TO DOUM-UI DEVELOPMENT CENTER~~~~~ WELCOME TO DOUM-UI DEVELOPMENT CENTER~~~~~WELCOME TO DOUM-UI
Korra let out a soft groan as her eyes fluttered open. She was met with a similar view from when she fell asleep. It looked to be early morning now. It was hard to tell due to the clouds still looming overhead. They seemed brighter than before allowing her to see her surroundings better. The wind no longer howled leaving the forest quiet. It appeared that most of the woodland creatures were all but tucked away in hibernation. It seemed so lonely without the stray animal moving about.
But with all of this snow there wouldn't be anything for them to eat. The cold time only came once a year unlike the long seemingly endless winters of the South Pole. The teen uncrossed her arms as she let out a yawn. Her arms extended into the air just inches away from the next branch above her. She felt her body grow tight just before releasing the tension. The motion left her body feeling relaxed and loose.
The young Avatar uncrossed her legs and moved so that one hung over each side of the tree branch she was on. A little bit of rest had been just what she needed. She felt more alert now and her muscles had stopped aching. Blue topaz eyes scanned the forest around her. She had to be twice as careful now. Kavik could have already came to Doum-ui and seen the empty bed and broken window. The woods could be swamped with orderlies and police. But if there were people out there looking for her why was everything to silent?
The woodland area gave off a calming feeling. But with its calm she could feel it in her gut telling her something was off. She just couldn't put her finger on it. Her eyes scanned in every direction. They watched for the slightest movement but found none. She turned around to face the direction of the asylum. She needed to take advantage of the fairly bright sky. The storm may have passed for now but that didn't mean it wouldn't return. Beyond the trees Doum-ui sat in the distance.
It looked as if nothing had happened. From this height and distance all she could see was the white brick back on the building and the metal wire fence. If she squinted she could make a guess as to which window had been hers. But she couldn't tell that if was even broken. Her eyes travel from Doum-ui and into the forest. It hadn't felt so far away when she had been walking that night. Without the wind and snow she could finally see everything. Virgin snow lay on the forest floor untouched by anyone. From what she could tell her plan had worked out perfectly. She had disappeared into the night, leaving behind no trance of her escape but a shattered window. She took one last glance at the area around her before deciding it was safe.
The young Avatar swung her right leg over to the other side. She placed her left hand against the base of the tree with her right onto the branch she had been resting on. Korra used her arms and pushed off of the tree and landed on the ground softly. Upon arriving on the ground her stomach let out a low growl. Her eyes glanced down at her torso. She was hungry but there wasn't anything around for her to eat. Any type of berry or plant that she would have been able to pick could not be found through all of this snow. It would be a while before the snow melted and the plants grew back. Even if there was a lake or river nearby it still might not be of any use to her. It would be a waste of her time to try and look for one. Her hungry stomach would just have to wait it out until she could find some food.
She began walking, continuing her path to the city. Making sure to be careful and bend the snow back into place. Without the wind the forest was calm. The only sound she could hear was the crunch of snow underneath her feet. It felt so empty, then again that was to be expected. Republic City wasn't like the South Pole. In the South the freezing temperatures were nothing new. But here the winters weren't usually very cold and lasted the same amount of time as the other seasons did. Most of the forest inhabitants were asleep awaiting warmer weather.
Maybe it was better that she hadn't seen any woodland creatures yet. Sure the forest was filled with many small furry animals. It could also be filled with dangerous ones too. She suddenly pictured a snarling platypus bear. She quickly shook the image out of her head. Keeping a low profile would be hard if she made a disturbance or got hurt.
For a while she just kept walking. Every now and again she would think about her plan. Once she got to the city, she would need to be able to find where Kavik lived. He would be upset with her. But she would just need a place to sleep for a little bit. Her main goal was to find Councilman Tarrlok and to negotiate with him. He would be able to help her. He was also working with chief of police. If she could convince Tarrlok to help her then Saikan and his men wouldn't turn her over to Tenzin.
She needed to be able to talk to Tarrlok in private. She couldn't just show up in his office and demand to speak with him. The world knew nothing of their Avatar. To him she would just be some silly little girl. And announcing who she was before other people in town hall would only cause further trouble.
Korra looked up at the sky to see the clouds looming over ahead again. There was going to be another storm tonight. She had managed through this one. But another night of sleeping out in the cold and she was bound to catch something. Although it was early morning winter days were short. Her time was limited. It may seem like a strange thought but navigating through the storm in the woods would be easier than in the city. In the forest the path she would take was clear. She would just have to go straight down the mountain. The route wasn't exactly the safest but she had found ways to manage.
She had no idea how the city streets would twist and turn. She would be surrounded by towering building in all directions. There would be nothing for her to climb on top of to get a better view. In the city she wouldn't be able to use her bending either. That might pose a serious problem. She had relied on her bending for so many things. And just when she was finally free and had it back she couldn't use it.
The young Avatar didn't have a clue where Kavik's house was located. All she had was a business card with a street name and an address scribbled on the back. He could have lived anywhere in the city. He was a doctor so she assumed he had a house in an upper part of town. He was also a private doctor. She imagined he must be paid handsomely especially for treating the Avatar. That still didn't narrow things down any. He had never mentioned having a family so she just thought he didn't have one. With it just being him he wouldn't need a particularly large place of residence. He could be living in one of the loft apartments if not a smaller home.
She could have asked more questions about where he lived in the city. But he would have instantly become suspicious of her if she had. What she really needed was a map. If she had one it would solve all of her problems. She could find the street and be on her merry way to Kavik. She thought of just asking for directions from a civilian. She wouldn't have to go into much detail just that she was having trouble finding a street.
The idea was simple enough. But she had to make sure the person didn't recognize her. The plan all depended on how much trouble the staff of Doum-ui and Tenzin had gone to. They had no recent pictures of her, so she doubted there would be any missing posters lying around. Even if they sent out a broadcast over the radio what would they even say? She highly doubted they were going to stop every person in the city that looked remotely like her.
Every now and again she would bend some of the snow into water. She carefully made sure to remove any dirt from it before drinking. It would be a while before she got any food. She didn't want to wander through the city starving and dehydrated. She only wished she had something she could have stored the water in. There wouldn't really be anyplace for her to get a drink in the city.
Korra found herself growing closer and closer to Republic City. As she closed the spaced between her and the city she saw small farm homes. Rather plain houses decorated in shades of brown on the outside. Small chimneys on the rooftops sprouted puffs of smoke into the air. The yards were covered in a layer of fresh snow. Around the homes were usually fences. All of the homes had variations of different types. Some were wire others made of wood. Just beyond the fence she heard a variety of sounds of the animals that lived within the confined area. Usually large barns could be seen just beyond the houses towering above them. There were large fields that lay bare waiting for spring to come when they would be ripe for use.
The small countryside homes were like something out of a postcard. But with such a charming view for her eyes she couldn't help but feel a pit forming in her stomach. Everything around her, no matter how picturesque it seemed, gave off an aura of sorrow. She listened closer to the sounds of the animals. They were not the sounds of the creatures anticipating spring but the sound of them mourning.
Things didn't get any better from there either. After some time the large barns were swapped for small shops and inns. Most of this part of the city looked abandoned. Unlike the countryside it did have sidewalks for her use. Most of which were covered in ice and snow. Many buildings were falling apart. She had walked by several old shops with broken glass and crumbling brick walls. She made a mental note to be careful where she stepped.
Korra couldn't help but think… 'Was this her fault? Had all of this happened because she wasn't there?' It would be natural that parts of the city were better kept than others. But still she couldn't help but feel responsible. It didn't look like anyone lived here. The town albeit small was completely deserted. Kavik had told her about Tenzin abusing the justice system. But still...It was impossible that he had caused this.
Into the west she noticed other snowy mountains. They weren't too far from the town either. There were also rail road tracks too. It must have been a mining town. But now most things were powered by electricity. The town could have been a fairly populated area before. It might have been one of the earlier Fire Nation colonies. After some time people probably began to move closer to the inner city.
The teen tried her best to make sense of the abandoned town. She felt the weight in her chest lift a bit. This wasn't her fault or Tenzin's for that matter. As much as she wanted to blame him he couldn't have caused this much trouble. The condition of her surroundings was caused by the change in people's needs. The Fire Nation could have controlled the village during the war and used its coal mines. Once more people began to use electricity the townspeople most likely moved towards the inner city for jobs.
She attempted to console herself with at idea. She silently hoped that the city would look better than what she had seen so far. After some time her body went into autopilot and she became lost in her thoughts. Korra pulled her hood down over her eyes a bit more as she walked. She had stopped bending the snow back in place now. There was no longer a need to. She figured she was close enough to the city that other people would be traveling through here as well.
The blue eyed girl kept her gaze on the ground. She finally snapped back into reality when she felt people rush past her. One man had nearly knocking her to the ground as their shoulders bumped. Her brow furled and she moved to lift her head to shout back at the person. When she looked up her cerulean orbs looked up to find women and men dressed in formal clothing dashing in different directions. Many of them held briefcases and folders in hand. Korra stopped walking and look around her. Towering buildings surrounded her, Sato-mobiles whizzed around street corners. She had made it. She was finally in Republic City. Her heart leapt with joy.
Even with so many thoughts racing through her mind. She was still awestruck at the city. The walls of the compound were nothing compared to the skyscrapers before her. The buildings were a mixture of beige and a brilliant ivory. The detail in them was amazing. It was like nothing she had ever seen. The sunlight bounced off of the building creating an amazing view. She wasn't even in the heart of the city and she was already astonished. She had never seen so many Sato-mobiles before. People in the south didn't use them very often. They weren't exactly ideal for maneuvering in all of the ice and snow.
After standing still for a bit she continued her quest. Her eyes couldn't seem to focus on one thing for too long. Every time something drew her in she quickly discovered something else. There were posters of some play that was happening in another part of town. Other signs of people advertising foods along with feminine beauty products were located on billboards. She noticed how clear the streets were.
If it weren't for the small tips of the snow still being that pure white she would have never had guess it had snowed at all. She could hear the honking of cars, street vendors marketing their products, along with the shuffling of busy feet along the cement. The city was rambunctious and crazy. And she loved it! It was the exact opposite of everywhere she had been. Even with all of the horrors she remembered from Air Temple Island. The worst part of it all was the silence. It wasn't always the punishment from Tenzin she feared. It was the way he looked at her before he would strike. Stillness would fill the room bringing with it the bone chilling fear.
She thought back to Tenzin. He was the reason she was here. It was to stop him. She couldn't get caught up in the city. That would only be a waste of time. She needed to find Kavik as fast as possible. She had to keep a low profile and gawking at everything she saw sure wasn't the way to go about it. There would be time later once everything was resolved to do some site seeing.
Korra wandered further into the heart of Republic City. Over time the crowd had died down a bit but not much. She tried her best to try and take in as much as possible. The first part of her plan was complete; she had escaped Doum-ui and arrived in the city. Her next step was to gather information. She hadn't seen a single missing or wanted poster of her. So that was a good sign. She had passed by several apartment buildings and had been able to overhear people listening to their radios.
People in the city fancied many stations. From one window she had heard a drama being acted out. The next time she heard a sports broadcast, they were discussing the Kuai ball championships. This radio station in particular made her strain her ears a bit more to hear it. She had never seen Kuai ball being played but she had heard about. As much as she had wanted to stay and listen in she knew she had to keep moving.
The next few were nothing special. More people listening to broadcasted dramas and others music stations. She passed by one street and found the one she had been looking for. A person two stories above her was listening to the news. At that she stopped walking and casually leaned her body against the orange brick wall of the apartment complex. She slipped her hands into the pockets of her pants. Korra kept her head down no one could see her face. The voice from the radio was muffled a bit from the static.
'Organized crime is currently on the rise in Republic City," the radio began.
'Tenzin...' She thought to herself. She could feel her blood boil just thinking about it. She could hear the radio go out again before returning to the announcement.
'-Many cases have baffled the police and they have no leads. We also have been given news that later this week Councilman Tarrlok will be holding a press conference to discuss his plan of action for dealing with the bending tri-'
With that the radio cut off all Korra could hear was static. 'Come on,' Korra thought narrowing her eyes in frustration. She stayed against the side of building as the person fiddled with their radio. She could hear a few grunts from person above her. They seemed as frustrated as she was. After a bit the signal still didn't get any better. She decided it was best to call it quits and move on. The short broadcast had given her some useful information. Tarrlok would be giving a speech later in the week. It would be too messy to try and talk to him during the conference. She would have to find him before then. If only the radio host had told her the day he would be giving his speech. It didn't change her plan any. Her goal was still the same talk to Tarrlok as soon as possible.
She needed to find another radio to listen to. Maybe they would make the same announcement later again in the day. She couldn't make finding a radio top priority. She had what she needed. Finding information on her way to Kavik would just have to be a luxury. No one was looking for her and the bending triad's power in the city was growing. Korra pushed herself from against the side of the building and started walking. Her eyes went from side to side as she observed the city.
After a while she picked up on a few patterns. There weren't many children outside, at all. She was in the inner city surely there would have been a few children playing? But she didn't hear anything. No giggling or playful kids shouting. The city's rhythm excluded those sounds. It was the winter though. It made sense for children to be inside. But still something felt off. The young Avatar also noticed how many police officers she saw. For every block there was a group of at least five of them. Some stood close by squad cars talking to one another over something that seemed rather serious. Others walked around as if they were looking for something or someone. Every now and again one them would stop walking and scratch their heads.
She took one glace at their faces before pulling her hood up a bit more. Looking up she could see the tired faces of many of the officers. Her blue orbs went back to the pavement. A large shadow engulfed her own startling the teen. She stared overheard air blimps floated making their patrol over the area. She didn't want to guess how many cops were inside of it just in case something happened. The idea that only the authorities had been notified of her escape hadn't crossed her. Where they simply looking for clues on the triads or searching for her? She didn't want to stay around and find out.
Another pattern could be found in the city besides the vast amount of cops. For every block that she saw cops she also saw triad members lurking on street corners and in alleyways. She tried her best not to make eye contact with any of them. After having seen the snow storm that had happened she didn't think she would see any people outside unless they had to be. One group in particular caught her interest though. A tall dark skinned man handed a shorter chubby man an envelope. The shorter man in return handed the man a thick stack of Yuans.
Just across the street was a group of cops who seemed to be studying the street like she was. There was no way they hadn't seen that. The two men had obviously just made some type of deal. And in broad daylight with cops everywhere? She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Where the police afraid of the triads? Had the cops been paid off? What was going on in this city? Her mind was flooded with ideas. She was snapped back into reality when she felt a muscular hand grab onto her arm. Korra turned back to face the man.
"Where do' ya think you're goin' beautiful?" The man purred. His speech was slurred and his accent heavy.
She gagged the alcohol was strong on his breath. It only a bit past midday and this man was already drunk? His skin was dark like hers. He wore her nation's colors proudly. He wasn't dressed like a beggar that was for sure. He had on a long dark blue coat that had fur trimmed around the collar. It had silver double buttons going down the side. More than anything she just wanted to give him a good punch in face. But she couldn't. It took every amount of restraint of hers to not waterbend ice at the man's face. From what she could tell this man was a member of a triad. He could possibly one that worked under Tenzin. This almost certainly wasn't the first time he had harassed someone walking by. She just needed to make sure to not give him a reason to remember her.
"I don't want any trouble," she replied trying to pull out of the man's hold on her arm.
"Don't want no trouble, huh? Well you're in Red Monsoon territory and you need to pay the toll to get through." He said leering at her.
"Sorry no money," Korra replied shortly attempting to pull away. From the shadows of the alley she could see other men coming forth.
"We ain't lookin' for that type of payment," the man said tightening his grip of her arm.
She had gotten through the city so far without a hitch. She could feel the man's hungry eyes on her. It was disgusting. It looked like she was going to have to fight to get out of this mess. She narrowed her eyes as they locked with the strangers. She prepared herself to strike but before she could her thoughts were interrupted by a voice.
"Come on Yukon, leave the girl alone. You know the boss has better things for us to be doing." A man from the shadows said.
With that Yukon looked at Korra's fiery eyes once more before letting go of her and walking off. The thugs turned their backs to her and made their way down the street in the opposite direction. She rubbed her arm where the man's fingers had been hoping to gain the circulation back. With that she turned to face forward and saw a small elderly woman peering out of a shop door.
The woman had a small mousy face. Her face was filled with fear and worry. Dark circles encased her eyes. Korra raised an eyebrow before she carried on. Within a few steps she was passing the shop. The same woman was there still staring at her. 'What was this lady's problem,' she found herself thinking as she grew aggravated. Then the woman spoke.
"You're the first to get past the triads in a while. You must be lucky, that or special" She said her voice was filled with terror and concern.
'This is my chance to get some information,' Korra thought to herself.
"I'm no one special...But what about the police, I've seen plenty of them around don't they help?" She asked stopping in front of the store's door.
"No, they're never around when you need them. Too many things that are always going wrong," the shop keeper explained. "It's dangerous out there you should be careful, little girl. Especially at night,' the elderly woman warned.
"I'm actually here to visit a family friend," Korra lied. "But all I have is his address; do you think you could point me in the right direction?"
"Oh, yes. I've lived in the city for years. Where is it you need to go," the woman said her tone brightening up a bit.
"White Lily Drive," she replied.
"Oh, that's far from here. It's in the upper part of town. If you just keep going straight you'll come up across a gate that will say 'White Lily Residential.' Just go into their and you'll be one White Lily Drive. Make sure you hurry, things get worse at night. I would hate for your family to worry," the woman finished.
"Thank you," Korra said before walking away.
From there she didn't have any more nasty situations with the bending triads. But no matter where she went she saw the same thing. Four or more cops posted around the street corners or in cars. And every other corner was filled with triad members. The bending triads had gotten a little too comfortable in the city. Even the elderly woman she had spoke to said that the police were spread too thin. She had only seen a few actually do any illegal activities. It wasn't a crime to stand around. But what bothered her was how relaxed the men were.
When the one had grabbed her, police had been just around the corner. They didn't seem to have the slightest bit of fear. She didn't know much about these thugs but when police were close by they usually left. What she wondered was what could have kept them all so busy that triads extorting citizens was at the bottom of their list.
She looked up at the sky. The clouds were growing dark now. The small bit of sunlight that she had been able to enjoy was leaving her now. It would only be a matter of time before it started to snow again. Korra's mind went back to the old woman's warning. When it got dark the triads would really become active. She highly doubted if she ran into another group that they'd just let her do because they had better things to do.
The day had been a long one for her and it wasn't over yet. She still had to make it to White Lily Drive. The shoes Kavik had given her weren't good for much. They had no support and left her feet aching after all of walking she had done. Whoever had made the shoes didn't think anyone would be walking miles in them at once. Soon it had gotten dark. Republic City was illuminated by hundreds upon thousands of lights. The city was even more beautiful at night.
Neon signs of night clubs flashed before her. Scantily dressed woman and men in expensive suits lined the sidewalks. Even in nightfall the city was still alive. More now than ever she could feel eyes on her. She could feel the well dressed people glaring and sneering at her. With her face concealed and her dark sweats, she stuck out like a sore thumb in the city's night life.
Finally after a day of a traveling she had reached it. The road was odd to say the least. As it made a right angle she spotted a brick wall with an iron tall gate. Her eyes scanned the dark brick wall surrounding the place. Carved into the brick were the words, 'White Lily Residential Suites.' She was in the right place. Now that she had gotten away from the recusants and shop it was very quiet. As she made her way up the road she reached into her right pocket to find the business card. Upon retrieving it she walked a bit closer to the streetlight in hopes of getting a better view of the card. Her eyes scanned the card as she read, '133 White Lily Drive.' Her calloused index finger ran over the address before looking up.
The blue eyed teen stopped and looked up at the first house. It was huge; the house was coated in simmering ivory paint making it standout in the glow of the streetlights. But sadly not what she was looking for the number of the home was 130, not 133. She pressed on down the road. The homes here were certainly grand. Even after she passed the house it was a while before she saw the next one. It was like walking through the countryside minus the animals.
She found the house almost at the very end of the street. The house was the largest one she had seen on the block. It was decorated in shades of blue. Around the house was a low fence. Beyond the fence was a paved walkway that led to the large double doors. The home screamed watertribe. It towered over her casting a shadow. The home looked like it had four no maybe even five floors. There were several windows that lined the front of the house. They were all dark though. She looked down at the fence once more. On each side of the entrance there was the symbol of the watertribe. The detail in waves was something to marvel at even though she usually didn't care much for architecture.
She was surprised to find that her doctor lived here. It was all so flashy unlike the man who was beyond the doors. He was always dressed in such a simple manner she knew would have guessed he liked such luxurious things. Maybe that was just about of his uniform for work? It might have been policy to not have anything extra around patients. More importantly anything that could be used as a weapon. Even having a pen around her during certain time could have been proven unsafe. It was understandable for the orderlies to not be allowed to have anything on them but the bare necessities. Korra hoped over the fence and made her way up the steps to the front door. She raised her arm and bawled up her fist. She made a soft yet audible rapping against the door. For a while she heard nothing.
'What if he's already asleep,' she thought? Kavik sounded like the type of person to retire early in the evening. She didn't want to make a lot of noise and wake him up. But she also didn't want to spend her night camped out in front of his doorstep. He was surely going to be angry about her running away. But he would understand it was just what she had to do. She let out a sigh, slouching a bit.
From behind the door she heard heavy footsteps. They stopped in front of the door. She could hear the person turning the lock. As the door opened she was hit by the warmth of a nearby fire and the many smells of some type of spicy dish. Once the door was open cerulean eyes met cool blue.
~~~~~WELCOME TO DOUM-UI DEVELOPMENT CENTER~~~~~ WELCOME TO DOUM-UI DEVELOPMENT CENTER~~~~~WELCOME TO DOUM-UI
That's all for now guys. Do you guys want to see Korra get hurt in this fanfic? If so tell me! You can always reach me through my fanfic & tumblr account. (I use the same username) This story is getting long yet there is so much that hasn't happened yet. Please review and tell what you like or didn't like about this chapter.