Chapter X:
The morning sun radiates unto Korra. The warmth spreads to all parts of her body.
She hates it. No, she loathes it. She does not want to feel warm. She does not want to feel.
With a grunt, she rises from the roof of the building. Iroh soon follows her. He ruffles his own hair and then pushes it back into a neat wave. There are dark circles underneath his eyes. Korra imagines that she too has dark circles underneath her eyes, or worse. She assumes it is worse because as soon as the soldiers look at her, their eyes quickly dart away. The soldier twists her mouth. Of course they would not look at her. She probably looks like death.
The only one who does not look away from Korra is Naga, her faithful companion. She sits at Korra's feet and whines. The dirtied wolf's ears press against her head. Naga nudges her companion's legs. Korra rubs her ears in acknowledgement.
Korra looks eastward. The sun is almost over the horizon. It is the crack of dawn. The sky is pink, yellow, orange, red, blue and purple. A few of the soldiers stand up to look at the sky in awe. Korra rolls her eyes in annoyance. The soldiers act like they have never seen a sunrise before. Iroh rises and begins to quietly talk to a few of the Legionnaires. The ex-gladiator kneels and rummages through her pack to find food for Naga.
A lot of the rations in her pack is dried meat. Absentmindedly, Korra wonders how long these rations will last. How long will it take to push the Equalists out of Rome? How long will it take to capture Amon? Is Asami doing okay, like how Iroh told her she is?
Thinking about the leader of the Equalists makes Korra's body burn. She inhales deeply and remembers Asami's calming voice. She cannot afford to lose her temper here, especially in front of all these men. Korra knows these men are not like Iroh. They would not react so kindly to Korra entering the Avatar State. She resumes digging through her bag of supplies. She pulls out a long strip of beef jerky. Naga's whole body shakes with excitement. A small smile appears on Korra's face as she tosses the piece at Naga. The wolf jumps up into the air and catches it in her mouth.
Within moments, the meat has disappeared into the wolf's stomach. Within moments, Naga once again is asking for food. Another piece is tossed, and then another, and another, until all of the meat in Korra's pack is gone.
"Are you not going to eat anything?" Iroh asks Korra.
She stands up and turns around to face the General. "No, sir," She says. "I am not hungry."
"I see," Iroh says. "Be sure to take care of yourself."
Whatever, Korra snarls inside of her head. I'll take care of myself once Amon is dead.
Instead, she smiles and nods. "Yes, sir." She pulls out a piece of dried mango and shows Iroh it. She puts it in her mouth.
It tastes like sand. Food has tasted awful since Mako's passing.
Korra eats it anyways. She only eats the small slice. Her stomach rumbles in protest; it does not want the food there. The blue eyed girl swallows her disgust. She readies herself. She straps her layered armor on and stands at attention, waiting for an order.
"Let's move out," Iroh says.
They are marching through the eerie streets of Rome again. It seems wrong to not have any people walking down the roads. There should be someone out here. The only sound that echoes is the sound of the Legion's marching and the sound of birds flapping about.
They are marching to a warehouse in the southernmost part of the city. If one went any more south, and you would leave the limits of Rome. Intel says, according to Iroh, the last of the Equalist resistance in Rome is camped out there. Iroh explained to Korra that the information did not come from Asami, but from a different source. Why aren't we using Asami as the intel source? Why are we using someone else who is potentially unreliable? Korra thinks grumpily.
Equalist revolutionaries in the Roman colonies is a different story. The Equalists completely took over the colonies and purged many of them of benders. After securing Rome, Iroh told Korra that the Legion will reestablish order in the colonies. This revolution is too big to put down by force, Korra thinks. We need new laws in this damned Empire.
Her mind wanders to the possibility that Amon is in the warehouse. If Amon is there, Asami should be as well. Korra finds it unlikely that Amon would be residing in such a blatant location. Her gut tells her that Amon is hiding somewhere within Rome.
Only two of the six sects of Legion are not assaulting the warehouse. Where were those two units going? Maybe they are reserves, Korra thinks. Maybe they can't afford to send all troops in. Whatever.
The hot Iunius sun beats down on Korra. She feels like she is being fried alive in her armor. Her helmet keeps tipping forward and her hair is wet from sweat. Her thick brown hair sticks to her neck in a sweaty mess. She resists the urge to wipe it away. Instead, she keeps marching forward, blue eyes glued to the path in front of her.
The soldiers are marching in a formation, but not like the ones before. They march with their spears upwards against their arms and their shields to their right side. The Legionnaires are not as packed together as they were before. Their ranks are spread out since the streets have gotten progressively wider. Korra is still in the very front line. She marches on the fringes. Iroh is some place different, though. He is with another sect of the Legion, giving them guidance and orders. Naga pads several feet in front of Korra, nose to the ground. Occasionally she lifts her nose off the ground and dashes ahead, sticking her head in barrels.
Finally, Korra can see people in the streets. To her relief, they do not appear to be Equalists. When the Legion march past the people, Korra looks at the small children whose eyes are wide in awe. She tears her eyes off of the children and looks ahead. The people do not cheer for the soldiers. Korra finds this strange, as it is customary for civilians to encourage their army. The spectators do not boo the soldiers, either. They simply stare at the soldiers as they march past. It sends a shiver of anxiety down Korra's spine. That's just weird.
When they approach the warehouse, the four sects merge into one. The warehouse is massive. There are several large windows on the face of the warehouse. They are shuttered off. The whole warehouse looks old and abandoned. Perfect for an Equalist hideout.
The large wooden doors are nearly as big of those of the palace. The door seems to stand further in the doorway. Too far in the doorway. Korra squints upwards. In between where the door stands and the outside is what looks to be a portcullis. Why the fuck is a portcullis in a warehouse? Korra looks over the entrance again. The door looks like it was moved somehow. Giant dents in the wall indicate that the hinges and the door itself were moved farther back into the doorway. But why?
Iroh weaves through the soldiers to stand in the front. He places a hand on the door and knocks. The sound echoes duly throughout the quiet ranks of the Legion. Korra looks at the General in confusion. It is not like the Equalists are going to let them in if they knock politely.
"The door is thick. Reinforced, probably," Iroh notes. He raises a hand and beckons.
The row of soldiers parts in the middle. Several soldiers on each side hold a massive tree trunk. Towards the front end of the trunk is a pointed, sharp, head that will drive into the locked doors.
The men holding onto the battering ram are sweating with strain. Iroh closes his fist and the soldiers chargee forward. The doors whine and creak against the power of the ram. The General's hand opens again and the soldiers step back. When his fist closes, the soldiers charge forward. The door wavers and buckles. After one last charge, the doors crack open with a loud groan.
"Well done," Iroh compliments. "Let's move in."
"Stay here, girl," Korra warns. "You can go exploring but do not wander far."
Naga bobs her head in acknowledgment and wags her tail. She barks happily and bounds off towards the barrels she had stuck her head in.
The soldiers file into the warehouse, spears raised and ready for combat. Iroh walks in with Korra. He looks around the dark warehouse. The doors allow a block of light in, but it only goes so far. Beyond the light from the broken doors, only a thin stream of sunlight pours in from a hole in the shutter. Otherwise, the warehouse is completely dark, especially in the nooks and crannies.
They file through the warehouse, certain groups splitting certain ways. Korra and Iroh walk up shoddy staircases to reach the top floor of the warehouse. He stops some place behind her. The building is eerily silent. Korra's eyes adjust to the dim lighting. Her breath quickens slightly. With her shield forward, and spear pointed in front of her, she creeps slowly across the top floor. Her knees are bent. She looks over the edge of the warehouse.
It turns out the top "floor" of the warehouse is not a floor at all. It is simply a walkway that winds around the entire warehouse. In the middle, there is no place to walk. Korra looks down over the edge of the railing. She can see the soldiers looking around. A few of the firebenders carry a small orb of flame in their hands.
A light appears behind Korra. She whips around and raises her spear towards the transgressor. A sigh of relief escapes her lips. It is only Iroh, with a goofy half-smile on his face.
"Easy there, tiger," He chuckles. His dimples only seem to grow larger when he is smiling. It irritates Korra.
Korra lowers her spear and her jaw throbs. She continues walking around the tier. There are no Equalists. None at all. Korra paces back and forth anxiously. She begins to growl in frustration, much like a wolf would. She wants Equalist blood and she wants it now. She wants Amon's head in her hands.
Just like what he did to Mako. Korra shudders at the thought. Her helmet slides forward once again. She holds her spear and shield in one hand. With her other free hand, she rips her helmet off and throws it to the ground.
"Where are they?" Korra snarls. "Shouldn't they be here?"
Iroh purses his lips. His eyes widen with realization. He opens his mouth to shout.
The portcullis comes crashing down moments later. Parts of the ceiling are opened. Many holes are opened in the ceiling across the warehouse. Light once again fills the soldier's eyes.
Korra stares in horror of what comes down them. It looks like liquid fire. And it is splattering across the soldiers. They scream in pain as the fire sizzles against their skin. What the fuck is this monstrosity of an invention?
"It's a trap! Look for a back door! Escape at all costs before this whole place burns down. Waterbenders! Find a solution!" Iroh yells.
A pool of fire pours down a few inches in front of Korra. She leaps backwards and puts her shield up over her head. Another body of fire lands on Korra. She can feel the heat through her shield. The fire rolls off of the shield and onto the ground around her. Out of her side, she pulls out her skin of water. She directs the water towards the fire. She drops the water on it. To her horror, it only lights the water on fire as soon as it touches the ground. What?!
The heat of this flame is like nothing Korra has experienced before. It feels hotter than regular flame. Regular fire seems cool in comparison to this evil flame.
The few waterbenders below quickly discover that water is useless against this fire.
A hole in the ceiling opens above Iroh. A section of fire lands directly on top of Iroh. He tries to leap out of the way, but his chest and legs catch on fire, despite the armor. The flame seems to find the cloth openings of the armor. Iroh cries out in pain as the fire begins to spread. He tries slapping the fire out, but that only causes for his hand to catch on fire. The smell of cooked human flesh reaches Korra's nostrils. Her stomach heaves and its contents spill around her.
Korra flails her arms and looks around in panic. The fire has landed in a perfect circle around her. Now the smell of her cooking vomit fills her nose. She elects to breathe out of her mouth instead. She throws her spear and shield to the side. With a deep breath, she jumps over the tall flames with airbending. She lands next to Iroh.
She looks around quickly to ensure no one is looking. Iroh lays unconscious and burning at her feet. With one hand, she beckons the fire towards her. This does not fire only replenishes itself, no matter how much fire she takes away. She panics. She draws her hand back and produces a large blast of air. The force of the blast picks Iroh up off the ground. He crashes against the wall. Korra flinches. But, to her relief, the fire went out on his body. She bends over to pick him up.
He looks awful; burns cover his face and exposed skin. Korra looks to see soldiers climbing up the staircases. A man shouts to his comrades about reaching the window and escaping. A large band of men follow him. She looks to where they are heading. The windows!
Korra carries the General bridal style and she runs towards the shuttered windows with the help of airbending. Korra inhales deeply and lets out a large blast of airbending. The shutters do not move. Of course they aren't going to move, you idiot! There's a window in front of them! Korra charges through the window and the shutters fly open. She is flying into the air uncontrollably. Others follow behind her. Korra her lessens the fall with airbending. She lands on her back with Iroh on top of her. Shards of glass and wood land with her.
Other soldiers jump out of the windows with nothing to dampen their fall. Crunch. Crash. The bodies drop like flies. A few stand from the fall; others are not so lucky.
The crowd that had watched the soldiers march past are gone. Not a single one remains. They were the ones who killed us, Korra realizes bitterly.
The ex-gladiator pulls the General off of her. Naga bounds to her and whines and tilts her head. The two sects of the Legion that had not joined them before tend to the escapees that were wounded. Slowly, less and less bodies leap out of the windows. The flame consumes the warehouse. There are not many survivors. Then, suddenly, the fire stops as the warehouse crumbles to the ground. How the…?!
What just happened? And why aren't the Equalists going after those who escape? How did the fire suddenly stop?
Korra lays Iroh gently on the ground. She runs around and looks for a well. She finds one quickly and brings a string of water with her. She begins to heal Iroh's wounds. To her surprise, they heal just as they normally would save for one thing: they are leaving scars. They are a nasty red and pink color.
Within moments, Iroh blinks awake. He groans. His amber eyes meet her blue ones. Korra decides that his eyes are too much like Mako's. She breaks eye contact immediately.
"You saved me, Korra," He says weakly.
Korra does not answer.
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The guard opens the door. He is masked, tall, and intimidating. Asami Sato walks through the door, head ducked to avoid looking at the guard. Upon entering the room, she lifts her gaze. Hatred brews deep within her being at the sight of the man in front of her. She keeps her cool. She manages to keep her face friendly.
"I see your father did have an influence on you after all. I knew your true calling was here and not at that fool's palace. Your father always spoke highly of you," Amon says. He turns around.
To Asami's surprise, he is not wearing a mask. Amon is tan, similar to how Korra is. Strange. His jaw is large and chiseled. His hair is neat yet untamed at the same time. It flows in the same direction, but towards the end it flips up in different directions. He has side burns that trail down his jawline. His eyes are a stormy gray. His thick eyebrows are set in a permanent frown. If Asami did not hate him so much, he would be very handsome.
She is also relieved to finally know the location of Amon. They are currently in man-made tunnels underneath the outskirts of the city that have been abandoned for decades. The tunnels have allegedly been forgotten about. Bolin said that when hunting with Mako and Naga for the second time, they discovered the entrance to these tunnels but did not enter them. So these tunnels were not so secret as the Equalists would like to think.
"Yes, he did. My father showed me the truth; the light," Asami answers. She holds her hands together in front of her. "The guards said you requested my presence?"
"I did," Amon says in a low voice. "Come here."
Asami's heart races as she walks forward slowly. She bites her lip nervously.
"You are very beautiful. My men were not exaggerating your physical prowess, " Amon notes. "I am a champion of equality, and a champion needs his companion. I want you."
He strokes the green eyed girl's hair slowly, his hand moving from the top of her head to her shoulders. She shudders at the contact. The hair on the back of her neck raises.
"Of course, my lord," Asami says quietly with a fake smile.
"Do your champion a favor," Amon says with a smirk. "Get on your knees."
Asami kneels on the ground, mind racing for a way to get out of this situation. Her head is bowed, trying to avoid looking at Amon. She can hear Amon fumbling with his trousers. She keeps her eyes pointedly at the ground. An idea springs into her mind.
"My lord?" She asks.
He takes a fistful of her hair. She can feel him pulling her head slowly forward. "Yes?"
"I would rather wait until...marriage to engage in such activities," Asami says slyly.
She hears another fumbling of clothes. "You are so pure. I love it," Amon says. "So be it. I will respect your wishes. Rise." Despite Amon being impressed, Asami can tell he is disappointed. Men always want sex.
Asami stands up from the ground. She smiles brightly, "Thank you, my champion."
Amon tugs at the bulge in his pants, attempting to adjust it. The tips of his ears are bright red. "Of course. I will hold that promise of marriage, however. After I take the throne, we will marry. Then we may do as we please," He says.
"That sounds wonderful," Asami cooes. "Any progress for the cause today?" Asami asks innocently.
Amon smiles back. "You have true dedication to our cause! I am most impressed. And yes. One of my double agents informed the wretched benders where we were 'hiding.'"
"A trap! That is so brilliant!" Asami beams.
Amon's grin widens. It looks cruel and maniacal. "They were cornered in a large building. We used the weapon against them," He laughs. It is not loud. It is quiet and invasive.
Asami's eyes widen, but she recovers quickly. "The fire?" She gasps.
He stops laughing, but his smile remains. "Yes. The unquenchable sun fire. Your father helped engineer it."
Asami had already known all about the 'sun fire'. She had snooped through the tunnels and found pots and pots of black and green liquid. She asked the guard what it was. He explained to her that when lit on fire, the mixture would stay lit and would act like water and fire combined. Asami then told the guard who she was. The guard seemed surprised that she did not know what the mixture was. He told her that Hiroshi Sato had invented the mixture. Asami was horrified at the thought her father was behind such destruction.
She still is.
"So what happened?" The pale girl asks. She cozies up to Amon's side. He wraps an arm around her. I need to keep this charade going...
"A few escaped, according to my sources. But a whole entire section of the Legion was wiped out. Most burned. Others jumped out of windows and either lived or died. To my annoyance, their general survived because of this tan woman. This trap was intended to remove the general from power...permanently," Amon says.
"You truly are a tactical genius," Asami compliments.
Amon looks pleased with himself, "Obviously."
"I should be going now, one of your engineers wanted help with something," Asami says with a smile.
"I wouldn't want to keep you from work," Amon says hesitantly.
"Thank you for everything, my lord," Asami curtsies. She walks out of the room but before she exits, she winks and blows a kiss at Amon. Works every time, Asami thinks smugly.
She walks aimlessly throughout the tunnels, nodding and saluting at Equalists. She meanders towards one of the entrance of the tunnels. This entrance is used rarely, she had observed. No one but a few Equalists use it for a peeing spot. She hikes her robe up to her thighs as she crawls upwards on the dirt of the tunnel. When she reaches the exit of the tunnel, she pushes the bushes aside.
Asami stands up and looks around. "Bolin?" She whispers loudly.
Someone falls out of the tree. Asami jumps up in surprise. She goes to investigate. Bolin fell out of a tree. She looks at him disapprovingly. An eyebrow raises as she looks down, slight frown on her face.
"Sorry," Bolin says sheepishly.
"You are simply awful at this," Asami rolls her eyes.
"You were moved from an Equalist building to the housing district to this spot. Is this where he is?" Bolin asks, a little impatient. He is itching to know if this is where Amon is hiding.
Asami nods. "Yes," she whispers. "Inform the Emperor. I'll devise a plan in the meantime. And hurry! Who knows how long he will be here!"
"Alright, alright! I'm going," Bolin huffs and sprints off.
Bolin returns exactly a day later, just as planned. Asami is waiting for him. He comes running. He comes alone. He grinds to a stop inches in front of Asami. She ruffles his hair playfully.
"I'm glad you are back so soon," Asami admits.
"Good to see you too, sister," Bolin smiles. "The remainder of Rome's Legion has mobilized to the outskirts of the city. I made sure to make it seem they were resolving some civilian issue, and not mobilizing against Equalists to make sure they wouldn't run," He says proudly.
Asami ruffles Bolin's hair again and holds his head. "Bolin, you genius!" She quietly yells.
Bolin grins as he flexes. "Fuck yeah, I'm awesome. So, fellow genius, do you have a plan or what?"
"I do, actually. We do not need a lot of soldiers, either."
"I'm all ears."
"Alright. Here's the plan. All you have to do is relay the plan to the Legion, and then stay out of the mess that comes after it. Understood?"
Bolin nods in understanding.
" The majority of the soldiers will storm the main entrance of the tunnels, not the obscure ones." Asami pulls her robe upwards so she does not soil it. She kneels on the ground and draws in the dirt. She draws a primitive diagram of all the tunnels.
"Is this the entire tunnel complex?" Bolin asks.
"Yeah…?"
"That's insane! How can you remember all of that?" Bolin gestures wildly at the imprints of dirt.
"Well, I've been down there a while now."
"Four days, Asami, four days. That's not a long time at all!"
A faint red tints Asami's cheeks. "Anyways. This, of course will cause a panic within the ranks of the Equalists. I suggest that the plan is carried out at night time. I have recently discovered Amon is a lustful man. Spirits. He has a certain...affection for me and I-"
"Did he do anything to you?" Bolin's face is set in a hard frown.
"No. I got out of it."
"How?"
"I promised to marry him," Asami shrugs. "Men are simple. Well, most men," She adds.
Bolin facepalms. "Back to the plan."
"While the Equalists hold off the soldiers throughout the tunnels, I will bring Amon to this area. He will trust me, and he will want to escape. A small group of ten Legionnaires will already be here, waiting. When Amon and I come up, they will spring out of the cover," Asami explains.
"But no ordinary soldier could take down Amon. Not even ten of them!" Bolin exclaims.
"That's why I will be the one to take Amon down," Asami says. "With chi-blocking. And then a shield to the head, for added effect."
"Daaaamn girl," Is all Bolin says.
"Then, we bring Amon to the Arena. And Korra will kill him. That's what she said she wanted to do, anyways," Asami finishes.
"And all of this will be over," Bolin sighs.
Maybe Mako can finally rest in peace.
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"And why exactly am I not with them right now? I should be with them. I should be with her!" Korra growls. Her fists are clenched at her sides. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Iroh raises a hand. "Peace, Korra." There is a large, pink scar over his face. The scar covers where the visor of his helmet scars are ugly. His eyebrows are singed off, but the skin near the eyebrows themselves are not scarred. Korra tears her gaze away and glares at the ground. She inhales until her lungs are filled. She exhales slowly, letting the air calm her. It only works a little.
"You aren't there right now because of your personal feelings towards both Amon and Asami," Iroh explains. "Bolin explained the plan to my men, who then explained it to me. Asami's plan is excellent. There is little room for things to go wrong, it seems."
"That's not good enough!" She nearly yells. Tears sting the corner of Korra's eyes. "I have to protect her…"
"Everyone in this mission had a choice, Korra. A choice not not given to most. Asami is knowingly taking this risk. She understands the dangers, and the consequences, as do my soldiers. You need to respect my orders," Iroh says, voice firm. "This is exactly why I did not send you. You are a great fighter, but you let your emotions control you."
"So much is at stake. I thought…" Korra wipes her eyes, removing any evidence of tears.
Iroh places a hand on Korra's shoulder. "The plan will work, I am sure of it."
Korra frowns. She shrugs the hand away. "I'm going to the Arena."
Naga's ears perk up as she follows Korra. The tan teenager opens the door, gives a last look at Iroh, and leaves, shutting the door behind her. The door opens behind her. Korra glances over her shoulder. Iroh walks with her.
"I'm going with you," Iroh says.
"The healers said you had to stay in your room," Korra points out.
"I'm great. I've never been better," Iroh smiles. At least his teeth are still white.
"Fine," Korra mutters, even though she does not want his company.
They leave Iroh's house. Rome is quiet. It is a little past twilight, and there is not a single cloud in the sky. The moon, although not full, shines brightly. The walk is silent, save for the sound of their feet hitting the road.
Korra knocks on the door leading into the Colosseum. A guard opens the door. His eyes widen with recognition. He steps back, pulling the door back further. The general and gladiator walk through together. Naga rushes ahead of them, sprinting towards the medicine den.
Korra spots Lin pacing. Lin looks up from the ground and sees Korra. She rushes over to her and pulls her into a tight hug. Iroh stands there, not knowing what to say or do.
"I'm glad you are okay, kid," She says roughly.
"You're getting soft, Lin," Korra smiles.
Her trainer lets go of her. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
"Is Katara awake?"
"Well if she wasn't before, she is now," Lin chuckles. "Who is that young man over there?"
"That's General Iroh, Lin."
"Oh. I suppose I should have known that." Lin lowers her voice, "I did not recognize him with the scar."
"Probably." Korra answers in a normal voice.
Lin rolls her eyes in mock annoyance. "Don't sass me, kid," She warns.
Iroh clears his throat. The trainer and trainee turn to look at him. "Has the Emperor informed you and Varrick of the plan?"
Lin nods, "Yes, he came here personally. This arena is built for fifty-thousand spectators. I imagine the Colosseum will be filled. We will provide appropriate accommodations for the fight. Multiple fail-safes will be installed. Amon will leave this arena dead, one way or another."
Korra revels in the thought of Amon dying at her own hand. She gives a final nod to Iroh and Lin. "I am going to go talk to Katara."
She walks into the medicine den. Katara is laying down on her bed in the corner of the room. Naga is on the bed, curled up in a ball. Katara's back is propped up by pillows and it appears she is reading a scroll. A small candle is on her bedside drawer.
How can she read…? Slaves aren't taught how to read…
Korra clears her throat. Katara sets down the scroll. "Hello, dear," Katara greets warmly.
"Hello," comes the tentative voice of Korra.
"What brings you here so late in the night?"
Korra frowns. "Well, Asami is doing a crazy dangerous mission right now. Iroh won't let me go but I want to know if she's okay myself. I have to know. I hate waiting. I have to know she's alive..."
"The Avatar can project his or her spirit, you know," Katara says.
"Really?"
"Yes. And so can normal folk, with enough practice."
"Tell me how to do it!" Korra begs.
"Close your eyes."
The tan teenager closes her blue eyes. "Imagine where you want to go," Katara continues. "Or whom you want to be with."
Korra pictures Asami in her mind's eye. "Let go of your physical body, and anything else that may be keeping you here. Find your spirit and push outwards."
"I'm guessing you've done this before," Korra observes.
"Hush! Focus," Katara says.
Korra has no problem letting go of her physical body. She imagines her spirit leaving and coming back like the tides. She does not feel anything special. She lets out a frustrated sigh.
"Let go of your anger, Korra."
"How can I? It has always been a part of who I am."
"You are much more than just your anger, Korra. Look deeper inside you."
What does that even mean? Korra thinks grumpily. She tries to imagine her spirit bursting free of all her troubles. Her issues with Kuvira. The guilt of killing living creatures. But she cannot seem to move past Mako's death. A few involuntary tears streak down her face. She swallows back her pain and tries to break free.
Korra opens her eyes. She is looking up at the night sky. She sees the moon. I did it! She looks around and spots Asami. She runs over to her to greet Asami but passes straight through her. Asami does not notice Korra. The gladiator looks down at her own body. It is a clear blue. It is bright. It looks just like her eyes. Everything sounds strange. Everything feels strange. Sh feels as if she is part of the air and surroundings. The voices sound muddled, like she is hearing them from underwater. Strange.
Amon is right behind her. He asks her how she knew about the obscure tunnel and adjusts his mask. Soldiers jump out of bushes and from behind trees. Asami puts her fists up to fight, as does Amon. He makes his way towards a soldier and attacks him. One soldier goes down, and then another, and another.
Asami comes up from behind Amon and punches underneath his arms. Both of his arms go limp. She kicks at his legs and his knees go out. He is immobilized and on his knees. A soldier takes a shield and slams Amon's head with it. Amon collapses to the ground, unconscious. They begin to tie him up in different places. First his hands, then his feet, then his arms to his torso. They bind his legs together. And finally, his whole entire body. There is no way he could escape, Korra observes.
She watches Asami. She looks disheveled. She wipes her sweaty brow and flicks the perspiration away. Korra sighs with relief. Asami is alive. She closes her eyes. She returns to the medicine den.
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Korra pulls her helmet on and flips down the visor. The strange helmet does not cover her cheeks, only her forehead and nose. She grabs a large trident. She secures her arm armor and adjusts her chest binding and loin cloth. Korra looks down at her toned stomach.
The scars from the bear claws are more shiny than the rest of her skin. The scars are visible, much to Korra's distress. But she refused to be treated differently than a normal gladiator. She did not want any extra armor. It would be an unwanted advantage. In hindsight, Korra wishes she would have taken that armor Damn my stubbornness.
Lin straps armor onto Korra's legs. The armor stops at her knees. Several daggers hang from Korra's side. A gladius hangs limp on the other. She bends over to grab a net.
Asami and Bolin watch Korra with worried expressions on their faces. Lin rises from the ground and pats Korra's shoulder and walks away. The gladiator rolls her shoulder blades, causing her armor to move with her. She cracks her neck. She does little jumps on the balls on her feet. She is more than ready to fight. She craves to feel Amon's blood on her hands.
With a final sigh, she steps through the portcullis. A hand grabs hers and Korra stops in her tracks. She turns around. Asami is gripping onto her hand. She is so strong, Korra thinks absentmindedly.
"Come back alive," Asami pleads.
"I will," The Avatar promises. Not for you, though. I need to fulfill my promise to Mako before I die.
"I know you'll beat him, Korra!" Bolin smiles nervously. He is trying to hide his anxiety but it is not working all that well. "Avenge my brother and our friend."
Korra nods once, eager to go fight. "I'll come back when Amon is dead," She says without looking back.
She jogs to the center of the Arena, twirling the trident in her hand. The crowd roars like it never has before. It actually hurts Korra's ears. She raises her trident into the air with one hand. The crowd's response is near deafening. The gladiator grins. Adrenaline pounds through her veins. She is ready.
Bataar stands from the large throne in the stands. He puts a hand upwards. The crowd quiets immediately.
"Over the past year, the Equalists have gripped the outskirts of Rome in a reign of terror. That ends today. Amon will fight for his life against our very own Korra Bear-Slayer, captain of the Polar Wolves and a hero of the Legion!" Bataar announces.
The crowd cheers. The opposite portcullis opens. Amon steps out. His steps are slow and he drags his feet against the dirt of the arena. He too is wearing armor. He is wearing light armor with a large spear and shield. His chest, neck and head are protected, but his legs and waist are bare. The crowd boos. He reaches the center of the arena and stops a few feet away from Korra.
"Amon is guilty of killing non-benders and benders alike. If he truly wanted a revolution, perhaps he should have been more careful with who he murdered. Hundreds of non-benders were killed in a warehouse ambush. His hypocrisy ends today!" Bataar declares.
Korra looks up and salutes to the Emperor. I want his blood. I want to feel his bones crack underneath my strength. I want him dead.
"Begin!"
A bell rings.
The two opponents circle each other.
"I'm glad I killed your friend. Rome will find Equality whether I live or die. So do your worst, scum," Amon taunts.
Korra snarls and closes the gap. Amon lunges forward with his spear. With both hands on the trident, she parries the blow. She counter attacks, aiming for Amon's head. He raises his shield, and the trident stabs through. The blow barely goes through the shield but Amon can see the spikes of the trident sticking through, inches away from his face.
Amon cackles as Korra tries to pull the trident free. He stabs at Korra, also aiming at her head. She turns her face to avoid being stabbed. The spear cuts through Korra's cheek. The crowd gasps.
Blood drips down the gladiator's cheek. The wound stings and burns. With a final tug, the trident comes out. Korra throws the net over Amon as she backs away. The net surrounds Amon. The leader of the Equalists struggles to get out of the net's grip.
Korra drives her trident into Amon's shield. He falls over and out of the net. He springs back up, several dents in his shield. With a wide horizontal arc, he swings his spear at Korra. With her armored hand, she knocks the spear downwards so it stabs the ground. With a firm kick, she snaps the spear in half.
Amon drops the shaft of the spear onto the ground. He draws his gladius.
"Looks like you aren't as good as you thought you were!" Korra yells.
Amon charges forward with a roar. He easily sidesteps Korra's swing of the trident. He swings the sword at Korra's side. She moves the shaft of her trident downward, and the attack from the sword hits the trident instead of Korra. With the butt of her trident, she hits Amon on the head. It knocks his helmet off. He stumbles backwards.
He seems dazed from being hit in the head. He lets out a loud groan as he tries to steady himself. Korra charges forward again. She stabs the shield on purpose. When her trident becomes lodged in it, she twists it and pulls the shield. The shield is ripped out of Amon's grasp.
He only has his sword and armor left. His legs are quivering from exertion. Korra takes a deep breath in and advances again. She has the advantage. She knows this. Amon makes a slash towards Korra's neck. She moves to parry but the attack was a distraction. Amon changes the direction of his sword. He stabs it downwards straight into Korra's leg.
The sword pierces through her thigh. He pulls it back. Korra screams out in pain. She can hear Asami crying out.
The pain racks through her entire body. She drops her trident. Blood oozes out of her wound. A wave of energy surges through Korra. No! Not here. She pushes the temptation to lose herself away.
Amon moves to stab Korra's neck. She lifts her armored arm to protect herself. The sword lodges itself into the armor of her arm. When Amon tries to pull it out, it is stuck. He struggles against Korra.
Everything is becoming hazy. It is hard to stand. With her other hand, Korra draws her own gladius and drives it straight forward.
Amon has hardly any time to react. The sword pierces through Amon's neck. His eyes widen. His body goes limp. He looks around, eyes darting all over the place. He is coughing and sputtering.
He is still alive.
Korra smiles. Good.
She slowly draws the sword out of his neck, blood spurts out. Amon's mouth is gaping wide open. His eyes begin to roll back. With one final stab, she stabs into and up Amon's mouth. There is a crunching and snapping sound as the sword comes out the other side of his skull. A piece of cranium shoots out and lands on the dirt. He falls to the ground in a pile of blood shortly after.
The crowd screams in joy.
Korra looks around for her trident. She bends over to grab it and uses it as a crutch.
The gladiator looks at the body of the dead Equalist.
Killing him felt good in the moment. Now, she did not feel so good.
This is what Mako would have done for me, she tells herself.
There is no time for second guessing.
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A few weeks later…
Mako's body is not there for the funeral, as Iroh said it would be. A small group gathers around a pyre. Varrick, Lin, Korra, Bolin, Asami, Iroh and the Emperor's family stand around the small funeral pyre. The Spiritual Leader is directing the small funeral. On top of the stack of wood lies Mako's scarf and a few of his belongings along with his favorite foods.
Naga sits on Korra's feet. She stares blankly at the pyre. She feels nothing, again. Killing Amon should have fixed this feeling of emptiness…
Pabu sits on Bolin's shoulder. He is sobbing quietly. Asami strokes his shoulders. Tears stream down her face, too. Korra can feel her heart breaking all over again, but she does not cry. Someone says a few words about life. and how it goes on after death. Korra does not hear them; she does not understand them.
She blinks in surprise at the intensity of the flame. Mako would be proud. A broken sound escapes Korra's lips. It is between a cry and a moan. It sounds ragged and sharp. It still hurts. Why does it still hurt?! Previous thoughts of escape pour into her mind.
Get away get away get away. Run. Run. Run. Escape. Escape. Escape.
The funeral passes in a blur. Korra is not there; Korra is not anywhere. She cannot even hear what people are saying. And when it is her turn to speak, a croak escapes her mouth. So she says nothing.
When the fire dies out, the Spirit Guide murmurs a few words of parting, biding Mako's spirit to rest in peace. Korra blankly says goodbye to everyone with a fake smile. Asami hugs her, but the contact does not register. Bolin pats her shoulder and pulls her into a hug.
The broken hero walks to her new house alone. Asami wanted to take care of Naga for some time to take her mind off of things. Korra allowed this. She wanted to be alone, anyways. This war has scarred her.
The Emperor definitely kept his promise. She is wealthy. She is set for life. Korra retired from the arena indefinitely. Korra opens the door to her house. It is small, it is sufficient for one person, perhaps two. She did not want anything big; just something sufficient to live in.
She spots something in the corner.
The wine had finally arrived.
A large amphora stands in the corner of the room. Korra limps to grab a goblet from the cupboard. She opens the lid of the container and dips her cup in. She fills the goblet to the rim with wine. She drinks it all in a few gulps. She fills another cup and she drinks.
She drinks.
She drinks.
She drinks.
END OF PART I
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Iunius- June
Gladius- A short, Roman, sword used primarily for stabbing
Amphora- A large, clay, vase that is used to store wine.
A/N: Well, here it is folks.
Thank you to everyone who helped me with the story. A few of your guys' reviews inspired me for plot points to occur in Part I and Part II. For those who did not like me basing this story off of the canon: I have my reasons. Amon is the only antagonist that will appear as he does in the canon. The Equalist rebellion made sense to me. It fits in with the Roman history. There were slave revolts, revolutions to bring down crazy dictators. The Equalists, in this Universe, are no different. Part II will be produced within a few weeks. I need to plot all of my crazy thoughts out.
*REJECTED PART I IDEAS*: Roman Gods, Zutara, Korrasami smut, Bolin's death, Naga's death, Katara's death, alien invasion, witchcraft, and a nice, non-bitchy, Kuvira, happy endings.
Until next time, readers. Once again, thank you to all of you. I seriously love you guys. You keep me going! ~Chemistry God (a.k.a Blindside God).
Playlist for Part I
1. Vode An- Republic Commando Theme Song
2. Centuries- Fall Out Boy
3. Blow Me Away ft. Valora- Breaking Benjamin
4. Animal I Have Become- Three Days Grace
5. Getting Away With Murder- Papa Roach
6. She Wolf ft. Sia- David Guetta
7. The Promise- In This Moment
8. Whispers in the Dark- Skillet
9. Angels Fall- Breaking Benjamin
10. The Other Side- Woodkid