Hey everyone! I'm in a pretty good mood today because I finished editing all of the chapters for Part I of History last night! Wooooooooh! To celebrate, I'm posting another chapter! This one is a bit short (or at least, it felt that way), but oh snap!
Haha.
Anyway, enjoy!
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Chapter 10
Suspicious
Asami and Naga ran side-by-side down the sidewalk. Various pedestrians hollered at them as they dodged their path. The heiress didn't care. She whipped around a corner and sprinted down two more blocks. The polar bear dog was close behind.
Even if she has some more clues, even if we can get closer to where Korra might have been or might be heading to pick up a trail… what if she knows where Korra went? What if Korra is there and she just didn't hear the buzzer? Maybe she was sleeping or knocked out or hurt, but she could be there.
They passed through most of the Downtown District and travelled south. The hospital was a few streets away.
"Naga, you need to wait outside. You can't come into the hospital." The Non-Bender hollered as they advanced on the infirmary.
She barked and dashed to the side of the entrance.
Asami pushed her way through the doors and halted. She scanned the area as she caught her breath. She met the eye of several people in the waiting room but ignored the stares.
"Can I help you, Asami?" The receptionist beckoned her from the front desk.
She approached the counter. "You remember me?"
"Yes, I do. You don't see a Sato every day, ya know. At least in person and not as a flyer in a magazine. Plus, after the number of times you've made appointments for Korra – well, I guess I've just gotten used to your name on our files as her local caretaker. Anyways, what can I do to help you?"
"I'm looking for Urkoma. Is she in?"
"She actually just left about ten minutes ago since her shift was up. Is everything alright?"
Asami clenched her hands, though they were out of sight of the hospital worker. "Has she mentioned anything about Korra lately? Or has Korra been in at all?"
"No, she hasn't."
She sighed and pushed away from the front desk. "Alright… thank-you…" She turned from the receptionist with disappointment in her stature and didn't pay any mind to the rest of the woman's words.
Naga perked up from the ground when the raven exited.
"No luck, Naga. She left the hospital already and they haven't seen Korra or heard anything about her." She walked up to the now-sad polar bear dog and scratched her ear. "Let's go back to her apartment. Maybe she's returned since then by a different route."
The animal whined and sulked beside her as they walked.
If she hasn't even mentioned Korra, then she probably hasn't seen her.
You don't know that. She could be keeping it a secret, especially if Korra's in danger. She wouldn't want to risk her safety for some office chatter.
Asami thought to the threat burning a hole in her pocket and the note in her sleeve that stung her wrist.
Yeah, maybe you're right.
"Asami? Is that you?"
The Non-Bender glanced up to see a Water Tribe woman with two braids calling to her across the street next to a market booth. "Urkoma!" She almost sprinted up to the woman, oblivious to any vehicles that might have been zipping by.
"Asami, what's –"
"Have you seen Korra lately? Please tell me you have."
Naga stood next to the Healer with a wagging tail.
Urkoma glanced between the two of them, a paper bag of groceries in her hands. "I haven't seen Korra since her last session. Asami, what's going on?"
The duo deflated. Naga sunk into the ground and the engineer held her elbows. "Korra's – Korra's disappeared. She ran away and we've been tracking her throughout the City. The last spot we traced her to was the steps of your apartment."
"Korra was at my apartment?"
She nodded. "Her parents are there right now waiting to speak to you, in case you were heading back before I found you. They came up to visit her with Naga."
"Ah, yes. I do remember Korra telling me about that during one of our sessions. She didn't seem all that thrilled about seeing her parents... Is that why she left?"
Asami sighed and withdrew. "I'm not completely sure, to be honest." She lied. She knew the accumulation of reasons for why Korra would leave – the college, Kuru, her parents…
Me?
Why would she leave because of you?
She thought to the letter the Southerner left for her.
I…
Asami, Urkoma's waiting for you. Deal with this later.
She took a breath and stared into the woman's eyes. "When I searched her dorm, I found a dismissal letter from the college."
"They kicked her out? Why?"
The raven crossed her arms. "Student code of conduct violations. It's ridiculous, it's fucking ridiculous. If anything, it should be Sentai and Kuru who –"
"Asami, Asami, relax. What violations?"
She exhaled and lowered her chin.
"What did Korra get herself into?"
"I'll explain on the way to your place, if that's alright with you. I need to meet back up with Korra's parents."
Urkoma nodded. "Let's go."
(-)
The sun was setting by the time the trio reached Urkoma's apartment. Tonraq and Senna were curled into each other on the base of the steps. They rose when the group approached them.
"You must be Urkoma." He offered his hand. "I'm Tonraq, Korra's father."
"Urkoma, of the Northern Water Tribe," she replied with a sting in her voice as she accepted his shake, knowing full well who he was.
"And this is my wife, Senna."
The Southerner gave her a small bow.
"Have you heard anything from Korra? Have you seen her?" The Water Tribe Warrior inquired, his tone weary though his posture was alert.
She shook her head. "I didn't even know she was missing. Asami filled in the details on the way here. If she was at my stoop, she either didn't ring the bell or did and I wasn't there. In that case, I'd figure she'd wait outside the hospital for me if she really needed me." Urkoma glanced at the horizon, contemplating. She forced herself to offer the Southerners refuge, despite her displeasure for wanting to do so; she already didn't favor the former heir to the Northern Chief, and her knowledge of their treatment of Korra only worsened her judgment of the pair. She let out a sigh. "Come on, you should come inside. It's going to get dark soon, and it's not all that safe to be out in Republic City at night these days. You can stay at my place if you'd like." She unlocked the door and held it open for them.
"Thank-you, Urkoma. We appreciate your hospitality."
Senna stopped her husband from entering. "But what about Naga? She can't fit up that tiny hallway."
"I'll take care of Naga." Asami intervened from the bottom of the stairs. "There are plenty of places I know of where she and I can stay for the night. We'll meet up with you two in the morning to start fresh."
Tonraq hesitated. "Are you sure about that, Asami?"
She nodded and put a hand on the polar bear dog at her side. "How about it, Naga?"
The animal glimpsed back and forth between the Water Tribe Natives and Asami. After a moment, she rubbed against the engineer.
He walked down the steps and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you going to be alright?"
She bobbed again. "I'll be fine."
"I'm not crazy about this idea, but if you and Naga both agree… just, be safe."
"Don't worry; I can handle myself."
He looked into her blazing peridots for a second more before departing. Tonraq turned to the group and followed them up the stairs to Urkoma's apartment.
Asami kept her eyes on them until they were out of sight. She faced the polar bear dog with ferocity. "Let's go."
(-)
They travelled the darkening streets of Republic City without fear. The noises of children playing and adults bustling about disappeared with each shift of the sun past the horizon. She led the polar bear dog northeast from Urkoma's apartment. The sky was black by the time they reached the central bridge connecting the Northern Districts of the United Republic to its Central and Downtown areas.
Asami ran her gloved hand through Naga's fur. "I know you don't like the bridge, Naga, but –"
The animal barked in disagreement.
She furrowed her brow in contemplation. "So, you're okay with this bridge, but not with the other one?"
Naga nodded.
"Why? Did something bad happen to Korra on that bridge?"
She huffed and whined at the same time.
"How do you know? Can you smell it?"
She shook her head.
How else could she have known? If she would have seen something happen to Korra, she would have bolted to her.
Unless she couldn't.
Why couldn't she? If she's in the vicinity…
But what if she wasn't in the area?
I don't understand.
Naga nudged her and forced her head under Asami's palm. The engineer gave her a sympathetic caress.
When was the last time you saw Korra?
When I left the parking garage.
No.
What do you mean, no? That was the last time I saw her –
Physically.
What?
Physically. That was the last time you saw Korra physically. But when was the last time you saw her when you weren't around her or daydreaming about her.
A blush hit her cheeks.
I – I wasn't – I never –
Asami, I'm in your mind all the time. I am you. Do you really think you can fool me?
She scoffed aloud and continued petting the polar bear dog.
Alright, fine; I've daydreamed about her a few times since we've been apart. Just a few times…
Riiight. So, when was the last time you saw her that wasn't physical or an intentional thought of yours.
I…
A light bulb lit in her head.
"Your dreams, Naga. You saw it happen in your dreams, didn't you?"
She whimpered and pushed her head into Asami's torso.
"Was she attacked?"
Naga huffed.
"Okay, so it wasn't an attack. What else could have happened?" She looked out to the bridge with her chin in her free hand. Her eyes wandered the length of the structure, the sparse vehicles in its lanes, the gap between its peak and the water…
Oh, Korra…
"Was it… was it –" She couldn't even choke out the thought.
The polar bear dog bumped her harder.
"We need to find her before she –" she shook her head " – but there's something I need to do first," Asami maneuvered around the animal and approached the bridge, "and I need your help."
Naga tilted her head. When the raven didn't stop, she puffed and caught up to her side.
(-)
The central bridge was much larger than the eastern one they crossed earlier that day. With a bit of squeezing, Naga was able to fit on the pedestrian path if she walked behind Asami. They navigated the structure and continued their journey northeast. After another hour of walking, they approached the outskirts of the University of the United Republic of Nations.
"Alright, Naga. We are going to get you as close to Korra's dorm as possible. Follow me." Asami led the animal around the backside of a very small pond on the edge of campus. They crept up to a large wall between the college and the road used to keep cars and students from entering without passing through the guard booth for identification. "Do you think you can jump it?" Her voice was a hushed whisper.
Naga lifted her head and examined the height. She let out a soft sound of agreement.
"Alright, good." The engineer stepped closer to the polar bear dog and gripped one of the cords of her saddle. "Because we need to get over this together. I can't be seen at the main gate, otherwise they'll know I came through this late at night and get suspicious." She used her free hand to cradle the animal's jaw. "Is it okay if I hop on, just for a minute?"
After a moment of hesitation, Naga nodded.
Asami shot her a smile and ruffled her fur before mounting the polar bear dog. "Alright, let's do this." She guided her back several feet, keeping them close to the ground and in the shadows. "Nice and quiet. One, two, three." She leaned forward when Naga bolted towards the wall. She flattened her torso against the animal as they cleared the barrier and landed with a quiet thud. "Good job, Naga," she praised while she jumped off. "Come on; this way."
The pair beguiled the street lights by playing to the darkness cast from the blind spots of the buildings around them. After several dips and ducks, they reached the outside of Korra's dorm. Every moved played out just as Asami had calculated.
"Here," she pulled the somewhat crumpled letter from Kuru out of her pocket. "See if you can pick up on this scent."
Naga rotated her head to the side and locked onto Asami's eyes.
"He's the one who hurt Korra, the one who led the attacks on her. I want to find him."
She didn't budge. Rather, she glanced back and forth from the sheet to its holder.
"He wrote another threat on here. He's searching for Korra right now, according to this. I'm afraid he might find her and hurt her. And if he did, we'll be able to know where Korra went. And if he didn't… – I want to put an end to these threats, to her getting hurt, once and for all."
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