AUTHOR'S NOTES: There are several characters that we will get "sneak peeks" of long before they step into the spotlight proper, and as hinted by the chapter's title, Varrick is one of them. Korra's still getting her first taste of Republic City though, and she's loving it. A lot goes down in this chapter, especially as we learn that the sisters have a history in more places than just prison.
Happy Reading!
BOOK ONE: POWER
CHAPTER ELEVEN: IKNIK BLACKSTONE VARRICK
Sure enough, it didn't take long for Nakkoa to spot Korra, sticking coins into a slot machine and pulling the large black and red arm on the right side. Her face lit up, and so did the machine, betraying that Korra had just won at least some money back.
Nakkoa sighed, and turned to one of the receptionists.
"Is the owner or manager in today?" she asked.
"He is, although he is likely very busy at the moment," the receptionist replied. "But I can tell him you called. What's your name?"
"Nakkoa," the firebender replied, "I'm sure it'll ring a bell."
And sure enough it did. Korra was still oblivious to Nakkoa's presence, carefully pulling the large lever of her game machine, and trying to time the slots.
Sure enough, Nakkoa's name did ring a bell, to the point where she was greeted by Iknik Blackstone Varrick himself.
"Nakkoa!" he opened his arms as if greeting an old friend, "What brings you back to Blackstone Hotel and Casino! I thought you were still adamantly boycotting the place after that incident with the lamps and the turtle-ducks."
"...I try to forget about that moment, thank you." Nakkoa looked slightly perturbed, "I'm here to ask you if you're aware of children using your machines on these premises."
"Hmm?" Varrick kept up his flambouyant act, "oh, you must be talking about the Avatar? How could I say no to that kind of business and prestige? I've already got my assistant working on my new advertising campaign: The Avatar played here!"
Nakkow frowned. "Avatar?" She called out, but Korra didn't reply or even glance her way. Whether it was from Nakkoa's call being drowned out by the other sounds around them or if it was Korra deliberately ignoring her was up for debate.
"I'll tell you why," Nakkoa looked Varrick right in the eye, "Because she's only 14."
"I fail to see a problem with that," Varrick retorted, "She has the money, and I even gave her a few extra tokens on the house! I told her not to spend it all in one place, but judging how long she's been on that machine it's clear she screwed the pooch on that request."
The lights on Korra's machine went off again, and Korra grinned as she lifted her fur skirt around in such a way to catch the coins that popped out of the machine. With a triumphant grin from ear to ear, she loaded her coin purse up with her new winnings, and rose to her feet before heading right back to the exit. Her expression betrayed that she had a plan with what she wanted to do with this newfound money, while both Nakkoa and Varrick gawked at her in disbelief.
"Oh hey, Nakkoa!" Korra smiled and waved as she passed, "Hey, Mr. Varrick. Thanks again for the coins and the tips, by the way!" And with that, she walked right back out the door.
"See what we've had to deal with on a regular basis?" Nakkoa's face lengthened.
"She's got spunk," Varrick smirked, "I'll have to see if I can find a way to wrangle her back here again one of these days. In the meantime…" he paused, looked around, and then raised his voice. "Zhu Li! Do the thing!"
A small bespectacled woman stepped out carrying a set of colorful signs advertising "The Avatar Plays Here!", which she promptly put near every entrance of the building.
Kwan was still with Naga when Korra stepped outside, but Nakkoa's absence sparked a curiosity in her sister's eyes.
"Oh hey Korra," she waved, "I just thought I'd keep Naga company while you were in there. Did Nakkoa find you?
"She did," Korra shrugged her left shoulder, "but she and Varrick were in chatting it up, so I left them to it."
This was not fully true, since Nakkoa had gone in only to retrieve Korra, and so she left Varrick to running his casino after Korra left, appearing in the entryway a moment later.
"A question for you, Avatar," the firebender spoke up after she had crossed the street.
"Hm?" Korra turned to face her.
"Are you going to run off like this on a regular basis?" Nakkoa felt like an exhausted mother half the time, being the one to chase down Korra every time the teen saw something interesting that caught her eye—which in a huge, flashy metropolis like Republic City, was remarkably easy.
"I… uh, might?" Korra scratched the back of her head as a guilty expression crept onto her face. "This place is incredible! I saw so many things I wanted to stop and check out just on my way here, and we're only a few blocks from the pier. It's so much more exciting than the drab compound they locked me in back home every day. I really felt like I was in prison."
"Speaking from way too many years of experience, I can assure you that prison's only slightly worse," Kwan chuckled, "But I've also seen that compound of yours, kid; and you've got my full support in never forcing you to ever have to go back there."
"Finally!" Korra sighed in a tone of relief that hinted at far more than just her usual liveliness, "someone who understands that! People aren't meant to be cooped up like that. I mean, criminals, sure I guess? But what did I ever do wrong apart from be born as the Avatar?"
"Well, if I had to take a stab, I'd say you were trying to shake us," Nakkoa teased.
"No, I…" Korra stammered, "I just got so excited at seeing new places and actually being able to do what I want that maybe I got a little carried away. There's one more place I need to go though, and I promise I won't be long."
Before Kwan or Nakkoa could object, Korra had jumped up on Naga and raced down another city block, leaving Nakkoa in particular with a disgusted expression.
"She seriously just runs off again?" She scowled, clenching her fists. "I swear with how impulsive she is sometimes I want to wring that girl's neck!"
"Naki," Kwan put a hand on her sister's shoulder, "she said she was coming right back. Give her a few minutes. The poor kid's basically been in prison her whole life"
"And I still think that teaching her all of our skills is just going to create some weaponized Avatar that'll eventually turn against us," Nakkoa warned. "The kid is volatile already, and so do you think pumping her full of all sorts of advanced powers is gonna do us any favours?"
"Will you use her name for once?" Kwan frowned.
"I've been over this before," Nakkoa sighed and shook her head. "Consider it my subtle way of showing concern. The Avatar is not someone you want to associate too closely with."
"I strongly disagree," Kwan asserted, shaking her head. "I think the idea Avatar is one that walks among the people as an equal, not some revered deity like the Interregnums."
"Perhaps that is where my fear stems," Nakkoa admitted with an unsure expression, before she glanced down the street to see Korra and Naga approaching again. She didn't appear to have anything different about her, but Kwan had a theory.
"Did you buy candy?" She narrowed her eyes in a somewhat playful accusatory glare. Korra did not reply, but the shit-eating grin that appeared on her face betrayed exactly what she had done.
"How much of your money did you spend?" Nakkoa tilted her head, now curious as well.
"More than half?" Korra grinned shamelessly. Nakkoa shook her head.
"Alright, Avatar," she looked Korra dead in the eyes, "no more running off this time. We're getting a hotel room for a couple of days until some of your advisors arrive, and then it's off to those mountains above the city to begin the training montage of a lifetime. We'll turn you into a fully-realized Avatar or kill ourselves and you in the process."
"Well," Korra's eyes widened, "that escalated quickly."
"Nakkoa's always been a bit extreme like that though," Kwan reassured her, "I think she just wants to go back to the probending arena and show these rookies how it's done."
"Kwan, the last thing we needed is more distractions," Nakkoa shook her head, but the half-hearted way she did so betrayed an interest."
"Probending?" Korra looked curious.
"Let's get moving, and perhaps my big-mouthed sister will explain," Nakkoa quipped sharply.
"It's no Earth Rumble, but it's pretty fast-paced and will keep you on your feet," Kwan explained, "it's also really popular with teens and young adults, but every now and again you'll get a team of folks in their late 20s or 30s that will come and tear the place apart. Naki and I used to kick all kinds of ass at that game until we all got carted off to prison."
"Who was your waterbender?" Korra asked, "is there another sibling I should know about?"
"Nah, it was a fellow named Kotu," Kwan shrugged.
"Apparently he got caught in an incident where he tried attacking the police during a murder-assault gone wrong, so they offed him," Nakkoa indicated with a remarkably nonchalant shrug, "kind of a bummer, but what do you do?"
"Think this kid could replace him?" Kwan put a hand on Korra's shoulder, using her other arm to elbow her sister playfully.
"They'd cry foul if she used all the elements," Nakkoa reminded her as they reached a rather elegant hotel that was even nicer than Summer's Estate in Gaoling, "maybe if she just used water, but do you imagine that the kid who goes off and buys 10 pounds of candy after winning a casino jackpot has any sense of restraint?"
"Hey!" Korra's right cheek was bulging with sweets as her brows furrowed. "I resent that! And it wasn't exactly a very big pot, all things considering."
"Teach her the rules, sister," Nakkoa raised her eyebrows, "and pray she learns at least a little restraint… and perhaps we can re-form The Prison Breakers anew sometime."
"Prison Breakers?" Korra raised an eyebrow.
"That was the name of our team," Kwan chuckled, "most folks name themselves after animals or other lame stuff; Nakkoa decided to just be honest with who we were."
"I basically just said 'fuck it'," Nakkoa shrugged, "all three of us were ex-cons who had spent time behind bars, and so what better way to bring us together than our common bond?"
"I've never actually been to prison though," Korra argued, "would I fit in?"
"You're the one that's been bitching about that Water Tribe compound ever since we plucked you out of there," Kwan nudged her. "As far as Nakkoa and I care, that was prison enough."
The White Lotus compound had much less ill intent than prison, but even now Korra felt like going back there would be like going to prison: confinement, sentires watching her every move, her day-to-day life strictly monitored and scheduled, and no real sense of freedom. It was simply not the life she ever wanted to have to live again. The Avatar was not meant to be caged like an exotic animal, Korra believed; she was meant to run free.
"Well hey; if you'll have me, I'd love to join!" Korra's eyes lit up, "can you teach me the rules?"
"As soon as we get checked in," Kwan promised. "It shouldn't take too long."
True to her word, Kwan taught Korra the basic rules of probending that afternoon, clarifying that while there were a few other nuances to watch out for, that the end goal was the same as Earth Rumble: knock the opponents off the back of the platform and into the drink. Kwan even let Korra spar with her out in a small lot behind the hotel.
"Come at me with all ya got," Kwan held out her hands. "Don't worry; I'm tough too, and I'm not about to throw lava at you… not this soon anyways."
Earth Rumble had been fun, but it was also nice for Korra to be able to stretch her waterbending and firebending muscles. Korra's style was fast and aggressive, and immediately put Kwan on the defensive. Bolts of water, earth, and fire pelted and bombarded the little lavabender as the Avatar bore down on her with powerful and aggressive attacks. Kwan had to counter these movements with large stone shields and slabs that she shook Korra's movements up with, but even after getting knocked flat on her back, the plucky kid lifted her legs, kicking them with enough force to launch herself right back up onto her feet, following up this momentum by swinging her arms forward and launching powerful streams of flame. Korra was an aggressive fighter, and Kwan felt like if they were at equal levels of skill, the Avatar would easily overpower her even if she just used one bending discipline and didn't trigger the Avatar State.
Nakkoa returned from the hotel only moments before Korra was struck squarely in the face with one of Kwan's rocks and sent sprawling.
"I'm not going to try and rein you in anymore, Avatar," the firebender explained, handing the girl a key, "but if you lose this key, you're sleeping outside. 5th Nation Hotel; Suite 428; that's where we'll be when we're not running errands."
"Well, where Nakkoa will be," Kwan raised her eyebrow. "I'm going off to roam the town."
"Gonna hit up the red lantern district again, are we, Kwan?" Nakkoa quipped.
"You're one to talk," Kwan laughed, before subtly drawing a thumb across her neck, "not in front of her though…" she added with a whisper.
"What's a red lantern district?" Because of course Korra had to ask.
"A place you shouldn't go to until you're 21," Kwan spoke with a level of seriousness Korra hadn't seen since meeting her. "Just… trust me on this one."
"But I suppose if you two are going out to roam the town," Nakkoa piped up, "that I might as well do the same, at least for the time being. I have a few old contacts I need to talk with anyways. Stay safe, little sister; little Avatar."
Unlike Kwan, who had a slouch in her walk, Nakkoa's walk was very swift and refined, almost as if she and her sister had come from very different walks of life. Nakkoa was a tall, lean and agile firebender while Kwan was a short resilient earthbender. Their facial structures were similar, however; and Korra swore she recognized those eyes from somewhere; whether in this life or a past life, she did not know.
Either way, Kwan waved Korra off, and the young Avatar decided to take a walk. It was one of the few times she and Naga didn't go together, but Korra trusted her companion to stay close, or at least know where to return to if Korra needed her.
This time, Korra didn't have a particular destination in mind as she set off through the streets. There was so much to see, and with only a couple days to do her sightseeing, there really was never enough time. Maybe there was just something about her upbringing, but the more Korra looked around, the more she wondered how people didn't get lost in a place like this. Fortunately, 5th Nation Hotel was a rather tall and hard-to-miss building considering its features, and so as long as Korra didn't get lost somewhere downtown packed with skyscrapers, she'd likely be able to see it from anywhere.
She was watching it from over her shoulder, not realizing she had just stepped in the street—and not realizing until too late that, despite the driver hitting the brakes, something was only moments away from colliding with her.