Chapter 10
Korra shot bursts of fire from both feet and shot faster towards the city, she could see a massive pillar of smoke lofting into the night sky, whatever had happened it was flew as fast as she could over the outskirts of the city heading towards the the smoke. Slowly her heart beat began to rise, as she neared the pillar of smoke she saw that it was billowing up from a crater, even beyond the crater buildings had been completely destroyed or blown in half in all directions. To make matters worse it seemed like half the city below her was on fire, she nosed her glider into a dive and came to a fast landing on the nearest street. She had surveyed it from the air, the crater was centered on an intersection almost four blocks ahead of her. Korra scanned the street that was covered in rubble from several buildings that had been destroyed.
The building to her left was ablaze and filling the sky with smoke, she decided to start on that first. She closed the distance between her and the building and spotted the fire hydrant on the side walk. She took a step back and inhaled moving her arms in a circular motion she bent the water from the fire hydrant making it erupt from the street and fed it into the flames devouring the building. The flame kept roaring, she forced the water into the building dousing it like a firehose, finally they extinguished. She rushed towards the door kicking it in. "ANYONE IN HERE?" She frantically began her search, the house was a two story home, she'd kicked her way into the entry way which fed into a living room, kitchen, and stairs to the second floor. She coughed as the smoke from the freshly extinguished fire reached her nose, she moved into the kitchen. There was nothing but a charred dinning table. Think Korra, who'd be having dinner this late at night? She realized immediately she should be searching the bedrooms and stormed up the stairs. With a creak they began to collapse underneath her and without hesitation she bent a gust of air beneath her shooting her up to the second floor. "ANYONE IN HERE!" She screamed, the staircase had landed her on a small floor leading to three rooms.
This is taking too long! She lashed out at the doors bending bursts of air at each of them throwing them open. She ran into the first door on her left and gave the room a quick scan, "HELLO!" She yelled coughing again on the smoke. This was a child's room, a small twin bed sat across from a miniature desk with toys now charred by the fire. SHIT. She scanned the room again and noticed a small closet, she cross the floor as it creaked beneath her ready to give way at anytime. Korra opened the door slowly, if there was a child inside she didn't want to scare it. She gave an angry cry as the closet was empty save for a burn collection of clothes. She rushed back into the hallway and charged into the room at the end of the hall. This was clearly the parent's room, a large queen sized bed was the center of the room flanked by dressers. "ANYONE IN HERE!" She rushed was getting even more frustrated.
"help!"
Korra's ears perked up. "Is anyone there?" She picked up a quiet coughing coming from under the bed. She practically dove to the floor and looked beneath the bed, the soot covered face of a child looked back at her. "I'm going to get you out don't worry," Korra crouched at the end of the bed and grabbed the frame with both hands. She took a deep breath trying not to choke on the smell of smoke and burning, she grunted and lifted the bed up. The child who the soot covered face belonged to scurried out from underneath. Korra froze in place as she saw there were two other soot covered bodies. She gave the bed a shove and blasted it against the wall with air, she leaned down and grabbed the collars of the people who she feared were the child's parents and dragged them out. She pulled them to the edge of the room and looked at the child who was silently crying. "It'll be okay," She lied, "We need to get out of here, think you can make it down the stairs by yourself? I'll get your mom and dad." Korra's shoulders dropped as the kid stood frozen still sobbing. She knelt down to get on level with him. "Hey, what's your name?"
"Senji" The child answered between sobs.
"Senji, you need to be brave right now, we need to get out of the house and then we can get people to help your parents." Korra stood and began to lift one of the child's parents up and over her shoulders. "Come on." She nodded in the direction of the staircase and exhaled a bit when the kid finally complied. Korra crouched and shot a burst of air from both feet sending her down the collapsed staircase with the unconscious parent on her shoulders. She rushed out the door and put the man down on the sidewalk in the recovery position and immediately rushed back in. The child stood frozen at the top of the collapsed staircase. She took a deep breath and debated bending him down in a gust of air. "Senji, just jump, I'll catch you!"
"I'm scared."
"I know…I know Senji, just trust me, jump!" The kid finally moved but made more of a fall than a jump. Korra bent a swirl of air beneath him to cushion his fall and immediately rushed to his side. "Get outside, I'm going back for your mom." She didn't wait for the kid to comply, instead she shot upwards on a gust of air and rushed back into the bedroom. She heaved the mother of the child onto her shoulders and ran towards the steps landing on a bent cushion of air and nearly sliding out of the front door onto the street. She gently put the mother next to the boy as he stood totally in shock. She surveyed the scene and was relieved to see police airships up above as well as medics flooding the streets. "HEY OVER HERE!"
Two Republic City medics rushed to her side but ignored her as soon as they saw the comatose bodies on the concrete. She took a look at Senji, the boy who had probably lost his parents in a freak incident and would never be the same because of it. She sighed because she didn't have time to feel sorry or cry over this kid's future, she spotted at least two more buildings on her street alone that were on fire. She broke into a run, trying to keep her footing over the rubble that littered the street, she recoiled as her feet hit an arm that was sticking out of the rubble. I swear when I find the monster that did this. She ran as fast as she could over the rubble nearing the crater. She stopped as one of the on fire buildings exploded, she immediately shielded her face but was hit with chunks of debris. She screamed in anger and let her rage build as her eyes began to glow, before she even knew what was happening she bent the water from all the fire hydrants on the block and fed them all into the burning house. She bent herself onto a spiraling tower of water and moved to the next burning building dousing it with water till the flames died down. She Guided her water tornado carrying her over to the crater and shot massive spouts of water at the various burning buildings surrounding her. She guided herself down to the ground and let Raava's energy dissipate, she reckoned she had put out at least half of the fires, the police's firefighting airships with large water containers could handle the rest.
She looked down into the rubble and saw a street sign, she gave it a kick moving the dirt from it. This is seventh street? She looked around in awe as the formally bustling down town area had been reduced to an empty carcass. Then it hit her. Kwong's is on seventh street. Korra flew into action opting for her glider instead of running across rubble and bodies. Her heart exploded as she spotted where Kwong's should've been. The three story building faced the crater, only the front of the building had been destroyed as well as the roof, leaving only three out of the four walls. Third floor! She shot fire from her feet and arched herself up to what remained of the third floor. "LIN! KYA!" She screamed fearing the worst. They had to have survived! She vaulted a large pile of rubble and froze. Her glider fell from her hand. "Lin?" She recognized the grey haired figured kneeling in the rubble but her voice did nothing to cause a reaction. She carefully moved closer, like Lin was made of glass and if he made a wrong move it would all shatter. "Lin…are you okay?" She got closer and in the dim moonlight she could see Lin was covered in blood. She moved closer and knelt beside Lin and her heart dropped. Beside Lin was Kya's lifeless body. "Oh no…"
"Hey Korra."
Korra was almost too shocked to react, Lin spoke as if they were at the breakfast table, she grimaced as she saw how many cuts and bruises had begun to form on her friend. Even the immaculately prepared dress from Lee's was almost destroyed. She looked over at her dead friend and pushed back tears. "Lin…Kya….she's…"
"She's just sleeping Korra. I'm waiting for her to wake up."
Korra's shoulders dropped, as a police airship came overhead illuminating them all in its spotlights. She saw Lin covered in blood caked with dirt from the rubble, she was amazed she was still conscious. She took another look at Kya and had to hold back her tears, Kya was half buried beneath a large chunk of rubble, her dress was soaked in blood, and she was very obviously dead. "Lin, Kya…she's gone."
"No she's not, she's right here."
Chills shot down Korra's spine, Lin had lost it, I still need to get her out of here. "Lin we need to go."
"I'm not leaving her." Lin answered in a quiet but firm voice.
"Lin, she's dead, we have to get out of here and get you to a hospital."
"I'm fine."
Korra raised an eyebrow and looked again at Lin's blood caked face. "Lin, come with me." She grabbed her by the arm and tried to lift her, it was like trying to lift dead weight.
The intense pain finally broke Lin's nightmare trance. "FUCK!" She collapsed again to the ground.
Korra tried to catch her, she hadn't noticed the massive wound on Lin's leg, she grabbed Lin again and picked her up carrying her in her arms. Korra began to worry about how badly Lin had been hurt more than physically. She turned towards the destroyed wall leading back to the streets.
"We can't leave her." Lin placed a bloodied hand on Korra's shoulder.
"I'll come back for her, don't worry." Korra explained, she was not used to seeing Lin so out of it. She crossed the rubble filled room picking out many other corpses buried beneath the rubble. Korra came to the edge and jumped, bending a gust of air beneath them to cushion their landing. Gently she put Lin down and immediately shot herself back up to the third floor on a blast of air. She made her way back to Kya's body and steeled herself for what she had to do. The large chunk of rock that had pinned Kya would make it impossible for Korra to get the body out. She took up a horse stance and punched outwards with both hands making the boulder roll to one side. She was too horrified to cry as she picked up Kya's limp body from the ground, and began to exit.
I
Asami floored the roadster heading into the city, she had kept her father's old habit of installing police scanners in all her cars. She had had the same realization Korra had when she had heard the radio call go out. "All units all units, converge on the center of 7th and canal, begin immediate casualty assessment and evacuation. She gripped the steering wheel harder and shifted her roadster, If anyone could survive it's those two She could see the airships converging followed by hundreds of red and blue lights swarming to the center of the explosion. Republic city was well prepared to respond to things like this, but Asami doubted they'd be focused on finding Lin and Kya. She skidded onto 7th street and began to slow, the police were beginning to cordon off the area. Asami ripped the e brake and came to a stop sliding sideways, she jumped out of the roadster with an aid bag and flash light in hand. When Korra had sprung into action, Asami did the same, she'd grabbed a duffle bag and filled it with all the medical supplies she could and drove like a demon towards town. She had just missed Korra going to work on the flaming buildings, and now approached the police barricade horrified as the smoke rose off the rubble that used to be 7th street. "I need to get through."
"Sorry Ma'am we aren't letting anyone in,"
Asami looked at the cop in the eye, he looked as young as he was naïve. "I'm looking for the Avatar and my friends, let me through."
The tone of Asami's voice made the beat cop hesitate. "Sorry Ma'am my orders—"
"LET ME THROUGH OR YOU'll NEED TO BE EVACUATED WITH THE REST OF THE CASUALTIES!" Asami let loose, she hadn't realized how worried she was about Kya and Lin. The beat cop looked like he'd been charged by a moose lion he immediately moved out of the way. Asami stormed through and broke into a run, she headed directly for Kwong's in an all out sprint dodging chunks of rubble and bewildered cops and fire fighters. The smoke was awful, she could barely keep up her pace, but Kwong's was close. She could just see it when another airship flew over and covered it with its spotlight. She slowed down to a stop, she could see a grey haired figure sitting on a pile of rubble. She broke back into a sprint. "LIN!" She screamed eliciting no response. Oh no… She closed the distance and caught her breath. "Lin? Are you okay?" Her heart began to break, she could see Lin was badly hurt and caked in blood and dirt from the blast. She knelt beside her trying to look at her face, Lin was sitting with her knees to her chest completely oblivious to the outside chaos. Where's… She turned to see Korra atop the third floor of Kwong's holding a lifeless body in her arms. No…
Korra couldn't hold back the tears any longer, they silently dripped from her eyes leaving streaks in the dirt and soot that had gotten on her face. She couldn't stand the feeling of someone she'd known for so long, someone she considered almost like a sister, limp in her arms. She carefully jumped and landed close to Lin and spotted Asami. "Asami…"
"She's?"
Korra felt the tears begin to pour down her cheeks, she carefully placed Kya's body next to Lin's rubble pile and hugged Asami. "She's gone."
Asami broke their embrace. "There's gotta be something right? We can get a healer or spirit water or something? Right?"
Korra bowed her head. "There's nothing we can do Asami, healing doesn't work like that…"
"I…" Asami crouched beside Kya's body, even with a blood spattered dress she looked serene. "We didn't even get to say goodbye…"
Korra nodded clenching her teeth as her heart broke, she couldn't even begin to imagine what she'd be feeling if it had been her and Asami. She took a deep breath and crouched beside Lin and put a hand on her shoulder. "Lin…we need to get you to the hospital."
Suddenly Lin began to shake. "Why?"
Korra hugged Lin as she began to sob in her arms. She didn't know what to say, she couldn't see how it would be okay for her. She held onto her angry at herself that she couldn't help. She let go of her as two policemen came sprinting up. "We'll need an ambulance for her."
"Casualty collection points are at the end of canal street, we'll need you too—Chief?" Lin didn't even move she just continued sobbing into her arms. "She's hurt pretty badly, best not to bother her, end of canal street?"
The policeman stared at his boss crying in a destroyed and bloody dress. "Uh-roger, end of canal street."
Korra sighed, she brushed off a tear, she would have to cry later. "Asami can you help Lin?"
Asami nodded and went to Lin's side. "It's time to go Lin."
"I'm not leaving her."
"No…we're not." Korra picked up Kya carefully cradling her in her arms and waited for Asami to help Lin up. She mentally dared the policemen to say anything to them as they moved down the rubble filled street. Kya's body was heavy in her arms as Asami helped Lin limp behind them. They painfully made their way down canal street, some of the buildings still burned and the spotlights from the police airships gave the street an eerie glow. All around them policemen began to help more survivors out of the rubble and fires. Korra could barely hold back the rage burning inside her, someone had bombed her city, someone had attacked hundreds of people. Someone had killed her friend. Someone will pay.
I
Korra fought back tears as she few her glider across Yué bay, she'd left Lin at the hospital with Asami. Almost fortunately Lin had passed out and was finally able to be taken away from Kya for medical attention. Though when she had time to think about the horrific events of that night she realized someone would have to tell Tenzin. She had seen a few Air Nomads show up at the crater to help with casualty evacuation but she doubted Tenzin himself had any idea. Korra guided her glider towards the tower on the island she'd spent so many months on. She aimed for the main courtyard and came to a quiet landing on the cobble stones. The island seemed almost deserted save for a few meditating Air Nomads and acolytes. Dawn was on the horizon but the candles and lanterns set by the nomads gave the whole courtyard a peaceful glow. She hesitated, she didn't even know how to tell Tenzin. Do I wake him up? Do I just tell him in the morning? Her hand twitched. Why on earth do I have to tell Tenzin that his sister was killed? Why did she have to die? If I ever find the monsters who did this to us I'm going to—
"Korra?"
Korra spun around and immediately held her twitching hand still, Tenzin was leading a small procession of Nomads up the stairs leading to the courtyard. They were on their way to an early morning breakfast after their daily meditation session. Shit. "Tenzin…"
"I sent some Nomads to help after I heard the explosion, is everything all right?"
Why can't it be? I'm sorry Tenzin. I'm so…so sorry. "No…it isn't…"
"Is everyone all right?" Tenzin was immediately worried. "Was Asami hurt?"
"No…Asami is fine…look I don't know how to tell you this."
Tenzin went pale and stopped dead in his tracks.
"It's Kya…she was on 7th street when the explosion happened"
"No…"
"She's…she died Tenzin." Korra flew forward as Tenzin fell to his knees ready to catch him.
Tears welled in Tenzin's eyes, he was sitting on his ankles now and quietly trying to control his breathing. "Korra, are you sure she's gone?"
Korra's eyes filled with tears, she gave a hesitant nod before embracing her teacher, he'd comforted her a million times in the past it was her turn to help him.
Tenzin blinked and tears began to escape his eyes, It can't be true, she can't be gone! His mind tried to deny it but as he felt Korra hug him he felt an overwhelming sense of dread. His sister was gone. The tears in his eyes burned as he tried to hold them back unsuccessfully, he took a deep breath but it came up as a sob. She's gone…
Korra held him in her arms as he sobbed, she cried silently as she looked down at her hand as it twitched. I'm going to make them pay Tenzin. Don't worry. She sat with him as the Nomads looked on sheepishly, Tenzin was their teacher, their guru, their unwavering tether to their culture, it was hard to see him like this. Korra stood and helped Tenzin to his feet and led him out of the court yard down a path leading to a gazebo. She didn't have any idea how to handle this, she'd never thought she would have to. It'll be okay just sounds wrong, I'm not even sure that it will be. She let Tenzin sit down on the wood planks and joined him. "I'm sorry Tenzin,"
He took a deep breath trying to shut down the sobs that wrenched up from his stomach. "I—" Tenzin brushed the tears from his face. "I need to tell Bumi…damn it, My mother…how am I going to tell her?"
Korra sighed Tenzin was doing his best to soldier on. "Tenzin, if you need more time I'll radio Bumi,"
Tenzin wiped another tear away. "No, they should hear it from me…I'll radio Jinora she's with the younger two…then mom." He said this to Korra as much as himself trying to convince himself there was a plan ahead of him. He had to keep control of himself, no matter how much his heart ached for his dead sister. He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Thank you for telling me Korra, is everyone else okay?" His voice was still pained but he tried to focus on his plan and what he needed to do.
"Lin was hurt pretty bad, and, she's not doing to well either, the only reason we got her to let go of Kya was because she passed out." Korra painfully remembered the sobbing and screaming of Lin as they tried to separate them at the casualty collection point. A tear spilled down Korra's cheek. "She proposed…I don't know if she told you that or not."
Tenzin smiled imagining his sister with a betrothal necklace around her neck and a smile on her face. "She must've been happy." Tears began to form again.
"The days she was with Lin, I've never seen her so happy." Korra wiped away a tear, she wished she could go back in time to when the two of them could sit and talk over tea in the gazebo. "That was her gift to us," Tenzin smiled. "Happiness."
Korra smiled for the first time that day, she definitely made people happier everywhere she went. She was in awe that Tenzin could be functioning and looking on the bright side of things, I hope Lin eventually does, Korra couldn't blame her if she didn't. The mere thought of Asami dying sent her into a panic. "I need to get going, I've got to make sure Lin's…surviving." She got up and grabbed her glider. "Tenzin, I'll find out who did this to us,"
…and then what? "Korra…" Tenzin began but fell silent when Korra took off on her glider. Through out all the pain and anguish over the news that Kya had been killed, he felt the faintest bit of fear. Last he had heard Korra was doing worse and worse, what would happen if she found out who had killed his sister? He sighed. You're strong Korra, be strong enough to chose the right path.
I
Asami sat impatiently in a chair beside Lin's hospital bed she'd been with Lin since she had been admitted with a mass of other casualties. Due to the incredible amount of wounded Lin had been placed on a gurney surrounded by curtains that separated her from other patients. Asami had tried to sleep but the constant screaming and crying from the other patients kept her wide awake. The doctors had checked on Lin every so often, they all took a look at her leg and a chart that hung on the end of the bed and reassured Asami that everything would be fine. She scoffed and held her head in her hands, she doubted anything in Lin's life was going to be fine ever again. Lin had been in shock right up until she'd passed out, as soon as the medics took Kya's body from Korra she screamed and screamed. Asami had never seen someone in so much pain before. She felt the familiar ache of her heart as she remembered all the breakfasts and hungover lunches she'd shared with Kya. She sighed, it was almost like having a mother again. She jumped as the curtains were ripped to the side of their tracks.
"Finally." Korra stepped through the curtains and guided them back closed. "This place is a fucking madhouse." Her shoulders dropped as she saw Lin totally comatose with an IV hooked up to her arm. "Have the doctors said anything?"
"Only that it'll be fine which is absolute bullshit." Asami answered sourly. "Other than that the doctor she saw at the beginning said she had lost a lot of blood but healing and transfusions would help." She felt utterly useless.
Korra sighed. "What am I going to do?"
Asami was asking herself the same question, she walked over to Korra and hugged her tightly. She had felt so numb when she had seen Korra carrying Kya's body, the only thing she could feel was pain and fear. She held Korra and finally felt something other than pain and fear, she felt safe for the first time since she'd heard the explosion. "I love you."
Korra looked up and kissed her gently, there were tears in both of their eyes because of what had happened. She broke the kiss and nuzzled into Asami's neck. "I don't know what I would do with out you."
"Finally!" The curtain ripped open again revealing Mako, who's face immediately displayed confusion. "Uh…hey guys."
Asami blushed and reluctantly stepped away from Korra. "Mako, hey."
Korra scratched her head nervously. "Any news on who's responsible for last night?"
Mako snapped out of his thoughts as the question brought him back to his job. "Yep!" He pulled a notebook from his uniform.
"Witnesses closer to the blast said that it sounded like Kuvira had invaded again." He pulled out several photos of craters in the desert. "And the blast patterns match spirit vine weaponry."
"I thought all of the harvested vines had been destroyed?" Korra raised an eyebrow.
All of them that were accounted for. "There were a lot of vines that Kuvira left behind, I came to see if Lin was awake so I could let her know. I mobilized several SWAT teams to the KWG headquarters."
Korra nearly jumped. "What? Why?"
"When I visited last to get a look a the long range spears they had a stash of spirit vines stolen from Kuvira's factories." Mako replaced his notebook.
Ren would never do this…but there is a rat in the Kyoshi. "Mako, before you send in the SWAT teams, let me talk to Ren."
Mako sighed as he remembered sitting on her couch for hours until he stopped thinking about his brother. "Look I don't think that's a good idea."
"Mako she's took your advice" Korra lied. "She's looking for a traitor" While Ren had been looking, it was because of the information Korra had extracted from the Red Lotus that convinced her there was a mole. Korra realized something even worse. "And you'll need more SWAT teams than you have, just let me try and resolve things peacefully."
Mako frowned as he realized she was probably right. "…fine, I'll radio from the car, I'm going with you." Korra turned back to Asami, she wanted to kiss her again, but went in for a hug instead. "Stay safe, I'll be back soon to check on Lin and you."
I can't lose you…ever. She pulled back from the hug and kissed Korra chastely, if she was going off to risk her life again Asami wouldn't let her leave without one last kiss. "Good luck."
Mako's brain exploded. What?
Korra blushed. "Thanks," She turned to leave and raised an eyebrow at Mako's stunned expression. "Come on teams."
I
"Headquarters, Detective Mako"
"Detective Mako, Headquarters,"
Mako clicked the radio hand set in the patrol car he'd signed out. "I want the SWAT teams on standby at Headquarters, do not mobilize until I radio in, copy?"
"That's a good copy Detective, over and out."
Korra got in and shut the door. "I'm telling you, you won't need the SWAT teams."
Mako shrugged and fired up the engine, rather have them and not need them, he thought as he pulled away from the curb and moved into traffic. "So…you and Asami huh?"
Korra mentally face palmed. "Yeah…"
"Were you guys gonna clue me in anytime?"
"Mako, Kya died last night, Lin's hurt and heart broken, I've got terrorists to find and other shit to deal with than notifying you." Korra exhaled totally stressed out.
"…Okay…fair point." Mako changed lanes and headed towards the KWG headquarters.
I
Ren pulled another file out from the pile on her desk, she'd spent hours combing through the extensive files the Kyoshi kept on all their personnel. She found one thing more disturbing than Korra's blood bending, the idea that one of her sisters was a traitor to her and the entire Republic. She sighed and took another drink of coffee, the only thing that was keeping her together at this point. She rolled her eyes at the folder in her hands and flopped it down on the desk in front of her. She scooted her chair back and thunked her boots up onto the desk, one of these day's Ren you'll need a better chair. She sighed at the suit of armor in the display case near her desk. She'd never had the privilege of meeting the elders who pushed the Kyoshi out from their island nation, but she doubted they had to deal with paper work. There was a knock at the door and she groaned. "WHAT!"
Korra opened the door with an eyebrow raised. "Hey Ren."
"Korra!" Ren stood up from her desk, she was a little less happy to see Korra again, before the prospect of a job was exciting. Now the Avatar's arrival possibly meant she'd have to watch a defenseless person twisted until they cracked. "What brings you here?"
Mako stepped into the office a little shy seeing as how he'd cried in Ren's arms nights before. "The explosion downtown, do you know what caused it?"
Ren rolled her eyes immediately pissed. "Yes, I'm a terrorist who wants to harm hundreds of innocent civilians in the city that i live in."
Korra sighed, she owed Ren one and then some but even Korra had learned to tone down the abrasive and sarcastic comments if something got serious. "This is serious Ren, Kya died in the explosion last night."
Ren's face immediately turned serious. "Oh, I'm sorry." Her mind flashed back to Kya's voice on the phone and her presence at the estate. "What do you need from me?"
"We need to check the spirt vines you have." Mako bluntly answered.
"We don't think the Kyoshi are responsible, but there is a traitor somewhere in the Kyoshi and you have spirit vines on hand." Korra explained further.
Ren was more than pissed, however the solution was simple, show them the spirit vines were fine and not stolen and get back to work. She sighed. "Alright fine, come with me."
I
"Kya!"
Asami jumped, the late and stressful night had taken its toll on her and she had fallen into a fitful sleep on the chair next to Lin's bed. "Lin, Lin it's okay!"
Lin was sitting straight up in her bed hyperventilating and looked around with bloodshot eyes. "Where's Kya?"
"Lin…you're at the hospital." Lin looked at the IV in her arm and bandages on her foot like they were alien creatures. "How did I get here?"
"You don't remember anything?" Asami was standing now beside the bed ready to call the doctors if Lin began to freak out. "Anything at all?"
Lin's breathing finally began to slow, what happened? Why can't I remember? "Something bad happened…didn't it?"
Asami's shoulders fell. "Lin, you were having dinner with Kya—"
Kya… "Kya, where is she?"
"Lin you have to remember, there was an explosion, a bomb…" Lin remembered the loudest sound she'd ever heard, it slowly all came back to her. Don't cry Lin, the is the best day of my life… "No…"
Asami carefully embraced Lin. "The doctors said you'll heal eventually, your leg was hurt and you lost a lot of blood,"
"Kya…she's dead?" She asked hoping it was a nightmare.
Asami sighed and nodded her head.
Lin immediately felt like she'd jumped into a frozen lake. "Why?" Her voice was hoarse from the screaming she didn't remember doing. she brought her legs up to her chest ignoring the throbbing pain in her leg. "Asami…She can't be dead, she just can't"
Asami held Lin tighter as she began to shake. "Lin…I'm sorry." "We…we were going to live the rest of our lives together…" She was sobbing, each sob shaking the gurney as Asami held on to her. "We were going to get married."
Asami held back tears for Lin's sake. "I know Lin…I know…" She stopped herself from saying 'it'll be okay'. "Lin, Korra will find who did this, don't worry"
"I don't want to find them, I just want her back!" Lin tried to yell but a sob took her voice away. "I want her back!" Lin sobbed again. "I WANT HER BACK." she yelled.
Asami starred daggers at a nurse who poked her head through the curtains. "What?"
"She'll need to be sedated if she doesn't calm down." Asami wished she could punch the nurse but realized she was right. She held onto Lin as she sobbed and tried to calm her down. She held her still as the doctor quietly came in and injected a sedative into the IV bag. Slowly Lin's sobs became softer and softer as she slipped away. I'm so sorry Lin… Asami sat back down in the chair and briefly hoped Lin could dream while sedated, it seemed like the only solace she could have.
I
Ren lifted the photo of the dead Kyoshi and thumbed in the code, and waited for the statue to separate and reveal the weapon vault door. "I hate to say I told you so."
"Good thing you won't have to." Mako snapped back.
Korra raised an eyebrow. "Do you hide all your weaponry behind statues?"
"Not all of it." Ren turned the dial on the vault door and pressed her thumb onto the scanner.
Something is wrong here. Korra listened as the door thunked and swung slightly open and brought her guard up as Ren brought the door open. "STOP RIGHT THERE!" She rushed in as soon as she saw a masked figure inside the vault. She rushed in and shot two fireballs through the air.
"RCPD! FREEZE!" Mako rushed in right behind Korra.
Damn it. Ren rushed in behind the both of them wishing she'd brought her sword.
Korra froze in her tracks as the masked figure held two fingers to the silver containers on the shelf at the end of the vault. She held out her hand to signal Mako and Ren to stop. "Stop."
Ren almost rushed past but immediately realized what the traitor intended to do, a bolt of lightning would set off the spirit vines and destroy them, the whole building, and probably the whole block and then some. "Who are you!"
"Seeing as I don't see how I'm getting out of this alive…" The figure removed the mask.
"You traitor!" Ren yelled as she recognized her as a Kyoshi she'd trained with. "Masako, you're the assassin?"
One way or another, you're going to die. Korra glared. "You helped blow up Kwong's?"
"One at a time please." Masako taunted. "Ren, no I'm not the Assassin, I'm just the hired help,"
"Hired help?" Mako asked incredulous, the short brown haired woman standing in full Kyoshi makeup didn't strike him as a terrorist for hire.
"The woman who killed President Raiko hired me to smuggle out the spears, and when her organization learned we had spirit vines, they paid me quite a bit to get them one." Masako answered.
Ren was shocked. "You betrayed us…for money?"
"I have a family Ren, unlike you I have a life outside this place, I can barely afford to keep the power on with what they pay us." Masako explained like it would actually make a difference.
"Put your hand down," Mako instructed. "That could kill a lot of people, think about this."
"What do you think the Kyoshi do Mr. Policeman?" Masako asked trying not to let her hand tremble. "We've killed thousands for money in the name of Kyoshi, I only helped Lok because she paid me more!"
"Did you help blow up Kwong's?" Korra's hand was shaking now.
"Of course I—"
Korra's hands grabbed her heart beat before she could finish the sentence she moved her other hand and bent Masako's arms down to her side preventing her from aiming any lightning at the spirit vines. Korra, bent her to the floor and with a twist of her wrists felt her heart pounding in her hands. Korra's own heart pounded in her ears as she felt the wave of pleasure crash over her, another person who harmed her right in the palm of her hands. She killed Kya, she needs to pay. Korra twisted her wrist and brought one hand out in front of the other bending Masako's arms behind her with a sickening popping sound. The scream echoed off the walls as Korra brought her arms even further back.
"KORRA! STOP IT!" Ren screamed.
Mako had been too shocked to even realize what Korra was doing until Ren's scream shook him out of it. "Korra. Let her go!"
"She killed Kya!" Korra yelled back in response and gave her wrist a twist making Masako scream as her arms twisted against each other behind her.
"Korra, I want her dead too but you can't do this!" Ren wanted to stop her but she was shaking with fear at the idea of her own body wrapping around itself at the command of the Avatar.
"Korra. LET HER GO." Mako screamed. "We need her alive! If you kill her now we'll only be back where we started! We need her to find the others!"
She felt the panicked heart beat in her grasp, the raw power over someone who had killed someone who had meant so much to her.
"If we find the rest of them, we—you can stop them all Korra." Ren tried.
Korra's hand shook, as she looked at Mako, it wasn't anger or surprise on his face. It was fear. She looked down at her hands and down the room at Masako contorted painfully on the floor. She sighed, and brought her hands to her chest sending Masako flying towards her. She brought them back in front of her and raised them, making her hover off the ground facing her. "The pain you feel now, is only the beginning, once you've told us everything and the rest of the Red Lotus are in jail. I will finish what I started." Korra stared directly into her wide eyes as she told her and felt slightly better when fear wrote itself across them. Korra shot her hands upward bringing Masako crashing into the ceiling then released her heart beat letting her fall to the ground unconscious.
I
Mako closed the back door of the patrol car and walked around to get into the drivers seat, He slammed the door and shut out the noise of the city. Korra what have you done?
Korra opened the door and slid into the seat beside Mako. "Ren says she'll pull this traitors file" Korra pointed her thumb to the back seat where Masako laid unconscious and handcuffed. "Then try and find this Lok we're looking for."
Mako held the keys to his car in the ignition but stopped himself from turning them. "Korra, don't you realize what you've done? You're a blood bender! What the fuck is wrong with you!" He exploded letting go more than he intended.
NOTHING IS WRONG WITH ME! I'M FIXING THINGS! She screamed in her head but let out a sigh instead. "Mako…you don't understand."
"What don't I understand Korra? You're using an extremely illegal form of bending, I heard what you did to the suspect who attacked Asami. I didn't believe it, I've been blood bent before and I remember thinking when I heard what happened 'Korra would never do that to someone.'. What I saw in there made me sick Korra! What happened to you?"
What happened to me? YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO ME! EVERYONE I CARE ABOUT HAS BEEN HURT OR KILLED Korra's hand twitched. "I stopped her didn't I?"
Mako's eyes went wide, it was unlike the Korra he knew to be so dismissive of something so awful "You did more than that Korra you were killing her!"
"So what! She's helped the Red Lotus!"
"Korra, you can't kill people like that! It's not up to the Avatar to be an executioner!" Mako couldn't believe he was having to have this conversation with Korra.
And you're going to stop me? She held her hand still. "Just drive, once we get this sack of shit into custody we can find out what she knows."
"Korra there won't be a we to this. I can pretend I didn't just see the Avatar almost bend someone to death. But I can't let you do this again, and definitely not when she's in custody!" Mako waited for Korra to respond but she said nothing, he sighed and turned the key in the ignition.
Korra stared out the window trying to ignore the heartbeats she could feel in the car, I know I'm doing the right thing…I have to protect Asami and everyone I love, if that means I have to kill every Red lotus I find. Then So be it.
I
Lin sat up in her bed with a start, her sedative had finally worn off, she quickly took in her surroundings. Asami was comatose a chair next to her bed, and she was still in the hospital. She opened her mouth to call out but it felt like a desert. She looked down at her arms, the IV still stuck firm on it along with an array of small cuts and bruises. Kya… Her shoulders dropped, Kya was dead that much she knew. I have to get to her. She touched her IV nervously, if Kya is in the cooler, I can make it there. I have to make it there. She grabbed the IV and pulled it out barely able to mask the whimper of pain. She looked over at Asami who hadn't stirred and briefly thought of waking her up, She'll only keep you here Lin. She took a deep breath and dangled her legs off the side of the bed, she could feel her bandaged leg throbbing but she carefully slid of the bed onto her feet. Again she masked a whimper of pain as her leg screamed at her, I can do this, Lin took a step and began to limp her way towards the curtains.
I have to. Lin poked her head out of the curtains, the overflow of patients had made the hospital staff place her and a dozen other patients in a hallway. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the curtains, her leg screamed at her with every step she took making her limp. She spotted an exit door and limped her way, the hospital made her skin crawl, the whole place smelled too clean. Her leg gave out sending her against the wall, come on you old bitch, She shoved herself off the wall and limped the rest of the way to the door. She quickly opened it and shuffled through, shit, she entered into a stairway.
She'd been to the hospital more times than she could remember, she was on the second floor leaving three flights of stairs for her to limp down. She took a deep breath and began to shuffle her way down the stairs clutching the rail as she did. She could feel the bandage on her leg warm with fresh blood as she hit the last step, one down… Lin leaned on the wall for support. She kept her breathing under control and shuffled her way to the top of the next set of stairs. Lin gritted her teeth and made her way down the staircase, a quiet whimper of pain escaped her lips echoing off the empty staircase. She stopped halfway trying to stay off her injured leg, Lin carefully tested her injured leg again and painfully made her way down the last set up steps. Her body slammed against the wall as she fought to stay standing, DAMN IT GET UP! Her whole body throbbed in pain as she forced herself to her feet and limped through the door. She stopped herself as she found herself in another hallway with an exit door at the end, she made a sigh of relief when she saw a wheelchair abandoned by a closed off room. Quickly she made her way shuffling towards it nearly collapsing into it, she collected herself and began wheeling the chair down the hallway the exit looming at her. I'm coming. She bent the metal exit door open and rolled herself out immediately cursing as rain poured down on her, she had lost track of time as well, it was pitch dark save for the street lights. She rolled her wheel chair out onto the sidewalk and tried to get her bearings, four blocks away…I can do this. She took a deep breath and rolled her chair in the direction of Police HQ.
I
"Asami?"
Asami shifted in her chair and woke up slowly. "Korra?"
"Where's Lin?"
What? She sat straight up in her chair and saw an empty bed and Korra standing with the curtains drawn. "Shit! She was here when I fell asleep,"
"This isn't good." Korra said frantically. "She was sedated, damn it, Korra I'm so sorry." Can't win today can I?
Korra shook her head. "It's not your fault, its probably good she snuck away."
Asami raised an eyebrow. "How do you figure."
"Knowing her she would've fought anyone who tried to stop her." Korra scratched her head and realized almost immediately where Lin would be headed. "I know where she's going, still got the car?"
Asami pulled her keys out and jingled them, without another word the pair rushed to the elevator. Asami slammed the down button and received only a slight twinge of pain from her hand. "How did it go with Ren?"
"Not good, we found a traitor in the Kyoshi,"
"You're kidding!" Asami said shocked, she stepped into the elevator as the doors opened. Ren will be out for blood.
"She threatened to blow up the spirit vines they had stashed in their vault…" Korra held her hand as she remembered Masako being bent to the floor.
"And?" Asami already had an idea of where it was heading.
"I stopped her." For now.
"You blood bent her didn't you?" It's not like she had a choice…she would've blown up a whole block…and she is responsible for Kya.
Korra got the chills as she remembered the pop Masako's arms had made. "Yes."
Asami embraced her. "I'm so sorry Korra, that must've been hard."
What was hard was letting her live…
You didn't have a choice…Asami broke apart and tried to ignore how Korra didn't seem as torn up over the blood bender as she had been before. She held Korra's hand and took a deep breath, Korra just wants to protect everyone, how can I criticize her for that?
I
Lin's wheel chair bumped into the steps to police HQ sending a bolt of pain into her leg, Lin was soaked in rain and sweat, she'd rolled herself four blocks in the pouring rain and still had a ways to go. Her heart pounded at her as she shoved her self out of the chair and limped up the steps leaning on the railing as she did. Almost there she thought as her leg screamed at her and blood dripped from the bandage. She made it to the top of the steps and hurriedly limped her way to the large front doors, without hesitation she bent them open and limped into the main hall. Thankfully since it was the middle of the night it was largely empty save for a rookie at the desk. The rookie stared down the hall as soaked woman in a hospital gown limped her way towards the desk. "Well don't just stand there you fucking rube!" Lin snarled. "Get me a damned wheel chair."
"Uh—" Ah realized just who that woman was he flew into action sprinting for a storage room.
Lin limped the rest of the way to the desk and leaned against it starving for air. "Damn rooks." She sighed as she heard the pounding of boots on the tile floor as the rookie came running down the hallway with a wheel chair in hand.
"What happened Chief?"
"Don't worry about it." She waited for the rookie to unfold the chair and immediately collapsed into it. "That'll be all." She rolled away from the bewildered rookie and headed to the elevators. It's about time. She stopped her chair and punched the down button happy to see it light up. She lifted her injured leg and saw that her foot was covered in blood that had dripped from the bandage. None of this would be a problem if I had just died. She sighed as the elevator dinged and she rolled her way in not even turning the chair around as she hit the button for the morgue. Lin tried to keep her breathing calm as she realized she wasn't breathing heavy because the physical effort anymore. She had made it all this way to see Kya, and to say good bye. Kya was dead, Lin finally felt that in the pit of her stomach. She's gone…and besides join her…the only thing I can do is say goodbye.
The elevator dinged and she rolled herself out of the elevator, immediately she began to shiver, the rain soaked hospital gown stuck to her as the cold air of the cooler hit her. She rolled her chair over to the bare rock wall where the list of dead hung. She bit her lip as she found Kya's name, never thought I'd see your name here, she took a mental note of the isle and row number and set off. Lin could barely fight the shivering anymore as the cold enveloped her, if she wasn't already full of pain over the loss of Kya she'd feel something for the massive number of newly added bodies.
For now they only complicated her task, row 18…row 19…row 20…finally. Lin stopped her wheel chair and leaned back looking at the stretcher covered by a white sheet. She carefully grabbed the end of the stretched and wheeled herself backwards rolling it out into the center of the isle. Her shivering breath caught in her chest as she saw Kya's hand hanging out from beneath the sheet. Tears welled in her eyes as she grabbed the sheet and pulled it off. Again her breath caught in her chest, and the tears poured from her eyes. "Kya…" She gritted her teeth, grabbed the stretcher and pulled herself to her feet.
Now standing above Kya she smiled, the dirt and blood had been cleaned off, it wouldn't be too hard to imagine she was just sleeping. She grabbed the sheet and pulled it over Kya's blood soaked dress leaving only her shoulders and head exposed. "I remember when you came back for the first time…" Lin's leg screamed but she didn't feel it as she looked down at Kya lying still in the cold morgue. "I remember thinking, 'finally, I'm not alone anymore'" She leaned forward and moved an out of place lock of hair from Kya's forehead. "When I saw you in that dress, I thought I would never be alone again Kya…" Tears dripped from her face down onto the stretcher.
She let out a sob. "And…here I am again…alone…" Lin blinked away her tears as she noticed Kya's betrothal necklace shimmering in the florescent light of the morgue. "I don't want to be alone Kya…I can't do this without you." She stifled another sob painfully aware of how loud they echoed against the stone. Lin leaned forward and carefully kissed Kya's lips, she pulled back and sighed, and lifted Kya's head gently. She unclasped the betrothal necklace and held it in her hand, tears falling from her face she clutched it and collapsed back into her chair.
She began to sob, a painful body moving sob that echoed off the walls and made her shivering worse. Come on Lin… She fought hard to stop herself from sobbing, she leaned back into the chair and wiped the tears from her face. Kya's betrothal necklace felt like it weight a million tons in her hand. She carefully covered Kya with the sheet and rolled the stretcher back into place. "I'll see you soon…" She took a deep breath and fastened the betrothal necklace around her own neck feeling more calm than she ever had she began to roll her wheel chair back to the elevator. She turned to take one last look before rolling to the elevator, before she could hit the button it dinged opening it's doors to reveal Korra and Asami equally soaked from the rain. "Hey you two."
"Lin! What are you doing! You need to be at the hospital!" Asami kneeled down keenly aware of Lin's blood soaked foot. Lin held back a shiver.
"I was just saying goodbye."
Korra noticed the betrothal necklace hanging on Lin's neck and immediately understood. "It's fine, let's just get her back to the hospital." Korra took the handles of Lin's wheel chair and pushed her into the elevator as the doors closed and Asami hit the button she briefly filled with hope that Lin wouldn't be heart broken forever…
I
Thats it for this weekend, hope you enjoy, I've got grand plans in store, however it'll be a minute before I upload another chapter. Work has me wishing I could blood bend. Please review and favorite!