Sorry for the delay! I've been really busy but now that I'm no longer working a full time job, the updates shouldn't be as spread out as they have been. Enjoy!
"The name's Bolin." The earthbender boy smiles down at me. I can't help but think he's cute. He's just not my type.
"Bolin!" His teammate calls out to him, leaving me to look around at the locker area where the Fire Ferrets get ready before each round.
There's a few storage cabinets in the corner and a couple of benches spread throughout the space. But absolutely nothing compares to the view.
The Pro-Bending Arena is laid out before me in all its glory. I can see everything. The arena in the middle surround by water, the crowd as it cheers, anticipating the next match.
"This is my brother, Mako." Bolin points to the firebender, distracting me from my observations.
"Mako? Hey, I heard you on the radio! " I hold out my hand as Mako walks towards me. "You were incred-"
"Come on, Bolin. We're next." Mako brushes past me without even a glance in my direction.
"Or I could meet him later."
12.31.12 11:40am
"Korra!" Amon yelled her name right into her ear.
"What?" Korra jumped back.
Her head was throbbing and she felt like she had just woken up from a five day slumber.
"Snap out of it." Amon growled. He was still laying beside her, holding his bleeding arm.
"Out of what?" Korra rubbed her temple with her thumbs.
"You looked like you were in a daze. Your eyes got all glazed over and-" The younger boy, Bolin, began to explain.
"Bro, shut up."
"What? I was just-"
Mako gave Bolin a look that spoke volumes, cutting him off in mid sentence.
"We'll take you both back to our base camp and get you healed." The oldest boy pointed towards Amon's arm. "Can you walk?"
"Yes." Amon hissed.
Apparently, Amon didn't enjoy being shot in the arm. The looks he was giving the brothers would have caused Korra to shrink back.
"Let me heal you." Korra whispered into Amon's ear, not wanting the brothers to overhear her and ask questions.
"It's too dangerous. I don't want them," Amon nodded in the direct of the brothers. "to see what you're capable of. Besides, I'm fine. Just a scratch." Amon shrugged his shoulders but then winced at the pain the movement caused.
"As soon as we get a moment alone, I'll heal you." Korra helped Amon to his feet as she kept an eye on the brothers just a few feet away. The vision was still fresh in her mind.
Had this been what Aang was talking about when he said others had been reincarnated as well? If the vision truly was a memory, then the brothers were her friends and not her enemy. Why had Aang spoken to her with caution?
True, the brothers had guns in this life time but they seemed harmless enough. The New World caused everyone to be on edge when something moved. An Other could attack at any moment. Korra could have made the same mistake in Bolin's place.
"Okay. Let's get a move on." Mako interrupted Korra's thoughts.
"Wait. Our supplies are-"
"Gone." Amon shot Korra a look that told her she needed to keep her mouth shut.
Mako and Bolin looked between Korra and Amon as if they were unsure who to ask for answers.
"Right. Our supplies are gone." Korra nodded to Amon.
It made sense that he didn't want the brothers going near their truck and supplies. But Korra didn't want to leave it sitting there. She would have to come back for it later.
"Where is this base camp?" Korra asked Mako, trying to divert the conversation.
"It's about a mile north of here. And then the real camp in two miles from that."
"Real camp?" Amon asked, suddenly interested in the oldest brother.
"Well, yes. The base camp is where we check everyone in at. Make sure no one has a bite. Stuff like that. Then we let them into the- the real camp." Mako's voice faltered at the end as if he were going to use a different name for their 'real camp' but caught himself in time.
"A bite?" Korra asked after making note of the hesitation in his voice about the camp.
"If you're bitten by a Rotter then you'll get infected. It depends on the person but it takes about twenty-four hours for the disease to kill you and then about three hours after you die, you come back as a Rotter." Mako explained.
"You mean as one of the Others." Korra didn't say it as a question. It wasn't hard to guess what he was talking about.
"Yeah. 'Other' or 'Rotter' or 'Flesh Eater'." Bolin shrugged his shoulders like this was a normal conversation to be having. "Everyone's got a different name for 'em. We call 'em Rotters 'cause if they last long enough, their flesh rots right off their bodies yet they still keep on walkin'."
"We should clear out of here. Rotters are bound to have heard the shot." Mako turned and began walking north without bothering to see if any of them followed.
"Told you they could hear." Korra muttered under her breath to Amon.
"Hmph." He acknowledged.
Korra helped Amon to his feet. When she offered to help him walk, he quickly denied her with a look of annoyance planted on his face.
Instead, he tore off part of his shirt and had her tie it tightly over his wound.
"That should be good enough for now." Korra smiled up at him, trying to hide her worry.
12.31.12 12:40pm
"This is your base camp?" Korra voice expressed the shock that Amon felt.
It had only been a week since the end of the world and yet this place was a fortified base. It looked as if it had once been an army base complete with electrocuted fences. The "Warning: High Voltage" sign was clearly visible.
Beyond the fence, several people in metal armor were walking about talking into headsets. Amon wished he could hear what they were saying.
There were three different dark green tents sent up towards the back. One had a bright red cross at the top. A few jeeps sat parked by the back fence.
"Yeah. Our- er- leader set all this up within a few days after everything went to hell." Bolin answered Korra. He rubbed the back of his neck as if he were uncomfortable explaining anything further.
"Hey, Lin!" Mako shouted.
A gray haired woman turned away from the man she was currently yelling at to see who had called her name. She wore a dark metal suit just like all the others but carried herself as if she were in charge. As she approached, Amon could make out two distinct scars on her right jaw.
"What?" Lin asked from the other side of the fence. She crossed her arms and glared down her nose at them.
"We ran across these two about a mile south of here. This one," Mako cocked his head back at Amon. "needs a healing session."
"He'll have to wait until you've all been inspected for bites." Lin nodded her head at the fence guard.
The fence creaked as it slowly wheeled to the side, letting the small group inside.
12.31.12 1:30pm
"Step aside right now!" Korra screamed at one of the guards blocking her from entering the tent.
After they were let into the base camp, guards had separated Korra and Amon. Korra had been taken to one of the tents where a female officer had told her to strip down so she could be inspected for a bite.
Korra had reluctantly cooperated. But this was where she drew the line.
The guards weren't allowing her to see Amon at all. They claimed he was still being operated on.
"Step aside, Morit." A woman's voice behind Korra, startled her.
Korra composed her face before turning around to face Lin.
"Chief Beifong." The guard saluted Lin and stepped to the side.
"Thank you." Korra nodded at the woman. She turned and quickly entered the tent.
The smell hit her first. It smelled like rotting flesh. Korra had a flashback to the Rotter she had fought in the fallen building.
The tent was fairly large and broke off into six different sections aside from the entrance area and hallway. Moans and cries could be heard behind the fabric separating each room.
"You're keeping him in here? Why?" Korra asked Lin who had followed her through.
"This is the only healing facility we have at this base camp. This is where we keep those who have been bitten. All attempts at saving them have failed." Lin's voice held no emotion.
"Where is he?" Korra growled. She felt the fire rising up inside her, asking to be freed.
Korra didn't wait for Lin to answer her. She stormed down the hallway, yanking aside each door flap as she went. She tried to ignoring the bloodied bodies she saw in each room.
The last one on the right revealed Amon, sitting on a bed, his feet planted firmly on the ground. Dried blood caked his arm and shirt.
"Are you okay?" Korra rushed to him. Her hands fluttered nervously around his shoulder. She wished Lin hadn't followed her, otherwise she could have healed him right now.
"Korra." Amon whispered her name like a warning. Something in his voice was off.
"What?" Korra searched his dark eyes for an answer they wouldn't reveal.
"I'm healed."
Korra's brain struggled to comprehend what her ears had plainly heard in his voice.
"You- you mean…" The question trailed off.
"Yes." Amon nodded his head. He wouldn't say anymore but his eyes told her to keep quiet about what they both knew.
"We have very special doctors here." Lin explained in a blunt voice. "Their abilities are impressive. But you'll learn more about that once you reach the city."
12.31.12. 2:05pm
"Oh, man. I am so glad you're okay. I am so, so sorry." The youngest brother started apologizing once more to Amon.
Amon clenched his jaw in order to keep himself from snapping at the poor boy.
"His okay, Bolin." Korra smiled at him. The smile told Amon all he needed to know.
Korra remembered the brothers from their past lives. She recalled their friendship. What else could Korra remember about her former life? Did she remember the war?
"Let's go." Mako pushed through the group to load a duffle bag into the back of one of the Jeeps. "I need to get you guys set up in the city and then get back here before dark."
"You guys are going to love it there!" Bolin was once again his over excited self.
Amon tuned Bolin out as he told Korra all about the 'city' as everyone called it. Amon doubted it was much of a city. It was probably just some small town they had cleaned out to live in. He should have focused more on where he and Korra had been traveling; it would give him some kind of idea where they currently where.
The car ride was a quiet event. At least for Amon it was. Korra and Bolin talked to each other like old friends but Amon tuned out the laughter.
If he was being honest with himself, Amon was jealous. Completely and totally painted green with jealousy.
Amon remembered every detail about his former life. Korra and the brothers had been close friends. Eventually, she and the oldest had dated and would have gotten married if not for the war.
If not for me.
"Bolin!" Mako's loud voice distracted Amon from his own thoughts. "Pay attention and make me that bridge."
"Oh, right! Sorry." Bolin stood up in the back of the Jeep. He spread his legs apart and bent his knees. With a look of determination on his face, the younger brother raised his hands and then thrust them away from his body.
"Wha-"
"Oh my god!" Korra's interrupted him, starring straight past him.
Amon turned and saw what appeared to be a large flat rock expanding out of the side of a cliff. It continued stretching as Bolin held his hands up.
Off in the distance, buildings rose on the horizon. They twinkled in the sun's bright light. Amon had assumed they would be heading towards a small town. 'City' was right. They were driving to one very large city.
"Don't be too freaked out. You'll get used to people doing this kind of thing. Our leader calls it bending." Bolin explained as the Jeep drove onto his bridge.
Amon looked down and saw they were passing over a deep and dark trench. Whoever their 'leader' was, he was serious about keeping things out of his city.
"Mako here can bend fire. Our leader can bend water. We're not sure how we do it. Some people just can and some can't. But each of us can only bend one element. That seems to be some sort of rule for it."
Amon meet Korra's shocked expression. She opened her mouth as if to say something but Amon cut her off with a shake of his head. Korra may think she could trust the brothers but Amon didn't want her to reveal she was the Avatar. Not until they knew more about what was going on in this city and how it had sprung up like this in only a week.
"Here we are." Bolin shouted.
The city was surround on all sides by tall walls that seemed to come straight out of the ground. Mako drove them into a small opening. When Bolin lowered his hands, the opening sealed shut behind them.
The tunnel wasn't very long. Already, Amon could see the bright light at the end that they raced towards.
In less the a minute, the Jeep burst through the other side, revealing the city at last.
"Welcome to Republic City."
I had some fun with this chapter and I hoped you guys liked it! I know I don't have very many readers but I miss getting feedback from you guys! Let me know what you think. It really does help. (: