A Legend of Korra Fanfic
By Sakura Martinez (aka SMTsukishiro)
Summary:
A promising engineering student. A mysterious woman capable of controlling the four elements. When their paths crossed, the resulting collision not only changes their lives and themselves, but the fate of the entire world as well. [Korrasami AU]
Author's Note:
Alright, so, a little bit of a fair warning for all readers: This chapter is the first of two parts. It is quite a long chapter (around six-thousand words). It also has another cliff-hanger (Sorry about that, Dreamer XD). This chapter also contains a lot of scene changes (a number of back-and-forth between the different characters/duos like from Asami and Korra to Mako and Opal). So you guys better be prepared for that.
And, well, I hope you all like this chapter and enjoy it!
Allons-y~!
The Legend of Korra
The Schism
Chapter 12. A Risky Situation, Part One
Her head throbbed painfully. There was a ringing sensation in her ear. Her eyesight was blurry, darkness dancing around the edges. She could feel something warm and sticky trickling slowly somewhere behind her ear, down the underside of her jaw and her neck. A tangy, metallic smell assaulted her nose, making her even dizzier.
Blood. She knew that was what the smell was. Just like how she knew she was losing some of it. Just like how she could taste it in her mouth. It was enough to make her retch.
She winced, letting her head lean on the cold, hard wall. Every part of her body ached. Soon she had curled herself on the floor. Everything she could see and hear were a haze of distorted images and sounds. She didn't know where she was, and could barely remember how she got there.
She took a shaky breath. In and out. But every inhalation, no matter how small or short, brought a sharp pain as well, hinting of broken ribs amongst her other bruises and injuries.
A couple of hours earlier…
A group of armed men—numbering fifteen, in total—surrounded them. All equipped with the bulky, metallic gloves and wearing the same kind of armor as the men they had met before, though their current attackers wore grayish-blue-colored metal plating instead of an onyx one, and dark-azure Hanfus.
"I hope you are proficient in crowd control, Asami." Korra whispered as she eyed the men that stood between them and the exit. "I can give hand-to-hand combat a try, but I doubt I'd be much good at it without, you know, the Elemental Spirits' help."
"We'll see…" Asami replied in an equally hushed voice. She had never squared-off against that many people before. "But we're not going to stay here and find out how good we both are at this."
As they were planning their escape, one of the armed men stepped forward and said, "Miss Sato, your presence has been requested by Councilman Tarrlok. Yours and your…friend's."
"This seems quite excessive for an invitation," Asami said, eyebrow raised, getting herself ready to fight their way through. "I have to decline, though."
"It's not an invitation, Miss Sato." The masked guard informed. "If you insist on disobeying the Councilman's wishes, then we have been permitted to use force."
At those words, the men made show of readying and powering-on their gloves. Korra winced, gritting her teeth at the feel of the spirits' life being converted to energy for the device. She balled her fists once more, and Asami could tell that it was taking every bit of control for the Avatar not to tear the gloves from the men's hands and arms. The Prodigy could sense that Korra was also being cautious, not being at her full strength and all.
Still, that did not keep the dark-skinned girl from saying, "You can certainly try to force us, but we will not submit."
The Prodigy had to commend the Avatar's bravado. Even when outnumbered, she still managed to sound as though they were perfectly on top of things. Her words oozed with confidence, it made Asami think that Korra had a plan.
When she looked at Korra, she saw the other girl grinning.
Asami was thrown aback by the expression on the Avatar's face. Does she actually have a plan?
Even the men Councilman Tarrlok had sent for them had to take a step back as Korra took a Kokutsu Dachi stance—her rear leg bent low and strong at the knee, the front only slightly just; feet and body turned ninety degrees to the side; head looking straight to the front and arms raised at the ready.
There was confidence in the posture that made the Prodigy follow suit, copying the Avatar. Her intensive self-defense training made it possible to mirror the stance.
"I was told you were a smart woman, Miss Sato. It appears, however, that that was overly exaggerated." The leader of the group spoke with a hint of smugness. Turning to his companions, he ordered, "Get them!"
The men with the weaponized gloves lunged at them. Asami quickly dodged out of the way. Korra, however, stood her ground. She bent her knees even lower before using the momentum of the incoming guard against him, punching with her opened palm the man's stomach, staggering him before sweeping him off his feet with her front foot. Making use of the opening Korra had created, Asami touched the fallen man with the Shock Glove, electrocuting him to unconsciousness.
They did not stop then, nor did they let even a second tick by without being in motion. As quickly as they could, the duo worked together in carving a path through Councilman Tarrlok's men. They felled one man after the other, surprising not only themselves and each other but the men sent to get them as well.
Though Korra was able to fight toe-to-toe with Asami against the Councilman's men, she was quick to tire herself out. Before long, her punches and kicks missed their mark and she was unable to keep her fighting stance.
When one of the men grabbed Korra by the wrist after she threw a pathetically weak punch at him and the Avatar struggled to free herself, Asami knew it was time to leave. Quickly, she came to the Avatar's aid, kicking the armed man at the back of his knee before using the Shock Glove on him. Korra, obviously enraged, mustered all the strength she could and managed to kick out at her crumpled assailant for good measure before her emerald-eyed companion grabbed her by the arm and yanked her for a run straight through the thinned-out group of armed, masked men and out of the dorm room. They had already incapacitated half of the hirelings, as well as caused sizable damage to her and Opal's dormitory. She inwardly cringed at the thought of what the landlady was going to say, and how much they would have to pay as settlement.
The remnants of the armed group were surprised by their action; they stood dumbfounded for a couple of seconds—allowing Korra and Asami a good head start—before they scrambled after the duo, leaving behind their comrades who had been knocked out cold.
At first, Asami led Korra through the familiar hallway towards the dormitories' main entrance. However, she thought better of it and veered off in the direction of the stairs leading back to the basement, weaving through the crowd of students and other tenants of the building and hastily apologizing as she and Korra collided with some of them.
"Why are we heading back there?" Korra had asked as she sidestepped an elderly lady. Far as she could tell, the basement was a dead end.
"My moped," Asami replied, chancing a look back at the shorter girl to make sure she wasn't far behind. "It would be easier to lose them if we make use of it."
A moped. The Avatar had never heard the word before. She did not know what it was that Asami had made a priority to obtain. Though, if the Prodigy said it would help, Korra could only imagine what kind of a thing it would be. Her mind conceived images of items that was as handy as Asami's Shock Glove. Perhaps it would be a weapon of some kind, or a magical item that would render them invisible, change their appearance, or afford them the ability of flight.
Such imaginings sent a jolt of excitement through the Avatar. Beaming, she could not wait to see what this so-called 'moped' was.
When Asami led the grinning Avatar to a slick, two-wheeled vehicle, Korra frowned. She had seen those vehicles zooming around the city, though they looked slightly different in make and model as the one Asami had. She had heard their loud purring noises and had grown annoyed with them for it made her meditations harder, and often drowned out the voices of the spirits. At times she had even wanted to blast those things into smithereens…
"That…is the moped?" the disappointment in Korra's voice was palpable.
"Yes. Is there something wrong?" Asami asked. How many times had she asked Korra that question? She wondered.
The Avatar shook her head. "N-No, it's nothing."
Korra felt foolish at having thought the moped as something else entirely. She was not about to let the other girl know just what those thoughts were. Korra had no desire to be laughed at, after all. She did not wish to be reminded of how little she knew of the world outside the compound she grew up in.
Still, the Avatar could tell Asami was not convinced with her answer. If they had time, she undoubtedly would have asked. Fortunately for Korra, time was not on their side. So, instead, Asami shrugged to herself and fished out the moped's keys from the bag she had—thankfully—saved in the midst of the fray.
With key in hand, the young, aspiring inventor hopped on to the two-wheeled vehicle, straddling it. Swiftly, she inserted the key into ignition, turning and kicking it into life. Checking that everything was in order—the fuel tank full, the speedometer working, and so forth—she turned to Korra and said, "Come on, Korra. Hurry!".
Of course, not even slightly bit familiar with the machine, the Avatar looked uncertain…and dare Asami even say it?—afraid.
"I think…I think I will just run. I'm certain I can outrun them." Korra said, backing away slightly from Asami and her moped. "Maybe I can even slip past without their notice. It might even be safer that way."
"Trying to outrun them on foot will even be more dangerous." Asami was not in the mood. She could hear the heavy footsteps of Councilman Tarrlok's men nearing. "I have been driving a moped for as long as I can remember. You have nothing to worry about, I promise."
Still hesitant, the Avatar tentatively did as the Prodigy had asked. So far, Asami Sato had been truthful and forthright with her and had not given the Avatar any cause to doubt the Prodigy's words. The moped didn't leave much room to carry two and so Korra had to scoot closer to Asami—thigh brushing against thigh, her front flush on the raven-haired, young woman's back, hair tickling Korra's face. So close, she was able to smell a sweet aroma—like a flower Korra could not name—emanating from the girl in-front of her.
Before Korra could fully settled in, however, the men chasing them arrived at the basement parking of the dormitories. No longer were they just armed with the weaponized gloves, but with high-powered assault rifles and high-caliber shotguns. Seeing, these men aiming their weapons at them, Asami cursed under her breath and quickly gunned the moped's engine, letting go of the brakes, and lurching it forward with only a two-worded instruction for the Avatar: "Hold on!"
Where!? Korra wanted to voice out the panicked question, but she was afraid that if she opened her mouth the only thing that would come out was a terrified scream. Or that she would accidentally bite off her tongue. And so she just threw her arms around Asami, not caring where—exactly—they latched on to, holding on for dear life.
The moped flew out of the basement parking, startling all the pedestrians who scuttled out of the way, screaming in alarm and horror as the Councilman's armed men fired at the retreating duo. The bullets merely whizzed past them, however, as Asami skillfully maneuvered the vehicle.
Practiced as the young engineer was, the unpredictable movement and high velocity of the moped did not ease the olive-skinned, young woman's tension, nor her grip on Asami—whom Korra, despite being terrified, had realized was quite warm and surprisingly cuddlesome—as she buried her head on the other girl's shoulder, not daring to look at where they were going or learn how fast they were moving.
For Asami, she couldn't help but think of it as an accomplishment to be able to maneuver the moped as well as she did. Korra was a difficult passenger for a two-wheeled vehicle. Several times, they almost skidded and toppled over to the side when the Avatar failed to keep balance as they were making a turn. It did not help that the arm around her torso was proving to be such a distraction, and Asami did not even know why. It wasn't like this was the first time she had someone as a passenger on her moped. It wasn't. She and Opal used to go riding all the time when their schedules would allow it, or when both of them wanted to escape their studies.
Still, Asami pushed past the distraction, moving through the traffic as though it was non-existent. By the time they had managed to lose their pursuers, they were already nearing Harmony Tower in Downtown Republic City. Even when the Prodigy had eased on the accelerator, cruising in an acceptable speed, Korra still held onto her like a lifeline.
"Korra, you can ease up on your snakehold now." Asami told the Avatar as she searched for a place to stop. "We're safe."
"No, we are not," was Korra's muffled reply, head still buried on the other girl's shoulder and eyes firmly shut. "We are still riding this…this thing, aren't we?"
Asami had to stifle a laugh. She could not help the teasing remark that escaped her lips. "I didn't think speed was an issue with you, Avatar Korra. I would have thought you would enjoy this kind of ride."
"Are you telling me you actually enjoy being chased off and shot at?" Korra was incredulous, to say the least. "You really are one, strange human. It's not the speed that concerns me, though. I just do not like being on something I can't control myself."
"Much as I would like to question your choice of word about me," she felt the Avatar cringe at her words, "we have to think about what we should do now."
"What do you mean?" Korra asked, chancing her eyes open. Though instead of looking at her surroundings, the Avatar focused more on the strands of black hair that danced in front of her.
"Opal," Asami had to force name through a lump on her throat. "She was supposed to go to her Aunt Lin to explain our situation."
"Yes, I remember her saying that. What of it? Did she not go with that other human?"
"Mako. His name is Mako." The Prodigy corrected. It was becoming more and more apparent that Korra didn't think much of their hired help. "Really, Korra, how hard is it for you to call him by his name?"
"I don't trust him enough to act familiar around him. Besides, humans rarely interest me. And only when they do—or when I deem them worthy—do I let myself call them by their name." Hearing the Avatar try to speak with authority while still in the state she was in sounded silly.
"He is helping us. You should at least give him credit for that."
"As you have said so yourself, he is only doing so because of the promise of a reward for his efforts. It's hard to recognize someone like that, much more trust them."
Asami said nothing after that. She could see the wisdom behind the Avatar's words and could understand her caution. Even her trust in Mako could only go as far as she could throw him. Trust, after all, is earned not through words but actions. And actions are measured by that which drives them. Money—the Prodigy knew—was a one, fickle mistress.
"So…what were you saying about Opal?" Korra asked minutes after silence descended on them.
At that point, Asami had found a semi-secluded area. Gently, she eased the moped to a stop, keeping the engine running, before turning to face Korra, who had quickly hopped off the moped—and was quite relieved in doing so.
The Prodigy fixed her hair, combing through it with her fingers as she went back to her earlier thought. The action intrigued the Avatar. "I'm not sure if I'm just being paranoid or not, but what if Councilman Tarrlok's men had been in the dormitories lying in wait for us? What if they knew we would return there? Wouldn't that also mean they would be lying in wait for Opal to try and contact Chief Bei Fong?"
"That is possible. That man—Tarrlok, is it?—he seems like quite a conniving character. Still, I would assume this 'Chief of Police' is a figure of authority? If that's so, then wouldn't Opal be in a much safer situation than ours? She would have people guarding her."
"I suppose that's true. Still, I am worried about her." Asami admitted. She bit her lower lip in contemplation, wondering if she truly was just being overtly anxious or if there was real reason for concern.
Korra, seeing the other girl visible shaken by the possibility of her friend being in trouble, found herself concerned as well. Though she did not hold much concern for humans, Opal Bei Fong had helped her and would have undoubtedly continued to do so. It would reflect poorly on the Avatar if something were to happen to the human because of her involvement. It did not hurt that the young Historian was quite an interesting person. Plus, she was one of the few who knew about the Avatar outside of Nia Bayou.
And so, the chocolate-haired girl found herself saying, "If you're worried about her, then we should see if she's fine. Do you know where she might have gone to speak with her aunt?"
"She could have gone to the police headquarters. Or maybe to Chief Bei Fong's house." The Prodigy replied, contemplating which scenario was more likely.
"Alright then, let's go and get her." Korra sighed as she swung one leg over the moped and latched herself onto Asami once more.
"Are you sure?"
Korra nodded. "It will help ease your mind, will it not? And it will also save us time. It's obvious we can't stay here much longer. We have to get to Nia Bayou, even if we take the long way round."
Asami turned her face forward. She was not going to argue with that.
Councilman Tarrlok was greatly pleased. Not only had he managed to render the rest of the University Council members speechless, he had also acquired the begrudging respect of his colleagues. Though the good feeling he had was slightly dampened when he received word that President Raiko intended to see the machine in action for himself.
The call that came after his brief, yet fulfilling, conference greatly hinted of the President's impatience at seeing the machine in action. Apparently, someone from the council tipped President Raiko off. Councilman Tarrlok didn't particularly care who had done so—or if the President did learn of it sooner than he would have liked—Tarrlok just didn't enjoy being threatened by the incompetent man saying that if the Spirit Bastille fails to meet his expectations, he was going to make sure the Councilman finds himself out of his job, disgraced, and in trouble.
He was quite confident that his sterling reputation would not be marred in anyway—regardless of what the buffoon-of-a-President intends to do. Not while he has his own personal army or the Spirit Bastille in his hands. He was actually looking forward to the look that would cross the man's face when he sees for himself the fruits of the University's labor.
It was easy for the Councilman to imagine how President Raiko would take the news. The man would be ecstatic and would want to make use of technology soon. He would make it look like he was the brains behind the operation to try to encourage the people of the United Republic of Nations to continue to support him, especially with the election looming ever closer. That was the sole reason why the President had made Councilman Tarrlok's project a priority, and the University Council knew it.
The Councilman from the Northern Water Tribe couldn't help but glower at the thought. His musings, however, were interrupted when one of his hired men entered his room via the secret passageway hidden behind his voluminous bookshelves.
"Councilman Tarrlok," the hireling cleared his throat as he saluted, voice muffled by the metallic mask he wore.
The Councilman, expecting the visit, nodded to let the man know he was listening.
Upon seeing this, the hireling went on to report, "Our men have made contact with the Sato girl and her companion—the dark-skinned girl. It was as you said, sir, they returned to their dormitory room. We've also received word that the Bei Fong girl was heading for the police department headquarters, possibly to seek Chief Bei Fong."
"And?" Councilman Tarrlok asked impatiently.
"We've lost track of Hiroshi's daughter."
The hireling cringed as the Councilman stood, chair scrapping on the floor, and walked to the nearby mini bar, plucking a bottle and a glass to drink in. The silence of Councilman Tarrlok's movements frightened the man reporting to him, wishing that he wasn't the one sent to inform their boss about the turn of events.
"T-The girl…Sato…she's a lot more capable than we have thought her to be," the man gulped and went on. "The girl she's with is no push-over either, sir. We lost both of them when they rode off in a moped."
The report was only met with silence, making the hireling gulp once more. It did not bode well when the Councilman was silently seething.
"Tell me you didn't come all the way here just to report your failure to me," Councilman Tarrlok growled.
"Well, there is one thing sir..."
Avatar Korra had to take a deep breath, her head resting on Asami's back, arms gripping the Prodigy's torso tightly, even though the confounded machine they had been riding on had already stalled to a stop having arrived at their destination.
The Prodigy allowed the other girl to regain her bearings, knowing that Korra did not enjoy the ride. She tried not to mind the odd looks they were receiving from the pedestrians passing by. Instead, she focused her attention more on looking out for Councilman Tarrlok's men.
After a while, Korra eased her hold and finally slipped off the moped. Asami followed suit after pulling her keys from the ignition.
Clearing her throat, the Avatar asked as she gazed at the multitude of similar-looking houses, "So, which one is it?"
The row of houses that stood on either side of the cobblestone street were painted a dark shade of maroon; all sides and symmetrical angles. Each two-story house was minimally decorated with potted plants and drab-colored awnings atop doors with silver or bronze plates depicting their lot number. From some of the open windows, the aroma of food drifted in the air, intermingling with the smell of exhaust fumes from the automobiles that passed by.
Asami followed Korra's gaze before resting her eyes on the one with all the blinds and curtains pulled down. Though she could not see it just yet, she knew the bronze plate on the door read: DRC-1020. She nodded towards that particular house and said, "The second house on the right."
Korra nodded, though she did not move from where she stood, opting instead to wait for Asami and had her lead the way. The two wasted no time, however, to get to the front steps of Chief Lin Bei Fong's home, hoping that Opal and Mako were there. It was, after all, much more difficult to have to go to the Republic City Police headquarters not knowing if Councilman Tarrlok had used his connections to already have a warrant for their arrest.
The Avatar watched in silence as Asami took a deep breath, nervous at what may await them on the other side of that door. Finally having steeled her nerves as well as her resolve, Asami tugged on the doorbell's strings letting it ring for a couple of times before relinquishing her grip on the rope.
As they waited for the door to open, Asami couldn't help but rehearse her explanation in her mind. Chief Bei Fong would, undoubtedly, want answers about what they had done and why her niece had been dragged into the whole mess. No matter what answer or explanation the Prodigy had come up with in her mind, she felt it sorely lacking and she knew the Chief of Police would find it unacceptable.
Asami sighed. Why did I let Opal get mixed up in all of this? I shouldn't have allowed her to talk me into letting her help.
It didn't take long for the door to open, revealing a very disgruntled Chief of Police. The look of annoyance, however, was only momentary as it transformed into one of surprise. Lin Bei Fong had not been expecting them.
"Miss Sato, what are you doing here?" Chief Bei Fong asked, allowing the door to open a bit wider. "If you're here to talk me into telling my sister against sending Opal away, don't bother. I already did and she remains as indignant about it as when she spoke with her daughter."
"That's not why I'm here, ma'am," Asami shook her head. Even before she asked the question, Chief Bei Fong's reaction to their sudden visit and their presence had already answered her inquiry for her. Still, the small glimmer of hope in her heart made her push through, "I am actually here because of Opal. Is she here by any chance?"
The Chief of Police frowned. "Opal? No, she's not here. Why should she be?"
"Well, she said she wanted to talk to you about...something," the Prodigy finished lamely.
Chief Bei Fong stared at the young woman with an odd look on her face. It was as though the older woman knew something she was struggling to come to terms with. Before long, Asami had found herself being scrutinized.
"If she's not here, though, I suppose we'll be heading on our way." Asami said, backing away slowly. "I apologize for the trouble, Chief Bei Fong. Come on, Korra. Let's go."
But Korra didn't move to follow Asami. Instead, she grabbed the raven-haired girl's wrist, keeping her from leaving. Asami gave the Avatar a confused and questioning look which was not lost on the Chief of Police.
"Perhaps," Korra said, tentatively, disregarding the presence of the other human while she looked intently at Asami. "Since we are already here, why don't we accomplish what it was Opal had set out to do? We are already here, after all."
"But Opal—"
"—has that human with her. I know you're worried about your friend, bit if we leave now, we might just end up missing them. I also believe we have been presented with a rare opportunity with this human having not tried to apprehend us yet."
The two stared each other off for a few seconds before Asami relented, seeing that the Avatar's words had merit in them. Together, Korra and Asami faced Chief Bei Fong who had, up until that point, silently observed the two's strange verbal exchange.
Asami was just about to open her mouth to speak when Chief Bei Fong interrupted her. Stepping aside so as to give room for them to enter, the Chief of Police invited them in saying, "I have a feeling what you and your..." she looks over at Korra, unsure of who the girl was, "friend are about to say warrants the need for privacy. I need for you to answer some questions for me as well, Miss Sato, so please come in."
The two young women exchanged glances before they stepped inside Chief Bei Fong's home.
Professor Noatak stood in his office, his face towards the large glass window that allowed him a perfectly good view of Republic City's skyline. His eyes held a far-away look in them, as though he was reminiscing about a long-forgotten day. It was all but for an instant, however, as the Professor yanked his gaze from the city and turned it instead to the thick bundle of papers, bound together by a stained folder, tightly wrapped with several elastic bands. The words 'Confidential ' was written in the middle of the folder in fading, red, ink. It was quickly followed below with the words ' Incident Report', equally written in already-fading ink.
It didn't take long for the Professor to obtain the records that would change Hiroshi Sato's perspective of the city and his mind of his decision to ally with him. Much as how Asami Sato's theses had been the most important documents to ever grace his hand, so too was the report that he now held.
His mysterious benefactor—the woman shrouded in mystery he had spoken to and sworn allegiance with—had promised that change was in the air. Noatak believed her, just as he believed he was the one to set it into motion. Him and Hiroshi.
He smiled at the thought as he took his coat and readied himself to leave for the Future Industries building. He could not wait to get his hands on the Spirit Bastille and put all of their plans into action.
Asami was surprised to find that they were not the only visitors Chief Bei Fong had that morning. There were two other guests in the Chief of Police's house, in her living room. One was a tall, lanky, dark-haired man with a Fu Manshu wearing a light-green tunic underneath a leather coat whose entire bearing screamed of being in the police force. The other was an old, homeless man Asami had seen on several occasions in the city.
Seeing the strange pair in Chief Bei Fong's home confused the young, aspiring inventor enough that she stopped on her tracks so suddenly Korra ended up colliding with her, though neither—thankfully—ended up losing their balance.
"Please, have a seat," Chief Bei Fong said, gesturing to an unoccupied beige sofa.
The Avatar glanced at Asami, who shrugged and did as they were told all the while eyeing the old man and the officer. Once seated, however, the old man grinned and showed off his yellowing teeth.
"Well, call me a Lemur's uncle!" he giddily stated. "Now ain't this a surprise? Miss Asami Sato, 'erself, in da flesh!"
Asami frowned but said nothing despite how strange she found it that a homeless person would know who she was. As well-known as her name was, the Prodigy didn't think anyone would actually be able to tell who she was with merely a glance. Only the staff, faculty and students of the Great Republic University, as well as the high society of Republic City knew what she looked like, after all.
It didn't help her worries any when she saw the suspicious look being directed at her by the other guest, or how Chief Bei Fong had glared at the old man as she shushed him.
"Now, what is it you and your friend wish to talk to me about, Miss Sato?" Chief Bei Fong asked, foregoing the notion to sit. "Your friend mentioned it has something to do with my niece."
Those words got the attention of the two others in the room. The change in them was subtle, so much so that it would have been easy to miss.
"It's not just with Opal, Chief Bei Fong," Asami said, choosing her words ever so carefully. "It's about Councilman Tarrlok and the University as well..."
The Republic City Police Department's headquarters was as eerily silent as it was dark. All of the blinds were closed off, save for a few that allowed slivers of light pass through. Still, Opal and Mako forged through, the latter forced to disregard the warning bells that resounded in his head as they walked deeper in the building's threshold, footsteps echoing too loudly for his ears.
The young Historian, however, was unfazed by the state of the police headquarters. She thought nothing of the absence of the office's skeletal force. In retrospect, perhaps she should have been more careful and aware. Perhaps she should have listened to Mako's warning and his suggestion to turn back. But as it was, she didn't. She walked purposefully to the third floor of the building where the Chief of Police's office was. Her gait was that of one who owned the place, if not one who frequented it.
They were about to make the walk through the final corner that led to Chief Bei Fong's office when they heard a crashing sound emanating from that very room. The duo immediately stiffened, with Mako quickly grabbing on Opal's arm to keep her from taking one more step.
"What?" the young Bei Fong hissed, glaring as she almost slipped thanks to Mako.
"I really don't think we should be here," the Mercenary's words were hushed, his hands still holding on to the young woman. "There is something wrong in this place."
"You really should relax a little." Opal retorted. "Everything's fine."
"Fine? How can it be fine? There's no one here! This is the police department, it shouldn't be so quiet and abandoned!"
Opal shrugged, "Maybe my aunt just let them take the day off? Maybe they all attended some event or were called for something."
"Really? That's your explanation?" Mako was incredulous. He wondered if the girl was really so oblivious to the potential danger she was currently embroiled in.
There was another loud banging, followed by a thud and rustling of papers from the Chief's room that caused both to jerk in surprise.
Mako gave Opal a look, to which the History, Literature and Arts Major quickly argued, "That could be my aunt having one of her bad days."
Before Mako could utter a counter-argument, Opal had freed herself from his grasp and had resumed her trek to the Chief's office. The Mercenary could only mutter a curse before he readied his pistol, wondering about his luck with the job he had taken and the sanity of even agreeing to take the job in the first place.
Much as how it would have been in her best interest to be cautious, Opal eschewed the notion of surprising whomever was inside the office and, instead, announced her presence saying, "Aunt Lin? It's me, Opal. Can I come in? I need to talk to you." and doing so in the loudest voice she could muster without necessarily shouting.
Mako wanted to beat his head on the wall. Do these girls really want to make me work real hard for that one-million yuan?
Before he could reprimand Opal once more, the young woman had pushed the door to the office open. There was a soft click after that, barely audible. Neither Opal nor Mako were able to react in time as a powerful blast exploded inside the room, throwing Opal so far back that her body hit the wall with a great deal of force and she crumpled on the ground, unmoving.
Mako, who had a bit of a distance between himself and the explosion, was thrown off balance as well, though he managed to catch himself from falling down. Seeing the unconscious heap that was Opal Bei Fong, the Mercenary quickly made his way to her, uttering various expletive curses as he did while being wary of the fire that began to consume the office of the Chief of Police and trickled into the adjacent walls and rooms.
Coughing from the smoke and the dust, the Mercenary quickly scooped the unconscious young woman, careful not to injure her further. He had taken no more than a couple of steps before something—or someone—hit him in the back of his head.
He didn't know who or what it was. He didn't even have time enough to think for quickly darkness claimed him and he fell, unceremoniously, on the floor.
Silence greeted the Avatar and the Prodigy as Asami finished sharing the truth of their involvement both in the break-in that had occurred days ago and the one that had happened the night before. It was not as though Asami did not expect such a reaction, she had. And that included the incredulous expressions etched on the three adults' faces.
"Dat, uh, sounds..." the old man—the one called 'Gommu'—trailed off, uncertain how to continue.
"Absurd? Crazy? Impossible?" the other man—Lu—supplied, an irate look on his face.
Chief Bei Fong nodded. Asami's words were far-fetched. "You have to admit, Miss Sato, such a tale—an accusation—is tough to swallow. Not only did you make preposterous claims about this...Avatar," she glanced at the girl in question who looked back at her, undaunted, "but you're also suggesting that Councilman Tarrlok—a high-ranking official of your university—is dealing with something illegal and potentially dangerous. I don't particularly like the man—I can barely tolerate him—but that's just—"
"I know what it sounds like, Chief Bei Fong. Believe me, I've seen what Korra could do. I've witnessed the machine in action and I had just escaped the Councilman's attempt to ambush us in our dorm room. I would doubt my own words had I not been a witness to all of that." the Prodigy tried not to sound offended. She barely pulled it off.
Lin Bei Fong looked at Lu and Gommu. They were understandably skeptical. A silent three-way conversation passed between the Chief and the two men. It made Asami anxious—as anxious as she was wondering about Opal's whereabouts.
Even if she went to the police headquarters, she should already be here.
Before she could continue with that line of thought; before any of the adults could say anything; even before Korra could speak out for herself and find a way to prove Asami's words were true, the doorbell rang with much urgency and fervor.
The Chief of Police cursed as she stood up, muttering how some people had the worst of timing as she answered the door. Whomever it was on the other side, however, was not intent on waiting for the door to open. The moment that it showed any sign of being unlocked, the man on the other side of the door shouted, "Chief! The headquarters! Someone just bombed the headquarters!"
Post Chapter Notes:
Here's a fun (well, not so fun for me) fact about this chapter: I had to rewrite this twice. Once, because the file got deleted and I didn't have a freaking backup. The second time was because I once again over-wrote the file with an older copy—one of the couple of drafts I made for this chapter (I had a lot, since I was going back-and-forth with how I far I wanted the chapter to progress). So, yeah...this chapter was pretty stressful because of that.
And, yes, this universe's Korra does not enjoy riding on mopeds because, as she had said, it was not something she could control. Plus, you have to consider that this is the first time she ever saw (and rode on) one.
That's all for now. I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter. Feedback is very much appreciated!
Until the next update, dream on; fly on!