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:

Apologies for not being able to update sooner. I just got back from an island vacation, and even though I could have brought my laptop and my mobile wifi along, I didn't. I swore it off in favor of reconnecting with nature and relaxing. It was a vacation, after all.

Anyways, this chapter should make it up to you guys. I hope you all enjoy this one.

Allons-y~!

The Legend of Korra

The Schism

Chapter 14. The Avatar's Vision

It was strange, to say the least. Asami never thought she would see the strict, well-respected, and beloved leader of the Republic City Police Department wear anything less than her crisp uniform. Even when she and Korra had arrived unannounced at her house earlier that day, the Chief of Police was already in her dark-green uniform. For that particular night, and with what they were about to do, Chief Lin Bei Fong and her three subordinates: Lu, Gang, and Gommu, decided to wear a black shinobi shōzoku—which included a dark-colored keikogi, a pair of jika-tabi, and a small piece of tenugui to mask their faces with. Compared to what they were wearing, the Prodigy couldn't help but feel she, Korra, and Mako were large neon signs that would easily be discovered.

Whether or not the adults with them thought the same, they didn't voice it out. Nor did they seem to care. All of them—including Mako—seemed to have entered a tunnel-vision-like state where the only thing that mattered was the task they were setting out to accomplish. Even Korra seemed to be far too reserved—too deep in introspective contemplation—soon after she finished her meditation. And though Asami was concerned for the Avatar, she chose silence instead of voicing out that concern.

"The Catacombs are vast and labyrinthine. If we're not careful, we can end up lost in there for days, maybe even weeks." Chief Bei Fong informed them, breaking Asami's trail of thought and forcing her to look at the elder Bei Fong. "It doesn't help that we're dealing with Tarrlok and his personal army of Triple Threats who have already mapped the place and have their people guarding and lying in wait there."

"It will be dangerous," Lu looked at Asami and Korra intently, as though that statement was meant for them—which, obviously, it was. "Those people will not hesitate to use force."

"I can take care of myself," Asami had said, giving the officer a stink eye.

At the same time, Korra, feeling insulted, growled, "I am not some weakling that needs protection, human."

If the Avatar was being honest, however, she would rather not put herself in more danger than was necessary. Her mission—her reason for coming to Republic City—was to answer the spirits' cries for help. Her meditation had reminded her of that. She felt she had been diverted from that mission so much and felt as though she had wasted quite a lot of time with all the planning and the talking...and Spirits! Do humans love to plan and talk! And though Opal Bei Fong aided her and was a person of rare values and interests (it was not every day Korra met someone outside of Nia Bayou who knew so much about the stories and legends meant to be a secret to the world), and though she undoubtedly landed herself in trouble because of her dealings with the Avatar, Korra still had been reminded of her priorities and found herself more inclined to just let the humans deal with saving the young, aspiring historian, believing them more capable of dealing with the situation than she was—hard as it was to admit.

Of course, she did not express her sentiments to those who were present. She did not think they would approve, especially Asami. Despite all the sacrifices and help the porcelain-skinned girl had done for her, Korra did not think the Prodigy would fully understand. And so while the Chief of Police made last-minute plans with her operatives and Asami and Mako voiced out their own opinions and suggestions, Avatar Korra merely watched, making plans of her own.

The Catacombs. It was just another way the people of Republic City refer to the vast network of underground tunnels that lay beneath the capital. Though regarded as one of the most dangerous places in the city, and though people generally stay out of them, there were a few adventurous and curious souls who throw caution to the wind and journey through the tunnels hoping to learn more about them. Few manage to go far, however. Fewer still returned safely with all of their limbs intact.

The Catacombs were old. Though there were signs of half-finished human architectures near one of the well-known entrances, it was not hard to notice that the tunnels themselves were not made by human hands or machineries. Whomever—or whatever—made them were huge and meticulous, if the size and span of the tunnels were any indication. Korra was in awe of them. She never thought there was something out there who could compete with Bai Hu's command of the earth.

Apart from the tunnels, there was something underground that made the Avatar feel...connected. She couldn't help but feel good. Better than she had been in a while.

Korra hummed, contented.

"You seem to be in a better mood now, Avatar," there was a lilt in the Prodigy's voice, a happy note to it that was out of place given where they were and their purpose. Korra wondered if Asami could sense the same thing she was sensing...whatever it was.

The darker-skinned girl glanced at the young woman walking beside her. Both of them had taken the rear while Chief Bei Fong and the men took the lead. "I could say the same of you, Miss Sato." she smirked when Asami crinkled her nose at how she was addressed. "I thought you would be as morose as the others, given the gravity of the situation."

"I suppose I could act more like them." Asami sounded like she was really contemplating mimicking the others' disposition. She shook her head seconds later, however. "But I don't think it would help. Don't get me wrong, I'm still worried about Opal and I don't think I would be able to forgive Tarrlok, nor could I ever return to the University while he is still in power. There are other things I am concerned about as well. But, well, I think Chief Bei Fong's grumpiness and sullenness is enough for both of us."

"That look doesn't suit you anyway. You look better when you're smiling. Or that intense expression of concentration you have when you brainstorm or when you were tinkering with that glove. Even the warrior's look you have when you fight is better." The words slipped Korra's mouth even before she realized what she was saying. When her brain finally caught up, the Avatar had lost the chance to amend her statement or explain herself.

Korra could feel Asami's eyes on her, though she did not entertain her until several seconds had passed and she allowed herself to return the Prodigy's gaze.

A raised eyebrow and a smirk awaited her, accompanied by the words, "You really must be in a very good mood if you're throwing out compliments like that."

The Avatar frowned. She felt like there was a jab in there somewhere about her lack of social etiquette or whatnot.

"It's this place," Korra decided to explain. It was, after all, better than having to explain where her previous statement had come from. "There's something about this place that makes me feel like my old self again. Complete. Like Alignak and the others are with me still."

"We'll get them back soon, Korra," Asami gently placed a hand on the other girl's forearm. Her words were filled with certainty even when she lacked the grounds to base her words upon.

"I know I have voiced it out before, but I really can't comprehend you or your actions, Asami Sato," Korra shook her head, looking puzzled despite the small smile that graced her lips.

"You'll figure it out, eventually," Asami returned her smile.

It was at that point that Korra had found another word to associate with the brilliant, young engineer. Asami Sato was a complication. At least, when it came to what she had intended to do...somewhere along the line.

The journey through the Catacombs was silent after that, with only a few hushed conversations between the Chief of Police, her men, and Mako whenever they argued on which route to take. The map Mako obtained of Councilman Tarrlok's hidden, underground base of sorts did not provide much information in that regard and so they had to rely on Gommu and Gang's knowledge of the ever-winding pathways.

To say that the journey was uneventful, however, would be a lie. It wasn't. If ever the group had wondered why few had returned unscathed from venturing into the Catacombs, they quickly found the answer to that mystery.

Traps, a myriad of them, greeted the party as soon as the man-made architectures faded from view and the gas lamps they carried with them had taken the role of providing illumination, and made their journey that much harder and more complicated.

There were spikes that rose up from the ground and the ceiling that could impale an unsuspecting traveller. There were spears that shot from a far off wall, boulders that came rolling down steep inclines, and holes the size of fists that spew flames. There were also inconspicuous indents and panels that, once stepped on, could cause cave-ins keeping them from turning back, or could cause the ground several steps ahead of them to crumble into nothingness keeping them from going forward.

The further they got, and the more traps they triggered or uncovered, the more Korra became impressed by whomever had thought of and prepared them. Especially when Asami commented that none of the traps had signs of being made by any of the technology available in Republic City or elsewhere. Had they not been in a hurry, and if it had not been dangerous to do so, Asami would have stayed behind and tinkered with the mechanisms of these traps to try to understand and even recreate them.

Apart from the traps, however, there had been no signs of Tarrlok's hired goons. Instead of making them feel at ease, it only served to make them more anxious. Once, Lu even questioned Mako if the intel they received could truly be trusted.

"It's rather too late for that now," said Mako. "Besides, I think it's a good thing. Can you imagine fighting while being mindful of the traps in this place?"

Begrudgingly, Lu admitted to the fact. Not that arguing was an option, if Chief Bei Fong's glare had anything to say about that.

For what seemed like hours, all they did after that was dodge traps. Things changed, however, when they came across an unsuspecting group of Triple Threats who were tasked with standing guard but were, instead, huddled together playing a game of cards.

The grin on Lu, Gang, and Gommu's faces could have lit the entire underground network of tunnels given how pleased they were to finally get some action. The Chief of Police could only roll her eyes at the expectant look her subordinates were giving her as they awaited for her order. After all, no matter how much the three men were itching for a fight, they wouldn't do anything without Chief Lin Bei Fong's word.

"Go on, then," she told them with a sigh. "Just try not to cause too much ruckus."

"Yes, ma'am," Gang answered for all of them as the three saluted.

Before Korra, Asami, and Mako could ask what that exchange was about, the three, undercover, police officers slunk away from the group and made their way to the Triad Members. Although both Lu and Gang were a pair of heavy-set men, they were able to keep their footfalls silent. Gommu, also found no difficulty in hiding his presence. It was as if the homeless-looking man was a natural at blending in wherever he may be.

Making use of a large group of recently-installed pipes to keep the triad members from noticing them, the trio decided to take a sneakier approach in dealing with the criminals.

Hidden inside the sleeves of their keikogi were thin, metallic wires with a retractable grappling hook attached to the tip. With practiced ease, the three men flicked their wrist, aiming the tip of the hook at the ceiling above. The wires zipped from their sleeves and the hook attached itself on a metal scaffolding. With another flick of their wrist, the Avatar and her companions watched the three men yank themselves upwards.

Once at the scaffolding, they hastily made their way to Tarrlok's hired help, keeping to the shadows and keeping quiet still. When they were just above them, the three men once again made use of the wires and the hidden contraption underneath their keikogi to pluck the men from the ground, knock them out, and tie them up on the scaffolding in quick successions. It all happened so fast none of the Triple Threat Triad guards knew what was happening, nor were they able to retaliate.

As soon as the guards were taken care of, Chief Bei Fong led Korra, Asami, and Mako from where they had hidden and watched the scene unfold to the place where the men had been playing cards. Glancing at the University's prodigy and seeing the wide-eyed look of wonder in her face as her eyes travelled from the men making their way back down to solid ground to the Chief's own sleeves, Chief Bei Fong couldn't help but set the record straight before the young woman got any weird ideas.

"That's not going to happen, Miss Sato," the Chief of Police spoke so suddenly she surprised and confused Asami. "I've heard about your fascination with understanding how things work—tinkering with them until you are satisfied that you can build something similar, or enhance it—from Opal. I will say this to you now: our equipment is off-limits to civilians."

"I haven't even said anything!"

"You were thinking it," Chief Bei Fong smirked at the aspiring, young inventor before turning her sights back to her subordinates, nodding at them and saying, "Good work. Did you find anything?"

Gang nodded, throwing the leather sack he was carrying to Chief Bei Fong who easily caught it with one hand. As the older Bei Fong opened the sack, the officer said, "They were wearing the same kind of metallic gloves as Miss Sato. I took the liberty of taking their precious equipment." He gave Asami a side-glance and smirked, "Perhaps Miss Sato could work with these instead of our equipment, Chief."

Chief Bei Fong snorted, but handed the sack to the Prodigy who was surprised by how the older woman easily caught it despite its weight.

"Knock yourself out," she said.

Asami huffed, wondering just what Opal could have told her aunt about her to make Chief Bei Fong think she was obsessed with fiddling with things. She made a mental note to ask her friend that once they had rescued her.

"Anything else?" Chief Bei Fong asked, returning her attention to Gang, Lu, and Gommu.

"Nope," Gommu replied, "They don' even have no radios on 'em. Which means we're close ta where da bulk o' their forces are."

"Then let's not prolong this any further," Chief Bei Fong said. It was something they all agreed with as the group resumed their trek, becoming even more cautious and quiet as they went.

Everything was in place and in order. They were simply waiting for the signal to put their plan into action. They stood, side-by-side, watching as their men made their own preparations.

Hiroshi had known the extent of Noatak's reach, yet he found himself taken aback by the sheer number of his followers. Perhaps an even bigger surprise was seeing his long-time friend wearing a kabuki mask of sorts to hide his entire face, along with an all-black ensemble: a black pair of cargo pants; black, long-sleeved, mock turtleneck shirt underneath a black, hooded trench coat; his hands were hidden by black, leather gloves; his feet covered by a pair of combat boots.

Noatak's outfit was not the only thing different though. His voice, his stature, even his mannerisms were different as well, as if he was a different person all-together.

"Is the outfit really necessary, Noatak?" Hiroshi asked, eyes out front, voice soft as he looked at the bustling activity before them.

"Not Noatak, Hiroshi." was the reply. "Under this guise, I am Amon."

The CEO of Future Industries raised an eyebrow at his masked friend's statement. "Amon, huh? Why the need for this persona? Does your men not know who they are working for?"

"Not these people," Amon admitted. "No. They know me as the leader of the Equalists. The man who will put Republic City on a path of change and renewal; who will usher in a new age that will shake the foundations of the United Republic of Nations to its core."

Amon paused for a while, searching for the best explanation to give Hiroshi Sato. After a while, he had found the words he sought. "All of these people have a grudge against the leaders of the United Republic. One way or another, they have been trampled upon and taken advantage by those in power. Like us, they wish to avenge the wrongs done to them. Through my benefactor, and the Equalist movement, I intend to give them that chance."

"Benefactor?" Hiroshi was surprised to hear that. He had thought he was the only one supplying Noatak—Amon, he corrected himself—with the supplies and equipment the man needed.

Amon shook his head. "There is no need to concern yourself with that person. At least, for now. You will meet my benefactor when the right time comes."

Those words did not serve to quell Hiroshi's curiosity. Questions upon questions formed themselves in his inquisitive mind, though he voiced none of them out.

The silence both men shared between them was only broken by a beeping sound that alerted Amon of a message received by his communicator. Fishing the device from inside his coat's pocket, the Masked One quickly read the contents of the communication.

The message was a short one from his agent, but it was a very informative message nonetheless.

Councilman Tarrlok's underground barracks, the message read.

Pocketing the communicator, Amon turned to Hiroshi and said, "It's time. Let's get this party started, shall we?"

There were a lot of doors they needed to cover. So many that they wondered if they should have brought more trustworthy people along with them. Some of these doors led to long corridors with branching paths. Others, to either dead ends or larger rooms with even more doors in them.

The number of doors that needed checking and rooms that needed searching, coupled with having to contend with the Triple Threat triads and other men Councilman Tarrlok had hired, made searching for the kidnapped Bei Fong harder and slowed their progress down. The pace they had found themselves in irked, not only Chief Bei Fong, but Avatar Korra as well.

If only I could communicate with the spirits without any trouble, finding Opal would be much easier than this. This was not the first time since they entered the Catacombs that Korra had such a thought.

That particular trail of thought had further tightened its grip on the young Avatar's mind when everyone continued to think of her as a dead-weight. Not that she was the only one they thought of as such—though they would never say it outright. Asami was being treated as though she was a fragile flower, despite having demonstrated her prowess in battle when they had come across a large group of Triple Threat members. It was as if they were turning a blind eye at how both of them had fought together to take down the enemies that had flanked them. Especially the men. None of them acknowledged the feat she and Asami had pulled off, or the fact that they had kept themselves from being overwhelmed by their enemies. It infuriated Korra and soured her mood some more, though the raven-haired prodigy did not seem bothered by it at all.

Does she simply not care? It didn't seem at all like the Asami Sato she knew. The Asami she had met that night weeks ago had been adamant in putting a stop to the way she had referred to her as 'human' and not by her name; who had been offended by the...callousness of her words and how the Avatar was so easy to dismiss humanity's ways. With a sigh, Avatar Korra was once again forced to admit her lack of understanding of the human.

"It doesn't look like there are any more guards on this side," Mako reported as soon as he returned to the room they had taken for themselves. Instead of being happy, however, the Mercenary was quite displeased by what he had learned.

Chief Bei Fong nodded. "Let's wait for Gang and the others to return before we think of what to do next." She was not looking at Mako when she spoke. Her eyes were locked on the map they had found of the Catacombs and had laid on the large table in the room.

As the Chief of Police was examining the map, memorizing its contents, Mako had trudged to a corner where he kept to himself; Asami sat by herself, dabbling with the gloves the men had relinquished from the triad members, undeterred by her inability to tamper the device, lacking the tools to do so. Korra sat next to her—something the Avatar found she had frequently been doing—watching her work in silence.

As the Avatar watched, the motions of Asami's hand made her feel drowsy. It was as though they were putting a spell on her that made her eyelids heavy, forcing her eyes to a close.

Korra felt herself drifting off, though she willed herself not to. She didn't think the humans in the room would appreciate her falling asleep. When she opened her eyes, however, she found herself at a place she knew not of.

It was dark as far as her eyes could see. No light shone in the sea of darkness to illuminate her surroundings, save for the light that seem to emanate from her person. Yet, the light could only reach as far as the outline of her body, thus proving unhelpful in seeing what lay beyond.

Where am I? she wondered. "Hello? Asami, where—?" Korra caught herself, wondering why the porcelain-skinned, young woman was the first that came to mind. Shaking her head, the Avatar focused her thoughts in taking stock of her whereabouts.

A step forward, however, caused the world around her to ripple. The darkness parted and molded into the familiar setting of the Catacombs, though it was a part of the underground network the Avatar had never been before.

It was then that the Avatar realized she had entered a dream-like state. For someone who had never experienced dreams before, and had only heard of them, Korra thought that what she was experiencing was normal, though her lucidity in that dream world was something she attributed to being the Avatar.

Korra followed the path that had appeared before her. It was a mixture of earth and metal, with small, rectangular lights hanging overhead at various intervals lighting the way. Small pipes and iron pillars with minuscule exhausts pumped steam every couple of seconds or so. On the walls, she could see numbers painted on them, incrementing as she walked deeper down the path.

It was only when she had passed a wall marked '48' that led to a narrow alley, hidden and impossible to notice, did the Avatar hear anything else other than her footfalls and the hissing steam.

Find...us...

Korra stopped in her tracks and looked over at the narrow alley from whence she heard the voices carrying that familiar request. The hidden alcove seemed to want to swallow her whole as those two words echoed over and over again, beckoning her forward.

It was though she was in a trance and all Avatar Korra could do was follow the voices—the very familiar chorus of voices.

Find...us...Korra...

The narrow path stretched further before her, growing narrower still. Before long, Korra had to duck and evade pipes; crawling and squeezing her way just to make any progress. Sweat dribbled down her forehead and neck from the exertion, and again she wondered if dreams were supposed to feel that way—if one should feel fatigued in them.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Korra emerged from the narrow passageway and into a dimly lit room. From beyond that room, the dark-skinned, young woman could hear the thrumming of engines, similar to the sound in the Great Republic University's sewers when Asami had told her about the generators.

Korra... the voices returned, urging her still. Find...us...You're almost...there...

Hearing those words renewed the Avatar's strength and dispelled her fatigue. She scanned the room for a way out, and found it in a form of a set of heavy metallic doors. Wasting no time, she jogged to the exit. With each step she took she felt power coursing through her, different from the energy she felt when she first stepped in the Catacombs.

It was this power that allowed her to push open the heavy doors with such ease she would not have accomplished otherwise. What greeted her on the other side of that door was the goal she had promised herself to reach ever since she awoken stripped of her bending: the Spirit Bastille.

Korra...

A gasp escaped the young woman's lips. The voices were clearer, more distinct. Korra was able to recognize them. They were not just the voices of random spirits who had taken pity on her as the Avatar had thought. No, she knew these spirits.

"Bai Hu! Suzaku! Vayu! Alignak!" the Avatar cried out as she rushed forward. "I'm here! Please, hold on. I will get you all out!"

Korra searched for a way to destroy the monstrous machination. She was still fervently searching as the voices of the Elemental Spirits kept calling out for her.

Find us... they continued to say.

"What?" confused, Korra stopped her frantic action as she turned to the Spirit Bastille. "What are you all saying? I have already found you! I'm here. Can you not sense me?"

Instead of answering her question and expounding on their request, the voices of the Four Elemental Spirits continued with their message, like a broken record they repeated it over and over again.

Find...us...Korra...

Find...us...

Korra...

Asami had just decided not to bother Korra and just let the other girl sleep when the Avatar began to moan softly. It wasn't all that bad at first, until Korra began to grow more fitful and it became apparent that it was not a dream she was having but some sort of nightmare.

"Korra," Asami called her name softly before gently shaking her. "Korra, wake up."

That did nothing to wake the Avatar whose moans had transformed into pained groans that elevated Asami's worries. Foregoing the gentle approach, the Prodigy began to shake the chocolate-haired girl's shoulder a bit roughly than she had before.

"Korra, wake up," she tried again, voice louder now as well, which caused Chief Bei Fong and Mako to look at their direction. "Korra!"

She was about to try for a louder voice when the Avatar's eyes finally shot open and she pushed herself up so quickly Asami had to take a step back as well.

"What am I—?" Korra looked around, disoriented. She frowned when she realized where she was, her shoulders sagging. "No..."

"Korra, are you alright? You were having a bad dream," Asami asked.

"I'm...fine," Asami could tell by the tone of her voice that she wasn't, but the emerald-eyed prodigy chose to let that lie slide. There was a pause before the Avatar spoke again and said, "It...wasn't a dream. At least, I did not feel that it was."

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing," Korra shook her head. She did not wish to share that information with Asami. If that was a vision from Alignak and the others...then that would mean they are somewhere close. For the Elemental Spirits, I can't stay with Asami and these humans if our paths diverge.

"Are you sure?" Asami's concern made her ask, just to be certain.

Korra had to force herself to look Asami in the eye and answer, "Yes. I apologize for worrying you yet again, Asami."

"Well, as long as you're fine..." Asami trailed off.

The two stared at each other for a while before Korra sat herself down once more. Catching the questioning look being directed towards her, Asami merely shrugged in reply before returning to her seat as well and busying herself with the gloves. From time to time, the young inventor would glance at the Avatar who was acting even stranger than normal. Whatever positive vibes she had upon stepping foot in the Catacombs was gone, that much was obvious to Asami, and she wondered if the goons they had fought with—wielding the weaponized gloves, converting the spirits into energy—had anything to do with it or if there was another reason for Korra's strange behavior.

Of course, whatever Korra was hiding, Asami couldn't really fault her for not telling. It wasn't as if Korra should. As it was, she knew Korra barely thought of her as a friend. If she knew any better, Asami would guess the Avatar saw her as a trusty companion, just someone who was around and whom she had dragged into a mess of epic proportions; a big conundrum Korra wanted to understand and solve. And that was fine. It was something mutual.

"Asami," Korra called for her attention, something she was not expecting the Avatar would do at the time.

"Yes?" the young woman in question asked as she made a show of looking up from the mess of wires, metallic plates, and small bolts and nuts that littered the surface of the table (despite the fact that she hadn't really been looking at them to begin with).

The Avatar was about to open her mouth and say something when Lu and Gang suddenly burst into the room. Their noisy return surprised everyone in the room and caused all four—Korra, Asami, Mako, and Chief Bei Fong—to get into their fighting stance, thinking the Triads had found them.

Seeing that it was just the two RCPD Officers under her command, Lin Bei Fong gave an exasperated look at the two of them before following it up with a reprimand.

"Would it have killed the two of you to calmly enter a room for once?" she asked. "It's bad enough that you both always make a racket at the headquarters, but do you have to do that here as well? In enemy territory?"

"S-Sorry, Chief," Gang had the decency to look embarrassed. And so did Lu as he mumbled an apology as well. "But we just found a secret entrance of sorts that's not on the map."

"A secret entrance?" the Chief of Police asked. "To where?"

"We don't know." Lu replied. "We didn't bother to check further in, but Gommu's watching it. The place is a lot more built-up than this part, however. And there were more guards patrolling it as well."

"Maybe Opal is being kept somewhere over there," Asami sounded hopeful, and she was. More guards meant they were guarding something. Hurriedly she packed the dismantled gloves back into the sack.

Chief Bei Fong nodded. She felt the same way. Seeing that the young Sato was already cleaning up, she followed suit, making sure she didn't leave anything of value behind—and that included the map of the underground tunnels.

Once they were all packed up and ready to go, Chief Bei Fong ordered both of her men to lead them into this so-called 'secret entrance'.

Councilman Tarrlok made sure his suit was as clean cut and crisp as it could be; that his tie was not crooked, and that his cuff links and shoes were well-polished. After all, he was not about to meet the President of Republic City in a lesser state. If anything else, he wanted to make sure he looked even better than Raiko ever would in a suit.

Once certain that he looked absolutely impeccable, the Great Republic University Councilman left his room and headed straight for his study. There was one more thing he needed to do before he headed out.

Dialing the number to his brother's office, Tarrlok waited for the man to answer. Athough Noatak's presence was not at all required—nor was it requested by the President, himself—the Councilman still felt the need to tell his brother of the Spirit Bastille's whereabouts. After all, he did not want to cause a panic if he—or one of his peers—found the machine missing from the Garage.

Councilman Tarrlok had rehearsed what he was going to say; how he would explain not telling Noatak—or anyone else, for that matter—about the meeting with President Raiko and the Spirit Bastille's demonstration that was scheduled for that night.

Noatak's phone kept ringing, however, the man on the other end not picking up. He tried several times more, to no avail. Eventually, having believed he had done enough than what was expected of him, Councilman Tarrlok gave up.

I don't have time to waste on this, he told himself as he exited the room. Noatak can't blame me for not bringing him along. It's his fault for not answering his phone.

Along the way to the limousine that was waiting to take him to the demonstration site, his butler rushed to his side, holding a portable communicator in hand, exerting himself as he tried to catch up with his employer.

"Master Tarrlok," the ashen-haired butler called, his voice warbling with having to run at such an old age coupled with having to be in motion while maintaining proper bearing. "Please, wait! There is an urgent phone call for you."

"An urgent phone call?" the Councilman stopped walking, turned, and waited for the old butler to hand him the communicator. "From whom?"

"They...they did not say, sir." the butler replied as he handed over the device.

Already impatient, and wanting to get to the venue before President Raiko and his entourage did, Councilman Tarrlok yanked the communicator from the older man's hand and glared at it as though it was the most offending thing in the world before he pressed the receiver to his ear.

"This is Tarrlok speaking," the Councilman spoke, not bothering to ask who was on the other end of the line. "What is it?"

"Councilman Tarrlok," a gruff-sounding voice answered. "We got intruders underground. It seems like they're here for that girl."

That got Tarrlok's mood to shift. The frustrated look on his face gave way to a smile—a not-so-friendly one at that.

"So, Miss Sato and that other girl, Korra, finally arrived," Councilman Tarrlok laughed as he slid inside the limo-type Satomobile. A tap on the glass dividing him and his driver was enough of a signal for the latter to begin easing the deep-blue automobile out of the driveway. "Where are they now?"

"Our last video feed from our security cameras showed them at the barracks," came the reply. "We haven't seen signs of them since."

The Councilman thought for a while, drawing to mind the layout of his underground facility, remembering how far the barracks were from where Opal Bei Fong was being kept. He also had in mind the distance between those two points and the place where the Spirit Bastille was being kept.

"Very well, I am on my way. Make sure none of them reach the Spirit Bastille" Councilman Tarrlok instructed. "Deal with them as you see fit, but do not kill them. I need those women alive."

There was a gleeful look in Amon's eyes as he surveyed the army—his personal army—silently marching in the cover and darkness of the night. It wasn't just foot soldiers. There were also the mechanized units made of platinum, with claw-like hands, glass windows on their heads and torsos that provide the operator a three-hundred-and-sixty degree view of their environment—'mecha tanks', as Hiroshi had called them—the prominent investor had given to their cause.

Those metallic creations were an unexpected gift. Amon didn't even think that Hiroshi Sato, ever the pacifist, would have developed something like that. Why the Industrialist would have such impressive weapons hidden and in such numbers, the Masked One did not know. What he was certain of was that these were not something the man would make out of a whim.

Though the mechanized suits were present, the man who made and gave them was not. Hiroshi had wanted to come along. He had wanted to be there when the Equalists unraveled the first thread for stability Republic City that its leaders needed and wanted. But Amon had other plans, and he wanted to keep Hiroshi's involvement a secret. At least, for now.

As they neared the entrance to the Catacombs they had chosen to use, Amon began to divvy his forces, giving them additional instructions. Once done, he watched as the first of them entered the underground network of tunnels, smiling to himself.

Korra did not know what to think. She had done well in keeping her emotions in check, hiding them from the humans she was with, especially when she saw where that secret entrance Lu, Gang, and Gommu had found led. But it was just so utterly surprising that what she thought was a vision from the Four Elemental Spirits really was as authentic as they came.

Earth and metal. Pipes with hissing steam. Painted numbers on concrete walls. Rectangular lights on the ceiling at equal intervals. Everything was just as she had dreamt it.

As elated as she was with the possibility of finding that wall marked '48', the Avatar found her footsteps heavy with an emotion she could not name nor find the source of. Well, that was not entirely true. She suspected what it was, she just didn't want to acknowledge it.

The further they walked down the intersecting corridors, the more they had to fight their way. It was as if all the members of the Triple Threat Triads who were under Tarrlok's employ were converging on them in that very tight space.

"Things certainly aren't boring now!" Lu laughed, eyes burning with fun and excitement as he pounded one foe after another, using his fists and feet as well as the hidden wires he and his colleagues were equipped with.

"We must have triggered an alarm somewhere to make them all come out now," Asami did not like that thought she had shared whilst evading a weaponized glove aimed at her. Nor did she like the complications it brought in saving Opal. She was afraid that Tarrlok might take Opal away now that he knew they had come for her.

"Well," Gommu chuckled as he used the metallic wires he was equipped with as a whip to keep himself from being surrounded any further. "A'least we don' have ta wonder wer all o' these goons are. It'll make roundin' 'em up for da slammer easier."

"We're not here to apprehend all of these lowlifes," Chief Bei Fong growled, landing after a backflip that sent a triad member stumbling back to a pipe that immediately spouted steam right at his face. The older Bei Fong glared at her subordinates and added, "We came here for my niece!"

"This really makes searching for her difficult," Mako grunted as he spun and kicked his way through the triads members that were barring his way. "This corridor puts us in a bad spot. We don't even know where, exactly, Miss Bei Fong is being kept."

"There's only one way to remedy this situation then," Gang spoke up just after knocking two of Tarrlok's henchmen out by slamming both their heads together. They looked at him from the corner of their eyes as he expounded on his statement. "Some of us have to stay behind and deal with these thugs, make sure these guys don't follow the others. And we all know who's going to keep these guys busy."

The Avatar watched as Chief Bei Fong contemplated on the proposed course of action. Korra could see no fault in it, and actually thought it was well-thought out. She did not voice her opinion on the matter, however. This was something the humans have to decide amongst themselves.

After a while, Chief Bei Fong nodded, giving her consent. "Just make sure to hold out for as long as you can. We'll be back with Opal soon."

Lu, Gang, and Gommu all nodded, grinning at the woman they had utmost respect for before getting into their positions.

"Against these guys?" Lu sounded offended that Chief Bei Fong would think they wouldn't be able to do a damn good job of keeping the Triads from passing through. "Heh, not a soul will get pass us, you'll see, Chief!"

"We'll make sure you have enough time to find the young miss." Gang nodded in agreement. To Mako, he added, "You make sure they don't run into any more problems, kid."

"An' ya also gotta keep an eye out fer both Miss Sato an' Miss Korra while you're at it," Gommu added, grinning at the two, young ladies. "Those two are real troublemakers, they are."

"Hey!" was all Asami could get out in protest before Chief Bei Fong cut her off, telling her it was not the time and that she could give Gommu a piece of her mind later, when they were all out of harm's way.

With one final nod, and a salute from her subordinates, Chief Bei Fong, Mako, Asami, and Korra all made their way in further, with the Avatar keeping a close watch on the numbers painted on the walls.

Just a few more, she thought to herself once they passed the wall marked '40'. I'm almost there. Please, hang on. I'm coming.

Post Chapter Notes:

Thank you all so much for the support you all have been giving my first attempt at Korrasami.

Also, it's time for our Fun Fact section:

Fact #1: The shinobi shōzoku depicted in this chapter is based from the popular perceived notion of what shinobis—or Ninjas—wore (which is also what Lin and Opal wore when they (along with Bolin) went about rescuing Su's family from captivity in Book 4). Though in truth there is no real evidence that ninjas only wore black. This popular belief (including the black shinobi shōzoku) stemmed from the Bunraku prop handlers who wore the outfit in order to be less conspicuous to the audience when handling stage props.

Fact #2: A keikogi is a training uniform usually worn by those practicing martial art, particularly budo. The word keikogi means "practice clothes". A jika-tabi is a kind of footwear worn in Japan. They are modeled after split-toe socks from whence the name came from. A tenugui is a thin, Japanese towel made of cotton. This particular cloth can be used in anything and dyed with some kind of pattern or another. Typically, they are used in kendo to cover the head under the headgear.

Fact #3: For those having a hard time picturing the RCPD Officers' hidden wires, think of it as similar to what the Metalbending Unit uses...only instead of having the ability to bend, Lin and the other police officers have an armband of sorts that have this function.

And there you have it. Hopefully that cleared some things up and you enjoy learning all of these new things (well, maybe you know of them already, but maybe someone else doesn't know about them, so...)

Anyways, that's all for now. I'll see you guys in the next update!

Dream on; Fly on!