Trigger Warnings for this chapter: Strong discussion of suicide. Possible character death by suicide.
03.15.13. 7:30am
Korra poked her head above the tunnel's opening. Turning slowly, she searched the building around her with narrowed eyes.
The morning sunlight drifted in through the exposed warehouse. The large broken windows allowed her to see through to the alleyway.
"Shit," Korra mumbled under her breath.
A few yards away, Amon stood alone in the alley. His back was to her but he looked tense, ready to fight.
"What is it?" Bolin called up, his voice echoing around them.
Amon's head cocked to the side as if he had heard Bolin's question but he did not turn around.
"Sh!" Korra hissed down at the brothers. As quietly as she could manage, Korra pulled herself out of the hole, staying low to the ground. She crawled over to the large, garage door size entrance along the wall that separated her from Amon.
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Though she wanted to run to Amon something told her to stay back. There was something different about him. It was like he knew she was there but wouldn't face her; he was waiting for her to come to him.
Was this a trap? Had Amon been leading her here this whole time?
No. That didn't make sense. If he had wanted to hurt her, he could have done it back at the apartment.
Korra scanned the alleyway once more before stepping out into the light.
"Amon?"
"Korra," Amon greeted in a soft voice but he didn't turn to look at her. Instead he stared straight ahead towards the end of the alley.
"What are you doing here?" Korra stepped forward but still he wouldn't turn.
"Waiting for you." His answers were short and they sounded apathetic. It was night and day compared to how they had last talked to one another.
"Tell me what's going on," Korra demanded. She reached out to place a hand on his shoulder but hesitated.
There was something wrong.
Amon dropped his head and released a long sigh. "There's not much time, Korra."
"What are you talking about?" Korra grabbed his shoulder and forced him to turn around and face her. Her voice was on the verge of sounding hysterical but she didn't care.
Grasping both her arms, Amon's eyes darted around them, searching to see if anyone was watching them. He pulled her to the side, in the shadow of the closest building.
"I don't have much time to explain but you must be prepared. I don't know what will happen after- after..." Amon's voice trailed off and once more he glanced around them.
"After what? Tell me!" Korra growled. She was tried of being kept in the dark.
"After the Rotters are cured," Amon replied. He tried to keep a blank expression but Korra saw the fear in his eyes.
"How will they be cured? What is the cure?" Korra's asked the frantic questions in low, hushed tones, matching Amon's voice.
"It's me, Korra. I'm the cure."
03.15.13. 7:40am
"Maybe I should go after her," Mako said again for at least the tenth time.
Bolin rolled his eyes but otherwise ignored his brother who was currently pacing back and forth.
"Something's happened. She wouldn't be taking this long if the area was cleared."
Bolin sighed. They'd already had this argument once. "If she needed our help she would have called out."
"But what if she didn't have a chance to? What if someone was waiting up there for her and they've covered her mouth so she can't cry out for help?"
"Mako," Bolin gripped his brother's arm to stop his worried pacing. "Have you ever known Korra to go down quietly? Even if there was someone up there, she would have put up one hell of a fight and we would have heard. She doesn't exactly have skills in stealth."
Mako shook his head but didn't say anything. He clearly knew Bolin was right but didn't want to admit to it.
"If we don't hear from her in the next five minutes, I'm going up."
"Okay," Bolin agreed with a shrug of his shoulders. "And I'll be right behind you."
03.15.13 7:40am
"What the hell do you mean you're the cure?" Korra's heart pounded in her chest. She had an uneasy feeling she couldn't quite place.
"It's a long story and I don't have much time."
Korra opened her mouth to make a comment but Amon hushed her with a gentle hand placed over her mouth as his other hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.
"Loh is using my heart to control the Rotters. But the heart needs to be alive, still beating. If there's no heartbeat, there's no Rotters."
Korra's eyes grew wide in realization. Her hands shook and she felt as if she would pass out. The only thing keeping her standing was Amon's arm around her.
"I don't know what else she's planning but I have to stop her. I'm the only one who can."
Animatedly shaking her head, Korra tried to pry Amon's hand from her mouth in order to protest.
"I have to do this, Korra. And nothing you say will be able to stop me. I will always love you," Amon whispered the words into her ear as he leaned in close. The mask he wore rubbed against her cheek.
Releasing her, Amon stepped back.
"Stop!" Korra shouted but it was too late.
In a flash, his hand shot out. Amon's fingers hit a chi in her shoulder, hard enough to force Korra to black out.
The last thing she saw was the fear in his eyes through his darkened mask.
03.15.13. 7:48am
"Korra! Wake up!" Rough hands grabbed her both her shoulders, shaking her back into consciousness.
"What happened?" A second voice, lower than the first, asked.
"I don't know. She was like this when I climbed up." Another shake jolted Korra's body. "Korra, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"There's no sign of injury. And we would have heard a fight like you said."
The one holding onto her muttered a string of cuss words under his breath as he again tried to get Korra to open her eyes. "Korra, we need to know what happened."
Korra's fogged mind tried to recall the last few minutes and why she had blocked out.
"Ugh!" She groaned. Her head felt like a ton of bricks had slammed into it.
"Korra! You must wake up. There's not much time left. You can still save him!"
"Aang?" She asked past the haze. Her eyes fluttered open and for a moment she thought the saw the older Avatar standing there in the street.
"You can still save him, Korra."
"Amon!" Korra shouted as she bolted upright, searching for the man she knew she wouldn't find still standing there in the alley.
"I knew it!" Mako said, already pissed off at the situation before he even had all the information.
Korra ignored him and instead brushed Bolin off of her as she stood up.
"I have to find him."
"Who?" Bolin's eyebrows drew down with concern.
"Amon." Korra supplied the answer in an apathetic voice as she checked herself to make sure she wasn't hurt. She needed to be at full strength.
"What are you thinking?" Mako shouted at her. "He's tricking you!"
"You guys can come with me or not; I'm going after Amon."
Without a look to either of the bending brothers, Korra headed towards the end of the city. There was only one place Amon would be. And if she hurried, perhaps he'd still be there, standing on the edge.
03.15.13. 8:03am
A warm breeze was drifting in from across the canyon surrounding the city. It brought with it the smell of a green forest and the scent of the cool Earth's dirt. Though Amon could have been imaging the fragrance, it was still comforting.
"What are you waiting for?" Amon whispered to himself.
Just one step. One step was all it would take and thousands of innocent lives would be spared. The people of Republic City would have control of their hearts again; they would be human once more.
Amon closed his eyes and inhaled the warm air into his lungs.
It's just one step. All it takes is one step.
What was wrong with him? How could he be so selfish? What was stopping him from saving all those lives? It would cost him is own but that shouldn't matter.
"Amon!"
Of course he would hear her voice. It was her that was holding him back. But it was because of her he had to go through with this. He had cost her so much pain and suffering in both this life and their last life. But he could end it all. He could bring back the people she loved if he would only take that one step.
"Amon stop!"
Her voice was too loud, too close, too real for it to just be in his head.
Amon whirled around and saw her running towards him at full speed with a look of determination on her face.
"Don't do it!" She screamed as she waved her hands to insure she had grabbed his attention.
"Korra! You shouldn't be here," Amon replied in a raised voice.
"Neither should you!" Korra stopped just a few feet from where he stood. Her breathing was labored and she took a few minutes to calm it. "What the actual fuck do you think you're doing?" She growled, glaring at him with her blue eyes. They were darker as if the anger she felt was a storm clouding up the normally bright blue of her eyes.
Amon sighed and turned back around to face the outside world. He didn't answer her because how could he explain it to where she would understand?
But maybe...
"It would appear, young Avatar, that history has indeed repeated itself. Though we find ourselves on the opposite sides as before." Amon looked down to the darkness of the canyon that stretched below him. "But I am not as brave nor as strong as you were."
"Brave?" Korra shouted and Amon turned back around to look at her. "You think that was brave of me! You think that made me strong?" As she yelled at him, her face flushed and her eyes narrowed. Around them, the wind picked up, whipping their clothes around their bodies. Korra's hair blew in her face but she brushed it aside.
"You did it because you thought it was right. Because it was what you believed to be necessary to save the world." Amon called out. The wind was so strong; they had to shout to hear one another.
"I did it because I was afraid!"
The words where like a gunshot. They came out fast and hard; they seemed to explode in Amon's ears and deafen him.
Korra choked back a sob. Behind her, dark clouds were brewing in the early morning sky. "I jumped off the cliff because I was scared. Not because I was brave or strong, but because I was weak."
"But you-"
"I hoped the next Avatar would be better than me but look what my cowardice did!" Korra swept her arms out to draw his attention to the city behind them. Smoke was rising from streets miles away; gunshots and screams could be heard rising with it.
"Don't you see, Korra? I can end this. It has to be me!"
"Why?" She screamed. Her voice was horse and it caught in her throat. "Why does it have to be you?"
"Because Loh is my mother and only I can stop her."
"Wh-" Korra took a step back as if the words had hit her like a slap in the face. "Loh's your mother?"
Amon nodded. "My father was human but Loh is my mother. She uses the human part of me to control the hearts she's stolen from the people that have turned into Rotters."
Korra stared at him with wide eyes but her face did little to betray the thoughts going through her mind.
"I have to do this Korra. It's the only way to stop Loh. Without the power she draws from me, you'll be able to stop her. The people of Republic City will be saved. The people you died to save will at last be free."
"At what cost, Amon?" Korra cried out.
Thunder rumbled on the distant horizon. It was as if the weather was responding to Korra's emotions.
"It is but a small price to pay, Korra."
"You're talking about your life!"
"My life for thousands!" Amon shouted before she could continue with whatever argument she wanted to make.
It was too late. Amon had made up his mind.
"What about me? Did you stop to even consider me?" Korra sounded desperate, as if she knew Amon wasn't going to change his mind.
"I am thinking of you, Korra. I'm dying so that you may fulfill your destiny as you should have in our past life."
"You think this is honorable? You're doing this- you're dying for-for me?" Korra clenched her fists at her side.
The storm rolled in behind them. Already rain could be seen falling down on Republic City. It was just a matter of minutes before it hit them.
Amon didn't respond but his silence was enough of an answer for Korra.
"There is no honor in this death, Amon. I don't see this as noble or strong. What would be strong is living. Live for me!" Korra choked on the words but no tears fell from her stormy eyes. She pointed to her chest to reinforce her words."That is what is truly brave. Living for the person you love. Anyone can die. Dying is easy!"
"Korra, please-"
"No!" Korra screamed above the howling wind. "Don't you dare ask me to understand. Maybe I would have at one time but not now. Don't you dare ask me to-to give you my fucking blessing to kill yourself!"
"Korra!" The shout came from behind them, further into the city. Both Amon and Korra turned to find the source. Moments later the bending brothers came into view as they raced towards them.
"I'm sorry, Korra," Amon said softly but somehow she heard him and faced him once more. But she was too far away. She wouldn't be able to reach him in time. "We can argue but we'll never agree. I'm sorry." Amon took a small step backwards. He could feel the edge of the Earth waiting for him to fall backwards, to swallow him whole.
"Amon! Wait!" Korra raced towards him with her arm outstretched, reaching for him.
Amon leaned back just as the raindrops fell from the sky and splattered onto the face of his masks.
"I will always love you."
"No!"
Amon twisted his body in mid air in order to face the oncoming darkness. A rock plate flew from the Earth wall but he dodged it before Korra's bending could catch him, before Korra could save him.
Amon fell into the darkness. His pulse pounded as his blood raced through his veins but he found comfort in it. He found comfort in the sound of his heartbeat.
As the Earth reached up to swallow him, Amon closed his eyes and pictured Korra's bright blue eyes filled with the love she had once felt for him.
If you hate me, don't worry. I hate me too. I was hoping to avoid this direction of the story but this is where the characters are taking me. I hope no one is too upset.
Please leave a review with your thoughts/comments/complaints!
I'm still predicting this fic to be 30 chapters. Maybe 31 with an epilogue.
The next chapter is being written and shouldn't take very long. Expect an update within the week.