Chapter 29 'The End of Us'
"The key to breaking down the rebels and retaking the center of Republic City is by cutting their head off, whoever is organising these rioting citizens. Without that leadership their resistance will crumble. Do any of you have any information as to who might be manipulating this public outcry, what organisation?" General Iroh explained as he examined a map of the city loosely pinned onto a wall in the radio room of Air Temple Island.
Asami couldn't help but notice how exhausted the man looked even though he hadn't been involved in any confrontations as of yet. I guess when a good portion of your soldiers mutiny against you and refuse to fight then you would end up pretty tired. Nobody seemed to have any idea just how many of the United Republic's forces had abandoned their posts or had actually went and joined the rioters down town.
Their actions were on the grounds that the current conflict was unjust, the mutineers had as many grievances with spirits and their place in the world as those who had gathered around the portal. How many had done the same when the United forces were charged with taking the city from Amon? Probably no where near as many. Back then they were fighting non benders. A direct opposition to their superiority as benders.
Now the waters of conflict were much more muddy. And getting murkier by the second.
"We identified several members of the Triple Threats and the Red Monsoons fighting alongside the rioters. Though I'm not actually sure whether they've just been paid off as hired thugs or are actually fighting because they want to," Mako explained as he wiped some dirt from his face. With Beifong's police no longer required at the prison, the two barriers Republic City's law enforcement had created on the edge of down town were much more securely manned, giving Mako a chance to return to Air Temple Island to report back.
It was a real relief when the young fire bender and the rest of Team Avatar had returned safe and sound from the fighting, covered in sweat and dirt, but physically in good shape. Asami had overheard some of the other police who were seeking some medical attention on the island talking about just how much of a difference Opal, Yama and Bolin had made in bolstering their defences and keeping the rioters at a distance.
Several of the attackers had been taken into custody with the use of equalist stun grenades and electrified coils still stored in the police station evidence room.
"If we surround the attackers on all sides and push forward we could take down town back, but it would be a slow process, we'd lose a lot of people," Iroh theorised as he ran his firm hand against the map. Years of experience had made him stern under such incredible pressure.
"Then we take out their leader or leaders, like you said," Korra interrupted as she leaned against a nearby wall, confidence boosted considerably by their victory at the prison.
Mako scratched his head as he turned to face the Avatar. "But we don't know who that is. It could be the leader of the Triads, the Monsoons. Who knows. We can't launch a full on assault until we have that information, we'd be wasting our time and our resources. Not to mention all the people we'd lose."
There was a long silence in the room as Korra and Mako stared each other down.
"I have a pretty good idea of who may be behind this. My former deputy. She had many dealings with most of the Republic City street gangs when she was still a member of my organisation," Yon Rha revealed as he spun in his chair to face General Iroh who raised his brow in disgust.
Korra shared an concerned glance with Asami. Haruana was still in Republic City after all this time? How has she managed to slip under the radar of the police for so long?
"I'm not proud of how my party was financed at times, but we had no other sources of income. Without the support of the Triads and the Monsoons we'd have never even gotten off the ground, our campaigning would have been as useful as whispering into the wind," Yon grumbled as he rubbed his brow frantically, feeling all the eyes of the room boring into him.
Opal looked liked she was about to challenge the new President before being calmed by Bolin.
Yon Rha's group wouldn't have been the first political party or government to be backed by the city's seedy underground world and criminals. President Raiko had barely cracked down at all on those grimy organisation's leaders during his time in power, probably getting a back hand from them from time to time. Then again Asami couldn't really talk, turning to the Triple Threats and Lightning Bolt Zolt when her company had been on the brink of bankruptcy. That thought sent chills down her spine. I offered them weapons...
"Jinora, you can still do that projectiony thing, yeh?" Korra asked quickly as she turned to face the young air bender beside her.
Jinora nodded confidently. "As far as the outskirts of Republic City." She must've been training hard with that ability to be able to carry it over that distance.
"Then you can get to the area around portal. I need you to do that right now. You're looking for someone all in black with a cloth hood and mask."
A second later and Jinora was sat crossed legged on the floor, hands clasped together as the rest of the room stared at the air bending master intently.
Nobody seemed to bother to breath as the air felt stuffy and stagnant. Everyone in here reeked of sweat, blood and who knows what else. They all seriously needed a shower.
Jinora returned to her physical body a few minutes later, shaking her head firmly as she tried to readjust to the physical world, breathing heavily as she did so. Clearly that distance of projection had been a lot more demanding of her young body than she'd ever let on when agreeing to the Avatar's request. Asami crouched beside the young girl a second later to support her weight and rubbed a hand against Jinora's back. The material of her glider suit felt sticky with sweat as the CEO's fingers rested against it.
"You okay?" Asami asked quietly as she continued with the soothing motions.
All Jinora did in response was smile weakly but gratefully before turning her head to face the Avatar.
"I think I saw her, the person you were talking about. She was standing a few meters from the portal talking to some other big looking guys, wearing a cloth mask like you said. They've really bolstered the original perimeter there since I last saw it. I can go back and keep looking if you-"
Korra shook her head firmly as she smiled warmly at the air bending master. "Don't worry about it. You've done a great job already. That's all we need from you, go back to the dining room and get some tea."
Jinora did as commanded, escorted by Opal with a quick look from Asami into the hallway. Both General Iroh and Yon Rha stared after her with mouths slightly ajar, definitely wanting more from Jinora than she was physically able to give without injuring herself. Korra silenced them both with a protective glare as she took a seat beside Asami, the CEO tapping her leg softly in approval.
"I'll take Haruana down," Korra declared as the room turned to face her, voices catching at the back of their throats.
Asami was calm in comparison, she was fairly confident that in open combat with that psychotic bender, with no cheap tricks or dirty moves, it wouldn't even be a spectacle. The Avatar would obliterate Haruana.
"And how do you plan to actually get to her? There's a whole mob standing between you," Iroh questioned as he scratched the underneath of his chin in concentration. "And I know we don't want to kill these people, otherwise the Avatar state would be an option here."
"By air. I'll go on my glider and fly right over the rioters to the portal, I'll incapacitate Haruana, and take her back here to be locked away for a trial. Then there'll be no driving force behind any of this. All of the other people dragged up in this will surrender," Korra explained as she stood up. I hope. There were no guarantees that the angry citizens would just stand down with their leader gone, they'd still be baying for the Avatar's blood after the disaster at the hospital.
"And whose to say she wasn't the one to stir up the vines in the first place? We know she's a crazy lightning bender for starters, well me and Asami definitely do," Bolin suggested as he glanced over to the CEO before looking back to his brother.
"A little electricity does makes those things go absolutely crazy," Mako nodded in agreement.
Korra sank to her knees then as she exhaled heavily. Relief. That's what that breath was. The water tribe girl finally realizing that she wasn't responsible for all this chaos, that the hatred of the rioters was being directed the wrong way entirely by Haruana herself. Though Asami was sure that wouldn't stop Korra feeling guilty for all the people who had died on 'her watch' as she would so often say.
The Avatar didn't look guilty now as she rose steadily once more. She was a foreboding mixture of rage and determination. Energy that was firmly focused on the former Anti-Spirit party deputy.
"We'll split our forces to surround the enemy on all fronts, ours forces will be spread thin as a result, but we're not there to try and take back ground. We'll hold our position and attack, act as a distraction so that Korra isn't so exposed when she flies over them. Though you'll still be under a lot of fire," Iroh warned as he lifted himself upwards.
Korra nodded sharply. "I can handle it." I just hope the glider I made can.
With that General Iroh stood up and walked with purpose over to the radio he'd been using to communicate with the rest of his forces, turning to face the group gathered in the room before sending out an order. "This won't be like any other battles you've faced. The enemy is dug in well. You'll be running street to street battles instead of the usual open field conflict. Your opponents will try to get the jump on you any chance they get. They won't fight fair." Is there anything fair about fighting?
The room nodded in unison. Closer quarters suited Asami's glove perfectly.
Then the General picked up the radio mouth piece and issued his order. An attack on all fronts in two hours time, taking place at night so that seeing the Avatar would be much more difficult. Iroh was resolute in reiterating the purpose of the attack. To distract, not to retake. That no one was to do anything bold at the risk of loosing more of his troops.
A few minutes later and Team Avatar were sat together being fed huge platefuls of Pema's cooking as they prepared for conflict. Mako was meticulously checking his police radio and tightening the straps and zips on his light grey, dirt covered, police uniform. Opal was doing the same, checking that the buttons on her glider suit flaps weren't stuck and that there was was no rips to the red material of the wings themselves. Yama was sat to Asami's left, filling his water skins to the brim whilst attaching the grey and navy blue helmet of White Lotus over his flame like hair.
It was the first time the CEO could recall seeing Yama with his hair covered, making him looked far less awkward and much more intimating as a shadow fell across his face, green eyes flickering slightly as though his mind was going a million miles per hour. Though that was hardly surprising, considering what they were heading for as Asami packed as many converter units into her pockets as she could carry, I really wish I'd got time to make a proper strap and holder for these, before promptly moving onto Korra's blue glider, checking the material and the platinum beams that supported the wings. Everything seemed to be in check.
Korra was sat alone against the wall, legs crossed and gloved hands clasped together, eyes firmly shut as though she was meditating.
Asami lowered herself beside the water tribe girl cautiously, trying to examine her partner's emotionless expression, though she could tell from the Avatar's ragged breathing that she most definitely was not meditating, most likely just trying to calm down and gather her thoughts.
The CEO decided not to say anything on this occasion. Asking if Korra was alright seemed patronising at this moment in time. Of course she wouldn't be alright.
Instead Asami took Korra's hand in her own and traced patterns over the Avatar's palms in slow, soothing emotions.
"I hear when you have two lines going up your index finger like this it means you're going to be rich," Asami joked quietly.
That snapped Korra out of her trance as she cracked a playful smile. "I'm already rich. I have this super pretty, stupidly rich girlfriend. My hand must have known I'd get shacked up with you all along."
"I wish you'd listened to your hand earlier," Asami teased as she poked the Avatar on the forehead.
"And what about this line?" Korra inquired casually as she pointed to the exact same place the CEO had already examined.
"That means you're going to be the best Avatar ever."
At that Korra pretended to gag as she stuck her tongue out. "I'm going to die. That was so cheesy. Take me to Haruana now. I can't stand this any more!" she boomed loudly prompting the rest of the room to turn and stare at the two in a mixture of awe and confusion. Even Bolin wasn't managing to be his usual chirpy self in their pre-battle preparation.
"Sorry..." Korra whispered as she rubbed the back of her neck, realising her shouting had probably shredded everyone else's already fragile nerves.
Korra stood at the entrance to one of the only still standing skyscrapers in Republic City, the well fortified first barrier the city's police had bent and cobbled together a few meters in the distance as the Avatar stared up to the dark night sky and the yellow light of the portal in the distance, her destination. A moment later and her blue eyes shifted to the grim stairwell of the tall building to her left. In a few minutes she'd be at the very top of it ready to leap off.
Ordinarily she would have just flown up there with her glider and some light air bending instead of exhausting herself on the stairs but she and Mako had quickly agreed it would be best to keep their plan concealed until the last second, giving Korra the best chance to fly above the rioters without being taken down before they inevitably spotted her. Hopefully by then it would be too late, the Avatar would have reached the portal and be hunting down Haruana.
"It's a shame you're not coming with me on this glider ride," Korra smiled to Asami despite the nervous chattering of her teeth.
Asami raised her eyebrows in concern but didn't pry further, giving the Avatar a quick peck on the cheek. "I'd only slow you down, just remember to drive carefully and use your rear view mirrors when you park," the engineer teased as her attention returned to her mechanized glove, adjusting its setting slightly.
She'll be okay. She's got two walls and a whole bunch of friends to protect her, plus her sparky sparky hand thing.
"Will do sifu Sato," Korra bowed grandly. "I'll be back before you know it."
With that Korra was charging up the staircase, glider folded away as she glanced back one last time, Asami did the same before she sprinted over to the rest of Team Avatar and a mixture of the police and United forces.
A red flare glowed brightly in the night sky as it passed over head from the opposite side of Republic City where General Iroh was in command. That was the signal.
A second later and the benders around Asami were firing elements forward furiously, Bolin and the other earth benders of their group lifting up the second barrier, the last one before the portal and shoving it forward meter by meter, faces straining with the considerable strength moving such a large object required. The engineer glanced over to Mako who seemed to be keeping her at a very close distance as they moved forward behind the currently shifting perimeter, making sure to crouch behind it for some protection.
As they crept forward meter by meter Asami looked at the buildings above them, remember Iroh's words about fighting dirty. There was absolutely no movement behind any of the darkened windows, though the CEO never looked away from them for even a second. Watching for the slightest motion, a shadow, creeping above and waiting to pounce.
Still nothing as they increased their speed slightly. Perhaps the rioters had pulled back slightly after failing to gain any ground today?
No sooner had Asami thought it than a blast of fire screamed over the currently mobile barrier which was promptly dropped by the earth benders. A moment later and several dozens of figures dropped down from the windows of a few buildings in the distance. They charged forward as soon as their feet met the ground, sprinting towards the barrier like a bunch of crazed animals.
"Remember, non lethal take downs if you can!" Mako ordered as he fired a warning shot onto the ground in front of the charging rebels, setting the street a light. For a second that seemed to be enough to halt them as the front of the group paused at the sight of the flames. That hope didn't last long though as one of rioters stepped out and bent the fire away with ease. An act that cleared the road once more as the enemy charged forward again.
"This is the Republic City police! Stand down or we will use force!" Mako boomed, voice being amplified considerably thanks to a funnel of air being manipulated by Opal.
That warning fell on deaf ears as the attackers continued to run forward, firing a mixture of water and fire as they tried to bring down the barrier of earth. "Give us the Avatar and we'll back off!"
"Remember to use that equalist equipment!" Asami cried as she tossed a smoke grenade, quickly followed by a stun grenade over the wall, glancing up cautiously as she heard the knock out gas seep out from the device ahead of her. A second later and the cloud of smoke was cleared by the enemy, apparently with an air bender in their midst. I guess not every new air bender joined the air nation.
"Don't let them through that barrier whatever you do!" Mako ordered as he pointed his fingers forward, zapping one, no three, of those charging to the ground in a stunning shock.
Bolin pounded a mound of earth upwards to launch Opal a few meters into the air, a height advantage that Opal used to shoot huge gusts of air at the rioters, halting them in their approach as they tried to fight against the gales. Another one of the air nomads stood below Opal and kept a constant bed of air to keep their comrade in the sky.
Several of those charging fell onto their backs at the power of the gust as Opal kept up the relentless torrent. Asami took that opportunity to fire some stunning bolts of electricity from her glove to those on the ground after being boosted onto the top of the wall by Yama.
Those who were hit by the bolts didn't get up again when Opal's air bending ceased, forced to drop down from exhaustion and being too exposed to attacks above the protection of the wall. Asami dropped back onto the Republic's side a moment later as she watched the rebels stumbling and trying to regroup, knocked over once more by a wall of fire roaring towards them before any of their earth benders had a chance to get a firm stance on the ground, a chance to pull at the barrier again.
Bolin and his fellow earth benders took that moment to secure the wall a little more firmly, before the black haired man himself sent a wave of lava beyond the barrier to keep the attackers at bay for a few more minutes.
"There's not as many of them as there was earlier in the day," Mako breathed heavily as he peered over the wall for a second.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Asami asked briefly as she glanced upwards to the night sky, voice catching in her throat when she spotted the outline of a glider high above. "Korra's going now, we need to push forward!"
"But the general said to hold!" Yama retorted as she glanced at the engineer in concern, dark blue cloak ripped and covered in dirt.
"He said to distract them, we're not distracting them right now!" Asami replied sharply, looking desperately to the people around her. She needed them. She couldn't do this without them.
Mako nodded firmly. "We move forward. We have to keep their eyes off Korra so she can get to the portal."
At that Mako leaped over the wall with ease, burning a flame in either hand as he led their group forward at speed, Bolin bending the lava he had layered as a barrier earlier in front of him to create a red hot shield for everyone behind him as they charged quickly.
They caught up to their opponents a moment later, Team Avatars sudden movement taking the rebels by surprise as the two forces crashed into each other, Asami immediately gripping someone's shoulder and electrifying them with her hand in a fluid motion before moving onto the next.
Five people downed later and block of earth smashed into the engineer's side painfully as she lost her footing, a rioter was on her a second later, fire blazing in their hands. The venom in her attacker's amber eyes suggested a moment of recognition, they knew this was Asami Sato. That knowledge make their fire burn more intensely as they lunged at her.
Asami's positioning after she was hit didn't allow her to retaliate with her glove, she was totally exposed. Instinctively she closed her eyes and waited for that same soldering, burning sensation she'd experienced before.
Except the burn never came as she heard a body being pulled away. Yama had wrapped a limb of water around the attacker's leg and yanked them across the street in one fluid motion before pulling Asami back to her feet. Not just an ordinary healer then.
"You okay?!" Yama questioned anxiously as his helmet slipped over his eyes for a second, too big for his head, clearly not having worn it much before. The motion was almost enough to make Asami laugh. The White Lotus guard had been returned to his usual awkward self.
"I'm good," Asami gasped as she checked her side with her finger tips, feeling a little blood against the side of her jacket. The earth had probably cut her, or maybe the wound had happened earlier, adrenaline stopping her from noticing. "We'll fix it later," the CEO replied sharply as Yama spotted the blood too.
The helmet slipping reminded Asami of something else as she tried to compose herself again, fighting raging all around her. Then the memory came flooding back to her, so long ago, at the Pro-bending arena with her father. Korra and the Fire Ferrets had went through their usual show-boating routine when they entered, but their illusion of strength was quickly faltered by the Avatar's helmet slipping over her eyes, nearly making her fall over. It'd been far too big for Korra's head. Asami had made sure she got one that fitted when Future Industries later sponsored the team.
That thought made Asami's eyes widened as she caught sight of Korra's glider again, under a barrage of elements from below as the Avatar darted left and right, trying to dodge the flurry of attacks and succeeding for a few seconds before a funnel of air shot upwards and starting dragging her and the glider downwards, putting the water tribe girl into much closer range for her enemies attacks as a wave of elements shot into the air. Korra seemed to knock some away before the glider was hit with a heavy blast as the Avatar went into a nose dive.
Even at this distance it was clear the Avatar was wrestling for control of the device. She was so high up...
A moment later and another bone crunching blast crashed into the glider, one that Korra couldn't dodge.
Asami stared in horror as Korra seemed to let go of the glider completely, body limp in the sky as her arms and legs shifted in all directions against the airs resistance, plummeting downwards like a stone. Snap out of it! Snap out of it!
Korra was falling into a crowd of people baying for her blood. They'll tear her limb from limb!
"Mako!" Asami shrieked as the detective looked upwards, spotting the same sight, mouth gaping in shock.
Asami didn't wait for him to respond, charging forward through the enemy as best she could, zapping anyone that got too close. Korra had fallen so far away. So far away. How would she ever reach her through all these people?
A few seconds later and Asami was shoved backwards by a huge man with rippling muscles, knocking her back into their barrier, a jagged piece of the barrier smacking into her spine on impact making the CEO cry out in pain. She glanced to the sky again in her daze. Empty. No Avatar in sight.
The rioters stood in front of her, matching their opponents blow for blow. They weren't going to get any further forward with this level of resistance. Asami was going to lose Korra this time. After everything that'd happened. She was really going to lose her.
Zaheer's abilities would've been very handy at this moment in time as Opal appeared to pull Asami back to her feet, there was a nasty cut on the air bender's cheek that would definitely need healing, her black, bobbed hair was all over the place.
"Uh guys!" Bolin croaked from the Republic City side of the barrier.
Asami and Opal turned around to see a wall of rioters blocking their path to retreat. They were surrounded.
These were the missing people Mako had been referring to. How had they managed to sneak behind them? The pipes. The sewers under the city. Why didn't we think of the sewers?!
The engineer had been so sure that the sewers in down town had collapsed in on themselves on account of Kuvira's attack. A group of earth benders could have cleared them.
The rioters closed in from either side of the street as a battered and broken Team Avatar huddled together tightly in a circle, Opal helping Asami to her feet. Every single one of them looked terrified as they raised their hands, intending to bend away anything that came at them for however long they could hold. Asami could hear all of their hearts pounding furiously, the chattering of teeth and tapping of boots echoing in her ears. We might not be getting out of here alive either...
"We fire together!" Mako shouted with a trembling voice. The team nodded in unison.
"On your command big bro!" Bolin called as he glanced to his sibling.
"Right..." Mako said wearily as he stared down their opponents, waiting for their enemies to get to close enough where their unified blast would be most effective. "On three. One! Two! Three!"
A barrage of elements launched forward then, illuminating the street as their enemy staggered backwards, Mako and Asami's electrical blast seeming to combine into a huge blue ray of light that knocked several of the rioters of their feet and stunned just as many, bodies falling to the ground heavily. We're going to need a lot of prison cells.
They could only maintain the blast for so long, attacks fizzling out after a minute as they gasped in unison. We can't lose. We can't. They could have torn Korra a part by now! Asami continued firing on their behalf, her glove wasn't powered by chi.
"Any more bright ideas officer?!" Yama spat as he stared with wide eyes, watching as the enemy approached once more.
It was then the Asami glanced to a nearby by fire hydrant. Just like Zaheer. But on a bigger scale.
"Bolin, take out fire hydrant!" Asami ordered, growling as Mako furrowed his brows at her. "Trust me on this!"
Mako nodded, though Bolin hadn't waited for his brother's approval, tossing a block of earth at the hydrant which caused it to spray water high into the air.
"Yama, bend that water all over the street! Bolin...other earth benders! I need you to raise our group upwards!"
Bolin and the others did as commanded as their group were suddenly lifted two meters off of the street surface, balancing precariously on a block of concrete, Yama was swarming water all around their new platform.
"Do you spirit lovers think a pond is going to stop us?!" one of the rioters boomed from below as they stepped into the water, followed by several others. "Your Avatar killed by daughter in hospital! Killed her!" the woman spat as she stared up at them. No. No she didn't. Though Asami couldn't help but feel her heart ache for the woman's loss. It would take a long time to heal all these rifts if they ever got out of here, if the Avatar survived.
If they're this angry with me...how angry are they with Korra? Please be okay...please be okay...
"Whatever you're going to do, now would be a really good time!" Mako spat as he watched the crowd shift forward.
There's enough of them here. Enough to make a hasty retreat afterwards.
Asami double checked the setting on her mechanized hand. Stun. It was definitely on stun. She didn't want any more people to die here.
A second later and Asami fired a bolt of electricity at the water below, watching on in awe as scores of the rioters fell like stones all around as the electricity hit them in waves, lighting up the street in what of otherwise been a beautiful display of power and technology.
"Wow..." Bolin breathed in disbelief, the water below them steaming lightly as the rioters that hadn't been stunned looked around in confusion and distress.
Asami had never felt more powerful in that moment, the feeling making her feel slightly sick. Her hand. Her broken hand had done all of that. A non bender had done all that.
Eventually those who hadn't been shocked by the water began to charge again, bending the electrified liquid away just like Korra had the other day, grimacing as they did so.
"Earth benders, build a bridge over this, back in the direction of the bay!" Mako ordered as he stared back in the direction Korra had fallen. They were really leaving her behind. Please be okay. You're the Avatar. You have to be okay.
Asami paused for a second, unable to move her body before Opal grabbed her arm viciously and pulled her to run along the make shift bridge with the rest of them, the earth appeared to fall away just behind them as they sprinted, being torn down by the rioters as Team Avatar made a hasty retreat.
A moment later and they were on the street again, beyond the barrier and running for their lives in the direction of Air Temple Island. Bolin and the other earth benders stopped momentarily to bend a huge wall between them and the rioters to buy them some time.
"Keep going! Don't stop till you reach the first barrier!" Mako ordered. That barrier was the one heavily guarded by the police, far away from the center of Republic City. Once they were beyond that they would be safe, for now.
Asami's mind was a complete mess by the time they made it to the bay, vaguely recalling someone helping her over the first barrier and being lifted into a boat. Now they were speeding towards Air Temple Island, the engineer staring wide eyed back at the city. The battle they'd lost. The person she'd lost. It was my glider. My glider let her down. I killed her!
At some point Yama had set about healing the wound on her side, though she was totally numb to the pain, or feeling anything all. She was going to crumble at any second. This was too much. This was cruel.
In the dining room of Air Temple Island Pema sat beside Asami, stroking her back soothingly and offering her tea after tea after tea. I hate tea...I hate tea...
"Korra will be fine honey, she's faced worse before," Pema assured softly, though there was flicker of doubt in her eyes.
All Asami could do was nod weakly as she gritted her teeth, remembering the moment the Avatar had fallen from the sky. My glider...my fault...all my fault...She hadn't even bothered to change out of her bloodied and ripped black jacket. Every basic function and need seemed so pointless now.
The rest of the Team Avatar looked heart broken as they stared at the floor. Nobody spoke. Everyone looked completely exhausted and haunted. Done. Defeated. The Team that failed their Avatar.
All the things the rioters could be doing to Korra right now. They hated that girl. That beautiful, adorable, selfless girl.
I'll rip Haruana's head off. I'll kill her if she hurts Korra...
A buzz of nervous activity forced Asami's head up as a man in the red uniform of the United Forces ran into the room, clothes ripped and dotted with blood. It looked as though General Iroh and Yon Rha's group had faced just as stiff a resistance on their side. The President had refused not to be part of the attack, saying this was his responsibility, his duty to Republic City as its leader.
"General Iroh's attack team have returned from the front line, there are many injuries. We need as many healers as possible outside," the man ordered wearily.
Yama, Kya and a few others instantly got to their feet and chased him outside. Bolin wrapped his strong arm under Asami's shoulder and guided her to follow the group of healers, flanked by Opal and the rest who all moved much more slowly. Asami was still staggering slightly from the bruising on her back.
When they finally got to the dock of the island Tenzin took charge of directing the injured to various healers. Asami quickly spotted General Iroh and sprinted over to him, wriggling from Bolin's grasp and ignoring the pain that shot through her spine whilst twisting.
"Korra?!" was the only word Asami was capable of shouting as she fell to her knees at the General's muddied boots, body no longer able to support her wait as she felt her muscles going into spasm.
Iroh avoided her gaze as he wiped some dried blood away from his lips. "We saw her go down," the military man uttered softly. "Yon Rha, that crazy politician. He was like an earth bending drill, knocking people away left and right. He managed to get to Korra and bring her back somehow, but not before the crowd-"
That was all Asami needed to hear as she crawled forward in the dirt for a few seconds before stumbling towards the docks, spotting the familiar figure of Yon Rha stepping out of a boat, a body cradled gently in his arms.
"Korra!" Asami cried as she felt Bolin and Opal try to pull her back, squirming free of their grip a second later and stumbling forward to the President.
Korra...no...
The Avatar looked like a rag doll, limbs swinging slightly as they hung over Yon Rha's bloodied arms.
A moment later at Yon Rha laid Korra gently on the ground and stepped back as those closest to the lifeless girl swarmed around her.
The Avatar was covered in scratches, one of her eyes blackened and swollen around the edges, her left arm looked to be badly burned. The sight of it broke Asami's heart as she crouched down and took Korra into her arms, rocking her back and forth as though it would bring her back to life.
Yama place a hand against Korra's neck, holding it their for a few seconds as Asami's eyes flitted between the young man and her girlfriend's drooping head. Her beautiful hair...there's so much blood in her hair...
A solemn shake of the head from Yama confirmed the worst.
Immediately, Asami began to cry, shriek, her voice wasn't her own any more as she lost complete control of her emotions and shook her head frantically, doing the same to Korra as though the motion would will her back to life. It didn't.
All Korra's body seemed to do was sway heavily back and forth under Asami's movements, lifeless hands slapping unconsciously against the earth. Those same, warm hands that cradled Asami's cheek lovingly so many times, now cold and still.
It wasn't Korra's many injuries or her stillness however, that terrified Asami as she looked at her partner's eyes briefly. They were completely white and glowing as though trapped in the Avatar state. No life flickering behind them. Nothing stared back. They looked so hollow, there to torture Asami and nothing else. A cruel joke...
"Please Korra...please don't do this to me...you promised," Asami sobbed into the Avatar's dirty, blood splattered, blue shirt.
"I can't do this without you...I can't...I know it's selfish...but I need you. I really need you. What am I going to do without you?"
Korra's body remained still as Asami squeezed her tightly, feeling the outline of the Avatar's muscles beneath her. All that work...for nothing.
"Korra...please...I'm begging you. I love you. I've wasted three years not sharing that love with you...don't go yet. It's too soon..." Asami shrieked as she began rocking the Avatar back and forth again a little too aggressively, unable to contain her anguish. "I should never have told you how I felt...everything I've ever loved has always fallen a part. I should've kept my big mouth shut...then maybe you'd be okay. Maybe this wouldn't have happened. I could've lived my whole life following you, just being your friend...anything...anything that meant you'd be okay. This can't be how we end..." The end of me too.
Jinora and Tenzin appeared on the scene then, leaning beside the engineer as they examined Korra with heavy eyes.
Asami never lifted her eyes from Korra. She'd sit here all night. All of her life. Waste away beside her love.
"She's not dead, her spirits still here!" Jinora shrieked as she placed a hand against the Avatar's forehead.
"What?! What are you talking about?!" Asami cried as she looked back to Korra's eyes. Why were they white?
"Her Avatar spirit seems to have shut her body down to protect her when the crowd swarmed her," Jinora explained in disbelief.
"How do we snap her out of it?!" Asami begged as she looked frantically from Tenzin to Jinora, both looked lost for words.
Raava's pot...it enhanced my connection to Korra's spirit before. What if it can do the same for Korra here, bring her spirit back to the physical world? Bring her back to me...
"Yama, go and get the pot I gave you, brew some tea in it. Now!" Asami snapped as she gripped the Avatar a little more tightly. Yama did as was told, dashing off into the temple.
"How long can her body last like this dad?" Jinora asked quietly.
Tenzin shook his head. "It's hard to say. Raava, though initially trying to protect Korra, seems to be draining Korra's spirit right now, trying to protect the Avatar state perhaps. As long as Korra's eyes remain open, there's still a chance to save her." When a person dies in the Avatar state they end the cycle. It seemed so incredibly selfish, though Asami knew this was exactly what Korra would've wanted, even if it killed her. She'd never want to be the Avatar who ended the cycle.
"Just hold on, sweet heart, please hold on..." Asami gasped as she placed her forehead against Korra's, white, lifeless eyes staring back at her as tears poured down her cheeks. The tea could boost Raava's energy enough that she didn't have to hog power from Korra. Just like jump starting a car's battery.
A moment later and Yama reappeared with the little white pot and a cup, steam rising from the top. This has to work.
Asami took the pot from him immediately and poured some into the cup before placing it against Korra's lips. "Please open your mouth sweet heart," the CEO pleaded as Jinora moved to pry the Avatar's lips open when she didn't respond.
The liquid went down quickly as Asami stared at Korra without blinking. Now move. Move!
A minute of absolutely nothing past as Korra's eyes stayed dormant, body unmoving. Please. Don't let this be the end.
Then the Avatar's eyes closed firmly.
"No! No don't you dare go yet! Don't give up!"
Another minute past before Korra suddenly began writhing and squirming in Asami's arms. "Korra...?!"
An agonizing second later and Korra seemed to still again, only her eyelids fluttering lightly. "I'm here Korra...come back," Asami cooed softly as she kissed the Avatar's forehead lightly.
Suddenly Korra's body wrenched itself upright and began coughing and sputtering violently, spitting out the tea she'd swallowed onto the ground before she fell back into Asami's arms. Then the Avatar opened her eyes slowly.
They were blue this time, a brilliant shade of blue and full of life.
"Asami..." Korra mumbled as she stretched a trembling hand onto the engineer's cheek. "I'm glad you're okay. I...I kinda lost the glider."
Asami couldn't help but smile at that as she squeezed Korra tightly, hearing everyone gathered around exhale a breath of relief. "Don't worry about it, I'll build another one. As long as I've got you, you're not so easily replaced."
"Damn straight..." Korra chuckled smugly before she grimaced in pain.
"Try not to move," Asami warned sharply. "We'll take you to see Kya, you're pretty beaten up."
At that Tenzin and Bolin moved beside the engineer, and picked Korra up gently between them, though Asami never let go of the burned hand that the Avatar stretched out to her as they made their way inside the temple's healing hut where Kya was hard at work. Asami made sure to nod at Yon Rha as they passed him. He saved her life...the man who used to hate her with every fibre of his being...he saved her...
"Your hands are so warm," Korra mumbled in her half dead state.
"I 100% concur with that. Especially the whole mechanized hand thing," Bolin smiled as he carried her.
Asami didn't really have anything to say to that, still feeling uncomfortable at just how powerful her glove had been in that moment. That conflict was for another day. Right now Korra was alive when by all accounts she should've been dead. That was a miracle to eternally grateful for.
"Just let Kya do her job without making jokes," Asami groaned, though she couldn't resist grinning.
Korra simply stuck her tongue out. "I make no such promises."
End Notes:
Thoughts?
Not gonna lie, getting a little bit bummed out at the lack of responses to some of the previous chapters. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter anyway, and thank you for reading of course.
