Ch 36 the last stand
"We need to move fast. Su, Lin, Ezra. Head to the arm and disable the weapon. Mako, Bolin, get to the engine and stop it. I'm going after Kuvira." Korra said.
"You sure? She almost killed you last time." Su said, worried.
"I know. But it'll be different this time." Korra said.
I follow Lin up the ladder and into the metal arm. I kept my eye out for snipers and ambushes. We looked at the weapons load and the loading mechanism.
"Okay. Time to…" Su started.
Unfortunately, a guard noticed us and started firing metal shards.
"Disable the weapon! I got this fucker!" Lin shouted.
Lin jumped to the lower beam and fought metalbending to metalbending. I noticed another guard approach Lin from behind. I jumped to the lower beam and fired my shotgun at the guard, blowing his body in two pieces.
"Thanks for the support." Lin said, noticing the bloody remains.
"Don't mention it." I said, holding frag grenade.
Me and Lin meet with Su, and proceed to destroy the remaining weapon parts.
"Outside may be platinum, but we can do a lot of damage in here." Su said.
Su and Lin tore the gears away with their metal bending. With the weapon disabled, I left the sisters and headed to the engine room. It was a long and arduous climb.
Approaching another floor, a guard noticed me and stomped on my head, knocking me off the ladder. I used my airbending and moved myself to the ladder. I pointed my shotgun where the guard would be, and waited.
Nothing happened, so I continued the slow climb upward. When the guard showed himself again, I pulled the trigger and blew his chest wide open. Getting on the level, I walked forward with the shotgun aimed forward. I noticed another ladder and climbed.
"Be with you in a second!" Bolin shouted, fighting with the guard.
I climbed up the ladder and primed a frag grenade. I pulled the pin and tossed it to the enemy. I pulled Bolin back and waited as the grenade exploded.
Me and Bolin emerged from cover and approached the dying guard. His gut was blown wide open from the grenade, his insides strewn over the place.
"God." Bolin said, pinching his nose, trying to cut out the stench. I aimed my shotgun, and blew the guard's head off.
Bolin approached the lever and pulled it at the same time as Mako pulled his. Nothing happened.
"Kuvira must have done some override and taken control." Bolin said.
"You think?" I replied, slinging my shotgun.
"There must be a way to shut down the power." Mako said.
Bolin looked at his console, unable to figure it out.
"Come on. You served with Baatar Jr. and Varrick all this time. Didn't their genius rub off on you?" Mako asked.
"The only think I know about these vines is that if you mess around with them too much, they explode." Bolin said.
Mako looked at the vine, an idea in his head.
"I'm going to zap the vines with electricity." Mako said.
"Hold on. That'll cause them to explode." Bolin said.
"I know. This is our only way to shut it down. I can handle it." Mako said.
"No, you can't!" Bolin said, turning Mako to face him.
"You don't have to do this to prove how awesome you are! You're awesome." Bolin said.
I raised an eyebrow at that. Why would Bolin assume that from Mako?
"I don't have time to argue! I'm doing this, so get out of here!" Mako said.
Bolin looked apprehensive about the idea, but decided to let Mako do it.
"Just get out as soon as you can." Bolin said.
Me and Bolin exited the engine room as Mako fired at the spirit vines, the sounds erupting in our eardrums. I marveled at the destruction that surly was occurring up there.
We waited a few minutes, and Bolin went back to get Mako. Holding him on his back, Bolin made his way to get out of the mecha suit, now primed for destruction. I followed them, covering their six.
And sooner than we expected, the spirit vines explode, separating the suit in two pieces and spilling debris all over the place. Bolin and Mako were knocked out, but I wasn't. I couldn't stay where I was, so I headed into the war-torn streets of republic city, looking for the Beifong sisters.
I found them pinned inside the remains of the metal arm. I slung my shotgun and attempted to pull away the metal binding. Heavily breathing, I ripped away my gas mask, unable to breath with it. I checked their pulse and found they were still alive.
"Thank god." I said, and continued to pull at the metal bindings. But my strength simply wasn't enough against steel.
"Oh god. That was a bitch." Lin said, waking up.
"Good to see you Lin. Help me with this." I strained, trying to pull away the metal.
Lin moved her fingers and the metal binds fell away.
"Good to see you to." Lin said, kissing me hard.
"Lin, we got things to do." Su said.
Me and Lin separated and headed outside the arm to where a spirit portal was sitting in the heart of republic city.
"Korra!" Tenzin shouted, as we searched for Korra. Everyone feared the worst. I briefly looked at Asami, and she looked like she'd given up. I had that haunted look before, after Kaesong was bombed to ashes.
After a few minutes, the spirits came back to the city, oh so conveniently after the fight just ended. Bastards.
"The spirits have returned." Tenzin said.
"No shit." I responded.
"And so has Korra!" Asami happily said, as Korra and Kuvira came out of the spirit portal, Korra helping Kuvira walk.
"Release Kuvira, or we'll attack!" a mecha pilot says.
Kuvira steps forward and speaks to her soldiers.
"Stand down. This battle is over. I owe the avatar my life. Her power is beyond anything I could ever hope to achieve. I'll accept whatever punishment the world sees fit." Kuvira says, turning herself in.
As Su and Lin took Kuvira way in handcuffs, everyone else hugs Korra. I joined in, despite my reservations. After we separated, I headed to future industries and called my pilots that fled to the fire nation.
"Hey, it's me. The war is over. Kuvira surrendered to us. Get back to the city right now. And bring a shitload of fighter jets if you can." I said.
It would be a few hours until they arrived to the city, but that was okay. The war was over. For now. Now at the moment, we had to prepare Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding. I had no idea why we were having a wedding, in the immediate aftermath of the most brutal battle the city was host to.
As Bolin finished getting Varrick's vows ready, Lin approached him.
"Bolin, I have an assignment for you." Lin said.
"Sure thing, Chief. What is it?" Bolin asked.
"After Varrick and Zhu Li get married, call me and Ezra to the alter." Lin said.
"You two are getting married?" Bolin asked.
"Yes. And I'd like to surprise Ezra at the moment." Lin said.
Bolin agreed, and Lin came to visit me. I was at the air force base, a forlorn look on my face. Memories went thru my mind about the many CAPs I flew with the pilots at the base. I dreaded having to train nuggets.
"I knew I'd find you here." Lin said.
"I don't want those pilots to die in vain. I just want peace between republic city and whoever else. For as long as possible." I said.
"They won't die in vain. I have something to tell you." Lin said.
"What is it?" I asked, facing Lin.
"We're getting married tonight. So dress sharp." Lin said.
"I thought Varrick and Zhu Li were getting married." I said.
"They are. But we're getting married right after them. When Bolin calls us up, walk up to the altar." Lin said.
I only smiled and pulled Lin into a hug.
Hours later, and the wedding was underway. We watched as Bolin officiated over Varrick and Zhu Li. After they kissed, Bolin called me and Lin to the altar, much to everyone's surprise.
"Ezra, Lin. Up here please." Bolin said, hand at the altar.
We stood up from our seats and approached the altar, looking into each other's eyes lovingly, and holding hands.
"Colonel Ezra Jackson, do you take Chief Lin Beifong to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to take care of her in all times?" Bolin asked.
"You bet I do." I said, a big smile on my face.
"And you, Lin Beifong, take Ezra Jackson as your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to take care of him in all times?" Bolin asked.
"Damn straight I do." Lin said, a big smile on her face as well.
"You may now, do the thing." Bolin said.
I pulled Lin towards me and kissed her, our tongues playing with each other.
"Colonel, you lucky bastard!" one of the air-force pilots said, as we separated. I didn't know whether to smile at my comrade, or flip him off.