Book 2: Metal
Chapter 17 - Kuvira's Decision
Mako growled in frustration as the Equalist's jab hit home and his arm went limp. So much for bending. Asami whirled a moment later, her shock glove sparking as it struck the Equalist and sent them falling to the floor.
"You okay?" she panted.
"Not going to be bending for a while," he replied.
Asami ripped the shock glove off the fallen Equalist. Mako twitched; more Equalists were heading down the corridor towards them. "Here," she said.
"Thanks." Half charge left. They could not keep going on like this indefinitely. At least these Equalists had none of the group's projectile weaponry. "How much further?"
"Not far. We take this corridor to the end and-" The Equalists were on them. Crackles of electricity, grunts of impact. He remained at a disadvantage currently - he was still in his own closed. The Equalist uniforms had padding to prevent chiblocking attempts. He botched the timing on his first few swipes with the glove, the crackle of electricity catching his wrist and leaving his hand full of pins and needles. He caught on and dealt his second and third hits correctly on successive Equalists. Palm flat against their chest for a moment - ample time for the electricity to incapacitate them - then lift away.
"Okay. Let's go while we can," Mako said. He grabbed Asami's hand and tugged her along behind him. She stumbled and breathed like it was her last, but just about kept up. "Which way?" he asked. Asami nodded to a door to the right. "Locked," Mako concluded, as it refused to slide open.
Asami wheezed, waved him behind her and started prying a panel off the wall. More footsteps behind them. Mako turned around to find another group of Equalists heading right for them. "Keep... them... distracted..." Asami gasped as she dropped the panel to the floor.
"Will do," Mako said with a smirk. The rhythm was familiar now. Strike, retreat, turn, dodge, strike. "I have to hand it to you Asami," Mako said.
"Hmmm?" Asami grunted behind him as she fiddled with the door.
"This is much easier than lightningbending."
Asami let out a wheezing laugh and with a faint rush of air the door slid open. "Okay, quick!"
Mako dropped the Equalists to the floor and scrambled through, another set of Equalists on his heels. Asami was already pulling the panel out of the door-frame. "Can't they just do what you did?"
"Could," Asami said, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth as she pulled at something inside the panel. She twisted her hand and something fell heavily. "Can't now," she said, standing up. "Should... hold them for a bit," she said taking a deep breath.
"Lead on," Mako said. Asami started trotting forward, moving fast, but not running. They stumbled to a halt as a voice rang through the air.
"Equalists of Ba Sing Se. The Avatar has lied to you. The Avatar is deluded. You must all continue to fight for our cause. We are so close to our victory. The Avatar hid the truth from you before, but her dishonesty will be exposed soon. Soon she will fail. Soon she will no longer be the Avatar. Remain faithful - her time is almost over." Amon's voice sounded thicker, awkward. Something had certainly changed from what they had last heard.
"Sounds like Korra did something," Mako said, smiling.
"I never doubted her for a second," Asami replied. "But it sounds like he escaped her."
There was a screech of metal and renewed sounds of pursuit behind them. Mako span around. A new group of Equalists, the Lieutenant at their head. "Amon believes in us," he snarled. "We believe in the future."
"He's a fraud," Asami yelled back.
The Lieutenant shook his head, glancing to his companions. "Don't listen to her. She never had faith." He stared into her eyes. "You betrayed us, Miss Sato. We offered you everything and you threw it all away for your so-called bender friends. Well, not it is too late and we will not forgive you. Capture them!" he barked. The Equalists rushed forward. Mako checked his glove's power level as he darted towards them. Quarter charge. Hopefully one of the Equalists had a glove with more charge he could grab in the next lull. No. Get to the next lull first. Then worry about that.
These Equalists were different. Better trained, more fluid in their movements. Faster. Still all vulnerable to an electrical charge in their chest, but the trick was getting them into a position where he could slam his hand into place and trigger the current. Tricky, but not impossible. As well trained as they were, they had never fought in the bending pits; they had never subbed for the Fire Ferrets; they had never taken on the Red Lotus and won.
Asami's face looked red, and she was sweating horribly but she charged head-long at the Lieutenant who blinked uselessly at her for a moment. He lashed out with his tonfas, the ends circled with a crackling charge. Asami ducked out of the way and left him swinging at air. Mako almost smiled. Asami just needed more stamina; then she would be a force to reckon with. He dropped back onto his hands to avoid another attempt at chi-blocking and bounced right back up to drop the Equalist to the floor with another well aimed charge.
The Lieutenant was snarling as Asami ducked and dodged around his swipes and jabs. With a graceful piourette, she wound up behind him and with a tug, the connection to one of his tonfas came away from the clunky, heavy battery he carried on his back. She smiled but lunged for the floor as he swung the inert tonfa at her. No longer electrified but still usable as a weapon.
Three more Equalists. A sweeping kick sent two down to the floor but the fourth surprised him when their hand closed on his wrist and halted his lunge. Their mask hid their expression, but Mako suspected they figured they had won. Not that easily. Mako grabbed hold of the Equalist's shirt, remembering back to all his martial arts training, and spun the them around, tripping the man to the floor. He let them pull him down along with them, the momentum enough to drive his arm forward. Something snapped beneath him. A rib? No time to worry. A burst of electricity and the Equalist lay still.
Mako looked up just in time to see Asami tear the second tonfa connection from its socket, pull the weapon from the Lieutenant's hand and smackhim over the head with it. The man crumpled to the ground and lay still. Mako struggled to his feet. "You okay?"
Asami nodded. "Think so. Come on."
The medical centre was a few moments away, and apparently deserted. Mako glanced around at the unmade and seemingly hastily vacated beds. "Where are they?"
"Must have got out after something happened. But it's not like there would be anything these patients could have done..." She trailed off. "Dad!" Asami hurried forward and burst into another ward. She stopped dead.
Ahead Hiroshi Sato lay, still unconscious on a bed, surrounded by medical equipment. A lone nurse was standing over him and staring down at him. She looked up in surprise as the door banged open. "Miss Sato..." She shivered.
"Ai," Asami breathed. "Where... where is everyone?"
"They left. They all left," Ai replied. "We... we heard the Queen's army. They made an announcement. They're going to wipe us out. I... I told them not to run. I told them the revolution needs them - all of them. But they didn't listen. They just... ran."
"Ai..." Asami sighed. The nurse turned away from them and back to Hiroshi. Asami crossed quietly to the bed and stood beside her. Mako followed, looking away as he got closer. It did not look good for Hiroshi. How long had he been like this? Was the equipment all that kept him alive now - and in a state he could actually come back from? Or was he done for and they were only delaying the inevitable? With a sniff, Ai turned from the bed and took a few uneven steps and slumped onto a nearby bed.
"Mako," Asami's voice was barely above a whisper. She did not look at him. "Amon... I think he's still using the communication channels. If you go out of here, take a right and run for maybe two minutes... You'll see a junction box with a load of wires running into it. Please. Destroy it. As much as you're able." She glanced up. "Mako; we have to stop him. Cut that and he'll stop sending people to die."
Not far, but. "We need to stick together, Asami."
"Please, Mako. I need to do something first. And we need to be quick." She smiled. "You know I can't run that far." She had a point. Asami gently took her father's limp hand.
"I can't just leave you here," he tried again.
Asami shook her head. "Don't worry about me." She glanced behind her. "Ai won't hurt me. No one else can follow us. I know my way around the tunnels better then you." She licked her lips. "I'll meet you in a few minutes. It'll take me a while to walk it, but..." She shook her head again. "Please." He grip tightened on Hiroshi's hand. Oh.
"I... I can help," Mako said, his voice on the verge of trembling. "You don't have to do this."
A tear trickled down Asami's cheek. "Thank you, Mako." She sniffed. "But this is my choice. I... I need to do this."
"Alright." Some tension evaporated and a weight seemed to shift. He put his hand on her back. "Stay safe. And I'll see you... soon. Just... take as long as you need. And... we'll get through this. We'll get through this together."
"Thank you," Asami said. "But... Don't wait for me either. Get to Korra. Keep her safe. And..." She bit her lip. "Keep yourself safe too."
"I will." Mako turned from the bed and started running, not once looking back. Out of the door and to the right. His step almost faltered. She was not planning on killing herself was she? No. No. This was too near for her to do something so foolish. And she would not want to break Korra's heart like that. The first minute passed in agonizing slowness as he ran. Second minute. Control room. Box. Wires. His hands twitched. Felt like the chiblocking had worn off.
Lightning bending would be best. The junction box blackened and sparked under the stream of electricity he shot from his palms. How long until he destroyed it? As long as he could manage might be necessary. He kept going until exhaustion finally overcame his ability to resist and he stopped, his arms feeling useless and limp. He panted in the ozone-scented air. Wait. Something was outside. Something heavy. Mako flinched and rechecked his shock glove. Empty. Should have tried to charge it with lightningbending first. Was that even possible? Pure physical attacks then. He took a few deep breaths and sprang from the door to come face to face with his opponent.
She barked happily and licked his face. "Naga?" he spluttered.
"Oh, it was Mako!" Korra said, her voice thick. "Clever girl," she added, patting Naga on her head. "But we really should be looking for Amon." Naga barked.
"Korra!" Mako exclaimed and gaped at her. Her right eye looked black and was swollen shut. Blood from innumerable scratches, welts, and a bloodied nose coated her face. Her nose. It looked like it might be at the wrong angle. Not massively, just enough to catch his eye. Just enough to look wrong. And she was grimacing. Abruptly her expression shifted into a smile.
"Hi Mako," she said.
"Korra..." he tried again. "Are you okay?"
"Of course!" Korra said with a seemingly inappropriate flippancy. Her expression darkened for a moment and she turned her head away from him and spat blood to the floor. Mako looked away; there was something white in the mass of red.
"Your... your nose is bleeding," he tried.
"It is?" Korra's fingers smeared blood across her face. "Huh. Must have missed that." She shrugged. "I'll heal it later. Where's Asami?"
"She... she's just sorting things out. With her dad." Mako fidgeted. How to get that across but also deter her from going back there?
Korra nodded. "Yeah... I... I thought she might," she said. "Hope she's going to be okay..."
"You knew?" he asked.
"I... I did. She never said, but..." Korra ducked her head. "Maybe I should see how she is..."
"There's... someone else with her," Mako said. "Asami seemed to trust them."
"Okay." Korra nodded again. "I'll trust Asami know's what's best for her right now." She blinked. "I've been tracking Amon. His trail lead us here."
Mako turned and peered at the room behind them. "He's not in there, if that's what you mean."
"Yeah, figured you might have noticed if he was. Maybe there's something to give us a lead?" Korra pushed past him, Mako following close behind her. The junction box still crackled and sparked on the wall ahead of them, wisps of smoke streaming off the damaged device. "Here," Korra said. He had not even stopped to look behind him when he first entered the room; a control panel, a microphone and banks of switches on the opposite wall. A bloodied note was lying on top of them. "'Avatar Korra; Do not think you have even come close to besting me. I hereby challenge you to a duel to prove whom the spirits favor. There will be no interruptions, no assistance. The two of us, fighting alone. I await you in the crystal caverns...'" Korra trailed off, her eyes flicking down the page.
Silently she passed the note to Mako. The instructions were unnervingly precise. "Are... are you going to go?"
"If he wants a duel, then he's getting a duel." Korra smirked. "Guess he doesn't want to lose in public. Again."
Mako shook his head. "It could easily be a trap and-"
Korra interrupted him. "And if I don't go, he'll flee. He'll be able to start all over again. Find more people to dupe, spread more hate. No. It has to end. And... those catacombs are directly underneath the Queen's palace if I remember right. Even if he can't be trusted to play fair; he'll still go for the Queen. And I doubt he wants his revolution to succeed if he's not around to lead it."
"Just in case," Mako blurted. "Just in case, let me go and make sure it's fair."
Korra stared at him for a moment. "Okay. But you can't interfere."
"I won't," Mako replied.
Korra patted Naga on the back. "Naga? Go find Asami. Keep her safe for me. Okay?" Naga barked. "Good girl! I'll see you soon. Okay?"
"I... I knew you wouldn't betray us," Ai murmured as Mako's footsteps faded away.
Asami sighed and turned to face her. Ai was hunched away from Asami, looking over her shoulder. "Ai, I was never your ally. I stand with the Avatar against Amon. I want to end this madness. I'm here because of my father."
"You... you... deceived me? So you never... never believed in Equality?" Ai sniffed, her eyes welling up with tears. "So you're with them. The benders? I thought... I thought you were my friend," Ai spluttered.
"I am." Asami sighed. "I am. But, I needed to survive. Amon has been lying-"
"No!" Ai said savagely, getting to her feet. "I don't want to hear any more of your lies!"
"Ai," Asami snapped. "Listen to me. I cannot agree with the extremes of your philosophies, but I understand why you believed them. There is a discussion to be had on this point - later. But. Ai, I do care for you. And you need to go. The Queen's army is merciless. If they catch you..." Asami trailed off.
"No. Amon will save me," Ai insisted.
"No he won't!" Asami growled. "Did you not hear the radio? The Avatar challenged him in public."
"She did," Ai nodded.
"And?"
"She... she beat him," Ai said miserably.
"I thought so." Asami breathed deeply, trying not to let her excitement get the best of her. Korra had won.
"She beat him without bending," Ai murmured.
"Interesting. And where is Amon now? Not here. He sent you all on to attack and left you. He's abandoned you. Just like he abandoned my father as soon as he no longer needed him. He has not given you - any of you - a second thought." Ai did no reply and after a moment, sank to the floor, leaning her head back against the bed. She started sobbing. Asami's resolve wavered. She needed comforting, but... No time. "Ai..." she began gently. "I need you to tell me the truth. Is... is there any way my father will wake up?"
Ai was quiet for a moment. "...I... I don't think so." She sniffed as Asami's heart sank. "I mean, if he keeps on going, if the machines are left on... There's always a chance he might wake up. I couldn't hope to tell you when. But by now, he probably won't be able to move ever again - not without healing and..." Ai trailed off, sniffing noisily. "Amon... he... he told me to keep watching him. And..." She shuddered. "He told me I should encourage you. And that he would find a cure. But..." Ai looked up at her, her cheeks stained with tears. "He just gets worse and worse. Even here. Even after everything we did. I..." She bit her lip. "I don't know if the others did something? I couldn't... I would never..." She swallowed. "We... we could have tried a healer. It might have worked but..." Ai bit her lip. "It's not how we do things."
Enough. Her voice did not tremble as she spoke. "Ai. Please, get out while you still can. Leave this place. Go somewhere, anywhere. Just... don't associate with the Equalists."
"But they're... they're like my family. I don't have much to go back to..." Ai mumbled.
"What about your brother? Your father?" Asami asked.
AI laughed bitterly. "And what could I do for them? I left them promising change. I can't go back like this with everything still the same."
"Yes you can. Here." Asami hastily removed her left earring and strode over to her. "Take this. Sell it. I..." She blinked. Through it all, she had had this single earring and her locket with her. Every time she thought she lost everything she had had some unknown value hanging from her ear and from her neck. This, more than anything else, was truly the last of her past life - there was no way she could ever give up the locket. "...I don't know what it's worth," she said with a gulp. "But it'll help you. Survive, Ai. Leave while you can. My room - there's some clothes there - take them. And if we can... If you want... Please. I'd like to see you again. At some point."
Ai stared at the earring wonderingly and hauled herself to her feet. Her hands shook as she took the jewelry. With a few faltering steps she began walking away, stopped and turned back. "Thank you," she said. "I'm... sorry for what I said."
Asami shook her head. "No. It was fair. I did-"
Ai held her hand up. "No. Please. Let me apologize." She clutched the earring in both hands against her chest. "Thank you. And... If we do meet again. I hope it's happier." She bowed. "Thank you, Miss Sato."
"Asami," Asami corrected with a smile. "Next time, you have to call me 'Asami'"
"Okay," Ai said, staring into her eyes. She almost smiled as she turned and ran for the door. Ai paused and looked back one last time before vanishing down the hallway. Asami sighed. Only the faint whirs and beeps of the medical equipment were audible anymore. Asami stared down at the bed as the tears welled up in her eyes.
This too had to end. Her friends were waiting and she had wasted so long already. It was unfair to continue to be a burden on them. For peace; they needed to end the madness. How had it come to this? The family had been so happy - once. When did it go wrong? Was it really the firebenders? In memory at least her father was so loving, so sweet, so full of laughter.
"Dad?" He did not - could not - reply. "Do you remember when we went to Ember Island with mom?" A futile effort. But she needed to try. Once more. Try to reach him - and do so with the happiest memories she had of the family together. "I'll never forget it. You carried me on your shoulders and we went to the beach. That was when you taught me to swim." Asami smiled even as the tears kept trailing down her face. "Mom kept taking pictures of us and she almost dropped the camera in the ocean a few times." She chuckled. "And we made a sand Satomobile. Do you remember? That was the best model ever. You said we could make it for real one day, but somehow we never got around to that. I..." She trailed off.
"Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if we stayed there. If we'd moved to Ember Island. Maybe... Maybe Mom would be alive." A normal life; she might have gone to school, made friends, shared common interests. But then; she might never have met Korra the second time. Never met Bolin or Mako. Never fought the Red Lotus, founded a pro-bending team. Asami shook her head savagely. No point dwelling on what might have been.
"I... I wish everything had stayed happy. Like when I was younger. But... all these things..." Would he like to go back? Maybe Ember Island would be good for him. Maybe he would remember who he used to be. She could get a job in a hospital there and look after him. Until he was better. No. It was doing her no good to keep on hoping. There was no way to get him back to the Fire Nation and Ember Island. If all this equipment could not save him, could Korra? Should she? Her father might live at the expense of someone else. Someone else who would be better for the world. And if he did live, what then? Their name ruined, their legacy destroyed, their company seized. If he woke, he would bear those sins just as she would. Once Hiroshi Sato had been full of life. So busy for someone of his age. A brilliant mind constantly generating and churning out new ideas. He did not deserve to live like this - should not have to live on like this.
"I... I have to go now. I can't stay with you any longer. And..." She shivered. "I can't agree with that you did... or... or... for-" Her voice broke and it took a few moments for her to speak again. "You hurt so many people - and some of them are so important to me. You did bad things, wrong things. But this? I never wanted this. Never this." She took his hand again. "You're the only father I have. And I want you to know, I can take care of myself. You don't have to worry about me any longer. I'll be fine. I'll survive. But I have to go..."
Asami leant over the bed, her body trembling. She clutched the side of the bed to stop her shaking hand as she kissed his temple and stroked his face. "I... I have to do this," she said. Her other hand was eerily steady as she took hold of the plug. "Goodbye, dad." She closed her eyes and tore the plug from its socket. The machine wheezed its last and fell silent. Asami let out a strangled gasp and clutched at her father's body and sobbed. His chest was still, his heart silent. She needed to go, but it was hard to pull away. She wanted to reconnect the machine, get him breathing and his heart beating again, but... No. Too late. Her stomach churned and her head felt light. She was going to have to live with this decision.
Someone approached. Asami panicked and spun around, sagging back against the bed with a gasp. "Naga," she said smiling. The polar-bear dog padded over to her and began licking her face. She put her arms around Naga's neck and sobbed into her fur. "Thank you, Naga," Asami murmured after an eternity of grief. "I'll... I'll be okay. Let's go... Let's find Korra and the others."
He kept leaving bloody fingerprints on the page as he scribbled his challenge and the route. His hand ached, but at last he finished. No one saw him slip deeper into the Dai Li tunnels. Amon breathed through his mouth, the sound uncomfortably loud in the stillness underground. Time passed and he saw no one. Heard nothing but his breathing. Maybe the Equalist forces on the surface had been victorious. Maybe they still fought as he commanded. Maybe the army defeated them and all now lay dead or waiting for execution. It did not matter anymore. After seeing the mechatank warehouse aflame, Amon knew that all he could hope for was to strip the Avatar of her powers. To do that at least would show his power; would show how little they needed someone like her.
The tunnel became steeper and he descended further into the earth. The surroundings began to look more and more familiar. There a jail cell where the Dai Li kept imprisoned benders. Here a room too similar to comfort to the dormintory he shared in his youth, where he slept and where he had killed Dai Li to ensure both he and his companions could live. Ayato, Harukka, Kublai, Ling, Norra, Mamoru, Masayoshi, Nayeli and Shinobu. Once he had remembered all the names here. Now he could only remember those who survived the final test. Mayumi had fallen there. And there were those that died as Hou Ting took the throne. Ayato, Harukka, Norra and Shinobu. The ones who died in a room like this one. Or perhaps it even had been this room? Amon shook his head.
Defeating Korra was all he could do now. No Hiroshi to design weapons and fund the organization. No Kwan with his political ties, influence and wealth. But - at least when it was over; his brother still lived. Tarrlok was all he had left. Amon carried on down the tunnel. He was nearly to the Crystal Catacombs; almost directly below the palace.
"Be careful," Kuvira murmured. "There will be a Dai Li presence here."
"I... I still have difficulty excepting that they are real," Song said, shaking his head. He gestured his other three companions ahead to the next junction.
"Too real," Kuvira grimaced as they padded past them. "They are responsible for a large number of the missing people within the city. And they imprison anyone who-" Kuvira cut herself off. It would not do to be entirely honest with her opinion of the queen at this juncture. "-who is a threat to the Dai Li as an organization," she finished, trying to keep her tone consistent. "No one must be allowed to criticize them or attempt to turn the Queen against them."
"If we speak with the queen..." Song said. "Maybe, she can take action? Like her father before her?"
Kuvira nodded. "We have a chance," she said. She slammed her foot onto the ground. The tunnels were maze-like; crossing and recrossing through each other. Fortunately, she knew precisely where they needed to go. There were three exits to the maze; the palace gardens, the queen's secret chamber and the crystal catacombs. Potentially even the same location as from accounts of Avatar Aang's time in the city. The location Princess Azula nearly killed him. Or, rather, the place she successfully killed him. Without Katara, he would never have survived.
"I am still... awed that I can assist you," Song said.
Kuvira smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Is that so, Captain?"
"Well, yes. To be here with you - who was mentored by Suyin Beifong, daughter of Toph Beifong..." he shook his head. "Truly, this is the greatest honor I could hope to achieve - assisting you and serving the Avatar." Song was smiling.
"You have earned it, Captain," Kuvira said. "And I am honored to be assisted by such an outstanding metal bender and member of the Queen's forces." So much like Bolin. So naive and idealistic. A tremor in the ground. "Quick. They are coming," she hissed. Four Dai Li rounded a corner and dropped into combat stances. Song rushed forward, his companions following him. The Dai Li said nothing, retaliating immediately. Kuvira's pulse raced. Now. "Captain! Keep them busy!"
"Go," he said with nod of his head. "We'll handle this." Kuvira raced past the Dai Li and Song opened a path for her. One of the Dai Li lashed out to grab her, but Song's sword blocked the attempt. Now she was on her own. Perfect. Another Dai Li ahead. Easy to restrain with a metal strip. A blow to the head and she had his uniform. She was so close now. Another stamp on the ground after pulling the slightly too large clothes on. The skirmish raged behind her - hopefully occupying both sides for long enough. Ahead was the bunker. No need for stealth now; she was just another Dai Li come to protect her queen. All she could see of the bunker once she reached it was a metal wall that spanned the width of the corridor. A heavy metal door was the only break in the smooth surface. Simple for a metal bender. The lock gave her no problems and she pulled the metal hatch open with a few gestures.
Inside a handful of Dai Li immediately assumed combat stances. So much for duping them. "You are not one of us," one said, stepping forward aggressively.
"Who are you woman? Speak?" another demanded.
Kuvira stepped forward, forcing her hands to keep still at her sides. Rock floor beneath her feet. "I am Kuvira; one of the Avatar Korra's companions." She smiled faintly. "I am sure you are aware of the current circumstances." A radio was just about audible inside; the tinny voice relating that Korra had defeated Amon and the Equalists were falling in droves to the army. Hou Ting pushed her way through the Dai Li to scowl at Kuvira.
"How did you find out about this place?" she demanded. "What business does this... companion of the Avatar have here?" All around her were her family. Brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and a few other people Kuvira did not recognize. Teenagers lounging on sofas while the city threatened to tear itself apart. Heirs to the throne, every one of them. The Dai Li resumed their hostile stance, chains pointed at her. At her heart if she observed correctly.
"I simply wished to talk to my queen," Kuvira said keep her voice neutral. "I have waited to meet you for so long." Kuvira bowed low.
The Queen snorted. "To talk? Very well," she said wearily. "Quite why you wait until an attempt on my sovereignty is in progress I do not know." She stared at her. "Unless you are an assassin? Come to extinguish me?" The Dai Li nearby tensed. "You would fail before you began."
Kuvira laughed. Smart, but futile. The Queen underestimated her. "Perhaps I am. Or I might be an ally. If it's the former, you do not seem as worried as you should be."
The Queen's expression darkened. "Get to the point. I will not tolerate this arrogance. I may not be so benevolent shortly." She eyed Kuvira for a moment. "You are fortunate I have even deigned to give you this opportunity."
"What gives you the right to rule?" Kuvira's voice sounded painfully loud in the stillness of the room.
"Gives me the right?" The Queen shook her head. "No one gave me the right. It is mine; I simply have that right."
Kuvira shuffled her feet. "Not the answer I hoped for. This... I think that this discussion will take too long to have in full," Kuvira said, keeping track of just where everyone was out the corner of her eye. "We'll set aside a few things, I think."
"Set aside?" The Queen glared at her. "Just what are you setting aside? Tiresome girl!"
"Well, little things. Your family did not found the kingdom for one. Your lineage can be directly traced back to an insurgence centuries ago and something that directly lead-" Kuvira shut her mouth, her teeth clicking together. "Never mind. I will ask my main question."
The queen's rapidly reddening face calmed. "At last." The Queen sighed. "If you are fortunate you might live through this."
"Why do you need the palace? Why do you need so much gold? Does having so many lumps of metal and so many gemstones make you happy? When will you have enough?" Kuvira asked.
The Queen laughed, the noise more like a bark than an expression of humor. "Foolish question, girl! They are mine because they belong to me. No one is born equal in this world. The lives of peasants mean little compared to the people in this room. It is the nature of this world; I am the queen - all that is in my domain belongs to me. Why should I not have it where I can see it? What good is owning so much gold, so many gemstones if they are all elsewhere and unusable?"
"Is it worth the sweat and tears of the populace though? Is it worth so that everyone must suffer? I thought the Queen should love her kingdom? You... you don't seem to care in the slightest," Kuvira said.
The Queen twitched and started laughing again. She clutched her stomach as she giggled. "I don't serve anyone, girl. They all serve me. What strange upbringing did you have to not know that?"
Kuvira ignored the question and carried on. "For someone who claims to own the Earth Kingdom, you turn a blind eye to numerous actions by citizens of the Fire Nation and Republic City. They exploit your resources and people. But it seems as long as they pay their taxes you are content to let them do as they please. From this I can only conclude your army is nothing more than a bluff; a threat to never be used. Or is it more? Is it to only be used inside the kingdom - never to defend it, but to keep it in check?"
"That is too far," the Queen growled. "I will not tolerate any more insults from-" The Queen's expression was serious again as Kuvira interrupted her.
"You deserve insults!" Kuvira hissed. "You; someone who inherited so much power based solely on your family. All your privilege comes from the actions of your ancestors - you stand here on the back of blood and countless lives. On suffering, corruption and murder. But for what? You are no different from the Fire Nation monarchy. Power belongs to those with the will to lead; to those who would serve their nation before herself. You are a poor ruler Hou Ting. Beyond redemption and nothing but a disgusting, gluttonous pig!" Kuvira was shouting by the end of her rant.
"Death! Death to her! Questioning her queen on matters even the imbeciles and peasants know. Well, girl. I answered your questions. Your reward... Death I think is a fine reward," the Queen said with a malicious smile.
"Death?" Kuvira laughed as the Dai Li closed ranks around the queen. "Why? Why would you order me to die? Or did you order someone to kill me." Kuvira took a step back. She turned to the woman beside her. "You... You are Princess Yu?" The Gokongwei's daughter-in-law. Making the man beside her the family's son.
"Yes?" Yu asked with a frown.
"Princess... Yu," Kuvira said, ignoring the Dai Li, ignoring the seething queen. "What would you say if I told you you would soon be the nation's new queen?"
Yu blinked and stepped away from her. "Absurd. Absurd! Are you... threatening my Aunt?"
So loyal. Tragic, or perhaps she was too cowardly to seize an opportunity. Kuvira turned to address the room. "Does anyone here wish to be the next King or Queen?" No one spoke up. They all looked fearful. "Does anyone want to change the Earth Kingdom? To make it better?"
"I-I do," a prince stuttered raising his hand. Lies. There was no conviction in either his voice or his expression.
"Enough, you arrogant wench!" the Queen shrieked. "You have used your station, your familiarity with the Avatar to gain your audience. But do not think for a moment that can keep you safe. Arrest her! We will see her executed in public."
The chains were first. Easy. She redirected the sharpened points into floor and ceiling, blunted in rock, soft furnishings and wood carvings. Concern crossed the Dai Li's expressions. They dropped the chains to the floor and tried again; now rock hands. Pitiful. They exploded in the air easily enough. "Do you not feel anything for the people?" Kuvira asked as she stared around the room. Another rock hand; it span away with a gesture and smashed against a wall. "None of you has a problem with how Hou Ting operates?" The chains again; wrenched free from rock to spill shards of rock on the floor; from the wood to scatter splinters across opulent rugs. Just as easy to deflect a second time. "None of you desire to build a united and powerful nation?" No one spoke, just silently watched as the Dai Li lashed out again. "I take your silence as evidence of your devotion to Hou Ting."
"Incompetent fools!" The Queen yelled. "Can you do nothing to her? And you," she pointed at Kuvira. "You think you can threaten us, and walk away from this? I will offer you a final chance. If you refuse this, then your head will be placed on a pike outside the palace to remind everyone of what happens when you insult the queen."
Kuvira sniggered. "I refuse." She snorted. "Royalty, all of you. All our so called leaders; you're all exactly the same. I hoped for more from my own, but... There is too much greed. Too much ignorance of the plight of the kingdom. Your selfishness has ruined this kingdom and you do not even care as it rots with you inside it. No one in this room should be allowed to live."
"I am the Queen," the Queen said, quivering. "You have no right to harm me."
Kuvira calmly reached for her sword and drew it. "Wait!" A panicked prince. He pushed through the others towards her. "We can pay you. As much as you want. We can settle things calmly. We-" The blade slid through his skin with barely any resistance. His eyes got wider, the last word dead on his lips. With a grunt, Kuvira pulled the blade free and let the prince fall back to the floor. Red tarnished the metal blade. A scream split the air, soon followed by others. Some scrambled for swords, while others scrambled over the top of other people and away from her. A handful tried to earthbend her. The efforts were pitiful and weak. A few ran for the door and found themselves in earth cones, the door swinging shut in front of them. Kuvira smiled. The Dai Li charged her, but even they soon fell to a few swipes with the blade.
She stalked around the room. Some shivered and hid their faces away, others pleaded for their lives or the lives of loved ones. A few lashed out with desperate frantic attacks. A few caught her; nicks and cuts only. Nothing to worry about. Nothing mattered except their removal now. A quick stab or a swipe across a throat. They all died in the same way, so easily. Their privilege gave them no immunity to cold steel, no survival chance against someone with the will to end them. A blade killed them, same as the lowest peasant - how could they ever think themselves better or different? The floor became sticky underfoot when she was almost done. Blood coated her uniform, her face. It formed matted clumps in her hair, the blood from every swipe coming to rest against her somehow. It did not matter. A whimper drew her attention. In the midst of the bloodshed, she had somehow left the Queen still cowering and huddled at the back of the room. Time to correct that mistake. Hou Ting screamed as Kuvira walked slowly towards her. Her reign was at an end and Kuvira would ensure it ended with justice.
Bolin looked both ways up the passageway. Again. This place was like a maze. How far to... well, anything? He carried on forward, trying to keep himself aligned with what he remembered from above ground. The palace had to be about there, so, he was- He paused in the dim light. Bodies lay slumped against the walls, blood everywhere.
"Captain Song!" Bolin cried and rushed over to him. The man was still breathing; the others nearby did not look in such a good state. Song's men plus four Dai Li. "I'll help-"
"No," Song said, his voice quavering. "Help Kuvira. Dai Li... Some are with the Equalists. Queen ahead. She needs your help. Don't worry about me Bolin. I... I just need to rest."
Bolin shook his head. "No. I can't just leave you here. Let me get you outside first..."
Song pushed him away and slowly rose to his feet. "Go, now," he hissed. "Kuvira might be fighting them this moment. ...You're the only one who can. And please; tell her I'm sorry," he said.
"No. You have nothing to apologize for. I'll... I'll do my best. Good luck." Reluctantly Bolin turned away and ran up the corridor. Amon was coming here too. Why did Song refuse him like that? Bolin almost groaned. That should have been obvious. Song was a man of honor. If Bolin helped him outside it would taint his pride - especially if it came at the cost of the Queen's survival. The Queen was of the utmost importance right now. For honor, for duty. The right thing to do. The corridor curved around gradually and he passed an unconscious man stripped of his clothes. The tunnel eventually terminated in a metal wall with a hatch set into the centre. Was Kuvira inside? His heart skipped a beat as a shriek came from inside. He stepped forward, his fingers about to start pulling the hatch open when it sprang open in his hands. A Dai Li woman fell towards him. He caught her, cradling the woman in his arms.
"The Queen..." she spluttered and fell limp. No pulse.
"Kuvira!" Bolin shouted as he laid the woman on the ground as carefully as he could. He rushed through the hatch and stopped. There were bodies everywhere. Some lay limp inside earthcones near the door. Others lay slumped on sofas and tables, on the floor. So much blood. Every surface seemed to have at least some flecks of red on it and the floor was slick with it. Every single body bore an obvious and gory wound. A strangled gurgle drew his attention and he blinked scarcely able to believe his eyes. Kuvira stepped back from a man knelt on the floor and pulled a sword from him. What? Kuvira was wearing a Dai Li uniform, the cloth splattered and stained with blood. No. No, this could not be happening. He looked around the room. Where were the assassins? Who were all these people? He paused. This was the royal family. Up ahead was a woman slumped on her back, a circlet of gold lying beside her. She looked unnervingly familiar. The same face as the portrait in Grandma's apartment. Her vacant eyes stared at nothing, her blood pooling around her. Bolin shivered. The Earth Queen was dead. He looked around again. Where were the assassins? His gaze fell on Kuvira. No. But the question was unavoidable. Did she do this?
"I thought I told you to find the Avatar," Kuvira said in a frustrated tone as she continued to stare down at the body in front of her. She sighed. "I did not want you to see this." She turned around, her expression unreadable. A noise drew her attention; a spluttering cough and a wheezing breath. Kuvira stalked forward and with a lunge, buried her sword into another man's chest. He fell silent immediately.
"W-w-why?" Bolin stuttered, unable to move.
"It was necessary. For the Earth Kingdom." Kuvira shook her head. "This family, all of them; they let injustice prevail. No one, not one of them was prepared to change... anything. But the kingdom cannot survive like that; it cannot be left to continue that. The kingdom has to change. And since they could not and would not; well, I had to make the change myself."
Who was this? This was not Kuvira - the hero, kind, compassionate, brave and inspiring; that was Kuvira. His friend. A member of Team Avatar. The bloodied person before him was someone else. No. The sense of it had been there all along; her anger towards the Earth Queen, the fury when they liberated prisoners. But, why... How could she do this? His eyes prickled and flooded. No. Kuvira was a good person. This was something else; something who just looked like her. He shook his head. "What... what happened? This is all wrong! You're... you..."
"I became who I needed to be," Kuvira said calmly, surveying the sea of bodies. "Who the world needs. If I did not do this, then no one would." She stepped over a fallen prince and stalked towards Bolin with calm, measured footsteps. "You should not have seen this. No one should ever have seen this. No one would ever need know. The family would be gone - so tragic. And from the ashes of destruction, from such a loss to the royal family... There would be so very few options for the next leader."
He needed to get away. Needed to take one step back. He could not even do that. His heart raced in his chest. "Kuvira... Are..." he shivered, unable to get the rest of the question out. A nagging thought he wanted to voice but it seemed somehow irrelevant: just how was no one ever supposed to see this? Someone would find it eventually.
"I cannot hope you will keep this secret, Bolin," Kuvira said still walking forward. "And I cannot have you turn the Avatar against me. If she learned about this... Well... I do not doubt I would find myself with a powerful opponent. Too powerful to cope with." She smiled, the expression not comforting. "She truly is fond of you, Bolin. If she had to choose between us..." Kuvira ducked her head. "She'd choose you."
"You... you deceived us! You were just using Korra?" Bolin asked, trying not to stare at the stained blade, unable to even contemplate Kuvira's comment.
"A mutually beneficial arrangement. You gained assistance for your rescue. You gained a family. I... I did not want to involve you. You brought this on yourself. You should have listened, you should have learned. Wan Shi Tong tried to warn you." Kuvira licked her lips. "I really did want you and Korra to be together; she can't last with Asami Sato, Mako would be little better. You would have worked so well together..." Kuvira shook her head. "I tried to keep you away from this, I tried to spare you, I tried to give you a happy ending; the least I could do for you." Her face darkened and she scowled. "If you were only a little more obedient, I wouldn't have to do this." She raised the sword.
"No, Kuvira. Please stop," Bolin begged.
"I will be quick, Bolin. You cannot hope to win. I promise to be quick. It is... the least I can do." Kuvira darted forward. Bolin blinked, standing still, foolishly watching as she rushed him. Some vestige of control came back. He twisted away. Almost too late. The sword blade caught his side, his torso ablaze with pain. Ignore it. No time to hurt right now. Get away. Escape was paramount. He ran for the door. Something hooked his leg. He tried to stay upright, but he had been moving too fast, the floor too slippery. Bolin crashed onto the blood-stained tiles, hands scrambling for purchase. Where was she? A metal plate slammed against his eyes. He rolled over and started hauling himself backwards on one hand, trying to use the other to ward him from an attack.
"No... Kuvira please."
Footsteps. He pulled at the plate, agonisingly slowly pulling it from his eyes, the metal scratching his face as he wrenched it free. Kuvira was standing over him and the blade was coming. He rolled away, the blade caught the edge his leg, the blade slicing painfully into him. How bad was the wound? The floor was slippery, the stone tiles covered in blood. He twisted over onto his back, trying to pull himself away from her. Kuvira advanced slowly, inexorably, the sword clutched tight in her hand. Bolin clawed at the floor. He could not hurt her; not Kuvira. No matter what she had done. If he could just get the sword away from her. He flung his hand out and sent a section of the floor spinning towards her. Kuvira blinked, her expression faltering for a second. The rock smacked into her hand with a crunch and a snap.
Kuvira howled, one hand clutching the other, the sword somewhere behind her. Bolin breathed, almost ready to smile. Kuvira glared at him and he quivered. With a snarl she threw her hands out in front of her - one finger bent at an odd angle - and the ground trembled around him. What was she doing? With a series of snaps and the grinding of stone against stone, the floor disintegrated under him. Bolin looked up panicked and for a second his gaze met Kuvira's as she stared down at him. He fell back, and kept falling, the floor coming apart all around him. He tried to cling to something, anything, but it was like trying to find a handhold in gravel. The last he saw of Kuvira was a cold, expressionless face as the ground closed in above him and shut out the light.
"Didn't have to see that, didn't have to see that," Kuvira repeated over and over again. If he had just done as she asked, then... Too late now. She could not hope to save him if he knew the truth. Kuvira staggered a little as she retraced her route through the tunnel. The smell of blood was nauseating. She had to get out of this uniform. Do not dwell on all the deaths; it was all for the betterment of the kingdom. Focus. Next step was to get to the communication tower and contact Zaofu. She needed Suyin. Now was the best chance for the Beifong family, for the entire Earth kingdom. If Suyin was on the throne... Kuvira laughed. The rightful leader for the Earth Kingdom. Everything would be better when she ascended.
Bolin was dead. Was he not? Kuvira paused and glanced back the passageway towards the hatch. She had dropped him so far down into that pit, collapsed that fine powdery rock on top of him, before piling on the large rock fragments. He must be dead; suffocated or crushed beneath a mountain of rock. Even if he was still alive - somehow - the bombs would surely finish him off. The massed tons of the palace and the caves all compressed down. His heart. She had been in so much pain she never stopped to check if his heart was still beating when she left. If he might have survived that onslaught. Foolish. Best to check now; tie up the loose ends before any problems developed.
"Another Dai Li?" a voice asked. Kuvira whirled around and froze in place, almost choking at the sight. A water tribe man - no, this could only be Amon - was right in front of her and she could not move a muscle. "Too many of you. Too many too far from the spirits." He chuckled and regarded her. Neither of her arms of her legs would bend. If she could just move, maybe she could kill him too. Kill him, get free and play at concern for Bolin's unexplained absence. Then there would be mourning as time passed and he remained missing. Korra would be sad. Mako would be sad. Asami would be sad. But it was necessary. Go through the motions and miss him as the others would. Amon was an unnecessary complication. If the Avatar could not deal with him then she would. But she could not move. How? Was he doing this? "Practice," he muttered as he stared through her. "Practice... For her..."
Something forced her limbs to move, even as she tried to resist the pull. She found herself kneeling in front of him, her breathing coming in shallow gasps. "It comes back so easily..." he murmured. "Do not worry, you will be free soon." Kuvira tried to scream, tried to attack, tried to move, tried to bend. Nothing. She could no nothing as his fingers stroked across her head. No. No, he could not do this. Not now. Not when she had come so far. His fingers jammed down hard and the world muted around her. "It is done," he said, sounding smug. He stepped away. And she lost track of him. She felt different. Something indefinable, something she had never been aware was even there was now gone. The mysterious weight, the impossible pressure on her arms and legs lifted, but she had no idea where he was to even contemplate retaliation. She was numb. So numb; every part of her seeming devoid of sensation. What had he done? She slumped backwards, her back crashing into a solid surface. What was this? Her hands shook as she brought them up to explore the mass behind her. It... it almost felt like rock. But that could not be rock. Rock was familiar, warm, an extension of herself. This, whatever it was, was cold, immobile, inert. No. Do not think that. She let her hand drop to the ground. It looked like rock below her. But like the mass behind her, it felt wrong. There was no sensation of foot-steps below her, but she could hear them, retreating in the near distance. She could not feel anything. Closing her eyes, she slapped the floor. Nothing.
Korra was just ahead of him as they ran through the corridors. "Mako, I found someone else," Korra said, kneeling beside a single collapsed Dai Li agent. After the Earth army bodies and the fallen Dai Li, Mako was beginning to fear the worst. Blood stained the woman's clothes and she was staring ahead, her hands tracing across the rocky floor. Korra pulled the hat to one side. "Kuvira?" she asked. "Are... are you okay? Are you hurt? Where are you injured? I'll, I'll heal you. Just hang on."
Why was Kuvira here? Was Bolin here too? Kuvira shook her head. "I'm... I'm not wounded. I..." She glanced around wildly and then looked up at him. "I... I stopped the bombs," she blurted.
"That's great," Korra said, smiling.
"Where's Bolin?" Mako asked. "And... what happened to you?"
"I had to defend myself," Kuvira said quietly. "And we... we got separated. Sorry." She looked away, staring down at the floor again and shuddered, curling both arms against her chest.
"How-" Mako began, certain something was wrong. She was avoiding something.
"Amon went that way," Kuvira interrupted, pointing. Her hand trembled. He frowned.
"Mako and I will take care of him. Let's get you somewhere safe first," Korra said, glancing at the indicated direction. She paused and looked at him. Looked like Korra noticed it too. Something was very wrong.
"No," Kuvira shook her head. "K... take him down. Please." Kuvira shivered and slammed her fist into the rock. "He... he took my bending," she said horribly quietly. "He took it..." Her face contorted and she began to cry.
"Hey, no, it's..." Korra drew Kuvira into her arms. "Oh, Kuvira," Korra murmured. "It's going to be okay," she said. "Aang... he could energy bend, right? Maybe... Maybe so can I. No, I know I'll be able to. I can fix this; if Amon and Aang can take bending away, then it has to be reversible." Kuvira did not reply and continued to sob into her shoulder.
Mako grimaced. Kuvira had lost so much in a single moment. No; Amon had stolen so much from her. She did not deserve this; not after helping to keep Bolin safe. The leader of the Equalists had reduced her to a sobbing mess. He had never seen Kuvira like this; she seemed... broken somehow. She did not deserve this. But there was nothing he could say. Korra remained adamant she could fix the situation - hopefully Kuvira could believe in her enough to wait. "Kuvira... Korra, I'm sorry. But we need to go. We need to end this."
Kuvira twitched and pulled away from Korra, her eyes now ablaze with anger. "He's right," she snarled, the vehemence startling. "Go. Take care of him. I... I can still take care of myself." Kuvira hauled herself unsteadily to her feet, her hand held out to keep her steady. She flinched and pulled it back as it touched the rock wall and then gingerly rested her shoulder against it. "I can fight without my bending, remember?"
Korra paused for a second before standing. "Okay. But I want you to get out of there. Stay safe, and we'll see you soon. Head for Bolin's Grandma's. We'll take care of Amon," Korra said. "Let's go, Mako," She hurried down the passage Kuvira indicated.
Mako looked back as he followed Korra. Kuvira watched them go, her face still furious as they left her behind. Another victim of the man's warped mind. They would need to take Amon down together. And Korra would be able to restore bending to Kuvira. Restore bending to all Amon's victims. Bolin... Mako shook his head. His brother could take care of himself. Have faith. Bolin too would be safer in a world where Amon was no longer a threat. Mako just hoped he was okay.
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Thank you for your reviews. Acknowledgements and Author's Notes to follow.
Book 2 Metal ends next week on Chapter 18- Crystal Catacombs