Chapter 53
"I'm sorry." Supergirl said. She was in her full red and blue uniform, as was her cousin Superman. They stood on an empty hill on the outskirts of Republic City, prepared to launch into their galactic journey to the meeting between Nova and Green Lantern Corps.
"For the at least fifth time, it's okay Kara." Korra said.
"You keep saying that, but I feel so bad." Supergirl said, "This had got to be the worst possible timing, and I-"
"If I can't get her to stop, I don't suppose you can?" Korra said to Superman.
The Man of Steel grinned, "I doubt it."
"Kara, it's going to be fine." Korra grabbed Supergirl's shoulders. "I've been training like crazy, plus I've got Aang and his crew, as well as my own friends. Zaheer and those losers don't stand a chance."
"I know, but we just broke up with Peter, and now I'm heading off for a whole month." Supergirl said.
"You realize that affects you just as it does me, right?" Korra said, "We'll be fine. Both of us. It's not going to be easy, but when you get back, things are going to be great and we'll take a whole week to ourselves."
Kara lightened slightly. "That does sound nice."
"Good. Now are you sure you guys have enough solar energy to get from sun to sun?"
"Hey, if I'm not allowed to worry about you, then you're not allowed to worry about me."
"Of course I'm going to worry about you." Korra said, "You're going to be in deep space for a month and I wont know what happened to you until you get back or don't ever show up."
"Of that I can hopefully put you at ease." Superman said. "Nothing is going to happen to my little cousin while I'm around."
"Hey, I'm technically older than you." Supergirl crossed her arms, "AND stronger. If anything, I'LL be protecting YOU."
Superman smiled. "Why do you think I brought you along? Now are we ready to go?"
"Just a sec." Kara wrapped up Korra in a nearly crushing embrace. The Avatar-to-be didn't even complain. In fact, she tried to crush Kara right back. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too." Korra said, "Now go prevent an intergalactic war."
It took a few moments for the hug to end, but when it did, Supergirl returned to Superman's side and they both took of vertically. They accelerated slowly for a Kyptonian, but by the time they had hit the cloud line they were nearly at Mach three. To Korra's knowledge, Kara had never traveled at the speed of light before. She'd have to ask her what it was like when she got back.
In the meantime, Korra had business of her own to attend to. She had skipped her morning training in order to come say goodbye to Kara, so she'd have to train twice as hard this afternoon. Later today, Toph wanted her and Aang's help as she busted a gun ring that might have super powered security. And on top of that, she had basically ignored a five page essay that was due in just a few days.
Her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. Looks like all of that would have to wait as she got an emergency alert about a fire in downtown Republic City. Korra extended the wings of her Kite Staff and took to the skies. In a matter of moments, she was above the billowing, smoking building, so she streaked downward to the street.
"I'm here chief Beifong. What's the situation?" Korra asked.
"Sargent." Toph corrected, "And we're under the assumption it's arson. Blaze went up way too fast to be a regular fire. We're working on evacuating the building, but there's still thirty people trapped on the top floors due to a stairway collapse."
"I'm on it." Korra took off towards the building.
"Wait!" Toph yelled, but Korra ignored her, a plan already forming in her head.
First she'd tear open that stairway to get the people out. Then she'd be able to flood the top floors with water from the nearby hydrants and hopefully save the structural integrity of the building. As Korra dove into the building, she whipped up a small whirlwind around her to keep the smoke out of her lungs. Next, she made her way to the stairwell and burst herself upwards until she found the block.
A ten foot section of the stairs had been completely destroyed. Korra wasn't sure how the fire could have done this, but she didn't dedicate much of her attention to it and instead sought a way to get the people down. Being made mostly of concrete, Korra used her earth bending to bring up the broken section of stairs and slammed them into the wall to make them stay. Carefully, she walked up her remade stairs to the floor above.
"Hello?!" she yelled into the sound of crackling fire and screams, "If anyone can hear me, come to the sound of my voice! I fixed the stairs, you can use them to get down!"
"We're over here!" someone yelled. Korra traced their voice to the closest window. A large group of people had crowded around a window when a dresser had caught ablaze and blocked them off.
"Everybody get down!" Korra yelled. She sent out a gale of air bending out the window, putting out the fire and allowing the people a few seconds of smoke free air. "Is this everybody?!"
"No." said a man, "There are more of us. We were at the windows trying to escape."
"Alright, Take the stairs, I'll-"
"Miss Cohrot, I can get them." said the man, "Please make sure my wife and daughter make it out."
"Absolutely." she beckoned the people to follow her and led them to the stairwell. "Careful, I didn't have time to give it the finishing touch I would have liked." she stood at the base of her remade section of stairs and helped the people across.
Suddenly a loud crack came from the room next to her. "You guys keep going, I'm gonna check that out." Korra rushed out of the stairwell and found a crumbling concrete support beam. She barely had enough time to wonder how a fire could have done this before the pillar completely collapsed.
Fast as she could, Korra thrust her arms up and forwards, catching the pillar before it could fall more than a foot or two. "Everyone, you need to hurry!" Korra yelled, "This place is coming down! I'll hold it for as long as I can!"
"And how long will that be Korra?" said a voice from behind her.
Despite the intense heat, the voice sent chills down her spine. Zaheer and the other members of the Red Lotus came into view on the edges of her peripheral on either side.
"You did this!?" Korra asked.
"Oh calm down miss Cohort." Zaheer said. "We knew you would save these people. Just like we know you're going to keep holding that pillar while we kill you."
"It's nothing personal." said Ming Hua, the armless water bender, "But to make the Avatar mad enough to seek us out recklessly...we're going to have to make this painful."
Before she could react, a section of the broken support pillar on the floor, rose up and struck her in the stomach, nearly knocking the air out of her. Korra fell to her knees, but kept her hands up to prevent the roof from collapsing. Ming Hua's water tentacles slashed across her back, slicing through her shirt and skin. Gritting her teeth, Korra held fast.
As fast as she could, the Avatar Cohort shoved the pillar up three feet, then bent all the concrete around it to try and hold it up. Then she spun around to the Red Lotus, conjuring all the fire in the room, but was struck in the chest by a blast of combustion bending from P'li that knocked her across the room.
No time to catch he breath, Korra kicked to her feet and caught the pillar again before her makeshift repairs could fall away. Chest rising and falling heavily, she knew she couldn't keep this up much longer. Her face was tingling from the blast and she couldn't see straight or hear much more than a loud ringing. Nonetheless, with a wide sweeping kick, Korra sent out a burst of air bending that knocked the earth bender Ghazan, off his feet.
"You little-!"
"Hold it." Zaheer held up a hand, "She's done. Look."
Korra had intended to follow up her attack, but a piercing pain shot through her chest. As she fell back down to her knees, blood filled her mouth and she spat some of it up.
"A punctured lung, filling up with her her own blood." Zaheer said, "In this building, she'll simultaneously burn and drown to death."
"Miss Korra!" someone shouted from the stairwell, "We've got everyone out! If you can hear me, we need to leave!"
"You hear that? You've saved everyone but yourself." Zaheer said.
Korra wanted to curse him, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was more blood.
"Psh." P'li scoffed, "Universal balance and she sacrifices herself to save a dozen nobodies."
Korra's arms trembled, and she looked down as she tried to focus all her energy on keeping the roof raised. Even now if she let it down, it might collapse and take out several floors, maybe even the entire building. And the people she saved weren't out of the building yet.
"Hm. Let's get out of here before she loses her fight with the ceiling." Zaheer said.
Korra could only assume they had left, as she lacked the energy to even look up. Her entire world now seemed to be the searing pain in her chest every time she gasped for smoke filled air. The roof groaned overhead, drooping ever lower as Korra struggled to hold it. The people had gotten out by now, but there was no way for her to do the same. She was in a struggle for her own life, and she couldn't find a way to win.
In the middle of the building, Korra was a good forty feet and around a corner from the nearest window. It'd be a tight escape even if she wasn't doubled over in pain. Debris fell from the ceiling as it sagged ever lower.
It was all over. In her fight with Zaheer in her first world, she had reinforcements. Friends. Allies. This time, she was all alone. What she wanted more than anything, was someone to be by her side. Her mother, Kara, Peter, Asami, Aang, heck she'd even take-
"Twinkle toes Junior, you still in here?!"
Toph! Korra perked up, but she didn't have the air in her lungs to yell out.
"Kid, you still inside?!" Toph yelled out, "I need some kinda feedback, my seismic hearing doesn't work very well on marble floors in the middle of a fire!"
"Seargent, if you can't see, then you should-"
Toph hushed the man. "I think I got something."
Korra's vision grew fuzzy as she tried one last time to call out.
She awoke several hours later, vision still blurry. All she could do was groan as she tried to sit up. Suddenly a black mass that was next to her hand began to stir, then bolted upright.
"Korra! You're awake! Oh thank God!"
Her head was pulled sideways and arms wrapped around her neck and shoulder.
"Asami?" she croaked.
"Yes, it's me." Asami said softly, "I was so worried about you, I- oh, hold on." she quickly withdrew her hug, causing Korra to sway momentarily from the lack of support. "I have to let your mom know you're alright. She was terrified when she found out."
Korra's vision came into focus and she took in the hospital room around her. She was in a patient gown, and had an IV in her right arm and oxygen tubes in her nose.
"Hi Senna." Asami said, "Korra's awake. She's fine. I don't know, hold on. Korra, do you feel like talking to your mom right now."
"I...uh..."
"She's still a little groggy. I'll have her call you back. Can you let Aang know? Thanks. Oh, no, it's no trouble, I'm happy to." Asami hung up her phone and looked at Korra who could only stare blankly back. "So, uh, how do you feel?"
"Like garbage. But tingly garbage. What happened to me?" Korra said.
"Well they had to do a bit of surgery on you." Asami said, "You had a collapsed lung and almost asphyxiated on your blood and the smoke. If...if Seargent Toph hadn't gotten you out when she did..." tears came to Asami's eyes and she threw her arms around Korra, who held tightly back. "I'm sorry, I know you don't want people crying over you, it's just... I was so scared I would lose you."
"It-it's okay. I'm...I feel pretty good considering." Korra said.
"Well you should, Katara spent about an hour healing you as best she could." Asami said. "Everyone is out there looking for those Red Lotus people, and I've got my entire security team guarding this building. We had someone start a rumor that we had got a hold of Supergirl and she was on her way back, but...well I think most people saw through that."
"Is...is Spider-man here?" Korra asked.
Spider-man awoke with a start.
"I said, 'why is the Batwing on?'"
The Web Head lifted his head up and saw Batman staring down at him. "I, uh...I dozed off for a second. But, I was about...about to take it to Republic City."
"You're off patrol for tonight."
"What?!"
"You need rest." Batman said, "We've been hunting down these criminals day and night for a month now, and it's taking it's toll."
"No, I'm fine." Spider-man said, "I just needed to take a quick nap, and now I-"
"You've been getting sloppy too." Batman continued, "You falling off walls isn't exactly stealthy."
"That was just a freak incident of vertigo."
"You don't get vertigo." Batman turned and started walking away.
"That's why I said 'freak'. As in, 'won't likely happen again'."
"Stay here Peter. You're under too much stress."
The Wall Crawler chased after him, "Oh, and you're not?"
"I don't have school to keep up with, nor did I just break up with two girls I clearly still care about." Batman said without looking at him.
"Yeah, all you do is run a billion dollar company. I'd be more convinced if it weren't for the dark circles under your eyes." Spider-man said, "And don't start with that again, I broke up with them because-"
Batman rounded on him, causing Spider-man to stop short, then stared down at him. "One night. Just seven consecutive hours of sleep. Make it eight. That's an order." he turned again to leave.
"Sir yes, Batman sir!" Spider-man said, giving a mocking salute.
"See? You're almost back to your old self already." Batman pressed a button and the Batmobile raised to the surface.
Peter crossed his arms. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Batman was right. The Web Head needed rest, he was getting far too sloppy. If he hadn't been wearing body armor, he'd have had two holes in his chest a couple days ago.
Spider-man would take the rest, for all the good it would do. His dreams of late were filled with strange visions of spiders, and he often woke up in the middle of the night with odd sensations he couldn't fully explain.
I apologize for the shorter chapter and I'll try to have another next week if I can. In the meantime, there are a few things I should probably address. Someone left a comment a while ago that it was impossible to fly faster than the speed of light. The best way to respond to that is to say...Superman just ignores physics, and by proxy so does Supergirl and Powergirl. In addition to flying faster than the speed of light on multiple occasions, he can also hear through the vacuum of space (also not actually possible), and lift the book of infinity(which is downright unreasonable). So yeah, I too prefer when Superheroes abilities at least resemble what is actually possible, and will try not to have Kara do everything and anything in less than a second, but the point is, kryptonians can fly faster than light...somehow.
Also, if you don't get why Korra keeps calling Toph a chief, it's because in the Legend of Korra, one of Toph's daughters is the police chief, Chief Beifong. Toph Beifong isn't at that rank yet, but she definitely will be, and the joke is that Korra keeps slipping into the mannerisms of her old world and calling the the closest Beifong a chief before her promotion.
Lastly, and also, POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT. Most of you can definitely already tell that I'm working towards Spider-man and The Other. I remember a good long while ago that several readers felt like Spidey needed a power boost if he was going to be standing beside a kryptonian, and this specifically was mentioned. The intention is to handle it a bit better than Marvel did, and have him sporadically use the new powers instead of having a few story arcs dedicated to it entirely. As always, feel free to leave you opinion as I go along, letting me know if I'm doing the same thing Marvel did or if I'm any better. And of course, thanks again for reading.
