"Never give up Kuvira. No matter how bad things get, you can't ever give up. As long as you can keep fighting, no one can bring you down." Kuval said as he halfheartedly threw small stones at his six year old daughter. She dodged them easily, her feet never leaving the ground. Today's lesson was an exercise in balance.
"You're an earth bender Kuvira, and earth benders are strong as stone. Nothing can break us, and don't ever let anyone say otherwise." He said with a smile as he threw one last stone with full force.
Instead of dodging, the young girl snatched the rock out of the air as soon as it was within arms reach, crushing it with her hand.
"Don't worry daddy, I won't."
...
In the present, Kuvira slowly began waking up. Her wounds closed as her eyes opened, the blood in her lungs replaced with fresh air. The first thing she saw was Korra standing before her, blocking Jeong Shu's path.
"And how do you want to die, Avatar? Maybe I'll crush your heart, or rip open your throat. Or maybe I'll just cut you, just enough, and watch you bleed to death at my feet." Jeong said, laughing maniacally.
"No... No. You won't take her from me..." Kuvira said, struggling to stand.
"What the... How are you alive?!" Jeong yelled, truly shocked.
"Kuvira? What... What happened to you?" Korra asked. The blood coating Kuvira's shirt suddenly began ebbing out of the cloth. It then shot to her hand, swirling around it for just a moment before she let it fall to the ground.
"I guess you're right Jeong. I am like you. But there are a few differences. For example, I actually have people I love... People I care about and who care about me. When you killed my father I was too young... Too weak to stop you. But things change, I'm stronger now. And I know I'm stronger than you. And I will not... Let you take the woman I love away from me." She said, eyes flashing with rage as she extended her right hand.
Korra's eyes widened as she processed what Kuvira said.
She... Loves me?
It took a few moments, but Kuvira was able to sense the traces of iron in Jeong's blood. His raised arm slowly fell back to his side as his body became stiff, rage evident on his face. The wounds he'd been holding shut suddenly reopened and blood began pouring from all over his body, eliciting a strangled cry of pain from the now frightened killer.
"What... What are you... Doing? Let go of me you bitch! Let go of me or I swear I'll... I'll-" He struggled to say, trying and failing to move.
"You'll what Jeong? What will you do... Kill me?"
Before Jeong could finish, Kuvira extended her left hand to match her right. "You were right by the way, about killing you. I should have done it the second I saw you. If I had those two men would still be alive. Don't worry, I've learned my lesson. You're never going to hurt me, or anyone else, ever again..."
Without another word, she pulled her hands apart. Following the motions of his killer's hands, Jeong Shu's blood began ripping through his skin. In an instant, the once powerful metal bender was ripped apart, his blood coating the ground around him.