Children. About a dozen little kids not older than twelve, a few as young as Rinzen. Some had their faces drenched in tears, others were just squeezed in a corner, hugging each other, trembling in fear. She heard Lin block the entrance with a column of earth, then she spoke, breaking her frozen spell.
"We have to go" and she opened her way through the kids, as if they were no more than furniture, to the other end of the room, where she began earthbending a way out. But the kids didn't move. They didn't know they were the good guys.
"It's okay" Korra said, approaching the smallest boy of the bunch. The kid recoiled, moving away from Korra's touch almost out of instinct, and hid behind an older girl that seemed almost as terrified. Korra was at a loss.
"I'm the Avatar" it seemed like a stupid thing to say, but she didn't know what else to do, maybe she was trying to remind herself of the fact. Whatever it was, it did the trick, a light of recognition shining through the older children's eyes. "She is the chief of police" she pointed at Lin that was still creating a tunnel they could venture through "We are going to get you out of here, get you back to your families" she said, now more firmly, as she ushered the children into the tunnel.
It didn't take long, but it sure seemed like it. Lin sensed with her feet before opening their way through the earth. Korra on the other end was sealing it, counting frantically making sure no kid was left behind while lighting their way with a self-generated torch. She noted in the dim light of her own flame the markings in the children skin, alike the ones she saw painted in the outlaws faces. Was it some initiation ritual?
The light of the day shone above her before she could ask herself any more questions. Lin jumped out of the hole and started reaching inside, one by one Korra handed the children to her and to the air nomads that came to help until she was the only one remaining inside the hole.
She spat the soot out of her mouth and washed the dirt off her face, before looking around at the wreckage surrounding them. The flames were almost extinguished, the furious red of the flames now replaced by the somber black of the ashes.
It was all but calm. The kids were crying while the air nomads were trying to console them, playing tricks with airbending, trying to buy time while more police forces were sent to the site to take their statement, and hopefully take them home. The officers already at the scene were occupied cuffing the few triad members that were caught. And even though it was chaos, Korra felt relieved, at least they were safe for now.
She looked for Asami in the crowd, wanting nothing more but to kiss her. But she couldn't find her, the realization sinking in like black ink in clear water. She grabbed a free officer that came by her by the arm.
"Where's Asami?" she asked maybe with too much panic written in her eyes, the same terrified look reflected in the officer's face.
