Once again; I own nothing, but OC's and the plot. Now Enjoy.
PS: This chapter has been upgraded as of 2022.
Notice: (This equals Spirit voice.)
5: Soul
Cold.
That was the first thing to register in Mako's mind, as he slowly began to regain consciousness.
It was a harsh, unyielding cold that bit deeply into his aching limbs, and would have gladly sunk it's claws into his core, had his inner fire not held it at bay. It was little consolation though, as the next sensation to register was searing agony, as his inner fire boiled his blood, and threatened to burn him from the inside out. Being born a firebender he'd always been able to feel his inner fire, giving him warmth, and seeing him through even the bitterest winter nights, but here and now it felt like a raging inferno that would reduce him to ashes at any moment.
Desperate to alleviate the pain somehow Mako made to stand, only to be held fast. Struggling to focus beyond the pain, and feel through the cold; he realized that his body, and limbs seemed to be weighted down forcing him to remain in a torturous kneeling position.
"It's cold in here. Rather unusual for a firebender of your caliber." Said a masculine voice.
Amber eyes snapping open at the unknown yet strangely familiar voice; Mako looked up to search for the mysterious speaker, only to be taken aback by the impossible scene before him.
Despite the cold there was no denying that he was still in Republic City, but at the same time it wasn't.
The normally thriving metropolis in the midst of summer he woke up in that morning was gone, and in its place was a frozen wasteland utterly devoid of life. Everything from the buildings and parked satomobiles around him to the Kyoshi Bridge in the distance was covered in ice, and pristine snow that was rarely found in cityscapes for more than a few minutes. There were no signs of life anywhere, no people, no animals, no tracks vehicular, or pedestrian. There was only snow, silence, and the wind.
Searching desperately for a clue, or some kind of explanation as to what was going on; Mako tried to rise once more, only to be restrained once again. Looking down he found himself to be bound in a kneeling position by heavy metal chains. Their frost covered lengths wrapped tightly around his wrists, ankles, waist, neck, and chest.
The chains around his waist were the shortest of them being connected to the ground beneath him, forcing him to remain kneeling in the middle of the street. Alternatively, the chains around his limbs were pulled taught, and connected to life size statues of Bolin, Asami, Lin, and even one of himself. The chains around his neck were connected to a statue of President Raiko. Leaving the heaviest and thickest chains wrapped around his chest, binding him to a statue of Korra.
"Who's there? What the hell happened?" Mako demanded hoarsely.
For several minutes silence was his only answer until the sound of footsteps crunching in the snow drew his attention to the statue of Korra as a small form stepped out from behind it. "Just you. For the time being anyway."
Mako's eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the person. There standing before him was the eight-year-old version of himself. Complete with a smudge of soot on his cheek, and his father's old red scarf around his small neck. "What's the matter Mako? You look like you've seen a ghost." The younger doppelganger said with a smirk as he leaned against the Korra statue, and his amber eyes flared crimson.
"After the morning I've had; seeing ghosts isn't exactly out of the question at the moment." The detective muttered, as he analyzed his younger self.
While the face was his; the boy's voice was definitely not his own. Instead, he spoke with that same unnervingly familiar tone.
Smirking as he held his amber glare the young Mako reached out, gently tracing a small finger along the length of chain drawn between. "So many bonds. So many loyalties. You're like a sad little puppet tangled in its own strings."
Mako tried to move, but the chains held tight. "Am I dead?" he asked.
"Nope." the boy said popping the p. "Though you probably should be all things considered, but then again that would be too simple, and we both know your life is never simple. Don't we?"
"The spirit world then?" The firebender pressed testily.
"Close, but not quite." The boy taunted with a smirk. "We are in a spirit world, but not The Spirit World."
"A spirit world?" Mako asked in confusion, his breath turning to fog before his eyes.
"Yes. All humans have an inner spirit world. It contains a person's every thought, feeling, memory, experience, and emotion; anything, and everything that makes them who they are. I believe you humans call it a soul? This one happens to be yours."
"If it's my soul, my spirit world; then who the hell are you?" Mako demanded leveling a glare at his younger copy. His mounting temper starting to purge the chill from his limbs, allowing him to put more strain on the chains confining him.
The boy merely rolled his crimson eyes. "I already told you that Mako. I. Am. You. While anyone can enter the spirit world; the only ones who can access a human soul are the humans to whom the soul belongs, or a very powerful spirit."
"Uh huh; that's truly fascinating, but how did I get here, and how do I get out?" Mako asked as he continued to struggle against the chains.
"Come on detective what's the rush? You know most humans go their entire lives without entering their inner spirit worlds." The boy chided, only to receive yet another amber glare.
"Lucky me, now answer my questions!" Mako snapped as he rattled his chains.
The copy rolled his eyes at the man's impatience. "You got here by trying to channel spirit energy genius. About as successfully as a child sticking something into an electric outlet I might add." Mako flinched at the depressingly accurate comparison. "As for how you get out? Well in order to do that you are going to have to hit your lowest point." He said shrugging his small shoulders.
"Great, and here I thought I was already there." Mako said with a sigh.
Roughly two hours after the incident at Future Industries; Bolin arrived at the Republic City general hospital with Opal in tow.
Bursting through the front doors, the lava bender rushed over to the front desk, startling the nurse. "Excuse me miss my brother, and two friends are here. Can you tell us where they are?" He asked rapidly while trying to catch his breath.
"Name please?" the nurse asked, adjusting her glasses.
"Detective Mako, Asami Sato, and Avatar Korra" Opal said calmly at her boyfriend's side.
"Your brother is still in examination." The nurse said, as she looked over a clipboard. "But Miss Sato and the Avatar are in room 32 just down that hallway." She added, pointing to their right.
Thanking the nurse, the couple quickly made their way to the room; where they found Korra resting in a bed with Asami sitting on the edge holding her hand.
"What happened? Are you guys alright?" Bolin asked.
"I'm fine just a little worn out." Korra responded with a tiredly.
"What about you Asami?" Opal pressed.
"Just a burn, nothing serious." The heiress said with a tired smile as she held up her bandaged right hand.
"Have you guys heard anything about Mako?" Bolin asked again desperately.
"He's alive, but the doctors couldn't say anything else at the time." Korra answered sadly, not quite able to meet his pleading gaze.
Sitting down heavily in a chair; Bolin covered his face with his hands. "How did this happen?" he asked.
"That's what I want to know." A cold voice said. Causing everyone turned to see Lin Beifong standing in the doorway.
"Aunt Lin!" Opal said in greeting. The chief of police just nodded her head to the young air bender, before turning her attention to the Avatar, and the CEO.
"Are you two alright?" she asked as she entered the room.
"We're fine Lin." Korra assured.
"That's good, because I have some questions for you miss Sato."
"Such as?" Asami asked warily, only to yelp in surprise as the metal bender seized her by the front of her jacket, forced her up against the wall, and pinned her there with a furious glare.
"Such as why you had an active spirit core in your basement!" Lin seethed as she glared at startled heiress.
"What!" Bolin exclaimed.
Recovering swiftly Asami glared right back. "I'm not at liberty to discuss the core with anyone." She said coldly, shrugging out of Lin's grip. "If you have a problem with that chief, then take it up with President Raiko."
"I'll do that, and when I'm through with him; you and I will be having a very serious conversation." Lin growled back before she turned to Bolin, and her expression softened. "Keep me updated on how he's doing." Her normally serious tone laced with genuine concern.
"You got it chief." Bolin assured her with a nod.
The police chief nodded in turn before shooting one final glare at Asami before leaving as quickly as she came.
After the door closed the room fell silent as the remaining members of Team Avatar turned to look at the CEO.
"Asami why was there an active spirit core hidden beneath your building?" Korra asked gently.
"After everything Kuvira did last year, you of all people should know how dangerous those are. The damage they can cause!" Opal added sternly.
Asami sat back down on the bed with a tired sigh. "I already told Lin this isn't something I can talk about with anyone. No matter how much I might want to." She added as she took Korra's hand in hers, giving the Avatar a meaningful look, before facing the others. "But the core isn't important right now. I'm afraid we have a bigger problem on our hands."
"Mako is fighting for his life right now, because you were hiding a spirit bomb in your secret basement!" Bolin snapped angrily. "What could possibly be a bigger problem than that?" he demanded.
"Look I'm sorry this happened, but this is serious. The only ones who knew about the core were Raiko, my head of security, a hand-picked five-man team, and myself. Those triads goons didn't find the generator by accident, they knew exactly where it was, or at least that fire bender did."
"Maybe someone on your team blabbed." Opal suggested.
Asami shook her head. "No, the consequences are higher than any possible pay off the triads could hand out."
"What about threats?" Bolin offered, having the most experience with the crime syndicates, save for Mako. "When you don't take the carrot; the Triads are pretty quick to break out the sticks."
Again; Asami shook her head. "No. To bribe, or threaten someone for information you have to have some idea of what you are looking for. For all intents, and purposes the core does not exist."
They all glanced at each other before Korra asked the big question. "Then how did they know about it?"
Deep in the mountains bordering the United Republic. Tucked away in a White Lotus maximum security prison; Kuvira tossed and turned on her sleeping mat unable to relax. With her mind racing as she pondered everything that was to come.
Every fiber of her being despised the very idea of allying with the Red Lotus, but the prospect of escaping this place was too good to pass up. Being imprisoned for her crimes was one thing, but to be entombed in a mountain alone with no human contact save for brief impersonal interactions with her guards, and no way to tell the passage of time. It was maddening, and cruel, and probably what Suyin would have condemned her to in Zaofu if the vindictive bitch didn't just execute her.
No, she needed to get out, especially if Zaheer was right, and the Red Lotus were involved with something that could change the world. She'd tried to change her nation for the better, and it had only taken two years for her to succumb to the ends justify the means mindset, which in turn led to suffering, and ruin. Between hiding in the shadows for decades, infiltrating places like the Metal Clan and the North Pole, and committing regicide; She doubted that the Red Lotus would change anything for the better.
Which was even more reason for her to work with them. So that she could be there, and maybe just maybe she could find just a shred of redemption in the eyes of the world. This may very well be her last chance.
Her train of thought came to a halt when a quick phasing sound broke the silence of her cell.
"Well?" she asked without opening her eyes.
"The operation was successful. The merging process has already begun." Zaheer answered.
"What do we do now then?" She pressed as she rolled onto her back, eyes still closed.
"For now, we wait. He will send for us once he gains enough sway over his new host."
"How long will that take?" she asked.
"It's difficult to say." Zaheer conceded as he assumed the lotus position. "A few days at least, maybe a week at the most. The boy has a very strong will."
Cracking open an emerald eye Kuvira glanced at the specter floating before her. "Who is this unfortunate host, and what exactly is he hosting?" she asked.
"An ancient spirit capable of challenging Raava, and her puppet." Zaheer answered. "As for the host he is an old acquaintance of ours. The Avatar's pet fire bender."
With that he disappeared once again, leaving a shocked Kuvira alone in silence once more.
So much for sleep.