Korra awoke to a sharp rap at the metal door. Groaning, she rolled face down into the thin cotton mattress.
"Go away," she drawled.
"Avatar," grumped a harsh female voice. "You got five seconds to get up and take your breakfast or I'm leavin' you without."
Korra growled and lunged to her feet, stumbling to the door. She pressed her face up against the narrow three-barred window. A short Equalist stood there, hip cocked and tapping an impatient foot, holding a tray of food. Korra's stomach growled to see a slab of cooked meat, some fried rice and some greens beside a large flask of water.
"Delicacies for our honored guest," the Equalist growled, pulling a hidden lever and opening a narrow slot in the door. She slid the tray through the opening, and Korra caught it before it could hit the ground. The opening slammed shut, and the woman turned with a self-satisfied "hmph", marching back down the hallway.
Korra brought the food back to her cot and sat, breathing a silent prayer of thanks to the spirits for blessing her with an edible meal this time. Perhaps Amon had had a change of heart, though she seriously doubted it would go much farther than a more appetizing meal plan.
She bit into the meat, and almost groaned in pleasure as the tangy juices ran down over her tongue. She inhaled the food in a few seconds, quickly downing the water flask in a few deep gulps. Then she sat back and sighed, comfortable for the first time in days. Thumping her head back against the wall, she let her eyes trail up to the window. A wispy white cloud scudded by on the blue sky outside. She slid to her feet and moved over to it, slipping her hands around the bars. The window was just above eye height, so she had to rise up onto her toes. She pressed her face against the cool metal bars.
It wasn't much of a view. She could see the back of a building, coated in sunlight. It looked like a seldom traveled alleyway, scattered with gravel and dust. If she strained her ears, she thought she could hear the distant horn of a satomobile. There couldn't be much foot traffic by here, else the Equalists wouldn't have risked a ground-level cell with a window.
She stood there for a moment, until the door squealed open, making her jump. Something soft slapped her in the face, followed swiftly by something smaller, which she caught. She looked down. A towel, and a bar of soap.
"You get seven minutes allotted for shower," snapped an impatient voice. "Any longer and I'm coming in, whether you're ready or not."
Korra stumbled to her feet, tucking the towel under on arm. She followed the Equalist out the door and into the hallway. They passed rows upon rows of cells. Korra heard a few groans behind the barred doors, pitiful enough to make her wince. She quickened her pace to match the Equalist's. Her eyes trailed the walls, memorizing every dip and crack, searching for any weakness. A hard hand jerked her arm, shoving her along.
"Knock it off or I'll blindfold you next time."
Korra swallowed. She kept her head forward, still scanning the hallway with her eyes, and followed him down a flight of stairs. With a rough wrench of her arm, the man shoved her into a side room, slamming and locking the door behind her.
"Remember, seven minutes." He gave a dark laugh. "Or I get to come in after you, don't matter if you're decent."
Korra glared at the locked door. Then she turned around. The room was smaller than her cell. A single showerhead hung staked to the wall. There was no bathtub, only a crude drain in the middle of the floor. Korra wondered if there'd be enough water for her to bend in an attack at her captor. But the thought of a shower sounded too good to pass up. Wash first, kick butt later, she reasoned.
Stripping off her sweat and dust caked clothes, she set them down by the door. Then she moved beneath the showerhead, turning the nozzle all the way to hot. An icy blast hit her, and she spat, leaping back. She waited for it to warm up, but the frigid water continued to rain down, sending goosebumps racing along her skin. With a groan, Korra realized that prisoners here probably didn't get the luxury of a warm shower. Gritting her teeth, she stepped into the freezing water, grabbing the soap and scrubbing herself down as quickly as she could. When she'd finished, she hit the nozzle and jumped out of the cold, shivering. She toweled herself off and bent to pick up her clothes. To her surprise, her simple blue Water Tribe garb had been replaced with a pile of neatly folded dark clothes. Wrapping the towel around herself, she rapped at the door.
"What's the big idea?" she demanded. "Where are my clothes?"
"Your clothes are being washed and mended," came the surly reply. "Now, are you done yet or do I get to come in there after you?"
Korra growled, stooping to tug on the foreign clothes. "As much as I'm sure you'd enjoy that, I've still got another minute. Sorry, bub."
She tugged on the tunic and pants, grateful that someone had taken the time to find her proper size. The clothes fit loosely over her frame, dark gray like the Equalists' uniforms. There were two black leather boots too, which she pulled on. They fit a little snug, and she found herself wishing for her comfy Water Tribe fur boots.
"A'right, time's up."
The door clicked and swung open. Korra stood, hands on her hips, glaring at the man. Then she smiled. A dark, deadly kind of smile.
The Equalist had no time to react. Korra lunged forward, bending the water on the floor into a barrage of pointed icicles. The man ducked, the deadly shards missing his head by inches. Korra swung forward, landing a brutal kick to the side of his temple. He went down with a strangled grunt.
Then she was over him, leaping down the halls and sprinting full tilt for the stairs. She flew up them in seconds, bolting down the next hallway. Her eyes scanned the premises. There was a window at the end of the hall, thankfully with no bars. If she could just punch through it, she could use a firebending blast to slow her fall and escape into the city below.
The two Equalists came out of nowhere. Korra barely had time to summon a fireball when they were diving at her chi points, striking with merciless accuracy. Her left arm went slack. With an outraged bellow, Korra slammed the fireball into the nearest man's back, sending him sprawling. The second Equalist jabbed three quick points into her ribs, and her other arm dropped.
"No!" Korra leaped into the air, spinning and landing a devastating kick into the Equalist's chest. The man flew backwards without a sound, landing on his back. He didn't move.
Korra turned, panting—and screamed.
The metal rod took her in the stomach, sending an agonizing jolt of electricity throughout her body. Korra fell to her knees. She looked up, eyes blurred with pain, into the grim mustached face of Amon's lieutenant.
"Causing more trouble, I see," came the gruff voice. "Perhaps more time in solitary with straighten you out."
And with that, he slammed the metal rod down into Korra's skull, plunging her world into darkness.
….. …._ ….. … ….. _… …. ….. …. _ …..
Korra awoke with a groan. Sunlight bathed the back of her eyelids in a soft orange glow, caressing her face with gentle warmth. Slowly, she opened her eyes and sat up. It took her a moment to realize she was no longer in her cell.
She lay on a smooth leather couch, facing a simple mahogany desk. An enormous window took up the length of the wall to her left, gleaming with brilliant sunshine. Korra sat up, moaning as her hand flew to her head. The after effects of getting electrocuted were never fun. Stars flitted before her eyes. She waited a moment to get her bearings, then rose from the couch. She moved over to the window, looking down through the thin screen. Republic City stretched out below her, glittering in all its splendor. Satomobiles crawled along the mesh of streets like little ants, honking and beeping at one another in impatience. The shimmering waters of the bay stretched out over the horizon, lapping up against the thin blue line of mountains in the distance. Korra let her hands rest on the windowsill, inhaling a soft breath as the wind coasted through the window, lifting her hair and skimming it across her face.
"Enjoying the view?"
"Spirits!" Korra gasped, jerking back from the window. Amon stood, arms crossed casually over his front, beside the desk. Korra's heart hammered in her chest. He'd made no sound when he'd entered.
"Don't do that," Korra growled, moving back from the window. She stood, hands on her hips, and glared at him. "Where am I?"
"My office." Amon spread his hands. "Simple affair, I know. Do you like it?"
Korra scowled. "I suppose it's better than my cell for the time being."
"That's the attitude to have."
Korra sighed, sinking back against the windowsill. "What do you want, Amon?"
Amon only chuckled, moving to lean back against his clean-surfaced desk. "I heard you assaulted another one of my guards."
"He had it coming."
"Oh, I'm sure he did. However, I can't have you battering up my followers in such a manner. I won't have many left if you keep up such unbefitting behavior."
"You admit your little goons are incompetent."
Amon sighed. "When it comes to you, Avatar… yes."
Korra snorted. Moving back over to the couch, she sat down and shook out her damp hair. Running her fingers through it, she struggled to work out the tangles. She felt Amon's eyes on her, but tried her best to ignore them.
"So, did you just bring me up here to lecture me?"
"No. I came to realize that keeping you caged like some wild animal would only make you behave like one. My guards do not seem to be able to handle your constant…surprises. So I'm filling their place for the time being."
"Lovely. When do I get equalized?"
Amon didn't respond. Just sat at the edge of his desk, watching her work her fingers through her tangled hair. Korra kept her eyes on the ground, hating herself for the way her heart started pounding in the silence. What was it about this man that brought out these strange reactions in her? She'd never even felt this way around Mako. Her fingers hit a snag in her wet locks, and she yanked at them, wincing as she felt a painful tear at her scalp.
Amon sighed, reached down into one of his desk drawers, and came to sit on the couch just behind her. "You'll make it worse that way," he muttered.
Korra froze as his hand reached out, gripping her wrist and lowering it to her lap. She sat still as a statue as he smoothed back her hair, slipping the comb easily between the tangles, more gentle than she could have imagined possible. For a long, silent moment, neither of them spoke as he worked through the snarls, one by one, letting her detangled hair fall softly down over her shoulder.
"This is almost surreal," she whispered after a moment. "My biggest enemy, playing with my hair."
His hands stilled. "Do you wish me to stop?"
Korra hesitated, surprised when she realized she really didn't. "No."
The comb continued, working its way down her scalp, removing one rat's nest at a time. Korra listened to the deep, steady rhythm of his breathing as he worked, wondering at the way such a fearsome fighter could be so gentle.
"How do you know how to do this?" she asked after a moment. A smile twisted her lips. "You make a habit of doing teenage girls' hair?"
The silence hung for a long moment. Then, softly, he replied. "I often had to help my mother do hers. Often it was the mornings after my father came home a night of drinking, his fists itching for something to hit."
"Oh." Korra felt an odd pang stir in her chest. "I'm… sorry."
The comb slowed. "Don't be. It's in the past."
Korra bit her lip, trying to hold back the questions burning within her. Finally, she couldn't help herself. "Amon?"
"Hmm?"
"What was her name? Your mother."
The comb stopped altogether. For a moment, Korra wondered if he was even going to answer. Then she heard his voice, soft and strangely rough. "Kaya," he whispered.
"Kaya," she repeated, smiling at the familiar name. "A beautiful Water Tribe name."
His fingers trailed through her hair, smoothing it out into its now silky tresses. He set the comb down beside him on the couch, but didn't move to get up. Korra swallowed, fighting the way her body responded to his warmth at her back.
"Amon's not a Water Tribe name," she whispered after a moment.
"No, it isn't."
Korra hesitated. "What is your real name?"
The couch shifted behind her, and she shivered when she felt his breath, hot against the shell of her ear. "Does the mask not tell you enough?" he whispered. "That part of me now longer exists. My past is buried. Digging it up now will change nothing."
Korra turned then. Her heart skipped a beat at the fire behind his golden eyes. Slowly, with a trembling hand, Korra reached up, skating the pads of her fingers over the cool porcelain of his ivory mask. She saw his eyelids flutter closed.
"You don't need this," she whispered. "Not with me."
He raised his hand and gripped her wrist, drawing it away from himself. Then he stood, turning away to face the window. His hands clasped behind his back. Korra's heart sank. She dropped her eyes to her knees, feeling the cold sting of rejection. But his next words drove the feelings away in a heartbeat.
"It's Noatak," he whispered, his voice low and husky. "My name is Noatak."
"Noatak," Korra repeated. Amon closed his eyes. The name sounded so sweet on her lips.
"'The wind over the sea.' A strong name." She stood, slipping off the couch and crossing the room to stand beside him. Swallowing back her doubts, she placed a hand on his arm. He turned, just slightly. His golden eyes were narrowed with conflict.
"Do you remember," he rasped, one of his hands coiling around hers, pulling her closer. "When you told me you had a code of honor. A code you lived by, no matter what, that you would always follow?"
Korra reached up, running her fingertips along the edge of his mask. "Yes," she breathed.
"What if my code's broken? What if I have one, but it's not what it used to be? Warped and twisted by the world." His palm moved to lay flat against her cheek, the calluses warm against the softness of her skin. She heard his shaking intake of breath. "What if there's no way for you to save me," he whispered. "No matter what kind of code you have. What if I'm lost?"
Korra smoothed her palm against his mask, slipping it up on his face. Straining up onto her toes, she breathed against the edge of his mouth. "You're not lost."
She kissed him. Ripping his hood back, she wound her fingers up into his hair, pressing against his chest. He kissed her back without hesitation, wrapping his arms around her waist and tipping her head back to deepen the kiss. She shivered when his tongue parted her lips, sliding against hers. His teeth closed on her lip, and she gasped, digging her fingers into his scalp.
He suddenly gripped her hips, lifting her up into the air. On instinct, Korra wrapped her legs around his waist, not breaking the kiss as he carried her across the room. Growling, he slammed her against the desk. He broke the kiss, his lips closing on the hollow of her throat. Korra gasped and pressed her lips against his ear. Her nails raked against the edges of his mask, ripping it off. She heard it clatter to the desk.
It was as if the sound yanked him back to reality. Without warning, he pulled away, bracing himself with his elbows on either side of her head. His breath came in ragged pants, and his eyes gleamed with golden fire.
"We can't," he rasped. "We can't do this. Not here."
Korra wished her heart didn't plunge at those words. She struggled for breath, starting to rise, but he pressed her back down. His lips caught hers once again, much gentler this time, moving with slow grace. Korra's arms trailed around his neck. When he finally pulled back, her head was spinning.
"I've got to get you out of here," he whispered.
Korra stared up at him. Her heart hammered with sudden hope. "What?"
Amon sat back, staring down at her with a pained expression. "I can't keep you here. Not when I can't… control myself. It isn't wise."
Korra sat up on the desk. "You're letting me go?"
He groaned, raking his fingers back through his tousled hair. "I don't know what I'm getting myself into. But yes, I am." He stood, his gaze trailing the room. As if coming to a snap decision, he tugged on his mask and stepped toward the door. "Stay here. I'll be right back."
Korra watched him go. The door shut with a click. Her heart was still pounding, sending ribbons of fire shooting through her system. She swallowed, heat rising along her neck, and slid off the desk. Not knowing what else to do, she tried to slow the beating of her heart by walking it off, pacing the length of the office. When the door opened again, she wheeled, her heart in her throat.
But it was him again. Amon tossed her a fold of clothing, and she caught it with clumsy hands. Looking down at what she held, she saw it was an Equalist mask, complete with night-vision goggles. She looked up at him in question.
"You already have the rest of the suit. Put it on, and you'll look like just another one of my followers."
Korra's throat tightened. "Thank you," she whispered.
He waved a hand. "Don't thank me until we're out of here. Now put it on and follow me."
Korra obeyed, slipping the dark mask over her head. She blinked, wincing as the light of the sunlight seared her eyes through the green goggles. A hand closed around hers.
"Don't look directly into the light," he chided, tugging her towards the door. "Come on."
Korra stumbled after him. She had to jog down the hallway to keep up with his long, purposeful strides. They passed two Equalists before they reached the stairs, and Korra's heart slammed against her ribs. But the two men only glanced at them and nodded, continuing on their way. Apparently, the sight of their leader tugging along an Equalist by the wrist was nothing to raise the alarm about.
He led her down three flights of stairs and into a metal-barred elevator. Slamming a series of numbers onto the glowing keypad, he slid the doors closed. Korra stiffened as the floor squealed under them.
"Relax. It's just taking us down."
"Down? Aren't we already on ground level?"
"To the trams. I'm taking you back to Air Temple Island."
Korra stared at him, trying to read his expression through the slits in the mask. "Why are you doing this for me?"
He tensed, his hand tightening around hers. Then, slowly, he let out a defeated sigh.
"I don't know, Korra," he whispered. He dipped his head, the shadows of his cowl hiding the gleam of his eyes. "I really don't know."