Backup

Asami dove behind the boulder and winced. Her motorcade had come under attack on the way to one of her research facilities, and most of her security team was either injured, dead, or engaged in pitched battle. They were doing their best, but the odds did not look good. Whoever was responsible for the attack had not only done their homework but had also hired more than enough people for the job.

A cry of pain drew her attention. Hunched behind another boulder was a member of her security team. The young woman, Hana, was a firebender of considerable skill, but she was barely conscious. The front of her tunic was stained red, and she was having trouble staying on her feet.

"Ma'am…"

"Do not move," Asami ordered. "Stay where you are. You're in no condition to fight." She peeked around the boulder. The training she'd done with Ty Lee on chi blocking would come in handy if she could get close enough to use it, but her attackers had wisely chosen to bombard the area with bolts of lightning and fire and blasts of water. At least, her security team had managed to disable the earth benders. Otherwise, they wouldn't have any cover whatsoever. "I've already sent a message out. Help should be here shortly…"

Asami trailed off as a colossal bolt of lightning crackled through the air and struck a clump of would-be assassins. The resulting explosion sent rock and bodies flying every which way, and the thunder that rolled past was deafeningly loud.

Looking in the direction the lightning had come from, Asami's eyes widened. Ty Lee was driving a Satomobile with the roof down, and standing up in the back seat, arms already moving to unleash another titanic bolt of lightning was Azula.

"Is that…" Hana blinked. "Azula of the Blue Fire?"

Asami took a moment to reply. It seemed like Azula had dozens of different nicknames, some more gruesome than others. There were still places that referred to her as the Burning Butcher. "Yes. Yes, it is."

As Azula unleashed another bolt of lightning, Asami sprang into motion and signalled for the rest of her security team to strike. Azula was such a tremendous threat that the remaining attackers would have no choice but to focus on her, which should give Asami and her security team the edge they needed.

Ty Lee swung the Satomobile around and braked sharply, flinging Azula out of the vehicle. The old woman used a blast of fire to carry herself into the air, spinning several times before landing almost lazily on one of the larger boulders that dotted the area.

"Good evening," Azula said, smiling ever so brightly. "Surrender or die."

The first reply came from the enemy firebenders. Blasts of flame and electricity raced her way, and Azula batted them aside with contemptuous ease. Asami almost laughed. Were they seriously trying to use firebending against Azula? As powerful as Korra had become, the Avatar had admitted to Asami that Azula was still better than her when it came to pure firebending prowess.

As the flames and lighting died, Azula gestured with one hand, a sharp, cutting stroke. A crescent of blue flame arced out, so bright it hurt to look at. Cutting with fire was an incredibly difficult thing to do, but Azula was a master of it. Those caught in the attack were cut in half, and even stone proved little impediment to the technique.

A tide of water rushed toward the old firebender courtesy of the enemy waterbenders, and Azula stamped one foot and then thrust both arms out. The water became steam that scattered wildly in all directions. It was heatbending performed with incredible speed and power. An instant later, Azula retaliated with a cloud of blue fire that enveloped half the battlefield. Asami caught sight of people screaming and trying to flee while others simply burned, incinerated by the sheer heat of the attack.

"I'll leave the rest to you," Azula drawled, golden gaze finding Asami. "Since it would be prudent to leave some of them alive."

Asami nodded sharply. Azula had scattered the enemy forces. It was up to her and her security team to do the rest. She ducked under a bolt of flame and flipped, landing a hard kick onto the shoulder of her opponent. Bone snapped, and she twisted to strike several points on his body. He slumped to the ground, immobilised and unable to bend.

"Not bad." Asami blinked. At some point, Ty Lee had appeared beside her. The old woman had a cheerful smile on her face. "Your practice is definitely paying off."

"Uh… thank you." Asami stared as Ty Lee calmly paralysed an opponent before catching an icy dagger out of the air and tossing it back at the waterbender who'd thrown it. The bender gave a startled yelp and ducked, only for Ty Lee to close the gap and strike.

Asami shook herself. She needed to stay focused. Another opponent stumbled out of the smoke left by Azula's last attack, and Asami drove one fist into her sternum and then tossed her over her shoulder. The woman hit the ground hard, and Asami kept her hold on the woman's arm as she gave her a stout kick in the head. It wasn't elegant, but it was effective.

Another bender lashed out, and Asami twisted away from a bolt of lightning, the attack so close, her hair stood on end. Like most firebenders, he was a little slow to recover after throwing lightning, and Asami darted forward, sweeping his legs out from under him before rendering him unconscious with a few precise strikes.

Around her, her security teams was having similar success, and the battle swiftly came to an end. Once she was certain everyone was being tended to – she made a point of having waterbenders who could heal on her security team – Asami went over to talk to Azula.

"Thank you for your help."

Azula nudged one of the corpses on its back. It was, or had been, a man. However, Azula's fire had charred the body so badly it was difficult to be sure. "I was in the area, so I thought it prudent to respond." She smiled thinly. "You have been making great strides in your technological research. There are certain groups that would love to steal it… or eliminate you to prevent it going any further. With Korra quite obviously involved in quelling the unrest in the Earth Kingdom, it's no surprise that they decided to strike now. After all, as formidable as you are, Korra is somewhat more dangerous in a fight."

Asami had to concede the point. In a large-scale battle, Korra was an absolute nightmare to deal with. "You're not wrong. Do you know which group was responsible?"

"I have my suspicions, which we can confirm or disconfirm by interrogating some of the survivors." Azula sighed. "I must say I'm disappointed. Some of these people have decades of experience, but they're all so horribly boring to fight. Korra was better by the time she was fifteen."

"Your standards are a bit higher than most people's," Asami pointed out.

"Perhaps, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong." Azula raised one hand, and blue flames sprang to life, so hot that Asami almost took a step back. "It makes me wish I was younger."

"Oh?"

"Korra might be the only firebender in the world who could, one day, give me a run for my money, but she'll need at least a decade or two more experience first." Azula chuckled. "Who knows if I'll still be around then?" She lowered her hand, and the flames died down. "In any case, Ty Lee and I will accompany you to your research facility before we resume our mission."

"You have a mission?" Asami asked.

Ty Lee appeared beside Asami. "Yep. We're on mission: moonlit picnic!"

Azula sighed. "Ty Lee, please, at least try to let me keep a little of my mystique."

"I think a moonlit picnic only adds to your mystique," Ty Lee said, much to Azula's consternation. "It's actually really romantic, except sometimes Azula decides to set things on fire." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Her blue fire can make it look a little creepy sometimes."

"I… I imagine so." Asami knew better than to comment any further. "In any case, you're welcome to come along."

X X X

Author's Notes

As always, I do not own Legend of Korra. I am not making any money off of this either.

Not everyone is a fan of technological progress, so it's not surprising that Asami would be targeted. It is also considerably easier to go after her than Korra since Asami can't level entire battlefields on her own. Of course, Asami isn't helpless, but it is nice when help turns up.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.