Chapter Three
Vaatu has endured the stain of defeat for far too long, but he has long since learned patience.
Thousands of years have passed since his entombment inside the Tree of Life, sapping his strength and leaving the darkness in a frozen state.
He has been forced to watch mankind prosper under Raava's protection, but it was only a matter of time before the spirit of orders influence began to fade.
The destruction of the air nomads chipped at her foundation, but the near-century of constant warfare has invigorated Vaatu with a new purpose.
To spread chaos and darkness across the mortal realm.
The spirit of chaos finds the dissidents left to toil in their own darkness and molds them into his image. Their personal ambitions reach far and wide, but the results always lead to the same undeniable conclusion.
Madness and disorder.
With each act of terror, hatred, or rage, Vaatu's control of humanity's darkness grows. His influence matches that of his rival, and now their great game has begun once more.
And nothing she does escapes his notice.
Raava knows not what she has unleashed upon the world.
Her disgusting touch obscures her…champion but beneath that wave of blinding light is intoxicating darkness.
It has no equal.
And Vaatu wanted it for himself.
Unalaq may have drawn his favor for now, but once the Chieftain's work was complete, he would be discarded like the useless pawn he was.
Vaatu now has his sights directly on this…Cyrus.
It was only a matter of time until Raava's deception failed to keep the boy in line.
And her failure would be to his benefit.
The shadows brewed with anticipation.
And so did he.
Republic City, United Republic of Nations
September 3rd, 170 AG
"The latest casualty count from last night's attack on the Kalamani dockyards has seen over a dozen Equalists-"
"-Chief Beifong continues to assure citizens that measures are being taken to locate the Reap-"
"-uncilman Tarrlock has been given full authorization by the Republic City Council to hunt down the Reap-"
Lin turned off her personal ham radio before she received a sudden urge to break it in half. The news just kept spouting the same bullshit over and over again with no end in sight.
She could hardly blame them for doing their jobs, but every day was the same monotonous message that made the masses panic.
When was all of this…brutality going to end?
As Chief of police, Lin should have had these answers weeks ago, but no one, not even her mother, could have prepared her to take on this…Reaper.
The astronomically high stakes skyrocketed after his run-in with the Avatar. The City Council was livid at the mere notion that Korra came within a hundred yards of the merciless killer and even went so far as to green light Tarrloks own personal task force.
Although, the councilman was forced to add one more initiative to coincide with his innate desire to bring down the Equalists.
Take down the Reaper.
Whatever the cost.
She almost laughed at the arrogant vitriol that ran rampant across the council chambers. No amount of money or political jockeying would silence this sociopath because the City lacked the resources to hunt him.
But the Republic Armed Forces was a different story, and Lin was constantly trying to push the council to take this matter to the military and have them handle it.
That wasn't going to happen because the Republic Charter forbids a military deployment unless martial law has been declared. This would lead to an immediate activation of the Article 9 charter, giving the military full control of all critical infrastructure and emergency powers for a duration of two weeks.
However, the City Council was filled with cowards more interested in looking out for their immediate needs rather than directly dealing with the problem itself.
Lin and her officers would perform their duty with the resources at hand to combat every deviant in Republic City, whether they be Equalist, Triad, or…Reaper.
But that didn't mean she couldn't call in a few favors.
Her office phone rang a harsh metallic tone, and it was a befitting sound considering the history between Lin and the woman she was calling for assistance.
"Beifong residence." Lin choked on her breath, drawing the woman's attention. "Hello, anyone there?"
"Suyin." It had been a long time since she'd spoken to her sister, but she could never forget that silvery voice.
"Who is this?" The eldest Beifong almost barked a laugh of disbelief, but she disguised it with an amused snort.
"It's Lin." Now it was her sister's turn to balk with surprise. "I uh…I need your help."
"We haven't spoken in nearly twenty years." Suyin began in disbelief. "Every single time I've tried to call you, it was met with either silence or dismissal. What changed?"
"Because I don't know who else to turn to," Lin sighed heavily. "Have you heard what's been happening around here?"
"You're kidding, right?"
"No, no, I'm not." She sunk into her chair, almost wishing the damned thing would swallow her whole. "Listen, I'm up shit creek without a paddle, and the council is one stupid decision away from sinking the entire City. I need your help."
There was a sudden lengthy silence as Suyin registered her sister's words. Lin could just imagine her stunned visage shifting into one of complete amusement. "Ya know, I would really like to see your face right now. If only to savor the image of you begging me for help."
"Su." Lin's exhaustive sigh only seemed to enhance her sister's delight.
"Fine, fine." Thankfully, Suyin offered a temporary reprieve, but she wouldn't forget this moment anytime soon. "What do you need?"
"Right now, someone to listen."
"I haven't been known to be particularly attentive, but I'll bite." Lin could hear a slight shuffling in the background. "What makes this guy some much different from the other serial killers you've put away?"
"We've never faced someone so…precise. His violence is calculated brutality that makes me wonder if his savagery has no limits." Lin felt goosebumps crawl upon her skin. "This…Reaper isn't your normal killer. We have no idea what drives him, and the only connection between his victims is their affiliation with either the Triads or the Equalist."
"So his kill list is narrowed to two distinct categories. Wouldn't that make your job easier?" Suyin questioned.
"We don't even have a thorough accounting of every Triad in Republic City, and the Equalists are terrorists who aren't stupid enough to scream their affiliations to the heavens."
"So you can't prevent the murders and are stuck in a reactionary phase." A resigned exhale fell from her sister's lips. "I do not envy your job, Lin."
"Tell me about it." A hunt of humor leaked into the older Beifong's voice. "I don't suppose you want to take a shot at it."
Suyin let out an amused snort and chuckled softly. "I didn't want it as a kid, and I sure as hell don't want it now."
Their conversation hit a comfortable lull as both siblings relished this long-awaited conversation. The topic wasn't anything close to the subjects Lin wanted to discuss, but beggars couldn't be choosers.
She was seconds away from asking Suyin about her family when her sister asked a question that took her completely off guard.
"Are you scared?" At any other time, Lin would repeatedly deny such an accusation until it echoed in her examiner's mind, but it could not be refuted in this instance.
"I'm fucking terrified, Su." It hurt to admit to such weakness, even to her own family. "Every day I wake up, I wonder if this is the night he decides that one of my officers is on his list, and there isn't a damn thing we can do to stop him…."
Her visage curled into a vicious snarl.
"…And those fucking councilors!" Outrage leaked into her voice, and her fist slammed flush against her desk. "Are dragging their feet at every opportunity, leaving me to pick up the pieces when we need an army to bring this sociopath to heel."
Lin ended her speel with a resounding crack as her fist once again slammed atop her desk and shattered it in two. Suyin didn't speak a word, allowing her sister to let loose the anger and stress that had been boiling for who knows how long.
"What do you need from me?" Suyin's words were short and to the point, unlike the vibrant woman who left Republic City all those years ago.
And Lin needed that now more than ever.
"Do you have any contacts inside the Republic Military?"
"In a manner of speaking." Suyin began. "One of my charges acted as a liaison between my clan and the Republic Army stationed on the outskirts of Taku. She made some friends along the way, but I doubt a handful of captains will have enough pull to do what you need them to do."
"So," Lin slowly began as she eyed her broken desk with silent contempt. "I'm back to square one, right?"
"Not exactly," Suyin remarked with a drawn-out tone. "What you need are expert trackers capable of responding at a moment's notice and able to hold their own."
Lin's visage shifted into one of genuine interest. "What are you proposing?"
"I was due to visit Republic City in two weeks." Suyin began with a dip in her voice. "For…her anniversary."
Lin felt a deep sorrow engrave itself into her skin.
The Beifong family wasn't always fractured, but the passing of their youngest sister was the final nail that practically shattered their family.
Toph withdrew from society and sank into profound despair. Suyin committed to Zaofu, while Lin dedicated her entire being to protecting Republic City.
It was all they could do to curb that gaping wound.
"….Have you visited her grave recently?"
"Yesterday," Lin answered with no small amount of grief. "The bastard showed up at the Sato Estates."
A bout of silence passed between them.
"What?" Suyin spoke in a low voice that sent chills down her sister's spine. "Asami! Is she-."
"Our niece is fine." Lin quickly assuaged her worries before they cascaded, "She was scared shitless, but he wasn't there for her."
"Why was he there in the first place?"
"Hiroshi." Lin bitterly answered. "We've long suspected him of being in league with the Equalists, and he's had more than enough motive. I tried to bring him in for questioning, but he lawyered up before I could get a word out of him."
"How did Asami take that?"
"Not well." The Reaper's sudden interest in the Sato Family shattered their world, and Hiroshi did little to alleviate his daughter's constant questioning. "My officers could hear their shouting match from outside, and many regretful words were exchanged between them."
To put it lightly, Asami was incensed at her father's lack of answers, leaving the estate in a fury and temporarily moving in with Korra and the Air Nomads.
It heartened Lin to know that her niece was staying at the most secure place in Republic City and kept away from the troubles brewing on the mainland.
A comfortable silence consumed the lull in their conversation, and Lin was moments away from bidding her sister farewell when she pressed her previous offer.
"I wasn't joking about coming to Republic City, Lin."
The Chief initially balked at Suyin's proposal and was a moment away from denying her outright when she caught herself. She desperately needed help, but she wasn't entirely sure that adding a single metal bender would make a difference.
"Su, I appreciate the offer, but you alone aren't going to be enough to help around here."
"I never said anything about coming alone."
Silence was all that greeted Suyin.
This conversation never took place in a different reality, and the events it set into motion would never come to pass.
But when spirits tamper with the mortal world, everything changes.
And not always for the better.
"Why are you not hunting Hiroshi Sato?" Raava's voice invaded Cyrus's mind once more, and not for the millionth time did he pray for the damnable spirit to fuck off. "Rude."
The Spartan growled a guttural sound of pure contempt but otherwise kept his mind focused on the task at hand. He didn't feel like explaining himself again, but Raava had the attention span of a fucking child sometimes.
"I can still hear you."
He could feel his sanity slipping with every word she spoke.
"And you still haven't explained your actions or lack thereof in this case."
"I…" Cyrus spoke through clenched teeth. "…Am waiting for the auto shop to cease operations for the night. "The last thing I want is to storm the premises with civilians still inside."
"But why wait so close to the establishment? Until recently, you've maintained a safe distance from a vantage point."
"Because I wanted to drink something other than my recycled liquids." Cyrus raised his half-empty cup of tea in mock salute. "Now go bother the Avatar, I can only handle your shrill voice for so long, and I don't need you backseat driving."
"What does that even mean?"
"Don't worry about it." The Spartan retorted, drinking from his tea and enjoying its exotic taste. "Now scram. I've got work to do."
"Fine."
Cyrus could feel her foreign touch slip away from his consciousness, leaving him to enjoy a rare moment of solitude away from Raava's vexing presence.
He would rather endure Colonel Ackerson's stringent and tyrannical oversight on an hourly basis rather than this…spirit of light.
"Damn it all." Cyrus exhaled a breath of hot air from his lungs.
With each passing day he spent confined to this plane of reality, his scalding hatred for Raava grew, but he wasn't blinded by it.
His meticulous approach to taking down the Equalist movements was a calculated measure to test Raava's patience and a staple of tearing down insurrections.
If he acted too hastily, his prey would scatter across the hunting ground, but too slowly would enable them to escape altogether.
A burst of commotion drew the Spartan's attention, and his eyes narrowed on the auto shop's main entrance. The last vehicle rolled out, and the employees closed for the night.
The repair shop catered to benders and non-benders alike, but no one realized it was a front for the Equalists. This place was one of the many storage dumps Hiroshi Sato used to supply the insurgents with new weapons and equipment.
Equalists would masquerade as a customer trying to get their vehicle fixed and leave with a full complement of gear stuffed into their trunk.
This shop was not the only one of its kind in Republic City, but it did supply the Equalists cells operating in the downtown district.
Dismantling this distribution center would cripple their supply network and inflict a major blow to the Equalist cause.
It should have been a relatively easy sabotage operation were it not for the fucking building one block to the west with four words emblazoned across its face staring right at him.
REPUBLIC CITY POLICE HEADQUARTERS
Cyrus wasn't the biggest fan of cops, but something about these morons drew his ire. The sheer fact that the Equalist set up shop down the road from RCP Headquarters only communicated how truly incompetent these people were.
It was all the more irritating that he was forced to keep a safe distance from their officers. Cyrus didn't want to test his MJOLNIR against their metal benders, so he was forced to enter Republic City in civilian clothing with as few metallic alloys as possible.
In terms of firepower, he was limited to a trio of serrated daggers and a carbon fiber wrist blade stolen from an Equalist Lieutenant he butchered not days earlier.
It was a sleek weapon, and it would serve him well tonight.
Cyrus kept his magnum strapped to his waist and hid the pistol underneath his coat. He wasn't keen on using it so close to police headquarters, but if push came to shove, he wouldn't hesitate to put rounds downrange.
He finished his drink and slid the appropriate funds across the table. His waitress bid him farewell as he slipped out of the café and stepped onto the streets.
A heavy sheet of rain blanketed his frame, staining his appropriated survival jacket and forcing him to draw the hood of his coat over his head.
Civilians subconsciously avoided him like the plague. Their survival instincts and wary gazes forced them away from the Spartan's path.
Cyrus paid them no mind and approached the auto shop's main entrance with both hands tucked into his front pockets. A single employee waved farewell to their last customer and dug into his waistband for a key.
The dipping sun and heavy rain obscured his approach as he stalked forward, crossing the ten-meter distance in the blink of an eye and stabbing the Insurgent's throat with his wrist blade.
He shouldered the skewered Equalist through the front door, drawing alarmed cries from a pair of insurgents scrambling for hidden weapons behind the counter.
Cyrus drew two serrated daggers and snapped them toward the scrambling Equalists. Each blade found a temporary home in the eye socket of its intended target, silencing their cries as a crack of thunder echoed from above.
"Hrrrkrrr." The Spartan glanced down; his crimson orbs gleamed over the choking Equalist, pawing at his skewered throat. Cyrus ceased his suffering by crushing the man's head into a red paste.
It wasn't like him to be so cruel to his fellow man, but he had no patience for terrorists.
"Han?" An Equalist dressed in their standard overalls stepped into the lobby while sliding their mask into place. "Are you ready to-grrrk!"
Cyrus shot forward, driving his wrist blade into the Insurgent's gullet and smothering his mouth with his free hand.
The Spartan pinned him against the wall, snapping his neck and leaving his esophagus hanging out before throwing his corpse atop his deceased companions.
Cyrus stepped into the garage and found several Equalists occupied with changing into their uniforms while a dozen more were gathered around an officer. None had taken notice of his arrival, and the Insurgent leader was in the midst of starting an impromptu briefing.
He ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding a trio of insurgents transferring equipment from an underground passageway to an unmarked vehicle.
"The Avatar's challenge to Amon will not go unanswered." Cyrus felt his ears pricked with interest. "But we will not be accompanying him to Avatar Aang's memorial. We will continue our supply runs in preparation for our final judgment."
The insurgents bristled with discontent at being unable to watch their enigmatic leader facedown the Avatar, but they did not voice their issues.
They should have, though.
It would have saved them an early burial.
Cyrus stalked toward an isolated Equalist, tweaking with his shock glove and wrapping an arm around her esophagus. She squirmed and choked against his grip, but her efforts came to a sudden halt when he snapped her neck.
The Spartan pulled a C12 explosive charge from his waist and slid it underneath the Insurgent's workbench. He leaned her broken body forward enough to mimic a sleeping posture and slipped off to another corner of the garage, where he made quick work of two more Equalists.
That's when Raava made her presence known.
Cyrus practiced arming a C12 explosive a thousand times over to the point that he could do it with his eyes closed.
This instance was different because Raava decided that now was a good time to start screaming into his ear.
"Cyrus!"
His hand almost crushed the C12's charging handle, and a silent curse fell from his lips.
"What?!" He bit out with no small amount of vexation, but for once, Raava didn't pay it any mind.
"You must save her."
Cyrus already knew who the spirit was referring to, but he didn't deviate from his current tasking. He ignored her raving and primed the C12 charge before palming a flash grenade from his waist.
"Who?" His feigning ignorance drew an outburst of annoyance.
"Korra!" Raava exclaimed. "She has recklessly challenged Amon to a fight she cannot win. She isn't ready!"
"I'm sure an ass kicking will be good for the girl." He impassively stated. "Amon would be a fool to kill Korra outright."
The same principle that kept Cyrus from assassinating the Equalist Leader applied to the Avatar, if not more so. If Amon was the icon to every oppressed non-bender in Republic City, then Korra was a symbol that represented every bender across the planet.
Her very nature made her a global icon that Amon could not silence without massive repercussions. The Equalists couldn't afford to put their movement in the crosshairs of every nation, not when the prospect of total war was likely.
"You've made him desperate." Raava interrupted as Cyrus tossed his primed flashbang into the gathered mass of Equalists.
The insurgent officer noticed the rolling metallic object come to a grinding halt.
"What the-."
*BANG!*
The blinding flash and its colossal bang disoriented the gathered Equalists, leaving them vulnerable to the Spartan's assault.
Cyrus lashed out a foot and sent a satomobile torpedoing into a trio of tonfa-wielding Equalists. The one-ton vehicle smashed into the first Insurgent, bending him in two as it slammed into the far wall and crushed his lower body into a paste.
His companions threw themselves to the ground, narrowly avoiding the vehicle before finding themselves face to face with Republic City's newest killer. They tried to put as much distance between them and regroup with the rest of their compatriots.
Cyrus didn't give the terrorists a moment of restitution and cut through every one of them down without mercy or hesitation. He shattered bones, eviscerated flesh, and snuffed out all hope of escape in a fashion that would have made every Headhunter proud.
Within minutes the shrieks of fear and screams of the dying faded into silence. Twenty-two Equalists were sent to the afterlife to be judged by whatever god they believed in.
Speaking of gods.
Cyrus wiped the blood from his daggers and dipped his head towards the ethereal light floating toward him. "How desperate is he?"
"Very."
The Spartan was an expert in adaptability, but he didn't want to set a precedent of dropping everything to babysit the Avatar because she bit off more than she could chew.
Korra's recklessness could not go unanswered.
Cyrus wouldn't let it.
Avatar Aang Memorial Island, United Republic of Nations
Avatar Aang.
A legendary figure who shouldered the burden of bringing the world to order at the age of 12.
He was nothing more than a child, but he'd managed to end a hundred years of bloody warfare in little more than ten months.
It was an impractical feat that Cyrus wished he could emulate back home, but that was a fool's hope.
And he was no fool.
Some have classified Aang as a generational hero who achieved the impossible, while others believe his legend to be a product of circumstance and luck.
But as Cyrus stood before the Avatar's statue, his perceptions differed from the rest.
To him, Aang was a monument to all of their sins, and he died a hero, surrounded by loved ones as his mortal body took its last breath.
But those sins did not die with him.
They merely fell upon another shoulder.
Blistering fire and hardened rock scattered in every direction as Korra battled a seemingly endless wave of Equalists.
"The girls got some life to her," Cyrus muttered as Korra dispatched a trio of Equalist chi blockers trying to flank her. Her skill was paramount, but she was also running off pure adrenaline.
The Equalists were doing an admirable job of tiring her out with their hit-and-run tactics; sooner or later, the Avatar would find herself unable to retaliate.
From his vantage point in the memorial's upper rafters, Cyrus concluded that Korra would be dusted within the next minute.
He was proven correct when the Avatar extended her attacks too far and lost her balance, exposing herself to a painful assault on her blindside.
The Equalist immediately tied down her arms and dragged her further into the temple.
That is when Amon decided to show up.
Cyrus could feel Raava ranting and raving like a madwoman in the darkest corners of his thoughts, but he paid her no mind.
He refused to be influenced by her any longer. She'd already fucked him over once in some misguided attempt to save her humanity from itself, and he wasn't beholden to her word alone.
Still, he couldn't just let Amon walk in here and rough up the Avatar without repercussions.
Cyrus bolted his magnum and leaned his left foot against the glass skyline. He reached for his last flashbang and slowly activated its primer while keeping a close eye on the ailing Korra.
"Me saving your sorry ass better not become a pattern, Avatar."
Korra was not accustomed to failure.
Her time spent in the frozen plains of the Southern Water Tribe exposed her to harsh conditions and even harsher instructors.
But she endured them all and came out on top.
Amon was supposed to be another challenge to overcome, and her public provocation only cemented their inevitable confrontation.
She should have known he wouldn't come to the island alone, and that oversight would cost her everything.
Her vision danced, muscles ached, and her nerves were ablaze in silent anguish as she was dragged before the architect of the Equalist movement.
Amon loved to hear himself talk, but there was no sign of his customary egotism, boasting about his achievements with endless monologues about equality.
He didn't even comment on how easy it was to beat the Invincible Avatar at her own game.
That's how Korra knew he was all business and completely focused on a singular goal.
And she was powerless to stop him.
She could feel her heartbeat bursting with each pulse as Amon's crabby fingers were inches from snatching her skull when the shrieking of metal and cracking glass stopped him in his tracks.
The Equalists looked to the roof just in time to see a bright flash of lightning outline a figure with an arm raised towards them.
Korra couldn't see what had drawn the Insurgent's attention, but her ears worked just fine.
*BANG!*
A blinding flash completely disoriented both Korra and Amon, influencing them to stumble away from one another on pure human instinct. The Equalists were little better and scattered across the memorial grounds while clutching at their helms in pain.
A streak of red ejected itself from the back of a chi blocker's head, setting off a chain reaction amongst the Equalists as Korra's would-be savior mercilessly slaughtered them.
"Protect Amon!" A chi-blocker bellowed, charging the shadowy figure with a pair of electrified Tongas in hand.
A blade was withdrawn from the shadow's arm, its sharpened edge plunging into the chi-blockers eye socket with a sickening squelch. The first had not even struck the floor before the shadow ducked under a mighty swing and lunged forward. His wrist blade skewered down and to the left, spilling blood and adding another Equalist to its list of kills.
The survivors fell into a momentary panic, with two down in as many seconds. Tonfas were leveled, electrified gloves were brandished, and orders were barked with such uncertainty that the Equalists fell back on human instinct rather than expert discipline.
The shadow parried every strike, dodged every tonfa, and shattered every limb that came within an arm's reach of its frame. Blood sprayed as a knee was cut in two, and the Equalists screamed with terrifying anguish before a hand clamped his throat and snapped his neck like a twig.
"F-Fall back!" An Equalist shouted, his feet stumbling back even as his comrades shook with terror. "Fall-URggh!"
The shadow surged forward, slamming into the Equalist with the force of a runaway train.
Korra couldn't see the carnage anymore, but the screams of dying men and women and the occasional thunderous roar continued into the night. She mustered what little strength remained and rolled onto her side.
The vacant eyes of a dead Equalist stared back at the Avatar, and she had to bite down a surge of bile lest she vomits on herself.
Korra raised her head high enough to find a dark figure standing amongst a ring of shattered bodies and bleeding corpses with blood dripping from their wrist blade. She could not count the dead, and the last thing her weary body could muster was a single word before slumber enveloped her.
"Monster."
Cyrus dipped his head at the voice and turned to find Korra bound and unconscious.
"Monster?" He huffed with mild amusement, holstering his magnum and striding towards the comatose Avatar. "If only you knew, girl."
Demon would have been far more accurate.
A gentle breeze across her face dragged Korra from a terrible nightmare. A surge of adrenaline temporarily eased her aching muscles, and she started clutching at her throat, where the Reaper had been strangling her to death just moments prior.
The nightmare felt so real, so terrifying.
Cold sweat dripped down Korra's forehead, and she could feel a chill settling into her bones. Her gaze cautiously swept from left to right, blinded by the darkness of night yet still able to pick out the cloudless sky and flickering stars.
The ground was still wet from the earlier thunderstorm, and she was no longer inside the temple proper but just outside its entrance. Someone had dragged Korra out here, and she doubted it was Tenzin or even Mako and the others.
She turned her hand and ignited a small flame upon her pam, basking herself and her environment in a warm glow.
It also had the added effect of lighting up a humanoid shadow sitting upon a stone bench and playing with a bloodied dagger in its hands.
"Enjoy your nap?"
Korra instinctively shot out a burst of flame from her palm, and in the precise second she threw her hand forward, Cyrus was already upon her. He seized Korra's hand, bending it around her back and digging his knee into her thigh. The sudden blow to her leg put her off balance, and he took advantage of her instability by bracing his forearm just above the elbow and forcing her back to the ground.
A hand slammed onto her shoulder joint and pinned it against the concrete floor, leaving Korra once again subdued and squirming with discontent. Cyrus couldn't help but feel a tinge of amusement dull the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
This…child was supposed to be the savior of all mankind, and here she was, a hairs breath away from having her arm snapped.
"Get off me!" The Avatar cried, driving her free hand into the ground and manipulating the earth beneath the Spartan's feet. Cyrus would have broken her arm the very moment she moved, but he didn't feel like enduring Raava's incessant bitching.
Instead, he took a more passive approach, kicking off the floor and putting a sizeable distance between them. Korra dropped into a fighting stance while Cyrus shifted his weight and laid a single hand upon his magnum.
However, no amount of bitching from Raava would stop him from putting a bullet in Korra's knee cap if the situation called for it.
Before words could be spoken, a trembling hum vibrated in the distance, stealing Korra's attention. She barely averted her eyes from him long enough to catch a glimpse of the coming airship, but by the time she turned back, he was gone.
Korra drove her heels to the ground and began searching for his heartbeat distinct, but much like before; she came up empty.
That didn't stop her from picking up his mocking remarks.
"You're welcome."
Korra sneered with distaste, turning on her heels and shouting to the heavens. "I didn't need your help!"
There was no reply.
They both knew she was lying.
