Yet again I must apologize for the late update. School has taken all my time lately. But I decided to finish a chapter for you today. This is why the end of the chapter might seem a bit rushed. If I didn't get to it today, I probably wouldn't for another week or two.
Please read and answer my question at the bottom. It is important!
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Chapter 16: Adrenaline
When the evening bell rang, Asami felt like dropping dead right on the rubber mat. For a whole moment she actually considered whether or not it was the most pleasant thing to do, rather than continuing to try and withstand the daily hours of torture Talan and Boban was putting her through. It was so tempting to just release the strain on her weak and wobbly knees and fall.
"Asami, are you coming?" she heard a familiar voice calling from the hallways. Snapping back into reality, Asami threw a glance at the door where a well-known red-head was smiling a bit too cockily at her.
Letting a hand comb loosely through her midnight black hair, Asami stretched her arms and back and sat into motion.
"Rough day?" Larila greeted her with a growing grin. Asami flashed her a sour smile and let it remain her only response. It was more than enough for Larila, who had to focus not to laugh. She knew how hard it was in the beginning – she had been there herself – but she could not deny the fun of teasing the new recruits.
"By the way, rumours are going about you already. They say you went berserk on Talan yesterday. Is that true?" Although Larila tried to hold a somewhat neutral expression, Asami recognized the grin almost cracking through her facade, and she could not help but flash a smile herself.
"Well," she shrugged. "I got a bit frustrated, that is all." Larila nodded slowly, fighting to hold her laughter inside, but failed; soon both young women were laughing loudly, tears moisturizing the corners of their eyes. Passing Equalists threw them weird glances, but those were easily ignored.
"Come," Larila hiccuped finally, smacking Asami on the shoulder in a caring manner. "We will have to hurry, or else all the showers will be taken." Nodding in agreement – finding breath to talk seemed to hard – Asami followed her friend to the women's changing room where they approached their lockers.
Asami liked the system here. Each recruit had their own locker in which they could store their towels and clothes while training. There were twelve showers for all of them to use, and when they were done, they could throw their towels into the laundry basket by the wall. Fresh, dry towels were delivered to their rooms once every day. Everything was made and prepared for them so that they only had to focus on their training. Heck, even their clothes got washed by the many maids and servants working in the building.
Asami and Larila needed only to wait a few minutes before they snatched a shower spot each. Although there were not too many women among the current Equalist recruits, one usually had to wait some time before being offered a free shower spot. Therefore, many went back to their rooms in order to shower and change. This was the second time Asami used the shared showers. Larila had convinced her that it helped bonding with the other women, and although Asami really did not feel any sudden bonding, she did not mind it at all.
Rinsing out the last traces of shampoo, Asami closed her eyes and threw her head back into the middle of the cascading water, letting the warm water run down her body from all sides. It felt great, and she felt how the warmth of the water helped her muscles to relax. She held her breath for a long moment before moving out of the cascade.
At first she did not notice the eyes which clung to her greedily; only when she looked across the room she realized that Larila was looking at her. Or rather staring. Not at her face, but at her body. Those friendly green eyes locked on Asami's perfect curves and soft, pale skin. And the raven black hair which clung to her voluminous chest and slender back.
Asami felt her body respond to the sudden attention. Her heart started to beat faster, and a strange warmth spread in her belly in a way that was more unnerving than pleasant.
She recognized a blush on Larila's cheeks. It was only a modest shade of pink, but enough for Asami to conclude that there were uninvited thoughts going on in there. Parting her lips, Asami wanted to call out to her friend, wanted to rip the girl from the unsettling gaze she was giving her, but Larila snapped out of her trail of thoughts herself.
Larila's blue eyes widened when she realized what was going on. Ripping her gaze away from the girl who had managed to catch her attention unintentionally, she covered her face with a hand and left the shower without looking back.
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When Asami returned to her room, Larila was gone.
"Did you two have a fight or something? Larila acted as if this was the last place on Earth she wanted to be," Shenra commented dryly from the upper bunk bed where she was doing a pedicure on Kiin. Asami sighed and closed the door as she entered the room.
"No, I would not call it that," Asami replied silently as she let herself dump down onto her own bed.
"Care to share?" Shenra continued, her eyes still not leaving her work, but her voice betraying the amount of curiosity she was feeling. Kiin watched Asami with eyes of concern.
"Not really," Asami replied. "I am not quite sure what happened, myself." This caused Shenra to finally look at Asami, a frown of curiosity very clear on her face.
"Interesting," the brunette mumbled thoughtfully after a moment, then diverted her attention back to Kiin's feet. "Anyway, you wanna join us for dinner today? We are almost done here."
All Asami's inner alarms started to ring instantly. Shenra was acting kind. And inviting her. Either the girl was too curious about the newborn drama to let Asami go, or else Larila had been right when she said that Shenra was not so bad at all. Or, perhaps, the girl had been momentarily struck by a brain tumor, Asami thought with an inner smirk.
But no matter the reason, this was an invitation nevertheless; an invitation she doubted she would receive often. And it was a good chance to try and change things for the better.
"Alright," Asami replied with a soft smile. "But what about Larila? Do you think she will be joining us?" Shenra shrugged indifferently.
"Hardly. But let her come if she feels like."
"Larila tends to hide in the library whenever she needs to be alone," Kiin added feebly.
The library? Nobody had told Asami about any library. Not that she recalled, anyway.
"I have not heard about a library here," Asami said with a frown of wonder.
"Ah, but there is one," Kiin withheld and turned to Asami, much to Shenra's dismay.
"Do not move your feet, damn it," Shenra muttered irritably and started to remove a streak of nail polish that had missed its target. Kiin was too caught in conversation to hear her.
"Originally, none of us are allowed to be in the library. But it seems that Larila knows the librarian, so he lets her stay. She reads a lot, I guess," Kiin explained with a shrug.
"Where is it?" Asami asked.
"It is upstairs. I have never seen her go there, but I believe you would have to turn right in the hallway. As far as I know, Amon's private quarters are to the left."
Dumbstruck, Asami wondered why a girl as silent and unintelligent-looking as Kiin seemed to know so much about something she really should not anything about in the first place. People here sure were full of surprises, Asami concluded.
"Do you believe I could sneak up there to get her?" the raven-haired girl continued. Kiin shook her head and shrugged.
"I would not risk it," Shenra added suddenly. "If you do not have the librarian to speak for your case, I imagine Amon would banish you when he found out. Because he will find out. Everybody here is loyal to him. If anyone were to see you, they would go to him directly." Kiin agreed with a nod.
"I see," Asami muttered thoughtfully.
It seems as if there is something very secretive upstairs. I refuse to believe it is only Amon's room they wish to hide. It probably has a door lock or more, anyway, the girl thought to herself.
"Anyway," Shenra then said, clapping once in a gesture of finality. "We are done. Shall we get going? I am starving!"
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With a tired sigh, Amon turned the key. The lock clicked delicately, promising the Equalist leader another night with safe documents and unread secret contracts. His office was one of the few rooms he had entirely for himself. When he was not there, nobody was allowed to enter. His paranoia was too great, though; he wished not to test the loyalty of every single person walking the hallways beneath him. Without a secured lock on the door, anybody could sneak upstairs during the night and destroy months of paperwork in his office. The key, of which there was only one sample – the one in his hand –, provided him a feeling of safety.
He slipped the key into a hidden inner pocket in his shirt, where he always kept it. He preferred punctuality and a reliable system when it came to his work – the public and paper part of it, that is. The private part of his work, which had this far been filled with surprises at the lack of plans, he found quite... enjoyable. Sometimes a bit excitement and a few surprises were enough to make his job a little less boring in the long run.
As he strode through the hallway, he could hear a group of students passing the staircase downstairs. His experience was that it awoke less suspicion and curiosity if he kept his attention in front of him rather than meeting the many passing stares beneath him. So he ignored his followers and turned his back to them in order to unlock the door to his bedroom. Slipping inside, he quickly locked the door again and hid the key.
Looking around, he was surprised to find the Avatar sleeping on the couch with a book on her chest, a set of pages facing downward. For some reason he found the sight a bit peculiar. He did not know the girl fully – her temper and stubbornness as exceptions – but he believed to know her well enough to tell that she was not the literary type. But perhaps it was a mere question of boredom. There was not much to do in this room if he had to admit it himself.
Stepping closer, he read the back of the book. It was a history book, it seemed. One of those he had on the shelf on the wall above the couch. He had always used them as decoration. Books gave the impression of intelligence and patience, which was how he liked to portray himself. He did not remember having read the books, however. He spent his time reading so many other documents and pages of text. Most of them with more relevancy to him now, anyway.
Tonight, he had been later than usual when returning. Normally he had time to spend alone before dinnertime, but today he had spent some of that time making preparations for the weekend. The mob wanted to hear news at the ceremonies. Not much had happened since the last one – well, that was not exactly true. A lot had happened. But the recent happenings were not something he wished to share with anyone, ever.
Remembering some of those "happenings", he smirked beneath his mask, his gaze still lingering to the girl sleeping carelessly in front of him. Carefree. As if she had forgotten that she was in the very same room as her one true enemy and worst nightmare.
Suddenly, he realized something that made him frown. If the Avatar was able to sleep this peacefully, knowing that she resided in her arch enemy's private bedroom, she was not fearing him enough. She should not be able to sleep here at all. She should be shivering in the corner, her face pale and famished from lack of food and sleep.
He had not broken her yet; had not tortured her enough. He needed her mind in pieces like shattered glass. But he had time enough; there were still a few weeks until his plans came to an end, and the Avatar would be destroyed forever.
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The sizzling sound of the shower promised Korra that Amon was now fully occupied.
Rubbing her eyes, she sat up on the couch soundlessly and assessed the room like many times before. The door to the bathroom was closed but not locked. She was certain that it was a mistake that he had left the door unlocked. Or maybe it was a security thing, she realized. If she were to do something against the leader's wishes, he would not have to struggle with the lock in the rush this way. Korra could not deny that the thought made her a bit nervous. It was as if he expected her to do something drastic soon.
She shook her head. Of course he did not suspect anything. It was highly unlikely that he was even aware of the fact that he had forgotten to maintain her chi-block. Doing such thing on purpose was the most idiotic thing he could do right now, anyway. He would never risk the safety of his mission like this.
Korra sighed, trying to calm herself. She was over-thinking everything. The adrenaline had started to pump through her system already at the reminder of her soon-to-come attempt at an escape. She needed to keep her cool until Amon had left and he was too far away to stop her in time. She just had to wait a few more minutes, she estimated.
Lying back down, she closed her eyes again, re-adjusting the book onto her chest. Behind her lids she imagined how Amon was looking right now, in the shower. She stopped herself before the images turned too vivid, and she felt shame.
I am soon out of here. Then everything will be back to normal, she promised herself.
It was funny, really, how Amon was acting around her these days. Mere minutes ago he had been standing less than two metres from her sleep-faking form. She had not seen him, but his presence had been crystal clear to her. His scent had become too familiar for her to not notice. She had heard his calm breaths behind his mask, had felt the floor shift under his feet. And the sound of the carpeted wooden floor creaking beneath him was unmistakable.
But the question was what had been going through his mind the long moment he had been standing there observing her soundlessly. Devious thoughts of any kind?
Guaranteed, her inner snorted bitterly. There is nothing besides deviousness in that man.
And yet, why was she feeling like this when she thought about him naked in the shower? Ashamed and disgusted. And uncontrollably giddy.
Soon, she reassured herself with a frown.
Barely had her grimace eased before she heard the door swing open. She just accurately kept her body from reacting to the sudden interruption, forcing herself to seem asleep.
Amon crossed the floor and went to the dresser next to the couch. The damp smell of his skin hit her nostrils like a wave, and she realized – much to her terror – that the man was in fact naked. Or almost. She dared not peek to find out. Either way, it seemed that he had fallen for her trick. Had he known she was indeed awake, he would probably never have walked out unclothed. Heck, she doubted he was even wearing his mask right now.
Cannot look, she told herself, trying to ignore the sudden temptation. I will just end up revealing myself.
This situation did not help on her adrenaline level, either. Soon she found her blood rushing past her ears, making it difficult for her to pick up the faint sound of the man as he moved across the floor again.
The click of the door made her sigh in relief, although she could not quite relax yet. In fact, she could not relax until the moment she could set foot outside without having to worry about the masked rebellion who had sworn to make her life a living hell.
The following minutes seemed to be the longest minutes of her life.
Amon returned, now dressed in his usual uniform. As he passed the seemingly sleeping girl, he watched her thoughtfully for a brief moment, as if deciding something. Korra tried not to freak out over the endless possibilities of what kind of decision the man could just have made. So far she could only deny the possibility of it being a fair one. And it certainly involved her. But she was not waiting around to find out what it was.
With a quickly pumping heart, Korra listened impatiently as Amon left the room and locked the door from the outside. She held her breath to hear as he went down the stairs in a tauntingly slow pace.
She counted to ten in her head. And then she threw the blanket off her body, sending the book flying in the process. She did not care the least about the mess. Now was the chance she had waited for for so long.
She went to the door, letting her finger tips glide over the cool metal of the lock, assessing. The best way was to try and unlock it without force.
Taking stance, she drew on a tiny snake of water from the still steamy bathroom, relieved to find her control even better now than before. Untroubled, the water penetrated the keyhole and turned in the mechanism. She bit her lip in concentration. The lock would only open if she moved the right gears the right way.
It seemed to take forever, but finally she heard the characteristic click. The sight of the door gliding open before her made her flash a victorious smile, although she knew it was dangerous to celebrate anything this soon. She was not out yet.
Throwing cautious glances around in the hallway, she concluded that her timing was perfect. She slipped out from the room and headed towards the staircase, bringing the bubble of water with her just in case she would need it again.
She descended the stairs carefully, her heart now pounding so hard in her chest that she was afraid she was going to throw up. But it did not stop her. She was breaking free. Finally.
A couple of male voices from downstairs made her catch her breath and press her back against one wall as she continued down. But the voices faded gradually, and Korra praised herself lucky that the men had passed the stairs already.
The many voices from her right side reminded her of the way to the canteen. There was no doubt that she needed to turn left in the hallway beneath her. Anywhere that led her away from the Equalists and their devilish leader meant her freedom, even if she had to break down a wall or two to get outside. By then she would already be too far away for Amon to stop her.
She could not help but run down the last steps, the eagerness too much for her to suppress anymore.
A flash of black and white made it to her brain, but she did not intend to react on unimportant visual fragments. Especially not now.
And thus, she darted right into a firm chest.
Korra did not need to look up to identify the person. In the back of her mind, she had already recognized his musky scent.
She knew she had lost already. She had lost to him so many times by now.
And yet, all she could do was run as she forced herself to swallow the bile that had gathered in the bottom of her throat.
Behind her, Amon dropped the tray with food, the porcelain shattering at his feet, and darted straight for the escaping Avatar.
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Do you think I am writing too much about Asami?
I really did not realize how big a role I've given her (heck, her "screen time" is close to surpassing Korra's in these later chapters, I believe.) And this fan fiction is about Korra, as you know. I don't want to waste your time with Asami stuff if you really don't care. I've read quite a few fan fics where supporting characters get a lot of screen time, and mostly I hate it. I mean, no author/writer can be sure that the readers love all the characters of the series equally. And when I want to read a fan fiction about Korra and Amon, I, personally, would not like this much Asami screen time... (shrugs).
What do you think? Please leave a Review and let me know!