"Like a wolf, she lived by instinct."

― Nikki Rowe

Chapter 10 - Stealth

After the first day, Korra was back on her feet and almost back to her normal self, hearing and all. Unless she twisted sharply or directly touched the wound, it was like it wasn't even there. It looked worse than it felt, but then again, her pain tolerance was high.

Feeling better led to the current situation of her, her friends, and the Beifong sisters pouring over a map in the chief's office. They knew where they were, but the problem was how were they going to get in without anyone potentially getting seriously injured or ambushed. Officers were stationed outside of the office and outside the premise, watching for anyone who wasn't authorized and familiar.

Suggestion after suggestion left everyone's lips, but each one got shot down for one reason or another. They were sitting turtle ducks as the criminals roamed free unspotted and undetected. Asami was active in the conversation, but couldn't help but let her mind wander about the possibilities. What if these criminals used the HSV plans, did some tinkering, and added some sort of submarine component to it? What if those boats they took off in from Air Temple Island were them?

No, making a car and boat in one vehicle was one thing, but a car, boat, submarine combination was outrageous. Despite their best efforts, the police lost sight of the waterbenders and never found them. Had they gone to the underwater hideout? How did they access it? There had to be an entrance somewhere. They knew that, but the entrance was too easy and the enemy was likely prepared if they did that.

The United Republic was quiet. Too quiet. Republic City was no exception, but since it was the capital, it was a beacon showing their distress to the rest of the world.

Beifong and Mako were still skeptical of Hisakata, but both Asami and Korra defended him. He'd practically isolated himself in his temporary room on the island since he arrived. Only when Meelo drug him out to join the airbenders during training did he interact with anyone else besides Team Avatar. He seemed to be intimidated by the older boy. Team Avatar wasn't always on the island, but someone always had their eyes on him, watching for any suspicious behavior.

"One option is to tunnel our own way to their hideout. We use the underground tunnels here and branch off of them. That way, no one will be able to track us. We have a front, middle, and final wave. If they find us, they won't get all of us."

"You can throw half your force down there, me, Su, Bo, and yourself, but it'll be too slow," Korra argued, slapping her hands on the table for emphasis.

"Slow may be the way to outsmart them, Avatar." To prove her point, she walked around her desk and pulled Korra's shirt up to reveal the mostly healed wound. "Last time we acted quickly you got knocked out and hurt. The water isn't an option no matter how good of a bender you are."

Korra grumbled to herself, slumping in her chair with her arms across her chair. Asami sat beside her and reached over to squeeze her thigh. The engineer was more restrained in revealing her emotions. When she confronted whoever'd physically and emotionally hurt the citizens of the United Republic, herself, and her girlfriend, that's when she was going to unrelease her full power.


Back in the comforts of their home, Asami fussed over Korra as she laid back on their bed with her tank top bunched up and healed herself. Soft music played in the background from the radio.

"Baby, relax. I'm fine," Korra chuckled as her girlfriend observed her every move with the glowing water over herself. Feeling a lot better, she bent the water back into a bowl. "I've told you countless times it looks worse than it feels now."

"I've seen you how many times over the years with battle wounds?" Asami cupped her cheek and gazed into the bright cerulean eyes that have had too many close encounters with death than she'd like and knew many more were inevitable. "Hisakata asked me a question that I wasn't exactly sure how to answer the other night when you were resting."

"What was it?" Curiosity piqued her mind. He hadn't been very talkative to anyone, but when they were on the island, he did seem to favor Asami.

"We were talking, and I was talking about us, about how much we both love each other. He then asked how I knew we'd both be willing to lay our lives on the line for each other."

Korra's eyebrows rose, thinking that was a strange question from a seven-year-old. "What was your response?"

Asami straddled Korra's hips, careful not to bump her knee against the healing area. A pale hand reached up and affectionately caressed the dark skin, getting lost in the deep depths of blue eyes she loved and would love until the end of time. "We can be ourselves with each other. No titles. No criticisms. No judgements. No walls. No limitations. We can be at our highest point or our lowest point, but no matter what, we'll have each other's back."

Korra reached up and covered the pale hand on her skin, kissing her palm. Staring into the tender green eyes of Asami, everything else around them disappeared, leaving only the two of them in their little bubble. "I love you, Asami. I know it's been a few tough weeks for us, but you're right. There's no one else I'd rather have by my side right now fussing over me or providing me with unlimited blubbered seal jerky."

Asami rolled her eyes playfully, but couldn't prevent the smile on her lips and lightly pushing against the Avatar's chest. "Really? You had to throw that last part in an otherwise beautiful sentiment?"

"You know what you signed up for when you asked me to live with you full-time, 'Sami." She flashed that signature crooked grin and a flirty look.

"Yeah, I did," she laughed, wrapping her arms around Korra and pulling her against her. "A polar bear dog and a woman who is tough as nails to the whole world, but is putty in my arms."

"I do not become putty in your arms! It's the other way around. You melt in-" She was cut off by said arms pulling her even closer and drawing her lips in for a hot, passionate kiss. Teeth clashed; tongues danced. With very little effort, Asami pinned Korra down on the mattress with her arms above her head, trapped by Asami's hands. Knowing she lost the argument, she surrendered to her girlfriend's power.

The engineer began inching her girlfriend's tank top to reveal her warm, dark skin as the music broadcast was interrupted abruptly, snapping them both to reality, but not stopping their makeout session.

"We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast with breaking news. A miracle has blessed the United Republic, folks! Former President Raiko has located several of the missing citizens. He's being hailed a hero by all, but for others, it's bringing into question the competence of the police, Avatar Korra, and President Moon. Raiko has gone above and beyond to continue to serve Republic City. With his assistance, the United Republic can pray that affected families and friends will be reunited."

Breaking news transformed back into a soft melody. The two women tore their lips apart and put some space between their bodies as the announcement rung in their ears. Asami stared at Korra. Korra stared at Asami. Neither said anything as they digested the information, but Korra's eyes soon narrowed, suspicious and fooled.

"That bastard!" Korra yelled so loud that it rattled in the otherwise quiet mansion. She clenched her hands that were still above her head. "Raiko knows something! We should've confronted him last month when he made that first statement."

"Beifong?" Asami was already scrambling to get dressed appropriately and grabbing her stuff.

"No." Asami froze in place, not expecting a simple denial. Anger ran through Korra's veins, but she was moving leisurely. So far, Korra had only bothered to sit up and finger her chin in thought on the bed. A plan was formulating in her brain. "No Beifong. No Mako. No Bolin. No Opal. They'll all turn my plan down. We're doing this ourselves."

"Korra, I love you, but breaking into a former official's house is a serious crime that I would prefer not to add to our list of crimes."

"Only if you get caught. Raiko's gone outside the law in some form, I know it, so why can't we? I have a plan."


The little Water Tribe boy walked along the dark streets, looking around nervously. He wasn't very familiar with the nicer streets of Republic City. He clutched the black coat against his body in one hand and in the other, fisted the strap of his new water skin.

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Asami muttered, following behind him with Korra as two shadows in the dark.

"He's going to be fine. He's just going to distract Raiko and his wife for a little bit while we sneak in through the second floor and investigate a little. He can take care of himself, and as far as we know as well as his word, he's never met, interacted, or seen Raiko before." The plan wasn't full proof, but Korra had a strong feeling that he'd let Hisakata into his home to promote a good image. If that failed, they'd have to wait until they fell asleep.

In the distance, Hisakata knocked on Raiko's door. Raiko stood there and looked down at the little boy, noticing how dirty and disheveled he was. The water skin was out of sight. Words were exchanged before Raiko guided the little boy into his house with a hand on his shoulder and closed the door.

After a few moments, Korra lifted them up onto the roof and padded their landing with airbending. She peeked inside a window to find it vacant. Metbalbending opened the window easily and discreetly, and both women slipped inside undetected. Korra began snooping while Asami peeked out the door to find none of the lights on upstairs. Raiko and Hisakata's conversation could be heard from downstairs and Buttercup was nowhere in sight.

Room after room upstairs, there was nothing. Every nook and cranny were investigated by both women. Time was dwindling. The last room was some sort of lavish guest bedroom.

On her hands and knees, Korra searched underneath the bed to find it empty. Asami's feet on the other side of the bed were clear as day in the dark room. Moving to get up, she cracked her head hard against the underside of the bedframe. Grabbing the back of her head, she hissed and clenched her teeth.

"What was that rattle?"

"Nothing. I bumped my head against the bedframe," she gritted out, leaning over the side of the bed on her knees.

"No, not that. It sounded like something in a box. Kind of reminds me of when something's lose in a Satomobile or an airship."

A few seconds passed before realization dawned on her. Korra pushed the mattress off the bedframe to find a long, flat metal box with a lock resting on the slates. Shaking the box confirmed what Asami thought she'd heard. A quick flick of her wrist broke the lock. Asami joined Korra on the other side of the box just as she opened the box that revealed everything they needed to know.

Concealed inside the box with a crappy lock that wasn't even platinum sat a knife. A knife that was very similar, if not identical, to the knife found in Asami's desk the previous month. Perhaps they were dual knives that he had special ordered from the Fire Nation.

There was no explanation for any coincidences here. The knife wasn't a mass produced one anyone could purchase from the market and certainly not a pocket knife for self-defense on the streets for a nonbender.

It was time to have a little talk with the former president.

They tip toed to the staircase and descended the steps. Asami nearly fell down the stairs when Korra stuck her arm out with no warning, bringing a finger to her lips. If Hisakata was good at manipulation, Raiko may spill incriminating information without realizing he was being watched.

"Hisakata, believe me, I am doing everything in my power to locate the missing citizens. President Moon and Avatar Korra are running Republic City into the ground. President Moon has no concern for them at all. Avatar Korra is distracted with her girlfriend. Do you know how much destruction Avatar Korra has brought to Republic City since she stepped foot here? She even had a hand in convincing her to run for president." Asami had to hold Korra back from barging in there and smashing his head into the ground. "Pfft…a woman with no political experience, a former assistant to an impulsive businessman who's got off on a technicality and not rotting in a cell."

"Can you find my sister?"

"Listen, son. You seem like a smart kid. There are a lot of missing people right now. You need to face your reality. The priority now is finding the missing individuals whose families are contributing members of society. You're nothing but a street urchin. If your sister happens to be in a dark, dirty cave like the others I found all huddled up together then that will be great for you. However, I am not dedicating the full force of my resources to find street urchins who hold no value for Republic City."

That was the final straw for both women. They didn't conjure the scene that fell around the corner even though they'd heard a crash.

The former First Lady was cowering in her chair, gasping at the sight of her husband cringing in the adjacent seat with the tip of an ice spear digging into his throat. Tea cups and plates were scattered on the coffee table in front of them with Hisakata standing on the table. Rage possessed his eyes, darkening them to a stormy blue.

Korra immediately rushed over and pulled him off the table by the back of his collar causing water to splash on Raiko's lap. Planting him safely on the ground, Korra bent over and got in his face in a discipling manner, waving a finger at him.

"No! This ain't the streets. You don't threaten people with ice spears!" Turning to take in Raiko, he was breathing heavily and attempting to straighten himself out. "No matter how corrupt they are."

"Avatar Korra, Ms. Sato, what is the meaning of this?" he demanded, standing up after catching his breath. Korra forcefully shoved him back down and threw Buttercup a menacing look that told her to keep her lips shut and not move.

"Raiko, we can do this the easy way or the hard way." Asami casually walked up and placed her hands on Hisakata's shoulders to calm him down. They stood off to the side behind Korra, but still in Raiko's sightlines. "Believe me, the hard way will not be pleasant. Since you've insulted my girlfriend several times and told this young man and his sister are worthless, I'm going to let my girlfriend have the first shot." The words were meant to intimidate Raiko, but Asami hadn't noticed the longing look in the boy's face when she mentioned him.

"You've broken into my house, sent this street urchin to distract me, and now you've cornered my wife and me in our dining room. You have no cause," he sneered, trying to appear as big as he could in his submissive position.

"I don't have cause?" Korra caged him in with her arms. Leaning down to within inches of his face, she grabbed his chin. "Hmm…so a few days after I almost get blown up and drown in Mo Ce Sea you just happen to find several of the missing citizens by yourself when I have been assisting the police for nearly two months. You're not the president anymore. You certainly don't have the resources or the brains to launch a decent enough plan to realistically locate missing individuals."

"Do you really know those closest to you, Avatar Korra? We've interacted how many times over the years yet you barely know me. While you've been meandering around Republic City with your precious girlfriend, I've been using my time to give back to society with my new found free time."

"Shut. Your. Mouth," she growled, increasing the pressure on his chin. "You know something. You're going to talk or there's going to be hell to pay."

"You have nothing to bargain with," he laughed through the vice grip on his chin. "Chief Beifong will be more than happy to hear about this little interaction. Throwing the Avatar in jail once again will bring her great pleasure. Leave willfully and your dame doesn't have to be mentioned."

It took great strength to ignore that last comment. "You're right. I don't have anything to bargain with." She feigned defeat, releasing his chin and taking a step back from him. The Avatar wasn't known to be a great actor, but when Raiko smirked and grew more confident, she saw her opening. "Because I already have the evidence that Beifong will be more than happy to use against you."

That simple statement wiped the smirk off Raiko's face. "My hands are clean, Avatar."

"Oh, are they now?" In a split second, Korra revealed the knife from her back pocket and waved it in front of his eyes. "This looks exactly like the knife Beifong found in Ms. Sato's desk last month. Found right under your roof in a locked box, which by the way, pathetic job at hiding it. You're really not the sharpest tool in the workshop."

"Your eyes are deceiving you, Avatar Korra. That is simply a collector's item I acquired from the Earth Kingdom. Built by one the finest craftsmen in Ba Sing Se."

"Wrong move, Raiko." The cool metal of the knife slid along Raiko's cheeks and neck, eventually taking up residence against his jugular. "I'll be the first to admit to not knowing Ba Sing Se that well, but the one thing I know is that all craftmanship is clearly labeled 'Made in Ba Sing Se'. I have healing abilities, but if I dug this knife far enough into your skin, there'd be nothing I could do. Red, hot, burning blood would trickle down your neck until you bled out. Are you sure you don't want to talk?"

The former president's eyes frantically jumped between all the pairs of eyes focused on him as sweat began collecting on his brow. There was no way Avatar Korra would really slice him open, right? The sight of his trembling, terrified wife made him swallow his pride. "Alright! I'll talk!" he shouted through gritted teeth.

Korra smirked in triumph. She removed the knife from his skin, but rested it on the arm of the chair, daring him to deceive her. She continued to cage him in, but felt nice enough to give him a little breathing room. She wasn't a monster after all. "The floor is all yours, Raiko. Who is it? Where are they?"

He shut his eyes and snarled at the Avatar before answering. "It's Tokuga. He's in an underwater hideout on a sliver of an island in Mo Ce Sea. The entrance is accessible with earthbending and hidden by the surface of the ocean. Very easy to miss if you're not looking for it."

"Fuck!" The large dark mass flashed through Korra's mind. That's must've been what she saw when she was half disoriented. She shoved her face in his again and rocked his chair. "Are you kidding me? He tried poisoning citizens of Republic City and now you're helping him? How do you fit into all of this?"

"He needed someone who knew the United Republic inside and out. Connections. He's a master of stealth already, but with my information, he and his friends are shadows. He'd rerelease some of the victims in my custody. I'd tell everyone how I searched low and high for them, becoming a hero in Republic City's eyes. President Moon, the police, and you would be put to shame. The citizens would regret removing me from office."

He didn't look remorseful at all as the words left his mouth. He was only ever concerned with himself. It didn't matter if anyone else got hurt. His true intentions with his actions and his words to the public were two different stories, the evil hidden in the dark and shadows.

"That's low. Even for you." She shook her head in condemnation. They had their differences over the years, but conspiring with a criminal, instilling fear and phony hope in the citizens crossed the line. "What about the rest of the victims?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask, and I never saw them. Heard him talking about shipping them off to some iron mine or farm field for money though. He didn't trust me enough to give me inner circle details." He had the audacity to look smug with that remark.

Korra continued to grill Raiko for details about what he knew, but he was beginning to resist. Asami leaned down to Hisakata's ear and told him to call Lin and tell her and Su to come immediately. He nodded and scurried off to find a phone.

It was now her turn.

"Raiko, we can be very reasonable women," she began, walking up and placing her left hand on Korra's shoulder. Raiko was putting on a strong front, but she saw right through him for what he was really feeling: fear. "We can also be ruthless, domineering, fierce women. If you haven't already guessed, Avatar Korra and her posse, as you've called us, are going to end this. We once again will restore balance to the United Republic no thanks to you." Asami lowered her electric glove to his shoulder, demonstrating the potential shock he could get before it made contact. "Let's begin. Why did they bomb the police station?"

"I wasn't privy to sensitive details." He paused for a moment, an evil smirk forming on his lips and a dark, devious look in his eyes. "May I say that your father is rubbing off on you right now, Ms. Sato? Exerting that glove against me while I'm helpless? Having your girlfriend staring daggers at me? Sending that street urchin to go do your bidding while you put on this front of being a strong, independent woman? Do you really believe you're any better than him?"

"Don't bring my father into this," she hissed, increasing her pressure on his shoulder but not shocking him yet. She threw out her free arm to stop Korra from interfering though her snarls could be heard.

"Oh, did I hit a nerve?" he chuckled lowly, dipping his head down. "You're all foolish! Did you really believe he'd just vanish when you and your friends failed to capture him? Go live in a little Earth Kingdom village and live the rest of his life peacefully?"

Korra glared at Raiko, motioning that she'd be watching him as she guided Asami out to the base of the stairs. Hisakata sat there waiting on the stairs, Asami protected by the wall and darkness, and Korra in the light, keeping one eye on Raiko and Buttercup.

"The Beifongs will be here soon," he muttered quietly. He made no effort to stand up, wanting to not get in the way of them, but the two women nodded.

"What the hell is wrong with that guy?" If Korra's eyes had the ability to firebend, Raiko would've been a dead man with the glare aimed at the back of his head. "All this time we've been fighting old enemies!"

"But we've got the upper hand now. Raiko sold him out. We know how to get in. We've dealt with him before, and this time, we're going to put him away for good," she encouraged, squeezing her shoulders. Her own eyes shut, and she released a loud exhale towards the ground, thinking about Raiko's comparison.

Korra saw the shift in her demeanor and immediately knew why. She brought her hands up to her shoulders and covered Asami's. "He had absolutely no right comparing you to that side of your father."

As much as she despised him for saying that about her, that wasn't the only thing irritating her. "It's not just that. When he said that, the look in his eyes told me there was something he wasn't telling us, and it doesn't sit well with me."


Posted: February 11, 2021

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