Published December 23, 2016. Happy holidays!
"Stand By Me"
The greeting between the lovers was warm, but brief, for minutes were precious, and there was much to be done.
"We must make our start at once," said Jefferson Hope, speaking in a low but resolute voice, like one who realizes the greatness of the peril, but has steeled his heart to meet it.
~ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet
Amon brainstorms parts of a speech while he waits for communication from his spies via radio. He fights the impulse to glance repeatedly at the clock, but he cannot help noticing the other signs of time passing: the light through the window shifts on the floor and wall of his bedroom, and the bells of the Avatar Aang Memorial clock announce each quarter-hour.
Hiroshi Sato is also on the line, stationed in the underground warehouse, monitoring the bug planted in Asami's Satomobile. The girls have been mostly quiet in the car, and left it for periods of time. What little they have said within the bug's range has been ambiguous.
He was slightly concerned when they went to the docks, in the southwestern part of the city, in the vicinity of the police station and the Pro-Bending Arena. That could have meant they were going to report what they knew, see the pro-bender boys, or attempt to flee by boat. But his agents have confirmed that the girls went to the docks only to sit and talk. They should be thinking about coming home by now.
The radio crackles, and an agent speaks: "The subjects are leaving the docks."
Good. At least, Amon hopes it is.
The agents have orders not to engage Korra or Asami in combat. If the girls try to fight, they are to be captured, not injured. Amon knows his best power over them will be hostages, not strength or skill.
He both loves and fears the part of Korra that is most like him. She has already followed his example, albeit unknowingly, by turning against her father and refusing to cooperate with his plans. If she runs away, it will prove that she is just like him.
He wants her to be like him, but he needs her to be … the way his father wanted him to be.
He cannot banish the thought, once it enters, but he wrestles with it, pins it down and teaches it a lesson: the two situations are completely different. Yakone tried to make his sons carry out a personal agenda of revenge on his behalf. Amon wants Korra to help him carry out an agenda that will benefit humankind.
"They've turned south and are heading down the peninsula."
Amon traces the map with his finger, and realizes what the observers have not yet deduced.
The girls are approaching the Arena.
For a moment Amon is completely still. He is not altogether surprised, but …
As much as he meant to be equally prepared for either outcome, he had hoped that she would choose him.
He feels physical sensations he has not experienced for a long time: tightness in his chest and throat; stinging in his eyes. Spirits, when was the last time he cried? He thought he was stronger than that. No, he is stronger than that. He fights it, calms his body with deep breaths, and wills the salty water back from his eyes. Does bending one's own body fluids count as self-control?
Amon steels his heart, resigning himself to the reality of the situation. Korra made her choice. She chose the enemy, knowing well what the ramifications would be. She made the wrong decision. Fine. She will face the consequences. He has no option but to retaliate. Eventually she will come to understand. She will learn that insubordination is unacceptable. She will not make the same mistake again.
He picks up the radio and says, "Unit One: move in."
Korra clenches her hands into fists, moves her arms as though trying to get her blood flowing, but she is really trying to circulate her chi. If she is going to meet the police and come clean with her friends, she needs to be able to bend in order to prove the veracity of her story; and if they have to fight, she had best be able to utilize whatever elements are available.
Her heart sinks when she sees other vehicles parked as close as legally possible to the Arena: a getaway van and two motorcycles. Standing guard is a man she recognizes, Pazo, in plainclothes. He was an instructor in her chi-blocking classes, one of the lower-security levels where they knew each other's names and only wore bandanas on their lower faces. "They're already here. We have to hurry!"
Pazo's eyes widen when he catches sight of the girls pulling up. Korra hops out before Asami stops the vehicle, running toward him as he steps into the cab and grabs the radio. "I have a visual, repeat, the two main—" He is cut short when Korra arrives at the driver's side and socks him in the jaw. Then she yanks him out and throws him to the ground with all the strength she can muster; his landing is hard enough, and his grunt pained enough, that he may have some broken bones. He looks at her with an emotionally as well as physically hurt expression. "I thought you were on our side," he wheezes.
Korra grimaces. "You and me both." Then she lands a kick in the shoulder that knocks him out cold. As she carries him into the back of the van, she sees Asami crouching next to one of the motorcycles, letting the air out of the tires. "Good thinking." She looks around, picks up a sizable rock, and smashes it into the van's radio. Amon and whoever else was listening will know something is wrong, but at least this unit will not be able to get back in touch with them. Next, Korra searches Pazo's pockets and the van's glove compartment, and finds a few useful items: two bolas, three canisters of green gas, and an electric glove. She gives the glove to Asami, confident she can figure out how it works, and takes the canisters and bolas, since she has the most experience using them.
Asami hesitates as they go inside. "Maybe one of us should stay with the car?"
Sabotage is a considerable possibility, but Korra shakes her head. "It'd be too easy for them to take us out one at a time. We need to stick together."
They run up to the Arena, taking the stairs two at a time. The doors are open, possibly by force, so they waste no time running toward the boys' tower. They run up the flights of stairs, which Korra fears will drain them of energy before they can even fight.
They can hear shouts and thuds, growing louder as they go down the hallway. "Hang on," Asami says, stopping. "Listen."
The voices are closer than they would be if they were coming from the attic.
"Sic 'em, Pabu! Use those incisors!"
"Does he even have incisors?"
"They're in the gym," Asami realizes. They follow the sound of the shouts toward the room they visited last time they were here.
The double doors to the gym are open. Chunks of earth discs litter the floor, the large net is ripped, and some barrels of water have been upset and spilled. Mako and Bolin are both down, at opposite ends of the gym, and a team of five Equalists, including Amon's Lieutenant, stand over them, some brandishing bolas and kali sticks. Pabu adds to the chaos by running around the Equalists' feet, too quick for any of them to catch but persistent enough to distract them.
"Guys!" Asami shouts from the doorway.
"Get away from them!" Korra yells.
The Equalists are startled, turning or glancing over their shoulders to see the newcomers.
Mako is incredulous and dismayed. "Asami?"
Bolin cheers ecstatically. "Korra!"
"Stand your ground," the Lieutenant orders the Equalists. "Do not engage them." This surprises the teenagers, but the girls quickly understand.
"You'll have to engage us, unless you free them!" Korra informs them loudly.
The Lieutenant has never seen Korra without a hooded uniform, but he has interacted with her enough times that he recognizes her voice and the way she carries herself. "You. You're the one Amon said to watch out for? Are you the reason we were sent?"
Mako and Bolin look at Korra in confusion. She grits her teeth, hating the Lieutenant for being the one to reveal that she has a connection with the Equalists. "I should've guessed you, of all people, would be here."
For the first time, Korra sees something other than efficiency in the Lieutenant's partially-masked face: resentment, or perhaps an even stronger emotion, is visible in his eyes and the set of his mouth. "I never liked you," he says, still addressing Korra. "Amon always seemed too interested in you. Accepting someone that young, expediting the training process … What is his case with you?"
While their attackers' attention is off of them, Mako and Bolin slowly get back on their feet. Seeing this, Korra tries to draw out the ceasefire. "You mean he hasn't told you? Huh. Maybe you're not as close to him as you think."
At this jab, the Lieutenant looks ready to break his own exhortation not to attack the girls. Before he can do anything, Asami steps forward, extending her arm so they can see the Equalist glove on her hand. "You can either leave now, or stand and fight us. Either way, we're not letting you take them."
"You traitors!" the Lieutenant spits. "You had everything!" He twirls his kali sticks in his hands and barks an order to the agents in his charge: "Take the benders into custody."
Korra moves quickly, sliding the canisters out of her coat and throwing them at each cluster of Equalists. Each one explodes and releases green gas, obscuring half of the gym. Korra goes toward Bolin and his attackers while Asami makes her way toward Mako, having to bypass the Lieutenant as she does. The gas allows them to get up close quickly and choose which direction to approach without being seen in advance, and Korra knows how to move soundlessly.
By the time the smoke dissipates, Korra is just a few feet away from Bolin and the two Equalists who are hastily tying his hands behind his back, and Asami is halfway between the Lieutenant on her right and Mako and two Equalists restraining him on her left.
Korra meets Bolin's assailants hand-to-hand quite easily. Like her, they are more used to fighting benders and quickly subduing them by blocking their chi. Bolin cheers, "Go Korra!" as she dodges and punches and tries to improvise a way to take them down. She makes her way to the ripped netting, and through some tricky maneuvering manages to trip up one of the Equalists and wrap it around him.
Asami faces the Lieutenant first. He lashes out with his kali sticks, but Asami grabs his arm and twists it until the electric tool touches his own body, and keeps it there until he goes limp and falls onto the floor unconscious. Then she moves on to the other two Equalists holding Mako back. One of them has a glove like hers, which she has to dodge as she tries to stun him. Mako manages to stick out his leg and trip one of them, causing him to fall into the other, giving Asami the few seconds she needs to get an opening. In less than a minute both are unconscious.
Korra's fight with the last Equalist crosses over into Asami and Mako's area. Seeing that she now has two opponents, the chi-blocker pulls out a bola and throws it at Korra, who dives out of its trajectory. Asami moves behind the chi-blocker and touches her back with the electric glove. After five suspenseful seconds, the last Equalist falls onto the floor.
Korra and Asami are both left panting, and meet each other's eyes in slight awe.
"We did it," Asami says, offering a hopeful half-smile.
"Yeah," Korra says, and then realizes, "We're really in for it now."
Bolin puffs and exclaims, "That—was—incredible!"
Korra lets Asami assist her boyfriend, and goes to help Bolin up instead. She unties his hands and helps him stand, and once he is back on his feet he catches her in a hug. A few realizations strike Korra in quick succession: how strong he is, how much she missed him, and how close she just came to losing him or being responsible for his suffering. She matches his strength, squeezing him just as tightly and pressing her face into his neck. For him the hug speaks of gratitude; for her it simultaneously brims with relief and fear. When she lifts her head, Bolin plants a kiss on her cheek. "You are my hero," he proclaims.
Korra manages a smile. "I just wish we'd gotten here sooner. Are you okay?" She looks over at Mako, and is startled to see him in a full liplock with Asami, the two of them holding each other like long-lost lovers.
"We're fine … thanks to you," Bolin says, still smiling.
When Mako breaks his kiss, he looks at Asami with wide eyes, which could signify any of a range of emotions. "I don't even know what to say!"
"You're welcome." Asami steps away from him and embraces Bolin good-naturedly. Korra and Mako meet each other's eyes and hesitate before coming together for a hug. He holds her more gently than his brother did; her cheek brushes his scarf, so familiar to her now.
Mako lets go and steps away, looks back and forth between the two girls. "Was that just good timing, or did you know …"
"We had a feeling something like this might happen," Asami admits.
"It's a long story," Korra warns.
"While we tell it, we should call the cops—more could come," Asami says.
"The only phone is in Butakha's office, and it's locked," Mako says.
"Then we'll break in! This is an emergency."
Bolin scoops Pabu up in his arms. "Okay, the creepy guys in bug suits were scary, but now, you're starting to scare me," he says frankly.
"Good," Korra responds. "You should be scared. That's how serious this is."
Mako leads the way, but casts looks of confusion and suspicion over his shoulder. When they reach the office door, Asami extracts a pin from her hair and uses it to pick the lock. Once inside, she goes quickly to the phone and tries it. "The phone is dead," Asami reports after just a few seconds. "They must have cut the line."
Korra is not surprised. She turns to the boys and bluntly gives them the bottom line: "We have to go to the police."
Bolin nods and starts to follow the girls, but Mako grabs his arm and holds him back. "No."
"Mako, you don't understand—"
"We're not going anywhere with you until you give us some answers. You owe us that much. Why did you stop communicating with us? How did you know to come tonight? And how do you know that guy?"
Korra knows this should not be the moment she comes clean. Telling the truth now will use up what little time they have, and might increase rather than decrease the boys' mistrust. But Mako is right. They have little reason to trust her and Asami after all the silence and secrecy, and showing up at the moment of the fight pretty much confirms their connection to the Equalists.
She sighs. "Fine. We'll try to tell you everything, but it's going to be hard to process, and then you have to decide what you want to do to stay safe."
Even Asami looks apprehensive when she hears this prologue. "Do you want to tell them, or should I?" she asks.
"I think I should," Korra says, reluctant but resigned. "I've known this stuff all along, and there are some things you still don't know." She turns to the boys. "If you do believe us, you'll know how much I've hid and lied about, but I have to ask you guys to trust us when I've finished."
"Okay, what's the big secret?" Bolin demands.
"Both of our fathers are Equalists." Korra pauses so that can sink in; Mako and Bolin gape at her, immediately shocked and gradually horrified. "Asami only found out a couple days ago, but I've known for years."
"You." Mako steps between Bolin and Korra, giving her a hard look. "Are you one of them?"
She nods. "I was. My dad let me join up a few years ago. I know chi-blocking, and I've gone on missions …"
"You're an Equalist?" Bolin splutters incredulously. "But you're—you were so—nice!"
Korra's mouth twitches as she wants to smile. "Yeah, and I was surprised a couple of benders could be so nice. You showed me I was wrong about a lot of things I believed."
Mako glares at her. "You know, when you threatened the Triple Threats, I wondered if there was something shady about you. And all this time, you've been acting like our friend."
"I wanted to be, and I hated deceiving you. That's why I couldn't date you, Bolin, and why I told you to forget about me, Mako. I pushed you away because I wanted to keep you out of danger. But now you are in danger … and that is my fault, but I never meant for it to happen."
"Our dads threatened to go after you if we told anyone the truth about them," Asami explains. "That's why they sent hit men tonight—we were about to turn them in."
"Really?" Mako's tone is as mistrustful as his facial expression.
"That's not all," Korra says. "I have more secrets than even you know, Asami."
"Is now really the time?"
"Yeah, I think so." She wants to come clean, and help them understand what kept her from reaching out to them for the past few weeks. "My dad—my adoptive dad—isn't just an Equalist. He's their leader. Amon."
Now it is Asami's turn to be taken aback. "What?"
"He has this kind of double life—I mean, more than the average Equalist does. He made this whole iconic persona. And he kept another secret, from me, that I only found out recently. That's what really created this mess." She looks to Bolin and Asami. "Mako helped me find out that my adoption wasn't legal. The guy I call my dad kidnapped me when I was four years old."
"So it was your dad who took you," Mako says, the pieces coming finally together in his mind. "But Amon …" He runs a hand through his hair. "No wonder you were scared to go back to him."
"But—why would he do that?" Asami asks. "That's not something a lot of Equalists do, is it?"
"Not as far as I know. Amon targeted me and took me because … my biological parents believed that I was the Avatar."
"What?" Asami gasps.
"No way," Bolin scoffs.
"He told you this?" Mako questions.
"No," Korra answers. "I read about it in an old newspaper at the library. That's what gave me the idea to investigate my adoption. The supposed Avatar was kidnapped thirteen years ago, and her name was Korra."
"But you're not even a bender," Bolin says.
Korra shakes her head. "Another lie. I've always had memories of bending, but I thought they were just dreams. After I read that article, I tried bending, for the first time since I was little—and I can do it. Three out of four elements, anyway."
"Prove it," Mako says.
She lamely looks down at her hand. "I don't know if I can …" It has been at least two hours since Amon blocked her chi, and she certainly felt her blood and adrenaline flowing well during the brawl just minutes ago. So she holds out her hand and concentrates, until a flame sputters up in her palm.
Asami gasps, her hands flying to her mouth, as astonished as though she has never seen such a thing before, though she surely has. The boys gape with equal surprise, though Bolin's incredulous expression is almost comical, while Mako looks troubled, his face clouded with confusion and concern.
Korra extinguishes the flame and looks around for another element. She spots the water that spilled onto the gym floor. She walks over and bends the liquid into the air, turning so her friends can see it follow her hands.
"No—way," Bolin breathes, watching the water float. Korra wants to smile at how impressed he is. He turns to the other two and whispers incredulously, "The Avatar!"
Korra drops the water back onto the floor. "After I found out the truth, I wanted to leave and look for my biological parents, but my dad—Amon threatened to have you both captured and take your bending if I told anyone the truth about who he is and what he did. They came after you tonight because he figured out I was going to do that."
Mako and Bolin stare at her, newly surprised, somewhat frightened, and, for the second time that evening, grateful.
"You guys have to make a decision now," Asami says. "You can come with us to the police station, or we can give you a ride out of the city. I have money; you could get tickets for the next boat or train out of the United Republic."
"You can wait until things cool down here," Korra explains. "The city's not going to be safe for a while yet, at least not for benders."
The brothers exchange glances, checking for the other's opinion. Bolin shrugs and tries to smile. "A trip out of town could be fun. Maybe we could find Mom and Dad's relatives."
Mako is unconvinced. He looks at the girls. "Would we ever see you again?"
"I don't know," Asami says. "Maybe."
Korra is less optimistic. "Probably not."
Mako deliberates for a moment, weighing the probable danger and possible safety of each option. Finally he says, "I think we should go with you. We have a little strength in numbers. Splitting up could put both groups in danger."
Bolin nods in agreement. "Yeah, you're right." He turns to the girls and confirms, "We're with you."
"There's no time to lose," Asami says.
They go quickly to the Arena's main entrance. "I don't suppose you guys can bend yet?" Korra murmurs.
Mako holds up his hand, and manages to conjure a small but persistent flame. "Soon enough," he says.
Asami cautiously pokes her head around the door and looks outside. "My car is still here, but they could be hiding, waiting for us to come out."
Bolin speaks up, his voice quiet but urgent. "Korra, if we don't make it, I want you to know that meeting you has been―"
"You don't have to tell me, Bolin," Korra says flatly.
"We don't really have time to be sentimental," Mako points out.
"I'm not," Bolin insists, "I'm just saying, we're with you all the way."
Korra turns to the brothers and puts a hand on each of their shoulders. "Amon won't equalize anyone tonight. I promise."
Bolin nods, solemn for once.
"Let's go," Asami says, and they follow her outside.
Descending the stairs and walking past the Equalist vehicles to the Satomobile feels too exposed. They take the same seats they had during their double date, with Mako at Asami's side while Korra and Bolin share the back. Asami is quick in starting the car and turning it around to head toward the police station. "The car is probably bugged," Asami informs the boys, "but I'm not sure it matters anymore."
Someone behind them shouts: "There they are!"
The teenagers turn around and see the Lieutenant and two or three chi-blockers rushing down the Arena stairs. Asami presses the pedal to the floor, causing the engine to make an obnoxious revving sound as the car peels away.
"Those guys won't get far," Korra assures the boys. "We busted their radio and let the air out of their tires."
Mako looks impressed. "Nice."
"But they've probably sent other units to intercept us," she continues. "So keep your eyes peeled."
"Roger that," Bolin says, looking closely at the sidewalks they pass.
Korra tries to picture the route they need to take, going up the peninsula and turning west. Then she realizes something she should have thought of sooner. She leans forward to speak to Asami. "Wait—we can't go this way! It's too close to one of the tunnel entrances!"
Asami's voice is shrill with alarm. "You mean there are more tunnels besides the one under my house?"
"Are you kidding? They're all around the city!"
"Why don't you drive, since you know where they're likely to be?"
"You know I'm not good enough—"
"We got company!" Bolin calls out, pointing down an intersecting street. As they cross, they can see several Equalists on motorcycles as well as a truck turning to follow them.
"Well, aren't we popular?" Asami gripes, accelerating past the speed limit. She alone keeps her eyes ahead of the car, while the three passengers look at the pursuers behind them.
Mako stands up and turns around. "Get down!" Korra and Bolin obey and watch him. He aims two fingers of his right hand, but instead of fire, lightning comes out of his outstretched fingertips. They hear the sounds of small explosions as the electricity hits the vehicles behind them and causes a few to crash.
Korra sits up slowly, looking at Mako with new respect, a little fear, admiration, and something like envy. Firebending just got a whole lot cooler in her eyes. She wonders, can she learn to do that?
Mako's eyes widen, and he plops back into his seat exclaiming, "Duck!"
Everything happens very fast after that.
Something yanks on Korra's high ponytail, and some force pulls her backwards. Her back hits the metal frame of the Satomobile; Bolin tries to grab her but the car continues at its fast speed while the cyclist decelerates, and Korra is pulled back and lands on the street between the two parties. The wind is knocked out of her lungs, her whole body feels bruised, and pain seizes her shoulders and back. She wheezes, unable to breathe properly.
"Korra!" There is a screech of tires, and when Korra lifts her head she sees the car turning so it blocks the flow of traffic further down the street. Then two Equalists on motorcycles come around, blocking the car from her view.
Korra turns her head, sees the chi-blockers getting off their vehicles and surrounding her. All at once, her determination redoubles. It cannot end this quickly. She will not be that man's prisoner again!
She manages to push herself up enough to try a defensive technique. She swipes her legs out in an arc, a move that could swipe a person at close distance off their feet, but now, she tries to send out fire through her feet. It works—the chi-blockers have to jump back—but once she comes to a stop, the ones behind her close in. She pushes herself back onto her feet and turns to face them. She can do this, she's the freaking Avatar.
She punches out with fire, then stomps her foot and clumsily pummels another section of attackers with chunks of pavement. Suddenly a cable catches her right wrist, and then her left. Korra strains against the forces pulling her down, trying to get her on her knees.
Mako's voice rings out, much closer than expected: "Let her go!" Her friends are just outside the circle surrounding her. Mako and Bolin try to break through using their bending, and Asami takes down a chi-blocker with the glove, pushing him aside as she enters the fray. Four teenagers against a dozen-odd highly trained Equalists.
Bolin hits the cables restraining Korra with two well-aimed cobblestones, breaking the chi-blockers' grips and giving her a chance to slide her wrists out. Then Bolin tries to raise walls of earth between his friends and their attackers, but the Equalists leap over them with ease. Korra holds her own against two of them, no longer bothering to attempt to bend; but Bolin is not familiar with their fighting style, and cannot block their punches and kicks as she does. Before a minute has transpired, his chi is blocked again, and he stumbles onto the ground.
Someone snags Asami with a bola, and she falls among the bodies of the Equalists she herself stunned with electricity. Mako moves to keep the oncoming Equalists away from her, but they block his chi too, and his hand-to-hand skills are not nearly well practiced enough to match that of his attackers.
Korra sees her friends fall around her, something that has never happened in any fight she has been in before. For the first time she can remember, she fears that they will lose this fight; and yet she feels a stronger conviction than ever that they cannot lose.
At that moment, everything comes rushing to her: every affection for her friends; every dream about her parents; every outrage against Amon; every fear harbored in these last few weeks. Her body and spirit rise on this tide of thoughts and emotions, which fuels her resolve and carve a path for her energy, which flows through her and spews out of her in movement and fire.
The voices of a thousand generations echo through Korra's, moving her mouth to form three distinct words:
"LEAVE US ALONE."
For an indeterminate amount of time—perhaps less than one minute, or perhaps several—she moves and bends with gestures that are both foreign and familiar; she is aware of someone working through her—not forcing her to move, like bloodbending, but showing her how, and she aligns her will to theirs. This continues until the threat is gone, all her enemies either subdued or frightened into fleeing.
The tide of her emotions and raw power calms and ebbs, lowering her body and releasing her spirit. Her strength fades, like water draining, earth crumbling away from a cliff, fire dimming until it flickers out, and she collapses ungracefully on the pavement.
A moment passes. Then, gentle hands turn Korra onto her back. As she blinks and focuses her eyes, she sees Asami kneeling next to her. "What … happened?" Korra wheezes.
"They're gone," Asami answers. Her expression conveys little more than her characteristic concern. "… Do you feel okay?"
Korra tries to take a self-assessment: most of her body hurts, but not in any incapacitating way. "… I think so."
Asami helps her sit up slowly, and then Korra sees their surroundings.
The streetlamps are broken, but there is light from burning debris scattered across the street. The asphalt is broken up like fault lines between tectonic plates. Only her three friends are there—no, some people are coming out on the periphery, peeking from doorways and around the corners of buildings. Most seem to be in shock; many look afraid; and a few look angry.
"Who's leaving who alone, huh?"
"Evil Avatar!"
"I'm calling the cops!"
"… public menace!"
"This is why we need Amon!"
"Did I do this?" Korra says, almost whispering. Bolin and Mako stand off to the side looking at her, eyes wide with … caution? Bewilderment? Fear? Does she frighten them? Did she come close to hurting them? Korra's breathing is shallow, as the enormity of what happened—what she did—comes down on her like a flash flood.
"Korra." She feels Asami's hand on her shoulder, gentle but firm. "Are you okay?"
"He was right." Korra's voice is hardly more than a whisper. "It's destructive. I'm—"
"Hush." Asami pulls her into a hug, nestling Korra's head under her own. Korra shudders, terrified that even that involuntary action might cause another earthquake.
"Is she hurt?" Mako steps toward them in spite of his trepidation.
Asami shakes her head. "No, but I think she's in shock."
Korra croaks, "I didn't know … I could do that …"
As if there was any doubt remaining, Bolin murmurs, quietly and conclusively, "She's the Avatar, all right." Hearing this, Korra sobs anew, and Mako glares at his brother, who is instantly abashed.
Asami strokes Korra's hair and whispers reassurance. "You saved us, Korra. We're all okay, thanks to you."
"Shouldn't we get out of here?" Bolin asks. "They could come back—"
"We can't leave," Mako says. "If the police come and see we left the scene—"
Bolin argues, "If you mean crime scene, we were almost victims of a crime—"
"They could still charge Korra with property damage, vigilante justice—not to mention terrorism and sedition—"
Korra pulls away from Asami and presses a hand to her pounding head, trying to think straight. She remembers they wanted to go to the police, turn themselves and their fathers in, surrender to the benders' judgment. But now she is not just an Equalist, she is the kind of bender she has always feared and loathed, the kind Aang and his peace-loving people would hate. "I can't—I can't see them now—"
"Korra, please. Look at me." She forces herself to meet Asami's green, pleading eyes. Her friend is as earnest as ever. "Remember what we decided. If you run now, things will only get worse. This proves you need to work with benders—they're the only ones who can help you control your powers."
Korra remembers that she wanted to stop hiding, to show the world who she truly is; but the opposite of hiding is exposure, opening herself to a world of judgment and danger.
"You asked us to trust you, and we do, but you need to trust us too." She looks up at Mako, who appears more intense than she has ever seen him. "I've been where you are now. The only way you'll be able to stop hiding is if you come clean. Let them know who and what you are, and accept responsibility for what you've done."
Her friends took a risk by trusting her tonight; it is only fair that she does the same for them. Besides, she won't be able to protect them if she runs away. She may not be the best one to protect them, but she can get the police to do it.
She glances between Asami and the brothers. "Will you stay with me?"
Asami smiles and squeezes her hand. "Always."
"Us too." Bolin walks up and joins their circle.
Korra inhales deeply, sniffing back mucus, trying to clear her mind and brace herself. "Okay."
Asami hugs her again, and the boys follow suit, the three of them surrounding Korra with their strength. In spite of her fear and shame, she feels, for a moment, secure in their support. She is still scared, but having them with her, believing they will continue to stand by her, is like the difference between entering a duel alone and entering with partners. After trying and failing to fight by herself, it makes all the difference in the world.
Korra is still sitting, hunched over and hugging herself, when the police arrive in trucks and on motorcycles. Asami helps her get to her feet, while Bolin and Mako stand protectively in front of them. The scattered witnesses point at them—or more specifically at Korra.
She does not know whether to feel happy or terrified when she sees Lin Beifong. The gray-haired Chief of Police steps out of her car, scans the scene with wide eyes, and says, "What the flameo happened here?"
"We can explain," Asami begins.
Mako cuts in, "We were actually on our way to see you, but Equalists tried to intercept us, and then—well—Korra here was trying to protect us—"
"It's my fault," Korra says. "I didn't know what I was doing."
Lin holds up a hand to stop them. "Hold on. You said you were on your way to see us?"
"I was going to turn myself in."
"And you are?"
She braces herself. It is time to own who she is. "My name is Korra. I'm the Avatar."
Lin's lips part slightly, bewilderment and doubt mixed in her face as she sizes Korra up. This is Toph's daughter, the same person who attended Tenzin's ceremony, but Korra has grown up knowing of her as a rival. The only time they met in person was when Korra was arrested.
"Can you prove it?"
Bolin is almost indignant. "What, this isn't enough?"
Mako adds, "Ask around, people saw her firebending and earthbending—"
"I can prove it." Korra produces a flame in one hand, and levitates a piece of asphalt with the other.
"How long have you known?" Lin demands.
"Almost two weeks."
"How did the Equalists find you?"
"Because … I was raised by their leader. Amon. He trained me to be one of them. When I figured out I was the Avatar, I wanted out, so he tried to stop me."
"Are you an Equalist?"
"Yes. At least I was, until about a week ago. I wanted to quit."
Lin's hard expression does not shift much as she studies Korra. The only sign of emotion she gives is a sigh before she says, "Then, Avatar or not, I have to bring you in."
Mako starts to protest, "We were just on our way—"
"Unless she can prove her actual intentions, she's still a suspect, and if you stand in the way—"
"He won't," Korra interjects, giving Mako a look. "We're not safe out here, anyway."
"I need to go with you," Asami breaks in. "My father's an Equalist, too. Hiroshi Sato, head of Future Industries."
"Monkeyfeathers," Lin mutters. She barks an order over her shoulder. "Officer Song, radio Tenzin. He needs to hear about this."
Tenzin. Korra might meet him soon, and she does not know how to feel about that. What will he think of her?
She lets the police handcuff her without protest or resistance. That is not nearly as frightening as being pulled away from her friends, losing contact with Asami's hand. She sits down on the bench inside the police truck, and she sees her friends looking back at her, their looks turning from concerned to pitying, before the door closes. "We'll see you in a little while," Asami calls after her. "Okay?"
The truck's engine almost drowns out Korra's response: "Okay."
Amon forces himself to listen patiently to the reports from the agents who managed to escape. They are raving, dumbfounded at having fought the Avatar and lived to tell about it. He responds as if he had no prior knowledge—until the word comes through that the police have arrived and taken the Avatar and her accomplices into custody. Then Amon excuses himself, says he will be in his office later that night, and turns off the communication devices.
He feels the same thing he felt earlier, and this time he does not fight it. He cries for what has been lost on this night. He is not the only one losing something, or someone. Hiroshi has lost his daughter too, and who knows whether either of them will be able to repair their relationships? He has lost his greatest secret, his most valuable ally, and his only companion. And Korra—she has forfeited everything he gave her, throughout the thirteen years they lived together.
Amon indulges himself only a few minutes, then calms himself and thinks over what this will mean for him and his followers.
He will not see Korra tonight, not even in a cell. He may not see her for quite some time, depending on whether they can get her away from the city's law enforcement.
Now no one will doubt that Korra is the Avatar, and the archaic local and national leaders will believe everything she says based on that legacy alone.
If the Equalists manage to recover her, they will have to contain her so that she cannot bend. That will be quite inconvenient for them, not to mention uncomfortable and degrading for Korra, chaining her so she cannot move a limb.
"Oh, Korra." Amon knows he should be angry, and some part of him is, but more than that, he pities her for making this decision and going on to make such a terrible blunder in public. He does not envy the situation she has put herself in. She will be surrounded by people who will want to use her for their own political gain, and he will not be there to guide her. He wonders if she will miss him at all. Is it vain, or strategical, for him to hope that she might?
He will not give up on her, for the sake of their bond. He must not give up on her, for the sake of the revolution. He can still salvage something profitable from this situation, as complex as it has become.
This fight—or whatever it may be—is not over.
Author's Notes
Music: "Stand By Me" composed by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
Artwork: "Alone" by myth12 on DeviantArt
I thought about having Korra run away after her first Avatar State experience, which would seem in-character because she tends to push people away when she is scared or conflicted. I abandoned that idea because it seemed kind of cliché, considering Queen Elsa, Emma Swan, and Bruce Banner (The Hulk) all do that when they think their powers are endangering their loved ones. So Korra is taking the much more frightening path, staying with her friends and subjecting herself to judgment.