A Legend of Korra Fanfic
By Sakura Martinez (aka SMTsukishiro)
Summary:
A promising engineering student. A mysterious woman capable of controlling the four elements. When their paths crossed, the resulting collision not only changes their lives and themselves, but the fate of the entire world as well. [Korrasami AU]
Author's Note:
Update time again.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter(s). I hope you all enjoy this fourth chapter as well. And also, do give a review. I want to know what you all think. And remember: reviews feed a writer's soul. :D
The Legend of Korra
The Schism
Chapter 4. Creeping Shadows
It had already been several minutes since the clock struck midnight when they emerged from the underground sewers. The University was still and quiet, but Asami knew it would only be a matter of time before the alarms blare to life and the currently empty grounds were filled with guards who would undoubtedly be looking for them. And so they hurriedly slipped out of the university gates, the young prodigy trying to act as inconspicuous as possible to the few bystanders lingering on the sidewalks and in the few stores that remained open.
The Avatar, on the other hand, cared not if she managed to turn quite a few heads as she followed after Asami. The young inventor could only hope that none managed to get a good look at Korra, or deduce where it was they had been walking away from, when the raucous alarm started to resound at the University.
It was only when they were right in front of the promising, young engineer's dormitory room that both stopped their hurried pace and that Asami belatedly realized Korra was still with her. By then, there were already several Republic City Police automobiles that were making their way to the university, and Asami considered it a bad idea to send the other girl away. One look at Korra, after all, was enough to raise anyone's suspicions.
Before Asami unlocked the door, she glanced at the other girl and said, "Please don't act so strangely around my roommate. None of the sorcery, the whole high-and-mighty 'I am the Avatar', and the strange-speak. Please, just be normal."
"Normal? I am being normal." Korra crossed her arms and if Asami didn't know any better, she would have even associated the look on her face to a pout. But so far as the prodigy could tell, the Avatar's emotions only ranged from smug, cold and indifferent, to aggravated and angry. Scoffing, Korra added, "And don't equate me to those unsophisticated conjurers. I am the Avatar, not some random circus performer pretending to have made a pact with the Elemental Spirits."
So much for that request. Asami could only groan as she unlocked the door and pushed it open. The moment she stepped inside, a blur rushed towards her and tackled her into a hug.
"Asami!" Opal screeched so loudly and so close to Asami's ears that she flinched. The words that followed came out in a rush. "You're alright! Aunt Lin called. She told me there was some trouble at the University. And you weren't back yet, I thought you've been caught in whatever that that was. Oh, I was so worried about you!"
"I…I'm fine, Opal," the emerald-eyed girl managed to say, patting Opal awkwardly on the shoulder, before her friend pushed her slightly away, hands still resting on her shoulders.
"What took you so long? And what's that smell?" A pause followed by a critical appraisal from the young Bei Fong as she really took in Asami's appearance. Tentatively, as though she wasn't certain she wanted to know the answer, Opal asked, "And why do you look like you've just been tussling with a Hog Monkey in a swamp?"
Up until that point, Asami Sato hadn't noticed—or even thought about—how she looked. Glancing down at herself, she was appalled by how disheveled her clothes were. Dirt and grime coated her once-impeccable, burgundy shirt. Her ebony coat had dark stains on it—which she could only guess was from having grabbed Korra's ice-covered arm—the hem slightly burnt. The black skirt she had meticulously pressed and iron hours before was in a similar soiled and unruly state; leggings, torn. Her boots…well, she didn't even want to guess what the dark smudge on the toe cap was.
The thought of having walked a couple of city blocks in such an attire was enough to mortify the aspiring engineer. The reaction, however, was lost on Opal who had turned her inquiring gaze to Korra who had been standing a couple of steps behind the young inventor, silent and observant (and whom Asami had just noticed looked spotless as though she hadn't just ventured into an underground sewer, then fought and beaten a person half to death).
"Who do we have here?" she looked the Avatar up and down, an eyebrow arched.
Asami turned to give Opal a better look, ready to introduce Korra, only to have the strangely-dressed girl beat her to the punch.
"I am the Avatar. Lord and Master of the Four Elemental Spirits." Korra glanced at Asami with an indignant look as she opted to disregard the wishes of the young prodigy for a normal introduction—one where she had hoped the Avatar would have merely stated her name and left it at that.
The Prodigy found herself sighing, rubbing the side of her temples as she gestured at Korra and added, "Her name is Korra. I had been unfortunate enough to encounter her on my way back from submitting my dissertation to Professor Noatak."
Opal, however, wasn't listening to whatever her roommate and friend was saying. The word 'Avatar' had blocked everything else out. Her eyes had been alight by intense curiosity, wonder, and surprise.
"Avatar?" The short-haired girl looked from Korra to Asami, and back again. She took a step back, a thoughtful look splayed across her face and fingers under her chin as she scrutinized the darker-skinned girl. "I never thought I'd hear another person—certainly not someone who doesn't look like a scholar one bit—say that word. Especially not to claim herself as such."
"Wait, you actually understand what that is all about?" Asami was rather certain it was just a made-up word conjured by the other girl to give herself a title and make herself sound important. "There is such a thing as an 'Avatar'?"
"Of course there is!"
"Supposedly so."
Both Korra and Opal replied in unison. Korra came off offended, while Opal was merely amused by her friend's lack of knowledge in the area. Not that Opal was surprised. Asami Sato may have been a genius when it came to the inner workings of machines and other constructs, coming up with new ideas and inventions—but she had always fell short when it came to history, art, and literature. Those, of course, were Opal Bei Fong's forte.
"There's nothing 'supposed' about my existence, human." Korra snarled, her temper once again flaring.
"Oh-ho, keeping in character, too!" Opal's grin widened. Stepping closer to the Avatar she began to examine the markings visible on her shoulders and forearms. "And these markings are spot-on accurate. I'm impressed. I didn't think those idiots from the theatre club would put this much time and effort in research so that they'd actually make a perfect imitation of the Avatar's tattoos."
"In character?" Korra's eye twitched at what the human was implying.
"Um…Opal, I don't think—" Asami wanted to shush her friend, keep her from angering the Avatar further, but she couldn't get a word in edgewise.
"I'm not sure about the outfit, though. As far as the texts are concerned, the Avatar is said to dress beautifully and exquisitely in garments weaved by Alignak and adorned with Vayu's precious jewels, not in some outdated, tribal fashion." Opal continued with her scrutiny, vocalizing her thoughts and speaking as though she was the sole expert on things pertaining to the legend—which the young Bei Fong truly believed herself to be.
"Outdated?" the Avatar's hands had begun balling into fists. "I'll have you know that Alignak personally put this ensemble together, placing comfort and practicality above all else. Even Suzaku and Bai Hu both agreed that this is more sensible than wearing some fancy dress."
"Opal…"
"They could have chosen a better actress, though." Opal still went on, much to Asami's chagrin. "I suppose the exotic look does help. Personally, I would have gone with some otherworldly sort of beauty."
"Opal!"
Enough was enough. Asami grabbed Opal by the collar of her shirt and yanked her away from the girl she was undoubtedly offending without meaning to. And it was a good thing that she did, because the space the enthusiastic historian had been standing on moments before suddenly burst into flames.
Two sets of green eyes stared at the flaming pillar contained at the spot Opal had vacated. Both of their jaws hung open, but for two different reasons. Asami was appalled that Korra would have burnt her roommate to a crisp; Opal, on the other hand, was utterly amazed and speechless.
"H-How—? W-What—? W-Who—?" Opal could only stutter and flounder about, unable to complete a perfect sentence.
"Korra! What are you doing? Put that out! Put that out now!" It took a heartbeat for Asami's mind to function enough to grab a nearby blanket and try to extinguish the fire with it.
Avatar Korra begrudgingly did what the other young woman had asked. With an exasperated exhalation of air and a wave of her hand, the flames died down and the glowing of the marking on her shoulder vanished, leaving behind the burnt odor of the carpet (and the blanket) as well as a circular burn mark that stained the floor.
Asami slumped to the ground unceremoniously. She pointedly looked at the blue-eyed, young woman and said, "Was that really necessary? You could have hurt Opal. You could have burned down our dorm, maybe even the entire building, Korra."
Korra was unapologetic, believing she was not at fault, and she told Asami just as much to which the young prodigy could only shake her head and heave another sigh. Truth be told, Asami really couldn't blame the Avatar's reaction to the things Opal had just said. Though her friend had not meant anything by it, she did just—unintentionally or not—insulted Korra.
"But I didn't. Even though I would have been perfectly justified in doing so." The Avatar glared at Opal—who, instead of cowering as those from Nia Bayou would have if given such a look, was beaming. The expression on the short-haired girl's face was something Korra found unexpected, knocking her for a loop. "Who is this human anyway? And why is she looking at me like that?"
"Looking at…?" Asami stopped and groaned seeing her friend with stars in her eyes. "Oh, no…"
Before the engineer could warn the Avatar, Opal had already crossed the space between her and Korra and had launched into rapid-fire questions regarding the dark-skin girl's being. Each question asked made the Avatar take one step back, and back, and back, until she found herself overwhelmed with her back to the wall.
Lin Bei Fong didn't know what to make of the scene.
When the call arrived at the Republic City Police's headquarters about a break-in at the Great Republic University, the Chief of Police had thought it was just some blasted student who thought it would be a good idea to trespass during the curfew hours in the university grounds. It was not the first time it would have happened if that was the case. Much as the aforementioned institution was known for housing the sharpest minds in Republic City and its neighboring countries and kingdoms, idiotic students were not all that uncommon.
It came as a surprise to Chief Bei Fong when she, and the squad she had brought with her, were led by the University Guardsmen to a wall, covered with ivy and vines, and to the bent remains of the sewer grate.
She looked curiously at the metal, inspecting it as she would any crime scene. There weren't any marks that indicated the metal was forced into this new state nor were there signs that it was disturbed, or contorted by some great force. But the hole in the grate, and the fact that she knew the metal railing wasn't supposed to look the way it did now, told her otherwise. When one of her subordinates questioned a guard about the hole, it was quite understandable when the University Guardsman failed to answer, especially when pressed about what could have been used to make such smooth and somewhat precise-shaped fissure.
As with all other cases she had been a part of, Chief Bei Fong compartmentalized the mysterious state of the sewer grate for unravelling later. Instead, the Chief of Police followed the guards once more, leading her inside the underground sewer.
They walked in silence for minutes, with only the sound of their footfalls and of sewage water echoing off the walls, until voices could be heard in the distance. Two of those voices, Chief Bei Fong recognized, belonged to the esteemed Professor Noatak and to one of the Great Republic University council members, Tarrlok.
A member of the University Council, here? Well, things certainly have become more interesting now. Chief Bei Fong thought to herself as she heard the Councilman grill Professor Noatak.
The row between Councilman Tarrlok and Professor Noatak only died down when both noticed the incoming presence of the Chief of Police.
"Ah, Chief Bei Fong, glad you could join us." Professor Noatak, ever the sociable man, was first to extend his hand to shake Chief Bei Fong's in greeting. Councilman Tarrlok followed shortly after him.
Lin nodded in return before jumping straight to point, looking around, noting the things that she saw, as she asked, "So, what happened here? How did someone manage to break-in and how far did they get?"
"Doubtless, the culprit is one of the students hoping to make mischief." A disgruntled noise escaped the Councilman's lips as he spoke. "There is always one in every class."
He gave a quick, withering glance at the Professor, which the other man chose to ignore before sharing what he knew about the situation from the security that responded first to the scene.
"A student, huh?" the Chief of Police arched an eyebrow. Prior to hearing what the Professor had said and seeing the scene before her, that had been her own deduction. Now, she wasn't all that certain. "I find it hard to believe that a student can bend a metal grate as though it was made of dough."
"You will be surprised by what some of our students are capable of, Chief Bei Fong." Professor Noatak, chuckled as he remembered some of the inventions with less practical applications some of his own students had conceived. "These are not ordinary, young children we're handling, though sometimes many would forget."
"Let me get this straight," Chief Bei Fong tried to not let her skepticism show. Her eyes travelled to the traces of battle spread across the ground and ceiling; to the large, black tarp that covered part of the wall; then back to the two distinguished Great Republic University figures. "You're saying one of your students devised something to twist and bend metal, used it to get to the underground sewers for no apparent reason sometime in the evening, and then proceeded to beat up four, well-armed guards. Pardon me for not believing that this is just a case of teenage delinquency, Professor Noatak, Councilman Tarrlok, but as gifted as the students of your university might be, I doubt they would be capable of taking on four of your security personnel."
"Yes, well, it does not matter if you believe it or not, Chief Bei Fong," Councilman Tarrlok said, slightly irate. Lin tried not to think that she might be the cause of his irritation. Not that the Chief of Police cared either way. She was, after all, merely doing her job. "We just wished to report this incident."
"Just to report? What about the investigation? Do you not wish to discipline the one responsible for this felony?" It really was not at all uncommon for the university not to request the Republic City Police force's aid, but Lin Bei Fong had thought this particular incident was peculiar—and that, in her book, made it a big deal.
"We have things under control now, Chief Bei Fong," the Great Republic University council member said, his words laced with dismissal. "Our people can handle things. Now, if you will excuse us."
The Councilman nodded to the University Guardsman standing beside the Chief of Police. The security personnel stepped forward, and politely asked Lin to follow him. Respectful as it was, Lin Bei Fong found herself prickling at the way she was regarded by the two powerful figures.
She didn't have much proof at the moment, but her gut was telling her that there was something suspicious—not just with the way Councilman Tarrlok had waved off her offer to help. What it was that made the Chief of Police feel that way, she was not entirely certain. All she had come to know from her long years wearing the badge was: if her instincts were telling her something, it was best to believe it.
They held off their dialogue until the retreating sounds of footsteps were no more. Even then, when they spoke, it was in hushed whispers.
"You should have just kept your mouth shut, Noatak." Councilman Tarrlok's said, eyes focused on the tunnel that led outside. "Your careless babbling could cost us our prize."
"There is no need to worry about that," Professor Noatak waved the other man's doubts away as though they were a tangible thing. "Lin Bei Fong is, without a doubt, one of the best the police force has to offer. Even still, this is one case she will not be able to crack."
"Sometimes I wonder if it is confidence or arrogance that allows you to say those things." Tarrlok's eyes traveled to the rectangular device in his hand, a grainy image displayed.
It was that of a young woman kicking one of the guards, a blast of wind erupting from the sole of her boots. The Councilman swiped on the device's screen and another image of the same young woman was displayed. This time, she was in the act of punching, her fist covered in flames. Another swipe, another image of the young woman. In each of these images, the young woman summoned one element after another. Earth. Fire. Wind. Water.
The image was too poorly taken that it was impossible to tell the young woman's features—or that of the other girl she was with. What the Councilman was confident of was that they had found what they had been seeking.
"I will not allow her to be lost, Naotak." There was an unspoken warning hidden behind those words. "Find the girl. Use whatever means necessary."
Slowly Councilman Tarrlok lifted his eyes to meet the Professor's. The stare lingered for a second longer before Tarrlok turned on his heel and left.
Glancing at the shadows, from where one of their most trusted agents stood watching, Noatak spoke. "You heard the man. I'll leave the hunt to you."
Unflinching, amber eyes stared back at the prominent university figure. Without saying a word, the Agent merely nodded. Before disappearing into the shadows as though he was never there to begin with, the Professor called out one other instruction, "Keep your eye out on Chief Bei Fong as well. We don't want her unnecessary meddling."
With the Agent gone to do his bidding, Noatak directed his attention back to where the tarpaulin was and where his people were hurrying to break the ice that had encased one of their colleagues. There was still work to be done. Much of it.