Korra threw an air-punch at Bolin, who was already backing away. He dodged under it, but Korra followed it up with another four punches of air. Bolin realised that he couldn't evade them all, and turned to face Korra. He punched on the ground with both fists, erecting a wall which comfortably protected him. Bolin kicked the wall, planting his heel into it, and it flew at Korra. She was ready for that move though, already pinpointing the exact spot in the wall that she wanted to blow up. Korra inhaled deeply, and glared at the onrushing slab of earth.
A bullet of compressed fire shot out of Korra's forehead, exploding just before it made contact with the wall. Chunks of rock flew everywhere, mostly back at Bolin, but he just bent any that were heading for him out of the way.
"That's a really impressive power!" Bolin said, although it didn't sound like a complement. They were standing about fifteen metres apart from each other. "Why don't you just hit me with that now?"
"You're my friend, Bolin!" Korra insisted, hating the fact that it had come to this. "I'm not going to kill you!"
"You're trying to bring me to the rotten king up there!" Bolin told Korra menacingly, pointing behind his back with his thumb, without taking his eyes off of her. "I'll be as good as dead if he gets a hold of me!"
"Then leave now, while you still have the chance!" Korra urged Bolin desperately. She was holding off on another attack, hoping that words would work. "We can pretend we never saw each other here!"
"No!" Bolin shouted. "If you're with them, then I have no other choice but to fight you!"
He's delusional, Korra thought. Words couldn't express the pity she was feeling.
Actions could express what Bolin was feeling, however. He stomped on the ground as hard as he could, six solid blocks of earth hovering up in front of him. He kicked in Korra's direction, and they all flew at her, but Bolin wasn't done there. Next, he brought his fists up high above his head to his left, then dragged them down sharply in a diagonal line to his right. The wall of the building Korra happened to be standing beside collapsed, diverting her immediate attention. Then, he jumped forward onto one knee, slamming the sides of his fists into the ground. Korra could feel a small rubble start to travel through the earth towards her.
Korra used part of the wall that Bolin had collapsed on her to shield herself from the barrage of earth blocks. She thought she was pretty clever, but Bolin had actually delayed sending one block by half a second, so as Korra used the crumpled wall to swipe away five of the earth blocks, the sixth came in, unopposed. Korra was helpless to do anything as it smashed into her leg, causing her to fall on her front. Then, she cried out in surprise more than fear as she was catapulted backwards through the air, the ripple having erupted just underneath her. Korra flailed about for a second before she managed to balance her body out and cushion her fall with a strong torrent of air. She landed softly, but was hurt a little by the block of earth.
"I'm going easy on you at the minute!" Bolin warned. "If you keep this up, I'll attack you with lava!"
"Bring it!" Korra challenged, adrenaline starting to pump through her veins. "I'll help you out of the ditch you've fallen into whatever way I can!" Korra felt a flow of water under their feet, and spotted a nearby drain. She brought her hands down, all of her fingers pointed, then flung them in the direction of Bolin.
Gallons of water burst out from the drain, ripping away the metal. It sped ferociously at Bolin, enough force to smash through a window, but he wasn't going to be beaten by what was effective a giant hose. Bolin melted the ground to his right into lava, then sent it at the stream of water barrelling down on top of him. They collided with a loud hiiisss, fog expanding out rapidly from the point of contact. It shrouded over both of Korra and Bolin, blinding them temporarily, but Korra didn't want to give him a chance to give her the slip. She brought her hands back, having let go of the water, and clapped them forward. An almighty gust blew away the fog, smashing into Bolin and knocking him a few steps back.
Korra pounced on the chance to catch him off guard, pushing her palms into the paved stone and shaking them. A small tremor, barely enough to fill the street, rumbled towards Bolin, travelling fast over the cooled lava.
The former actor wasn't about to be caught off guard so soon though, and jumped into a strong stance. He countered with his own small tremor, and their attacks wrestled harmlessly in front of him, spitting up rocks.
As I thought, Korra admitted to herself. I'm going to have to go at him with the intent to kill with everything other than combustion bending. I'm too rusty at everything apart from firebending to only go eighty percent.
"You want to get nasty?" Korra called out rhetorically. "Fine by me!"
Korra took a deep breath, and swept her hands, which had been down her sides, at Bolin. Instead of water though, this time, blue fire roared out from the ground in front of her to fill the street, creating a tunnel of bright blue flames. Bolin's eyes widened as he felt the intensity of the heat even from twenty metres away, and sprinted behind into a different alley from the one he had come out of. He wasn't the fastest at acceleration, but with a dive, he just about managed to just about beat Korra's fire. It bellowed just past Bolin, nicking the soles of his shoes.
That's no joke, Bolin thought, any complacency he might have had before out the window. She's the Avatar, if I don't go at her with everything I've got, she'll beat me. I don't know where she learnt to do that, but it's hotter than what normal firebenders usually produce.
"Why don't you use the Avatar State, or bloodbend me?" he called, peaking at her with one eye once the onslaught had died down. "It'd all be over in a second. That would be a lot easier, wouldn't it?" This was a genuine question.
"If I need to resort to using the Avatar State to save an old friend," Korra began, "what good am I to stop a war between two of the most prominent cities in the world?"
"I'm not ordinary lavabender!" Bolin informed her. "Maybe you don't know how much I've come on in the last two years, so I'll show you!"
Bolin jumped out from the alley, swinging his fists around. A thick stream, more like a river, of lava burst out of ground that had been cool just a few seconds ago. Korra's eyes widened as the lava came from above diagonally down towards her. She held out her hands, catching the lava in mid-air, finding it to be extremely heavy. Korra grunted as she struggled to part it off harmlessly to her sides. Bolin incredibly followed this attack up without an excess of effort by sending another tremor towards his old friend, except this time, it was a tremor of lava.
Korra stomped one foot at Bolin's attack, all she could spare, replying with her own tremor of lava. Bolin's easily washed over Korra's pitiful attempt though, and she realised that she was either going to be crushed by the lava trying to pour onto her, or the wave coming to gobble her up from underneath. Korra reluctantly blasted fire out from her feet, flying away Bolin's double attack. She hovered away from the lava, which lit up the street, regarding Bolin warily.
"That's some very impressive new fire you have there!" Bolin called out. "It's a pity you forgot to keep sharp with your lavabending!"
Korra almost smiled as an old memory came to her head, of her assuring Bolin that he was still talented just because she had learnt she could lavabend, back in the old probending gym. He'd been pretty good back then, but she had to admit the amount of progress he had shown since then was astonishing. Her shame at being forced to retreat as an earthbender was more meaningful to her, however. It was considered a big physiological advance if you could get your opposite earthbender to retreat in a fight, which Bolin had just done to Korra.
Korra didn't dwell on it for long, as hesitancy was also seen as a sign of weakness. She landed, a few metres in front of the lava, cooling it as fast as she could. She then pulled a fair amount of water out of a nearby second drain, the first one now covered with lava, and circled her hands around her body. The water formed into a one foot-thick loop, circling endlessly around Korra. She jabbed twenty times at Bolin with both hands, icicles shooting out. They would tear a hole straight through his body if they made contact, but Bolin wasn't ready to be a test subject for that. He raised a wall of lava in front of him. All the icicles sank in harmlessly and didn't come out the other side.
Bolin dropped the wall as soon as Korra was done, and sent another huge stream of lava towards the woman he once asked out on a date as a teenager. Korra put her pride behind her, and flew away from the stream. Bolin wasn't going to give up just like that though, so he kept on chasing Korra with it while she flew away, always making sure that she couldn't get closer to him.
Lava splattered all over the buildings, but luckily, it was a commercial district, so it was deserted with the curfew. Korra had started the fight knowing that this was as good a place as any to potentially destroy, although it was strange not to have something like suburbs close to the great wall, in her opinion.
When Korra managed to get a good fifteen metres in between herself and the stream after a playing a little game of cat and mouse, she stared right at it. Korra shot a combustion bending bullet right into its heart, causing the stream to implode from the inside.
Korra doubted it would be too long until the law enforcement showed up, but she didn't want to hand Bolin over to them, without her supervision that he wasn't hurt. It wasn't uncommon at all for prisoners to be killed during war by their enemies because 'they were resisting'.
Korra punched a whirlwind at Bolin. Due to the general darkness, he didn't see it coming. It smashed into him and he was sent flying backwards into a wall. Korra flew on her rockets over to where he had been standing, and brought her fist back. Bolin saw that she was about to unleash a big move, so he just kicked a nearby piece of debris at her wildly. Luckily for him, it was on target, and Korra's blue fireball was cancelled out by his rock. Bolin pushed himself up.
Or at least he tried to. He was trying to keep his eyes on Korra, but for some reason, his hand was stuck to the ground. Bolin glanced to his left arm, and was startled to see that it had been frozen in ice, all the water coming from the drain he had unconsciously put his hand on. He tugged and tugged, but the ice was too thick for him to just crack through pure muscle. He cursed himself for not paying attention to the suddenly numb feeling that come over his hand.
Now's your chance, Vaatu suddenly whispered to Korra as she watched him desperately scramble. He's at your mercy. Kill him.
I'm not going to kill Bolin! Korra retorted angrily in her mind. And it's very convenient for you to speak up now, considering that you've been quiet the time in between Azula and now. I've been trying to speak to you!
Don't let your indecision cost lives, Korra, Vaatu told her, ignoring her comment. He made no secret of how he wants to make the people of Omashu suffer. It'll be so much easier than Azula. I just reflect on your deepest feelings, Korra.
Piss off! Korra snapped mentally. You didn't talk to me earlier when I used your power to fly into Omashu, so don't give me advice now! And you know everything about me, so you know that I don't want to kill him! I'm not so gullible to do your bidding for you like that!
You must do something, he whispered, trying to pick away at the strings of Korra's sanity, but she just shoved him away, and walked up to Bolin.
"Bolin," Korra said, and he stopped scrambling to look at her, confused amidst his rage.
"Why haven't you finished me?" he asked, ceasing his efforts for the time being, which were fruitless anyway.
"I'm giving you one last chance, Bolin," Korra warned. "In my head, you're still the sweet guy who asked me out on my first ever date, even if I didn't see it like that. I don't want to kill you!" She pulled a sliver of water out of the drain, fashioning it threateningly into a whip, exaggerating the process to hopefully scare him. "But I'm not afraid to take drastic measures to create peace."
"Like what?!" Bolin challenged, chucking a rock at her. She deflected it harmlessly, and sighed. With that, Korra removed all of the good qualities she remembered from her old friend temporarily, and brought the whip crashing down onto his thigh. Bolin cried out in pain as she struck him.
"As I'm sure you already know, this is pleasant compared to the emotional trauma you've gone through recently!" Korra told him, and lashed at him again, resulting in another whelp. "But if King Siya gets a hold of you, his torture will be so, so, so much worse than this!"
Korra smacked him again, although strangely, it actually didn't feel nearly as bad as she anticipated it would. That made it easier to hit him again and again, without remorse. She found it a little disturbing how guilt-free she felt to beat him, but continued anyway. After ten or so strokes, Korra stopped, standing over him. "Had a change of heart yet?" There was silence for a few seconds, before Bolin spoke.
"There is nothing," Bolin started, his breathing ragged, "Omashu can do to bring back those dead children, and my friend!"
Suddenly, he brought his hand, which Korra thought was securely encased, in a wide arc, a small whip of lava following it. Korra jumped back with airbending instinctively, cursing her complacency as she spotted that the ice had been melted very subtly. Bolin used the moment of her jumping away to create a small but deep moat of lava in between them. When she got back into a fighting stance, he had already lengthened his lava whip considerably. Korra slashed her water whip at Bolin, but it was no match for his lava, and evaporated on contact with his whip. She tried to take more water out of the drain, but then realised that he'd cleverly clogged that with lava, too much for her to conveniently remove.
Use combustion bending, Vaatu suggested as Bolin began to fire high speed volleys of lava, which Korra was barely able to bat away. You'll die if you keep this up. Blow him to pieces.
If I want your advice, I'll ask for it! Korra thought, not even considering his words for a moment, although somehow, it was slightly tempting, in a twisted way.
When she got a brief let up as Bolin ran out of breath, Korra punched the ground with both fists. A wall rose up, which she promptly kicked at him as hard as she could. The young lavabender didn't have any time to dodge it, so Bolin just devoted all his concentration to stopping it. He caught it just a few inches in front of his nose, a lot of his energy already sapped.
Korra wasn't nearly as tired though, a result of all the intense fitness from Crescent Island keeping her in prime shape. She shot a small bullet of compressed flames out of her tattoo, exhaling sharply right as it was a few inches in front of the wall. It exploded, shattering the wall into pieces and smashing Bolin into the same building for the second time in a few minutes.
Bolin took it with a grunt, grimacing as several different spots in his back started to flare up with pain. He couldn't move very freely, so when he managed to get up, he wasn't agile enough to go throwing around lava like before. He looked around, and saw a bunch of rocks lying all of the place, the wall that Korra had just blown up. He started hurling these rocks at Korra. Korra could see how sloppy and lethargic his technique was though, and bent away the attacks with ease. When he had finally run out of rocks, Bolin just erected another wall, standing back this time to avoid the worst of the explosion he knew he was bringing on himself. He was knackered, and needed every chance to recuperate he could get.
That won't buy you shit, Korra thought, reading his intentions. She inhaled deeply, tensing her body up, but this time, instead of going for the wall, she aimed beside it. The bullet shot out and travelled behind Bolin's defence, landing a few feet away from him. The master lavabender was helpless to do anything as it exploded, his wall offering no protection.
Bolin was thrown out of his hiding spot, well over the moat of lava. He landed roughly on the ground, scraping the side of his face and arm open, ripping his clothes apart in the process too. He coughed and spluttered, tumbling along, but the rush of adrenaline somehow managed to keep him awake.
Bolin stood up unevenly on his feet, yet still giving Korra a cold look. His blood dripped freely to the paved stone beneath him, but he paid no attention to the injuries.
"I won't stop fighting for my friends and students until I avenge them, even if it means death itself!" Bolin declared, standing up to his full height.
Bolin mustered the reserves of his energy, looking at the scar on his hand for motivation. His blood boiled with the thought of the injustice dealt to Ling and his students. He reached for the lava in the moat, and dragged out two long slivers of the molten rock to his hands. He lashed out at Korra with the twin whips of lava, swiping recklessly.
He really is stubborn, Korra thought, sadly accepting that he really meant to kill her. She flew away on her blue rockets, swerving just out of the reach of his whips, not entire confident she could win in a wrestling contest of lava against Bolin.
Use my power! Vaatu practically demanded inside of Korra's head.
Not unless I have to, Korra told him, sending an air slash at Bolin while she hovered on the two rockets beneath her feet. He sidestepped it easily, then really went at her with the lava whips, going flat out. Korra tossed her pride as an earthbender out the window, and flew backwards to safely avoid the reach of Bolin. When she landed, Bolin let his whips splatter onto the floor, not wanting to waste any energy in keeping them up.
Cool the lava, Vaatu advised. It's only putting him at an advantage.
Korra was about to snap back at him for talking up, but then thought about what Vaatu had said, and realised that it was actually a good idea. She splayed her arms out wide, feeling for every drop of lava in the vicinity. Then, once she had got a hold of it all, she exhaled slowly out through her mouth, letting her arms slowly drop while she was at it. All the lava cooled into firstly warm, soft rock, then cold, hard stone. Bolin didn't do anything while she cooled it, suspiciously enough, watching the ember glow of what were his whips darken without a reaction.
"Finally come to your senses?" Korra called out sarcastically. Bolin took it as insult, unfortunately.
Bolin stomped on the ground, and four big enough blocks of earth levitated up in the air. He spun, and powered them at Korra with a roundhouse kick. She simply danced out of the way, these rocks no match for the 'be like the leaf' training for airbending. But that was actually just a distraction for his next move.
The master lavabender pushed his fists above his head, struggling to keep on going with his current energy levels, but still managed to raise a boulder twice the size of an Earth Empire mechasuit out of the ground, tearing up the street in the process. Korra could hear soldiers shouting in the distance, rushing towards the scene of her and Bolin's ongoing battle. They'd be here in a minute or two.
This is my fight, Korra thought, determined to see the battle that she had started to the end. And please, Bolin, you just made it easier for me. The bigger the target, the better.
Just as Bolin was about to lob the massive boulder at her, Korra mustered her rage into one tiny dense ball, still loathing the man who had rejected her daughter over a year from the present now. She opened her third eye, the one on her forehead, and a bullet of resentment for the brother of the man she was fighting blitzed out of her forehead, making contact with the huge boulder. It exploded, the massive chunk of earth bearing seemingly no resistance as it shattered into thousands upon thousands of tiny, sharp pebbles, flying out in every direction. Bolin was barely able to halt the ones that fell directly above him.
When the hail of stones stopped after about seven or so seconds, Bolin fell to one knee, glancing up at Korra, his energy gone. Korra saw her opportunity, and front-flipped forward, two thick gusts of air flying at Bolin from her feet. He wasn't able to get out of the way, and was sent tumbling back as they collided with him.
Bolin lay on the ground, defeated. Korra could hear the shouts of the law enforcement approach, only a hundred metres away now by the sound of it.
"Maybe I can talk some sense into you now," Korra said hopefully. She hauled Bolin up onto her shoulders, only remembering how heavy he was as she did so, and glided back to the alley he had come out onto the street from not too long ago, on her rockets.
Korra sealed it off with earthbending behind her seamlessly, just as she heard soldiers burst around the corner, shouting orders at each other. Korra just kept on walking, not wanting to have to deal with them at the minute, and thankfully, her plan was worked as the soldiers quickly started to spread out in all directions but the alleys. When Korra had gotten far enough, she dropped Bolin on the piss-stained ground, resulting in him letting out a moan. He rolled over, and started to make for an attack, but Korra wasn't feeling generous.
The water-tribe woman put one hand on the back of Bolin's head and smashed it off the wall. Bolin slumped, barely able to stay conscious, but that wasn't enough for Korra. She sat him up and started beating the shit out him, smacking him with hook after hook right in the jaw. Korra broke it after three strikes, and didn't stop until she saw plenty of blood.
"Have you learnt your lesson yet?" Korra asked sarcastically after a minute, bending his blood off her knuckles.
"You're figh-hing…" he started, missing a tooth to add to the broken jaw, broken nose and two black eyes he had. "…on the wronh sigh, Kohhrra."
"There's no right or wrong side in war," Korra told her old probending teammate, hands on her hips, standing over him. "History is written by the victors, and they describe the war in their own way. One guarantee, though…" she said, leaning closer, "is tragedy. Now, I will give you one last chance to avoid all of that. Leave now, or I am personally going to bring you to the king. Or…"
"Wha's my thir option?" Bolin asked, blood flowing freely out of the corners of his mouth.
"Or," Korra continued, cracking her knuckles loudly, "I can try teach you a lesson the hard way. I don't get any pleasure out of it, but I certainly don't mind it either." That wasn't a bluff. Korra was prepared to beat Bolin up until he was near-death to make him understand. Bolin contemplated his choices for a moment, then gave Korra his reply.
"I will never run away from a figh! I will avenge my friehhns," he blubbered defiantly, leaving Korra with no other option. She had been prepared to deliver on her promise, and that was what she was going to do now. He'd had his chances, and turned them down. It was all his own fault for not accepting her offers, and would probably be written on his tombstone for all Korra cared anymore. She hauled him up with her good arm, pinning Bolin against the wall with only one hand.
"This is all your fault," Korra told him, and rubbed her eyes, a little weary from the fight they'd just had. But Bolin had one final card left to play.
As Bolin saw Korra rub her eyes through his swollen eyelids, he remembered a move that he'd been shown by Mako on the way over for if anyone ever grabbed you by the hem of your shirt, exactly like Korra was doing now.
Bolin supported all his weight on his two feet, and brought his right elbow across down on her arm with as much force as he could. He looped his hand under her tricep to grab the hem of her shirt. Korra didn't expect any more resistance from Bolin, and mumbled something inaudible something as she was startled, but Bolin had all the momentum as she had unintentionally leaned forward. While she did that, Bolin hooked his foot behind her front-most foot, and swiped her leg out from underneath her as he pushed her collarbone. Korra could do nothing as Bolin slammed her back into the ground unexpectedly, winding her.
I thought he was finished, Korra thought, watching helplessly as he leaped onto her stomach, deriving her of even more oxygen.
This is why you should've used me earlier to defeat him! Vaatu scolded, Korra watching in disbelief as Bolin straightened her arm out vertically, putting his knee against her tricep. He unravelled his arm from Korra's, and grabbed her forearm with both hands, leaning backwards.
Now, Korra! Vaatu urged.
No! she protested mentally, therefore watching helplessly as Bolin put all of his strength into one violent tug backwards.
Korra's elbow snapped in two, the sharp crack echoing all around the alley, as she waited for the pain. Nothing serious happened for two seconds, then it all rushed in at once, flooding her head.
Korra screamed a breathless scream, all sense of place and time being lost in the flood. She squirmed, but under his weight, she couldn't just wiggle out from underneath him. The ache in her elbow joint burnt out the numbness in her forearm as she writhed in agony. At first, she felt faint, but as the seconds passed and the pain didn't go away, she felt dizzy, and then sick as an add-on to that.
The only thing Korra could sense through the distortion was one murky lifeline of power. She grasped it.
Bolin brought his fist back to deal to Korra the same punishment she had dealt to his face just there, intent on levelling her nose. But just as he was about to apply the force, his fist stopped, unresponsive. He tried to drive through with the punching action, but his arm was rigid. Bolin tried to stand up, seeing as something wasn't right, but now, his legs wouldn't respond to his brain either. He glanced down at Korra, and for the first time ever since he had cut his palm open a month ago, he truly felt fear.
Korra's tattoo was glowing a hazy red, the type that made you want to look away because it creeped into your soul, and when she opened her eyes, they emitted the same red. Bolin's limbs suddenly twisted behind his back without warning, and he cried out as he was bloodbent off of Korra, onto his knees.
This is what Mako told me about, Bolin realised, all of his bravado suddenly crumpling at the sight of true power. This is what happened at the South Pole! It's also just like that time with Unalok!
Kill him, Korra! Vaatu demanded, his voice bounding around her head instead of a whisper like usual. He had his chance!
No, Korra replied, barely hanging onto her conscience. I'll make him wish he was, though!
Korra stood up, snarling, Bolin unable to see the same woman as before in front of him. She used the fingers on her only working hand to get him into position, then stood over Bolin, her fury threatening to bring the walls around them toppling down all on its own. Korra jabbed her thumb at Bolin, planting it in the middle of his forehead.
"No, no, no," Bolin whimpered as he realised what Korra was about to do. He'd witnessed it happen once before, and was very close to suffering the same fate all those years ago, but back then, Korra had rescued him, along with Mako. How things had changed.
Korra focused in on Bolin's chi points, four on each side of his upper body, eight altogether. She violently cut off the first point, starting on his right side, resulting in a groan from Bolin. She continued upwards, shutting off the other three points where chi began to circulate around his body along with the blood. She took a tiny bit of extra care when cutting off the point nearest to his heart, making sure not to snap any arteries: she wanted him to live with the sorrow. The young Avatar continued to snap the remaining points shut, until she was done. When Korra felt sure that she hadn't left any points partially open, she released her vice on Bolin, and the glow receded.
Bolin fell backwards, feeling as though his soul had just been sucked out, as Korra finished her job. She stumbled back, her shoulders slumped, the effort of going into the Avatar State through Vaatu no easy ordeal when emotionally driven.
She really did it, Bolin thought as he swung an arm at Korra, but no attack followed.
It's a shame, Korra thought, exhausted from the ordeal, as the pain from her swollen elbow, which was pointing in a 45 angle in the wrong direction, started to register again. But even as her senses returned, she couldn't even summon up the tiniest bit of remorse for the man collapsed in front of her, even as beaten up and bruised as he was.
Korra genuinely didn't feel bad in the slightest for Bolin. Maybe it was the influence of Vaatu, or just her developing a ruthless streak. Either way, she saw it as a worse punishment to be left alone and grovel in the dirt, than be acknowledged by the king, however that acknowledgment might come, so she decided that she'd abandon him here.
Korra knew how the isolated mind could build on its own misery just fine. If she did feel anything sad for him, it was pity for what he had become, but other than that, she was just fulfilling her duty as the Avatar.
Bolin felt as if his body was hollowing in, as his fears were confirmed. He gazed up at Korra, but ironically, wasn't even able to feel a shred of anger towards her. Just the crushing depression of the fact that his life had just been changed forever, in a bad, bad way.
"Dih you do ih?" he slurred. "Dih you really do ih?"
"Yes," Korra told Bolin. "And it's all your own fault."
Bolin's head slumped back as the fact that his ability to earthbend, and lavabend, for that matter, was gone, taken away by none other than his old friend Korra.