This was longer than i expected an i had to rewrite it since it was painful to read at first
I'm open for criticism
I hope ya'll enjoy
Happy reading!
Korra knew Asami was home, the lights of their downtown apartment were on, she stared at it on the cold street, still tipsy from her night out with Bolin. She managed to get inside the building safely, and when she reached the doorknob, she struggled to open the door of her cozy apartment.
Once inside, she saw Asami sitting in the living room, she was in her nightclothes with a cold cup of tea. She seemed more blue than usual.
"Hey there, you had fun tonight?".
Korra looked at her with a tender smile. Her cheeks were a little blushed and she had her eyes fixed on Asami, she was looking at her girlfriend from head to toes mischievously. Korra's smile grew by the second before even saying a word.
"HOW IS MY BEAUTIFUL GIRLFRIEND TONIGHT?!"
Asami chuckled, and Korra rushed to hug her while grabbing the cup of tea that Asami had in the table.
"You did have fun tonight"
"Guess what beautiful, I'm not even done yet…" she drank the tea without taking her eyes off Asami, who couldn't stop from laughing at tipsy Korra.
"How was the trail?"
"Instead of that, what if you tell me how your day was, sweetheart"
Asami looked down but Korra lifted her chin with her index finger.
"Is there anything wrong beautiful?" She kissed Asami on the cheek.
"No…its just" Asami looked away.
"Wait, love, I have an idea, it'll be only a second."
Korra ran to the kitchen to get a bottle of sake and a cup.
"Korra I'm not really on the mood tonight…"
"Asami, its Saturday, you haven't take a day off in months! In fact, You owe this to me, you know?"
Asami remained silent while Korra emptied the cup of tea and then filled both cups with sake using water bending.
"Korra don just throw the tea to the floor!"
"I'm sorry, I'm just too excited to be here, I couldn't wait to get home and see you!"
Korra bent the tea off the wooden floor and threw it to the plants. Then she gave one of the cups to Asami.
"So, how was your day?"
Asami remained silent and then took a sip of the sake before speaking.
"They stole a big shipment of platinum today, it was supposed to be delivered by 4, but it didn't arrive on time, so I waited all day. When the drivers arrived at the construction site, they said they were ambushed by a group of non-benders…"
"Asami I'm so sorry…"
"I tried to notify the police, but the trail had priority, and I was just… Its just hard…"
Asami leaned towards Korra and took a sip of her cup before silently break in tears.
"It's just hard Korra! I can't, I just can't!" Asami's eyes were flooded with an avalanche of tears that had been enclosed for a long time.
"Don't worry I can find that for you, it's not a big deal"
"It is a big deal Korra! Can't you put yourself on my shoes for at least a second!"
"I'm sorry it's just, is it me, or what is it?"
"It's everything!"
Korra fixed herself on the sofa, Asami hug her and leaned her head to cry on the chest of her beloved girlfriend. She drank the rest of her cup and grabbed the bottle so she could drink from it too, but Korra stopped her.
"Allow me."
She bent sake to her cup, then pulled Asami to lay with her on the sofa. Asami couldn't stop the whimper and sobs which were louder by the minute. Korra didn't say anything but to keep her as close to her as possible. Asami eventually ran out of tears to cry but stayed on Korra's chest, both fell asleep on the sofa.
The following morning, Asami still on Korra's chest, carefully stood up and went to take a shower. She took the time to decide what was she going to wear today, she went straight for the clothes she used to wear in her late teens. A comfortable and active outfit, the one she used to wear when she was part of team Avatar. She then went to the bathroom, her eyes were swollen from last night, so she put on makeup, and headed to the kitchen. She prepared breakfast for Korra and left it on the countertop…
Whoever had stolen that cargo was in trouble because Asami was back on her feet…
Her first stop was Mako and Bolin's place, but when she knocked the door no one answered. She figured Bolin may had a hangover, but Mako might be at Wu's.
She headed to the hotel, which was only a couple of blocks away. Once there, Asami took the stairs sprinting through them like a Fox Antelope. When she finally got to the room and knocked on the door, Mako answered with a black sleeveless shirt and a short.
"Finally! the lobster crab and Varri cakes are… Asami?"
"Mako."
"Wha… what are you doing here?"
"I need your help with something… important."
"Oh! Umm, what happened?"
"I'll explain on the way, are you coming?"
"Umm… yeah, about that."
"Mako? Does the butler want a bigger tip? Check on the left pocket of my coat…"
Asami raised an eyebrow
"Are you coming or not?!"
"Just meet me outside. I'll be there in 20 minutes."
"Whatever you say, nanny..."
Mako closed the door and Asami took the elevator downstairs. She wondered why she didn't take it on her way upstairs…
Once in the car,vAsami was listening to the radio hoping to hear anything about a stolen ton of platinum, but nothing came up. After some pondering, Mako finally came down surprisingly well dressed with a white shirt, a black buttoned jacket, black caqui jeans and his signature scarf. He then jumped on the passenger's seat of the Sato-Mobil.
"So, what is going on?"
"A ton of platinum has been stolen from Future Industries and I want it back"
"Wow, ok… what happened with calling the police first?"
"I did, every unit capable of dealing with this situation was at the trail, and they didn't send any detectives or anyone nearly smart to deal with the situation."
"What about Korra?"
"What about her? She has some Avatar stuff to deal with."
"So where do we start to look for it?"
"The surrounding areas of the city had been well guarded by the united forces since the attack. They would not steal a ton of platinum and then risk to slip it through enemy lines…"
"Do you think some outsiders stole it?"
"I don't know, but I'm guessing whoever took it has to hide it before moving it."
"Do you think they're hiding it on the city?"
"Yes, the drivers were knocked out by two non-benders on their way to the construction site"
"Equalists?"
"I'm not sure, it could have been one of the triads, do you have any leads?"
"They have to have it on a big warehouse somewhere… I know of a guy that may have some information…"
Mako took them through the city until they arrived at the Dragon Flats borough, a place known for being particularly unsafe. Mako told Asami to stop at a corner on the main avenue that crossed the borough. Both stepped out of the car and went inside an old and smelly spice shop. The shop was empty of costumers but filled with cats. Asami spotted 3 cats laying on the floor, and many others were around glass jars that were filled with spices that Asami had a hard time identifying. Mako seemed not to care about the strange and strong smells around the store, but she could not stand them and had to cover her nose…
"What are we doing here? Who are we looking for?"
"Mako?!" An old man came out of nowhere with a patch in his right eye and bandage on his head, the old man was shorter than Asami and was dressed in green traditional Earth Kingdom clothes.
"Shiloh!"
"Mako how you've been?! It's so good to see you, last time we see you were dating the Avatar, now I see you're with a more beautiful woman! Shiloh, nice to meet you" The old man bowed to Asami and then took a closer look at her before smiling.
Mako blushed and Asami didn't know what to make out of the old man's comments. But she responded kindly anyway.
"Asami, nice to meet you." She bowed.
"Where are my manners, come in, allow me to serve you some tea."
They followed the man through a small wooden door which lead them to a back room with more pleasant aromas than those on the outside, but they were still foreign sensations for Asami.
There was a Pai-Sho table in the center of the room, all windows were covered with elegant silk drapes. Mako and Asami sat around it while the man rushed to another room for tea.
"Who's this man?"
"Shiloh, it's an old friend from when Bolin and I used to live on the streets. The man used to smuggle all sorts of things for the triads until he retired, he is a good man. He knows every illicit spot and warehouse in Republic City big enough to hide a cargo like that, trust me he's our man."
"I brought special tea for a very special friend." He served Asami and then Mako before joining them.
"Tell me, Mako, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
"You see Shiloh, we're looking for a big cargo that was stolen yesterday…"
"You know I haven't been around those things for a long time now Mako…"
"I know, but we were wondering if you knew any places where we can start to look for it…"
"That depends, how big is it? And what are talking about?"
"Platinum," Said Asami "A ton"
The man took a deep breath before speaking.
"The triads wouldn't dare to steal it, that's for sure."
"What?" asked Asami "They are criminals, and is an expensive material."
"They have a code dear, they may be ruthless, but the only reason a triad would steal platinum would be to use it against the police and other triads. This would unite the enemy triads, and the police would be all over them."
"Well, they didn't seem to care yesterday"
"The trail," Said Mako.
"How it was stolen, young lady?"
"The cargo was stolen on its way to a construction site, the drivers were ambushed, they were knocked unconscious on their trucks."
"Stolen platinum the same day the trail went through. Well, I don't think these are normal criminals."
"What do you mean?"
"The triads don't operate with that kind of intel, and they're still weak since the last war they had. They wouldn't dare to make a move like that."
"We think they may be equalists since the drivers said they were ambushed by non-benders," said Mako
"Good observation Mako, but it may be a diversion as well. Using non-benders to redirect the attention from the benders, but do you think non-benders would have been able to move something as big as platinum by themselves? You said the drivers were on their trucks, correct?"
"Yes"
"Interesting."
The old man pondered for some moments while sipping from his cup of tea.
"There is a place, not too far from here. It's an old warehouse that has a connection to the underground parts of the city. It's spacious enough on the inside and very discrete on the outside. That's where I would've hidden it."
"Great! Mako, let's go! thank you very much, Mr. Shiloh"
"Just call me Shiloh, Ms. Sato"
Asami frowned.
"How do you…"
"Oh dear, your father and I used to work at the docks when we were young. Oh, what a time, I remember the days when we worked all day and hang out all night. I personally dated many beautiful girls as yourself when I was young." The man laughed followed by a big smile, he was remembering times when he was young, surrounded by friends, and when life was just a little better.
"But your father, oh that's a different story. Since he met Yasuko, he could not spend a day without talking about her, she was his entire world. He even would wake up an hour earlier just to see her on her way to the bakery! And your father was rejected many times by her! But he was a very tenacious man, so he persisted, and she eventually fell to your father's charismatic nature. And Ms. Sato, how could I not know who you are, if you are the vivid image of your mother Yasuko! Your voices sound almost the same!
Asami bite her lip and looked the man with awe, a man who an hour earlier didn't know existed, but now she was glad she did. She now had so many questions for the old Shiloh…
"Thanks, Shiloh, I appreciate everything you've done for us."
"Don't worry Ms. Sato, it's a pleasure to help both of you! Now go on you guys have a lot to do! There will be another time to talk."
"Thanks a lot, Shiloh, you're the man."
"You're welcome Mako, tell Bolin I say hi. Oh, by the way, remind him he still owes me money for the incident with the painting. I am sure a movie star like him has the money to pay me back"
"We'll make sure he pays his debt Shiloh" Asami rushed out of the store with a big smile on her face.
They got inside the Sato mobile and put their seatbelts on. Asami took the steering wheel and took a deep breath, and then exhaled with a big smile.
"Are you ok Asami?"
"Better than I felt in months."
Back at Asami's place, Korra slowly woke up and sat on the sofa staring at one of her shoes on the ground. She then saw a plate sitting at the countertop.
She went to work…
Every time Asami had to go early for work, she would leave breakfast for Korra. Today, Korra was disappointed since she expected to wake up next to her and have a morning together at last. She massaged her head and spotted the bottle of sake that was still on the table, she grabbed it and paused to think over what she was about to do, she then took a sip of it.
The Avatar had her own thoughts on Asami being distant, she wanted to spend time with her, kiss her, feel her. She was tired of not being able to visit her at work, and having to wait for her on bed late at night. She had grown tired of the distance between them, even though they now lived together, they seemed more distant than ever. She understood what was happening with Asami, but she couldn't ignore her feelings either. The wonderful moments they both spent on the spirit world seemed like a dream, but like a dream, the memories were slowly dissipating.
She then took a sip of the bottle, waited a couple of seconds, and then took another sip. She started to think about the incident at the trail…
So, Mako, were you at the trail yesterday? Wu had to be present, right?"
"Yes, what about it?"
"So… you know, what was the verdict?"
"Umm, I'm not sure what happened yesterday..."
"Wait, what? What are you talking about? You were there yesterday, right?"
"Yeah"
"And?"
"And what?"
"How long is she going to be in prison?"
Mako hesitated and looked away from Asami before giving her an answer.
"I don't think she is going to prison right now…"
"What?!"
Asami suddenly increased the speed and started to drive aggressively. Mako grabbed himself from the door.
"Ok I'll tell you what happened if you slow down..." Mako rushed to tell her all about it, as if his life depended on it.
At the trail, Korra sat next to Tenzin, her spiritual mentor. He gave her a look with a small smile. He was proud of her for stepping up for someone despite her past, Korra was now a fully realized Avatar on Tenzin eyes.
Five judges in the center of the room, the most influential people of Republic city around them, ex-president Raiko, president Moon, prince Wu, members of the council, and other important figures attended the trail.
A woman next to the judge's table raised her voice to say:
"ORDER! PLEASE, EVERYONE, SIT DOWN! THE GUARDS CAN BRING IN THE PRISONER NOW"
White lotus agents brought Kuvira to the center of the room. The court had been remodeled after the incident with Yakone by chief Sokka. He modified it so the suspect or witness would be surrounded by the spectators. He altered the model by raising the levels of the seats, so the defendant was not just surrounded, but it was also a way to make them feel small and pressured by the audience.
One of the two female judges started to talk:
"By executive order, the special tribunal of Republic city is now in session."
Kuvira lifted her face to see the judges all old, scrutinizing her.
"Kuvira, you are here today to face the following charges: Refusing to turn over emergency powers granted to you by the council of Republic city. Numerous crimes of war through the Earth kingdom. The creation and usage of weapons of mass destruction, invading Zao Fu, invading and destroying Republic city. A direct attack on the united forces and, the establishment of the so-called "re-education camps."
Kuvira took a depth breath and closed her eyes.
"What do you have to say on your defense Kuvira?"
"…"
People around started murmuring, some even laughing, Kuvira slowly rose her chin to face the Judges.
"When I arrived at Zao Fu, I learned to wear the colors of my kingdom with honor, and I embraced the traditions and culture of my people... I've been a proud Earth Citizen ever since. I learned earth bending, and then I became a metal bender. Through those years, I realized that Zao Fu was lucky to have a wonderful system of government. Since its foundation, Zao Fu has been a prosperous city. Not because of its natural richness, or military power, but because of the organization and collaboration between the citizens and its government."
Kuvira's words were loud and clear, she may look devastated, but she was showing what was she made of.
"The people of the Earth kingdom were struggling and suffering even before the assassination of the queen. But after that, most of the territory fell into a state of anarchy. Then, I was happy to hear that Suying Beifong had been chosen to restore the peace on these territories."
Su was sitting next to her sister, who was sitting next to Tenzin. Su was staring intensively at Kuvira, who spoke with the same security and confidence she would give her daily security reports. Kuvira was overall a great speaker and motivator, she was a natural leader after all.
"But she turned the offer down, so I…"
"Enough of this, you committed crimes of war and now you're lecturing us about your nationalism, and sense of responsibility?! Su cried from her seat.
"Silence on the audience please!" The judge said.
"So I took the responsibility, I felt that I was the one with the abilities to do something." she then turned her eyes to Su.
"And after pacifying and uniting the territories of the Earth Kingdom I headed to Zao fu were I expected to encounter my future mother in law Suying Beifong…."
"Ms. Kuvira, you were not there by yourself, am I correct?" asked one of the judges.
"Correct, I took 2 legions of the Earth empire, since Ms. Beifong had been very open about what she thought of my work."
"But this was after you had refused to turn over your emergency powers…" Other judge noted.
"Correct, but the job wasn't quite done yet, Zao Fu had to be incorporated to the Empire because..."
"You just said that Zao Fu is a very prosperous place, why bother to go there?" asked one of the female judges.
"As I said, Zao Fu had a unique form of government, independent from the Earth Kingdom. And the jurisdiction of the Earth queen never really affected Zao fu. This because the leaders of Zao Fu had been bribing Earth kingdom officials to keep their autonomy…"
"After all, I did for you! Now you're talking nonsense just to drag me with you?!" Su yelled furiously from her seat.
"SILENCE!" said the judge. "Do you have any proof of this, Ms. Kuvira?!
"Yes, in fact, former officials have come today with documents that prove my claims."
Three young men stood up from the audience, one of them carrying a box filled with papers which were delivered to one of the judge's assistant.
"I delivered an offer for the city to be annexed to the Empire peacefully, but then I was a victim of an assassination attempt by …"
Kuvira hesitated to continue.
"By Suying Beifong, she tried to kill me on my sleep..." she finally said. Some in the room laughed at the accusation, others were shocked to hear it. Kuvira felt offended to hear the laughs from the audience, she was the one who was almost murdered.
"My mother in law tried to kill me on my sleep, the person who picked me up from the streets and raised me as her child. She who shaped me the way I am today, the person who taught me everything I know today…my own mother."
She then fell to her knees and suddenly, every metal object on the room started to shake. The judge's pens, Lin metal armor, even Wu's gold pin shook, alarming people and officers.
The pain inside was too much to handle, and Kuvira's eyes were filled with tears that fell without any emotional restraint. Then, Lin Beifong extended her metal cable to capture Kuvira before she tried to do something. Kuvira after that cried hysterically:
"I HATE YOU! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING! YOU FINALLY HAVE YOUR SON SAFE WITH YOU WHILE IM FACING CHARGES FOR USING THE WEAPON HE DESIGNED! THANKS FOR EVERYTHIN!" The other officials also reached their metal cables to contain her. "KORRA PLEASE TELL THEM IM GOOD PLEASE!"
Lin and the officers struggled to contain her since she was wildly resisting. They were forced to drag her out of the courtroom. By the time they took her out, people were shocked, and didn't know what to make out of what happened…
A debate irrupted among the judges which lasted for some minutes until one of them rose from her seat:
"After close determination from our behalf and the jury, we concluded that the defendant must be placed on a mental facility until specialists determine that she is fit to stand trial…"
Now t was 10 am, and the Avatar had finished the remaining sake on the bottle by herself. The images of Kuvira asking for her help seemed so unreal. She headed to take a bath, then changed her clothes into a more casual water tribe outfit, and ignored the breakfast plate on her way out. She'll eat on her way, she was going for a visit.