Title: Self Defense Stance
Pairing: Korra & Asami.
Rated: M
Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Korra and its characters. All rights belong to their respectable owners Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino.
Authors Note: Hey guys. I know its been a long wait so how about a long chapter to make up for it eh? It was a lot of work and ground to cover so I hope I did it justice. Bullying is a serious topic and handled in many different ways. So what is said and done in this chapter is mostly from experience. Hope you enjoy. Later Gladiators!
Korra was taking a nap on the couch and began to dream of her last tour. It was slightly different then what actually happened but felt real enough that she started to shift in her sleep. "No..." she murmured in her sleep.
Gunshots rang out as bullets hit the vehicle her unit was in. She covered the soldier next to her as pieces of metal hit the side of her left leg. She wailed in pain and took out her side arm. Turning to her side window, Korra shot in the direction hitting every assailant she saw. Reloading, she took cover again before aiming back out the window. She stopped when she saw a dark shadow with golden eyes. "The fuck..."
When her cell phone rang, Korra woke up frantic. She clenched her hand against her chest feeling it beat faster than ever. The phone rang again with her answering it. "Yeah?"
"Hello this is Nurse Reyes from United Republic Academy. I'm calling to speak with Iroh Róngyù III's caretaker..." she said glancing at the fill out sheet of emergency contacts. "Korra Jīngshén?"
"Yes that's me," Korra answered with concern in her voice. She sat up and listened to what the lady had to say. "I'll be there soon," she said hanging up. Looking at the time on the phone it was only 2 in the afternoon. "Shit.."
Korra arrived at the school 20 minutes later by cab. She headed inside toward the principals office to find out where the nurses office was.
Soon as she reached for the door it opened up with a familiar face holding it open. "Korra!" the young man greeted with a cheerful smile. It was Rohan Gyatso. Principal Tenzin Gyatso youngest son Korra had the privilege of baby sitting back in the day.
"Rohan?" Korra said unsure if it was him or his brother Meelo. Then again Meelo was probably graduating high school by now. She wasn't that good when it came to numbers. "Man I haven't seen you since you were a baby," she said taking his hand and shaking it.
"Yeah its been a while. I think I was three the last time I saw you," He said trying to figure it out himself. Rohan waved it off and pointed her way. "My dad mention you the other day. I wasn't sure if I'd run into you or not."
Korra figured Tenzin would mention it. "Yeah I'm actually here to pick up someone," she said looking around again. She spotted a few kids walking to class with an idea springing to mind. "Do you know an Iroh Róngyù? Lil guy, golden eyes, pint size?" she said giving a brief description.
Rohan remembered his name more than the description. "I don't know him like that but we have a few classes together."
Korra knew what she was gonna ask was a long shot but had to try. "Well if you see him again maybe you two could hang out.," she suggest with a shrug. "Iroh doesn't know any kids in his grade and it would be great if he had someone to turn too," she said giving him a light tap on his arm.
Rohan understood that since Iroh was the youngest kid in there 8th grade class. "Alright. I will," he said with a smile. "I gotta head to class. Great seeing you again!" he said with a wave before walking away.
"You too," Korra replied with a smile.
Walking into the nurses office, Korra didn't see Iroh or the nurse. Instead she saw a scruffy young kid sitting by the door. She took a seat by him and waited for the nurse to come out.
The kid turned to her with a weird look on his face. He stared at her as if she were a math equation.
Korra felt eyes on her and looked back at the kid with a raised brow. "What?"
"Are you a man or a woman?" he asked in an innocent yet curious tone of voice.
"Excuse me?" Korra asked with a surprised look on her face.
The boy sat up and proceed with his statement. "You're dressed like a man but you sound like a woman," he said pointing at her clothes.
Korra glanced down at her black cargo pants with her brace snug on her left leg and combat boots on her feet. She could see where he got that impression but was still offended. "I'm a woman," she simply answered.
The boy looked her up and down and didn't believe her. "Whatever you say..." he said under his breath.
"You littl-" Korra was about to start until the door opened.
A woman came in and up to the young boy. "Ready to go sweetheart?"
Korra figured it was the kids mother and smiled slightly. "Are you the boys mother?" When the mother said yes. Korra sighed in relief. "Thank the spirits you're here now. Your son has been dropping the F bomb for the past ten minutes," she said flat out lying.
"No I wasn't!" The boy yelled out in shock.
"I mean he said some things I didn't even know you could combined in a sentence. I might have to wash my ears out when I get home," Korra said as if it was a matter-of-fact.
The mother yanked her son by the arm out of the chair. "I'm going to wash your mouth out with soap when you get home!" she said reprimanding him. "And don't even think about playing any video games for the next month," she said leading him out the door.
Korra snickered to herself when they left the room.
Iroh came out of the back room a few seconds later with the nurse. Korra saw him holding his side. He sat down in a near by chair with his eyes glued to the floor.
Korra stood up and came up to the nurses desk. "What happened?"
Nurse Reyes scribbled a few notes on her pad before answering Korra. "Iroh came in with abdominal pain. He claims its from something he ate at lunch," she said looking over at him.
"It is," Iroh uttered lowly.
Korra caught his eyes for a second before he looked back down at the floor. She noticed his arms were wrapped around his stomach but his hand underneath was touching the right side of his ribs. "You got everything you need from your classes?" she asked in case he had homework he needed to pick up.
Iroh kept his head down but gave her a nod for an answer.
"Alright. Lets go," she said pointing at the door. Korra looked back at the nurse and thanked her. Iroh got up from his seat and reached for his book bag. Korra took it before he could grab it. "I got it," she said slinging it over her shoulder. She opened up the door and held her hand out for him to go first. "After you."
"Thanks..." he uttered before walking out of the room.
Korra followed him with a concerned look on her face. What is going on.
Asami came back from lunch with Fae and began to check her emails. Everything was normal until she saw one from the fire nation. Clicking it, she saw it was from Izumi. It was a 10 page document about the perks of being in the fire nation. It was almost as if it were a power point presentation. It showed the schools, the culture, the food and everything else there was to see in there high society lifestyle. At the bottom there was a large font reminder of how their current situation wouldn't last them long financially. At the end there was a post script that said: This is what is best for Iroh and his future. - I. Róngyù.
Taking a deep breath, Asami refrained from flipping over her desk. She knew she would have to keep her cool in the work place. With Kuvira breathing down they're necks all the time this was an added bonus of stress she didn't need. She knew there was only one person who could help her in this situation.
Getting up from her desk, Asami quickly grabbed her jacket to head back out.
"What's wrong?" Fae asked still eating her fruit cup.
Asami looked over at Kuvira's office and back to Fae. "Can you cover for me?"
Fae sat up in her seat unsure if she could. "For how long?"
"A half an hour at most," Asami said grabbing her keys.
"I'll do my best," Fae said knowing how unpredictable Kuvira could be.
Asami thanked her and headed back out of the office.
Across the street, Asami entered a coffee shop. She got a table in the back and took her laptop out of her bag. The wifi was pretty decent where she was. She logged into her video chat messenger and waited. After a few minutes it went through. "Hey. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Zuko looked into the computer screen to close to the camera. "Oh no you're not," he said reaching for his glasses. He placed them on and looked at the screen again. "How are you and Iroh doing?" he asked with a tender smile.
"We're doing good. Iroh's still adjusting to it all," she said with a faint smile that resembled some sort of hope. It was turning more into anxiety the more she thought of it and the things Izumi said.
"That's good," Zuko commented. He saw the look on her face and adjusted his glasses. "What's on your mind?"
Asami wasn't sure how to address the reason why she called so she let it all out at once. "Izumi. Your daughter wants to take Iroh to the fire nation," she said with frustration in her tone.
Zuko face lit up into a cheerful smile. "For a visit!"
Asami shook her head no. "For good... and without me."
Zuko's excitement brewed down after that. "I see.." he said getting the whole picture now. "I'll have a talk with her okay," he said to assure his granddaughter. Even through marriage he still claimed Asami as if she were his own flesh and blood unlike his daughter who was too stubborn to do so.
"Thank you," Asami said feeling a bit better she had someone on her side.
"You're welcome," he said seeing the screen lag a bit. He waited it out and spoke up before it went out again. "Call me again when you can. I'd love to speak with my great grandson," he said with a thumbs up.
Asami smiled softly at that. "I will."
Zuko raised his hand as if to say goodbye and then looked for the button to end the call.
Asami waited not wanting to hang up first in case he had more to say. "Its the red button with the tell phone image," she said pointing down.
"Where?" Zuko said looking all over the screen. "Oh here I got it." he said pressing it.
Asami exited out of the application and closed her computer. She felt a bit better and hoped Zuko could talk to Izumi to get her to back off.
Korra opened the door to the apartment and let Iroh in first. She walked in after him and locked the door behind her. "You sure you don't want to take anything for your stomach pain?" she asked placing his book bag down by the couch.
"No thank you," he politely declined. Backing away slowly, Iroh headed in the direction of his room. "I'm just gonna lay down for a while," he said pointing behind him.
Korra didn't want to bother him if he wasn't feeling well but still felt as if something was off. "Alright well if you need anything I'll be right here," she gestured at the living room.
Iroh knew she meant well and gave her a smile through the pain. "Thanks," he said before turning around to head toward his room.
Once inside his room, Iroh shut the door closed and walked up to his bed. He pulled his shirt up and saw a small bruise on the right side of his stomach. It stung when he poked it. He knew he couldn't let his mother see it. "Hmm..." he hummed getting an idea.
Iroh sat on his bed and pulled off his shoes. He placed them underneath his bed and stood up. He took off his blazer and laid it at the edge of his bed. He then began to tip toe toward the door. Slowly opening it, Iroh poked his head out to look down the hall. He could see the edge of the couch but no Korra in sight. Yes. He came out of his room as quietly as he could and headed to his mother's room.
Korra was in the kitchen about to prepare lunch when she heard something.
Iroh came into his mother's room and closed the door slowly. He walked up to her dresser and went through her make up. Its one of these. He picked up the one she used for her face and smiled. He lifted up his shirt and began to apply it to his stomach the same way she did to her face. It was coming out more clunky than expected. When he heard a noise, he pulled his shirt down quickly and held the make up behind his back.
Korra opened up the bedroom door seeing Iroh standing next to his mother's dresser. "What are you doing?"
Iroh gulped trying to think of something. "I left a book in here the other day."
Korra stared at him for a moment or so and noticed the tension in his shoulders and his unsteady breathing. "What are you really doing in here?" she asked again with a raised brow.
Iroh looked down with a sigh and took the make up from behind his back and handed it to her.
Korra took it and raised a brow. "I'm not going to judge you or anything but what are you using it for?" she asked holding it up.
"I don't want to say..." Iroh answered feeling ashamed of himself.
Korra placed the product back on the dresser and knelled down in front of him. "Whatever it is," she said placing her hand on his shoulder. "You can tell me."
Iroh looked up at her with his bottom lip quivering. He wasn't trying to cry and wouldn't. He stopped himself by taking a deep breath. "If I tell you, you can't say anything to anyone not even my mom," he said a bit fearful that she would.
Korra took a second to answer to put things into perspective. One: the kid was finally opening up to her. Two: It was something big enough he didn't want his mom to know. She knew how vulnerable he was being right now and wanted to help. "Okay."
"You promise?" Iroh asked with a worried look on his face.
Korra nodded her head with her eyes locked on his. "Promise," she agreed holding her pinky finger up. He looked at her hand and locked his pinky around hers. When he let go, she gestured for him to continue.
Iroh stayed silent at first but started to speak softly. "I wasn't really sick today... but my stomach was hurting for another reason," he said feeling at the bottom of his shirt.
"What reason is that?" Korra asked now getting an idea of what he was using the make up for.
Iroh took a breath before slowly lifting his shirt to show her the bruise. It was a dark reddish color he couldn't tell if it was purple or not.
Korra's jaw tighten at the sight as a frown came to her face. She covered her mouth for a second before dropping her hand and her expression to a more calm one. "How'd it happen?" she said wanting answers.
Iroh thought about what happened after gym class.
In the locker room, Iroh finished changing back into his uniform and went to grab his book bag.
Hundan snatched it from him and started looking through it. "There's nothing in here but a bunch of unless junk," he said tossing one of Iroh's folders out of his bag.
Papers began to fly everywhere. "I need that back," Iroh said reaching for his book bag.
Hundan held it out from his reach. "I'll give it to you," he said zipping it back up. "Here," he said swinging it around and hitting Iroh hard in his stomach with it. He hit the lockers hard it made an indent in them.
"What's going on here?" The coach asked coming up to them.
Hundan stepped back from Iroh. "He fell. I was trying to help him up."
The coach eyed Hundan knowing he was probably lying but since there was papers scattered all over the floor he assumed it was true. "Clean this up," he said to the both of them before heading back to his office.
Iroh held on to his book bag trying not to cry.
"You heard the coach," Hundan said with a chuckle before walking away.
Iroh slid down to the floor and took slow breaths to ease the pain.
"Roh?" Korra called out causing him to snap out of it. "What happened?"
Iroh didn't want Korra to worry and he didn't want to lie either so he told part of the truth. "Someone handed me my book bag and the textbook inside hit my stomach," he explained hoping she'd buy it.
Korra tried to keep her face neutral but it was hard to do. Her left eye began to squint a bit. "How did they hand it to you?" she said wanting specifics and even a demonstration if possible.
Iroh shook his head. "I wasn't really paying attention when they did," he said hoping the line of questions ended there.
Korra knew that was an excuse but couldn't call him on it. She didn't know what to do. If Iroh had a bully his mother needed to know. If she told Asami it would violate the trust she was starting to build with him. It was a double edged sword. She knew she had to approach this delicately. "So it was an accident?" she asked for him to clarify it.
"Yeah," Iroh answered without hesitation.
"Then why cover it up if it was an accident?" Korra said countering his answer.
Iroh didn't think of that. "I didn't want mom to worry..."
Korra understood that but pressed on it a bit more. "Why would she worry if it was just an accident?" she mention as she gestured to his shirt. "If you explain it to her like you did for me I'm sure she'd understand..." she said seeing his expression become more anxious. "Unless it was on purpose," she said waiting for his answer.
Iroh wasn't sure what to say so he stayed silent.
"So which one is it. An accident or on purpose?" Korra asked him in a calm manner.
Iroh looked down in defeat. "On purpose..."
Korra sighed heavily and stood up slowly. "You gotta tell your mom."
Iroh looked up at her in a panic. "Please don't tell! You promised you wouldn't!" he said scared.
"I didn't say I would but I think you should," she said knowing he would react this way. Korra didn't want to betray his trust so she encouraged him to do it himself. "If you want this to stop you need to let her know."
Iroh shook his head no. "I can't."
Korra knew why he didn't want to tell her. It was a lot on her plate already but he was too young to worry about things like that. Then again she did the same at his age when it came to her parents. "Then do something about it," she said challenging him.
Iroh looked at her confused. "What can I do?" he said not sure what she meant.
"Defend yourself," Korra said before walking out of the room.
"How?" Iroh asked as he followed her into the living room.
Korra began to move the coffee table out of the way. "Brains or Brawn," she said taking a seat on the couch. She stretched her leg out and began to take off her brace. "I usually prefer both," she said placing it on the side of the couch before standing up again.
"What are you doing?" Iroh asked with a clueless look on his face.
"Gonna see what you're made of," Korra said sizing him up. "What are you like four foot something?"
Iroh was getting more confused by the minute. "Yes."
Korra came up to him and bend back down to his level. "Don't be scared. Last thing I'm gonna do is hurt you," she said placing her hands on his shoulders. "Just want to know where you're at okay?" she said knowing he was confused by it all.
"Okay," Iroh said with a nod.
"Good," Korra said standing up again. She walked back toward the couch and turned around to face him again. "Because there are certain ways to deal with a bully and I'm gonna show you all of them."
Iroh gulped at her statement.
Korra knew she would have to explain it all before actually showing. "Now, one thing you got on the physical side of things is speed," she said remembering how fast he ran at the paintball field. "We're gonna work on that."
On Tuesday, Iroh started running after Korra in the park.
Korra had a slight advantage since she was riding a bike. "I'm picking up speed!" she said pedaling faster with a chuckle.
Iroh didn't want to get left behind so he pushed himself to run faster behind her.
Korra could see he was keeping up. "First one to the water fountain is a rotten egg!"
With that the two raced toward the fountain.
Korra put her index finger up to her temple, "on the mental side you're a pretty precocious kid," she said before pointing at him. "But you need to face your fears which means speaking up for yourself and others," she said knowing he had it in him. She could see it since the day they met. It was another thing he had gotten from his mother.
On Wednesday, Iroh and Korra were next to ring up in line at the grocery store.
A man on his cellphone cut in line in front of them.
Korra was about to say something but instead bend down and whispered into Iroh's ear.
Iroh took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Excuse me sir," he said looking up at the man.
The guy didn't even look his way. Instead complained on the phone about wanting to get out of here.
Korra tapped Iroh's shoulder lightly to get his attention. "Louder."
Iroh looked up at Korra and gave her a nod. He took another breath before projecting his voice. "Excuse me sir!" he shouted getting his attention as well as others around. "I was here first," he said with a gulp.
The man laughed at Iroh until he saw Korra scolding him with a look that could kill. He cleared his throat and fixed his tie. "Sorry..." he said to the young boy before heading to the back of the line.
Iroh was surprised it worked and looked back at Korra with a smile.
Korra gave him a thumbs up as the employee at the register began to ring their items up.
"And when you do you gotta stick by your principals and mean it no matter what," she said knowing it was easier said then done. It wasn't enough to just say it he had to mean it. Have that belief in him to where if knocked down he'd get right back up again.
Iroh was starting to understand what she meant. "I will."
On Thursday, Iroh and Mya were on the lunch line at school with their trays in hand.
Mya was about to reach for the last chocolate milk when someone else took it. "Hey!" she said as the other boy laughed.
"You snooze you lose," he said to justify it.
"She had it first," Iroh said with a frown.
The boy looked at Iroh as if he were crazy. "What did you say?" he said getting in Iroh's face.
Iroh felt like his space was invaded. Despite that anxiety ready to take him down, he stuck out his chest and looked him in the eye. "I said she had it first," he repeated without hesitation.
The boy saw Iroh wasn't cowering away and rolled his eyes. "Man whatever I didn't want it anyway," he said tossing the milk back on the stand.
Iroh picked it up and saw it wasn't busted open. "Here," he said handing it to Mya.
Mya took it with a smile. "Thanks Iroh."
"Don't let what people say phase you. You know who you are and don't need their approval of who you're going to be," she said having that out look on life for years. She couldn't give a flying fudge bits what people thought of her only those who she loved and respected.
After lunch, Iroh was in his study block reading a book. He wanted to finish it so he could go to the library and pick up the next one before going home.
Some kids across the room were laughing at him. "Look at the bookworm," one said.
"Yeah what a nerd," the other commented with a chuckle.
Iroh heard what they said and ignored them.
The students continued to talk about him and laugh.
Iroh looked up from his book and over at them. He stared at them for a few seconds before smiling at them. He turned his attention back to his book now amused by their actions. It didn't make any sense. All he knew was his grades were at the top of his class because he continued to apply himself. So being called book worm or a nerd was more of a compliment than an insult.
Korra began to pace a bit. "Now I know this isn't a popular opinion but evade or avoid until the time is right," she said meaning the bully who was picking on him.
On Friday, Iroh was walking toward his locker when he saw Hundan and his friends down the hall goofing around. As soon as they locked eyes, Iroh walked in the opposite direction.
"And when it is. You let your physical and mental attributes speak for themselves," she said with a bright smile.
Hundan began to follow Iroh around the corner with his friends.
Iroh heard their footsteps getting closer and walked up. He came up to a room he saw the principal go into a few minutes ago. He pulled the fire alarm next to it and ran.
Hundan saw Iroh running and ran after him.
Tenzin came out of the room seeing Hundan and some other boys running away.
Iroh ran as fast as he could and got into the stairwell. He ran down the stairs and jumped down the last three steps.
Hundan was headed toward the stairwell until the principal cut off their pathway.
"You are all in big trouble!" Tenzin shouted with a scold on his face so deep he was turning a bit red.
Korra stopped pacing and stood in front of him again. "Until then we're going to work on building up you're spiritual well being," she said taking a seat on the floor.
Iroh sat down on the floor as well. "What are we doing?"
"You stress to much for a boy your age," Korra said crossing her legs. She rested her hands on her kneecaps and continued. "You need to learn to keep cool and stay calm."
"How do I do that?" Iroh asked mimicking her sitting position.
Korra smiled at the fact he was taking an interest. "Close your eyes and focus on your breathing."
Iroh followed her direction and closed his eyes. He focused on his breathing. After a few minutes he was starting to feel a bit better.
Korra watched as he was getting the hang of it and closed her eyes to join him in mediation.
Asami came home after work to find Korra and Iroh on the floor building a model car on the coffee table.
"That piece goes there," Iroh said pointing near the dashboard.
"Right there?" Korra asked as she placed the small steering wheel piece in place. She could barely see out of the magnifying glass they had.
Both were so caught up, they didn't even notice Asami was standing there. Until she cleared her throat that is. "What's this?"
Iroh looked up at his mom with a smile. "A 1970 baby blue oldsmobile 442 Holiday coupe classic," he said all in one swoop.
Asami looked at the half finished model and smiled. "That is a classic."
"We're almost done. I think," Korra said since they had went through so many pieces already.
Iroh chuckled at her assumption. "Barely, we're just getting started!" he said with a smile.
Korra had a small look of horror on her face but smiled through it. "Awesome."
Asami knew how stressful it could be building a model car from scratch specially for a first timer. "Well you'll have to finish it another day because its time for bed," she said hearing a series of groans from her only child.
"Fine..." Iroh said a bit disappointed. He got up and began to put everything away.
Korra helped him place the model car back into it's box. "Here you go," she said handing him the instructions.
Iroh took it and tucked it underneath his armpit. "I'll put it in my room for safe keeping," he said walking back into his room with the box and magnifying glass stand.
Korra stood up when Iroh went into his room. She came up to Asami who was in the kitchen. "Hey can we talk when you get a chance?" she said knowing Asami had a ritual whenever she came home.
"Sure," Asami said taking her left overs out of the fridge.
Iroh came back into the living room with a yawn. "Night mom," he said now feeling sleepy.
Asami came up to him and gave him a hug. "Night baby," she said holding him tight.
Iroh felt a surge of pain from it and groan.
Asami pulled back and looked at him concerned. "What's wrong?"
Iroh felt as if he had been caught and started to panic. "Ah... nothing. I'm just tired," he said looking over at Korra for help.
"Yeah its been a long day," Korra said leaving it as that.
Asami understood since she had the same herself. "Then get some rest sweetheart," she said kissing him on the forehead.
Iroh smiled and kissed his moms cheek. "I will," he said giving her a much lighter hug than before. He pulled away and came up to Korra. "Goodnight Korra."
"Goodnight little guy," Korra said ruffling the top of his hair with her hand.
Iroh chuckled at that and moved his head. When he saw her clearly he wrapped his arms around her midsection to give her a hug.
Korra was surprised at that and placed her hand on his back. She looked up at Asami who was smiling at the two.
Iroh pulled away and smiled at Korra before heading back to his room for the night.
When he left the room, Korra wasn't sure what to do. She was still thinking about telling Asami what happen but the kid trusted her. It was a hard call to make and it was written all over her face.
Asami came up to Korra and placed her hand on her shoulder. "It was just a hug," she said with a smile before walking back into the kitchen.
Korra snapped out of it and gave her a nod. "I know that," she said waving it off. She watched as her friend warmed up her food. "Hey I a-" she started to say only to be cut off.
"I have a dilemma," Asami mention as she took her food out of the microwave.
"What's that?" Korra asked taking a seat on the couch again.
Asami placed her food on the counter and began to mix it up. "Well Iroh's grandmother sent me an email about the benefits of being in the fire nation," she said stirring pretty hard. "How she put in a good word at the school his father went too and how I should consider it now before the new semester starts," she said with a bit of aggression. She stopped stirring and took a minute to calm down.
Korra knew that must have been annoying to receive at work.
Asami came back into the living room and sat next to Korra with her food on her lap. "So I called Zuko to ask him to speak with her but I'm not sure if that will make it better or worse," she said taking a bite of her spaghetti. "What do you think I should do?"
Korra wasn't sure what to say to all that. It was a tough predicament to be in when it came to family pushing their views on how one should live. "Its not much you can do," she said in all honesty. "Sure Izumi has some pull here and there but its not enough to separate you from your son," she said placing her hand on her shoulder. The look on Asami's face showed Korra how scared she was of it coming true. "Its not going to happen," she said in a bit more stern voice. "All that is is talk. That's all," she assured with a squeeze to her shoulder.
Asami gave her a nod and quietly ate her food for a while. "Wait, what did you want to talk to me about?" she asked remembering Korra wanted to talk to her first.
"Oh its nothing," Korra said not wanting to bring it up now. "I just wanted to know if you had an extra... pillow?"
Asami arched a brow at Korra wondering if that's what she really wanted to ask. "I do have one. I'll get it," she said getting up and taking her plate with her. She went into the kitchen and rinsed off her dish before putting it in the dishwasher. "I'll be right back," she said heading toward her room.
Korra watched as she walked down the hall. "Thanks," she said with a smile. It faded when she was out of sight. "Dammit..." she uttered under her breath. She wanted to slap herself for even thinking about bringing it up. It was too much going on right now. Maybe when things cool down..
"Got it," Asami said coming back into the room with a new pillow in hand.
Korra sat up and smiled again. "Thanks," she said taking it as it was handed to her.
Asami reached into her back pocket and took out her wallet as Korra fixed her pillow on the couch. "Here," she said taking out a few yuans. "I wanted to thank you for all you done for me."
Korra looked at the money and then to Asami with a puzzled expression.
"Its all I could afford right now," she said waiting for her to take it. Asami would give her more when she got her next check.
Korra's expression changed to a deadpan one. "No thanks," she said turning in her seat to lay down on the couch.
Asami wasn't sure what the problem was. "But you've been watching Iroh for a while. I want to compensate you for it," she said still holding the money out for her to take.
"Free room and board is compensation enough," Korra said gesturing to the living room. She looked up at Asami with sleepy eyes. "I don't want your money."
Asami dropped her hand to her side and sighed. She placed it back into her pocket and bent down to Korra's level. "Why are you so stubborn?"
Korra shrugged her shoulders. "Why are you so persistent?"
They both stared at each other before Asami gave in. "I just want to do something for you," she said placing her hand on Korra's forearm.
"You did with this cool side of the pillow," Korra said with a smile.
Asami shook her head with a giggle and stood up. "Goodnight Korra," she said ready to walk away.
Before she could, Korra gently grabbed her hand. "Sami?" she said looking up at her.
Asami looked back down at Korra with a raised a brow. "Hmm?"
Korra looked her in the eyes and shook her head. "Nothing..." she said before letting her hand go.
Asami smiled and kissed her own hand before pressing it to Korra's forehead. "Night," she said again before leaving the room.
Korra sighed as she looked up at the ceiling. "Night."
That Friday morning, Asami was driving Iroh to school ten minutes early.
Iroh looked out the window knowing they'd be there soon. "Mom?" he said getting her attention. "Did you ever have a bully?" he asked wanting her opinion. All week he had tried his best to take Korra's advice but wanted to know what his mom thought on the subject.
Asami raised a brow at his question and grew concerned by the second. "Why do you have one?"
"No no I don't!" Iroh quickly dismissed. "We're learning about it in school." He then pressed on the subject. "I just wanted to know if you ever had to deal with one."
Asami looked at him for a second and back to the road. "I didn't really have to with Korra around."
"Is that how you became friends?" Iroh asked out of curiosity.
Asami smiled softly at the thought of it. "Something like that."
After dropping Iroh off at school, Asami drove straight to Opal's house before work. She needed a second opinion on her situation. "I really don't know what I'm going to do."
"That's harassment is what it is," Opal said fixing up lunch for the kids.
"Or an overbearing and caring grandmother," Asami uttered into her cup of coffee.
Opal could see how much that old hags words bothered her. "Grandpa Zuko might not hold her off for long. You might need to fight fire with fire," she said putting the apple juice back in the fridge. "No pun intended," she said with a smile.
Asami shook her head at her friends words. "How am I gonna do that?"
"Talk to a lawyer," Opal suggested as she took a sip of juice.
"I don't want to do all that," Asami said feeling weird about it.
Opal finished off her drink wanting another one. Those kids were wearing her out. "Getting some legal options on how to handle this situation isn't a bad thing. Its a smart one," she said looking through one of the draws. She took a card out of one and handed it to Asami. "Here. Its a card of a lawyer Bolin and Mako used once."
Asami took the card and read the name on it. "Wu Hou-Ting?"
"Its better than nothing," Opal said now drinking one of San's juice boxes. "What?"
Iroh was so excited to tell Korra what happened. He had finally taken Hundan down. It was just like Korra predicted. His wit and quickness would be his best assets. When the bell rang, he raced down the hallway and out the main doors to tell her.
Korra was outside leaning against a light pole like usual. She always got there a half an hour earlier then most of the parents.
Iroh came out of the building a few seconds later spotting Korra by the light post. "Korra!" he shouted running down the stairs.
Korra heard her name and looked up seeing Iroh running to her. "Hey man," she said as he stopped in front of her. "You alright?" she asked since he was out of breath.
Iroh took a few seconds to catch his breath. He looked up at her with a smile. "I am now," he said full of pride. "You would not believe what I just did," he said with excitement in his voice.
"You dissected a frog in biology?" Korra randomly guessed.
"I wish," Iroh said with a chuckle. He then shook his head trying to get back on topic. "But that's not it," he said tugging the bottom of her shirt. He then waved for her to bend down to his level. When she did, He whispered to her. "I finally got Hundan back," he said in the most discreet way possible.
Korra looked at him slightly confused. "Who?"
Iroh forgot she didn't know his name. "Hundan," he whispered again. He then looked around to make sure no one was listening to them. "The bully..."
"Oh!" Korra said standing up straight again. "Wait you did?"
Iroh gave her a nod as they began to walk down the street. "I did," he said proud of himself. "I led him into a trap and when he got close enough I pulled the fire alarm and ran for it," he said wishing he could see the look on his face. "The principal caught him and put him in detention or something," he said unsure of what kind of punishment he got for it.
Korra walked beside him in shock. "I'm surprised you came up with something like that," she said impressed for the most part. The only problem with it was the repercussions after all was said and done. She stopped walking and touched his arm to get his attention. "You know that's not what I meant right?" she asked wanting to straighten out some things.
Iroh looked at her a bit clueless. "What do you mean?"
Korra could see the confusion on his face and bend down to his level. "What if it backfires on you?" she asked wanting to know if he thought it through.
"Well what did you want me to do?" Iroh asked a bit upset. He did exactly what she told him to do.
Korra stood up again and sighed. She could see how he would get confused. "Look standing up for yourself with words is one thing," she said knowing this next part would have to be phased a certain way. "But there is going to come a time were it would be another," she said holding up her fist.
Iroh knew what she meant and nodded. He knew Hundan would probably retaliate and in the moment he didn't care. He was taking it as a victory but now it was bittersweet.
"Are you ready for that?" Korra asked in a serious tone. She could tell he was thinking about it.
Iroh looked up at her with determination on his face. "I'm ready," he said with a nod.
Korra had a small smile creep up on her face at that. "Okay. Come on," she said tapping his shoulder for him to follow her.
There was a gym not to far from the school. They had always passed it on the bus ride home.
Korra walked Iroh inside of the building and up to the small office in the corner. "Wait here," she said to him before knocking on the door.
A woman with shades opened up the door a few seconds later. "What?"
"You got any gear I could use?" Korra asked with Iroh behind her.
The owner of the establishment eyed Korra for a split second. "For what?"
Korra smirked at the slight hostility. "For him," she said gesturing to Iroh behind her.
The owner looked over at Iroh and back at Korra. "Yeah I got it," she said stepping out of her office. "Follow me," she said walking toward the storage area.
"Come on," Korra said to Iroh following the woman.
Iroh looked around seeing how intense it was. He followed both women and spotted the banner on the wall near a ring that read: Crystal's Gym.
After receiving the gear, Korra paid the woman and helped Iroh put it on. "You alright?" she asked again.
Iroh adjusted his head gear and nodded since he had his mouth piece in. He had a red tanktop, black boxing shorts, a red groin protector and black boxing shoes on.
Korra helped him adjust the head gear on his head and smiled. He really wanted to do this. "Come on," she said walking to the ring with the rest of the stuff in hand. She helped him in by raising up the second rope.
Iroh got inside of the ring and stood to the side.
"Go ahead do a lap. Get a fill of the ring," she suggested as she tossed his gloves on the floor. Korra placed a vest over her chest for safety reasons gone over briefly by the owner of the gym.
Iroh walked around the ring and felt the surface beneath his feet was a bit bouncy.
Korra watched him and chuckled. "Here," she said ready to put his gloves on.
Iroh came over and held his hands out. He watched carefully as she placed the gloves on his hands. It felt as if he had huge mittens on his hands.
Korra placed her own flat punching mitts on her hands. "I would have gotten you some shin guards but that probably would have been too much huh?" she said with a smile.
"Its lighter than the paintball gear," Iroh commented with a smile of his own.
"True," she agreed with a chuckle. Korra held her hands up for him to hit. "Let's begin."
Asami left work earlier than usual since Kuvira was out for the day. She would have went straight home but decided to check out the lawyer Opal mention to her. He had a great track record based on the reviews on his website. It was worth a shot to try.
Wu heard a knock on his door and looked up from his computer screen. "Come in," he said thinking it was his receptionist.
Asami opened the door and peaked her head inside. "Is this Hou-Ting's office?"
"It is. Who are you?" Wu asked directing a question at her.
"Asami Róngyù," she replied.
Wu realized who she was and waved her in. "Come in. Bolin told me you might be coming in this week," he said standing to his feet. He shook her hand and gestured for her to have a seat. "He's a pretty funny dude," he said remembering when he worked for him and his brother. "So how can I help you today?"
Asami took a seat unsure where to start. "Well I have this family member who is threatening to take my child away," she said as he began to type on his computer.
"Be more specific. Like who, what, where, when, why," he stated wanting her to go in depth.
"Right," she agreed. Asami had told this story so many times already it was starting to get tiresome. "My son's grandmother is the one who is constantly bothering me about it," she said as he continued to type.
Wu hummed as he typed and looked back at Asami. "Where's the father in all this?"
Asami heard his question and got quiet for a second before responding. "Um. Deceased," she answered. "It started after his funeral," she added.
Wu stopped typing and looked at her shocked. "Really? Wow. Its his mother right?" he asked trying to clarify who was who.
Asami nodded her head. "Yes."
"So its the mother in law threatening to take your son away. In what way and how often?" Wu asked as he sat back in his seat.
"I received a few emails regarding it beside the face to face we had that day," she said recalling it. Asami was tired of Izumi's bullshit and hoped this Wu fellow could help her if Zuko couldn't.
Wu was tallying up the situation in his head. "So one altercation and a few emails. What did the emails say specifically?"
Asami reached into her jacket pocket and took out her phone. She brought up the last email she got and handed him her phone.
Wu took her phone and scrolled through it. He read some of it and didn't find any key words that would be consider threatening. "This doesn't prove much," he said handing her back her phone.
"What do you mean it doesn't prove anything," Asami said taking her phone back.
"When I say threats I mean by force not suggestion. All this shows is a concerned grandmother suggesting you do what she considers is 'best' for your son," he said using air quotes. Wu shook his hand gesturing to her phone. "Its really not much you can do except ignore her."
Asami put her phone back in her pocket and shook her head in disappointment. "Isn't this some form of harassment?" she said knowing it had to be something he could do.
Wu gestured a so-so kind of deal with his hand. "Not really. I mean sure you could block her or get a restraining order if it was like a thousand emails and phone calls a day regarding this issue but its not," he explained the best way he could. He had dealt with situations like this before and this was very minor compared to most.
"She keeps implying that's she's going to take my son from me!" Asami said becoming sick of this bullshit. "What am I suppose to just sit back and let it happen?!"
"No not at all," Wu said in a calm tone. "As a matter of fact quite the opposite."
Asami didn't mean to lash out at him. It was just a stressful topic of conversation. "Then what am I suppose to do?" she asked in a much calmer tone of voice.
Wu didn't have much advice that would be useful in this case but answered anyhow. "Keep taking care of your son. Is he healthy?" he asked seeing her nod. "Doing good in school?" she nodded again. "Staying out of trouble?" another nod. "Then you have nothing to worry about," he said exiting out of the word document. "She's putting these suggestions out there because that's all she can do. Its to spook you at the thought that it is possible for him to be there without you," he said noticing how that email didn't imply her at all. "She's trying to sucker you in. My advice. Don't let her," he said standing up.
Asami stood up when he did. "Thank you," she said extending her hand to him.
Wu took her hand and shook it again. "No prob, sorry I couldn't be of more help," he said walking her to the door. He opened it up for her.
Asami was about to walk out and stopped. "Sorry for lashing out at you like that," she said sincerely.
"Its fine. Just don't give her a reason to blow something minor way out of proportion," he said leaving her with one more tip to follow.
"I won't. Thanks," she said before walking out the door. Asami knew what she had to do now. She felt a bit better but still worried in the back of her mind.
Korra stayed in the ring with Iroh practicing some of the basics. He was good for a beginner but had a lot to learn. She still couldn't believe he actually got his bully in trouble. It was a brilliant move. One that she would definitely compare to something his mother would do back in the day. He was truly a remarkable kid.
After an hour or so they took a well deserved break. Iroh got out of the ring and pulled off his head gear. He took a few deep breaths until Korra handed him a bottle of water from the vending machine. "Thanks," he said taking a sip.
"Your welcome," she said taking a seat next to him on a bench. Korra took a swig of her own water and stretched out her left leg.
Iroh sat there thinking on what to do. He wasn't sure if he wanted to fight anyone. Sure he wanted to protect himself but to hit someone or hurt them didn't sit right with him. "I'm not sure I can do this..."
Korra heard what Iroh said and figured that much. It was a lot for him to take in right now but good for him to learn. "I know but its a good fall back if it ever came down to it," she said trying to give him a different perspective.
"I guess so..." he said not seeing it that way. He sat there quiet for a minute and thought of something he wanted to ask her. "What did your parents say when you had a bully?"
Korra chuckled at his question since they always gave her a simple answer. "If someone hits you, you hit them back."
Iroh had a stunned look on his face. It was a very blunt strategy that made him wonder how effective it was.
Korra didn't expect nothing less in response. "That's the basic logic they had," she said with a shrug. "Its much more than that now, y'know," she said remembering the newfeeds she'd read pertaining to internet bullying. The extend people went to, to make others feel less than human was appalling. "But you need to have tough skin to survive in this world or it will eat you alive," she said rephrasing what she was taught. She then thought of something and tapped him lightly on the kneecap. "You know what helps?" she asked with a small smile.
"What?" Iroh asked curiously.
"Good friends, specially ones that will have your back no matter what," Korra said taking a swig of her water again. She put the cap back on the bottle and sat it down on the floor. "If you have just one person who will stand for you," she said pointing near his heart. "Its the greatest feeling in the world," she said knowing from experience. It was a lot of situations she would have been lost in if it wasn't for Asami or her spotter.
Iroh immediately thought of Mya and how she spoke up for him on more than one occasion. She was always nice and sweet. He smiled a bit thinking about her.
Korra saw the look on his face and nudged him lightly on his arm. "You have someone like that?"
"Yeah I think I do," he said thinking of Korra as well.
Korra smiled at that. She was grateful the kid had more than one person to turn too.
Iroh then thought of what he asked his mother early this morning and looked to Korra. "Was that what it was like for you and my mom?" he said curious about their friendship.
"Yes and no," Korra answered vaguely. She saw the confusion on his face and decided to elaborate. "Alright look," she said turning to face him more. "You wanna know how we met right?"
Iroh nodded his head yes very quickly.
Korra wasn't sure how to explain it so she started from the beginning. "Well when me and your mom first met we were in the gymanisim," she said thinking back on it. "I was new to the school and always on the fence for some reason," she said remembering how it felt. "Then I saw your mother from across the room looking at me funny," she said gesturing to her face. "Being from the south I took offense and a..." she said unsure how he was going to take this next part. "We a.. we got into a fight," she said looking him in the eye.
Iroh jaw dropped with an outraged expression. "You fought my mom?"
"Yeah it was a misunderstanding," Korra said with a shrug. It wasn't a big deal now but at the time it was what it was. "I thought she was eye balling me when really she was looking for her glasses," she said with an amused expression. It was kind of funny the more she thought about it. "We had a parent teacher conference over the phone since our parents couldn't be there," she said not finding that as amusing. It was a long time ago but certain things still bothered her. The school had different guildelines back then to what they have now. "The principal thought it was a good idea to pair us up in the same room to get us to become friends," she said remembering Tenzin's proposal. "Since then we were inseperable," she said remembering when they first roomed together. It took a while but eventually they became best friends because of that one incident.
Iroh sat there quietly and listened. He realized why his mom and Korra avoided that question for so long.
Korra saw Iroh was in deep thought over it and interrupted. "It may not be the same with this kid," she said reffering to his bully. What happened with her and Asami occured once. From what Korra assumed, this wasn't Iroh's first time dealing with this kid and after today it wouldn't be his last. "You don't need to understand why he's picking on you. You just need to know he has no right too," she said a bit more aggressive than intended. She could still see that bruise he had in her mind. It pissed her off. "You have every right to defend yourself. If not this," she said picking up one of his gloves. "You could always speak up. Tell your teacher. Tell your mom. Tell anyone with ears," she said flicking her own earlop. "And it will stop."
Iroh wasn't sure if telling anyone would make it stop or make it worse. What he did know was he was tired of it all.
"You ready to go?" Korra asked gesturing toward the door.
Iroh shook his head no and stood up from his seat. "I'm ready to continue," he said picking up his head gear.
Korra stood up when he did. "You sure?" she said not wanting to put more pressure on him.
Iroh looked her straight in the eye and nodded. "I am," he said placing the headgear on his head. He picked up his gloves and walked over to the ring again. "Can you show me that stance again?"
Korra was surprised but saw the determination on his face and smiled. "Sure," she agreed and helped him back into the ring.