Legend of Korra: Life
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights and characters to the Avatar Last Airbender & Legend of Korra Franchise, they are owned by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino and other respective owners and creators. I gain no profit from this; it's purely for fun. I only own my OC characters.
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Chapter 2: A New Threat Part II
Korra and Asami looked out towards the spirit portal with a shared sense of concern. The Avatar was unsure of what to make of this situation. A silhouetted figure flickered within the light of the towering spiritual gateway, shifting from side to side as if the person was walking towards them. Shadowy streams flowed from around the figure, and a strange hissing sound screeched every time that happened.
The anxious feeling Korra experienced from her mysterious nightmare last night returned. She clenched her fist tightly, and flames sparked in between her knuckles, prepared for whatever was about to happen. ''I've got a bad feeling about this.'' She murmured.
''What do you want to do?'' Asami asked.
Korra took a moment to consider the best possible course of action to take. Having been caught off guard by this unusual scenario of a figure actually appearing from within the Republic City spirit portal, she only had time for one option. ''You warn everyone inside while I'll see what this is about. It's better to be safe than sorry.''
''Okay, but I'll be back with Lin and the others as soon as I can.'' She said with grit and determination, turning quickly to rush inside of the mansion. Before that, she paused for a split second and looked at Korra with worry. ''Be careful.''
''I'll try my best.'' She promised…though knowing her luck, she feared that she couldn't afford to be careful at this time. Just as Asami dashed back inside, Korra hopped onto the balcony frame, and using the wind to guide her, sprang up into the air and glided off into the distance.
Lin Beifong watched the party proceed on with folded arms and a stern expression. Resting against a doorframe, she vigilantly made sure that every guard and officer was on duty and working hard to make sure this place was protected. Though that was a difficult thing to manage with a party of this, as it was easy for someone to stuff their face at the buffet table or have five or six too many drinks and end up becoming unfit to work.
''Good evening, Lin.'' Tenzin greeted her as he walked by. ''Do you mind if I borrow a moment of your time?''
''You'd actually be doing me a favour! Just because I'm on duty doesn't mean I'm not bored out of my mind.''
An amused smile tugged at Tenzin's lips. ''I take it you're not finding this party to your liking?''
''You know I'm not a party person. The only enjoyment I'll get out of this night will be if we get through it without any hassle.'' She straightened her posture and turned her full attention to her old friend. ''So spill, what's on your mind?''
''I was just wondering if Opal mentioned anything about Jinora the last time you talked with her?''
She arched an eyebrow after hearing his inquiry. ''No, she didn't. Why would she?''
''It's just that Pema and I haven't seen her since last night, and I figured since she and Opal were good friends she might know of her location.''
''Sorry, I don't know where Jinora would be. And I doubt Opal would know either. If she thought that your daughter was in trouble, she would have told Su or me.''
Tenzin breathed heavily and slowly walked on, giving space for Lin to follow beside him. It's not like her to miss an occasion like this, especially since she's talked about wanting to attend Asami's birthday for a while.'' Though he tried his best, a hint of anxiety plagued his words the longer he spoke.
Wanting to ease his worry, Lin shrugged her shoulders. ''She's a teenager!''
''I am fully aware of her age.''
''You know what I mean! Trust me, I've dealt with a lot of them in my times…''
Tenzin glared at her. ''I hope you're not comparing my daughter to one of those ruffians you have to deal with while on police work!''
''Of course not! If you'd let me finish what I was going to say instead of butting in, I'll explain,'' She said firmly, silencing the grouchy Airbending master. ''Jinora's going to be independent. She's going to go off and do things without telling you. And from what I've heard, it's not the first time she's done something like this.''
''Yes, but like I said, she wanted to come here tonight.''
''There's a thing called changing your mind. She's probably off with her boyfriend somewhere.''
''That's what I think too.'' Tenzin's mind drifted away for a moment, dozens of possibilities floated through him on the whereabouts of his daughter. While he would be concerned if any of his children were nowhere to be seen, at least with Meelo and Ikki, they had a history of going about on their own respective adventures without consulting their father. While Rohan was terrified of his own shadow, let alone the prospect of wandering off alone. Jinora, on the other hand, wouldn't just take off without a word when giving a promise of attendance. This troubled the old Air Nomad greatly as the night passed on.
The chief of police coughed to get Tenzin's attention, halting him in his tracks. ''Look, I'll tell you what. If Jinora doesn't show up by tomorrow, then I'll have some people help look for her. Nothing too extreme if the situation doesn't call for it.''
Tenzin looked at Lin softly and thankfully. ''That would be very generous of you, Lin.''
Before Lin could respond, whether genuine or sarcastic, Asami came rushing over to her and Tenzin. It didn't take a detective to notice that something was amiss as the woman ran towards them. ''What's wrong?'' Lin asked immediately.
''Something's happening with the Spirit Portal! Korra went to investigate.''
''What?'' Tenzin gasped.
Korra felt a sharp chill crawl along her skin, making her feel cold, something that didn't usually happen to her. She slowly treads closer towards the Portal, skidding down the vine-covered crater. To say she was nervous would be an understatement. She feared that if she took her eyes off the shadowy figure in the portal for even a second, something terrible would happen. Thankfully, due to the re-development, the surrounding area was vacant of any civilians. The buildings nearby were still only half-built, with empty cranes and construction vehicles supplied by Future Industries dotted around.
The cautious Avatar kept her distance, waiting for something to happen. It was bad enough she was this close to something that she couldn't comprehend, also with no backup to assist her. The portal pulsed at a quicker pace, resembling a visible heartbeat. ''Okay,'' Korra whispered to herself. ''I'd really love to know what I'm dealing with.''
''You need to run!'' A timid voice called out.
Korra turned to find a small spirit shivering and stumbling its way towards her. It was, in fact, the leafy green spirit that had lead the Avatar into finding Toph in the swamp years ago. Korra knelt down to come eye-level with the terrified spirit. ''Do you know what's happening?''
''Something bad is coming! Someone bad! You need to leave…''
Suddenly, a violent tremble ripped through the ground. Korra became unbalanced, and the spirit would have fallen face first into the ground if the Avatar had not held out a protective arm to catch the little one. The vines rotted and cracked apart, sending fractured debris into the air, scattering and breaking into dust. The portal's pulse rapidly grew and grew, until it no longer became a sequence of beats and instead one long, continuous boom that shook the earth.
The figure inside remained still at first. Then the shadow grew steadily, to the point it blanketed the portal into pitch-blackness. Korra held her arms around the spirit to protect it from the noise and shaking, which were clearly causing it distress. ''Do you know who is coming?''
''He…he…'' The spirit stuttered, as if too afraid to even talk about the individual. ''He wants you!''
''Why? Does he want to hurt me?''
''He wants to destroy you.''
Korra's heart froze, as did the activity that went on around them. The quakes stilled, and the booming noise coming from the portal turned silent. However, Korra let out a tense breath when she saw the shadow that surrounded the portal begin to shrink and evaporate…and the figure finally emerged from the portal. It was too dark for her to see clearly, but she could make out that the stranger was at least seven feet tall, and shrouded in a dark, navy blue cloak that masked his identity. ''Are there any more spirits around here?'' She asked urgently.
The tiny spirit looked up at Korra shakily. ''I think so…''
''Then get as many out of here as you can. I don't want anyone in the way if things go wrong.'' She rose to her feet and took a few steps forward to confront the figure.
''What are you going to do?'' The spirit called out.
''Hopefully just have a talk,'' Korra mumbled. ''But just in case that doesn't work, make sure that no one else is in harm's way. Now go!''
There was no need to repeat herself, as the spirit was already running the other way before disappearing into nothingness and away from the potential conflict. Korra breathed heavily through her nose and examined the figure. Everything became unnaturally quiet as he shifted closer to her. She considered the option of running the other direction, but if this figure was really coming to destroy her, then he would give chance and all Korra would accomplish would be putting others in harm's way.
''Avatar?'' He spoke with a clear, deep voice that made her blood run cold. ''Hmm, and I believed you would be difficult to track down.'' He scoffed arrogantly.
Korra tensed but didn't back down. ''And why did you track me down?'' She couldn't see the expression on his face, hidden in shadow because of his hood, but the faint laugh he emitted gave her a good indication of where things were going. ''I'm giving you a warning. Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of!''
''Or what?''
She narrowed her eyes and took a strong stance. ''The last time someone emerged from a portal and wanted to destroy me, it didn't end well for them!''
''Are threats all you can offer?'' He muttered with dark charm and casualness slithering from his tone. He took one step forward.
Korra took a step back. ''So, have you come to destroy me?'' She questioned. Her foe didn't answer, angering her further. ''Why?''
''Why not?''
''That's not the answer I'm looking for!''
''What is the answer you are looking for?''
''The one where you start making sense and explaining why you've come here to destroy me?''
The figure lowered his head and threw himself into another fit of deranged laughter. ''What makes you think I would tell you the reason for why I must destroy you?''
''I like to know who my enemy is!''
''Well, I prefer to be kept in the shadows.''
''Really? I couldn't tell while you were hiding under that shadowy cloak!'' She shouted back sarcastically. ''And what was with the light show around the portal? Was that just a scare tactic?''
''Oh no,'' He responded amusingly. ''If I wanted to really scare you, I would do this!'' His arms swiftly emerged from underneath his cloak, revealing them whilst still keeping the rest of his being hidden, however, it was the sight of his arms that made Korra gasp in shock. Instead of human skin or an astral body, the figure's arms were made entirely out of ice, sculpted to be humanoid but covered in jagged edges. He crushed his hands into the ground, which froze over faster than Korra could blink. She was lucky to react in time and avoid the sheet of ice that spread far and wide by leaping forward. The icy frost was so cold, that it caused Goosebumps to form over her brown skin. She looked back to see the ice still encompassing the ground. Her attentions were turned back to her opponent, who stared back at her. ''Are you scared now, Avatar?''
Still taken back by this surprising move, Korra stuttered to find a response. ''You're…you're a bender?''
''In a manner of speaking.''
The rage she felt at him for always dodging her questions was overwhelmed by the sudden panic of seeing him shroud a good thousand yards in a blanket of ice. His frozen limbs were huge, practically as large as his own body. It was inhuman that he didn't topple under the weight. This person was going to cause a real threat, and he was proud to demonstrate that power to her. The thought of this individual using his bending abilities on someone she loved sent her protective instincts into overdrive. She stood tall with clenched fists and sparks flickering from between her knuckles. ''I'm giving you one final chance! Back down now, or I'll force you to stop!''
Overcome with adrenaline, strong winds gushed from Korra. The air currents howled and thrashed around the area, threatening to blow away anything or anyone in range. However, the figure didn't budge, as his cloak flapped in the wind, but didn't blow away nor reveal his still hidden face. ''You still think you're the most powerful being? That you can tell me what to do?''
''Who are you?'' Korra yelled.
''I don't like to reveal too much. But nothing would bring me greater pleasure than watching your life slip away and hear my name in your last, dying breath. So I'll at least give you that. My name…is Shǔ!''
Korra held her ground as Shǔ came charging at her with blinding speed. The Avatar remained patient, not wanting to throw herself into the confrontation and get caught off-guard. Small blades of fire pieced out of the cracks of her hand, ready to defend herself for whatever this new foe was going to throw at her.
Before he got too close, Shǔ leapt high into the air, reaching incredible levels before striking his frozen arms forward, and shoot a huge jet of thundering water towards her. Korra acted quickly and used the wind to jump out of the way of the water blast, which instantly froze upon contact with the ground. She rolled along the ground and whipped her leg around, sending a lash of fire in his direction.
Shǔ dived back down into the ground, dodging the fiery attack. His fall left a big impact on the ground, but he appeared unfazed and attacked Korra once more. He jabbed his arms quickly, blasting sharp, icy daggers at her. Korra's body movement was precise and smooth, evading every dagger that headed her way. However, the Waterbender was managing to push her back.
As he kept firing more frozen torpedoes, he stomped his foot into the ground, causing pillars of ice to jut up one after the other in her direction. Needing to push back, Korra jumped into the air and spun her body with her arms outstretched. A wall of solid rock burst from underneath the ice and crashed through all the icy pillars. Still hanging in the air, Korra ignited jets of flames from the palms of her hands and soared towards Shǔ.
It took him a moment to find her gliding in the air in his direction, but once Shǔ spotted her, he waved his arms with the fluidity of a master artist, and the ice upon the ground turned to liquid and a torrent of water was thrown at Korra. She saw the attack coming but didn't have much time to react. She stopped the fire in her hands and tried to blow a gust of wind from her feet to leap over the current, but it was too late.
Korra was hit hard, and thrown to the ground under the heavy weight of the watery projectile. Her body felt woozy and shaken from the impact, however, she was running on adrenaline and didn't pause for a second. A shadow formed over her, and Korra looked up to see Shǔ directly above her. His arm resembled a large blade ready to end this fight.
He stabbed at her, luckily, Korra manoeuvred out of the way only by a few inches as his sharp, frozen arm plummeted into the ground. Korra hissed in pain, feeling a stinging cut across her waist. She couldn't afford to waste this opportunity though, and quickly grabbed his arm with her own, holding him down. Shǔ tried to pull himself out of her grasp, but her strength held him in place for now. He struck his knee at her from close range, which she blocked with her other arm.
Now that she had him right where she needed him, she leant back and pressed both her feet against his body. She heard him gasp for breath for a quick moment, realising he had been caught out. He could only watch as flames emerged from beneath her feet, feeling the surging heat before he was knocked by with incredible force by the Avatar's fire bending.
Shǔ bounced and skidded along the ground, gradually forcing himself back onto his feet. Meanwhile, Korra hopped back up and stared down her wounded opponent. ''You can stop this fight before I really have to hurt you!''
There was a moment of silence. Korra wasn't sure whether she had seriously hurt him, or if he was just faking it to lure her in, so she waited. It was only when he stood tall with his back straightened and facing away from her that she realised his hood has fallen. The distance didn't help matters, but she could make out that Shǔ back head was thick with dark grey hair. He folded the hood back over his head before turning to face her once more, his identity once again hidden from her sight. His clothing was partially charred and faltering from the last attack, but if his tone was anything to go by, he didn't want to quit. ''Is that all you've got?''
Korra gritted her teeth, her breathing grew heavier and her attacks didn't seem to be having any effect. There was the option of going into the Avatar State, though she didn't want to use her trump card just yet, not until she had some solid answers from him. ''What could you possibly gain from destroying me?''
''You really think I would tell you? You are a slow learner!'' He mocked.
''Yeah, I've been told that before.'' Korra shot back. ''But no one goes after the Avatar just for kicks like you do, so I want to know what your plan behind all this is!''
Shǔ was still and unresponsive this time. Korra thought that maybe this meant he was finally going to give her some useful information. The hooded Waterbender raised his arms in a defensive stance. ''You have no idea what's coming, do you?''
''Maybe I would have a better idea if you'd start making more sense!'' She shouted at him irritably.
Shǔ lowered his arms and leant down before becoming still, like a predator ready to hunt its prey. ''Do you think that being the Avatar makes you the most powerful? You couldn't even begin to comprehend what lies beyond.''
''Beyond what?'' She asked inquisitively.
As soon her question was asked, Shǔ sprinted towards her. Korra readied herself for another brawl and considered bringing out the Avatar State while she had the chance. Then she felt something, a feeling of familiarity rush over her, and just as soon as she worked out what it was, Shǔ was astounded to see the ground melt away and explode into a river of lava.
He halted before he got too close, unsure of what to make of this surprising move. Upon coming to a stop, a cord of metal wrapped around his arm and pulled his limb, leaving him off balance and unaware of the second metal cord that entangled his other arm. He struggled to break free, while the river of lava expanded and circled around him.
Korra turned and couldn't be happier to see Lin and the Republic City Police Force arriving on the scene to help out, along with Bolin who focused on lava bending to keep Shǔ in place. The two Metalbenders who fired their weapons upon Shǔ did their best to keep hold of him.
However, the moment of triumph was short-lived. Shǔ laughed confidently flexed his arms, causing ice to ensnare the metal cords and flow along the cables towards the Metalbenders. It hit them before they realised what was happening, as the ice not only reached the equipment attached to their arms but also quickly enveloped their hands with ice. Their arms turned numb and they cried with pain as the extreme coldness swept over them.
Thinking quickly, Lin took out two small knives from one of her pockets and aimed them both at each icy cable, cutting them both and separating Shǔ's connection to the officers. With everyone momentarily distracted, Shǔ used what remained of the ice that hadn't been thawed by the lava yet to create a tsunami of water and used it to escape around Korra.
Lin noticed the route Shǔ was taken and leapt into action. ''Oh no you don't!'' She cried out and used a metal cable to hoist herself into the air after the Waterbender. She swung around and tried to kick at Shǔ whilst in the air, however, he created a slide of ice along the construction crane next to them, and avoided her interception, skating down and away from her. Lin made one last-ditch move to catch him. After settling on the side of the building she swung on, she turned and fired her other metal cord at him. But Shǔ spun around and grabbed the metal cord, freezing it instantly and causing the ice to shoot up the cable like with the Metalbenders a moment ago. Not falling for the same trick again, Lin quickly disassembled the gear on her hand, breaking it into pieces and cutting her connection from him.
This did nothing to slow down Shǔ, who continued to make a pathway of ice to skim across, gliding down the city streets towards the Republic City Bay. He was making his retreat knowing that he was now outnumbered. Korra couldn't afford to let him get away, not when there was still so much more she needed to know. It was all or nothing now…she went into the Avatar State.
A hurricane of wind ascended upon her, lifting her into the air as a golden and white aura surrounded her body. Everyone was nearly blown back off their feet as Korra rocketed after Shǔ. Bolin did his best to help by creating a wall in the middle of the street in front of Shǔ. The hooded Waterbender created a rising hill of ice and flew over the wall. ''Are you serious?'' Bolin cried out in frustration.
This did give Korra an extra few seconds, as the empowered Avatar slowly caught up with the escapee. Shǔ did his best to slide and skate through the city as fast as possible, leaving pillars and jagged cliffs of ice behind him to block her path, but Korra easily smashed through everything he threw at her. Nothing was going to stop her, so all Shǔ could hope for was that he reached the ocean before she caught up.
He finally had the ocean in his sights, just a few hundred yards in front of him, and blocked off by a few more police vehicles and officers, including Mako. He and the others on the street watched on with awe and uncertainty as the saw Korra and the assailant Asami had warned everyone about heading towards them. Mako noticed that the individual was a Waterbender, and he didn't need to be a detective to know what he was after. ''Don't let him reach the water!'' He called out to the other officers.
Each of them unleashed a wave of metal, earth and fire in the hopes of stopping him in his tracks. But Shǔ dodged each and everyone with ease, at this point, it seemed as if he was showing in a vain attempt to cover for his running away. Even Mako threw a blast of fire towards the Waterbender. Shǔ made it over the flames and made a descending dive for the ocean bay. Mako quickly turned and tried to use his other arm, his right one, to throw another wave of fire to stop him. Suddenly, an intense rush of pain surged through his arm, causing him to buckle and for his arm to go numb.
Shǔ dove into the water.
Korra darted over the officers along the bay and dropped down under the sea current, the water flowed around her like it was now a part of her. Even under the cover of night, she could see clearly within the seawater…and Shǔ was already long gone. There was barely a trace of where he had swum. There was no point in continuing the chase now.
However, Korra thought that the least she could do was track him down to find where he was going. She burst through the surface of the water and landed back on solid ground. Placing her hand on the ground, she tried to sense any kind of energy that Shǔ would have left…but there was nothing. Yet again, there was no trace of his whereabouts. It was like he was disconnected from the Earth, leaving her unable to sense him.
Korra's body relaxed and the energy she had released slipped away. The glow around her body slowly disappeared. Her breathing was ragged, and her body felt tense and sore. A group of officers rushed to her side. ''I'm fine. Was anyone else hurt?''
''No,'' An officer replied. ''It seemed that all this person cared about was escaping as quickly as possible.''
Korra smiled weakly. ''At least that's one bit of good news,'' She turned her gaze towards Mako, who was walking towards her while holding his arm. ''Are you okay?''
''Is it that arm again?'' She gestured towards his scarred hand, shaking despite his best efforts to hide it.
''Yeah, but don't worry, it was just a slip-up.'' He tried to assure her, though she wasn't fully convinced. Wanting to change the subject, Mako looked out towards the sea. ''So he got away?''
''Yeah. This guy is really skilled to be able to reach such a distance before I could catch up with him.''
''Who was he?'' Mako asked.
Her eyes wandered for a bit as if searching for some kind of answer that would help shed a light on this situation. ''To be honest…I don't know.''
''This is an outrage!'' President Raiko yelled at the top of his voice and slammed a fist on the table. ''How could someone this dangerous have emerged from the portal so close to a gathering of at least half the world leaders under one roof unnoticed? Why didn't the spirits warn us?''
Korra leant forward, unable to contain her animosity at Raiko's tone. ''They did warn me! They told me about someone coming to destroy me, but I stayed to make sure I held him back while Asami warned everyone else.''
''Korra, please,'' Tenzin called out in an attempt to calm her down. Though she was willing to argue with Raiko all night if she had too, she couldn't utter a harsh word towards her old mentor, and instead decided to pout and slouch back on her seat.
Sitting around the large table within one of Raiko's offices were a number of the world leaders who had attended Asami's party, including Korra's father Tonraq, Firelord Izumi, and a representative from the Earth State. Lin, Mako and a few other officers stood guard further away from the leaders and their heated debate, listening in but also keeping a watchful eye on the windows and doors in case of another surprise visit.
Raiko rubbed his chin tensely and sighed. ''I'm just concerned that a Waterbender, with the amount of skill and power described by Avatar Korra, was able to freely walk out of the spirit portal and nearly freeze the city.''
Tenzin nodded. ''I do agree. Whoever this Shǔ is cannot be underestimated. He may have retreated for now, but that doesn't mean he may not strike again. Precautions must be taken to ensure the safety of civilians to Republic City, and other cities and states close by.''
The Earth State representative spoke up next. ''I've already forwarded on a message to Prime Minister Takahata. He will send word out across the Earth State about Shǔ.''
''I've also notified my people in the Southern Water Tribe,'' Tonraq said. ''As well as sent word to Eska and Desna in the North.''
Izumi cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. ''We should also think about spreading news to any independent states. Shǔ may want to hide somewhere secluded and out of our reach. And the fact we don't even have a face to place with his name doesn't help matters.'' She exhaled heavily through her nose and then offered a sympathetic look towards Korra. ''Though it pains me to say it seems you're the one he's after.''
''Seems that way,'' Korra mumbled with a defeated tone.
''Was there anything else he said?'' Tonraq inquired.
''Nothing that made sense out of context. He just kept rambling on about how he was going to destroy me, and that I wasn't the most powerful being anymore. Do you think he might be Red Lotus? Or something else?''
''Hmm,'' Tenzin hummed hopelessly. ''Unfortunately, until we know more about him, all we can do at the moment is guess and theorise, and that won't get us far.''
Before any of the other leaders could say their piece, Mako stepped forward. ''Excuse me, sir's, ma'am's…ma'am and's…misses…no…'' He stumbled over and over trying to address the ladies of power correctly. Before long, Lin nudged him in the back with her elbow, causing him to grunt and stop mid-sentence. Korra had to hide an amused grin behind her hand. Eventually, Mako got out what he needed to say. ''It might be a long shot, but we could start with a search within the North and South Water Tribes.''
''Why?'' Izumi asked interestedly.
''Shǔ emerged from a spirit portal, and the only other two spirit portals in the world are in the North and South, lands where the vast majority are Waterbenders. We could investigate there and hopefully find something. A relative or friend that may know something.''
''You're right, it's a long shot,'' Raiko said. ''Not to mention it's out of your jurisdiction to have an investigation outside of Republic City.''
''But it is a start,'' Tonraq stated. ''I will send another message to the North, and I'll return to the South to investigate and the moment I find something I will let you know. Thank you for the idea, Mako.'' Tonraq said to him.
''Uh, you're welcome…sir,'' Mako replied back awkwardly.
''It's settled then,'' Raiko declared. ''Hopefully, we'll be able to apprehend this attacker as soon as possible.''
Everyone nodded in agreement. While Korra didn't agree with Raiko all the time, this was one of those occasions where they were on the same page with what had to be done. Her hand slowly moved to rub over the new cut across her waist. Thankfully she had a medical team check it beforehand, and nothing appeared to be damaged, though that didn't mean the harsh pain wasn't present.
Firelord Izumi rose from her seat. ''I will return to the Fire Nation and help mount a search there. If there are any troubles that arrive on Republic City's shores, General Iroh will arrive as soon as possible.''
Korra stared at the carpeted floor with her chin resting against her entwined knuckles, fiddling her fingers nervously and unable to relax on the comfortable davenport. After the council talk, she needed a moment to be with her friends and clear her head. Despite Bolin's position in the United Nations Forces, and Asami being the head of Future Industries, they were barred from the meeting, much to Korra's dissatisfaction.
She bit her lip, threatening to throw herself into some kind of verbal outburst, but kept herself in check as Asami sat next to her, holding her hand and resting her head against Korra's shoulder. The soothing sound and feel of her girlfriend's soft breath were enough to calm the fuming Avatar. Next to them, Mako conversed with Bolin over what had happened and what the world leaders talked about.
''Is that really the best idea? Splitting up?'' Bolin questioned. ''I mean wouldn't it be better if we all stuck together and watched each other's backs?''
''I think Izumi's thinking about keeping the other Nations in check and making sure we're covering as much ground as possible. If this guy attacks again, and all the world leaders are caught in the crossfire at the same time, it would end badly for us.''
''Pretty grim when you put it like that.'' Bolin expressed.
''It's the truth! We have two officers in infirmary with a severe case of frostbite because of Shǔ. They'll be okay, but if Lin hadn't reacted as quickly as she did…'' Mako paused, finding it difficult to utter out loud the possible outcome. Subtly, he grasped his scarred arm, holding it close to his body.
Finally, Korra looked up when her father walked into the room. She lifted herself off from the settee and walked towards him, a look of worry plastered over both their faces. They hugged tightly. ''Please be safe,'' Korra whispered to him.
Tonraq smiled as they separated and he placed a supportive hand on his daughter's shoulder. ''I should be the one saying that to you since you're the one…'' The words seemed to clench in his throat, as his look of worry returned. ''You're the one this madman is after! I know you're the Avatar and you are fully capable of protecting yourself…but, as a father, I do still worry…''
''It's okay.'' Korra smiled at him. ''Tell mum I said hi!''
''Of course,'' He said. His gaze then shifted over towards Asami. ''Take care of my little girl.''
''I will.'' She said determinedly. A second later, her face relaxed and a shy smile took form. ''And…tell Senna I said hi too?''
Tonraq nodded gratefully at Asami, before giving Korra one last look that meant only one obvious thing…stay safe. He patted her shoulder, his fingers lingering protectively for a few extra seconds before taking his leave. Once the doors had closed, Korra let out a quiet sigh and her heart grew heavy. Things were eased for her when she felt Asami's hand collect her own and hold it tenderly in support.
Mako rubbed the back of his neck. ''I just hope my theory is right.''
Korra turned to face the detective. ''You really think he could have used the other spirit portals to get to Republic City?''
''He must have. He can't be a spirit because of the way he could bend water, the only other ways into the Spirit World are the two portals in the North and South Pole.''
''I'm sorry,'' Bolin interrupted. ''I still think splitting up is a bad idea. It leaves the world leaders all open for an attack.''
''But I'm the one he's after,'' Korra said. ''That was about the only thing he confirmed for me. Things would be so much easier if I just got a look at his face.''
''You did the best you could,'' Asami said to her.
The industrialist remained uncharacteristically quiet until now, and Korra knew that this meant something was on Asami's mind and troubling her. ''What are you thinking?''
''There's something about his escape that bothers me. Why didn't he use the spirit portal to escape? Why did he go through all that effort to reach the ocean when he had an easier way out?''
''That...'' Mako started, but stopped mid-sentence, allowing the question to rattle in his brain and give him time to ponder. ''That is a good question.''
Asami continued. ''The only reason he would do something like that was if he had no reason to return to the spirit world and remain here, in the physical world.''
''But he does have a reason, to come after me!'' Korra stated. However, now that Asami had brought up this valid point, she couldn't help but wonder if there was something else at play here. Shǔ didn't give her a lot to go on and kept things pretty secretive from her. That little detail gave her something else to go on. ''He's after me, that much is certain. But...what if he's also after something else? Something he can only find in the physical world?''
''Like the world leaders?'' Bolin suggested.
''No, if he wanted to go after them he would have at least tried,'' Asami answered.
Korra's eyes shot open and she smacked her forehead. ''Ah, why didn't I do this earlier?''
''Do what?'' Her girlfriend asked.
''Well, if Shǔ is in the physical world, then I can just meditate into the spirit world and find answers there. We won't have to wait for any word back from the Water Tribes.''
''Are you sure that would work?'' Mako inquired.
''Maybe,'' The Avatar said unconvincingly with a shrug of her shoulders. ''One spirit I knew seemed to have a good idea of who he was. I could find someone who might have answers about who Shǔ is and what else he could be after.''
Korra didn't give much time for the others to respond or even convince her of another strategy before settling on the floor and folding her legs to assume a meditation position. Bolin kneeled down until he was eye level with her. ''Hold on, let's back up for a moment. Say Shǔ, conveniently, find a nice secluded and relaxing spot somewhere and decides this would be a nice time to meditate into the Spirit World, and you two face each other, what then?''
There was a moment of hesitation from Korra. Bolin wasn't wrong about there being the possibility of Shǔ entering the spirit world once again to find her. However, if he really was after something else, then Korra had to take that chance and use up the little time they might have to find any answers. ''I'll be fine,'' She assured him, as well as Asami and Mako. ''If he's going to meditate into the Spirit World, then his bending won't work either. I'm sure I can handle him if it comes to that.''
''We'll watch over you in case something happens,'' Asami said and placed a tender hand on Korra's shoulder, who gratefully accepted it and grasped back with her own hand, holding on for a little longer. If things went smoothly for once, Korra could just go in and hopefully get answers from the first spirit she comes across. But with Team Avatar, things never run smoothly.
''Uh...guys?'' Mako said in a bemused tone.
Before Korra could ask what was wrong, she noticed that they had someone new with them in the room. Standing in front of Korra was the small, green leaf spirit that had warned her about Shǔ before, appearing out of nowhere. ''You?''
''Hi Avatar.'' The spirit greeted kindly.
''Aww, he's so adorable!'' Bolin gushed.
''Thank you.'' The spirit said to Bolin before turning its attention back towards Korra. ''I've come to give me a message.''
''A message? Does it have something to do with Shǔ?''
Its little body waddled and head gazed around the room. ''Hmm, kind of.'' The spirit muttered, avoiding the question. ''It's more to do with Jinora...
''Jinora?'' Team Avatar gasped simultaneously, causing the spirit to jump back a bit with shock. ''Is she okay? We haven't seen her all night!'' Korra said frantically.
''Oh, that's because she's on a special mission somewhere else. She would have liked to talk with you herself, but she couldn't, so she sent me instead.''
Korra didn't know what to find more disbelieving, the spirit's casualness over this whole thing when only a few hours ago it was scared to death, or that Jinora was off somewhere without telling anyway. ''Special mission? What does that mean?''
''That's the message she wanted me to leave. She says that bad things are going to happen, and the Spirit World is where it seems to be coming from. And if it isn't stopped soon, both worlds could be in great danger. So she went off to find answers that will help you since she's not so sure herself.''
''Well...is she in the spirit world now? I can meet her there and...''
''No!'' The spirit shouted back. ''That was another thing Jinora wanted me to tell you. You cannot go into the spirit world!''
''What? Why not? If she's alone or in danger then I have to help.''
''She's not alone, she's with her boyfriend.''
Bolin leant forward. ''Kai is with her too?''
The spirit nodded. ''She's fine at the moment. It's you who would be in danger if you went into the Spirit World. There's more to Shǔ then just wanting to destroy you, and Jinora is going to find out what, and she'll return home when she can. Tell her family that she misses them, but she'll be back before they miss her, and...'' The spirit stopped and looked away, deep in thought and chewing on the tip of its little stubby hand. ''Oh yeah, she also wanted to wish Asami a happy birthday, and she's sorry she couldn't come to the party.''
''No, wait,'' Korra pleased, but it was too late as the spirit was already starting to fade away before her eyes.
''I'll tell Jinora you got her message. Remember, don't go into the Spirit World, no matter what.'' Its words faded into a quiet echo and left Team Avatar alone once again, now more puzzled than ever.
''Well, that just happened,'' Bolin mumbled. ''What do we do now?''
''I don't know what we can do!'' Mako replied. ''We have no idea where Jinora and Kai could be, or how they plan to find out more about Shǔ.''
Korra's sight remained transfixed on where the spirit stood. ''Why would she go off on her own?''
Picking up on Korra's dejected tone, Asami leant down and held her comfortingly. ''We'll find her. And don't worry, Jinora and Kai are incredible Airbenders, they'll look out for each other.''
For the first time, Asami's helpful and comforting words were having no effect on Korra. She was too caught up in all this madness with a new foe, a new threat and Jinora possibly in grave danger, despite what the little spirit had told her. She was like family to her, she needed to know if she was alright, and she couldn't just rely on a messenger to keep her updated. Then it occurred to her, why would Jinora need a messenger? She's shown that she could use her astral projection to contact with Korra from practically anywhere in either the Spirit of Physical world, what was keeping her from coming to see them.
It didn't take long for a theory to come to her, and it was one that she dreaded above all others, one that made her racing heart stop. ''Oh no.''
''What?'' Asami asked, quickly noticing the fear plastered on Korra's face.
''We think that Shǔ might be after something else other than me? What if that something was a someone?''
Now, the fear had transferred to the others once they picked up on what she was suggested. ''You don't mean...'' Bolin started.
''Shǔ is going after Jinora!''
To Be Continued...
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