A/N: We are nearing the end of the story and let me tell you – next chapter is gonna be a DOOZY. Begin bracing for impact now. And expect at least one more interlude, because I'm awful.
Reminder that I cannot write fight scenes and will not try because that would bring down the quality of the story
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It had been awful, waiting for Korra to wake up. As upset as he was with her, Bolin didn't want her to get hurt. Physically. Or mentally. A little emotionally, but he was sure he was due that bit of pettiness.
Tides made her report of Korra's rescue and Sands's decision to remain behind while the Avatar had slept.
Sands had not yet returned.
They sat around the table – even Asami, closely monitored and bound in metal as she was – as Korra ate, her elaborate sounds of appreciation the only thing breaking the silence.
"The food's fantastic, Pema, thanks," she said, taking another bite from her roll. "I'm finally starting to feel like myself again."
"It's no problem," Pema replied cheerfully. She was literally the nicest woman Bolin had ever met. "We're just glad to have you back safe." She rose and began gathering the dishes.
"Let me help," Asami offered, grabbing some bowls as well. Bolin saw Mom put a hand on the floor as the heiress followed the Air Acolyte to the kitchen. Ze was still having some trust issues.
"Korra, I realize you've been through an ordeal, but we need to know what happened," Tenzin said. Korra put her food down.
"Well, first off," she said, "Tarrlok isn't who he says he is." Obviously. "He's Yakone's son."
Ok. Gotta be honest, didn't see that one coming. But it made sense. Bolin remembered the story of the bloodbender whose power remained outside the full moon. His ability to take down Korra, his ability to take down all of them, the way his heart had fluctuated at the man's name, it all made sense.
Bolin should've looked into it more! He knew Tarrlok had some kind of connection to Yakone but with all that was happening around them, he didn't think too much of it. What a fool he'd been. Bolin clenched his fists as the conversation continued around him.
"…to Tarrlok?"
"I don't know," Korra said. "Zir Majesty's Elite broke me out before he came back, but one of them – Tides? – said he was on his way back, and Amon was following him."
"According to the report, Tarrlok was captured and his bending removed," Mom interjected. "We don't know where he is now."
"This is very disturbing news," Tenzin pointed out obviously. "Capturing a councilman, likely planning to target Korra as well, Amon is becoming emboldened. He may be entering his endgame."
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Asami washed the dishes. She stood quietly, she made no sudden movements, she studiously passed over anything that could be even slightly construed as a weapon, and she washed the dishes.
"Thank you for helping," Pema said sweetly, handing Asami a plate to put on the drying rack. The older woman didn't even glance at the metal bands encasing Asami's arms.
"It's no problem." Asami didn't have anything else to do. Anything she had offered to help – her mechanical expertise, her fighting expertise, her Hiroshi Sato expertise – Lin rejected. Or rather, Zir Majesty rejected. Asami wasn't sure she was allowed to address the King as 'Lin' anymore.
The King could hold a grudge. Asami knew it. The entire Earth Kingdom knew it. It was spread all throughout the country how ze hadn't spoke to zir sister in twenty-five years. Twenty. Five. Years. Asami used to be impressed by zir ability to cultivate zir rage, but now she found the knowledge depressing. She didn't want to go twenty-five years before she was seen as a person instead of a threat. Even at that moment as she did something as innocent as clean a dish, she could feel the metal around her pulsing, ready to break her at any moment.
"Uhn-AAH!"
"Pema!" The bands tightened as she reached for the other woman. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," Pema said, her face clenched in pain. "Really. The baby is just… kicking. Really hard."
"Are you sure? Should I get Tenzin?"
"Honestly," Pema waved off her concerns and straightened up, "it's nothing. I've done this before, remember. I know when it gets time to start worrying."
"If you're sure…," Asami said uncertainly.
"I'm sure," Pema insisted. "Don't worry, ok?" She looked at Asami like she was trying to send a different message. "Don't worry about this. Everything will be fine." She patted Asami's hand and picked up another plate. Asami stared at her for a moment, then turned back to the sink.
Pema never did get enough credit.
Asami stood quietly, she made no sudden movements, she grabbed a bread knife, and she washed the dishes.
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Lin followed Tenzin into the courtyard. They had done a nice job in the rebuilding, ze noted.
"Lin," Tenzin said hesitantly. "I– I have a-a bit of a… favor to ask of you. And– and I know this could be a potenially… awkward situation, but it would just– it would mean the world to me, if you– if you could…."
"Oh, just spit it out already!" ze ordered, sick of the airbender's stuttering.
"Would you stay here and watch over my family while I meet with the council?" he asked quickly. "With everything that's happening, I want to be sure they're in safe hands."
"Potentially awkward"; what an asshole. Was he putting this on zir? That ze would have a problem protecting a family because they belonged to a man ze was no longer close to? Did he think so little of zir? Well fuck him. Ze'd watch over the family – ze'd watch over the whole damn island! – and Kyoshi help any poor bastard who tried to harm them.
But his wife was on her way – along with their youngest child – and ze wouldn't yell at him in front of his loved ones.
(Which no longer included zir, the lying bastard.)
Ze placed zir hand on his shoulder and said, "Of course I'll help, old friend."
(Did he understand the shot? "Old friend". Did he even still think about it, how they used to be so close? How he'd given zir hope that they could still be that close? How he couldn't even find the spine to tell zir he didn't want to see zir again? Did he remember?)
He smiled at zir, at zir words, like he had any right to be happy about zir's presence.
"I didn't realize you two were out here." Pema entered the courtyard at last, looking suspiciously between the two. Had Tenzin not told her their break up had been mutual? This could be funny.
"Yes, yes, well…. Lin has agreed to stay and… help out while I go see to the council," Tenzin explained, unable to sound guiltier if he'd tried. Idiot.
"Thank you," Pema said woodenly, her eyes not leaving her husband's face. "I could use the extra hands around here." Lin suddenly had a squirming child in zir arms. "Could you give him a bath? He's filthy." Pema swiftly waddled away as Lin held the boy at arm's length.
What? No! She was supposed to punish Tenzin, damn it!
"This is not what I signed on for!" Lin called to the retreating airbender as he climbed on his bison. Lin had a very strict policy on being near children – ages ten and up ONLY.
"Thank you, Lin!" Tenzin called back, ignoring zir struggles. "Oogie, yip-yip!"
Lin turned back to the suspiciously docile boy in zir arms. He was picking his nose. Of course. Ze pulled him closer, studying him carefully. How are you supposed to hold a kid this size?
"I gotta poo!" he announced suddenly. Lin held him at arm's length again. "Really bad." He began making strange faces.
Fuck it.
Lin wrapped him in a cable and carried him away.
I'll get them for this.
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Republic City was under attack. There were bombs and airships and Kyoshi only knew what else being inflicted on the civilians of the mainland and Mom wanted to argue about letting Asami out of zir sight.
"She's not going anywhere without me and I not leaving this island! Ergo, she stays here!"
"Mom, we don't have time to debate this!" Bolin yelled. "She explained herself, she says she wants to help, and she's the best driver we have! Let her prove she's on our side!"
"Bo–"
"As second in command of this operation, I am taking custody of this prisoner!" Bolin declared. "Mako, have a car waiting for us on the mainland! Korra, get the ferry ready! Asami, come with me!" Everyone scattered before Mom could react.
I am so grounded.
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"He is so grounded," Lin muttered to zirself after the teens had rushed away. Ze turned to the people around zir. "Kids! Inside, now! You! Guards!" What are the people in the White Lotus called, again? Eh, who cares. "Spread out, check for any access points the Equalists may exploit! Pair up and stay in shouting distance!"
As the others rushed away, Lin watched zir sons and their friends make their way to the Air Acolytes' boat. There was some rushing around before the boat was untied and they were on their way to the mainland.
Be safe.
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They made it all the way to the mainland without Mom forming an earth bridge and hunting them down. Bolin called it a win. No one protested to his arming Asami with a confiscated Equalist shock glove. He called that a win, too.
"Where to?" Asami asked as she climbed into the driver's seat.
"Police station," Bolin ordered. "We need to coordinate."
"Hold tight, everyone! I'm about to break a lotta traffic laws."
And they were off.
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Things had been going fine. Asami was freeing the captured police personnel, Korra was taking down mecha-tanks by flooding the exhausts, and Bolin was knocking over anything that looked even vaguely threatening.
Then Mako screamed.
He'd been making a nuisance of himself to the mecha-tank drivers, trying to draw some of the attention away from the others. He'd succeeded.
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Asami didn't know what happened. One minute, she was untying Master Tenzin, the next, it was like the world had frozen.
She looked around. Korra stood in shock. Bolin crouched down by a fallen figure. The mecha-tanks were impaled.
She didn't know how it could have been done – the tanks were pure platinum – but each one had been ripped open at the seams, rocks jutting out from the windshields. Asami wasn't sure if the liquid that dripped down was oil or blood. Nothing stirred in the ruins.
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Korra had never seen anything like it. Literally, never.
Bolin had sunk the mecha-tanks.
He had sunk. the. mecha. tanks. And when he'd pulled them up again, they weren't anything anymore. Just piles of scrap metal and broken bones.
She looked at Bolin – so sweet, so cheerful, so very very non-threatening – as he kneeled by Mako's side. Mako was breathing, though shallowly, wary of stretching the lightning burns around his torso. He twitched in his brother's arms. She could hear Bolin whispering, asking him to speak, to see, to stay.
She pulled at the snow and got to work.
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"Everyone, get back inside and remain calm," Lin ordered, watching as the airships tethered to the island.
"AAA-AAHH!"
"Damn it, Pema! What'd I just say!" Ze vaguely heard the oldest – Jinorra? Ze was sure it was Jinorra – ask Pema what was wrong.
"The baby's coming."
Fuuuuuu–
Two acolytes escorted Pema inside as Meelo nonsensically scolded the baby.
"You three! Back inside with your mother! I'll handle this."
Soon, Lin was alone in the courtyard, a last defense for the family. Ze knew Tides was with the White Lotus, waiting to greet the invaders, and hoped the Elite would put a decent dent in their ranks.
Come and get me, motherfuckers.
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So close. Ze'd been so close, then that fucker with the mustache got lucky and caught zir cables on his kali sticks.
Do it, Lin thought as he stood above her theatrically. He probably hoped ze begged. Fuck that. Just a little closer and I'll slice open your legs. There was no time to be nice, anymore. No time to be merciful. Lin would have to start going for the kill. Ze was glad the children wouldn't see this.
"Get away from my dad's ex." She didn't sound angry or demanding. She didn't even yell, really. Jinorra just plopped herself down and batted Mustache away like a bad ass.
"Get off our island!" Equalists toppled in the wake of a small girl on an air scooter. It was hilarious and should not have been happening.
"Girls! Get inside!" Lin ordered, getting up and taking stance again. Ze could take it from there if the kids would just get out of the way.
"Taste my fury!"
"Be careful!"
Lin watched as Meelo took down the rest of the Equalists, no problem.
"…Nevermind."
Maybe ze could make some exceptions to zir ten and up rule. Provided Meelo kept his bodily excretions to himself.
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"Go, be with your wife." As Tenzin went to greet his newest child, Lin wondered if zir sons were ok. Tenzin hadn't mentioned anything about them, so ze assumed the teens had gone to help in a different borough than the man had been in.
Ze eventually followed after the airbenders, watching quietly as the children greeted their new brother. Ze remembered when Mako and Bolin were first introduced to their cousin Wu. Oma and Shu knew Bolin could make friends with anybody, but ze'd thought Mako was going to gag the kid. They'd eventually gotten along, after a lot of sniping and posturing. Ze wondered how the new baby would fit into the established dynamic.
You're gonna live to find out, kid, ze thought. I promise.
Tides rushed into the room. "I hate to ruin the moment, but more airships are coming."
"We have to get all of you out of here. Let's move."
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They got away.
Ze ripped open the airship.
They got away.
Ze jumped across to the next one and began to tear it apart.
They got away.
Tides fought off two Equalists before more arrived and overwhelmed her.
They got away.
They got away.
They got away, ze thought as the airships fell around zir, as Tides fell around zir, as cables flew and grabbed and electrocuted.
They got away….
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"Mom…." Bolin watched as airships crashed and burned, all except for one, which slowly made its way back to Air Temple Island. Clearly, it had sustained some damage. Even as far away as they were, he knew his mother had been one of the benders to bring the ships down, and now, his mother was one of the benders to be captured.
They could try to stage a rescue – he knew all he had to do was suggest it and the others would jump right on board – but he wouldn't. Mako was barely conscious, Bolin had expended too much energy bringing down the mecha-tanks, they couldn't afford for Korra to get captured, and Asami could make a damn good dent in their numbers but she would eventually get re-captured and probably not treated as well as she'd been before.
There was nothing he could do.
I'm sorry, Mom.
"Move out."
"Bolin…."
"I said let's go."
He didn't look back.
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"Before Tenzin left, he told me he'd contacted the United Forces," Asami reported as Korra made her way across a secluded beach she apparently brought Naga to every other day or so. If the polar bear dog didn't respond to her whistle in ten more minutes, Bolin was going to call for them to vacate. "So we just need to lay low and gather intel until reinforcements arrive."
"Sound plan," Bolin agreed. He distantly noted Korra celebrating as Naga swam toward her. "You get to tell Korra."
"I hate you."
"Consider it your punishment for making such terrible life choices."
Mako chucked weakly from the makeshift bed Bolin had sandbent. Not the most comfortable thing, but it kept him upright.
"Shut up, Mako."
Bolin went to get Korra. It was time for them to go.
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It was raining. Of course it was raining, that was how times like these went. It rained. The villain stood dramatically, his minions around him. He lied, and offered a deal he would never stick to; "Tell me where the Avatar is, and I'll let you keep your bending."
As if anyone believed that. He was so dedicated to eradicating bending he literally started a war, but he would just trade for someone he wanted more? Hogbullshit. There was silence, and then he did something even more terrible;
"How about you? Care to make a deal for on your associate's behalf?" he asked the other captive.
"Don't do it!" An Equalist struck out and it was quiet again.
"Fuck. You."
A spine bent back back back, then a touch, then falling.
"My turn, I suppose?" the King said as Tides collapsed onto the stones. She felt her prosthetic leg break apart without her bending holding it in shape.
"Oh no, your majesty," Amon said mockingly. "I have something special for you."
Tides heard the King fall, then nothing.
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A/N: I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter. I don't know why. Also, this is probably the last of Tides. I only did her POV at the end because I wanted to do a fake out where you thought Lin was going to lose zir bending, but as Amon said, I have plans for zir. Originally, I wasn't going to have zir captured, (because Tides would have been the one to jump and would have somehow stopped Lin because Lin has zir sons to think about and also Tides is sort of supposed to put the King's life before her own) but I really fucking love the scene where Lin takes down the airships and wanted to keep it, so this way works too.
Bolin broke the mecha-tanks by burying them, having the earth squeeze through the seams where the bolts were holding it closed, and ripping them open to get to the people inside. Not sure if that's scientifically possible, but they have magic powers so fuck it.
Pema really doesn't get enough credit. I only wish I could have fit her in more.
The second to last scene was added because I realized Naga was still on the island and I couldn't have that. Not that I particularly need her, but Korra would never stand for it. It also presented a convenient time to let Team Avatar know Tenzin had contacted the United Forces.
Next chapter gets really fun. It has some stuff I have been waiting for since I first thought of this fic! Brace yourself, shit's gonna get ugly.
PS. "Turning the Tides", Tides the Elite member. This was not on purpose I only just noticed it oops.