Note:
Hey, everyone! It's been a very long time, hasn't it? I'm sorry for my absence, but I am back. I just needed to finish my school with decent grades, so that was my main focus, which unfortunately pointed towards me not being able to update my fic. I'm back, now, so don't worry. I plan on updating once every one or two weeks at the moment! I'm sorry, but this chapter is a bit dull and dark (in my opinion), but it is needed in order to move the story onward. A big thanks our magical iterdei! Always and forever will be the best! I now shall leave you to go read :) Enjoy.
Warning: VIOLENCE! (people get beat up at the end :s) It's a bit graphic...
Korra was greeted by the early morning sprinkle of a light layer of snow. Snowflakes floated down to the ground around her as she trudged through the neighborhood's blocks. At this moment, she'd regretted not bringing her traditional Water Tribe parka, but there was no turning back. Plus, she was from the South! This shouldn't make her cold; a light layer of snow is nothing, isn't it? In the South, it would probably be storming right now, and there would be a chance she'd be caught up in a giant snow storm for the next day. However, in Republic City there was nothing even close to being as threatening as a vicious Southern snow blizzard. Everything here seemed to be lighter, calmer, more subtle. Korra just couldn't put her finger on it.
Maybe you are growing more close to the city after all; although, it isn't quite home. It never will be like the South. Yeah, it snows, but nothing like it does in the South. The Water Tribe girl just shrugged off her thoughts. It didn't matter anymore. She just continued traveling through the neighborhood streets, off to Raava knows where.
As the Water Tribe girl trudged through the streets, the temperature had started to drop, causing her to start shivering. Stop s-sh-sh-shiverr-ing y-you weak-a-ass S-Southern-er. The alpha tried shaking off the stinging of her face, but the cold chill of the air around her kept fighting back against her skin. It felt as if needles were puncturing her nose and cheeks. Another subtle breeze raced by, causing a few snowflakes to be cast into a different course. They collided with the Water Tribe girl's face, and Korra only buried herself into the warmth of her navy blue hoodie. She wanted to pull her beanie down further to protect her against the harsh razors of the snowflakes, but she didn't want to risk losing any heat that she'd conserved over the past twenty minutes. F-fuck it... She unbundled her arms from her pockets and quickly reached to the rims of her beanie and tugged them down. A harsh gust of wind then rushed straight to her chest, and the alpha immediately retreated her arms back into her hoodie's front pocket. T-t-thaaa-t w-wasn-t wor-th it-t-t. Her teeth started to clack as she shivered more, walking onward down the empty streets of her neighborhood.
W-wh-y are y-ou d-doin-g t-this a-g-g-ain? To g-get on-n wi-thhh life? T-to g-g-get ov-er h-her? Korra only blankly stared at her shuffling feet, thinking why this was actually a good idea. Sh-shu-t uppp. I-t-t is a good-d i-de-a b-b-bec-ause n-no one n-eeds y-you any-more. Y-ou d-on-t neeeeed-d th-em.
The breezes suddenly picked up, and Korra found herself battling the wind for balance. The Southerner had forgotten that a storm was approaching and that it was supposed to hit the whole city in a couple of days, if not tomorrow. Right now the signs were showing that there would in fact be a decent sized blizzard, probably the biggest there would be in the whole year. Of course Korra was going to be caught in the middle of it all, but she didn't care. B-bec-ause y-you c-can han-dle t-this your-selfff. Y-you d-don-t n-need an-y-one.
She had been trudging through the cold for the past hour. The weather had become more harsh; winds had picked up, the temperature had dropped a few more degrees, and snowflakes were constantly piercing against Korra's skin. Her face was stinging by the time she reached the train station, and her jacket was damp with melted flakes. Once she entered the lobby, a welcoming warmth of heat rushed over her. The alpha shivered with delight as the heat of the air washed over her face, causing the stinging in her cheeks and nose to dull down to a numbing throb. As she caught her breath in the corner of the lobby, she couldn't help but notice the young man behind the desk hiding a grin, while his eyes were set on her. She adjusted her eyes to meet his, and almost instantly, he retreated his stare back down to the paperwork behind the counter. Korra let out a huff and pulled her stare back at her feet.
Minutes later, the alpha found herself approaching the front desk for a ticket, which happened to be the one with the young man. The Southerner made no attempt to gain any sort of contact with the worker. She only quietly murmured she needed a ticket to the heart of the city, still not even engaging in eye contact with him.
"One ticket for the pretty lady in the blue," the young man behind the counter replied, handing the Southerner a ticket with a wide smile covering his whole face.
"Thanks," Korra replied in a muted tone. Her eyes were quiet, tired, and lost. Their glimmer was gone due to her lack of emotion—ever since she'd left her. The alpha gave the man a weak simper, then returned to the seating area.
Having found an isolated bench in the corner of the lobby, the Water Tribe girl sat motionless on the seat. She finally shifted and tried reaching into her pocket for her phone to check the time, but the Water Tribe girl was reminded she had left it at home. They couldn't contact her or track her, and it was a good thing—she didn't want them to know anything.
Annoyed at the fact she had no way of looking at the time, Korra glanced around the lobby for a clock. It read 2:25 in the morning. "Only a few more minutes," the Southerner huffed impatiently and crossed her arms. Back to sitting here and doing nothing...
It wasn't until the train to the city was announced to arrive in a minute did the alpha actually move again. With lazy, meaningless movements, Korra arose from the bench and trudged across the lobby to the exit. She stuffed her bare hands into her jacket pockets and braced herself for the upcoming chill that would once again strike against her, stinging every inch of her flesh that was exposed.
As anticipated, there was a freezing breeze that whipped against the Southerner, but the small snowflakes created that prickling feeling, almost as if microscopic blades were being brushed against her skin. Her whole face had numbed, while she hobbled over to the edge of the platform. The wait for the train seemed to be forever because of the harsh weather conditions. H-h-urr-y up t-trai-n! Shivering almost as if she were vibrating in place, the alpha huffed out a breath as she waited for the train. The front light of the vehicle finally blasted through the thick fog, and Korra prepared to launch herself into the cabin as soon as the doors would open. The train approached, and its doors opened, allowing for the Water Tribe girl to leap inside and retreat from the harsh cold of outside.
Korra found herself out of breath, as she sunk deep into a seat she'd found in the back. The Southerner tried regaining any warmth she could generate and had hunkered into a ball. Even in her damp clothes, the alpha found herself regaining some heat, enabling her to actually concentrate on something other than trying to find a way to warm up.
For a 2:30am train ride, Korra was surprised to look up from her feet and find two other passengers in the cart with her. It was strange to find someone else there at this time in the morning; it was way too early to be going to work, unless they both had to endure a three hour ride every day to their jobs. The thought to the Southerner was absurd, but then again, it was Republic City—a city home to crazy people with ridiculous customs, like going to work at two in the morning or starting school at 7am.
The Water Tribe girl sunk further into her seat in the corner of the train, deciding not to question why other people were actually traveling at this time. Hey, just look at yourself. You're on the train at two in the morning, and look what you have to say for yourself. Running away. Maybe that girl over there is doing the same. And that older man in front of her, also. Both running away from responsibilities or maybe even someone. She laughed at that last thought. They probably aren't; you're just that bad that you have to run away from everything like a coward. You feel sad. Run away. You feel useless. Run away. You feel empty wherever and whatever you do. Run the fuck away like a scared little rabbitmouse. That's all you do, and you'll never find an omega because of it. No omega wants to be with a sensitive alpha. A deep growl ran up the Southerner's throat at the thought of her own cowardice; even she couldn't stand herself in this situation. What alpha runs away? Alphas were made to fight for their families until the last breath, yet Korra couldn't even handle her own emotions. Worst alpha in existence.
The train slowed to a stop at Central Republic City Station, and both the man and girl exited. Fuck it, I'm gonna go to the last stop and get as far away from everyone as possible. I've hurt them too much, and they don't need me there to injure them more. The alpha huffed, still remaining in her seat as the train doors sealed shut. It was just the girl and Southerner that remained in the silence of the cart. The train started to pick up its speed again, leaving the central part of the city behind. Korra was now headed downtown, which would be the next stop, the last stop.
There was a haze that had crept over her during the ride to Downtown Republic City. She had been enveloped in a timeless daydream about her suffering. That pang of guilt, that heavy ton of sorrow, the vast emptiness of depression; there were so many feelings the Southerner couldn't quite make out. They all felt so heavy, yet she felt so empty. It was something unexplainable.
The conductor's voice suddenly sounded from the speakers in the cart: "Alright, this is the last stop, so everyone is required to exit the train. Thank you for riding this morning and have a good day."
Korra had no urge to move from her seat other than the want to flee farther away from all the people she'd hurt. I guess the farther I go, the better it will be for them. She let out a deep sigh, before pulling herself from the seat. With only her backpack, she left the train cart, walking straight towards the exit of the station, not looking back.
Her destination was set to the Grand Republic City Station where she could take a train across the Earth Kingdom and find a way to start her life over. She hadn't planned much out, but as she shuffled through the streets of Downtown Republic City in the blazing blizzard, she sorted out ideas. The Southerner could live in the Earth Kingdom for a while, rack up some money, then leave for the South. Korra missed the South; she missed the never ending winters, the crisp, clean air, and most of all, the communities there. Her old tribe had been her family and to have that taken away from her drained the Water Tribe girl. She'd been on the last bit of her sanity until everything just pushed her over the edge—adapting to new things, school, family issues, friends sometimes, and most of all, Opal.
Through her clacking teeth, Korra managed to softly whimper the omega's name, "Opal."
The alpha wanted to cry, but there was no energy left in her to even generate a single tear. Her body seemed to be on autopilot as she trudged through the building layers of snow. Something in the Southerner told her not to stop until she reached the station, yet her whole body was screaming for her to quit her mission and find somewhere dry and warm to settle.
"No, I m-mu-st k-k-kee-p m-ov-ing. I ca-n g-get thr-ough t-this," she mumbled to herself.
Snowflakes started covering Korra's face, and they stuck to her cheeks like glue, then burned into her skin as they melted. Her breaths were shaky and deep; it seemed as if she couldn't ever pull enough oxygen from the air with each inhale. Each step the Southerner took seemed smaller and smaller. J-just one m-ore s-ste-p. Stomp. G-good, n-n-ow an-other o-one. Stomp. A-n-nother. Stomp. An-d a-noth-er.
The Water Tribe girl carried on with this for the next couple of blocks, until she stopped to catch her breath. Korra managed to pull her gaze up from her feet to search the blocks that lay ahead of her, and in the distance, she could make out a bright, orange glint. An amazing amount of smoke arose from over the radiating glint, which drew the Southerner's curiosity. She forced herself to trudge onward up the street towards the strange light.
One block later, the Water Tribe girl could make out a barrel with flames flickering out of it, and there were a few dark figures hovering around the flame. Korra could barely make out the muted sounds of the people around the fire, so she wasn't that far from them. The alpha squinted at the flare of the light because two of the figures seemed to be getting bigger...or closer, she thought. Her eyes shot open as adrenaline started racing through her veins. The realization had hit her abruptly. They definitely weren't some friendly homeless men gathered around a fire to keep warm during the raging storm—they were outcasts, and they were charging straight down the street towards her.
The alpha had already started to turn and flee from them. She stumbled through the dense snow, trying to keep her footing. Her whole body started to burn; every muscle strained with each stride, and she gasped for more air. The Southerner could feel her feet and legs start to go numb because of the cold, but the adrenaline pumping through her blood kept her going. She fought through all the pain and numbness, and she was making it. That's when something caught her by the shoulder and forced her to fall backwards onto the ground.
"Trying to run, huh? Trust me, you won't get away from us."
Korra tried to scurry away from under the man, but he grabbed the collar of her jacket and jerked the Water Tribe girl back. She grunted as the freezing snow washed under her clothes, and she struggled against his grasp. Korra flailed her fists at the man's face, only striking him once, square on the nose.
He grasped the bridge of his nose, and yelled, "fuck! You bitch! Did you just fucking punch me?" The man started to lightly chuckle, then said, "big mistake." A sneer crossed over his frosted face as he raised the hand from his nose. When Korra saw his hand form a firm fist, she sealed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact of a punch. Surely enough, his knuckles bashed into her left cheek. The numbness in her cheek faded, and a sharp, stinging burn covered the whole left side of her face. With a grunt, Korra wiped the feeling of pain from her mind and continued to fight back. She swung and clawed at the man's face and neck, only to land a few scratches and hits on him.
She couldn't fight him, not while she was this weak. Her attempts of breaking away grew weaker, and the man found an opening. He laid another full-powered blow on the same side of her face. Korra yelped as the pain seared through her whole face again.
"Hurts, doesn't it? Why don't you give up now and just let me have your stuff." She threw her arms at him again and attempted to hit his groin with her legs, but he was still too strong for her. "Fine," he huffed with a small grin covering his face, "I guess we'll do this the hard way." His fist raised again, and he pinned her securely onto the snowy ground. Another hit to the face. And another. Korra's vision was fading, and she was incredibly light headed and dizzy. She could barely make out the figure of the man laying over her, and her face started to numb. There was soon no more burning pain, just numbness and some stinging.
"Hey, wake up!" He slapped her across the face, causing the Southerner to jolt somewhat awake. "I'm not done with you yet. Just a little payback before I let you go."
That same fist rose for the last time and was targeted right to the middle of her face. Korra couldn't even find enough energy to try to block or dodge it; she could barely cringe as it flew towards her. A whimper surfaced in her throat, then his hand made contact with her nose. There was a sharp pain for a quick second, then nothing. Absolutely nothing.
