"Korra you're practically bouncing off the walls." Asami chuckled, looking up from her notebook. Korra had been all over Asami's apartment in a caffeine-fueled energy spike, rapidly exploring and investigating every inch of it. The first thing she noticed was that the apartment had a high number of big, open windows which gave the main room an airy feel. Any space not dominated by windows was taken up by crammed, sagging bookcases that carried years of engineering strategies and guides. Korra had looked through a couple but could never follow a paragraph for more than a few sentences. Though she did genuinely enjoy the sketches of machines and engine parts that littered Asami's cluttered desk, firing off a barrage of questions about the ones that grabbed her attention most.
"Engineering really is amazing," Korra said in marvel, "I mean look at all this math and these drawings and those books."
"No more caffeine for Korra," Asami said, "At least not while I'm on a deadline."
"Oh come on! I feel great!" Korra hooted, demonstrating a few one-armed cartwheels to prove her point and accidently knocking over a stack of boxes in the process. She went tumbling down, half of her body buried by the massive stack of cardboard. Something hard knocked Korra right on the head, making her yelp in surprise. A picture frame bounced in her lap. Korra squinted at the yellowing picture of two merry looking people and what appeared to be a much younger Asami.
"Watch out for the lamps," Asami called from her desk, "They're antique."
"No lamps, just some boxes," Korra called back distractedly, eyes still sweeping over the happy family in the picture. If there was one thing Asami never talked about, it was her family. In the many weeks Korra had spent with Asami, she had only mentioned her father, Hiroshi, one time and the woman in the picture had never been mentioned at all. Korra gripped the frame tightly as she heard Asami's footsteps padding over to the scattered catastrophe.
"Oh Korra you've made a mess." Asami said, sounding more amused than annoyed at the mountain of boxes and knick knacks that had rained down on Korra.
"I'll clean it up." Korra said, pushing the boxes off her legs and waist while Asami buried her face back into her work. She began to stuff the spilled papers back into the boxes, not knowing if they were even being sorted correctly.
"For someone on triple the healthy recommendation of caffeine, you've gotten suspiciously quiet." Asami said, eyes still sweeping over her paper full of equations. Korra felt torn but also like she was invading Asami's privacy by looking at the picture. Would Asami be upset if Korra brought up the mysterious parents that she kept so guarded?
"I just-" Korra stumbled, fidgeting with her jacket strings, "Ah- I found this picture and- uh-" She heard Asami's pencil drop.
"Which picture?" Asami asked, her voice sounding slightly higher than usual.
"This one." Korra held it up sheepishly, not wanting to meet Asami's gaze. The picture frame was lifted from Korra's fingers and she looked up to see Asami studying it with a disgusted face. Not just any passing moment of distaste, but full-on hatred. Her green eyes shifted over to the other side and the expression softened.
"This is my mom and dad." She said distantly, "Neither of them are around anymore." The confession was slightly abrupt since Korra didn't think Asami would open up about her somewhat shady past. Whenever it was brought up, Asami always began to kiss Korra roughly to make her shut up. It worked pretty well since her train of thought always got derailed when Asami's lips met her' had so many burning questions that desperately called for answers but she also didn't want to overstep that invisible boundary she always seemed to be teetering on.
"I didn't mean to upset you," Korra mumbled, scritching at the back of her neck, "My curiosity runs wild sometimes." Asami was quiet for a moment before sitting down on the hardwood floor in front of Korra, crossing her legs and handing back the picture frame.
"My mother was killed by gang members." Asami said, not looking at Korra, "They wanted to send a warning to my father so they set part of the estate on fire, thinking it was empty. My mother got trapped in one of the rooms and couldn't save herself." Asami paused and looked at Korra who felt absolutely horrified. Asami's expression was so fragile and gentle, as if she still mourned the mother who was stolen from her. She probably still did.
"Asami," Korra said gently, reaching out and taking one of Asami's hands which had gone clammy.
"My father," She spat venomously, "Is in prison for white collar crimes."
"What kind?" Korra prodded, wanting Asami to know that her ears were always open.
"Embezzlement and fraud," Asami said sourly, "As if he didn't already have enough money collecting dust in the bank. After he got arrested, all that money was seized by the police and I was left to fend on my own."
"Wait so they left you penniless?" Korra said in disbelief.
"Why do you think I've been giving strange men lap dances for the last two years?" Asami said with a weak smile, "I'm determined to get myself through engineering school."
"My mind is reeling." Korra said, still squeezing Asami's hand, "I can't believe you've had to do all this just to keep yourself off the streets." Her mind wandered back to her own childhood, being surrounded by a huge, loving family while Asami was trapped in a desolate home with a father who prioritized money over his own daughter.
"I've been pretty good at taking care of myself." Asami said with a wave of her hand, "When my mom died, my father became absorbed in his work and was never around." Asami's normal, carefree attitude was beginning to come back, effectively glossing over the last few minutes of her tragic life story. She was an expert at clamming up unpleasant feelings. Asami put the picture frame back into one of the boxes and rearranged them the way they had been before Korra's cartwheel wipeout.
"Sorry about knocking those over." Korra said apologetically, "I haven't quite mastered one-handed cartwheels yet."
"It's no big deal. It's just a bunch of junk I never use." Asami said, kicking the box tower back against the wall. Korra wanted to say more, maybe even offer a few words of comfort but Asami had sealed off any opportunity and Korra understood now that Hiroshi's name was taboo. Asami finally turned and gazed at Korra, that familiar mischievous glint reflecting in her green eyes. She bent down and straddled Korra's lap running her fingers through Korra's hair.
"I'm liking this off the clock practice." Korra laughed, "It really shows your dedication to the lap dancing arts."
"Oh hush," Asami said with a grin, "Let's see you use that caffeinated energy for something other than running your mouth."
"Ooh sassy," Korra teased, pressing her lips to Asami's neck, "I like it." She peppered kissed up and down Asami's jaw and collarbones, internally smirking at the feeling of nails digging into her back. Asami pushed Korra back against the floor, still straddling in her waist like an expert.
"I wonder what today's boxer choice will be. Will we have a match?" Asami said seductively, eyeing Korra's White Lotus t-shirt. The remark sent Korra's brain into a hysterical frenzy as she tried to remember what underwear she had uncaringly thrown on that morning. She desperately prayed to the spirits that it wasn't her pair with cute, cartoony polarbear dogs on them. Her heart pounded mercilessly as she felt her jeans slip lower and lower.
"My my my," Asami hummed, reading the bold text on Korra's boxers which said 'Check out this Republic City tower,' "Korra just what could you be suggesting?" Korra practically felt her heart stop in humiliation. She had completely forgotten about the gag boxers Bolin had bought for her when they'd visited Republic City tower a few months ago. The polarbear dog underwear was sounding like a much better option at this point. Why why why did this always happen to her? The universe seemed desperate to keep Korra pure and chaste.
"Raava help me," Korra moaned, hiding her face in her hands, trying to roll out from under Asami so she could go die in the corner. Asami caught Korra's hands and pinned them against the hardwood floor. Korra still had her eyes shut and could feel the darkest of blushes staining her cheeks.
"You know, I've never been to Republic City tower," Asami said with a teasing voice, "Isn't this my chance to see it?" That managed to get Korra laughing.
"Not to disappoint," Korra said back, "But you won't find much of a tower here."
"That's okay," Asami breathed into Korra's ear, "I'm afraid of heights."
"You're such a dork." Korra chaffed, leaning up to catch Asami's lips. She absolutely loved these moments when the rest of the world was quiet and it was just her and Asami, together in their own slice of the universe. Their little slice of universe was interrupted by the sound of Asami's ringtone blasting shrilly from the kitchen. She pulled her lips reluctantly from Korra's and cursed under her breath.
"It's my boss," She said, an edge of fear biting at her voice. Asami quickly pushed herself up from the floor and jogged into the kitchen. Korra sat up and listened quietly. She didn't like the way Asami looked frightened at the sound of her phone ringing, especially when she was employed by a man like Zolt who was famous for his nonchalant use of violence. The sound of urgent arguing floated from the kitchen.
"No Zolt it isn't like that." Asami said into the receiver, sounding panicked "No-please- no she's not I swear. I can't do that-I-I-" Korra could hear the sound of angry screaming coming from the other end of the line. Zolt was definitely infuriated about something. Something huge. Korra got up from the floor and walked into the kitchen, feeling her stomach drop when she saw tears welling up in Asami's wide, terrified, eyes.
"I will," Asami whispered, "She will. Good-bye." She gingerly set the phone down on the counter, staring blankly at the floor. Korra took a cautious step forward, very gently putting her hand on Asami's arm.
"Asami, is everything okay?" She said, barely above a whisper. Asami pressed a hand to her mouth and snapped her eyes to Korra who felt her own insides squeeze in fear.
"E-everything is fine," She said shakily, whisking out of the kitchen, "I have some errands I need to run."
"You're lying," Korra said with a deep frown, "Why?"
"I'm not lying," Asami said, grabbing her bag from the couch, "Just a misunderstanding is all."
"Asami-"
"Come by the club tonight," Asami interjected, "Bring Bolin."
"Wha-? Why? I'm so confused right now." Korra groaned, rubbing her temples.
"Korra," Asami grabbed Korra's shoulders and gazed at her very seriously, "Bring Bolin with you tonight. Please."
"If you could just explain what's-"
"I'll see you tonight! Don't come before eleven." And with a forced smile and a quick kiss on the cheek, Asami had swept out the door and was gone. Korra stood frozen, staring stonily into the hallway. Never in her life had she felt so confused and absolutely bewildered. Obviously something was wrong and Asami was clearly lying through her teeth. Zolt had sounded absolutely wild with rage over the phone and something had to have pushed him to that point. But what did it have to do with Asami? The thought of her facing Zolt in such a manic state made Korra's insides freeze with terror. What if he tried to hurt Asami like he did with problematic club patrons?
All she could do was wait.
/
Korra's stomach felt like it weighed a thousand pounds as she walked up to Zolt's. The familiar neon signs made Korra feel even more sick as she waited in line behind a group of rowdy college kids. She went against Asami's orders and didn't bring Bolin. Whatever was going to happen that night, she didn't want to drag him into it just in case it got violent. The bouncer greeted Korra with such enthusiasm, she thought she had done something heroic in the last few minutes. He held the door open for her and even gave a small bow as she passed by. The seedy doorman greeted Korra with absolute delight.
"Ah the VIP here to visit?" He wheezed, voice seeded with such excitement, it unnerved Korra straight to her core.
"Yeah just here to see the usual." Korra said, twisting her fingers together and suppressing a shiver.
"Excellent!" The doorman shouted, nearly making Korra faint in surprise, "Come this way, we have a special room rented out for you." He hobbled through the entrance and eagerly beckoned for Korra to follow with his gnarled hand. She tagged alongside him, constantly checking over her shoulder and glancing around the open bar area. The doorman stopped at the bar and clicked his fingers at Ghazan.
"I need a bottle of the special reserve." He said with a wide smirk. The bartender hesitated, giving Korra a sorrowful look before stooping down and grabbing a bottle of expensive looking liquor. The doorman twisted it in his fingers lovingly before turning back to Korra.
"It's called snake wine," He said, "It's fabled to extend your lifespan."
"Uh- I've never heard of it before." She said awkwardly.
"That's because it's illegal in the Republic." The doorman laughed wheezily and beckoned once again for Korra to follow him. They went down the familiar private room hallway and stopped at the very last door which had a golden colored tag hanging from the door handle. The doorman ripped it off and held the door open reverently for Korra. She walked inside and was taken aback by the bland, dingy state of the room. There was no bed or fancy couches, only a single, beat up chair in the middle of the room. Her stomach also dropped when she saw Asami standing in the corner, looking absolutely distraught.
"Asami," Korra breathed.
"Korra I'm so sorry." Asami practically sobbed, tears streaming down her face freely.
"Not to interrupt ladies," The doorman interjected, handing Korra the bottle of Snake Wine, "But you better drink this fast. Before it gets warm." He bowed and exited the room, the door clicking shut behind him.
"I don't understand what's happening," Korra said, putting the bottle aside and eyeing the chair while anxiety tugged at her chest.
"They found out." Asami wept, "They found out about you not paying and us spending time together outside of the club and-" Her hands shook as she wiped her tears from her face. Korra took a step forward to comfort Asami but she lept back at Korra's advance.
"Don't," She whispered, "It will only make things worse." They stood in thick silence, muffled music pounding back in the main room and an occasional moan floating through the cracks in the wall. Soon, the sounds of shouting could be heard down towards the end of the hallway, followed by the lock on the door clicking open.
Zolt and three beefy bouncers strode through the open door, swinging it shut behind them. Zolt was clearly furious as his eyes turned to slits at the sight of Korra standing in the room near Asami. He snapped his fingers, sending the bouncers towards Korra.
"Hey what the hell-?" She gasped as they roughly grabbed her arms and forced her into the chair.
The bigger of the two yanked Korra's arms behind the chair, locking her wrists in his calloused hands. The first unexpected punch to Korra's stomach made her ears ring and her whole body shudder with shock. She retched and felt as if all her insides had been deflated. Still gasping for breath, Korra braced herself as a muscular knee smashed into the side of her face, making the world go blaring white for approximately 5 seconds. Her ears still rang but didn't drown out the sound of Asami screaming and pleading with one of the bouncers to let Korra go. It felt as if her eyes were swirling around in her head from such a sharp blow. She spat out a mouthful of blood and groaned as pain burned all around her face and torso.
"That's enough Zaheer," Zolt finally spoke, leering down at Korra's shuddering body which was only being held up by his thugs, "So, the fabled high roller is here." His voice was seeded with delight as he took Korra's bloody chin in his scarred hands.
"Zolt please it wasn't her-" Asami cried, struggling against the tight grip one of the bouncers had around her wrist.
"Shut up!" Zolt barked, "Do you realize how much money you've cost me?" He turned and gave Korra another sharp jab to the ribs, making her wheeze in pain, "Do you know how much money it costs to run a place like this? Huh?" She didn't answer, too distracted by the white hot pain burning throughout her body.
"Please-please." Asami cried, now on her knees.
"I checked the books and it just didn't add up," Zolt continued, "We were renting out private rooms almost every night and there was no cash to show for it. Care to explain that?"
"-didn't know." Korra panted, "I'm sorry-please."
"We have a custom here at Zolt's," One of the bouncers said, "People who touch without paying lose their hands." Fear coursed through Korra's pounding stomach. She looked wild-eyed from Zolt to Asami to the bouncer named Zaheer who was standing with his arms crossing, smirking.
"I say they both get punished," The thug holding Asami said, "I know how I'd punish this babe." He gave Asami's neck a deep, dreamy sniff, "But it would be so good, she'd be screaming for more."
"Shut up!" Korra snarled with as much ferocity as she could muster, "Shut the fuck up you piece of shit don't even fucking touch her I swear-" She was interrupted by the snapping sound of her wrist breaking in the bouncer's hand.
"Oops," He giggled while Korra screamed curses and obscenities at all of them, trying to mask the pain she was in. Blood sprayed from her mouth as she took deep, ragged breaths.
"So here's the deal," Zolt said, taking Korra's chin in his hands again, "Since you lack the dough to pay back your debts, we'll just have to take something else of your's. Sound fair?" He nodded to the first bouncer who released Korra's arms, causing her to fall forward and hit the floor hard. Her vision rocked back and forth, and a shrill ringing was echoing through her ears again. She could still feel blood trickling out of her nose and lips as she helplessly felt a hand roughly grab onto the hood of her jacket. They dragged Korra through the dim hallway and out a metal door that lead to a grimy back alley. Korra groaned as she felt herself being pushed roughly into a sitting position against the dirty brick wall.
"Hey. Hey." She felt hands slapping at her face, "Look at me." Korra opened her eyes as far as she could. Zaheer was glaring at her, his face inches away from Korra's.
"Please let Asami go." Korra pleaded with a brittle, crackling voice, "I'll do anything."
"Too late," He said, "She might even come out of this looking worse than you," Korra tried to get up but the pain in her wrist and torso made it impossible to move.
"I swear to the spirits I'll get all of you-," Korra growled, wincing at the sudden zing in her ribs.
"Don't make me break your other wrist," Zaheer threatened, "As soon as you can drag your miserable self off that wall, get out of here and never come back. We won't spare your life again."
With a last muster of strength, Korra lashed out her leg and smashed it right into Zaheer's kneecap. He stumbled but managed to recover fairly quickly, kicking back his leg right into Korra's gut. Every bit of oxygen in her lungs was squeezed from her body as she felt a cracking sensation in her chest.
"I knew you were a sneaky piece of trash," Zaheer snarled, clutching Korra's throat in his hands, "I'm going to end this for good!" Korra clawed at Zaheer's beefy hands as he gripped her neck tighter and tight. White was pulsing in her vision as the alley began to spin and fade. And then there was black.