Chapter 4

A frustrated sigh left Asami as she blankly stared at the Satomobile design for what seemed like the hundredth time. She had gotten nothing done all day. Currently, while sitting at her desk in her office (which was large, but considerably less impressive than her father's) seventy stories up, her mind kept wandering back to a certain brooding firebender. She rubbed her hands against her face. Her plan was going splendidly. It was just the unexpected fact that she may or may not have had feelings for that… that man? But he wasn't a man at all she yelled to herself internally. He was a bender. And what made it worse was that he was a firebender just like the monster that took her mother away.

She could feel the bile rising in the back of her throat. She couldn't believe she had actually kissed him. That she actually allowed that… that thing to kiss her. That she had wanted more. Disgust vaulted through her body, she willed herself to not vomit. Slumping forward her head hit the desk lightly. It may have been easy to make her body think she hated it, but deep in the back of her mind she knew there was a piece of her that liked it. Maybe it was the thrill of doing something so adventurous. Maybe a part of her was rebelling against her father since she never did as a child. Either way Asami needed to quash that feeling. This was only going to hinder her mission. And she needed this to go well for her. She needed to destroy the benders. But did she really? Were they all really that bad? Or did she just hate the man that killed her mother?

"Ahh!" Asami let out an exasperated yell. She closed her eyes hoping that maybe she could take a brief nap, maybe that would take her mind off of her troubles. But a loud crash from the balcony ripped Asami from her dreams. She swiveled around in her chair with such speed her head began to swim. She slowly stood up and reached into her desk to remove the electric glove. It slipped easily onto her hand. It felt natural, smooth, lithe. She could cause a lot of damage with this. She took a hesitant step forward before the balcony door blew open. Wind swept through the room, blowing around her blueprints. She scowled slightly thinking about how she had a huge mess to clean up now. The early morning fog seeped into the room, casting a haunting aura throughout her office. A figure stood in the midst of the fog. The shadow took two confident steps until he fully emerged into the room. A white mask with a red dot in the center of the forehead covered his face, but Asami knew who it was immediately. She would never forget that foreboding feeling. The coldness that filled the air. The feeling of death. She took a haltering step back before she ran into her desk. Amon advanced further, "So Miss Sato. We meet again." Asami took a steadying breath,

"It seems we have. What can I do for you Amon?" he ignored her questions.

"What do you think of the mask? I think it adds a certain element of surprise. Don't you think?" Asami nodded numbly. Her mind wouldn't work. Her body wouldn't react. Every fiber of her being was yelling at her to run, to get as far away as possible. Yet something was holding her back. She didn't care if she lost her status or if her image was damaged, her life was far more valuable. Yet she couldn't will her muscles to move. Amon took a few more steps until he was inches from her, "You know Ms. Sato, I appreciate a woman who can take care of herself. Who can think for her own. A woman who doesn't conform to society's expectations. And you happen to be one of those women. Your inventions are inspiring. And when they are finished they will help us crush those benders." He shifted forward. Asami could practically see every grain of wood in his mask. His ragged breath blew her stray strands of hair out of her face. She could feel her pulse increase until she was positive it could spike no more. She stared into the holes of where his eyes were supposed to be. Only dark merciless black pits flashed back. His hand edged toward his face. He gripped the side of the mask and pulled it off. The ribbon tying it behind his head fell to the side. Asami let out a gasp as the mask fell and the horror was revealed. His lip pulled into a perpetual snarl. His skin horribly marred by scarring. Yet she was once again astonished by the clarity in his eyes. She could almost see into the depths of his heartless soul. His eyes burred into hers before they flicked down to her lips. In a hastened movement he grasped the back of her head and pulled her in. His cracked lips locked with her own. Clay and rotting flesh entered her mouth. The taste was revolting, but the act was worse. Asami tried to pull away, but strong arms kept her in place. Instinctively, she brought her fist up to the back of his elbow. A quick pop sounded in the room, Amon instantly released his grip. He cried out in pain as he held his elbow. Asami brought a quick, firm slap to his face before stepping away, her eyes never leaving him, "Never touch me again." Her voice rang out. The man in front of her merely smirked. An unnerving chuckle resounded throughout the room, "A beautiful girl, with brains, and spirit. All the more attractive." He straightened to his full height. Glancing down at his elbow he grasped his forearm and with a quick pull popped his elbow back into the joint. Not even a grimace crossed his face. His eyes never left the heiress. "I'll be seeing you again soon Miss Sato." And just like he came he vanished out of the room, disappearing into the fog like vapor.

Asami clutched the desk and let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She clasped her hand over her mouth as she felt her body trying to rid itself of the contents of her stomach. She dry heaved a few times before she was able to control the feeling. Her hand dropped down to her neck. She stayed bent over her desk for a while trying to control the torrent of feelings raging through her body. A quiet knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts. She stood up straight, "Come in." the words came out squeakier than she had hoped. Her assistant entered the room, "Miss Sato. Your Satomobile is waiting out front. Your meeting with the Fire Ferrets is in a half an hour." The engineer cleared her throat,

"Thank you, Ming." The petite woman bowed slightly before exiting the room. Asami chastised herself for letting Amon get so far into her head, "Get yourself together, Asami." She needed to control this and fast. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the wardrobe and gave her outfit a one over before she left her office. But something on her face caught her eye. There was a smudge of tan coloring on her lipstick. Stepping closer to the mirror to get a better look. Asami dabbed at her lip. Examining the tissue, she noticed that the blotch was almost like a foundation of some sort. Her brows furrowed for a moment before she tossed the tissue and headed out the door.

She took another deep breath before stepping into her sports class Satomobile. The scent of the leather wafted into her nose, she inhaled deeply. She put the keys into the ignition and her baby roared to life. The sun was finally peeking through the clouds and glinted dangerously off of the ruby red and onyx paint on her mobile. She revved the engine a few times before putting the car into drive. She sped out of the parking spot and raced down the road. Asami was the best driver in Republic City and being that she built half the roads in the city only helped her case. She knew where every policeman was stationed, where every light was, every stop sign. She knew when and where pedestrians crossed the street. She knew everything. It was absolutely invigorating. Wind swept through her raven locks as she raced around each corner. She pulled her goggles down her face and sped up. Nothing could stop her when she was driving, nothing could distract her. Her mind was clear, focused on nothing but the stretch of pavement ahead of her. Her body knew where it needed to go, she didn't need to think about anything. Nothing could pull her down from cloud nine. As she rounded the next corner on her way to the probending arena docks, a slight figure stepped out into the street twenty feet in front of her. Screeching sounded throughout the air as Asami piled on the brakes. The brake pedal was practically through the floor boards. Smoke clouded around her tires. She whipped the wheel, wrenching the car to spin to the side. When the momentum finally stopped and her car came to rest Asami ripped her goggles off and jumped out of her car. The smoke from her tires was finally clearing and the figure was inches from the passenger door. Her leg was raised hands covering her face, eyes squinted shut. Gradually, she lowered her leg and opened her eyes one at a time. Her hands fell from their defensive position. She looked up at Asami with startling blue eyes, her mouth pulled into a goofy lopsided grin, "Sorry." She said sheepishly. The engineer's mouth pulled into a taught line. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the woman standing before her. She reached out her hand, "So we finally meet… Avatar."

Author's Note:

So Asami has finally met the avatar. Now we are getting somewhere.

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