Chapter 6

No, no, no! Asami's conscious screamed.

"If Amon wants a fight than he can come and get it. No more hiding. No more games. Just one on one. Aang Memorial Island 10 o'clock. It's time to end this." Korra turned from the stand and stomped towards the door. Quickly, collecting her jaw off of the ground Asami sprinted towards where Korra exited the building.

"Korra! Korra, wait!" Asami raced after the hotheaded Avatar. She was so stupid. She knew that once she invited Tarrlok to the gala for Korra he would try and pull some stunt to get the Avatar to join his stupid task force. This was not going like how she planned it. It was supposed to make Korra trust her. To think she was on her side. The only reason she invited the councilman and the other benders was because she didn't want to seem biased towards nonbenders.

Asami ripped open the door that Korra just left through and found the young woman sitting on a cushioned bench. "Mind if I join you?" she questioned softly. Korra didn't even spare her a glance, instead burying her face deeper into her hands. As quietly as possible Asami sat down near the down trodden hero. The silence pierced the room, neither women speaking for a long time. Finally, Korra seemed to snap out of her daze and she looked at Asami's face,

"I'm-I'm so scared Asami." She sobbed, "I'm supposed to be the savior of the world and I'm petrified of a man. This man! He can take people's bending away. I've heard the stories. I mean that isn't supposed to be possible! Only the Avatar has ever possessed the ability to take someone's bending. What do I do?" she blinked a few times, tears creeping their way out of her puffy red eyes, "What do I do?"

Asami was silent for a moment. Anger and sadness washed over her. She was supposed to kill this girl. The Avatar was only a year younger than herself. She was so full of life. Kindness seeping out of every pore of her being. She has dreams and aspirations, goals. She wants to help every person in the United Republic. How was she going take that from her? How was she going to take her life? A life that is a gift to the whole world. She felt pity for the girl. She seemed so lost, so vulnerable, so scared. But if it was herself in Korra's position Asami had no idea how she would react. She was already intimidated by Amon, if she was in Korra's place she would have been even more afraid. She let out a deep sigh before carefully choosing her words, "I don't think I have an answer to your question Korra. I'm sorry. But I know one thing is for sure. You are one of the toughest, bravest, and most selfless people I have ever met. I know that you can beat Amon."

Asami looked down at her hands. She could feel a blush creeping onto her face. She had no idea where those words came from, but they just flowed freely from her mouth. And she had no idea why she was blushing. She had only known the girl for a couple days, but she felt like it had been an eternity. Asami went to the Fire Ferret's probending practices daily. That was really the only time she got to see and talk to the girl. But no matter what the subject was, it was so easy to talk to Korra. The conversation flowed so effortlessly between them. She seemed genuinely interested in everything Asami had to say.

Asami could feel the burn of the other girl's gaze on her cheek. The Avatar lifted a shaky hand and rubbed her nose, "You-You really think that?"

Once again the words just tumbled out of Asami's mouth before she knew what she was saying, "Yes. Yes I do. Korra you are amazing. I know we've only known each other for a little while, but I think of you as one of my closest friends. One of my only friends actually. I have full confidence that you'll figure out what to do about Amon."

Suddenly, Asami was pulled into a gripping hug. She felt herself melting into the other girl's embrace as she wrapped her arms around her. Korra nuzzled her head into Asami's neck, "Will you come with me to the docks before I go to the island?" Korra's voice was barely above a whisper. Asami would have missed what she said had she not felt Korra's lips brushing against her neck. A chill ran down her spine.

The engineer let out an unsteady breath, "Of course."

The sea air whipped at Asami's face as they walked towards the docks. Asami's dull footfalls echoed through the night as they stepped onto the wooden docks. They were so rhythmic that it almost sounded like a drum beat, a death march for Korra. Asami knew that the girl was heading to her death. Every fiber of her being was crying out to her to stop Korra, to make her reconsider, to not take on Amon. But the last fiber was holding out, and it tightened its grip on her vocal cords. Silence forever controlled her. Her internal battle, however, did not match her external. Her vision blurred as she walk down the wharf. Slowly, tears crept down her face, instantly cooled by the night air. The two girls seemed to step closer together with each step. She felt Korra's hand brush her own before a pinky finger hooked around her own. Their pace slowed as they reached the end. Korra took a deep breath before she turned and faced Asami. Once again the Equalist was astonished by the blueness of her eyes. Tonight, they seemed even bluer, enhanced by the moonlight perhaps? Asami was suddenly struck by her natural beauty, both inside and out. The water tribe girl was simply mesmerizing. She searched the benders eyes for moment before grabbing her shoulders and pulling her in for a hug, "Be careful." She mumbled into her hair.

"I always am." Korra responded, Asami smiled faintly. As short of a time that Asami knew Korra and from the research she had done on her, Korra was anything but careful. She was the definition of reckless. They untangled from each other and Korra hopped into the boat moored to the dock. The engine grumbled to life. With one last look to Asami, Korra sped off towards the island. Asami watched until she could no longer see the boat. Slowly, she made her way back to her Satomobile.

"You're getting quite close to the Avatar." a voice called out from nowhere. Asami's skin crawled,

"That's what I'm supposed to do. That's what Amon tasked me to do. Befriend the Avatar and then… kill her. And now I have delivered her straight to Amon." The Lieutenant materialized out of the salty sea fog. His green goggles glinted in the faint light. The metal of his electric rods sent glares across the darkened ground. He hummed for a moment, "That seemed to be more than 'just friends' hug." His mouth broke into a gnarled, yellowed grin. "Besides Amon doesn't want to kill her, you were tasked with that job. Amon is merely going to scare her tonight. And he wants you with us." Asami's heart skipped a beat,

"Of course. I just need to get my uniform." The man snapped his fingers and two more Equalists appeared from the fog. They handed a uniform to the Lieutenant who tossed the clothes to Asami. "Chop, chop. We are meeting in ten."

The mask felt heavy in Asami's hands. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath, "You can do this. She is the Avatar. She means nothing to you. She is a bender. They killed your mother." She quietly told herself. Uncertainty gnawed at her stomach as she pulled the mask on and stuffed her hair into the cap. Two boats bobbed in the water as she approached the beach. The Lieutenant motioned her and nine others to into one and eleven into the other. Asami took the controls right away and revved the engine. The boats silently made their way to the island, "Anchor on the backside of the island where she won't see us." The man ordered. Asami expertly maneuvered the boat around the rocks and threw out the anchor. One by one the group jumped out of the boat and scaled the rocks until they reached the base of the statue. Asami had never been this close to the island and was astonished by the sheer size of Avatar Aang.

The Lieutenant led the group towards a small door near the building. It creaked open as he pried it open. With a quick snapping motion of his hand, he ordered everyone inside. As quietly as they could, the twenty-two of them scaled the wooden steps. A large spiral stair case twisted them through the heart of the statue until they were greeted by a handle sticking out from a cluster of rocks. Asami gripped the handle and gently pulled it open. She peered through the crack, only darkness greeted her and she pushed the lid aside. She propped herself up and jumped into the room. The stone tile she just pulled aside left a gaping hole in the ground. She looked around the room as the other's joined her. A quiver ran through her spine. Amon, she thought. As if on cue the man stepped out of the darkness. His voice echoed through the hall, "You are the select few that I have handpicked to help me… talk with the Avatar. When she passes by that doorway I want you to pull her in. And then I shall have my talk with her." They all nodded in agreement.

Minutes seemed to tick by before the faint patter of feet reached Asami. A shadow crossed the threshold and Asami could see someone to her right begin to swing a bola around. The Lieutenant creeped up next to her, "When we drag her in here I want you to be the one to subdue her, by any means necessary. I need to know that you are still loyal to the cause and not that scum of a bender. Remember what she is. She is the one who killed your mother." Asami gulped but nodded her head anyways. The bola whistled past her head and Asami snapped to attention. In a matter of seconds a screaming Korra was slammed to the ground and dragged towards the group. They surrounded her and Korra lashed out with a blast of fire. Her eyes widened in horror when she realized how many Equalists were there. Asami was frozen in place as Korra let out frantic bursts of fire and released chunks of earth. "Now!" the Lieutenant yelled.

The engineer's body mechanically ducked under an arch of fire. A rock zoomed towards her from the right. She lifted her leg and flipped herself into the air over the boulder. Pushing off of the earth she landed mere feet from the frightened girl. Her glove sparked to life as she tilted her wrist. She rested the glove on Korra's turned back. The electricity coursed through her shuddering body. It went ridged for a brief moment before the bender collapsed on the ground.

A rush of guilty pleasure flowed through Asami. It felt so good to hurt the one person who was the epitome of the benders, but it hurt that it was Korra she had to hurt. She knew the Lieutenant was right, yet she felt wrong in every sense of the word. Why did it hurt her so much to hurt the bender? She should hate her. She should hate everything about her. Yet she felt somewhat attached to the girl. She felt… what did she feel? A blast of fire in her direction, ripped Asami from her thoughts. Anger coursed through her. She had no idea how long she had been standing there staring at the ground, but it must have been a while since Korra was awake again and clearly struggling against the three Equalists holding her. Why was she even spending another thought on this bender? And the nerve she had to blast fire at her. Especially, after how her mother died.

Amon stepped out of the shadows and loomed towards the Avatar. Asami could practically hear the bender's breathing increase. "Avatar. Why do you plan your own death? While this meeting is inevitable it is not to happen yet. You are not to die today. I will not make you a martyr until I have complete control over this city. Make no mistake you will die. But not today." He placed his thumb on Korra's forehead, "It would be so easy to take your bending. Right now. But that would make you too much of an easy target to kill. I enjoy a challenge." He lifted his hand and brought it down on her neck. Her head slumped forward and the rest of her body followed right after. The three Equalists let go of her body and it collapsed on the ground in a heap. Amon twirled his fingers in the air and the group sprinted towards the hidden door once again.

"What about her?" Asami questioned.

"Leave her. They will find her eventually." Amon growled darkly before descending the stairs and vanishing into the dark. Asami was left with the unconscious Korra. She walked over to the girl and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. Her gaze lingered on the Avatar's peaceful features, but the sound of approaching footsteps and shouting from what sounding like Tenzin broke the heiress from her trance. She looked up to see a robed figure sprinting towards her. Springing to her feet Asami shuffled over to the door and jumped down closing it off to the rest of the world. She sprinted down the stairs and onto the beach. The boats were still there, being loaded with people. Asami jumped into the first boat and sat near the back. As the island grew more and more distant Asami's thoughts wandered to Korra. She needed to get her feelings under control. She didn't care about that girl. That bender. She was given a job of 'befriending her' and then killing her. And she would fulfill that request by all means necessary. Korra was going to die at the hands of Asami Sato.

Author's note:

And you all thought Asami was starting to have feelings for Korra.

As always comments, kudos, questions, anything are welcomed and appreciated. Thank you to those who are still reading and sorry it has taken me forever to update.