A/N: *throws papers in the air* This is nowhere near 100 words and I don't care! Lol... Anyway, I can't believe the season finale is just around the corner. I really liked seeing Asami take on those Equalists and show everyone how much of a badass she can be, and this chapter is reflective of that.
Korra quickly learns something that Mako could never quite wrap his head around - Asami Sato does not belong on the sidelines.
There's a sense of desperation that creeps up on you in times like these, like darkness closing in on the light of a flame. All around them, Republic City is broken, burning. The city is littered with rubble - a fallen lamp post here, a crashed Satomobile there, piles of broken wood and glass everywhere you step. Her chest heaves with every labored breath and her eyes can't quite decide what to look at next. The closest thing Korra can compare it to is when she would spin herself in dizzy circles as a child. Round and round, faster and faster, watching the world around her disappear into a vague portrait of disjointed shapes and colours that all blurred together. You try to stop the momentum, lock your knees and tense every muscle in your body even as you continue to sway back and forth, hoping you find something to anchor yourself to sooner or later.
She looks to her left and sees Bolin all but collapse onto Naga, with Pabu looking on anxiously. His shoes are scuffed and there are are traces of mud and dirt smeared on his arms and face. Mako isn't far away. He never is, but this time traces of weariness are obvious on the older sibling as well. His mouth is set in grimace as he touches his side gingerly, and his scarf is still just barely hanging onto his shoulders. There's a crunch of gravel to her right and she turns just in time to spot Asami tightening the glove on her hand. Her clothes are tattered, her hair is a mess, and when she turns to the side, Korra is able to glimpse a trail of blood running down her cheek from a cut near her brow. Asami notices her stare and wipes away the blood almost nonchalantly. Her eyebrows draw together in concentration and when she gives the Avatar a nod that is almost imperceptible, Korra is reminded of the night they made their escape from Hiroshi Sato's underground facility. Asami's face, those same beautiful features set into a grim expression, lit up by the haunting blue glow of the electric glove as she delivers a blow to her father that no one could have predicted. Korra thinks back to their dramatic rescue of Tenzin in front of City Hall, the way Asami dodged the attacks of several Equalists, flowing from evasion to attack with deadly precision. She almost laughs when she thinks of the way she used to imagine Asami - the perfect socialite with her elegantly coiffed hair, dainty movements, and expensive clothes.
She feels Asami grip her hand and squeezes it back just as tightly. For a moment, the world stops spinning. All she sees is the graceful slant of those brows, the gentle curve of her cheek, and those impossibly green eyes. That familiar scent of leather rises up from amongst the smog and the tightness in her chest returns almost painfully. A tide of emotion threatens to make her come undone, and there's a rawness in her throat that makes her feel as though all she's done for the past few hours is scream herself hoarse. Once upon a time, she would've kissed Asami on the spot. But there's a crash in the distance and a shadow falls over them as another airship flies overhead. Korra wills her body to stop trembling as she brings Asami's hand to her lips and places a reverent kiss on the knuckles of the leather glove. There are too many things she wants to say, and do, and there's just not. enough. time.
She closes her eyes. It's a struggle not to think about everything that's at stake, or wonder about the future they might not have if they don't make it out of this. She thinks about the pro-bending arena being rebuilt, and a newer, better apartment for the brothers, with the same spectacular view. She thinks about Tenzin's family, about baby Rohan and his brother and sisters having their beautiful island rebuilt and making new memories. She thinks about Lin being back with a police force that's been revamped and re-energized, ready to help the people of Republic City work towards the vision of peace that Aang devoted his life to all those years ago. She thinks about a place she can come home to, about opening the front door and seeing Asami dozing at Naga's side after trying to wait up for her, but failing. Korra straightens her shoulders and opens her eyes, lingering on each face in their little group, giving each person the same imperceptible nod Asami gave to her earlier. She takes those visions of the future and tucks them away for another time. Some promises you don't make out loud. Some promises you just keep for yourself.