"Hey Korra!" Alex called out as he saw the Avatar walking into the Arena building. Korra heard him calling for her and turned her attention to him, seeing him walk up to her.
"Hey Alex." She greeted back with a sigh, making Alex raise an eyebrow. Something was definitely up with her.
"You OK?" He asked, opening the door for her. Smiling faintly at the gentlemanly act, Korra walked inside, followed by Alex. They weren't bothered by any of the staff for walking in like that because they have VIP Visitor passes, compliments of the Fire Ferrets.
"I'm fine." Korra sighed. "Just frustrated with the Airbending training." She wasn't sure why, but Korra found Alex surprisingly easy to confide in. "Not even so much as a single puff." She sighed again. "And I can't even get through the spinning gates…"
"Well, it has only been two weeks since you started." The Metalbender reminded her.
"I know, but I can't help being angry, alright!" Korra snapped as she stopped in her tracks. Alex quickly put both hands up in surrender.
"Alright! Alright! I'm sorry!" He said quickly. Geez, who knew girls could be so terrifying? Wait… He did. After all, he lived with Lin fucking Beinfong for 19 years!
"No, no…" Korra shook her head, realising her mistake. "I'm sorry." She sighed. "I shouldn't take it out on you." She said sincerely. Alex shook his head.
"Don't worry about it." He smiled softly at her. "Believe me, I've had my moments too." He told her. "You should have seen me when I was learning Lavabending." He chuckled at a few memories as they continued walking. "I got so frustrated when I failed the Waterbending motions, I actually tossed a blob of lava at a tree. Knocked the thing over and destroyed my Mom's car." He reminisced.
"Are you serious!?" Korra laughed loudly. Alex joined in on the laughter and nodded.
"Yeah. Mom got so mad she locked me in a platinum cell for three weeks." He laughed.
"Isn't that child abuse?" Korra asked, still struggling to talk through her giggling.
"It's her version of 'grounding' me." Alex chuckled. He was glad to see Korra smiling again. "It wasn't that bad. Got me out of my chores and I had a radio." Korra giggled harder as Alex kept speaking.
"Thanks Alex. This has helped." She smiled at the young Metalbender, who returned the smile.
"Anytime Korra." Alex told the young Avatar. "If you ever need to talk, just come to me. I'm all ears whenever you need me." He said with a smile. Korra returned the smile gratefully as they continued on their way to the Fire Ferrets' locker room.
"Hey. What's going on?" Ale asked as he and Korra entered the room, finding Mako and Bolin sitting on the benches, their heads hanging, looking like children who were grounded with their hands just short of the cookie jar.
"Hasook's a no good no-show." Mako grumbled bitterly as an administrator entered.
"You got two minutes to come out ready to play or you're disqualified." He said, leaving before he could get a reply.
"Well, there goes our shot at the tournament and the winnings." Bolin sighed in depression.
"Can't you ask one of those guys to take Hasook's place?" Korra asked, pointing to another team that had returned from the previous game.
"Nah, the rules say you can only compete in one team." Was Bolin's reply, sighing yet again.
Alex couldn't help but give his old friends a sympathetic look. He knew how much they loved their job, and how hard they worked to get where they are. Now, it was all thrown down the drain because of a Waterbending jack-ass with no skill in the sport. The young Metalbender would have gladly filled in, if it was the Earthbender that was missing. Sadly, he was no Waterbender. Korra would fare much better than he would. Wait...
"How about Korra?" Alex suggested out of the blue.
"What?" Mako asked with an 'are you serious' look.
"Hey! I'm a top-notch waterbender if I do say so myself." Korra crossed her arms, offended by the Firebender's implications. Sure, she's never played Pro-Bending before, but aside from a few notable exceptions, Airbending among them, she was a very fast learner. Not to mention, she's the fucking Avatar! A Waterbending Master!
"But, you're the Avatar... Isn't that cheating?" Bolin asked unsurely.
"Not if I only use Waterbending." Korra reasoned with a grin. Alex nodded in agreement. The rulebooks have never said that the Avatar cannot compete. Still, it seems kinda implied that if she does, she can only use one element.
"No way. I'd rather forfeit than look like a fool out there." Mako spoke up, rejecting the idea in an instant. That earned him a glare from the young Avatar.
"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence." She said sarcastically. Seriously, what is up with this guy? Why did he have such a problem with Korra.
"You'll look like a bigger fool by forfeiting." Alex crossed his arms, giving his old friend a light glare. "The crowd is going to think you very unprepared if they find out you didn't have a sub ready. At least with Korra on your team you still have a chance." Before Mako could give any kind of argument, which was unlikely as he and Bolin never won arguments against Alex in their childhood, the administrator from earlier waltzed in.
"Time's up. You're in or out?"
"We're/ They're in." Korra and Alex said in unison.
"We are?" Mako asked in momentary confusion.
"Yes!" Bolin exclaimed, punching the air.
"Hey, I didn't agreed to this!" Mako shouted, trying to undo the likely disaster that would unfold.
"You can thank me later." Korra said to him with a smirk, grabbing a uniform to change into.
"This girl, is crazy." Mako deadpanned, making Alex laugh.
"That is correct." He chuckled, an eager grin on his face. He was looking forward to what Korra could do on the Pro-Bending Arena.
"Okay, in retrospect, I should have seen this coming." Alex mentally sighed as he saw Korra butchering the game. Mako may have been on to something when he said it would be better to forfeit.
Korra had made her first mistake literally the second the whistle was blown, by Waterbending one of the opponents off of the arena over the side, which was prohibited and earned her a penalty, moving back one zone. It was downhill from there. As the round continued, Korra accidentally stepped over the line to Zone 1, so she was pushed back to Zone 3. Ultimately, the Platypus-Bears took Round 1.
Round 2 was where it got complicated. Knowing a green player when they see one, the Platypus-Bears all ganged up on Korra, completely ignoring Mako and Bolin. It got so bad that Korra instinctively brought some of the earth disks up to protect herself. Thankfully, she was allowed to continue so long as she sole bent Water, much to the opponents disappointment. They'd hoped to get an easy win by the Fire Ferrets disqualification.
"Oooh, that is not good." Alex cringed. The fact that the Avatar was playing was just broadcast to all the radios in Republic City, some of which belonged to the guards on Air temple Island. "Whelp, we're boned." The Metalbender sighed. He had little to no doubt Tenzin would have heard about this by now. News travels fast by radio. Heh, the thought of Tenzin's face going red with anger as his eye twitched was actually quite amusing to Alex.
Anyway, Korra's lack of experience in Pro-Bending was her undoing. She may be the Avatar, but she's no Pro-Bender, and the Platypus-Bears were intent on exploiting that weakness. It wasn't long before she was thrown of the arena into the water. When she came up, she was greeted to the sight of… Tenzin… Fuck.
Alex had made it to the platform where Korra rose just in time to find Tenzin and Korra in the beginnings of an argument. He really need to put a stop to this before either one said something they'd regret.
"Why are you here Tenzin? I thought you hated Pro-Bending." He spoke up, gaining their attention.
"Alexander?" Tenzin raised an eyebrow at the young Detective's voice. "What are you doing here?" He demanded.
"I asked you first." Alex deadpanned, Tenzin's eye twitching as a result. "But, to answer your question, I'm here to support the Fire Ferrets. Mako and Bolin are my childhood friends." He explained.
"And why did you not notify me when you saw Korra here?" Tenzin demanded through gritted teeth.
"Because there's nothing wrong with her being here." Alex crossed his arms. "She is 17 years old, and not a child. She is entitled to spend her time how she wishes."
"She is also the Avatar!" Tenzin hissed loudly, making Alex shake his head.
"True, but she is a teenage girl before the Avatar." he said plainly. "As an Airbending Master, surely you understand that a teen needs some freedom, wouldn't you agree?" He asked with a sly grin. Tenzin was mere seconds away from blowing his top. Korra, on the other hand, was both surprised and grateful to Alex for him defending her.
"Alex is right Tenzin." She spoke up. "You can't keep me locked away on Air Temple Island. I've had enough confinement to last a lifetime." She said to the Airbender with a faint glare. Tenzin sighed in heavy exasperation and frustration.
"I tried to be gentle and supportive, but you clearly respond to force better." He glared at the Avatar. "You are coming with me, back to the Air Temple." he ordered her.
"Why? So I can meditate on how bad I am at Airbending?" Korra asked sarcastically. "You know, maybe I haven't managed to Airbend yet because I don't need it!" She all but screeched at Tenzin.
"Uh, Korra? I know you're mad and all, but I don't think-"
"What! That is a ludicrous suggestion!" Tenzin practically roared at Korra, cutting Alex off. "The Avatar needs to learn Airbending! It's not optional!"
"OK, can we all please calm down and talk like adults?" Alex tried to ease the tension. If things got too out of hand, he might have to go all Detective on these two…
"Butt out Alex!" Korra and Tenzin snarled in unison. Despite the situation, Alex found himself sweatdropping. How is it that Korra is unable to learn from Tenzin again?
"This is what I need to learn! Modern styles of fighting!" Korra yelled, pointing at the Pro-bending arena.
"Being the Avatar isn't all about fight Korra!" Tenzin retorted. "When will you learn that?!"
"I have a match to finish." Korra huffed, turning her back on the Airbending Master and heading over to the platform to rejoin the Fire Ferrets. Tenzin sighed frustration and turned to leave himself, only to be reminded that Alex was still there, seeing him leaning on the corridor wall.
"You know…" the Detective spoke up. "Korra's been trapped in the White Lotus Complex ever since she was a child." he reminded the Airbender. "And now she finally gets a chance to leave the South pole, only to be thrown into another prison in the for of Air Temple Island? Her behaviour is understandable." He sighed. Tenzin didn't say a word. "Air is the Element of Freedom, and you refuse to give her any. If you continue on this path with her, she'll never become a fully realised Avatar." Tenzin's eyes widened at Alex's implications. "You need to realise Tenzin, Korra is not an Air Nomad, and you can't train her like one. She's also not one of your children; she wasn't born with Airbending like the kids." Alex stopped leaning on the wall and turned to walk off. "You need to rethink the way you train korra. Otherwise, she'll never learn from you." Sticking his hands in his pockets, the young Metalbender left the Airbending Master to his thoughts.
As Tenzin walked towards the exit of the arena, he couldn't help thinking about what Alex had said to him. True, Korra had been kept in isolation up until recently, but that was for her own good. After all, that's what Avatar Aang wanted… right? However, now that he thinks about it, Alex does make a valid point. Korra never had the opportunity to actually be a child in her childhood… Ever since she was discovered by the White Lotus, her whole life has been Avatar training. She really doesn't know what freedom is, does she?
And the Airbending… How could Tenzin not have seen it before? Of course Korra would struggle with the areas he had started with. He never taught her the proper stances, the footwork, or even the basic body movement! It makes sense that Korra would be unable to pass through the spinning gates, despite the fact that she'd been at it for weeks. In all honesty, there was hardly any improvement. And it wasn't Korra's fault. It was his. As soon as Tenzin reached the exit from the seating area, he stopped and released a heavy sigh. He's going to have to apologise to his student and her friend. If that's the case, he may as well stay and watch the match…
Round 3 had just begun, and it wasn't looking good for the Fire Ferrets. Immediately, the opponents separated Korra from Mako and Bolin, the Waterbender keeping the brothers occupied with dodging his strikes while the other two relentlessly attacked Korra. She tried to block and dodge their attacks, but there was too much power behind them, and she got pushed into Zone 3.
It looked like the game was over for the young Avatar, but much to the shock of Tenzin, Korra suddenly started spinning to dodge the attacks from her opponents, and her footwork was light and quick, changing direction mere milliseconds after noticing a new attack. She was moving just like… an Airbender. With this, the Platypus-Bear's strikes were only striking air.
"How about that?" Tenzin asked with the smallest smile as he watched.
After dodging for several more moments, the Platypus-Bears ran out of earth and water ammunition, whereas the Fire Ferrets were still locked and loaded. That in mind, the Ferrets launched a ruthless flurry of attacks at their opponents, slowly pushing them back. First, Mako pushed the opponent Waterbender off of the arena. Following that up, the Earthbender was thrown off by a combination of Korra's water jets and Bolin's earth disks. Finally, Korra managed to land a single jet of water to the Firebender's chest, with enough force behind it to send him flying off the edge, elicting a loud round cheers and applause from the crowd. Including…
"Woo-hoo!" Tenzin cheered with a fist in the air without thinking. Realising what he just did, he quickly composed himself with a single cough into his fist and turned to leave…
Only to find Alex in front of him with face-splitting evil grin.
"Mockery of the noble tradition of Bending eh?" he asked teasingly, making the Airbender go bright red in embarrassment and frustration. He tried to find a decent excuse as to why he was there, but failed miserably.
"You did very well out there Avatar." Alex smirked as he escorted Korra to the ferry where she could return to Air Temple Island.
"Thanks." She said with half-hearted smile. "I just wish Tenzin could have seen it…" She murmured sadly.
"He did." Alex kept his smirk as Korra's head shot up and she stopped in her tracks.
"What?" She asked in a gasp. Alex stopped walking and turned to face her.
"Tenzin stayed after you stormed off back to the arena. He saw everything." He grinned as Korra's jaw dropped. "He even cheered when you scored the win for your team." He added, making Korra's mouth twitch up in the corner a little.
"He… saw?" She asked softly.
"He did." Alex nodded. "And I think he was very proud of what he saw."
"But… Why didn't he stay then?" Korra asked, suddenly feeling confused.
"Well, you were pretty mad at him." Alex reminded her, eliciting a small wince fromm the Avatar. "I don't think he believed you'd want to face him after that. He probably wanted to give you time to cool off." he reasoned.
"I messed up pretty bad, didn't I?" Korra sighed.
"You did." The Metalbender agreed, making Korra slump in depression. "But so did he. I think you both need to apologise to one another." he told her wisely.
"Is it really that simple?" Korra asked unsurely.
"In this case, yes." Alex assured her, his mind wandering. Korra might not be Tenzin's daughter, but she is under his care, not unlike a parent, but still very different. As such, Alex knows exactly what's going between the two of them. The relationship is not too different from him and his mother, only Tenzin actually cares for Korra.
"In this case?" Korra parroted. Alex smiled bitterly.
"This is just a small spat between you and Tenzin, that's all." he assured her. "However, there some incidents where a simple apology will just not do." he said, looking at the stars with a faraway look in his eye. Korra's eyes widened in realisation.
"You're… you're talking about Beifong, aren't you?" She asked softly. Alex sighed and nodded. With a sympathetic look, Korra led Alex over to a bench and sat him down. "Talk to me." She said simply.
"What?" The Metalbender asked in confusion.
"You've helped me quite a bit in the time we've known each other." Korra crossed her arms. "Let me help you. I might not be able to offer any kind of life changing advice, but I can listen."
"Korra, I don't want to-"
"You won't be boring me or wasting my time." She cut him off. "Now spill." She all but order him. There was a moment of silence before Alex spoke again.
"I'm not getting out of this, am I?" He asked in deadpanned tone. Korra's sweet smile, which Alex noted was uncannily similar to Pema's, was all the answer he needed. "Fine." he sighed and relented.
He proceeded to tell Korra the details of his relationship with his mother. How he was born from a one night stand and how his biological father ran off when he heard the news. He explained that while Lin was indeed a good mom to him, she never showed him the love that a mother usually showed her child. Korra's fist clenched when Alex told her that Lin had never even said she loved him before. Not sincerely anyway.
When Alex got to the part of their relationship being more like a student and master than a parent and child, Korra gaped at him in shock. True, she hadn't been raised by her parents like kost children, but she saw them often enough when she lived in the White Lotus Compound. She had a great relationship with her parents, and she loved them deeply, just as much as they did her. She knew that there were bad parents out there, but this was so very different. Alex grew up more like a soldier than a child.
"Spirits…" Korra breathed out as Alex finished his story. "I had no idea… H-how could she…?" Korra couldn't form a sentence she was so taken aback by all this.
"I don't blame her." Alex told her with a heavy sigh. "Despite the persona she puts on, my mother is actually a very fragile woman on the inside. What my father did got to her. I can't hold that against her." He shook his head. "But still, I can't help being… frustrated with her, and wishing things could have been better between us." he leaned back into the bench, looking at the stars. "Besides, she was never a bad mom. Just… empty in her care."
"I am so sorry." Korra whispered. Alex looked up at her with a bitter smile.
"Don't be. I gave up a good relationship with my mom a long time ago. There's no use dwelling on the past." He said as he got up, stretching his muscles. "Now, I believe I owe you Earthbending lessons, no?" He asked her with a smile. Knowing full well that Alex was just trying to change the subject, Korra nodded, smiling back.
"Yeah. I look forward to learning from Prodigy." She smirked as she stood up as well.
"Good. Since you've already mastered Earthbending, we won't be working on any of that normal stuff. Do you know how to Metalbend?" He asked her. Korra shook her head in response. "Well then, we'll start there." He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I'll come by at around sunset tomorrow. That work for you?" He asked. Korra nodded eagerly. "Good." he said with a smile. "Want me to escort you to the Temple?" He asked with a smile. Korra smile back.
"Sounds nice." She responded. With that, the two benders made their way to the ferry.
"Well, there he is." Alex told the Avatar as they approached the spinning gates, seeing Tenzin supervising the Air Acolytes rebuilding said spinning gates that Korra had destroyed previously.
"I should get this overwith." Korra sighed in depression.
"Hey, it'll be fine." Alex assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "He saw the match, he saw that he was wrong. You know that you were wrong too. He'll forgive you, and he'll apologise too. You just need to take a leap of faith." he told her. "Believe me when I say that everything is much better after everyone apologizes."
"Thanks Alex." Korra gave him a quick hug.
"Anytime Korra." Alex said as they separated. "Now, I should probably go before Ikki finds me." He joked, eliciting a giggle from Korra.
"Right, see ya Alex." She said as he started walking off.
"See ya Korra." He waved over his shoulder and made his way to the ferry they used to get here.
In the dining room in the Air Temple, Pema was sitting in between her two daughters, Jinora on her right, reading a book, and Ikki on her left, resting her head in her mother's lap, slowly drifting off to sleep. Suddenly, Ikki's head shot up, her eyes glaring at the window calculatingly.
"Ikki? What's wrong Sweetie?" Pema asked her daughter.
"My Alex-Sense is tingling." Ikki responded, Airbending the window open before flying out with her glider.
"Oh my, it appears we're having a slumber party with Alex tonight." Pema giggled before getting back to her tea.
"Indeed." Jinora agreed, smiling as she went back to her book. She was just as fond of Alex as Ikki was, but not as clingy.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" A masculine scream sounded through the air out of nowhere. Nobody on the island paid it any mind, knowing exactly what it was.
And we are done with chapter 4! Sorry for taking so long with all my updates. As I said back in my DxD update, things have been very busy these past few weeks. That's not going to change, but I will still update. The time in between will just be significantly longer.
Ooh, and who else thinks its a good idea for korra to learn Metalbending early? I remember when I first watched ATLA, when we first saw Toph Metalbending, I thought: "She MUST teach Aang how to do that!" And it never happened. Not on screen anyway. It's just mentioned that Aang tried to learn at some point, and failed. Then, as soon as I saw the Metalbending Police in the FIRST episode of LoK, I was thinking we would finally get to see a Metalbending Avatar. And we did. In Season 3! Not soon enough in my opinion. So, I'm taking matters into my own hands.
And just to let you guys know, this story isn't gonna be one of those where Korra does the same confession to the OC as she did to Mako in canon and then they're all lovey-dovey. There will be conflict between them before they get together, which will be at some point at the very end of season 1. So, don't expect this story to be an instant sappy love story.
And with that, I believe I am done. Thank you and goodnight ya'll.