"WHERE IS Korra?" Mako woke the whole house and several soldiers sleeping outside in the domes, the young fire bender was ripping apart every door in sight just to find the avatar, then his brother came over and grabbed both of his shoulders.
"Bro relax what's going on?"
"BO! Korra..she's gone! She's not on the couch!"
Bolin sobered up, he'd never seen Mako look this livid for a long time, and it frightened him because he never knew what Mako was going to do next.
Mako was breathing so hard it looked like it was causing him pain, Asami watched from the doorway looking at Mako with a crestfallen expression. At this point she knew how he felt and thought it would be best to end it with him as soon as Korra was back. Doing so now would be stupid and she knew it.
Iroh ran inside and looked at Mako. "Please tell me that the Avatar has not gone off by herself."
Bolin let Mako go and twiddled his thumbs while Pabu chirped sadly upon his shoulder. Mako turned to Iroh then ran out passed him only to be grabbed by the shoulder. "Hold your horses Mako. You don't know where she's gone it could be-"
"Dangerous? That is exactly why we need to go after her!"
"Mako listen to me if you run into this without thinking you're setting yourself up for failure. Calm down and think before you do anything rash. Where would she go?"
He blinked looking up at the older general and then looked down. Honestly he wasn't sure where Korra would go. Iroh's face softened and he patted the boy's back. "She'll come back. I'll send some of my men into the city undercover to see if they can find her anywhere. You stay here, your brother and your friend there need you to help them too."
Mako looked at Bolin and then to Asami but the way she avoided looking at him made it feel like he'd swallowed an ice cube. He realized how this must look to her and he felt like a right jerk for doing this to her.
Korra and Mao were ushering the refugee benders into the tunnels and made them wait till everyone was in before checking the area and following behind them. Korra pulled the garbage box over the hole so they wouldn't be followed and slid into the darkness.
After a few moments the fire benders held flames in their hands to illuminate their passage while Korra showed the earth benders how to surf along the tunnels as she had done before. With everyone working on that two large platforms were made and they began taking off down the tunnel.
Mao stood on the back of one platform while Korra stood on the other, the Avatar smiled to the masked girl but it quickly faded as explosions could be heard above them.
"KEEP GOING! FIRE BENDERS! GIVE US SOME COVER!" Mao shouted and gave the platform a boost before leaping off of it. Korra was about to do the same but Mao shot her a glare. "Get them out safely!"
Korra didn't want to leave her behind but she couldn't let all the other benders get hurt either. She turned and sped up her own platform but turned back to see Mao.
The Avatar's eyes widened as she saw a torrent of glowing green goggles fall through a blasted opening in the ceiling, several began to fight Mao but the rest chased the platforms to reach the benders, and Korra. In an instant the fire benders turned and began throwing everything they had at the chi blockers. Korra included. The water benders that had water with them tried to help by icing up the ground behind them but the water ran short quickly.
Korra urged the Earth benders to propel the platforms faster and selected a few to help her seal off the tunnel but told them to wait, hoping Mao would be able to catch up. To her dismay she could see the equalists turn around and in an instant all of them surrounded Mao, she was no longer visible. The light in the tunnel faded as the earth benders sealed the tunnel shut behind them and the fire benders let their lights go out. Korra stood shocked into silence by what just happened. Even though air rushed passed her, flailing her hair and coat she felt like she'd just felt the earth stop.
Someone called her name which made her turn around and force the platform faster and higher, seeing the end getting closer.
Mako was beginning to pace furiously in the snow, occasionally sending a stray fireball into the air or into the ground with frustration, the sun was beginning to rise and Korra wasn't back yet, what were the soldiers doing?
Bolin watched his brother and sighed, petting Pabu's head gently, Asami had chosen to stay inside again and helped make breakfast, though she was doing so in icy cold silence. Bolin didn't know who to go comfort so he just stayed out of it all together, he missed Korra just as much as anyone and was worried to the point he refused any food till she came back.
The ground began to shake again and everyone rushed to the tunnel, peering inside when a sudden whoosh of air forced them all back. One platform of people shot up and crashed into the snow, quickly followed by the second. Korra stumbled off the back of the second platform and face first into the snow, exhausted. Mako ran over immediately while Bolin and Iroh went to check on the others who had arrived. Mako was glaring down at Korra who was looking off to the side, not meeting his gaze, she knew what was coming, she'd seen that look before.
"What the hell did you think you were doing Korra!" he reprimanded her, physically shaking. He pulled her to him in a tight hug and squeezed his eyes tight shut. "We could have lost you, you could have gotten hurt or worse! You..You could have had your bending taken away! What were you thinking?"
Korra honestly couldn't think for a moment, what was going on? He was holding her like she was dying or something. "Mako..I."
He sighed and relaxed somewhat. Then pulled back to look at her again. "what happened?"
"I found her..the girl. Her name is Mao."
"Really? And you didn't think she'd hurt you?"
"She's on our side Mako." she snapped back at him making him flinch.
"Well where is she?"
Korra looked away and down at the snow, Mako's face fell too as he realized what happened.
"She got caught didn't she?"
Korra nodded and then buried her face into Mako's jacket. He sighed and lifted her up and brought her back inside.
Iroh watched them before following but Bolin got in his way.
"No offence Iroh, Sir. But I think Avatar Korra needs to rest before you ask her any questions."
The man considered Bolin for a moment before smiling. "Of course. Come and find me when she wakes up."
Bolin nodded and then Saluted like the soldiers, earning him another smile from the general.
Mako laid Korra on the sofa and pulled the blanket over her, staying by her side while she slept, her hand still held onto his while he watched over her. He couldn't, he wouldn't let this happen again, he couldn't let her go out on her own.
Mao felt like her body was covered in deep bruises, which she had no doubt it was. She was being dragged across the floor, both her arms being held above her head, it was dark, lit only by dim torches on the walls but the light still hurt her eyes. She could see bars pass her vision and knew where she was heading. She nearly smirked and let out a deep sigh, she hadn't expected to be caught so early in the game.
The girl was tossed unceremoniously into one of the metal cells so she couldn't earth bend her way out. She could metal bend but she didn't, she didn't want to cause any more trouble from now till she got out. Besides she was saving her energy for when it counted. She pulled herself into the poor excuse of a bed and laid on her back, planning her next move.
Somewhere in the background a radio was playing soft jazz but a voice that sent a chill up her spine spoke over it.
"My fellow equalist's it has come to my attention that the Avatar has evaded capture once again. From now on everyone is to be vigilant and should they spot the Avatar in Republic city again you are to alert everyone immediately. She is to be brought to me alive." The radio held static for a second before the music continued from where it left off. It gave Mao some comfort to know that Amon wasn't close to her just yet, she had some time at least.