Asami felt a slight culture shock, watching Senna prepare food for them as if they had just come down from an innocent sleepover. After throwing on shorts, Korra's fire ferrets hockey jersey and clawing her hair into a reasonable pony tail she joined a sleepy Korra leaning her chin the heel of her palm on the kitchen island. Her free hand pawed blindly and clumsily for her pale one, fingers knotting out of view as Asami felt her blush only throb harder at Senna's presence.
"Would it make it easier if I said she's seen it all before?" Korra caught her shifting gaze finally, after Asami had taken in Tonraq slumped over his chai, concentration marring his features as his head swum with jaeger and ouzo and the Water Tribe woman absently humming as she added the finishing spices to their eggs.
"It's true I had a girlfriend in college."
"I meant the kiddie pools - mom!"
Korra clapped her hands over her eyes and let her forehead touch the table as a barrage of images assaulted her alcohol weakened mind. Tonraq barked a laugh and then gripped his stomach and oozed an uncertain, "Oooh,"
Asami placed both hands on the marble in front of her and begged.
"Counter, please swallow me whole."
"Asami doesn't usually sleep in the buff," Korra interjected trying to save her fiancee's dignity, albeit poorly.
"Not at least when I know people are coming round."
"She just got caught up in all the uh," the rookie officer with the half a functioning brain couldn't think of a lie, plus the heiresses gestures of her miming a karate chop to her throat confused what she did and didn't want to say, and said instead, of course, the opposite. "Sex."
"This entire conversation is a fucking train wreck." Asami whispered burying her face in her hands next to her fiancee.
"Eggs. Eat." Senna chuckled, punctuating the sentences by placing the plates next to the embarrassed couple. "And when you're done Korra I want you to put your glasses on."
Miraculously by this point Korra had already managed to stuff her face with half her meal. Asami froze, back straight, fork midair, watching the exchange with baited breath.
"I don't have to wear them all the time."
"I know honey, but Tonraq and I have some things to show you. Both of you."
"If they're my baby pictures I will freak." Still, she stood, pacing in a small contemplative circle as she retraced where she last had them.
"They're in my purse." Asami breathed. "By our shoes…in the bathroom." Korra gave her that knowing crooked half smile. It somehow made Asami's dread spike as she whirled closer and closer to more truths. When she was out of the room she felt Senna's hand on her shoulder, comforting her with her daughter's deep blue eyes.
She picked at her breakfast in silence, unable to know what to say as Korra could be heard zipping back into the bathroom from the Bay, and Asami didn't have to cover it up. She padded back clutching sandy shoes and folding Asami's purse closed with her specs perched on her nose. She put her handful on the desk by the door before returning to her fiancee's side.
"I love how you look in my jersey," Korra smiled. Tracing the fire ferrets emblem between the heiress' shoulder blades. She closed her eyes at the light massaging touch.
"You know how I love it when they score baskets."
"I remember you shouting sports harder," she smiled tracing her hand across Asami's jaw, specs doing nothing to hinder the brightness of her eyes. It was intimidating and heart warming at the same time.
"Shut up and finish your food." Korra snickered as she pressed a kiss to her temple before diligently returning to her stool. Scooping up her fork and raising it as she knotted her fingers back through Asami's on the countertop. She beamed at her mother, content to remember this precious family moment for years to come until she blinked and Senna was gone.
She heard the Choos hit the island before her mother followed, jumping beside her husband and curling her fingers into his shirt as they looked across at their daughter, now fully, extremely awake. Her mouth open, her fingers still loose between Asami's. Even looser on her fork it seemed, as it tumbled from her grip and she didn't even seem to notice the splurge of egg that shot across the room that Naga lapped up happily. Asleep for the drama, awake for the chow as per usual.
"Korra say something."
Her lips played through a myriad of words, not a sound made it past them until Asami squeezed her hand.
"Something." Was all she managed.
"We're a family of teleporters Korra." Tonraq said the first coherent thing he'd said all morning. "Your mother and I have been each other's familiars since we were children. When the war found us, we felt it was best to go into hiding in Republic City. We joined an underground research group. Other teleporters based here trying to figure this all out."
"You knew I'd be like this?"
"There was a chance you could be normal, and safe in it."
"Hiroshi," she gripped tighter on Asami's hand before she had the chance to flinch, "you knew what he was?"
"Not until it was too late. He blamed Jumpers for Yasuko's death. Towards the end, a lot of us died. We thought it was best to shield you from that."
"Did you know Aang?" Senna's eyes grew watery, darkening in a way that Korra had never seen directly before. "He died on my birthday didn't he?"
"He was a good man." Tonraq straightened despite the weight Korra could now identify on his shoulders. "I've never seen a stronger Jumper."
Korra felt Asami's eyes on her, a look crossed her face that Asami knew came before the abyss. Both hands we're in the mix between the plates now.
"You've never seen me Jump." Korra whispered. She freed a hand and inclined a finger towards the unlit candle on the top, and set the wick aflame. "There's more to what we do than moving from one place to the other."
"Korra what was that?" Korra was staring intently at the flame she'd created with hardly a spark, only looking away when Asami pushed her hair behind her ear beside her.
"Tell them the real story. Here, this place. Kwongs." They were stepping towards being completely free from lies, for now the relief out weighed the fear of what Korra would do if she knew. Her fingers traced over her ring, she looked down on their link and smiled. "It's a good one."
Korra smirked through her panic, knowing she had the engineer by her side to back up the most insane story she had ever heard, and now she could finally share it. She started from her first jump, being called into Varrick's lab and her first missions and Kuvira, all they way forward and until her timeline folded back. Asami studied their faces intently, counting as high as two minutes between some blinks. Occasionally Senna's expression would soften when she learned that once again Asami had been there when she could not, taking care of her.
"Time travel." Senna whispered.
"I can control it but I probably shouldn't use it anymore. I've met with my past lives and travelled further than anyone I've ever met in a single jump. It's been a crazy year."
"And you've never encountered Paladins before Gaza?"
"Other than Hiroshi, no. But somethings coming… they were experimenting on Jumpers." Senna clapped her hand over her mouth.
"It's starting again." Tonraq paled, even further than he was already if that were possible.
"Asami," Senna flashed and returned with a lock box, a key already around her throat in the keyhole, "One of the last things we did was collect all the intel we could from your father, and other agents." Red steel arched back and Asami looked at the flat black floppy disks inside. "These may be of use now."
"To what 1999?"
"Says the time traveller." Asami smirked. Tracing her fingers over the matt plastic, "I always loved these. So did dad." she bit her tongue and lifted the disk to eye level, "They should still work,"
"But they're encrypted. There's profiles of a few Jumpers that are legible but most everything else is blacked out."
"I think we should call Varrick. I've never been any good with codes." the engineer admitted.
"I think we should call everyone." Three sets of eyes trained on Korra, "If war is starting. They're going to need to know. Tenzin. Lin. Suyin. Their families are in the cross fire."
Mutual agreement passed silently between them, and slightly shell shocked from the direction their breakfast had taken, Asami watched as Korra gathered clothes and agreed to meet her parents back here in an hour. She was still sitting at the kitchen island when Korra emerged from a quick de-sanding shower.
"Baby?" she couldn't ask whats wrong, Korra knew there was so much wrong about this.
"Everything is going to change now isn't it?" She was sure Korra had just pulled on a chemise on the other side of the room, until her strong arms found their way around her.
"Sweetheart." Korra piled on the pet names when she was at a loss for words. Still Asami felt a shiver run up her spine at the contact of her lips against her jaw. "Everything will be okay."
"Promise?"
"I'm the only one who can." Korra punctuated her assurance by pressing a gentle kiss to Asami's pale lips. The officer smiled against her fused lips, "You have horrible morning breath."
"You have horrible conversation skills." Asami countered, leaning back but still holding her short locks between her fingers, "Caught up in all the ughh…sex." she mocked in a goofy voice.
"It's the morning. Mornings are evil." Asami's grin faded the longer she admired Korra's, their last night creeping up on her.
"I need to tell you something."
"Yippee more information," Korra joked, but reading the heiresses expression made her brows draw together, "What is it?"
"Hiroshi thought Jumper's killed my mother." Asami's head fell forward and Korra balanced it against her own, "I have the surveillance tapes on my computer. I can't watch them alone." Korra's eyes searched endless emerald. Piece by piece the weight of her secrets were begin lifted from the heiress.
"You can't keep carrying this stuff Asami."
"I know I shouldn't ask-"
"No. Of course you should ask. I'm here for you 'Sami. I'll watch them with you."
"You're parent's will be here soon."
"Tonight then. I'll know when you do." Asami took her into her arms and buried her face into the soft skin of her throat. "For better or worse."
"Oh God you're so cheesy." Korra chuckled and kissed her temple.
"Get dressed. We've got a world to save."
XXX
One by one a mixture of solemn, confused and hungover faces arrived in Varrick's lab. It took less time than Asami suspected, even Tenzin didn't take much coercing or convincing that his daughter and the same abilities as his father. His mother came too, Korra didnt know how to act when she saw her, those blue eyes felt intimately familiar on a deep level, and her weak old smile made her feel safer on a deep long forgotten level.
Mako clutched to his coffee like it was life blood as he listened to Senna and Tonraq and Korra describe the war. Kai shrieked at the word, before quickly slamming a palm over his mouth and blushing madly in front of his girlfriend's father.
Bolin nervously made small talk with Opal's mother and aunt whom he had met officially for the first time. When Korra went into detail about what happened in Gaza the body builder looked like he was about to pass out. All the while, Varrick constructed a makeshift floppy disk drive to hook up to his monitors.
When the moment of truth came, all eyes trained on the pixels that split, and split themselves again into files and documents. The top left corner of each page was a photo, aged around twenty years, and if the subject was unlucky, bold red type smeared their face with the words "MISSING" or worse "TERMINATED".
"These haven't been updated since we stole them in '11, but thankfully not by much." Senna began, "Longshot died in an explosion in the financial district. The Paladins had a base there and he was infiltrating from the inside. We think he was discovered and it ended badly." Senna's voice softened and her eyes trained on Asami's, "Jet is still missing but," her throat closed, unable to continue. Tonraq took her arms under his large hands and continued for her.
"He doesn't seem like the kind of person to just disappear and not say anything."
It sickened Korra flitting from face to dead face. Her heart felt like it was leaking from her chest. The more she read, the hotter her head became.
"Katara, Jumper dead. No Longer of Interest." Asami's hand found her shoulder, but she continued reading, tears spilling down her cheeks, "Aang, TERMINATED. Shoot on sight order executed. Twentieth, June, 1993."
"Azula Extremely Volatile Jumper, Kill on sight, MISSING with Familiar Ty Lee."
"Toph Beifong." Opal read aloud, "Powers purged. Thirtieth of June 2011, Familiar dead." Suyin, next to her clapped her hand over her mouth as her eyes glittered. Korra heard her whisper, etched with so much pain it could have been a tiny scream.
"Dad."
Korra followed her gaze, next to Toph, Sokka, TERMINATED, Extremely Dangerous Familiar.
The Officer didn't feel the arms catch her as she fell. The void rose up around her, and she found herself behind the eyes of someone she never met. She was mourning Aang's loved one, she felt his eyes turn blue and rage against the universe in his echo. It dragged to a harbour. Korra was faceless and voiceless watching from high as Toph throws herself against a veil of light she couldn't Jump past, and it hurt like hell to try.
"Sokka!"
"Close the rift!" he shouted back, "I'll get the machine!"
He was lithe for an old man, muscles still peeking out of his shirt, and wielding matching swords and guns. It was clear this dangerous game had kept him extraordinarily fit over the years. He leapt inside the shipping container. The doors slammed shut behind him and in that moment he knew he had been lured into a trap.
Toph sucked in a breath, ignoring her bloody nose and taking a stance she aimed her fists towards the screaming light between them. It began to swerve and fluctuate at her ministrations, but her concentration could only stay pegged for so long.
"I'm not locked in here with you!" Sokka's voice pierced the metal, his indignant grunts of agony and the unmistakable of flesh sliced by metal, "you're locked in here with me!"
Sharp papping breaks out from within the walls, the screams stop and the rift sinks into a halt, not before striking Toph off her feet.
Korra watched her scramble, blind, helpless, small, feeling for the container and pressing her shoulder weakly against it.
"Jump." she panted, "Come on ya idiot jump."
Nothing happened.
A jolt to Korra's stomach brought her back to the present. Before she opened her eyes she felt Asami's silken locks against them.
"Korra wake up! Please wake up!" She twists and sees the same rift of light crackling at the centre of the room. She collects herself, raising her hands and letting her eyes glow, the light sealed and flitted into dust. She slumps back, Asami falling down with her clutching her to her chest.
Mako emerged from behind the couch he had fallen back from, coffee down his front and amber eyes wide.
"What - the hell - was that?"
"Aang's still mad." Korra breathed.
XXX
The heat did nothing for his scars. He felt them blister mid air over the Gaza strip a barrage of curses flitted through his mind remembering that the easiest way to conduct Paladin business in secret was under this veil of chaos. Still being underground eased the physical irritation some.
Irritation seemed to be the word of the day. Leuten was not looking forward to the whining weeping excuse of this brain without success. He had lost track of mere children. Such incompetence would not stand. Not in the presence of Amon and the Lieutenant.
He did not expect the hubbub and lighting speed the paladin scientist possessed when he arrived in his lab however. The beds were still empty, the boys clearly still gone, and yet there was a measurable skip in this mans step as he danced from console to console.
"I do not appreciate having to come half way across the world to measure failure Professor."
"Oh you will," he cackled, almost madly. He turned on his heel, clapping his gloves together before yanking two briefcases onto the tables where there had once been bodies.
"Out with it then. Your place in the company is under scrutiny. As is your worth."
With twitching fumbling fingers the scientist unclasped one case, inside carved foam sat two sets of spectacles. The next was a full on face mask, complete tinted glass made to cover from cranium to chin.
"Is this a joke?" Leuten sneered, no one was stupid enough to even comment on his partner's scars, certainly not in the same room as him, and yet this welp was begging for a bullet in the brain for this bold insult.
"Let me explain." The Professor crowed, lifting some specs and presenting them to Leuten. "Wear these please." After a moment of deliberation, and curving his outright rage, Leuten snatched them. "Now tell me what you can about this sample." In his hand sat a petri dish of specs of blood. Through the shades, this was glowing, clearly and concisely. Energy readings sat beside them, off the charts with energy, potential, volatility. He snatched them and pointed to the samples and breathed.
"This is impossible!" He lifted the glasses, "Both of these are impossible."
"Not impossible! We've designed these glasses to identify the enemy, in any crowd! Including familiars!"
"If that's the case, according to these measurements? Than the Jumper this blood belongs to is…"
"Incredibly powerful yes. A time traveller no less."
"And these glasses, this tech, you've progressed nearly ten years in three how have you managed this?"
"This blood is a very special key." he professed puffing his chest out.
"I haven't seen readings like this since…" Leuten locked eyes with the professor as he realised, "We have another Avatar."
He snapped his head back to Amon, stoic and silent in the corner for once, blue eyes trained hungrily on the second case.
"What does the Mask do?"
