The Avatar was in his crosshairs.
Finally.
Mako crouched, staring at her from the rooftop across the street, watching his target through the slit in her blinds as she prepared her bath. Korra padded around her bathroom, bending over to turn off the faucet, and he watched the blue silk of her kimono robe slide over her body as she moved. She stood up again and lit the last of the candles that lined the edge of the tub, the flames flickering happily in the dark room. The glow lit up her face, the shadows dancing their way onto her features.
He would shoot her when she laid down in the water, when she relaxed in the bath, when she sank into the bubbles. He'd kill her.
It was an easier clean-up.
One of her fingers grazed the top of the bath, and she cut a path through the bubbles. It was the very picture of a romantic evening, but he knew she was alone. She was always alone.
He'd been following her for days, observing her for days, so he knew.
It didn't seem like she would be the Avatar, but after days of observation and days of research and years of stories told about her, he was sure. He couldn't forget, could never forget the stories for they were so often shared in seedy bars with hints of bitterness and regret and hatred. Their city had no need for her.
People had long since lost faith in the Avatar, but they had not yet lost belief. The bounty on her head was huge, an unbelievable sum of yuans, and Mako needed and craved that money. He needed it to take care of Bolin; they'd be set for years, for decades.
It was his biggest hit yet, and he licked his lips with anticipation and greed.
He ignored the pricks of rain on his cheeks.
Korra stood with her back to him, and he watched as her weight shifted to one hip. She'd taken out her metal hairpieces, the ones he'd seen her wear almost constantly. He stared as her hands moved up to her waist and fumbled with the ties, and the robe was slipping slowly off her shoulders, slowly, slowly, and the muscles of her back were smooth and strong, shifting under her skin as she shrugged the robe off. It fell to her feet in a puddle. His eyes drifted down, staring at the dimples in her lower back, at the smooth, round curve of her ass. He bit his bottom lip.
Korra approached the bath hesitantly, and shivered as the cold air finally hit her naked body. Her nipples were hard. She stepped forward and dipped in a toe, and the bubbles undulated. Then, all of the sudden, she hit her forehead with the heel of her hand, as if she were chastising herself for forgetting something. Mako'd noticed she hadn't gotten a towel… not that she'd need one.
She walked back out, leaving his sight. Her other window's blinds were down, so he kept his focus on the bathroom, waiting for her return, and his mind began to wander once more.
Some of the stories were hard to forget, the ones that Shin and Zolt had told him in annoyed whispers on those cold nights. For some reason, Mako was remembering when she'd saved him from Equalists. How she'd come in and taken them down without meeting his eye once.
He'd never told anybody about that.
Not even Bolin.
It was a bit of a shame that he had to kill her. She was very beautiful and… If he had the chance, maybe he'd—
"Drop it, chump."
The familiar feel of a muzzle pressing into the back of his head registered in his brain. It was death, cool and ready. He'd known the feeling before, heard its voice calling his name before, but he'd never been so surprised by its whisper. He closed his eyes and dropped his sniper rifle; it clattered as it hit the rooftop.
She'd gotten him.
"Now turn around," she commanded, and he obeyed. He turned, and the gun she carried brushed against his hair as she held steady. The Avatar kept her distance, an arms-length away, as she steadied her revolver against his forehead.
He couldn't help but notice her outfit, for there wasn't much of one. Her breasts were threatening to spill out the middle of her trench coat. She was barefoot, and most certainly naked beneath the coat.
Mako smiled. This girl was full of surprises. And here he was, thinking he'd had her pinned.
"Hello there," she said, smirking. He couldn't bend down to get his gun; she'd kill him before that. All he could do was talk. Talk and watch.
"Hello, Avatar Korra."
"You know my name then, I see? I figured as much. But you'd think that since you're the one with a gun to his head, you'd be wanting to tell me yours."
He groaned and looked to the ground, looking at her feet before meeting her eyes once more. "My name is Lee."
She rolled her eyes. "Your real name, bud."
"Mako." He didn't know why he did it. His name fell from his mouth before he could catch himself, but there was something about her, that confidence that she exuded that forced him to obey.
"Mako, eh?" She tapped his forehead with the revolver. "You're a pretty good tracker. I'm impressed. Nobody's managed to find my apartment before." She placed one hand on her hip, and he pondered when she'd discovered that he was tracking her; if she'd been able to sneak up on him, she was a lot better than he'd originally thought. She'd probably known days ago.
"I didn't shoot you, though."
"As if I'd have let you."
"What do you mean?"
"I've been hunted my whole life; you think I'm gonna let some city boy like you kill me that easily?"
What had given him away? "How did you know?"
"Avatar's intuition," she teased. "You also didn't miss your step like I did when you were following me down that alley the other day. I heard a footstep. Big mistake."
He'd been following so far behind. It was amazing that she could sense him.
"You're pretty impressive yourself, you know. Sneaking up on me like that."
"My bounty isn't that number for any ole reason." She smirked. "I do have one question for you, though."
"Shoot." He stifled a chuckle at his joke.
"Did you enjoy the free show?" Her eyes were lustful then, which surprised him.
"Very much so." She laughed then, genuine and pure. Her hair was sticking to her face.
"I'm glad you're having fun, too."
His eyes focused on the revolver. "Fun?"
"If I'm going to have such a skilled hit man after me—" She grabbed his red tie, yanking him close to her, close enough that he could feel the heat coming off her. Her revolver had fallen to her side. "—I may as well make this a little more interesting."
Her mouth was on his then, pressing hard, slightly open as she sucked his bottom lip. It burned like a fire, intoxicating and overpowering and freeing all at once. And Mako couldn't help himself. He leaned into the kiss, slipping his tongue in her mouth, swallowing the moan that rose from her throat, thick and hot and heavy.
His hands drifted, gliding down her side to her back and down, squeezing through the coat. Her cold fingers pulled his hair, pushing his head closer for one last kiss. She breathed and pulled away.
Her expression had changed.
It was no longer angry or confident or lustful.
It was lonely.
And just a little bit sad.
It lasted not even a moment, and before he could speak, she was grinning once more. "See you 'round, hotshot," she whispered before slamming the butt of her revolver against his head.
The world faded, cold, black.
He could still taste her on his tongue.