Chapter 4
This chapter isn't as long as I wanted it to be, I promise the next one will be longer :D
Central Hospital was a brisk thirty minute walk from the police HQ. By this time, the gloom of night had been replaced by the golden, lively sunlight of the day. The sun floated high in the center of the sky, which meant it must have been past noon. Korra wondered just how much time had passed, as her stay in the HQ felt like no time at all. These days, time seemed to flow together, and time management wasn't exactly one of Korra's priorities.
On her way to the hospital, Korra took the time to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the New Quarter. Prior to Kuvira's attack, the Old Quarter of Republic City had been a sight to behold, certainly. But, thanks to Future Industries ambitiously spearheading the development of the expansion, the New Quarter surpassed its predecessor's beauty tenfold! Sleek new-age architecture dominated the city streets, skyscrapers were abundant and unique, and local businesses were alive and kicking once more!
Colorful and healthy spirit vines neatly decorated the paths back to the Old Quarter, which was now dominated by the Spirit Wilds. On her walk, Korra passed the one path to the Old Quarter that the vines respectfully left barren; the pathway to Avatar Korra Park. While others would have taken only a small moment to admire the beauty of the untouched path, something in Korra treated it differently.
Spirits in all shapes and sizes littered the path, some making their homes inside the treeline that separated the brick path from the dense Spirit Wilds. A thought occurred to Korra. She realized that the city wasn't just thankful of her actions, it stood behind her, as well. The city, its spirits, and its people all stood with her against anything that threatened it. She belonged to the city as much as it belonged to her.
Lately, her mind had been focused on The Joker, all the threats, no, promises he had made. It relaxed her to remember how closely knit the city and her person were. It gave her hope. The Joker may be a sociopathic madman, but he was just that; a man. With his aura of evil and the like, he was trying to convince her that he was something more than what he actually was. Korra smiled. It was the first glimmer of hope she had since any of this started. Maybe she'd bring her family to the park, and maybe they'd see things the same way. Korra was lost in her thoughts for what felt like hours before she remembered why she was out in the first place.
The hospital was nothing special. Being one of the first buildings constructed in the New Quarter, and hastily built, at that, it was a plain, off-white building with multiple floors. The Future Industries logo displayed proudly above the entrance.
Korra passed through the revolving door and into the lobby. Although the building's exterior was plain, the interior supported a carefully crafted wooden fountain in the center of the lobby. A stout, young fire nation woman worked the front desk.
"Excuse me, ma'am, I'm here for Mrs. Asami Sato. What room is she in?"
The woman looked up from her paperwork and to Korra, and seemed somewhat surprised.
"Oh, Avatar Korra. Yes, your wife is located on the second floor, room eighty two. The doctor wouldn't comment on her condition, though. If you don't mind me asking, why is she in the hospital? The staff is abuzz, you see, and-"
"While I appreciate your concern, ma'am, that's personal business. I would rather it stay that way." Korra interjected.
"Yes, ma'am, I'm dreadfully sorry." The woman replied.
Korra hadn't asked Bei Fong how much the public knew of the Joker's presence, so it was safe to keep anything relating to it under wraps. The last thing Korra wanted was a public panic over the basket-case that sat in Bei Fong's lockup.
"Don't mention it, I've let curiosity get the better of me plenty of times." Korra thanked the woman for her time, and headed toward the elevator.
The room was as white as the exterior of the hospital, and the floor was tiled with alternating gray and dark green patterns. A radio played familiar, classic tunes on the windowsill. As Korra entered the room, she saw Kara and Sokka sitting on either side of a bed stricken Asami, who held her arms around them. Asami had a bandage around her left arm, a few pillows supporting her back, and a cotton ball in her cheek. All in all, Korra had seen worse.
Upon seeing their other parent wander into the room, Kara and Sokka lept from Asami's arms and mobbed Korra.
"Mommy! Mommy, we were so scared! The-the bad man hurt her, and I threw ice at the back of his head, and-" Kara explained distressed, pointing towards Asami. Kara clung to Korra's waist like a belt, while Sokka could only reach as high as her thighs.
Rather than finish her sentence, Kara broke down into tears, yet she was still coherent.
¨I was s-so scared, he was gunna-¨ Kara cried. Korra knelt down to her level and kissed her on the cheek. "I thought I was going to lose her." Kara whimpered. Then, Korra put her arms on the child's shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes.
¨You were afraid, Kara. But you were braver than I could have been. Sweetie, listen to me. If you didn't waterbend at that man, Asami could have gotten very hurt. You did the right thing, and we are so proud of you.¨ Korra said, her eyes now starting to water as well.
¨Th-thanks.¨ Kara uttered. Then, in one graceful motion, she airbended the two crying children off of their feet and into her arms. She walked to Asami's bed, and she smiled at the avatar.
¨Nah, I could have taken him. I had him right where I wanted him.¨ Asami weakly joked. Korra grinned in return.
¨Hey, since when are you the one that gets to crack all the jokes?¨ She questioned. Lately, with Korra being so wrapped up in the Joker situation, she was noticing that Asami had been taken up the role as the family comic relief in order to placate the children. Korra felt a ping of pride in her wife.
¨Since I got beat up by a terribly dressed clown with an even worse haircut.¨ She replied.
¨Anyway, glad you made it, honey. The kids were worried sick about you. The doctors said I'll need an artificial tooth to replace the one I lost, and I'll have a scar on my arm, but aside from that, nothing is permanent.¨
¨That's great news. Bei Fong has him locked up right now, said she'd decide what to do with him sometime today, I think. Personally, I hope-¨ Korra began to say, but was cut off when Asami waved her hand in the air, signaling for her to stop.
¨Ugh, whatever. It's been a long few days, for all of us. He's locked up, we're all here, and my back is killing me. Let's just sit back and relax for once.¨
Asami's reaction surprised Korra, but she felt inclined to agree with her.
¨Goodness, Asami, next thing I know, you'll start wearing blue fur coats and wearing your hair short.¨ Korra joked back at her. It really was uncanny how much like Korra Asami began to get.
¨Maybe. For now, let's just sit and listen to the music.¨ She replied. Korra followed her wife's suggestion, and placed the Sokka back into Asami's arms as she sat with Kara on the bed.
There was no talking, no discussion, and especially no crying. The four simply sat on Asami's bed and smiled as they listened to the radio. Korra felt that, even before the Joker's arrival, it had been an eternity since she had listened to the radio. It was such a small pleasure, but one she took for granted.
After a few minutes, Asami looked like she was about to doze off, and Sokka looked the same. Kara was still awake, as she stared at the ceiling, large grin on her face. After what felt like forever, Korra finally felt relaxed.
She was with her family, and they were happy.
¨Aaaaaand that was 'A Waltz in the Spirit Wilds', from the soundtrack of the critically acclaimed mover, 'Nuktuck: Protector of the Spirits.' This is Shiro Shinobi, coming at you from 'Tunes of Republic City'! Now, this next song was requested by none other than Chief Bei Fong, of the Republic City Metalbending police! She wants to remind Republic City that theres only one 'Only'...hold on one second, folks.¨ The radio host was silent for a few seconds, and Korra took note of this.
"It seems that, instead of a request, Ms. Bei Fong has actually sent in a record to be played.¨ The shuffling of papers and cardboard can be heard. ¨The message on the package reads, 'Dear Korra, know that this comes express-shipped from the bottom of my heart. You're the best friend a guy like me could ask for. Signed, Mr. J.'" Korra's heart skipped a beat as dark thoughts crept into the back of her head.
¨Hmm, an odd message. Not quite sure who this 'Mr. J' is, but I have it on good authority that this record came from the desk of the chief herself. Oh well, on to the song!¨
No, it couldn't be. No, no no no no no. She was just there. Did h-
The scratching of a record interrupted her thoughts. The song opened up with a piano riff, and as it ended, an unbearably sinister voice began to sing. His high notes sounded like iron nails on a chalkboard, and the low notes like it came from the belly of the most horrifying, insidious monster in all the Spirit World. The voice belonged to none other than The Joker.
"Only you..." Asami sprang up from her resting position, in horror of what her ears were telling her. The children reacted similarly.
"Can make, this world seem right."
"Only you, can make the darkness bright."
"Only you, and you alone,"
"Can thrill me, like you do,"
"And fill my heart, with love, for only you-hohohohoho."
Korra's face went pale, and her hands began to tremble. This couldn't be happening. A love song? She felt disgusted, appalled at the sadistic, unbelievable tune that played in her ears. Spirits, what do I do?
"Only you, can make, this change in me."
"For it's true, you are my destiny."
"When you hold my hand, I understand,"
"The magic that you dooooo…"
"You're my dream come true, my one, and only, you…"
The song ended, and left Korra and her family speechless, frozen in their place. Shiro's familiar voice returned to the channel.
"Folks, I've just recieved breaking news that Mako, veteran detective and city hero, was found badly injured at the Metalbending police HQ. It has also been confirmed that Ms. Lin Bei Fong, well-respected city police chief, is missing at this time. Authorities say that when a rookie beat cop came to her office to deliver a report, he found Mako sitting in a pool of his own blood. They advise all citizens to remain inside their homes and stay off of the streets while they conduct their investigation."
Go to him. He'll know where they are.
An echoey voice flooded her mind. Echoey, but familiar. Raava?
¨Kids, I've got to get to Mako. Stay with your mother, I'll be back soon.¨ Korra finally said.
Before anyone could speak up in protest, Korra airbended her way out of the room, the curtains next to Asami's bed flapped wildly.
Lin Bei Fong sat in her office chair, lost in thought. On normal days, her office was poorly lit, and today was no exception. She preferred it to be dim, it made it easier to focus on the more subtle details of the world around her, she guessed she took after her mother like that. The shades were down, blocking most of the rays of sunlight that tried to infiltrate her sanctuary. In fact, the room would have been pitch black, if not for detective Mako, sitting on the opposite side of her desk, reading over some files by candlelight. Normal people would be uncomfortable in such darkness, but Mako came to accept it over the years.
Lin's mind wandered over what had transpired the past few days. In both awe and fear, she questioned how a man like The Joker would be capable of so much evil in such a small timeframe. Mako's point on how Kuvira's disembodied face arrived in Tenzin's home far too quickly was not lost on her. It doesn't add up, it's like he can appear anywhere on the continent in seemingly a few minutes, she thought. Maybe he had some help, but even then, it didn't explain how the face was snuck into Tenzin's.
"Chief?" Mako finally broke the silence. Lin was drawn back to reality, and saw that Mako was holding the file of Zaheer's murder. "How many White Lotus were stationed at Zaheer's prison?"
"Must have been close to forty men and women. Why?"
"Well, the White Lotus are supposed to be one of the most elite groups of benders in the world, and I've read this file over and over. How is it that one guy, that clown, of all people, was able to cut them down like weeds? He's not even a bender!"
"I don't know, detective, but all evidence we have points to there being a lone assailant. The wounds discovered on Kuvira's body were consistent with Korra's description of her in her dream. And, any more than one infiltrator in Zaheer's prison would definitely have left signs of a huge fight, but all we've got to work with is a few corpses and scorch marks here and there."
Mako was hesitant to continue talking. Lin noticed this, and pushed for him to speak up.
"You look like you've got something on your mind, detective. Spit it out." Mako rubbed the back of his neck.
"It's just that...well...I've never seen anything like this ma'am. Sure, I've seen homicide cases before, and I've seen Korra brush off battalions of mech suit soldiers like they were made of paper. But, this is different. Scary different, Chief. I don't like the thought of him sitting in our lock-up." Mako explained. Lin relaxed in her chair and spoke to Mako in an uncharacteristically casual way.
"I can understand your concern, Mako. Truth be told, I'm kind of uneasy of him too. But, that's what he wants. He wants us to fear him, that's why he's so powerful. We have to remember that he's just a wackjob who wants people to think he's something more. We keep that in mind, and he can't do anything to hurt us." Lin said.
"Besides, to put it bluntly, he's a power-crazed maniac who has an unhealthy interest in the avatar. Sound familiar?" Lin asked.
"Yes ma'am, very familiar."
"Exactly. We've dealt with his kind before, and we'll do it again."
Mako chuckled to himself, his mind put at ease. "Thanks, Chief."
Suddenly, a knock echoed from the office door, and a muffled voice followed it.
"Chief Bei Fong? It's Jinora, Tenzin sent me to tell you something about The Joker, something important."
Tenzin? What sort of news could he offer? As Lin rose from her seat, Mako motioned for her to remain seated. "Oh no, ma'am, I'll get it." He said as he too rose from his seat.
Mako opened the door to the office, but instead of revealing Jinora, it revealed a familiar white-faced man, but instead of his purple three piece suit, he wore a colorful button up shirt, decorated with floral designs. His purple slacks were replaced with tan shorts, and his shoes were sandals of the same color. Slung around his neck was what appeared to be one of the new Future Industries' line of cameras. But, most weird of all, he held what Mako could only describe as a small pipe that had a wooden grip at the end of it. The Joker wore his signature sinister smile, as always.
¨He's out. HAHAHAHA!¨ The Joker screeched in his normal voice. Before Mako even had time to register his remark, the small pipe in The Joker's hand let out a small flash and a loud *BANG*.
Lin was behind Mako when it happened, and saw him tumble backwards against the Chief's desk. Lin acted without hesitation, and after Mako fell, she shot the metal cables in her gauntlets out at The Joker. Her cables hit her target, and wrapped around the hand that held the small pipe. She yanked The Joker, and he stumbled into her office, losing his grip on the pipe in the process.
The Joker used the momentum he gained from Lin's yank and used it in a mad dash towards the Chief's desk. He withdrew his dagger from his pants pocket, and lept over the desk at Lin. She intercepted him mid-air, grabbed hold of his shoulders, and slammed him against the wall behind her.
The Joker stomped his right foot against the wall, and his shoe knife extended from the base of the sandal. He kicked at Lin's legs as she held him at the wall, successfully stabbing her in the kneecap. She let out a scream of pain, and released The Joker as she fell to one knee. He lunged at her yet again with his knife, but she deflected his strike with her metal-plated arm guards. As The Joker recoiled from the forceful parry, Lin tackled him to the ground. This didn't seem to have much effect, as The Joker began to hammer at her head with the butt of his knife. Although she tried to block and evade the blows, he landed one successful hit above her lip. Lin released him again, and covered her now bloodied lip. The Joker raised his foot to her chest and kicked her off of him. Although injured, Lin managed to get to her feet fairly quickly, but The Joker was faster. From seemingly nowhere, he had pulled out a white, cylindrical canister. Lin didn't have time to get a good look at it before The Joker swung it over Lin's head. The impact grounded her yet again, and she felt blood running down her graying hair. Though her vision was blurry, she could see The Joker, looming over her as he had done to Asami.
¨Tough old hag, I'll give ya that. But, not tough enough!¨ The Joker taunted. Lin's thoughts turned to Mako, who she hadn't seen get up from his slumped position against her desk.
¨Mako...¨ she mumbled.
¨Oh, I wouldn't worry about him, grandma rocks-for-brains. He'll live, barely.¨
¨What did you...do to him?¨
¨What did I do? I shot him! What kind of stupid question is...Ohhhhhhh. Right.¨ The Joker replied, his hand cupping his chin.
¨I'll put it in layman's terms.¨ He stepped over Lin, and returned holding the small pipe. ¨This thingy here is called a 'gun'. Say it with me, kiddies, a 'gun'. I point this at whatever I don't like, and with a pull of the trigger, bam! It dies! Heheheehehehe!¨ he mocked. He waved it around Lin's face, displaying the trigger and hammer in a playful manner.
¨But, in poor Mako's case, I wasn't aiming to kill. I shot him directly in the base of the spine. A hard task for most, but I've had practice! You remember when Korra was in a wheelchair after Zaheer poisoned her? Well, replace Korra with Mako, and a few months with the rest of his life!¨ Lin could feel her vision fading from her, and she felt far too much pain to show anger.
¨You...you...¨ she began.
¨Monster? Freak? Madman? Genious? Handsome devil? ALL OF THE ABOVE? Ding ding ding, we have a winner! Ahahahahaaaha!" He placed the gun back into his pocket, and grabbed Lin by the neck as he lifted her off the ground.
"Now then, why don't we go take a little field trip?" He asked. Lin gripped his arms, struggling against his deadly grip. But, just as soon as he had lifted her up, he dropped her back onto the ground.
"Hold on a second, I've got something to take care of first." The Joker stepped over Lin's limp body and around to the other side of her desk, where Mako lay, unconscious. She could faintly hear the sounds of fabric being torn, and a few flashes from the camera. Between each flash, she could hear The Joker chuckle to himself maniacally.
Soon, the noises began to sound more and more far away. Finally, the sounds stopped, and Lin gave in to unconsciousness.