Bounty
"These are my friends," Korra waved to her bound and gagged crew.
Pema handed her child over to Ikki then approached Kai. Grabbing him roughly by the collar she pulled him aside from the bunch before pressing her foot heavily into his back. With his arms bound he couldn't catch his fall resulting in him being slumped over face first in the dirt. Removing her foot, she snatched the tail of his shirt then hoisted it up revealing Kai's black ink tattoo, "You're friends with bandits?"
"He left that life." Korra began, "Those first few months... We all did things. He's just a boy though Pema."
"Boys can be savages, Korra."
Korra stood her ground, "Not this one."
"What makes you so sure?" Pema approached her and staring into her caramel colored eyes Korra could see she had changed just as much as Korra had.
She could see the story without having to read the chapters of the book. She could see the mother, alone, with three children and pregnant with a fourth in this god forsaken world. She could see the monstrosities she'd have to commit for the sake of her children. Korra herself had come well acquainted with the never-ending amount of moral sacrifices that came with protecting people. And she could see each moral compromise written between the lines of Pema's forehead.
Knowing this Korra continued, "Because he's been in my crew for the last ten months. He's proven himself. As a fighter. As a friend. As a member of my crew."
"Bandits lie like birds crow," Pema dismissed the sentiment. Pema crossed the distance between herself and Korra, two armed guards followed their leader, "Search them."
One man moved around Korra, he patted her down, one leg then the next, under her arms, and finally lifting her shirt to reveal her back. He pulled at the bandages Asami's careful fingers had applied.
"Hey," Asami said involuntarily, "It took me a long time to wrap that wound properly." Her shy eyes lingered on Korra's back a moment with her statement. When they finally pried away they found Korra's curious gaze on them.
Pema turned to the man who was about to start unraveling the bandages.
"Leave them," Pema decided.
He nodded and moved on to pat down Asami.
She watched the man like a hawk ready to break his hand if he touched Asami inappropriately. She was glad when he turned out to not be pervert and rejoined Pema at her side. Breaking his wrist would have been bad. A nice way to get shot by the thirty men currently aiming guns at her face.
A man came walking up to Pema, "We just got in contact with Amon. He'll will be here by first light."
"Good," Pema took a breath, "We have someone for them."
"What do you mean someone?" Asami asked.
Pema looked at the dark haired girl, "We'll be giving your bandit friend to Amon."
"You can't do that!" Korra protested.
"It's already being done."
"Pema, you can't be serious. He's just a boy!"
"Amon won't see it that way. He'll see that tattoo same as everyone else. The mark of a rapist and a killer. A savage who preyed on the weak when the world fell apart knowing no one could stop them." Korra's mind shifted back to one year ago. What had this woman gone through to make her so decisively cold towards all bandits?
Korra edged closer mustering her diplomacy, "You don't have to do this. Tell your men to stand down. Let us go and you'll never see us again."
"I do have to do this, Korra. Besides, knowing what they know, even if I gave the order - which I won't - my men would never stand down. That boy has a circulating wanted poster with his face on it. If Amon learns we had him and didn't hand him over, he'd wipe us all out. We have no choice." She stepped away, "I'll let you and your other friends go once they've-,"
"Kai." Asami interrupted. Pema looked at her curiously, "I thought I'd put a name to the twelve year old boy your about to have crucified."
"Crucified implies innocence." She nodded and three men moved forward with ropes, "Until Amon arrives you'll be our guests."
"Guests," Korra snorted looking around at the darkness lit with only a flickering campfire. They'd returned to where Pema and her trained miniature army had set up camp.
Metal wire walls kept out the undead. though for some reason this area had a lower population of undead. The fenced in area consisted of four large tents and several smaller once. All of it parted down the middle leading to, Korra assumed, Pema's tent. A small ways from tents, closer to the fences sat the cage Asami and Korra currently called home, "She's caged us like animals and called us their guests."
Korra kicked her crate violently. The man outside guarding her cast a look over his shoulder, rolled his eyes, snuck a swig of liquor then moved away from the tempered young woman.
Asami looked over at her cellmate and sighed, "Calm down, Korra."
"Calm down!" Korra grumbled, "I'll show Pema calm. I'll calm all over her face!"
"Right, well, while you're calming, want to let me in on whom this Pema is?"
"She's an old family friend. Though-," She turned and shouted to whoever happened to be nearby, "Pema is the worst friend in the history of friend-kind!"
Asami moved closer to Korra. The crate they were in was made of wood, though the lock keeping them inside was made of metal and chained around the door and the wall of crate. It couldn't have been more than five feet square, meaning the two were crammed inside practically on top of one another.
"Let me check your bandages." Asami said.
Korra shrugged her off first but was set with one of Asami's more pointed eyebrow raises. She relented and allowed the girl to help her work her sleeve off, "Look, I don't know much about Pema, but I know she is going to do what it takes to survive."
"Do we need to re-hash why she's the worst friend of all friend-kind?"
"No. I'm saying," Asami leaned closer to Korra, so close she could feel the rise and fall of Asami's chest against hers. She swallowed, her mind stuttering at how glorious Asami was up close, how surprisingly wonderful she smelled. How badly she wanted to kiss her, "We should do the same."
When Asami pulled back her raven colored pony tail seemed a little droopier and a few stray bangs covered her face. She'd removed a bobby pin from her hair and used Korra as a cover from any gaurds who might have been watching.
Crossing her legs and lowering her hands between them, Asami began fiddling to get the blunt end of the bobby pin free.
"You think you can pick it?" Korra whispered.
"Ever picked a lock with a dozen undead marching up a porch behind you?" Asami managed to get the blunt ends off the bobby pin and she opened the pin wide, "You learn how real fast."
With that she moved closer to the door and peered out, "We can wait till more of them go to sleep. Break out and find Kai. Until then," she looked back at Korra and smiled when she saw the praised expression on her face, "We wait." Asami's expression turned humored, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I was just…" She struggled to find the words and when she did she tried her best to conceal exactly the depth of what she was saying, "I think you're the most amazing person I've ever met."
Was it to soon to say that? Absolutely. Why was she saying it then? First because she'd wanted to say it since she'd first seen the other woman driving like she was in a video game. Second because in the apocalypse things happened quickly. People you cared about vanished quickly. Bolin had missed his chance to be with Opal and for the last month she'd seen him crumble to pieces. Taking up smoking and liquor. Taking less and less interest in guiding his inducted baby brother Kai. Taking up a quieter way of being as a whole. He hadn't fallen away out of touch like Tenzin, but he was just a step above. And though he improved every day she knew she would never get her best friend back. Not like he was before Opal.
Korra didn't want that to happen to her with Asami. She spoke slowly, part of her wanting Asami to stop her the other part wanting to say it before something happened to either of them and she wouldn't be able to, "You're clever. And elegant. And Brilliant. And sexy in the dorkiest way imaginable." Asami laughed at that and Korra wondered if her duplicitous words had convinced Asami that she was only making friendly small talk.
Korra crossed her arms and buried her chin in them, her legs propping her head up. Why had she chosen now, in a confined space to say that? Why not in an open space? Preferably one where she could run away if Asami didn't return her affection. One where she could say, "Whatever." And walk away with false indifference. She finished with a smile, "But mostly, you're brilliant. Asami, you're brilliant and..." She could have - no, probably should have said she was falling in love with her, but that would have been too much. And truly she didn't know if Asami was "that way" like Korra was. Instead she continued, "I want you to know I think you're amazing."
It hadn't been a confession exactly. More of a casual grocery list of characteristics Korra loved about Asami. So monotonous, so unceremonious, that someone might have tried to take that list to Wal-Mart. But even with the veil of casualness Asami had to have understood Korra was trying to say she was falling in love with her... right?
A few moments passed with Korra avoiding Asami's eyes and Asami studying the other girl. Korra focused on Asami's hands. She noticed they still had splinters in them. She wanted to pull them out. She wanted to touch her. But several seconds moved between them and Korra couldn't imagine touching anything on the girl without giving in to the primal instinct of kissing her. Finally, she whispered even quieter than before, "Say something."
"Korra," Asami searched for the words and Korra's heart began to skip, "It's just that..." She trailed off again, "Remember how I told you my group and I were caught in a migration? How none of them survived?" Korra could see the horror. See the undead coming for the group. And she nodded, "Among them," Asami's voice cracked, "Among them was my fiance, Iroh."
Korra's heart sunk into her stomach. How could she be so stupid? Of course Asami had had someone. Anyone with eyes and a brain would have fallen head over heels for Asami. And she'd just short of confessed herself to someone who had been engaged less than two weeks ago.
"I'm so sorry," Korra said quietly, "I didn't know." And she let the silence fall between them. She didn't trust herself to say anything. If she did it would come out sounding bitter or insensitive. She didn't blame anyone for being in love with Asami and she didn't blame Asami either. She just wished it didn't hurt so damned much that Asami didn't feel the same about her. That there was no way of competing with someone who was dead. And she was a horrible human being for wanting to.
Asami pulled aside the cage door and Korra exited quietly. Her foot was numb as it made purchase with the grass. Asami wound the chain from the cage lock around her hand.
Korra moved to the right of their guard with Asami behind her, each step taken with trepidation.
They'd seen Mako, Bolin and Kai taken to a second set of cages just around the corner of a smaller tent and into a larger one.
"I knew you'd get out. You're too determined not to."
Korra and Asami turned around slowly as Pema stepped from the shadows. The flickering camp fire now settled over her features.
"Pema, I don't want to fight you." Korra began. The guard doing a lack luster job of guarding now looked up at the voices.
"Hey!" He hollered.
"Then please get back in that cage."
"You know I won't do that." Korra responded.
"Then we don't have a choice."
Pema charged Korra as Asami went after the guard.
Korra's legs were like wet noodles beneath her having been in that damned cage all day. But she pound them into the earth bounding forward at Pema. Closing the last couple of feet between herself and Pema, Korra leapt, spreading her legs she hooked them around Pema's neck then using the carrying momentum she slung Pema towards the earth, tucking and rolling free of the woman when she felt Pema hit the ground.
Asami rushed the guard who raised his semi automatic to shoot. But he was too little to late. Asami snapped out the chain like a whip, wrapping it around the gun. With a mighty tug she ripped it clean from his hand. Eyes watching the weapon spin mid-air before dropping down, she caught the weapon in firing position. She clicked the safety off.
"Say a single word and I'll blow your brains out." She threatened menacingly. No back up had arrived, most were asleep. Their perimeter was too wide out to see the fight. If they could keep this quiet then they could break out without having to fight thirty well trained men. The guard clenched his jaw and Asami narrowed her eyes. Would he scream for help?
Korra grabbed Pema around the collar and thrust her to the ground for the second time. Raising her foot she trampled down on the woman's abdomen. "Oof!" the air was knocked from her body. Without taking time to absorb the pain, Pema reached in her jacket, removed her dagger and sliced through Korra's pants and to her flesh beneath. Korra jumped backwards, looking down at the steady stream of blood that filled her shoe. Pema pushed up from the ground and readied the dagger in her hand.
"Don't do that."
"I don't like guns."
"Trust me," Korra warned, "You won't like daggers either."
Asami watched the guard wondering what it would be. Then, his neck muscles tightened and his mouth parted to take in air as he prepared to call for help. By time words had begin to form on his lips Asami had removed the clip from the semi automatic with a click and sent the thick metal spiraling head over heels into his mouth.
The sound of cracking teeth against solid metal and a firm sickening pop touched Asami's ears. The bullet clip broke through his teeth and the force alone rocketed him off his feet and sent him flailing back. He hit the ground hard and cradled his face. His wail began slow, first quieted by disbelief then realization settling in his wide eyes. Blinking back shock he reached up to touch the bloodied broken mess that had become his mouth where his tooth had punctured his lower lip and his teeth had embed themselves in metal. Before he could cry out Asami finished him with a firm kick to the side of his head.
Korra smacked aside Pema's fist and landed her own in the eye of the woman. The impact sent shivers to Korra's spine and to her surprise Pema remained focused and countered dragging the blade of her dagger through Korra's retreating fist. The underside of her arm sliced open and began spilling blood. It wasn't deep enough to kill, but enough to make Korra rethink such self deprecating attacks. She grabbed the hand with Pema's dagger, distracted her with a backhanded open handed fist across her face then pried the dagger free. As Pema recoiled from the shock of the second blow of Korra's fist, Korra spun her around and buried the dagger in her back.
Pema gasped and sprawled forward reaching behind her as Korra kicked her legs out from under her. The woman fell to the ground.
Korra dropped atop of her then, her legs at Pema's sides and her hands tightening around Pema's throat. Pema's hands reached up to stop the girl from killing her and Korra turned her head as Pema's hand moved free of her neck and pawed frantically at her face. Pema would clearly lose this battle. Her eyes began to roll upward.
"Asami," Bolin sighed relief as his friend entered the large tent he and his brother had been kept in.
"Where's Kai?" Asami asked.
"He's not here."
She sunk to her knees and begun unlocking their cages.
Pema's hand searched the grass for a stone and came up empty. Desperately, she grabbed the fabric of Korra's shirt ripped the fabric off and with it the bandages. Without hesitation she drove her fingers into the wound, digging her nails through the poultice and clawing her nails through the injured flesh beneath.
Korra gasped as agonizing pain shot through her shoulder and extended to every corner of her body. Blood began spilling immediately around Pema's hand as she gouged in deeper and deeper still.
Korra's hands came from around Pema's neck and she yanked her shoulder free from the wicked fingers that had crawled inside her. The bandages soaked through in mere moments and Korra's vision blurred. Her mind began begging to be free of the unbearable pain. Meanwhile, Pema pushed the girl off. Korra breathed heavily but still couldn't catch her breath. Her body riddled with pain and exhaustion. Even with all her willpower she couldn't will herself back to her feet. Everything just hurt so much. Pema caught the shuddering young woman with an uppercut fist to her jaw.
Pema rose to her feet breathing ragged breaths and holding her red throat as she filled her lungs with much needed air, she said, "I didn't want to do this." She kicked the young woman in the stomach and watched her fall to the ground. Writhing in pain.
Korra's esophagus filled with something. Vomit. Her body didn't know how to compensate for the taxing fight.
"Then…" She swallowed her vomit and a mouth full of blood, "Then don't."
"Tell me you won't try and save your friend."
Shaking, throbbing, Korra lifted her defiant face, blood spilling out of her mouth she panted, "Do you think that's even a possibility?"
Pema moved around to the backside of the other woman. Her foot landed squarely in Korra's back and she pulled out a second dagger. She lifted her by her hair and exposed Korra's throat where she placed the sharp point of her weapon, "If you mounted a rescue mission I would be to blame for it. Amon would come here and wipe us all out. My children would die and…" She paused coming to terms with what she was about to do. She leaned in to Korra's ear and whispered the truth that had guided every action of their lives for the last two years, "We're just trying to survive, Korra."
She dug the dagger into Korra's throat. Korra gasped as her flesh began to part from the blade as it slipped through her jugular smoothly.