V
Freedom

At the end of another full day of bending, Korra returned to the camp, covered in dirt. Her mouth hung in a frown and her eyes were downcast as she sat beside Amon. He watched, waiting for her to speak.

"I've reached the end of the rubble," she said. "The rest is just the soft earth from the landslide. I can probably get through it in less than an hour. Maybe minutes."

It should have been welcome news, but his heart sank.

She sat cross-legged and rubbed her forehead with both hands. "It's not too late for you to admit that bending is not purely evil, Amon. If you and I ally to take down Tarrlok and the Red Monsoons, then I'm sure I can make a strong argument for your crimes to be forgiven. You could lead a normal life." She glanced at him, her face timid, as if she were afraid of offending him with her suggestion. "Or you could just change masks and disappear into the crowd."

He met her gaze. "Are you willing to give up your bending?"

She recoiled. "Of course not."

"Then why would you expect me to give up my ideals?"

"Hasn't our time together shown you that bending is not inherently evil? That you don't need to take everyone's bending away?"

"There is no viable alternative."

With a sigh, she flopped back onto the stone, folding her arms behind her head. "I figured you'd say that. I just had to try, one last time." Her eyes closed. "So tomorrow, we go back to trying to kill one another?"

His eyes drifted down her beautiful body and he wondered if he was still up to the task. It was the cave, he told himself, hoping it was true. Everything would go back to normal once he set foot out of this cave.

"My nightmares are going to be really confusing now," she added. The thought of her screaming his name in fear made him frown.

He rolled onto his side to regard her. "I do not wish to be your monster any longer, Korra."

The use of her name caught her attention; her eyes opened wide.

"Your adversary, yes," he continued, "but not your monster. And so I give you a promise: our showdown is still inevitable, but I promise you that I will give you fair warning. You will know it is coming. All of Republic City will know." He stared intently at her. "Anytime you see me between now and then, you can rest assured that your bending is safe."

Her return gaze was hard. "What about my friends?"

"I cannot guarantee their safety."

"If you attack them, I will fight you."

"And my friends may retaliate. So will I, if I feel that you are putting my life at risk. But otherwise, I will not harm you."

She looked at the ceiling again. "Well, that's comforting," she said with heavy sarcasm. Sitting up, she added, "I guess I should go finish the tunnel now. It will be nice to eat something that isn't seaweed."

"Perhaps it is best to wait for morning," he said. "You are no doubt tired, and we both need to make the journey back to our homes once we have been freed." If there was a home to go to, he realized with a frown. An earthquake strong enough to bring down a mountain might have done some real damage to Republic City.

Korra was still staring at the tunnel. "Won't one more night just make us get even more attached?"

His voice soft, he replied, "I think the damage has already been done."

She nodded, her hand reaching behind her to find his.

.*.*.*.

The earth shuddered. Amon untangled himself from Korra's limbs and sat up, eyes darting around him even before she had raised a light. Once the flames flared to life, she pressed her ear to the earth.

"An aftershock?" he asked.

"Benders." She sat up. "They're digging toward us!"

Their eyes locked.

"We could form an alliance," she tried again.

He lifted the bottom of his mask and pulled her in for a long kiss. She melted against his front, her hands pulling in his shoulders, her tongue sliding against his, and he wanted nothing more than to stay in that moment.

Instead, he broke the kiss, brushed a hand against her cheek, stood and walked away. Pressing against the wall of the tunnel that led to the pool, he let the darkness swallow him.

Just in time. A stream of light flooded the tunnel that Korra had been digging. It enveloped Korra, made her glow so brightly that he had to shield his eyes.

"Korra?" called a male voice.

She jumped to her feet, beaming. "Bolin! Lin!"

Several figures streamed in through the tunnel. The earthbending boy from the Fire Ferrets ran forward to gather her in a hug, while the former police chief stood back and looked pleased, if reserved. The airbender Tenzin was there as well, and the firebender and Sato's daughter, and a giant polar bear dog.

"Are you okay?" asked Tenzin, rushing up to her. "There were some Equalists further down the mountain. We were worried they were holding you hostage."

So his men hadn't abandoned him after all; they just hadn't been able to figure out what to do next to free him. Amon wasn't sure whether that made him happy or frustrated. At least he might be able to find a ride home.

"No, I'm fine," said Korra. "The earthquake caved in the only entrance, and it was difficult to tunnel through. Is Republic City okay?"

"The earthquake did a bit of damage," said Sato's daughter, "but Tarrlok is doing more."

"We found the first drafts of your note and finally figured out where you were meeting Amon," said Bolin. "Sorry it took so long, but you really covered your tracks."

"Did he hurt you?" demanded the firebender.

Korra shook her head. "He was reasonable. I think, deep down, he truly believes what he preaches. He just doesn't know how to do it any other way than through threats and violence." After a thoughtful pause, she added, "I don't know if I got through to him, but I think I gave him plenty to think about."

Amon pressed flat against the wall.

"Let's get out of here," added Korra. "I can't bear to spend another minute in this cave."

They filed out, one at a time, the Avatar last. She cast one last look in Amon's direction, then her eyes dropped and she departed. The last of her flames licked out against the ceiling roof, then died.

Amon stared after her, hollow and cold.

When he was certain that enough time had passed, he walked unsteadily toward the tunnel. He was looking forward to getting his strength back properly, and to continuing his campaign. No doubt there were progress updates awaiting him at headquarters.

He did not stop to look back at the cave. It was behind him. Pushing through the tunnel, he told himself that the moment he set foot on the soil outside, he would shed these emotions creating turmoil in his stomach. He would cease to be the man who had fallen for the Avatar and would return to being Amon, leader of the Equalists.

The light was almost blinding now. His foot pressed into sun-soaked soil, and he stood tall.

Though he was body was free, his heart was still heavy.

.*.*.*.

A/N continued in Ch. 6...