Here's a super long chapter for you guys! The action is like going full force. I've got the next two chapters mapped out. I know that I will probably be around 50 chapters. So yay! Thanks for all of the reviews and follows- they're so great!
"Korra! Wake up!"
Korra opened her eyes and looked at Ingyu and Qilaq close to her face. Korra's instincts kicked in, and she punched Ingyu in the face. Ingyu groaned.
"It's us, Korra! Qilaq and Ingyu!" Qilaq said.
"What are you doing!" Korra said.
Korra turned around and looked to her side for Noatak. She knitted her brows and looked at Ingyu and Qilaq. Qilaq looked tired without her makeup and hair done. She wore her hair in a braid and a loose set of pants and a tunic- so different than her usual glamorous self. Ingyu looked unfazed and ready to go. He just rubbed his nose where red rushed. Surprisingly, Korra didn't break his nose, and Ingyu credited that for that fact his face always seemed to take a punch well.
"What's going on? Where's Noatak?" Korra said.
"We were hoping he was with you. All I'm seeing is that he was in you," Qilaq said.
"Qilaq… Korra, did Noatak say anything about what happened to him last week? Like anything at all about the White Squall?" Ingyu said.
Korra shook her head and pulled the covers over her.
"Shit… he was being followed!" Ingyu said.
Ingyu pulled at his hair and closed his eyes. Korra bit her lip.
"He was being followed… and we let the man that was spying on him go," Ingyu said.
Korra's heart started to become heavy and sank. She felt stupid not to notice it earlier- why Noatak was so distracted this night. She sat back against the wall and shook her head.
"So what are we going to do?" Korra said.
"We're going to save him," Ingyu said.
Korra nodded.
"Count me in," Korra said.
Qilaq and Ingyu left the room while she dressed into her cat suit. She grabbed the Blue Spirit mask and went to the living room where Ingyu paced around while Qilaq looked at the dirt beneath her nails.
"I'm ready," Korra said.
"What's with the mask?" Qilaq asked.
Korra smiled and placed it over her face.
"It's my thing," Korra said.
Ingyu shrugged and rustled Qilaq's hair.
"Korra's got the right idea. Covering our identities at the Magnolia Club will be a good idea," Ingyu said.
"That would be fine except I don't have a massive supply of masks," Qilaq said.
"Never mind about that. They have masks at the club. We'll be fine. We just need to find where Noatak is and stop anything from happening," Ingyu said.
They nodded to each other and walked out of the apartment. Qilaq's Satomobile sat outside waiting for them. Korra jumped in the back as Ingyu took the passenger seat up front. He gripped the car door tightly as Qilaq revved the engine and slammed her foot onto the gas pedal. Qilaq cackled as Ingyu sighed and urged Qilaq to consider Korra's health. Korra just laughed and concentrated on what was happening. She wanted to worry more about how Noatak kept his secrets about the White Squall from her, but the fact that he was in trouble consumed her more.
"So what should I expect?" Korra said.
"About what?" Qilaq said.
"About the Magnolia Club," Korra said.
"Think about it as a den of debauchery. We gave Republic City Yakone. So it only makes sense that we have a place to prove it," Ingyu said.
"That bad?" Korra said.
"Well… let's just say that what happens behind closed doors there gives me nightmares at night," Ingyu said.
"All of this city's corrupt seem to live there: politicians, business men, mob bosses, whatever. Prostitutes overflow like the fire ice, and your fetish is king," Qilaq said.
As Qilaq stumbled into the next district, Korra found herself blinded by bright lights and music. She turned around and looked around at women standing in windows with their hands on their hips, glaring at Qilaq's Satomobile.
"She's just upset that I'm probably not a customer," Qilaq said.
"I doubt it," Ingyu said.
Qilaq parked her car in a hidden alleyway. She took her parka and put the hood on to obscure her face while Korra put her mask on. Ingyu decided to do nothing but flip up the collar of his jacket. They walked to the Magnolia club where Qilaq and Ingyu argued over what the password for the entrance was. After five minutes of bickering, Korra just asked someone entering what the password was. They entered the club; all donning masks and looking displaced. The smoke hazed about the room as women walked around with trays of drinks and cigarettes. Qilaq pilfered a pack and lit a cigarette. Ingyu rolled his eyes as he tried to avoid women in tight dresses groping at him.
"Come on… We need to go back," Ingyu said.
"Just one moment," Qilaq said.
She took a fire ice cocktail and quickly drank it. Qilaq smirked and placed her hand on her hip.
"I think I'm ready," Qilaq said.
"Oh bother… Korra, I'm depending on you," Ingyu said.
Korra nodded and noticed the revolving of people in and out of the back. She nudged Ingyu and pointed to the back. Before Qilaq or Ingyu could formulate a plan, Korra already headed to the back. As she entered into the back corridors, she felt blinded. Black walls with red lights obscured Korra's vision. She couldn't hear what was going on in the rooms as she passed by each one of them. All she could hear was the fluttering of the workers seamlessly floating in the darkness. Korra felt a hand reached for her shoulder. She quickly spun around and punched the person behind her.
"OW! That's twice this night!" Ingyu said.
"Oh sorry!" Korra said.
"It's okay. I think. It takes a lot to break my nose," Ingyu said.
"Can you guys be any louder?" Qilaq said.
"Sorry… Do you know where we are?" Korra said.
"Nope. But I can't you assure you that he's not here. These are just rooms for prostitutes," Qilaq said.
"How do you know?" Ingyu said.
"I accidentally opened one of the doors," Qilaq said.
Ingyu shook his head and push Korra forward. They slowly walked together in the hallways. Korra felt lost as they weaved in and out of the halls. Qilaq whispered about how Korra should firebend to light the corridors. Korra bit her lip and made an excuse of not wanting to let people find them. Ingyu agreed, but Qilaq scratched her head in confusion.
"Check some of these doors, Ingyu," Qilaq said.
"Eh… okay," Ingyu said.
Ingyu took out a lock pick set from his jacket and choose a random door. He inserted a few of the picks and started to work his way through the lock. With a few intricate movements, Ingyu successfully opened the door.
"Wow… you're really good at that," Korra said.
"How else do you think we got into your apartment?" Ingyu said.
"You picked our lock?" Korra said.
"You sleep like a rock!" Ingyu said.
Ingyu slowly opened the door while Korra placed herself in a fighting stance. Qilaq stood in back with her arms folded as if she could tell nothing was there. The scent that left the room was absolutely foul. Korra and Ingyu gagged while Qilaq pinched her nose.
"What the fuck is that?" Qilaq said.
"That… that is what a dead body smells like," Ingyu said.
Korra pressed her mask closely to her face so she could mask the scent of death from her nose. Ingyu wrapped his scarf tightly across his nose as he tiptoed into the room. The room had scarlet walls with gold fixtures and rich burgundy velvet furniture. Ingyu stared at the ground before pointing at the dark spot stained into the wood.
"That's recent," Ingyu said.
"How recent?" Korra said.
"A week. The scent isn't that bad… but I have a feeling that whatever happened to the person was. We should get out of here. There's nothing here, and we're not any closer to Noatak," Ingyu said.
"I agree. Plus this place smells bad. I mean I've smelt bad fish before, but this is…creepier," Qilaq said.
As Qilaq turned around, she saw a large man dressed in black and white. Qilaq staggered back and held her mouth. Korra and Ingyu didn't turn fast enough as the man punched water at the three.
"Oh shit!" Qilaq said.
Qilaq stumbled as she pointed to four other identically dressed and heavily muscled men. Ingyu quickly gathered to his feet and dodged a few punches one of the men made at him. Korra swept her foot at the man by Qilaq and swiftly kicked him in the groin. He dropped hard and fast as Korra made a few more kicks and punches. Qilaq got up and bent the water from before into her hand. She froze the water into ice daggers and threw them at the man that appeared to be the leader. He quick dodged the daggers and caught one. Not taking Qilaq's lax approach, he stabbed Qilaq in the thigh. She grabbed the dagger from her leg and returned the favor. Even in her pain, Qilaq proved to be an adept fighter and proficient waterbender- whipping some of the other men.
Ingyu was probably the better of the two, Korra thought. He made everyone else look sloppy and terrible. The more Korra thought about it, his movements were similar to Noatak's, but they were far more mechanical and less natural. He chi blocked a man with fewer moves than Korra did. As Korra chi blocked the leader, Ingyu stepped in and jabbed at a spot Korra forgot. The leader slumped to the floor like the other men that they took down. Ingyu tore the sleeves of their shirts and tied their hands back in an intricate pattern.
"What did you do that for?" Korra said.
"We learned this in the navy. It's a way to tie up your prisoners, and if they try to wiggle out of this, they just end up hurting them selves," Ingyu said.
Ingyu pulled out a packet of smelling salts and put it under the nose of the leader. Slowly, the leader came back to although he was heavily disoriented.
"Are you a member of the White Squall?" Ingyu said.
The man nodded sluggishly. His tongue wagged out of his mouth as he nodded in agreement.
"Where is your leader?" Ingyu said.
The man dry heaved before his eyes rolled up. Ingyu slapped the man's face a couple times before lifting the smelling salts back to the man's nose. The man jumped a little the second time he was awakened.
"Where is your leader?" Ingyu said.
"Pa- Pa- Palace…" he said.
"What's he doing at the palace?" Ingyu said.
The man shook his head. Drops of sweat dribbled down his face. His face turned red.
"What are you doing?" Ingyu said.
The man's head snapped back as he fell unconscious again. Ingyu sighed and turned to Korra.
"What's going on at the palace at this time of night?" Ingyu said.
"Nothing… but I heard before… that they were trying to kill someone," Korra said.
"Kill someone? Do you think?" Qilaq said.
"We need to get out of here and to the palace!" Korra said.
Korra bolted out of the door and raced through the maze of hallways. Somehow she managed to get back to the main room. To Korra's horror, members of the navy were carrying Equalist gloves and blocking the club entrance. Qilaq hobbled and leaned against a wall.
"What are those things?" Qilaq said.
"That is illegal weaponry from Republic City," Ingyu said.
"They're Equalist weapons," Korra said.
Men and women screamed as the members of the navy started to electrocute people who would not listen to them. They yelled about the new Northern Water Tribe and the war against the United Republic.
"What is going on here?" Ingyu said.
"I don't know… but it looks like we're not on the same side," Korra said.
"How are we going to get out of here?" Qilaq said.
Korra looked down at Qilaq's bleeding thigh and closed her eyes.
"We need to get out… Ingyu… can you carry Qilaq?" Korra said.
Ingyu nodded and had Qilaq climb onto his back. She locked her arms around his neck as he grabbed onto her legs. Korra sighed and backed into the corridors. She could make out the small light from outside, and several staff members running out there. Korra pointed and yelled.
"There!" Korra said.
Korra and Ingyu ran as fast as they could. Qilaq held tightly onto Ingyu as they tried to leave the mass hysteria of the Magnolia Club. As soon as they were outside of the club, Korra noticed everywhere members of the navy gathered in the streets where people were running and screaming. The streets looked strange in their spectacle of light and smoke with the streams of electricity filling the air. They stumbled into Qilaq's Satomobile. Ingyu took the backseat to tend to Qilaq while Korra sat in the driver's seat.
"Can you drive us to the hospital?" Ingyu said.
"I don't actually drive well," Korra said.
"I don't care how bad it is! You know how to drive now!" Ingyu said.
Korra started the car and stepped on the gas pedal. The car lurched forward as she drove on. She twisted and turned before she got on a main road. A blockade of military men took up most of the space as they used megaphones to alert the citizens of the new Water Tribe.
"Shit… The whole entire navy has defected? What are we going to do?" Ingyu said.
A few members of the navy ran towards their car and yelled to stop. They readied their electrified gloves at the car as Korra drove on.
"Korra! Step on that pedal! I'm going to see if this will distract them!" Ingyu said.
Korra nodded and pressed her foot flat against the floor of the car. The car zoomed past the blockade and struck through the fences that were put up. Ingyu climbed out of the car window and threw a smoke bomb behind them. Aimless lightning struck through the smoke behind them.
"Where did you get those?" Korra said.
"I'm always prepared for the worst," Ingyu said.
"Isn't that a little much?" Korra said.
"It seemed to work for us now!" Ingyu said.
Qilaq eased herself against the seat and looked around.
"We need to get the United Forces here," Qilaq said.
"I know just the person to call," Korra said.
"Good because if we don't get help fast, the Northern Water Tribe will go up in flames," Ingyu said.
Korra stopped the car abruptly in front of the hospital. Again, Ingyu carried Qilaq. They ran around through the hospital staff in complete disarray. People were injured and crying. Some were being carried on stretchers where nothing but the sent of burnt skin permeated. They ran to the lift and rode to the top floor. Ingyu lead the way to Tikivik's office. Korra barged in. Tikivik just stood there and shrugged.
"What's going on this time?" Tikivik said.
"You need to fix Qilaq's leg for us," Ingyu said.
"And do you have any transmitters?" Korra said.
Tikivik sighed and scratched her head. She pointed to the empty bed beside her where Ingyu laid Qilaq out.
"Okay… I can fix her leg, but I can't make promises about the transmitter. I've been hearing that all transmission has been cut off. My line might work though because it's rather antiquated, and it runs separately from the rest," Tikivik said.
Korra rushed to the phone and transmitter. The transmitter buzzed a dead noise. She grabbed the phone and stared at it.
"What am I going to do? This can't work!" Korra said.
"It's a radiophone. You might be able to send something if you know the number and frequency," Tikivik said.
Korra frantically pushed the numbers for Iroh's ship. The tone blared on and on. She wasn't sure if it was going through or not. She didn't have time to waste on a dead phone call.
"Hello?" Iroh said.
"Iroh! Thank the spirits!" Korra said.
"Korra? What's going on? I've just gotten a message saying that all communication to the Northern Water Tribe has been cut off," Iroh said.
"The navy has defected, and I think people are trying to kill me uncle. It's a mess here. You need to get here now!" Korra said.
"Understood," Iroh said.
The transmission ended, and Iroh looked down at the map. He looked at one of the commanding officers.
"It looks like we're turning this ship around to the Northern Water Tribe," Iroh said.
A palm of fire flickered by Iroh's face.
"Need any help?" Zuko said.