Asami did was not sure where Korra got the idea to take her to a jazz club. Never at any point in their relationship did she state a particular love for jazz, and at no point did she recall Korra having any particular love for extravagant social gatherings. And yet, Korra suggested Won Ton's Dumpling Bowl, the grandest dining and dancing locale in the city, as the ideal location for their first date back together. Admittedly, anywhere would have been dissatisfactory, as Asami wanted to do little more than curl up in bed and nurse her blistering headache. But Korra insisted on spending time together, claiming it was "doctor's orders" that they spend quality time together.

"Yeah, but you don't like going out," Asami claimed as she adjusted her seat in the brightly lit dining hall. A quartet of saxophonists played on a stage elevated above a wooden dance floor, where a dozen well-dressed couples swung and grooved to the infectious melody. Their table was in the furthest corner from the noise, but the idle chatter of their neighbors stung Asami's ears.

"Well, I thought that the music might help you," Korra explained, swirling a tall glass of red wine in her hand. Her ocean blue gown shone was dazzling display that perfectly matched the hue of her eyes, and if it wasn't for her powerful arms and chopped hair, she would have looked like she belonged with any of the other beautiful socialites in the club.

"You know what else would help me? Being somewhere that's quiet," said Asami.

"After this, we'll go back to my place and spend some alone time together. But for now, can you at least smile? It cost a fortune to get in here."

Asami rolled her eyes, and politely did as she was told. "Sorry. I don't mean to be rude. I know this probably means a lot to you. I'm just feeling a bit under the weather."

"Why do you think I'm paying for this?" Korra said with a smirk. She downed her wine and smacked her lips with satisfaction. Asami sipped from her glass of water with a straw. "So, what are you going to eat?"

"I'm not hungry."

"The doctor said that you have to eat."

"She apparently also told you to take me to this jazz club, so I'm not sure what to trust."

"Come on; at least eat a salad, or some soup, or hell, even some bread. When was the last time you ate anything?"

Asami thought about carefully. "Two days. It's kind of hard to tell. I forced Zhu Li to drive several thousand kilometers in about a day and a half without rest, and before that, I was practically starved."

"But you're not hungry?"

"No."

"Yeah, I'm ordering you a steak."

There was little sense in arguing once Korra set her mind on something. Korra ordered for her, as well as extra water to make sure she stayed hydrated. Asami supposed that she did not have to actually eat anything, so in the end nothing was lost.

"Trust me, you'll feel much better once you have food in your stomach," Korra insisted. "This is your night, and I want it to be perfect."

"What about you?" Asami asked worriedly.

"What about me?" Korra responded, dumbfounded.

"You don't want to talk about what happened yesterday at all?"

"Yesterday?" Korra said, nervously scooting in her chair. "Nothing happened yesterday."

"I'm not dumb, Korra," Asami said, turning serious. "I appreciate everything you're doing to make me feel better, but that doesn't mean I'm going to turn a blind eye to you showing up to my hospital room dressed in all black and covered in blood."

Korra squirmed under Asami's judging gaze. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I'm worried about you," said Asami sternly. "The city isn't safe anymore. I want to know what's been going on so I can help."

"We don't need your help. It's in everybody's best interest if you don't get involved."

"It's not in my best interest," Asami stated. "Korra, do you see that ring on your finger? That's the promise we made to not keep secrets from each other. Tell me what happened, or I'm walking out."

"It's… it's complicated."

"Then explain it to me," Asami said, crossing her arms. "We have all night."

Korra poured another glass of wine, and swallowed it quickly. She stared off into the distance, fixated on something Asami could not see. She struggled to find the words to describe the horrors she committed. When she finally found the right phrasing, she sighed and rested her elbows on the table, holding her hands in front of her mouth.

"Yesterday, I got in an argument with Lin," Korra said in hushed tones. "Ever since this Hanzi Killer nonsense started, she's been holding me back from investigating the case. It was all because… well, that's not really important. But I was getting really frustrated with her, and I decided that I would try to solve the case on my own. At the time, I thought I figured out who it might have been: some grade school teacher I had a few run-ins with. I couldn't prove it, but I just had this gut feeling, you know? I had this—I don't know—this need to solve the case, and I pretty much let it consume me. I couldn't sleep without thinking that I was letting someone get away with hurting Bolin and Opal. So, last night, I waited until dark, dressed up, and went looking for people who could give me some answers. I knew she had been hanging around with some gang members, so I found one of her friends, and dragged him into an alleyway. And then I—"

Korra stopped herself, and hid her face from the rest of the club. Asami instinctively took her hand and squeezed.

"Korra?"

"It's fine," Korra said quietly. "I don't know what came over me. All I wanted was some information. But then, he started taunting me, and one thing led to another, and…"

"You didn't kill him, did you?" Asami asked, fear-stricken.

Korra shook her head, her face drained of emotion. "No, but I got carried away. I started hurting him. Really hurting him. He wasn't a good person, and maybe he deserved it, and I was trying to do the right thing, but… nothing really prepares you for what that feels like. I don't ever want to go through that again."

Asami sat in silent contemplation, her hand still locked with Korra's. The Avatar looked away.

"I bet you think I'm a monster, don't you?"

"Of course not," Asami said, kissing her hand. She smiled sweetly. "What matters is that you know it was wrong and you're never going to do it again. We all make mistakes."

"I'd hardly call it a mistake," Korra said sadly.

"I would. You tried to do the right thing, no matter the cost. Sometimes, things don't always work out like you want them to, and you just… have to get by…"

A single tear trailed down her cheek. Korra brushed it away.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"It's," Asami said, flustered. It was amazing how quickly their roles could switch sometimes, as Korra became the protector and caretaker she was born to be. "I really appreciate that you told me that. There's something I want to tell you, too. Something I've been meaning to get off my chest for a while, but never really knew how to tell you."

"Shoot," Korra said, giving a nod of approval. "I'm all ears."

Asami took a deep breath. She had searched for weeks to find the strength to tell Korra, but now, underneath the tempered glow of the lights and faced with Korra's perfect, accepting smile, she found the words coming more easily than she ever could have expected.

"Korra, I—"

"Oh, shit."

"What?" Asami asked, confused. Korra's eyes were locked on something behind her, filled with not so much terror as aggravation.

"That guy over there. At the table. Red Suit. He's staring right at me." Korra sneered. Asami turned to look, but Korra tensed up. "Don't look! Are you nuts?"

"What's the matter? Maybe he just recognizes you."

"I assume he recognizes me. That's the problem."

"Can't handle a fan?"

"Well, some of them," Korra said, reflecting on the strange, smiling boy that liked to stare at her in the park. "But I don't think he's a fan."

"Then what?" Asami said, straining to get a look of the man in question. "Is he a gang member? An assassin?"

"No," Korra said with contempt. "I think he's an admirer."

Asami went rigid with fear. "Oh, shit."

"Yeah. Now you see why this is a problem?"

"What's he doing now?" Asami asked, diverting her full attention to the problem at hand.

"He keeps eying me from across the room and talking to his friends about," Korra groaned. "I think they're trying to convince him to talk to me."

"What does he look like? Is he old? Young? Come on, give me the details."

"He looks like he just graduated."

"College?"

"High school."

"Yikes. You think he's going to come over?"

"If he does, I'm shutting him down," Korra said with determination.

"Korra, please be gentle," Asami warned. "I'm sure he doesn't know what he's doing. I don't want this to end up like last time."

"It won't," Korra said confidently. Naturally, Asami knew not to trust her. Korra had an unfortunate tendency to attract many suitors due to her fame, and over the years, she developed an uncanny ability to break hearts with highly efficient levels of brutality and wit. Asami was fairly certain that Korra memorized dozens of such comebacks in her spare times, because she could not imagine that someone so sweet could be so vicious and cruel (as well as darkly comical).

"Aaaaaaand here he comes," Korra said on cue. "Aw, he's adjusting his tie. That's adorable. Ten yuan says that he starts with an overly formal greeting."

"That's mean," Asami scolded. Nonetheless, when the man finally stepped into view, and she saw his youthful, freckled features mixed with false bravado, she understood where Korra was coming from.

He bowed slightly, and flashed a toothy grin. "Why, good evening, ma'am—"

"Called it."

"I couldn't help but wonder… are you, by any chance, the Avatar?"

"Why, yes I am," Korra said, disinterested. He continued, seemingly unaware of the seething bitterness that radiated off of every word.

"I was just sitting across the room, and I noticed you sitting here," he explained, "and I thought, 'Someone as beautiful and incredible as the Avatar should be out on the dance floor where she can truly shine'. Perhaps, you would like me to accompany you?"

"What's your name?" Korra said, straight-faced.

"Bao."

"How old are you, Bao?"

"Twenty-one."

Asami could practically see the wheels turning in Korra's head, trying to find the perfect way of crushing Bao's dreams. Still, Korra remained polite.

"Sorry, but I think I'm going to pass," she said as kindly as possible.

"I don't think one dance is going to hurt," Bao reasoned.

"I'm simply not feeling it tonight, but thanks for asking."

"A girl like you shouldn't be alone on a night like this," he said.

"No, thank you," Korra said, gradually becoming more irritated with every passing moment. "If you could please let me enjoy my dinner—"

"Give me one reason why you won't dance with me," Bao said insistently. Korra exchanged a glance with Asami, a dash of madness in her eye. A wicked smirk began to take form.

"Don't," Asami mouthed. She knew it was a futile effort, but she needed to try. Her heart sank as Korra blissfully ignored her, turned to Bao with a devilish grin, and said in a very calm tone,

"Well, if I danced with you, then I doubt I would have enough energy for tonight when I fuck my girlfriend."

Asami hung her head in shame, hiding her fuming cheeks as Korra grinned wildly. Bao backed away, flabbergasted.

"Jeez, a simple 'no' would have sufficed," he said, embarrassed. As soon as he left, Korra burst out laughing. Asami was speechless.

"Wow."

"Do you think that scared him off?" Korra asked obliviously.

"I can't believe you actually said that," Asami said in disbelief. "You really said that to another human being."

"What? You saw how obnoxious he is," said Korra defensively.

"There are people around. Watch your language. You're a role model, remember?"

Korra smirked. "You thought it was hysterical, didn't you?"

"No, I don't." Asami smiled against her will, as her true nature betrayed her.

"You know it was good," Korra taunted her. Asami had to admit: her overbearing smugness from telling one good joke was adorable. She cracked further, clasping a hand over her mouth to hide her big, stupid smile. Korra loved every second of it. "You are acting very refined tonight, Miss Sato."

"You're a horrible person," Asami cackled.

"And you put a ring on it!" Korra countered.

"A decision I live with every single day," Asami joked.

"Hey, at least that wasn't the absolute worst thing I've ever said."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Positive. Don't you remember what I said to that guy with the big beard at the Pro-bending game?"

Asami cringed. "Ugh, I forgot about that one. Good point."

"How could you forget? They almost kicked me out of the stadium for excessive language."

They shared a laugh over the distant memory. At the time, of course, Asami was fuming, because she spent good money on those seats and she would be damned if they got kicked out because some chauvinistic pig couldn't handle rejection, but she supposed everything was funnier in hindsight.

"Seriously though, how do you come up with this stuff?" Asami questioned.

"I guess I'm simply really good at insulting people," Korra said with a shrug. "I wonder if that's one of the traits that all Avatars have?"

"Now that I think about it, the very first thing you said to me was an insult," Asami mused.

"Not this again," Korra whined, sprawling her limbs out onto the table. "How many times do I have to tell you I'm sorry?"

"And how many times do I have to tell you that I don't care? I was just brining up an interesting fact. That's all."

"Well, I'm making that up to you once and for all." Korra rose from her chair and extended her hand to her confused lover, a delightfully delirious idea coursing through her mind. "Dance with me."

"You want to dance? Even after you told a guy off for wanting to dance?"

"I don't want to dance with him. I want to dance with you." Korra smiled. her infectious energy made the offer practically irresistible.

"But Korra," Asami said reasonably, "the doctor said I'm not supposed to do any extraneous activities."

"Then I guess I'll have to do all the work," Korra grinned.

Asami took Korra's hand with content resignation. If insulting people wasn't passed down among Avatars, then she was certain that dancing was. Korra relayed to her stories from Master Katara of Aang's "sensational" groove, and Asami had seen Korra's talent firsthand on multiple occasions. She could only assume that mastering the four elements played a vital role; airbenders were naturally light on their feet, after all. When combined with her penchant for martial arts, the duo became an unrivaled force on the dance floor, a storm of limitless power. And when their hands locked on the wooden stage, and a low-tempo jazz tune blared in the background, they were a whirlwind.

Korra guided her seamlessly through the motions she familiarized herself with. She was the Korra's brush, and the floor their easel. Every masterful stroke left her breathless, and it seemed like every eye in the club was drawn towards them, enchanted, curious to see what kind of portrait they could create together. Asami did not care. The whole world could have been watching, from world leaders, to street rats, to youthful, inexperienced suitors, and she would not care at all, because all that mattered was Korra's blue eyes, her loving smile, her gentle touch at her waist, their two hearts beating in symphony. The minutes passed yet time stayed still, as if too entranced by their intertwining music swelled and their pulses increased, and when the band hit their grand crescendo, Korra dipped her, baptizing in front of a hundred awed gazes, before her whipping her back up, their faces centimeters apart, out of breath and filled with and immense and intoxicating heat.

It was that heat that lingered even after they parted, and everyone else resumed their normal activities, pretending like they did not witness fire in human form. Nor did the heat dissipate as they were served their meals, and Korra nearly forced the food down Asami's mouth to make sure she was well fed. It actively persisted in Asami's mind even as she shared small talk and completely forgot whatever troubled her earlier in the night. It even remained strong as Korra received the bill and minor panic attack over the price. She was finally relieved of the heat when the pair left the club, as Korra casually asked if she would like to go back to Air Temple Island with her, and Asami responded with a disturbingly quick and enthusiastic, "Yes."

They held hands all the way back to Air Temple Island. Although the view of the night sky was nonexistent compared to what she had on the airship, Asami felt at peace gazing up at the stars. Yet, they did not dwindle in the city. Moving with barely concealed haste, they arrived on the island, slipped past Jinora and the kids, and burst into Korra's bedroom. Korra locked the door behind them as Asami collapsed onto her bed and hugged the mattress.

"I forgot how soft your bed is," Asami moaned with delight. "How long has it been? Three months?"

"Four months, sixteen days and ten hours. But who's counting?" Korra joked. She tossed off her slippers and pounced onto her bed, scooping Asami into her arms with a laugh.

"Jeez, you're playful tonight."

"I'm happy," Korra cooed, pecking Asami on the nose. "I'm glad that you finally came home. I've missed you."

"You've also had a few drinks."

"True," Korra noted, tracing her fingers up and down her fiancé's bare arm, "but I think I'm way more drunk on love."

Asami gagged. "Really? That's the line you're going with?"

"Lines like that got you to marry me," Korra said, a seductive grin spreading across her face. She took Asami's arms and pinned them above her head, leaving the Sato heiress helpless. "Besides, I've got a promise to keep."

"But Korra," said Asami, "the doctor said I'm not supposed to do any extraneous activities."

"Then I guess I'll just have to do all the work."

Korra slipped her hand under the straps of Asami's dress, and she gently pressed her lips to Asami's forehead. Asami breathed deeply, surrendering her will to her lover, becoming lost in heat and passion. And when Korra kissed a trail down her neck and collarbone, and combed her long, silky hair away from her face, she felt like the most treasured woman alive.

Korra pushed the straps away, and dug her fingers underneath the hem of Asami's dress. She blew softly in Asami's ear, followed by a whisper.

"I love you."

That was when Asami broke. Her face went numb, and she was frozen in place. Korra noticed how tense she was, and when she pulled away, she stunned to find tears streaming uncontrollably down Asami's face.

"I... I can't do this," Asami choked. She shoved Korra away and sat up on the bed, trembling and visibly shook.

"Asami? What's wrong?" Korra asked, nervously placing a hand on her shoulder, which Asami quickly threw off.

"Please don't touch me!" Asami cried. She turned her back, the moonlight gleaming off of her black hair. Korra jumped in shock.

"Did... did I say something wrong?"

"It's not you," Asami sobbed. "Believe me, it's not you."

"Talk to me. What's the matter?"

Asami trembled as the words came out of her mouth. "I knew... I knew about the attacks before they happened."

It took a few moments to register what she said in Korra's mind. Even when she processed the words, she hardly understood. "W-what do you mean?"

"I... knew that Lin was going to be attacked by the Hanzi Killer," Asami said shakily. "Bolin and Opal, too. I knew and I couldn't save them..."

"Asami, I need you to slow down," Korra stammered. "What happened? How did you know about the attacks?"

"The night before Lin was hurt," Asami sniffled, "I got a phone call. I don't know how he got my number, but he did. He asked me to make things for him. Weapons. Bombs. Traps. He wanted money and supplies transferred to him through secure channels. He told me... he said that if I refused, or I told anyone, he would hurt someone. Someone close to me. At first, I thought it was a prank or some twisted joke. But as he kept going, and I realized he was serious about the things he was talking about, wanting to hurt people, torture people, I got scared. Of course I refused. But then that press conference happened, and you were sent to the hospital, and Lin almost died and... I didn't know what to do.

"Then a few weeks later, he called again, asking for more. He wanted more, and he wanted them desperately. He said Lin was just the beginning. He told me what he would do to Opal and Bolin; he knew where they lived. All I had to do was give him what he wanted, and they would be fine. But... I couldn't do it. I couldn't let a madman get ahold of something that could be used to kill countless people. So I refused. And they paid the price. They were my friends, and I sacrificed them without a second thought. What kind of monster does that?"

"You're not a monster," Korra stated, trying to comprehend what she had learned. "You... you didn't know what would happen."

"Yes, I did," Asami wept. "I chose for that to happen to them. I could have saved them. They've always been there for me, but when they needed me most, I let them down, and for what? The lives of people I barely know? Opal lost a child. Bolin is comatose. How am I supposed to justify what I did? How am I supposed to tell Mako that I almost killed his brother?"

Asami broke down further, shaking and sputtering. Korra was speechless. For all of her training as the Avatar, she did not know how to comfort the person she loved more than anything else in the world.

"It's okay," Korra said over and over. "You were trying to save lives. You did the right thing."

"Did I?" Asami questioned. "What if you were the one in danger? Or what if you were the one who had to let me die to save someone you've never even met? Would that be the right thing?"

Korra didn't give an answer. Instead, she bowed her head, and hugged her knees to her chest.

"You said that the Hanzi Killer called you," Korra asked darkly. "Did you recognize his voice?"

Asami shook her head. "I think the Killer was using someone else as a microphone. The guy sounded petrified as he was talking to me, as if he was being held with a knife at his throat. If the Hanzi Killer has been keeping some people held hostage, that would explain what they're being used for."

"So we still have no leads, huh?"

"Yes, we do," Asami said, her voice as cold as ice. "I was on the phone with Opal when she was attacked. I was too late to warn her, but something she said startled me. She saw the Killer's face, and she said that whoever it was, they weren't a threat. If they knew where she and Bolin lived, and they knew how to contact me... Korra, what if the Hanzi Killer is one of us?"

The two sat in the silent shadows. The night was over. The heat was gone, replaced by a dead cold. Korra did not know what to think anymore. Asami did not know if she would ever forgive herself. Neither had anybody they could trust, not even themselves. Their last evening together ended with sorrow and heartbreak.

Their next would end in tragedy.