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Korra's POV

Jason had wanted to go to the zoo in the city and I had decided to take him. He was excited to get to see the animals and the different kinds of species. I got one of the air acolytes to take the little Firebender, Naga and I. Once we docked, I placed the boy on the polarbear dog before getting on myself. We were riding by the park when I saw a familiar Firebender, walking towards me.

"Hi, Mako," Jason greeted when he drew closer.

"Hey," he answered, messing up his hair.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking a break," the Firebender replied with a long sigh.

I chuckled. "Are you going to see Asami?" I asked. "She mentioned you two haven't been spending a lot of time together."

Mako crossed his arms at this, a defensive gesture I knew well. "Are we seriously going to have this conversation?"

"Well, we're friends," I pointed out, smoothing out Jason's hair.

"Yes," he admitted. "We haven't been spending time together because she…asked to move in with me."

I nodded, trying to act indifferent. "And that's a bad thing?"

"Yes, I mean no," Mako sighed. "It's just…I'm used to being on my own," he added. "First it's half my room, then half my life and…I don't know if I'm ready to go that far with Asami."

"You can take things slow," I suggested.

"I don't take things slow, remember," he answered. "I close my eyes and I jump, just like you." I sat quiet at this, waiting for him to continue. "I think that's why we get along so well, Korra. Our feelings, our fears, they don't control us; it's the other way around. You know?"

I managed to smile, nodding my head. "Yeah," I said. "Well, I'm going to get going. I'm taking Jason to the zoo."

"Wanna come, Mako?" the little Firebender asked.

My ex-teammate smiled before messing up his hair again. I barely contained the urge to slap his hand.

"I can't today," he said. "I have work, but maybe another day, okay?"

Jason smiled and nodded his head. We said our goodbyes and continued our way to the zoo. While we walked around, looking at the different animals, I couldn't help but think about what Mako had said. 'Our feelings, our fears, they don't control us. It's the other way around.'

Howl's POV

Just as I had promised, my connections had given me information on the band of Equalists that terrorized Benders. I had told Korra this and she asked me once again to give what I had to Mako or Bei Fong. I wasn't having that. I told her to suit up and do it herself. She reluctantly did as she was told and for the first time I followed her.

The young Avatar met up with the Firebender on the rooftop and I used the emergency stairs to listen in, being as quiet as I could. Korra was off her game. She had been for the last few weeks, and this worried me. It made her vulnerable.

"The band is hiding in one of the factories in the Dragon Flats," she informed him. "They like to arrive with a new hostage on Wednesday nights."

"What should I do with this information?" Mako asked. "I mean, are you going to pay them a visit first?"

She stood quiet for a while. "Whatever you would have done before you met me," Korra finally said, jumping off the building.

I clenched my jaw at this. When she landed on the ground she looked up at me, barely noticing my presence. I went down the stairs and asked her to follow me, which she reluctantly did. As we walked back to our hideout, I couldn't help but think about what had just happened.

Avatar Korra, the Blue Spirit, had left Mako hanging. Didn't even bother to try and help him with his new case. I really couldn't believe she had done that. She said that her duty was to bring Amon to justice but after what happened a few weeks ago…she just wasn't the same.

"So Mako is alone against a murderer who burns people alive?" I asked as we entered headquarters.

"I can't right every wrong in this city," she answered taking off her mask.

"I get that, Korra," I snapped. "But maybe you aren't back to one hundred percent like you thought."

The young Avatar turned to look at me, jaw clenched and her hands fists at her sides. I could tell I had touched a nerve, at least that's what I thought.

"Maybe I'm not."

Now she was really pissing me off. I threw a punch forward and she blocked it but I punched her sides and twisted her arm behind her before throwing her against the desk. Korra let out a growl at this and kicked me before doing what I had done to her.

"What did that prove," she said before letting me go.

"That this is one sturdy desk," I answered before standing up. "Clearly your problem isn't physical."

"I never said I had a problem!" Korra snapped.

"You didn't have to, Korra!" I yelled back. "But this guy, the one that pretended to be Amon…he got in your head. He took something from you."

"That's enough," she answered sounding tired. She didn't wanna talk about it, but I wasn't going to just drop it.

"He took whatever is in your heart, that let you Airbend and catch bad guys," I continued.

"Thank you for the analysis," Korra replied, her tone clipped.

"You can avoid Mako, avoid me, avoid this," I said, grabbing the mask and showing it to her. "As long as you want. But until you are ready to take a hold of your fear, you might as well let that guy kill you."

"I have to go," was all that she said, grabbing her bag.

Korra's POV

I really needed to take a break from my night job. Having to do things manually was becoming a real pain; jumping off rooftops and actually having to use my dao blades. I'd come to the realization that I had become too reliant on my Airbending. A fact that scared me. That's how I'd been before the prison; shallow, arrogant. All because of my Bending.

I was thinking about this as I strolled down the beach, enjoying the feeling of the tide gathering around my bare feet. I loved the water, I loved the waves. I could still remember how relaxing it was when I Bended my natural element. The soothing sensation of having the water around me as I drifted underwater.

Back then it was the only place I could think.

"Korra!"

I stopped and turned to see the little Firebender that had flipped my world upside down. Jason. He ran up to me and I scooped him up in my arms. He giggled, looking at me with that adorable dimpled smile. I couldn't help but smile back.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"Well, I was thinking of going for a swim," I told him. "Want to join me?"

The boy shook his head before asking me to put him down. I frowned at this but did as he asked, watching with concern as he walked over to the nearby jut of rocks and sat down, his feet dangling above the ground a little. I sat next to him, wrapping an arm around his small frame. He complied but turned so he was facing away from me.

"What's wrong?" I asked. I'd never seen him act like this.

"I don't like the water," he whispered.

"Why?"

He was quiet for a long time. I bent down and noticed the silent tears leaving trails down her cheeks. I pulled him close to my chest, resting my cheek against the top of his head as my made soothing circles on his back. He hiccupped and I tightened my hold.

What was wrong with him?

"Jason, what's wrong?"

"My mom...my other mom..." He paused as another hiccup escaped him. "They-they drowned her. They thought I wasn't watching but I was. I was afraid. I couldn't-couldn't help her. I let her and Daddy die."

"No." I shook my head. "It wasn't your fault. They are the only ones responsible. Don't blame yourself for something you couldn't have stopped."

He wiped at his tears. "I don't like the water," he continued, averting his gaze to the sand. "It scares me."

"You don't have to be scared," I replied, kissing his temple. "I'm right here and I will never let anything happen to you."

If anyone ever laid a finger on him, my Jason, I'd personally escort them through the gates of hell. No one would ever harm my kid.

He looked up at me with his teary honey colored eyes. "Are you ever scared?"

I sighed at this. I'd never admitted my fears to anyone except for Asa. I always liked to think I was indestructible, fearless. But the sad truth was I was afraid. I've been afraid my whole life. But I wouldn't say this to Jason. Not yet.

"I was afraid of losing you," I answered. "Leaving you was the hardest thing I've had to do in a long time."

"So even grown-ups get scared?"

I nodded and chuckled at the question. "Yeah, even grown-ups get scared," I repeated, standing up and heading toward the surf. "Now come on, I want to teach you how to surf," I added, grabbing the wooden board I'd brought down with me.

Jason shook his head, not moving from his spot on the rocks. I dropped my board into the water and took off my navy blue shirt, leaving me in my undershirt and shorts. I turned back and gestured for him to come on but he shook his head again. I sighed and hopped on the board, paddling out before looking back.

I smiled when I noticed he had got off his perch and was now sitting on the beach. I waved at him, motioning him forward again but he once again shook his head. I laid on board, riding the tide back to the shore. He got up and walked forward, stopping on the shore. I got off my board and walked over to him, holding out my hand. He hesitated but took it and I picked him up and took off his shoes.

The little Firebender momentarily panicked when I placed him on the board but I squeezed his hand, telling him I would be next to him the entire time. I pushed the surf board forward and swam next to it. I instructed him to paddle with his arms and he did as told. He looked over at me and jumped into the water. I went under after him and when I came back up he was sitting on my shoulders, giggling.

I laughed at this, a real laugh. He was one of a kind.