Book Five: Resurrection
Chapter Eight: Siege
A brooding orange color begins to take the sky as the sun rises from the horizon. The remains of a collapsed building near the spirit portal park begins to stir. Bolin bursts through the rubble desperately. He wheezes and coughs as he pulls Mako out with him. The earthbender sets him down gently. Mako exclaims in pain and grasps his leg.
"Mako. Can you hear me? Are you ok?" Bolin breathed.
Mako gritted his teeth and replied. "I'm fine…" He said as he tried to stand up. He spasms after his leg gives out from the pain and screams.
"Your leg. It's hurt pretty bad!" Bolin gasped.
"You think!?" Mako grunted.
Bolin wraps his brother's arm around his shoulder. "We gotta get out of here. Who know where those things are.?" He groaned as he lifted him off the ground.
"They'll pay for this. For what they did to Korra!" Mako growled as they made their way across the street and towards the harbor.
"We better hold off on that. You don't looks so good."
Mako grunted from a slight sting of pain emiting from his leg. "Could be worse…"
Bolin gasps in shock and drops Mako on his backside. "HOLY RED ON A PABU! WHAT IS THAT!?" He shouts as he points to the ocean.
Mako tried to see what he was pointing at and saw a wreckage of rocks and pieces of what used to be the Air temple.
"What...happened?" Bolin stuttered unable to comprehend what lied before him.
Mako clenched his fist and punched the ground. "It was them! Who else could've done something like this?"
After a few brief moments Mako and Bolin slowly move their way down the main road of the city. A sound of zipping could be heard nearby. Mako and Bolin look over to see Beifong observing the city from the roof tops "Hey! its Beifong!" Bolin exclaimed.
Beifong looks over and immediately rushes towards them. "Mako, Bolin good! You're still alive!" Beifong said almost in shock.
"Where's Korra?" Mako grunted.
"We managed to slip out with Asami, after those beasts left." Beifong explained.
A sigh was heard from Mako "The island…"
Beifong turned around "I know." She replied.
"We have to go after them! We…"
Beifong cut Mako off "And what? You will stop them with your broken leg?"
Mako turned and sighed. The two followed Beifong to a apartment complex nearby.
In a room nearby Korra was sitting over the bed Asami was sleeping in. Korra leaned over and brushed off some hair in Asami's face, her eyes begin to slowly open "Hey, Korra." she said softly.
Korra smiled "Hi." she responded with a smile "How are you feeling?" Korra asked as she reached for Asami's hand.
Asami giggled as she leaned up against the headboard. "Better." she said They both smiled and Korra begin to play with Asami's hand. They both looked into each others eyes and Korra began to move in a bit closer, "So whats the plan?" Asami whispered.
"Well, we need to find.." Just then Beifong walks into the room, Mako and Bolin following her. "Mako! Bolin!" Korra exclaimed as she rushed over hugging Mako.
"Ouch." Mako shouted chuckling and pointing at his leg.
"The gang's back again." Bolin sighed in somewhat relief.
"Korra, there's something you need to know." Beifong said depressingly. Mako and Bolin both look around and sigh.
"What, what is it?" Korra asked confused.
"No...no, no, no! You're lying! It can't be!" Korra exclaimed and rushed out the apartment.
"Korra!" Mako exclaimed. Beifong held Mako's shoulder and gave him a look to just let her go.
Korra rushed out and ran towards the sea to see rubble of an island nearby. Korra jumped off and began to bend the water around her, soaring to the jetting stone and rubble. As she arrives, she notices scattered about were air nomads, she looked over to see Bumi washed up onto the rock with Bum-Ju hovering over him."Wheres, Tenzin and Jinora…"
Bumi cut her off coughing up water "Pema, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo got away. I ordered Kai get them the heck outta here before they got smoked too. Tenzin wasn't so lucky. They took him hostage."
Korra thought to herself for a brief moment "I may know where he is." She muttered.
"Wait. I almost forgot. While I was tussling with the big guy, Bum-Ju saved me. But as soon as the other dragon man yelled at him, Bum-Ju changed into one of those monsters we used to fight. He's fine now, but it was still pretty strange."
Korra kept that in mind and thought for a brief moment. She gathered all the airbenders and explained to them a plan, she began bending with them and walked under the water with them surrounded by a bubble.
Korra went up the room of the apartment. "They took Tenzin into the spirit portal." She blurted.
"And how do you know that?" Beifong asked.
"I searched the island and found the remaining airbenders."
Beifong gasps thinking to herself "Of Course, I didn't think to check the rubble." Beifong thought aloud.
"I'm going back into the spirit portal."
Bolin got up "I'll come with you, besides Mako, and Asami should keep resting up a bit, don't you think." Korra agreed and began to set off into the spirit portal.
When they arrive Korra follows the trail as she remembered.
"Wow, so this is the spirit world huh?" Bolin said in awe looking around him.
Korra walks into the throne room and looks around it was silent, the wall near her was broken deep with the imprint of a body, a barrel of bread was broken near it. Korra sighed and looked up. "Tenzin!" She exclaimed Tenzin groaned and Korra bended the vines to let him go. A few minutes later Korra wakes up Tenzin outside the spirit portal.
"My home, my family, everything I worked for." Tenzin mumbled on and on with an empty look in his eye gapping and lost like a void.
Korra crouched down "Tenzin, your family escaped. Kai saved them."
The words of Korra seemed to pass right over Tenzin's head "My home, my family, everything I worked for." He kept mumbling on.
Korra turned to Bolin who shrugged unable to come up with a response. "Tenzin, why did they take you?" Korra asked him again trying to come up with an answer.
"My...home, my family, everything I worked for." Korra and Bolin sighed "They're gone...and now they are heading off to the southern water tribe to take again." He mumbled with an expression of emptiness.
Korra slowly lifted up her head looking at Tenzin and a sudden feeling of desperation swelled inside her.
"Southern water tribe? What would they want there?" Bolin thought to himself.
Korra clenched her fist "They want to take from me everything I've loved." she slowly got up "Grab, Tenzin we need to grab the others."
Bolin, confused, responded. "You're not thinking of going and walking there are you…"
Korra gave him a fierce glare and kept moving "Right, maybe Varrick will have something." the two walked off back to the apartment, bolin holding up Tenzin who kept muttering on and on.
"And you're sure he could help us?" Asami asked as she got up from the bed.
"I'm positive. After all, he did evacuate the city...right?" Korra asked in an unsure tone.
She looked at Beifong. "The only people I've seen were those two." She points to Mako and Bolin."And that group of airbenders you brought. So yes. It seems that way."
Korra sighed and smiled. "Good. I was beginning to worry. We're going to find Varrick and see if he can help us catch Alpha and Omega before they do anything else we might regret."
Mako grunted as he struggled to move from his chair. "I'm….ready."
Korra gently pushed him back down. "No. You're too hurt. You have stay here under Lin's watch."
Mako frowned. "No. I'm fine. I can do this…" His leg spasms sending him crashing back down in the chair.
"Mako. I don't want you to kill yourself for me." Korra sighed.
"I do. You don't understand. I made a promise to you. I said that I'd follow you into battle anywhere. I don't care what happens to me. As long as your safe…"
Korra quickly hugs him in attempts to calm him down. "It's alright. I know how you feel. And I appreciate you doing this for me." She lets him go and looks him the eye. "But I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you. We've already lost enough. I can't lose you too. Please, Mako."
Mako took a breath, closed his eyes and nodded. "Fine...I'll stay. But I won't like it."
Korra sighed with relief. "Thank you, Mako." Beifong crossed her arms and grunted. "Well you'd better hurry. Those monsters won't be stopping for food by any chance."
Korra and company finally arrive to Varrick's warehouse. Bolin looks through the windows, knocking as he does. "Varrick? Varrick? VARRICK!" He calls. He looks to Korra and Asami and shrugs. "I guess he evacuated too…"
Suddenly a giant object bursts through the walls of the warehouse. "You won't take my Zhu Li!"
Korra charges both of her fists with fire as she stood in front of Asami.
"Oh it's you guys." The thing spoke in an amplified voice.
Korra stood down. "Varrick?" She mumbled.
The inventor appeared out of a hatch located at the objects head. "In the flesh...or should I say platinum alloy."
Asami walked up to him and shouted. "Just what in the world is this!?"
"Oh, Asami. You're back. Thank goodness. This old thing is just something I've been cooking up with the remains of Kuvira's spirit energy." Varrick smiled. Asami shook her head and crossed her arms. "I thought we established that we would never create weapons."
Varrick brushed the dust from the wall off of the machine. "I already consulted with your girlfriend. She agreed."
Asami looks at Korra in shock. "You what!?"
Korra turns "I saw, it but I didn't agree!"
Varrick turned around and walked back to the testing spot. "Well, can't unbuild whats has been built! Zhu Li!" he exclaimed.
Zhu Li turns and presses a button next to her releasing a unit to remove the suit from Varrick. He arched his back and groaned. "Ah, man. It sure gets cramped in there. And that was just me wearing it."
Bolin creeped next to the machine with his jaw dropped. "You're telling me this thing can shoot spirit energy beams!?"
Varrick smirked. "Yyyup! That way, once those spirit dragon guys try to attack, I'll make sure they regret it."
Bolin taps the machine's exterior with curiosity. "How does it work?" He asked.
"Well I'm glad someone appreciates fine art when they see it. Well pay attention 'cause I'm only saying this once."
As Varrick lectures Bolin, Korra and Asami approach his wife. "I can't believe him." Asami groaned.
"I actually think he's right this time." Zhu Li replied.
Asami widened her eyes in surprise. "What?"
Zhu Li adjusted her glasses. "If we're going to keep this city safe from anymore future threats, precautions need to be made. Thus the 'Spirit Buster' project was born."
"How long have you been planning this?" Asami asked.
Zhu Li sighed. "Since last year."
Asami put her hands on her hips. "Without my consent?"
"You must understand that it's for the good of the people, Mrs. Santo." Zhu Li explained.
Asami just sighed and held her head. Korra was about to protest again, but she thought about what Bumi said about Bum-Ju and decided to let go.
"Listen, we need a way to get to the Southern Watertribe and fast." Asami asked.
Varrick popped up behind the two "You need to travel far but fast eh?" Varick smirked at Zhu Li "Zhu Li, the thing!"
Zhu Li walked down 12 steps and pressed another button but blue. The group looked around to look for a difference in anything.
"Uh, so where is it?" Asami asked Zhu Li.
"There's a boat in the harbor, conveniently a button was placed here incase the lever out there was rusted and wouldn't budge."
Varrick turned around and started to march. "Thats my Desert Flower!"
The group rushed over the docks bringing the mech suit with them. "That's right bring it in nice and slow!" Varrick shouted from the yacht while Bolin was pushing the suit on a metal wagon.
"Wow, its been awhile since we've been here hasn't it Korra?" Asami asked.
Korra leaned over the rail looking into the deep blue waters waiting eagerly for the destination. Asami sighed and looked down with her.
"Aaaaaand right there!" Varrick pointing his fingers at the mech as if to shoot a mover. Boling fell over gasping against the wall. "Well, we're ready when you are Avatar!" Varrick exclaimed, Korra got up from the rail and walked down.
Across the city in a cell from the jail, held the three sisters "I can't believe we were tricked! The next time I see him I'll smash a rock right into his face!" Anju exclaimed.
"He's probably gone by now, y'know him he's never in the same place twice. But believe me I'd poke him with a couple spears of ice without hesitation." Ulva said calmly staring at the wall counting the bricks over. What about you Ayumi?"
The girl turned, her hair was a mess and her eyes were glossy as if she cried the night before "Our mother, we needed that medication."
The three sighed and paused. "We cant do anything in this cage anyway." Anju groaned.
Suddenly keyes could be heard shaking from across the room.
"It's that chief lady!" Anju exclaimed holding a couple of stones behind her. Ulva got out a small container of water and Ayumi froze staring at the bars. Up comes a hooded man unlocking the door stepping back leaving it wide open.
Ulva looked towards Anju confused "Well, speak of the devil…" Ayumi exclaimed looking up towards the figure.
The hooded man took off his hood "Now, I know what you're thinking, but there's no time to explain!" Night Walker whispered. Immediately the three charged at him like ravenous wolves.
A short distance away over by the apartment complex Beifong turns to Mako. "Well, detective, what now?"
Mako looked up and sighed. "What can we do?"
Beifong smirked and walked over to the door "A somewhat crippled fire bender, an insane airbender with his monks and the chief of police, the possibilities are endless."
Mako chuckled "That's one way to put it." Mako begins to think to himself "Was everyone in this city evacuated?"
Beifong turned in confusion, "Yes as I've said before. I have even checked the entire city."
Mako raised his eyebrow "Even the ones in holding?"
Beifong looked at him surprised "Well then I see we found what we can do huh?" Beifong walked over to see Tenzin still mumbling on. Concerned she sits up next to Tenzin and holds him trying to consult him. "It's going to be alright Tenzin, I'm here for you, I've always been." Mako looks down saddened by the picture.
Over in the seas There was Alpha and Omega standing over the crew of Plague members "We will march full force on that puny tribe, whether you exhaust fire, lift boulders, or crash seas to your bidding we will end them." Alpha proudly shouted.
The members cheered raising their fists in the air.
"Our objective, will be fulfilled, and finally you all can rejoice in my victory."
The crowd cheered again.
"Also the first man to bring me, that chief gets a...special prize."
The crowd began to go crazy with joy and pour drinks in celebration. Alpha looks over into the distance "Hmph, mortals will do anything given the right motivation." He turned to omega chuckling, Omega simply sighs and makes a small water model of Bum-ju as they draw closer to the Southern Watertribe.