Ribcages

Bu-bum bu-bum bu-bum. The beat of Asami's heart pulsed loudly in her ears, and heavily within her skull. Her kneecaps protested under the weight of her body as they dug into the cement below. Bu-bum bu-bum. The engineer was distantly aware of the burning on her wrists, made raw from the rope that was securing them tightly behind her back, but the sensation was overpowered by the aching in her jaw. Asami swiped her tongue along the inside of her lower lip then spit the excess of blood that had pooled in her mouth on the ground in front of her.

"Alright, doll." A man much larger than her kneeled before her. His grin wicked as he twirled a finger into a lock of her hair. "If you tell us where the safe is," his hand moved to caress the side of her cheek, "maybe we can keep you lookin' pretty."

The three other men in the room laughed and Asami could feel anger boiling up from her abdomen. She held the man's gaze with daggers of her own. He was close enough now that she could make out individual whiskers that formed the scruffy beginnings of a beard on his face. "C'mon, sweetheart," he swooned, his crooked teeth jutting out in a beam as disgusting as his breath, "we don't wanna hurt ya. Well," he chuckled, "more than we already have."

Asami scowled as much as her swollen lips would allow and spit a mixture of saliva and blood into the man's face.

He growled and rocked back to stand, wiping away the fluids with his palm. "See, that's the kind of shit that'll get you in trouble."

Not a second later, knuckles clashed with her jaw and forcibly jarred her head to the side. Asami groaned as she gritted her teeth through the thick, iron liquid that ran down her chin. Once again, she spit to empty her mouth, but her throbbing cheeks permitted only a frothy drool at best.

"Just tell us where the Future Industries' vault is and maybe we'll let you live," the man barked.

Asami rolled her head back and laughed, "I feel sorry for you."

The man turned to his nearest crony, "Did I tell a joke?"

"No, Ranik."

He looked down over Asami. "Somethin' funny?" Ranik swung his foot into the side of her ribcage and yelled, "Broken ribs fun?"

She grunted from the strike and wobbled on her knees. The engineer hung her head in pain as she let out an airy laugh. "My girlfriend," she wheezed, "is going" -she panted to catch her breath- "to kill you."

Ranik and his men looked around the room at each other before cackling erupted between them. "I'm pretty sure we can handle your girl."

Asami lifted her head to meet his eyes. "Haven't you heard? I'm dating the Avatar."

Ranik's eyes widened for a moment but he maintained his overall composure. All of them went silent as Asami's words sunk in: a thick tension ran through the air.

"Ranik," one of the men spoke up, "you never said this was the Avatar's girl."

"Shut up!" He snapped, turning to face him. "She won't find us here." Ranik shifted his gaze back toward Asami. "And we'll get what we want out of you, even if that means we end you."

The engineer scoffed, "You're more stupid than I thought."

"What?"

"How are you going to find out where my company's safe is if you kill me." She opened her mouth wide, to stretch out the muscles in her jaw, and moved it side to side. Talking caused a stabbing pain to shoot up to her temple, though she couldn't stop herself from taking opportunities to insult the large man.

Ranik sneered and grabbed Asami's collar. He balled his hands into its fabric and used it to lift her into the air, high enough that her feet skimmed the ground.

Asami's breathing was just short of hyperventilating: rapid exhales escaped her through her nose as she braced herself for a strike.

"If I have to beat you to an inch of your life to get this information," Ranik growled, "I will do it and I will have fun with it. Your girlfriend will never find y-."

Ersk. The sound of metal being bent interrupted his speech and echoed through the small cement room. All of the men looked to the steel door that functioned as the only way in or out. Ranik turned back to Asami.

A painful grimace that doubled as a grin formed on the engineer's bruised mouth. She said nothing and glared through Ranik.

He clenched his jaw and released his grip.

Asami fell ungracefully onto her tailbone with an audible grunt. She watched as Ranik signaled his men, who all readied their respective elements. The three walked slowly to the door and listened for more noise.

The next sound they heard was the door swinging open so hard that it cratered into the adjacent wall. A strong blast of air sent the three men sideways, each slammed into the room's cement slabs, rendering them unconscious. Korra stepped through the threshold and headed straight for Ranik.

"A-avatar Korra," he stammered and stepped back.

She looked down at Asami, who was struggling to upright herself. Rage mixed into Korra's features as she moved her focus back to Ranik.

The man continued to back away in horror as the Avatar's eyes brightened into a pure white glow. He lifted his hands, begging, "P-please. "

Korra chambered her arm. A slab jutted from the wall behind Ranik and struck him between his shoulders, lurching him forward. Korra drove her knee into the man's abdomen then connected an open palm square in his face. The force of the blow knocked him to the ground. In one motion the Avatar lifted Ranik by his throat and slammed him against the wall. He desperately clutched at her wrist, nose clearly broken, blood and tears of pain leaked down his chin.

"Korra. " Asami watched as she held him, unwavered and tightening her grip. "Korra, he's not worth it."

The Avatar stood motionless for a moment, perhaps weighing her options, before letting the man fall to his knees. She walked over to Asami and knelt down to untie her hands.

No longer bound, the engineer lifted a hand to her girlfriend's cheek and watched as the glow faded from her eyes.

"How bad are you hurt?" Korra cupped a gentle hand under Asami's ear.

"My face hurts a lot and my ribs," she winced as the Avatar helped her up, "the left side, I don't think I can lift that arm."

"We need to get you to a hospital."

"Hold on." Asami stepped gingerly toward Ranik, who was still coughing and whimpering on the ground. She held her left arm around her sore abdomen as she towered over him. "Just so you know," Asami spoke to get his attention.

He looked up at her with a hand covering his now crooked nose.

"Broken ribs are fun," she declared and struck him heavily in the side with her boot. The man groaned from the ground as she walked back to Korra. "Now I'm ready," Asami confirmed.

The Avatar carefully picked up her girlfriend and carried her bridal style out of the cement room.