Did someone call for angst? Surprise! The Heist will be a multichapter story. I'll be posting one shots still so lemme know what you wanna see!

The Heist: Dusk

Bursts of fire burned against lavender skylight as Republic City shifted toward nightfall. Each strike sent an orange glow across the temple's courtyard: warmth clashed with the cool colors of the evening. Dusk was Korra's favorite time to practice firebending because of that. Sweat rolled over her brow as she threw a few jabs here, a few kicks there, and one particularly powerful roundhouse. She was fighting her shadow, partially ignoring the way her environment was growing soft around her. Tonight she wasn't really in the mood to pay it any mind.

Korra grunted as she began a new set. She had been practicing all day considering she hadn't seen Asami for lunch, per their usual routine. She threw a few jabs. Come to think of it, she hadn't really seen much of the engineer since she had gotten shot. They had gone to the hospital that night, then the next day Asami went to work early, only to end up staying late as well.

Korra frowned and thrust her foot out in a sidekick. She had gone to bed before Asami got home and, on top of that, didn't catch her in the morning before she left again. Normally she'd be able to see her for a few hours a day, at least until the weekend, but the past few days her presence had been minimal. Korra threw a few more punches, her fire going farther with each strike, growing wilder, nearly burning a nearby shrub into a crisp.

"Should you be moving around so much?"

Instantly elated, the Avatar swung her head around. Asami was coming down the courtyard's steps, bathed in the soft purple light of the evening. "Hey!" Korra beamed and jogged over to the other woman, meeting her halfway. As she grew closer, streaks of lilac spilled down Asami's dark hair in glints and shimmers, while delicate shadows lingered around her features, dipping one side of her face into darkness.

Korra hadn't seen her in a full twenty-four hour period, and the dissipating glow of the sun was throwing an ethereal cast over her. The air in her lungs felt thin. "You look beautiful," she spoke in hushed awe, only vaguely aware of the words tumbling past her lips.

Asami bowed her head, slightly flustered, and tucked a few waves of hair behind her ear. "Thank you," she responded. The slightest tug of a smile tweaked at the corner of her mouth. "You look sweaty."

Korra giggled and picked up the towel she had strewn over the steps and wiped her forehead of moisture. "The doctor said I would be fine, by the way." She draped the towel over her shoulder. "I healed it again this morning and it doesn't hurt at all." Lifting her shirt, she showed off an almost completely healed gash as evidence for her claim. "Look how much better it is." After the other woman had inspected the wound she released the shirt's hem and added, "How was work?"

"It was okay," Asami huffed, "The construction team is still behind schedule. I wanted to move Future Industries back to our original tower within a month, but our secondary site will have to do for now."

"It's not a terrible place," Korra offered with a shrug, "and the current building is closer to the island, so we can spend more time together." A hopeful smile crept into the line of the Avatar's mouth, accompanied by the slightest pink in her cheeks. "Maybe we can share a room in the temple too?"

Asami opened her mouth to speak, but snapped her teeth back together with a visible gulp and a tendon flexing at her temple. "Maybe," she mumbled, looking down at her fidgeting hands.

"Oh, I'm mean only if you want," Korra added quickly, her expression dropping and anxiety boiling under her ribcage. "I just want to be around you more I guess. I miss you a lot when you leave in the mornings." She scratched at the back of her head. "It feels like I haven't seen you in a week."

"I know," her shoulders dropped, "I'm sorry."

Taking hold of Asami's hand, Korra started, "Is, uh," she traced her thumb over its back, "is everything okay? Are–um, are we okay?" Along with being physically distant, Asami had been fairly emotionally reserved as well the past few days: traits that the engineer normally did not exhibit.

"Yes, of course," she stated, leaning forward to press her lips against the Avatar's. But it was only a peck: gentle and fleeting, and Korra was aching to pull something more from the green eyed girl. "I'm just a little stressed."

"Well, I'm always here if you need anything, 'Sami," Korra made to give her hand a reassuring squeeze, but it slipped from her grasp just prior.

"Actually I do need your help with something." Asami tilted her head up towards the sky. The previously lavender skyline had slipped into a fading pink gleam, while a deep navy blue extension, stars and all, began to shimmer above them. "I've been doing some research and heard from a reliable source that Cabbage Corp is the one developing long range weapons. Similar to, if not, the same, as the one you encountered."

"Oh?"

Asami lowered her chin and meet Korra's eyes. "I think we should do some recon."

"Like a mission?" One brow curved upward, wrinkles creased under her hairline. "Don't you think we should just tell Beifong?"

"I'm not speaking as a CEO concerned about what my competition is doing. I'm talking as a part of Team Avatar, concerned that this type of weaponry could fall into the wrong hands. Cabbage Corp has always tried to make a fast yuan. If we go to Lin with only a few pieces of evidence, they'll conduct an investigation and someone will tip them off."

"And you want to find out for sure if they're making them or not while we have the element of surprise."

"Exactly."

Korra clenched her jaw, locking her molars together. If Cabbage Corp was manufacturing weapons, who knows where they would sell them. She absently rubbed a hand over her waist, over her healing wound, and looked up. The sun was almost completely set, the moon was full and rising, bringing with it a new silver shine. Her waterbending would be at its peak. They could go under the cover of darkness.

"Okay." Korra brought her gaze down, "Okay. But let's go tonight. It's already been two days since our little accident."

Asami nodded. "We're gonna need some darker clothes."