It was a quiet night with a full moon. Korra was at that moment sleeping peacefully in her bed with the windows open, letting in a night breeze.
Suddenly, a mysterious figure was running out of the room, alerting the Avatar who quickly awoke just as an Equalist soldier leapt through the window, followed by two more soldiers who came through the door, breaking it in the process.
Korra jumped up to throw a horizontal fire wave at them, but they dodged it and she then proceeded to throw a couple of fireballs from her fists, but failed to hit any of them.
One of the equals tried to hit her with an axe kick, but she blocked it with her arm before throwing more fireballs at him which he dodged.
Unfortunately, while she was focused on one soldier, another approached her from behind and hit her repeatedly in the back, forcing her to let out a groan as she knelt on the ground.
It was then when, looking up, she saw Amon standing in front of her.
"After I take your bending away, you will be nothing." said Amon bringing his hand menacingly close to the Avatar's face who's eyes were wide with sheer terror.
"AH!" cried Korra quickly waking up.
She took quick, deep breaths to calm herself as she looked to her side to see Naga licking her hand before resting her head in her lap.
"It's… it's all right, Naga." said Korra petting the polar bear dog. "I just had a bad dream." said Korra resting her head and arms on her.
Meanwhile, Izuku was sleeping in his room when he suddenly felt something that made his eyes snap open before quickly getting up, just as several Equalist soldiers entered his room.
Izuku was about to activate his Quirk, but before he could do so, bolas wrapped around his legs, causing him to fall to the floor, something that an Equalist soldier took advantage of to hit him repeatedly in the back, causing him to groan from the pain as he felt like he couldn't move his body.
He looked up and was horrified to see Amon standing in front of him.
"Is this the boy you're worried about?" asked Amon.
"Not exactly."
Izuku's eyes widened in utter horror as, turning his head, he saw the number one enemy of his world, All For One.
"It's the power he carries that worries me, not the boy himself. I wish I could have kept that power, but, alas, I cannot. So I'll take you up on it, friend." said All For One with a smile.
"Very well." said Amon before focusing his gaze on the green-haired boy who watched in sheer terror as the masked man brought his hand closer towards his face. "Once I'm done with you, the One For All will cease to exist."
"AH!" cried Izuku waking up quickly.
He took quick, deep breaths to calm himself down as he looked around to see that he was still in his room and no one else was there.
"It… It was just a nightmare. Nothing more." said Izuku before taking a deep breath and trying to go back to sleep, but before he did, he wondered how Korra was doing as he could tell that she was just as affected as he was when they saw what the masked man was capable of.
The next morning, a Republic City council meeting was being held to discuss the main issue of the moment.
"There is a madman running around our beloved city, threatening to tear it apart. We need to create a task force whose sole mission is to find Amon and bring him to justice." said Tarrlok, one of the council members.
"Absolutely not. A move that aggressive would only further divide benders and non-benders." said Tenzin.
"Tarrlok, I'm inclined to agree with your proposal, but who would even head up such a task force?" asked a Fire Nation woman member of the council before Tarrlok stood up.
"It would be my honor and privilege to accept such a duty." said Tarrlok bowing respectfully.
"This is just another one of your ploys to gain more power, isn't it?" asked Tenzin banging the table a little hard, as he didn't trust the waterbender councilman.
"All I'm trying to do is help. Think back, forty-two years ago, Republic City was threatened by another dangerous man. Yakone. Your father wasn't afraid to deal with him head-on." said Tarrlok mentioning a deed done by the previous Avatar.
"This… is a completely different situation… and how dare you compare yourself to Avatar Aang!" asked Tenzin rising from his seat and pointing at the councilman, feeling offended.
"Amon is not going to stop with the bending triads. Eventually, he will come for all us benders. Our friends, our families. Vote for this task force and I will stop Amon before it's too late. All in favor?" asked Tarrlok raising his hand.
Soon after, the other three council members raised their hands and Tarrlok banged a gavel against a platform to signal the end of the vote as he gave Tenzin a smile of victory while he scowled at him.
That same night, on Air Temple Island, Korra was outside practicing her airbending moves while Izuku stood to the side watching as they heard music from a radio station.
Suddenly, the music played static before a voice familiar to them could be heard.
"Good evening, my fellow Equalists. This is your leader, Amon. As you have heard, the Republic Council has voted to make me public enemy number one, proving once again that the bending oppressors of this city will stop at nothing to quash our revolution. But we cannot be stopped. Our numbers grow stronger by the day. You no longer have to live in fear. The time has come for benders to experience fear." said Amon over the radio before Izuku turned off the radio.
"Korra, are you okay?" asked Izuku looking at Korra who had been staring at the radio with a panicked expression as beads of sweat ran down her face.
The green-haired boy's question was enough to snap her out of her stupor and wipe away the sweat quickly.
"I-I'm fine. I just need to… keep practicing." said Korra before walking away.
Izuku could easily see that she was lying and that was what worried him.
The next morning, Mako was strolling through the streets of the city.
Looking ahead and in the distance, he saw several people getting on a streetcar, which must have been his transportation, because he started running quickly towards it.
Meanwhile, a girl on a motorcycle was racing by and suddenly, Mako stepped out onto the road in the middle of the motorcycle's path.
The driver was so surprised that she tried to brake, but failed to do so and ended up crashing into the firebender, knocking him to the ground.
The girl parked the motorcycle before quickly running towards him as he sat on the ground.
"Oh, no! I'm so sorry. I didn't see you." the girl said getting next to Mako and taking off her helmet.
"How could you not see me?" asked Mako rubbing his head in pain. "I mean I was ju-juu..." began Mako angrily before gawking and blushing as he had become spellbound by the girl's beauty. "Uh, I was... I- I… wow. *cough* I was... *cough*" said Mako unable to find words as the girl crouched down to his level, causing him to blush a little.
"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" the girl asked as she helped him up, much to his embarrassment. "Ugh, I'm such an idiot."
"Don't worry, I'm fine." said Mako to reassure her before brushing the dirt away from his clothes. "My brother hits me harder than that every day in practice."
"Wait, I recognize you. You're Mako, right? You play for the Fire Ferrets." said the girl.
"Yeah, that's me." said Mako.
"I am so embarrassed." said the girl before extending her hand. "My name is Asami." said the girl introducing herself as Mako shook her hand. "Let me make this up to you somehow. Uh, how about I treat you to dinner? Tomorrow night, eight o' clock, Kwong's Cuisine." said Asami before leaving.
"Uh, Kwong's? I don't have any clothes nice enough for a place that classy." said Mako.
"I'll take care of that." said Asami putting on her helmet. "All you need to do is show up." said Asami before putting on her glasses. "So… it's a date?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess so. I'll see you tomorrow night." said Mako.
After that, Asami started her motorcycle and set off, though on the way she gave the firebender a small smile.
As soon as she was out of sight, a goofy grin formed on Mako's face as floating hearts appeared around him.
Later in the evening, on Air Temple Island, Tenzin, Korra and Izuku's family had gathered for dinner.
" We are grateful for this delicious food, for happiness, for compassion, and…" began Tenzin reciting a prayer when suddenly...
"I'm not interrupting, am I?" asked Tarrlok at the entrance to the dining room, interrupting and at the same time surprising the airbender.
"This is my home, Tarrlok. We're about to eat dinner." said Tenzin as the waterbender councilman entered.
"Good, because I am absolutely famished." said Tarrlok as Tenzin eyed him suspiciously. "Airbenders never turn away a hungry guest, am I right?" asked Tarrlok as Tenzin sighed in defeat.
"I suppose." said Tenzin sitting down at the table.
Pema stood with her arms crossed and scowling at him.
Tenzin, realizing that, could only answer her with a shrug.
Tarrlok walked over to stand next to Korra and Izuku.
"Ah, you must be the famous Avatar Korra. It is truly an honor." began Tarrlok bowing in respect. "And you must be her companion, Deku. It is a true honor to meet you as well." said Tarrlok bowing in respect.
"Thank you, but my real name is Izuku Midoriya." said Izuku giving him his real name.
"Of course. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Councilman Tarrlok, representative from the Northern Water Tribe." said Tarrlok.
"Nice to meet you." said Korra rising to bow in respect.
"Likewise, sir." said Izuku rising to bow as well before the three sat down.
Soon after, Ikki bowed to him, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Why do you have three ponytails?" asked Ikki before sniffing him a bit. "And how come you smell like a lady? You're weird." said Ikki.
"Well aren't you... precocious?" began Tarrlok trying to get the girl to like him before focusing on the Avatar and Izuku. "So, I've been reading all about your adventures in the papers. Infiltrating Amon's rally, now that took some real initiative."
"Oh, thanks. I think you're the first authority figure in the city who's happy I'm here." said Korra remembering her first experience with the police chief.
"Republic City is much better off now that you, Avatar and Deku, have arrived." said Tarrlok.
"Enough with the flattery, Tarrlok. What do you want from Korra and Izuku?" asked Tenzin.
"Patience, Tenzin. I'm getting to that." said Tarrlok receiving a scowl from the airbender. "As you may have heard, I am assembling a task force that will strike at the heart of the revolution and I want you to join me."
"Really?" asked Korra a bit surprised.
"Really?" asked Izuku also a little surprised.
"What?!" asked Tenzin very surprised.
"I need someone who will help me attack Amon directly, someone who is fearless in the face of danger. And that someone is you." said Tarrlok.
"Join your task force?" wondered Korra as she began to think about what joining that commando would entail or rather who she would meet. "I can't." replied Korra leaving the waterbender councilman and the airbender in shock.
"I must admit, I'm rather surprised. I thought you'd jump at the chance to help me lead the charge against Amon." said Tarrlok.
"Me, too." said Tenzin.
"I came to Republic City to finish my Avatar training with Tenzin. Right now, I just need to focus on that." said Korra.
Izuku could tell from her voice that wasn't the real reason she didn't want to join the command.
"Which is why this opportunity is perfect. You would get on the job experience while performing your Avatar duty for the city." said Tarrlok trying to convince the Avatar.
"Korra gave you her answer." said Tenzin.
"I see." said Tarrlok before focusing his gaze on the green-haired boy. "How about you Izuku? Are you interested in joining the task force?" asked Tarrlok hoping to convince him as well.
Izuku began to debate about it.
On one hand, he would like to be able to take down Amon and the Equalists, plus joining that task force would be a good way to practice for when he joined a group of heroes during his internship.
But on the other hand, if he joins Tarrlok's task force, he would be separated from Korra and he couldn't leave her alone, not when it was clear that something bad was happening to her.
"I appreciate the offer, sir, but I must decline." said Izuku.
"Well, now that they've both given you an answer, it's time for you to go." said Tenzin.
"Very well. But..." began Tarrlok as he stood up. "I'm not giving up on you just yet. You'll be hearing from me soon. It has been a pleasure, Avatar Korra and Deku." said Tarrlok bowing slightly in respect before leaving.
"Bye-bye, ponytail man!" said Ikki to the annoyance of the waterbender councilman.
That man may have seemed like someone nice, but with the last thing he said, Izuku got the feeling that Tarrlok would be willing to do whatever it took to get him and Korra to join his task force.
He just hoped he was wrong.
The next day, in the evening, Mako was at the doors of Kwong's Cuisine, very nervous, as he thought he didn't come dressed enough for a place like that, but it was too late to back out now, so he went in.
"Ah, welcome to Kwong's Cuisine, Master Mako." said a waiter bowing respectfully to him.
"Uh, 'Master'?" asked Mako confused by the treatment he was receiving.
Later, the waiter helped the firebender by dressing him and combing his hair so that he looked very elegant for dinner, much to his delight.
Mako put on the scarf and the waiter looked at it funny. He reached out his hand to take it, but Mako grabbed it before he touched it.
"The scarf stays." said Mako very seriously.
"As you wish, sir." said the waiter accepting the request as he bowed before gesturing for him to follow. "This way please."
Later, Mako found himself at a table with Asami, who was sporting an elegant dress.
"I am such a big pro-bending fan. I caught all of your matches this season." said Asami.
"All of them? Wow. Honestly, There were a few I wish you hadn't seen." said Mako.
"Oh, don't be ridiculous, you're amazing. I can't wait to see you play in the tournament." said Asami.
"Yeah, well, ah, maybe next year." said Mako with a lowered look.
"What do you mean? You made it in." said Asami confused by what he said earlier.
"It just isn't in the cards for us right now." said Mako.
Asami sensed something was wrong and put her hand on his to comfort him.
"Tell me. What's the problem?" asked Asami with concern.
"*Sigh* We don't have the cash to ante up for the championship pot. So, it looks like we're out of the running." said Mako.
"That's not fair." said Asami feeling sorry for him.
Just then, a waiter approached them with two trays of covered food.
"Pardon me, Ms. Sato. Your main course." the waiter said leaving the trays on the table and taking off their lids before walking away, but Mako was surprised by what he had said earlier.
"Ms. Sato? You wouldn't happen to be related to Hiroshi Sato, creator of the Satomobile?" asked Mako.
"Yeah. He's my dad." said Asami, much to the firebender's surprise.
"Get out of town!" said Mako unable to believe it.
"I'm serious. You want to meet him?" asked Asami.
"Haha. Meet the most successful captain of industry in all of Republic City? Yeah, I'll take you up on that." said Mako.
The next day, in the middle of the sunset, Korra and Izuku were sitting on the ladders while the green-haired boy scratched the belly of Naga who was lying on her back just as Bolin approached them with his hands behind his back and Pabu on his shoulder.
"Hello, fellow teammates!" said Bolin getting their attention.
"Hey, Bolin." said Korra.
"Hey. How are you feeling?" asked Izuku.
"Much better, thank you. Missed you at practice this week." said Bolin.
"Yeah, sorry about that." said Korra.
"I guess we've been a little busy." said Izuku regretting not going to training when he had committed to being the team strategist.
"Nah, that's all right. We're probably out of the tournament anyways unless some money miraculously drops out of the sky by tomorrow. Anyways, the reason I came by was to give you this." said Bolin approaching them before holding out his hands towards them revealing that he had a rose and a bag with a cupcake in it. "Ta-da!"
"Wow, thanks." said Korra accepting the presents.
"And I haven't forgotten about you, Izuku." said Bolin before pulling a notebook out of his pocket. "Ta-da! I thought you might need another one in case the one you have ends up filling up all the way."
"Thank you very much." said Izuku accepting the notebook.
"What's this for?" asked Korra.
"Uh, oh I can't remember now. Oh yeah, now I remember. You saved me from Amon!" said Bolin.
"Oh, that? It was no big deal." said Korra.
"No big deal, are you serious? I was totally freaking out when he was coming at me with his creepy mask all, 'I will take away your bending forever.' I mean that is.. scary stuff; I still can't sleep well." said Bolin.
"I know how it feels." muttered Izuku before noticing how very nervous Korra was and before he could ask about it.
"Delivery for Avatar Korra and Deku!" said a messenger as he approached carrying a large basket full of flowers and other goods which he set down next to Korra and Izuku. "Tarrlok sends his compliments and urges you to reconsider his offer."
"Tell him I haven't changed my mind." said Korra.
"Neither have I." said Izuku.
"Mhmm." said the messenger bowing before walking away.
"Who's this Tarrlok guy? Is he bothering you? Huh, 'cause I could have a word with him." said Bolin tapping his palm with his fist.
"Heh, no it's not like that." said Korra.
"Though if you want to talk to a council member, go ahead." said Izuku with a small smile.
"Ah, I think… I think I'll pass." said Bolin a little scared of the idea of pissing off a council member.
Izuku turned his gaze to the gift basket.
He was afraid that might happen, that Tarrlok would try something to convince them to join his task force.
Good thing they were just simple little gifts for the time being.
The next day, at the city's satomobile factory, Asami was making good on her offer to introduce Mako to her father, Hiroshi Sato, director, and founder of Future Industries.
"What do you think of my little operation here?" asked Hiroshi.
"It's very impressive, Mr. Sato." said Mako.
"Please, call me Hiroshi. So, I understand you're dirt poor." said Hiroshi.
"Uh, well..." started Mako not knowing what to say about that.
"Young man, it is nothing to be ashamed of. I too came from humble beginnings. Why, when I was your age, I was a mere shoe-shiner, and all I had to my name was an idea; the Satomobile." said Hiroshi showing one of the many satomobiles around the place. "Now, I was fortunate enough to meet someone who believed in me and my work ethic. He gave me the money I needed to get my idea off the ground and I built the entire Future Industries empire from that one selfless loan."
"Dad, stop bragging. Just tell Mako the good news." said Asami, causing her father to burst out laughing a little.
"What good news?" asked Mako.
"Well, my daughter passionately told me all about your hard-earned success in the Pro-bending Arena. And about your team's current financial stumbling block." said Hiroshi standing beside Mako with his hand on his shoulder. "Now, I'd hate to see you lose your chance at winning the championship just because you're short a few yuans. That's why I'm going to sponsor the Fire Ferrets in the tournament."
"Are you serious?" asked Mako in shock at the news.
"He's serious. My dad's going to cover your ante for the championship pot." said Asami.
"Tha-that is good news." said Mako very happy with the news.
"There's just one catch. You all have to wear the Future Industries logo on your uniforms." said Hiroshi.
"I'll tattoo it on my chest if you want, sir." said Mako, to laughter from father and daughter. "Thank you both so much." said Mako shaking hands with both of them. "I promise the Fire Ferrets will make the most of this opportunity."
Meanwhile, on the island, Tenzin was approaching a luxury satomobile with a gift bow in which Ikki was in the driver's seat making starting noises.
"Out of the way Daddy, we're driving here! Beeeeeeep beebeebeeeeep!" said Ikki as her father shook his head in disappointment, as he knew who the gift was from, who it was for and why.
"Beep-beep." said Meelo who was in the passenger seat.
Tenzin left and turned to Korra who was training while Izuku sat on the stairs of some sort of octagonal platform.
"I see Tarrlok's gifts are getting more and more extravagant." said Tenzin.
"I'm a little surprised that he gave us a car when none of us know how to drive." said Izuku with a smile.
"Yeah, that guy doesn't know how to take 'no' for an answer." said Korra.
"Korra, are you… doing all right?" asked Tenzin.
"Yeah, I'm fine." said Korra stopping her training.
Tenzin sat down on the stairs and offered the Avatar to sit between him and the green-haired boy.
"Why don't you take a break?" asked Tenzin as Korra sat down. "I'm glad you turned down Tarrlok, but I just want to make sure your decision was for the right reason."
"He's right. I mean, I know you, Korra, and I know you would have jumped at the chance to beat up Amon, but you didn't. You've been acting weird ever since the rally." said Izuku.
"I'm just really focused on my airbending right now is all." said Korra.
"Are you sure about what you're saying?" asked Izuku getting the feeling that wasn't the reason.
"I am." said Korra.
"You know, it's okay to be scared. The whole city is frightened by what's been going on. The important thing is to talk about our fears, because if we don't, they can throw us out of balance." said Tenzin.
Unfortunately, Korra looked away, feeling unable to admit her own weakness.
"We are all afraid, Korra." began Izuku placing his hand on her shoulder. "It's not bad to feel it."
Tenzin rose from his seat.
"I'm always here for you, if you want to talk." said Tenzin before walking away.
"And with me too. You know you can trust me." said Izuku, though deep down inside, he felt guilty for not telling her about his biggest secret despite the last thing he said.
Despite the words of her teacher and her friend, Korra couldn't see herself being able to admit that she was afraid or even accept it.
Later, Korra stood at the railings of the temple entrance with Izuku while Jinora and Ikki played majong.
"Avatar Korra! Deku! I have something for you." said the messenger entering the scene.
Korra had had enough of Tarrlok's gifts and decided to make the point.
"It doesn't matter how many gifts Tarrlok sends, I am not joining his task force." said Korra as she used earthbending to create underneath the messenger a platform that she spun and then kicked him away from her.
"So tell him to please stop sending us gifts." said Izuku.
"It's not a gift, it's an invitation." said the messenger pulling out a couple of invitations.
"What for?" asked Korra before going to grab the invitations with Izuku by her side.
"Tarrlok is throwing a gala in your honor. All of Republic City's movers and shakers will be there. The councilman humbly requests your attendance." the messenger said as Korra and Izuku read the invitations.
Both could sense that this party was another of Tarrlok's attempts to convince them to join his task force.
"What do you suggest, Korra?" asked Izuku.
"I think we should go. It would be rude not to, wouldn't it?" asked Korra with a shrug.
"I guess so." said Izuku.
Later in the evening, we found ourselves in a building where the gala party was being held, on the sides of the front door were posters with a picture of Korra and Izuku.
Korra, Izuku, Tenzin and his family, who were dressed in gala costumes, entered the building and shortly after, both the Avatar and the green-haired boy received applause from those present.
"I can't believe this is all for us." said Korra in amazement.
"It makes me a little nervous." said Izuku feeling nervous at so many stares.
"I'm not sure what Tarrlok's plotting, but keep your guard up. It's not like him to throw a party just for the fun of it." said Tenzin suspicious of the waterbender councilman's actions.
"So glad you could make it, Avatar Korra and Deku." said Tarrlok approaching them. "If you'd excuse us, the city awaits its heroes." said Tarrlok before leading the two to the side.
Tenzin stood looking in the direction they were going, still suspicious of the waterbender councilman's intentions when, looking to the side, he saw something that caused an expression of pure horror to form on his face.
"Meelo! No, that's not a toilet! Oh dear." said Tenzin before walking over to where his son stood embarrassed and with his hand on his head.
"Korra, Izuku, it's my pleasure to introduce Republic City's most famous industrialist, Hiroshi Sato." said Tarrlok introducing the company director.
"Nice to meet you." said Korra receiving a slight bow from the company director.
"Nice to meet you, sir." began Izuku before realizing something. "Wait, Sato? You're the one who creates the satomobiles?" asked Izuku in surprise.
"The very same. We're all expecting great things from you." said Hiroshi.
"Right, greatness." said Korra looking down, dejected.
"Hey, guys!" both the Avatar and Izuku turned to the side to see Mako, Bolin and Asami, who was clutching the firebender's arm, causing Korra to scowl at her.
"This is my daughter, Asami." said Hiroshi.
"It's lovely to meet you. Mako's told me so much about you." said Asami.
"Really? Because he hasn't mentioned you at all." said Korra.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sato." said Izuku.
"Likewise, and please call me Asami. And you must be Izuku, the team strategist. That was very clever that formation." said Asami, making the green-haired boy blush.
"T-Thank you." said Izuku rubbing the back of his head.
"Izuku isn't only smart, but he's also very strong." said Bolin flexing his arms for emphasis.
"Yes, Mako has told me about his special power. I wish I could witness it someday." said Asami.
"Anytime, Asami." said Izuku with a smile.
"How did you two meet?" asked Korra with her arms crossed.
"Asami crashed into him on her moped." said Bolin stepping to Korra's side before returning to his previous position.
"What? Are you okay?" asked Korra worriedly.
"I'm fine. More than fine. Mister Sato agreed to sponsor our team." said Mako.
"Hehe, isn't that great?" asked Bolin giving his brother a side hug with an excited smile.
"It is. You can finally participate in the championship." said Izuku happy for his friends.
"Of course, we're going to need your strategies more than ever, Izuku." said Mako.
"Count me in, guys." said Izuku with a smile.
"Yeah, terrific." said Korra without much encouragement and joy.
Just then, Korra saw a person she didn't wish to talk to walk by.
"Chief Beifong!" said Tarrlok catching the attention of the police chief who approached them upon hearing the call. "I believe you, Avatar Korra and Deku have already met."
"Just because the city's throwing you this big to-do, don't think you're something special. You've done absolutely nothing to deserve this. " said Lin.
"True, but we'll be sure to do something to protect this city, Chief Beifong." said Izuku earnestly.
"I'll believe it when I see it." said Lin before walking away with her hands behind her back.
Although Korra was angry at the police chief's comment, deep down she knew it was true what she said, and it discouraged her even more.
Later, Tarrlok took the Avatar and the green-haired boy to the top of some stairs where, at the bottom, there were several journalists who started taking pictures and asking questions as soon as they saw them.
Tenzin noticed this and began to worry about it.
Tarrlok, Korra and Izuku went down a couple of steps before stopping.
"If you'd be so kind, they just have a couple of questions." said Tarrlok.
"But..." began Korra before Tarrlok pushed them back a bit to be in front of all the reporters.
"Avatar Korra, Deku, you witnessed Amon take away people's bending firsthand. How serious a threat does he pose to the innocent citizens of Republic City?" asked a reporter.
Korra let out a small throat clearing sound before deciding to answer.
"I think he presents a real problem." said Korra, bringing a hidden smile to the waterbender councilman.
" Then why have you refused to join Tarrlok's task force? As the Avatar and partner, shouldn't you be going after Amon?" asked another reporter.
"Well…" began Izuku not knowing what to say before a camera flash forced his eyes closed. "Uh…"
"Why are you backing away from this fight?" asked another reporter.
"What? No! I've never backed away from anything in my life!" said Korra annoyed by the question.
"Deku, you promised to serve this city alongside the Avatar. Aren't you going back on that promise now?" asked another reporter.
"Do you think pro-bending is more important than fighting the revolution?" asked another reporter.
"How do you think Avatar Aang would have handled this?" asked another reporter.
All these questions were destroying the Avatar's patience and calm, to the point where she was holding back the urge to scream.
"Avatar Korra, are you afraid of Amon?" asked another reporter asking the question that broke the camel's back.
"I am not afraid of anybody! If the city needs me then… I'll join Tarrlok's task force and help fight Amon." said Korra with firm resolve.
Izuku was surprised.
In the end, that was Tarrlok's trap, to corner Korra until she willingly agreed to join his task force.
He couldn't leave her alone, least of all knowing of her problem.
"And I'll join too! I said I would help protect the people of this city and that's what I'm going to do." said Izuku.
"Izuku, you don't need to join too." said Korra a little surprised that her friend joined too.
"I'm not going to leave you alone in this, Korra." said Izuku with firm resolve.
"There's your headline, folks." said Tarrlok standing next to the Avatar and the green-haired boy before more pictures and questions were asked.
Tenzin lowered his head with his eyes closed in sadness, Mako and Bolin looked at each other in surprise and Tarrlok had a smirk on his face as he leaned his arms on Korra and Izuku.
As Korra began to worry about the decision she had made, Izuku focused his gaze on her, hoping that decision would not affect her later.
The next day, near evening, Korra and Izuku, in their uniforms, had gone to a meeting with Tarrlok's task force, who was giving the members some information.
Korra kept wondering if she had made the right decision as she looked down at the table.
It was then that a hand came to rest on hers and she turned her head to the side to see Izuku giving her a nod as a sign that he would be with her on this, managing to make Korra feel a little better.
"My fellow task force deputies, tonight we will execute a raid on an underground chi blocker training camp located in the Dragon Flats borough. According to my sources, there is a cellar underneath this bookstore, where Equalists train chi-blocking in secret." said Tarrlok pointing to a spot on the map.
Later in the night, near the destined location, a truck was passing by, with Korra, Izuku and the task force members hidden and waiting for the moment to act.
When the truck stopped, they got out of the truck and proceeded to carry out the mission, with Tarrlok among them.
Korra looked out a small window where she could see several people training to block the chi, but what caught her attention the most was a poster of Amon that reminded her of the nightmare she had that time, causing her to let out a small gasp.
Izuku noticed and was about to say something when Korra gave a focused look to Tarrlok, who nodded his head.
Tarrlok made a couple of hand gestures, which caused a member of the task force to turn the compartment valve of a huge capsule the truck was carrying.
It turned out that the capsule was a water container with which the task force members, who were waterbenders, manipulated so that each one had a part of the contents except for Izuku, who activated his Quirk, waiting for the moment to act.
Tarrlok stood with his hand raised as a signal to remain waiting for the signal to attack while Korra let out a small sigh to concentrate.
Inside the training area, things were quiet until a large amount of water violently poured in through the windows.
The water caught some of the locals before it completely froze, encasing those it caught in ice.
Soon after, the rest of the wall exploded and in came a couple of earthbender task force members who threw some debris, managing to knock down a couple of people.
One of them managed to dodge the debris, but the task force member used a large earth tile to push him into the wall.
Then Tarrlok and Korra entered with a large water drop at their side along with Izuku.
Tarrlok threw his water drop at one of the people in the room, covering his head with water before freezing it into ice.
A woman managed to escape as a man took a spin in the air before throwing a couple of cans that started to expel a green smoke, but Korra covered the cans with her droplet which she quickly froze into ice, preventing them from expelling more green smoke.
Though that helped the man escape as well.
"I'm going after those two." said Korra chasing after the only people who had escaped.
"I'll go with you!" said Izuku running after the Avatar.
The two started running down a hallway in search of the escapees, but unfortunately, Korra didn't see a tripwire in the middle of the path and ended up tripping over it and rolling a bit on the floor.
Suddenly, out of the ceiling came an Equalist soldier, forcing Korra to roll to the side to dodge him before lifting her foot to send a rock slamming him in the chest.
Another Equalist jumped behind her, who was sitting on the ground, with a bolas, but Izuku jumped towards him and gave him a horizontal kick, sending him crashing into the wall, knocking him down in the process.
Korra turned her gaze to Izuku who gave her a hand to help her up, which she accepted.
Just as she got up completely, Tarrlok arrived on the scene.
"Good job you two. You make a good team." said Tarrlok.
"Yes, indeed." said Korra crossing her arms with a smile as she looked at Izuku who smiled back.
Later, a group of reporters started taking pictures of the task force (with Tarrlok, Korra and Izuku posing) holding the prisoners in front of them and then they took pictures when they took the prisoners to the police van.
The next day, in the gymnasium of the pro-bending arena, Mako was reading a newspaper that had a picture of Korra, Izuku and the task force on the front page while Bolin was carrying two earth disks with his bending.
"No Korra and Izuku for practice again?" asked Bolin.
"I'm afraid so." said Mako before Bolin threw the discs in frustration.
Meanwhile, in one room, Tarrlok stood behind a podium in front of a crowd of reporters, with Korra and Izuku at his side.
"Avatar Korra and the hero, Deku, have bravely answered the call to action. With the three of us leading the charge, Republic City has nothing to fear from Amon and the Equalists." said Tarrlok before the reporters raised their hands for questions.
"Question for the Avatar! Amon remains at large. Why have you failed to locate him?" asked a female reporter.
"You want to know why?" asked Korra approaching the podium as Tarrlok stepped aside. "Because Amon is hiding in the shadows like a coward." said Korra before grabbing a microphone and holding it up to her face. "Amon, I challenge you to a duel! No task force, no chi-blockers, no Deku, just the two of us tonight at midnight on Avatar Aang Memorial Island. Let's cut to the chase and settle this thing, if you're man enough to face me." Korra said before putting down the microphone and walking quickly away.
Izuku was horrified to see that his friend had made the rashest decision of her life.
That night, in the city park, Mako and Asami were taking a ride inside a car, with the engineer hugging the firebender's arm.
"I know it sounds weird to say this, but I'm really glad I hit you with my moped." said Asami, making the firebender chuckle a little.
"Uh, me too." said Mako.
"I forgot to ask. Why didn't you accept the new silk scarf I bought for you last week? You didn't like it?" asked Asami pointing to the firebender's scarf.
"No, it was really nice, but this scarf was my father's. And it's all I have left of him. I just feel like… Like it keeps me safe." said Mako.
"I'm so sorry. I lost my mother when I was very young." said Asami with her head down and a sad look on her face. Mako took her hand and they both shared a smile before Asami leaned against him. "I feel so safe with you." said Asami with a smile as they continued to enjoy the walk.
However, despite the tender moment between the two of them, Mako kept thinking about Korra and what she had decided, as he had heard her challenge on the radio.
On Air Temple Island, Korra would have prepared for her confrontation with Amon, but as she was about to leave the temple, she bumped into Izuku at the entrance.
"Are you really going to do it?" asked Izuku very seriously.
"I have to. I won't let Amon get away with it. I know what I'm doing." said Korra walking past Izuku to leave.
"Are you saying this because you're the Avatar or because you don't want to admit that you're afraid?" asked Izuku, causing the Avatar to stop with a surprised look.
"I'm not afraid!" exclaimed Korra turning around to look at the green-haired boy.
"Stop lying, Korra. I can see it in your eyes. I know you want to be the Avatar this city needs, but just because you're afraid won't make people think any less of you. If you let your emotions control you, you will end badly. Admit it, Korra. You're afraid of Amon and you refuse to acknowledge it." said Izuku.
"I AM NOT AFRAID!" shouted Korra. "This is my world, my business! Why don't you go back to your world and mind your own business?! Oh wait. You can't!" exclaimed Korra before she was shocked to realize what she has said.
Izuku stared at her in surprise before looking at her with a serious expression.
"You're right. This isn't my world. I shouldn't meddle in other people's business." said Izuku before leaving. "If you want to fight Amon, go ahead. I won't stop you." said Izuku as he walked away.
"Izuku, wait." said Korra trying to stop him, but he had already walked too far away.
She really didn't want to tell him that.
He wasn't in that world because he wanted to, but because he had no way to get back home to his family and friends.
He was alone and she was the only friend he could trust.
Despite this, he once again expressed a serious face before setting off to meet Amon.
Around midnight, Korra was on a boat, preparing to set sail for the island where she would have her meeting with Amon.
Of course, at that moment, Tenzin arrived in his glider to try to stop her.
"Korra, this is madness." said Tenzin.
"Don't try to stop me and don't follow me. I have to face Amon alone." said Korra without backing down from her decision.
"This is all your doing!" said Tenzin to the waterbender councilman.
"I tried to talk her out of it too, but she's made up her mind." said Tarrlok.
After preparations, Korra used waterbending to steer the boat quickly towards the island.
"We'll be watching the island closely. If anything goes wrong, I have a fleet of police airships ready to swoop down." said Tarrlok hoping to reassure Tenzin as he looked at the island.
Meanwhile, Izuku stood on the stairs of the octagonal training ground, thinking about his conversation with Korra.
How could she be so stubborn? Was she really going to face Amon without knowing if he was going to abide by the rules just because she didn't want to admit that she was afraid of him?
Then then, he remembered that night, when he told Korra about his fear of All For One and she comforted him.
He wished he could have gotten her to admit her fears and been there for her, but Korra was right about one thing.
That wasn't his world, and it wasn't his mission to protect the city, it was the Avatar's.
But then, he remembered something that happened during the sports festival.
Before the fights, Shoto confessed to him about his family history, the origin of his scar and the reason why he didn't want to use his fire side.
Despite the bicolor boy's wishes on that subject, during their bout, Izuku kept insisting him to use his full power and in the end, even though he broke all his fingers, he managed to make him use his fire side for the first time since he came to U.A.
He even thanked him for it.
Then he remembered something All Might told him regarding it.
"A hero gets into other people's business when it comes to saving someone."
Izuku smiled in determination.
That may not have been his world, it may not have been his mission to save that city, but he would help whoever was in danger and he would do it with or without the Avatar's help.
Even if the whole world hated him for meddling in their affairs, he would go ahead to protect the people and the people he cared about in that world, but first, he had a matter to settle.
So, wasting no time, he activated his Quirk and sped off towards his target.
Soon after, Korra was on the roof of the building on the island where the statue of Avatar Aang was located.
Suddenly, she heard a noise that caused her to quickly turn around with a bending pose, but there was nothing there before the chimes of midnight sounded, scaring Korra so much that she screamed.
Korra let out a sigh of relief that it was only the clock and, knowing it was time for the duel, she took a deep breath to prepare herself.
She waited and waited.
The hours passed and Korra sat down, beginning to grow impatient, as Amon hadn't appeared at any point.
She even went so far as to yawn from exhaustion and boredom.
"Guess you're a no-show, Amon." said Korra accepting the fact that her opponent wasn't going to show up. "Who's scared now?" asked Korra getting up from the ground and jumping off the roof to leave.
As she walked, she thought back to what she did to her green-haired friend, feeling guilty for what she had said to him.
She hoped she could make it right when she got back to the island.
Suddenly, as she was passing near an entrance, a bola wrapped around her legs, making her fall and dragging her inside the building as she screamed.
Korra was dragged until she was plunged into darkness, but freed herself from the rope by emitting fire from her feet as she spun around and landed on her feet, only to find herself completely surrounded by Equalist soldiers.
Korra launched a flare to illuminate the place, but bolas wrapped around her wrists before those in charge pulled on them to keep her restrained.
Several Equalist soldiers lunged at her from in front, but Korra pushed them back by launching a fireball from her foot before a pair of soldiers hit her repeatedly in the back, knocking her down.
A spotlight shone on Korra as a pair of Equalist soldiers grabbed her arms to lift her up a bit.
When Korra opened her eyes, she was stunned as Amon stood in front of her.
"I received your invitation, young Avatar." said Amon.
Korra froze in fear as Amon reached out his hand towards her face, for it was her nightmare come true.
She ducked her head and closed her eyes, expecting the worst, but suddenly, Amon stopped her hand and grabbed her chin to force her to look at him.
"Our showdown, while inevitable, is premature. Although it would be the simplest thing for me to take away your bending right now, I won't. You'd only become a martyr." said Amon before releasing Korra's chin. "Benders of every nation would rally behind your untimely demise, but I assure you, I have a plan. And I'm saving you for last, then you'll get your duel, and I will destroy you."
"SMASH!"
Suddenly, a punch directly hit Amon's face, sending him flying backwards.
The culprit was none other than Izuku, whose Quirk was activated.
Before the Equalist soldiers attacked, Izuku did a spin with one leg raised, sending the nearest Equalist soldiers flying and freeing Korra who fainted due to shock.
The Equalist soldiers stood up and prepared to attack, as did Izuku.
"Freeze." said Amon raising his hand, making the soldiers stop. "Even if you all threw yourselves against him, you don't stand a chance against his enormous power." said Amon as he stood up, and when he raised his head, he revealed that his mask now had several cracks in it.
It was a miracle that it hadn't broken.
"It's good to finally meet you, Deku." said Amon.
"Get away from her, you bastard!" shouted Izuku standing in front of Korra protectively.
"Don't worry, I haven't done anything to her. Yet." said Amon.
"You're a coward, Amon! You keep talking about equality, but you bring reinforcements for a one-on-one fight!" said Izuku.
"I was simply showing the Avatar what happens to those who underestimate me. As I told her, our confrontation is premature. Tonight was only to send a message to her and all the benders that they can no longer oppose us." said Amon.
"What you're doing isn't equality! You're provoking a war! Thousands of people will die! Are you really willing to do that to bring equality?" asked Izuku.
"If it's necessary, then all those deaths will be a necessary sacrifice." said Amon.
"You're crazy! I won't allow you to harm this city or Korra or anyone else! Not while I'm here!" said Izuku.
"And who do you think you are to say that to me?" asked Amon.
"I'm Deku! The hero who will protect this city along with Avatar Korra!" declared Izuku.
"Is that what you want? Very well. I dare you to try, but when the time comes, I will take away your powers along with the Avatar's." said Amon just as he began to retreat into the shadows, as did the soldiers. "We will meet again, Deku."
"Wait!" exclaimed Izuku before shooting a blast of wind from his fingers, but it hit nothing but wall, giving him to understand that he had escaped, much to his frustration.
Seeing that there were no enemies in sight anymore, Izuku deactivated his Quirk and approached his fainted friend.
"Korra! Korra! Wake up!" said Izuku.
What he didn't know was that, while she was unconscious, Korra was having some sort of flashback that featured Sokka, Toph, Aang, a mystery man, and then she saw Aang launching into a fight with someone.
After that, Korra began to open her eyes.
At first, she could only see blurred, but then her vision cleared, and she saw Izuku looking at her with concern.
"I... Izuku?" asked Korra regaining consciousness.
"Thank goodness. You've woken up." said Izuku as he helped her sit up. "Did Amon...?" asked Izuku hoping he wasn't too late.
To check, Korra managed to create a flame in her hand before clenching her fist and extinguishing it.
"No, I'm okay." said Korra.
"Are you sure?" asked Izuku.
Not being able to take it anymore, Korra burst into tears as she rushed to hug the green-haired boy who was a bit surprised before returning the hug to comfort her.
"I was so terrified, I felt so helpless." said Korra shedding tears as she cried.
"Calm down. It's over now." said Izuku rubbing her back to comfort her.
"I'm so sorry, Izuku!" said Korra breaking away from the hug. "You were right! I've been scared this whole time. I've never felt like this before and… I don't know what to do!" said Korra before hugging the green-haired boy again.
"Admitting your fears is a good first step." said Izuku.
"How… How do I get through this?" asked Korra as she continued to cry.
"That's a hard part. I know because I lived it." said Izuku.
"What?" asked Korra in surprise as she broke away from the hug.
"It was a while ago. My classmates and I went to a mall and got separated. Before I knew it, Tomura Shigaraki came up to me and grabbed my neck with four of his fingers." said Izuku remembering that encounter with the villain.
Korra was surprised.
She knew that villain's power was to destroy everything he touched with his five fingers and if he only held him with four of her fingers, he was only one step away from having killed him.
"He told me he only wanted to talk to me and if I refused, he would kill me and everyone he could. I felt so helpless. I felt that, if I made the slightest move, my life would end right then and there. I was able to get away unscathed, but for a couple of nights I was having nightmares about him killing my mother and my friends before he did it to me." said Izuku.
"And… And what did you do?" asked Korra.
"I went to talk to All Might about it. And you know what he told me?" asked Izuku, receiving a denial from the Avatar. "He told me…"
"Young Midoriya, fear is a natural thing in human beings. There isn't a single person who isn't afraid of anything." said All Might sitting on the sofa in the teacher's lounge.
"Even you, All Might?" asked Izuku sitting in an armchair across from the professional hero.
"Hehe. I may be the number one hero, but I'm also human like anyone else, so I can feel fear too." said All Might.
"So how can you overcome fear?" asked Izuku.
"That's a very good question that many have asked over the years. However..." began All Might, to the green-haired boy's interest. "The fear of disappointing others can overcome fear in general. Even if I faced my greatest fear and my body trembled with fear, I would fight against it so long as I didn't disappoint those who trust me with their lives. A hero is capable of withstanding all adversity. If you cannot overcome fear, then…"
"Learn to live with it. That's what he told me. Korra, there's nothing wrong with you being afraid of Amon, but if ever, you get to meet him again, I'll be by your side, the same way you'll be by my side. I promise." said Izuku with a smile.
Korra gave him a huge smile of happiness before giving him another hug.
"Thank you, Izuku. You are a true friend." said Korra.
"You too." said Izuku.
After that, Izuku felt that he could no longer hide it from her.
If he really wanted Korra to fully trust him the way he does, he'll have to, even if it meant disappointing All Might.
Unbeknownst to them, Tenzin was nearby, eavesdropping on the whole conversation and smiled at how Izuku had managed to get Korra to open up at last.
Undoubtedly, the bond between those two was very strong.
Later that night, Korra found herself sleeping peacefully in her bed.
Despite the experience she had gone through, she felt better knowing that Izuku would be by her side in case Amon showed up again.
Suddenly, the sound of someone knocking on the door caused her to wake with a start.
"Who is it?" asked Korra, internally hoping that this wasn't another nightmare.
"It's me, Izuku. Can I come in?" asked Izuku.
Korra was confused by the fact that the green-haired boy had come to see her at that time of night.
"Sure." said Korra.
The door opened and Izuku walked into the room with a slightly guilty expression before sitting down on Korra's bed with her sitting next to him.
"Korra, there's… something I have to tell you." said Izuku with small difficulty, as that topic wasn't something that was told every day.
"The what?" asked Korra curiously.
"The truth about… my Quirk." began Izuku before turning his gaze to the Avatar. "When I told you that I didn't have Quirk until one day it woke up on me, I lied. I wasn't awakened, it was handed to me."
"It was handed to you? What do you mean?" asked Korra.
Izuku knew she was going to tell her about the biggest secret in his world, but after everything they had been through together, he felt he could trust her completely, even to the point of telling her.
All Might might be angry with him as soon as he found out, but she deserved to know.
Izuku took a deep breath before raising her hand, causing a sphere of light to form above it, much to Korra's surprise.
"My Quirk is actually called One For All. It consists of an energy that is passed down from generation to generation, accumulating power and growing stronger each time it passes to another person. All Might was once its bearer, but one day, he decided to give me his Quirk, making me the ninth heir to One For All." said Izuku revealing the big secret.
Korra was completely surprised.
She thought Izuku's power was impressive, but that was on an even larger scale.
A power that became more powerful over time and also transferred between people.
She couldn't help but see that that power and the Avatar were almost the same.
"Now, not only do I carry the accumulated power of the previous bearers, but I also carry the duty of being the next symbol of peace for my world." said Izuku closing his hand to turn off the sphere of light.
For the next few minutes, Izuku was telling him the story of the One For All.
That long ago, when the Quirks were just beginning to emerge, All For One ruled the world with tyranny, but then, his younger brother tricked him into giving him a Quirk that allowed him to accumulate power in his body.
However, what he didn't know was that he had another Quirk, one that allowed him to transfer his Quirk to others.
Those two Quirks combined ended up creating the One For All and the younger brother intended to use that power to wipe out All For One and protect the world.
Over time, the One For All was transferred to others, becoming stronger until it ended up in the hands of All Might and then Izuku.
Korra was shocked.
She knew, from what he had told her, that All For One was a terrible and powerful villain and now she had just learned that this power was created primarily to finish him off and that duty was now Izuku's to perform.
"And that's basically it. I still can't quite master the full power of the One For All, but someday I will, and I will be a hero that All Might, and the previous bearers will be proud of." stated Izuku with determination.
Korra smiled at the green-haired boy's strong determination.
"I'm sure you'll make it." said Korra, causing the green-haired boy to smile at her. "Thank you for telling me, Izuku. It means a lot to me."
"I felt I could trust you completely. I couldn't lie to you after everything you did for me." said Izuku.
It was then that Korra chuckled.
"You know? The One For All and the Avatar are a lot alike, don't you think?" asked Korra.
"That's what I thought too when you told me about the Avatar." said Izuku.
"That would make us almost like siblings, wouldn't it?" asked Korra before they both burst out laughing a little.
"Yeah, I guess." said Izuku before getting up. "I better get back to my bed." said Izuku before going to the door and opening it, getting ready to leave.
"Goodnight, brother." said Korra with a smile, causing Izuku to pause before turning his head to look at the Avatar with a smile.
"Goodnight, sister." said Izuku before closing the door and going to his room.
The two drifted off to sleep, and although that sibling thing was in jest, they couldn't help but feel happy to be called that.
AN: Surely you didn't expect Izuku to tell her, did you?
I just felt that since their powers were so similar, she deserved to know, don't you agree?
That was one of the first things I thought of when I started creating this story.
Anyway, see you in the next chapters!