AUTHOR'S NOTES: And now the tensions between Tarrlok and Korra finally reach the breaking point, and the hostility escalates to violence. This conflict has only just begun though, and it's only going to get worse from here. Tarrlok's hatred of Korra is much more intense in this story due to not only Korra's more fiery personality, but also because she has proven that she's a legitimate threat.
Happy Reading!
BOOK TWO: CHANGE
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX: WHEN EXTREMES MEET
The news of Team Avatar's success in capturing nearly a dozen Equalist convicts buzzed through Republic City and earned some attention. It became more prominent when they started doing similar things more often. This of course, incited Tarrlok's ire, particularly towards Korra.
Of course, Korra only exacerbated the situation when she barged into a council meeting where Tarrlok was pushing a law making it illegal for anyone to even associate with the Equalists, and to curfew nonbenders after dark.
"This is going too far, Tarrlok!" Tenzin argued, "You can't punish all nonbenders for the actions of a few any more than Amon can punish benders for the actions of a few."
"That kind of cowardice will cause Republic City to fall right into Amon's hands." Tarrlok asserted, "We must—" but he was interrupted as the doors literally flew off their hinges with a frantic-looking Korra standing between them.
"That's insane!" she blurted out as she cocked her head at Tarrlok, her nonexistent political etiquette showing in spades. "You're literally just proving Amon's point!"
"And here comes the Avatar once again, thinking that just because she's the strongest child in the world that she's entitled to run the city herself." Tarrlok sighed dramatically, "Get out of here, little girl. You are not welcome here."
"Do none of you apart from Tenzin realize the blatant hypocrisy of this move?" Korra shouted, "It's benders abusing their power to persecute nonbenders. That's EXACTLY what the whole Equalist movement was founded to prevent! Are you all really about to let this 3rd-rate sleaze buy his way into getting what he wants?" She paused, turning to Tarrlok and either ignoring or remaining oblivious to Tenzin's silent warnings for her to cut it out, "because it almost sounds like he's playing a double agent here. What's wrong, Tarrlok? Is Amon your best friend on the side or something?"
Tarlok simply stared at her, and Korra suddenly found her arms get bound. She struggled, but was soon subdued with the help of some chi-blocking and cheap shots, before being dragged away, much to Tarrlok's relief.
"Silent alarms are a wonderful thing," Tarrlok smiled again, "But anyways, this is all the more reason this law must pass. Even the Avatar has grown soft on the Equalists, perhaps thanks to her lover being the daughter of one of the most prominent Equalists in the city. All in favour?"
As usual, everyone voted for it apart from Tenzin, who angrily sighed as Tarrlok flashed him a smug, contented grin.
Korra was carted off to prison, and instead of a brutal but effective lesson in "metalbending training" courtesy of Lin BeiFong, Korra found that her chi was blocked and she was (literally) thrown into a cell without further fanfare. Korra yelled and shot out several profanities, and despite the cell being metal, she didn't try to bust out just yet. She was quiet for several minutes until the officer patrolling the hall was someone she recognized—and so she called out her name.
"Kuvira!" she whispered, "Psst, a word please?"
"Korra? Kuvira glanced at the Avatar through the bars, "I can't let you out if that's what you're about to ask."
"It crossed my mind," Korra mumbled, "but no, I'm more wondering about you. You've mentioned before that you were the protegé of Lin's sister?"
"I was," Kuvira nodded, "I came to Republic City to hone my skills; fluff up my résumé, and use my metalbending abilities to help uphold law and order. Although with Lin no longer part of the force, and with the law moving closer and closer to corruption, I'm starting to think she had the right idea by resigning."
"Well I'm not about to sit here and rot while Tarrlok prances around like he owns the place." Korra argued, "I'm not about to sit by while evil takes over my city."
"Sound advice," Kuvira hummed, "If anyone asks… you never saw me."
The jingle of keys hitting the floor as Kuvira walked away told the Avatar everything she needed to know. Korra slipped out unnoticed, relieved that she wouldn't have to blow a hole in the prison when her bending finally came back, and thus made her way back to Air Temple when she was immediately confronted by Tenzin.
"How did you escape?" He looked worried, "am I going to have to try and smooth things over with the police?"
"An officer let me out," Korra spoke truthfully, "She didn't give me her name." This was technically true as well since Korra knew Kuvira beforehand, but it was also a convenient omissive lie even if it left Tenzin scratching his head.
"Korra, while I agree with your motives, what you did was not okay." Tenzin warned, "Tarrlok is going to be actively pursuing you, and he not only has the council in his pocket, but also the police as well now. Nonbenders are no longer safe, and he's making this war worse."
"That's why I had to speak out!" Korra reasoned, "I can't just let him get away with this. I'm not just the Avatar of the Water Tribes, or just the Avatar of benders everywhere. I'm the Avatar for the nonbenders of Republic City and the world as well; and as much as Amon and his Equalists hate me, I'm their Avatar too. I really think he's some sort of closet Equalist or something though. His new law is literally feeding right into the thing Amon complains about at his rallies! It's going to oppress nonbenders and stir them up; probably provoke a ton of them become Equalists, and then what? We get more radicals! Tenzin, I'll happily go to prison over it, but that man needs to be stopped, and he needs to be stopped now!"
"Korra…" Tenzin sighed, putting a hand on her shoulder, "I'm not saying you're wrong—I agree with your sentiments entirely, and from a political perspective, they are not only mature and well-thought out, but they are also accurate. I'm merely trying to advise you against a rash decision. I don't want to see you play right into his hands."
"I won't," Korra cracked her knuckles, "and if he does try and take me, he'll learn the same thing that the White Lotus learned when I was 16."
"Korra," Tenzin remained calm but firm, "I don't want you going out and proving Tarrlok's point though. Just because he proved the Equalists right doesn't mean we stoop to his level."
"Alright, alright…" Korra sighed, "We'll come up with a better plan."
For Korra, a 'better plan' was more just her and her friends roaming the town and listening to police reports. This night's event was particularly interesting.
"All units, please respond to the 5600 block of the Dragon Flats Borough," the radio buzzed as the group set off into the night, "Equalists have taken to the streets; consider them armed and dangerous. Proceed with caution."
This incident was much different from any of the others they had encountered though. The district was plunged into darkness, which in a city with lights and electricity, was an unusual sight. There didn't appear to be any damage, but there were hundreds of people in the streets. Even more unusual was that none of them appeared armed, and none were even wearing any masks. So where were the Equalists?
"Wait a second," Asami frowned, "these people aren't armed or dangerous. These aren't Equalists… these are frightened civilians!"
"All nonbenders return to your homes immediately!" Korra heard a policeman shout through a loudspeaker. Pivoting around, she saw Saikhan with the megaphone.
"Yeah sure," one of the men called out, "as soon as you turn our power back on!"
"Disperse," Sikhan commanded, "or you will be arrested!"
"You benders can't treat us this way!" A woman with a pair of children shouted. These words cut Korra straight to her core, and she immediately had a flashback to Amon's Equalist rally. Korra's eyes flickered for a moment, and it was only after Asami noticed her trying to contain herself that she seized Korra's wrist. It was not to say that Asami was against taking action, but when Korra's anger took over, it left little to no room for reason.
"Mommy, look!" one of the woman's children pointed at Korra, "it's the Avatar!"
"Please help us!" The woman turned to Korra and pleaded, "you're our Avatar too!"
"I plan to," Korra punched her palm before cocking her head around as she scanned the area for Tarrlok. Sure enough, he was there leading the whole operation, looking smug with himself.
"Tarrlok!" Korra demanded, shoving her way through the officers to reach him, "you need to turn the power back on and leave these people alone! You're doing nothing good for any of Republic City with your little vanity project except prove why nonbenders would feel inclined join the Equalists to begin with! Tell me—what are you even trying to accomplish here except scare nonbenders off and towards Amon's open arms?"
"Avatar Korra…" Tarrlok sighed, giving her one of the most malevolent looks Korra had ever seen a single individual give her, "you and your playmates have no business here."
"Oh, I think we do!" Korra countered, stepping forward, "I'm their Avatar just as much as I'm yours. You have no right to oppress these innocent people and treat them like criminals without due process under the law! These people aren't Equalists; they're citizens who want their rights back! Does anyone here see any masks; any weapons? Any sign of aggression beyond a peaceful protest?" Times like this made Korra feel like she was really channeling Zaheer's old words to her, and made her believe that he may have had a point.
"They are the enemy!" Tarlok shouted, "Officers, round up these Equalists!"
The metal barriers that had separated the nonbenders from the police suddenly wrapped around crowds of people who were lifted from the ground on large earthen platforms. Korra sprang forward, forcing her hands apart as the metal followed suit. She crouched and brought the earthen platforms back to the ground and shouted for the people to scatter.
"Do you think freedom is something that you can just give and take on a whim from those who you view as below you?" Korra's eyes flashed fully this time, as she kept an aggressive stance as a warning. "Each further move you make against these innocent people only further blackens your reputation and helps to establish you as a toxic mark on this city!"
"Even so…" Tarrlok pushed his luck, catching Asami by the arm with a whip of water, "I can arrest her: a nonbender out past curfew, and with direct ties to one of the highest-ranking Equalists in the city. I can also arrest these two…" he gestured as cables wrapped around both Mako and Bolin, "and I can arrest you for trying to stop me. If anything, I should be putting you back in prison for your little… intrusion… earlier today—if I don't decide to arrest you for breaking out of prison earlier."
"Try me!" Korra's eyes were still glowing, and she brought up two large slabs of rock.
"Do you want to join your playmates in prison, little girl?" Tarrlok leered, "because if not, I suggest you put those down and go back to the Air Temple."
"I've already been," Korra growled, "and I'm not afraid to go back if it means obstructing a corrupt regime from gaining a chokehold on the innocent civilians of this city!" Without warning, she slammed the rocks into rows of police, following up with swift bolts of water that cut the bonds of her friends. A few of the nonbenders had not dispersed and witnessed the showdown, where Tarrlok frowned.
"Wrong move." He warned as the police split up and kept their focus on the Avatar. Mako, Bolin, and Asami moved to stay behind Korra, who did in fact bring up an ominous wall of blue fire between them and the police. Tarrlok doused the searing flames with steam and moved to capture Asami again, only to have his whip sliced in half by an airbending move from Korra. A few police had their metal cables blown apart by Korra's combustion ability, although they were persistent. Mako, Bolin, and Asami were more trying to defend themselves, while Korra was clearly taking a much more aggressive and offensive approach.
"Korra, stop!" Asami screamed, and even Mako and Bolin stopped after they realized that not all of the police were moving after taking the hits from some of Korra's attacks. They realized that while the police were trying to apprehend them, Korra was fighting to kill. How successful or not she was in this endeavour remained to be seen.
Korra left the Avatar State, but was still putting heavy pressure on Tarrlok to the point where she had surrounded him and herself with lava. Despite this, she was willing to let the police get a grasp on her as she seized the councilman by his throat and lifted him up. Her arms shuddered against the strain of the cables that were now trying to pull her back, but even without the Avatar State, Korra's physical strength showed in the fact that she was holding a grown man of the ground with one arm.
"I tried playing nice with you," she warned, "but your power trip took it a step to far. Do what you will to me. I swear on the spirits themselves that I will destroy you and your career, Councilman Tarrlok. Mark my words, tyrant: I. Will. Ruin. You."
She hardened the lava and submitted as she felt her chi being blocked. It would return in due time, and if they weren't there to vigilantly keep it blocked, she would free herself. Even as she was taken away, battered and weak from the chi-blocking that weakened her joints, she was laughing with a slightly unhinged expression.
"You cannot confine me…" she taunted, "anything or anyone that moves to permanently restrain me… I will destroy. I've done it before, and I will do it again."
Korra did not take into account the disturbed looks that most of the onlookers had, including all three of her friends. Instead, they were all dragged off to prison (Korra literally) and that was the end of the incident; a dishevelled but content Tarrlok watching the scene conclude.
Korra woke up alone in a cell that appeared unbendable—titanium or platinum, most likely. It made sense in hindsight, considering that there had been corrupt officers in the past that obviously had to be contained in such a way, but it wasn't about to stop her.
She also realized that she was barefooted again, and that her skirt, armbands, hair beads, and headband were gone. Apparently she had been searched at some point, but other than those articles of clothing, she wasn't sure that she had lost anything. There was an ironic symbolism here, what with Korra's more feral appearance paralleling a deterioration of her mental and emotional well-being.
She was shackled, and the chains were also unbendable. Korra felt a sudden parallel to Zoroka in this condition, but for the moment, she remained silent. For minutes, or perhaps hours, she remained motionless, calming herself despite her internal seething. If there was anything that she had learned about being the Avatar, it was that she was incredibly resilient and that her chi flows seldom remained blocked for very long. She was banking on Tarrlok and the police not knowing this about her, and it worked to her advantage. Soon enough she was able to conjure a flame on her hand, and the smirk that stretched across her face was downright wicked.
Asami had gotten comfortable in her small prison cell, which was situated a few floors away from the cell Mako and Bolin shared. She laid there on her back, half-asleep, worried both for her own safety and for that of the brothers, but more so for Korra. She wasn't worried about Korra rotting away behind bars, but rather she was concerned about what kind of destructive and impulsive actions Korra would take when she was driven by her anger.
When the entire prison shook and was accompanied by the sound of an enormous explosion, Asami jumped right up and fell off the hard cot she had been resting on. After she recovered herself though, she sat back down and lowered her head in despair.
"Korra…" She whispered with a sigh.
There was no way for her to know for sure that it had been Korra—but it was Korra. Korra may not have destroyed the entire place the way she had with the Southern Water Tribe compound, but there was a gaping, smouldering hole where her cell used to be, thus proving her claims to be true: Avatar Korra could not be constrained against her will—and now she was gone.