AUTHOR'S NOTES: Korra's escape from Tarrlok is done in much more style despite her much more depreciated state and more injuries she sustains from the conflict. Shes still a bit trigger-happy with that Avatar State, and she's definitely not coming out of this untraumatized, but, such is the life of our spunky little Avatar.
Happy Reading!
BOOK TWO: CHANGE
CHAPTER SEVENTY: THE AGONIZED ESCAPE
There was a moment of silence where even the Equalists stopped clamouring as the group took the revelation in. What the Equalists had said had made sense—Amon was not one to make attacks on such important targets without making a loud and clear public statement. Kwan's remarks only supported this theory as well, considering that she had gone undercover as an employee at Future Industries (which was crawling with Equalists) when they were trying to expose Hiroshi Sato. With Lin's seismic senses now telling them the Korra was nowhere in this underground complex, that could only mean that the Equalists truly did not have the Avatar—or that they were also expertly lying and had Korra in some other secret compound or something. However, their words and concerned tones behind their masks betrayed sincerity. Amon might have been able to lie through his teeth and keep a cool composure regardless of circumstances, but not all of his goons had that same talent.
"We told you what we know, honest!" one of them pleaded, "please don't fry us now!"
"I won't," Asami turned off the electricity in her gloves. "I'll let your friends come to free you all though. We need to leave." this last statement was aimed at Tenzin and Lin, who nodded in agreement. A bit of earthbending and metalbending later courtesy of Kwan, Bolin, and Lin, and the group was back at the surface, beelining it for City Hall.
"So why would Tarrlok make up a story about getting attacked?" Mako mused, while Lin and Tenzin began putting the pieces together. Tenzin suddenly stopped.
"Because HE has Korra," he warned, "He fooled us all!"
Tenzin wasted no time in arranging a meeting between Tarrlok, Chief Saikhan, the other council members, and himself. Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Kwan were also present, the latter of which felt particularly awkward around police and politicians, especially still being dressed in what was basically her nightclothes.
"I just wanted to fix cars, follow the law, and not go back to prison," she muttered under her breath, "this is way more than I signed up for." Despite that, she came along willingly, and also genuinely wanted to help—not just for Korra, but for Korra's friends as well as justice itself. The Avatar had been unlawfully abducted, and even if Kwan didn't know Korra as well as she did, the notion of abducting a teenager reeked of serious foul play.
"Thank you for all meeting us on such short notice," Tenzin turned to the others.
"Chief," Lin turned to Saikhan, a cold glare in her expression that the man matched.
"Lin," he replied, having little more to say than her in that regard.
"Have you news of Avatar Korra then?" Tarrlok turned to them.
"We do," Tenzin pointed right at his nose, "You kidnapped her!"
"I am shocked that you would accuse me of such an evil act!" Tarrlok played innocent, "I already explained: Equalists attacked us and took her. But let me guess—you went and asked them and they claimed to be innocent as well."
"What gives you that idea?" Asami narrowed her eyes accusingly.
"You, incidentally," Tarrlok crossed his arms, "You're the only one aware of how far the bad blood between the Avatar and I goes, and while your girlfriend might be petty enough to take it this far, I assure you that I would do no such thing. In an attempt to villainize me you decided to go to Republic City's enemies to try and frame me. Who do you trust, Sato?: The organization that has pitted itself against the benders and civil adults of Republic City, or the Task Force designated to protect this city from said people?"
"Don't think for a moment that I condone anything my father did!" Asami snapped, "This is not a witch hunt, Tarrlok—but I've seen enough Equalists to know their tricks. you planted that evidence here yourself. There were no chi-blockers that night."
"What a ridiculous accusation!" Tarrlok looked appalled, "Miss Sato, I understand that you are as upset about the Avatar's abduction as we all are. That is no reason to go around pointing fingers at the wrong men for the crime, however."
"Then explain this damage," Lin chipped in, "I've seen enough of the Avatar's handiwork to know the difference between her damage and the Equalist's. The enormous hole in the city's prison complex was also her work—which means someone stupidly tried to lock her in a cell despite my repeated warnings against it as I stepped down."
"I do not know what you're talking about regarding the prison, Ms. BeiFong," Tarrlok retaliated, "but yes, this is the Avatar's doing. She fought as many of the chi-blockers as she could. After they realized she had the upper hand, they fled, and she pursued them right into their trap. With that in mind, I would like you to stop accusing me of a crime I did not commit."
"But it's true!" a squeaky voice called out from behind a pillar on the balcony, "I saw him take her himself!" It was Tarrlok's council page; a small, normally quiet and timid man. "Avatar Korra arrived last night with her arms and legs wrapped in heavy prison chains. She and the councilman had an altercation that turned violent fast. I was on my way out when I heard something huge smash through a wall. I watched the rest of the fight play out!"
"You are a liar and a coward," Tarrlok growled, pointing an accusing finger at the page who hid behind his pillar for a moment.
"Why didn't you 'fess up sooner?" Lin glanced towards the pillar.
"Because…" the page squeaked. "Because Tarrlok is a bloodbender! That's how he was able to subdue the Avatar in the first place!"
Tenzin and Asami immediately exchanged worried looks, both of them wordlessly knowing the kind of impact being stripped of control would have on Korra.
"Don't make this worse for yourself, councilman," Tenzin warned as he and the others (apart from the other three council members) took fighting stances, "Just tell us where you have Korra and we can handle this civilly."
Much like Yakone and Zoroka from Korra's visions, however, Tarrlok's eyes bulged and he jerked his head slightly to one direction, causing everyone else in the room to freeze up and be unable to move. One by one, they fell to Tarrlok's overwhelming pressure, until they lost consciousness.
They weren't out for too long, but it was enough time to give Tarrlok a head start and flee.
"Man, oh man," Bolin rubbed his head as he stood up, "I had this awful dream that Korra was taken by an evil bloodbender… so weird. Also, Kwan was a mecha tank."
"I dreamed that I was back on Ember Island living out my retirement out on a sunny beach," Kwan retorted with a grunt, "I like my idea better too."
"Well," Mako remarked, "Bolin's was actually real. And that bloodbender knocked us out."
"Explains a few things," Kwan muttered as she shook some hair out of her face.
"We can probably still pick up his trail, Lin suggested. "We weren't out long."
"Right," Saikhan actually agreed with her, "and I will alert the whole police force immediately."
Without wasting another moment, everyone present apart from the council members, Saikhan, and the council page (still out behind his pillar) took off running.
=A cabin in the mountains, around the same time…=
This time when Korra heard footsteps she was pretty certain they were real, and so taking a deep breath, she attempted to arm her hands with flames. However, not only did they fail to even turn blue, but the pitiful little embers that surrounded her hands were signs of how difficult it was becoming to breathe in this hotbox of hers. She stood up, deciding she'd have to resort to airbending if she wanted to get out of here.
"My life is a disaster now, thanks to you!" Korra recognized the voice as Tarrlok's, and despite her own miserable condition, she couldn't help but grin vindictively at this statement.
"So your little bloodbending secret's out?" she taunted, "good. That's what you get for pissing me off. By the way—you don't happen to know a friendly little man named Yakone, do you?"
"No, and neither do you." Tarrlok's voice grew sharp.
"You're his son though, aren't you?" Korra called back.
"Correction:" Tarrlok stopped, "I was his son; but in order to win Republic City, I had to be someone else. My father failed because he tried to run this city from its rotten underbelly. My plan was perfect—I was to be the city's saviour. But then you came along, abusing your power and ruining everything you touched—and you've ruined everything now."
"Tarrlok," Korra sighed, "your little jig is up. You've got nowhere to go and I even warned you at City Hall—you brought this upon yourself."
"Ah, ah—but who was the one that got right up in my face and swore that she would 'ruin me'?" Tarrlok retorted, "Oh no, Avatar Korra… Just like my father, and just like your friend Ikiza, I'll escape and start a new life—and you're coming with me so I can hear your frenzied screams as you waste away in that box for the rest of your miserable little life."
"You can go ahead and try!" Korra shouted, not wanting him to get the best of her.
"Oh, if you can escape then by all means, I'll wait. I'm sure with all the frantic screaming and banging you've done; you've done at least a little damage. Besides… your frenzy is a good source of entertainment when everything else has run dry."
Predictably, there was an incessant series of bangs from the other side of the box as this time Tarrlok grinned smugly. He moved up the stairs to start making preparations to move the massive hunk of metal, but this time it was his turn to be shocked. At the top of the stairs stood a small group of Equalists, led by none other than…
"Amon!" Tarrlok actually gasped and took a step back. Korra's heart stopped as she listened to the ensuing exchange.
"It's time for you to be Equalized…" Korra recognized Amon's voice.
"You fool!" Tarrlok retorted, "you've never faced bending like mine!"
Korra heard the sound of a small scuffle, but also Tarrlok's own grunts. His next remark struck fear into Korra's heart as well.
"What… what are you!?" he gasped. Amon was apparently able to resist Tarrlok's bloodbending; but how? Was he truly some sort of spirit-kissed maniac like Zoroka?
"I am the solution," Amon replied.
Tarrlok's screams almost made Korra consider feeling sympathy for him, but she was quickly jerked back to reality as she heard his order.
"I'll take care of him," Amon spoke, "you four retrieve the Avatar. Electrocute the box as long as necessary to ensure that she is knocked out or it will not end well. Remember—she is NOT to be underestimated under any circumstances."
"My pleasure," Korra recognized the voice of Amon's lieutenant. She wondered if the man even had a name. Maybe there was a motive that she was not aware he had.
Korra tensed up and looked around the box frantically for an escape. She stopped banging on the doors and had long since given up trying to force her way out of it, but short of redirecting lightning the way Nakkoa had demonstrated back when she was alive, Korra couldn't see a way out of this predicament. The holes in the top of the box were far too small to try and cling to, and apart from maybe her clothes, there was nothing that could really insulate her against electricity. Besides—those heavy chains wrapped around her lower limbs would only make it worse.
"Hello, Avatar," The Lieutenant sounded rather vindicated with what he was about to do as he brandished his electrified kali sticks. "It's payback time."
Korra's initial plan had been levitation—airbending herself carefully in the middle of the box, which only made the situation scarier as the electricity coursed around her. However, the metal around her hands and feet, as well as her hair, attracted the electricity, which coursed through her with nowhere else to go. Korra screamed in agony, falling back to her feet. She slammed her hands against the walls, trying to use her body to redirect the lightning. This did not work out as well as she had hoped, but with the Equalists continuing the electroshock torture, they too soon realized that they had made a grave error. The danger of getting the life shocked out of her had triggered the Avatar State, which was nothing if not vigilant in ensuring that its host remained alive by any means necessary. Korra used her feet and her left arm to absorb and redirect the lightning, bringing her right arm up to discharge it through the small holes in the box's ceiling, which shattered the lightbulb immediately. Despite this, her screams of pain remained, and it was several minutes before they finally relented, where there was no longer any noise coming from the box. A careful series of clicks and bolts indicated that Tarrlok's extensive security measures were being popped open to retrieve the Avatar, and after they moved the thick door open, they stepped back in caution before glancing at what was inside.
Korra was sprawled on her right side, her face hidden from view and her hair a frazzled mess. Sweat, blood, and marks of various shades of black and brown peppered her body. Her left foot still twitched involuntarily, as did her right leg and the fingers of her visible left hand.
"Tie her up," The Lieutenant ordered, "and break her legs to keep her down."
However, in this moment, Korra sprang back to life, kicking a massive burst of air from her foot as she sprang out of the box, crouched and on all fours like a feral beast as she swung her head and her arms wildly. Her eyes were still glowing, and despite her injuries she was lively as ever. She procured blue flames on her hands as she snarled, breathing a large stream of flame upwards which caused the Equalists to take a step back. They knew they were in for a show however, the moment they saw the Avatar's forehead crackle.
Amon had just loaded Tarrlok into his truck when there was an enormous explosion behind him. Half of the house was a smouldering wreckage, and he watched for a moment as Korra launched herself into the air, collecting rock, water and ice into what was basically a snowboard as she hit the ground and flew down the mountain at breakneck speeds.
"I thought I told you not to underestimate her under any circumstances," Amon's terse words were directed at the Equalists who ran up to him a moment later.
"By all accounts she shouldn't even be alive, much less not paralyzed," The Lieutenant reasoned. Amon did not respond, but watched his quarry escape—for now.
The frigid air of the surrounding blizzard felt heavenly against Korra's sweltering skin. The shock had fortunately not gotten to her thanks to the Avatar State, but she knew she'd be hurting from this whole ordeal later. She could barely even see where she was going, being driven by pure instinct as she kept up her breakneck speed. This later came back to bite her as she hit a rock and spiralled through the air at least four times before landing arms first in the snow, where she bounced and barrelled down the slope a few more times before ultimately sliding right into a tree. If all of her ribs survived this ordeal intact, she would frankly be amazed. Right now, however, she was completely lost and far too weak to move. Within minutes, she was almost entirely covered in snow, no less.
Despite this, Korra was not beyond Naga's reach. Ever since City Hall, Korra's trusty companion had been trying to track Korra, having followed her all the way out of Republic City and halfway up the mountain before following her nose to the snowdrift that Korra was buried under. Naga essentially dug Korra out of the snow, nuzzling against her to try and prod her master to wake up, keeping close to her to share body heat as well.
Eventually, Korra came to. She looked up with a pair of weary eyes, and when she felt a familiar tongue lick the side of her face, she smiled.
"Naga…" she whispered, "You found me… good girl." For how far her bending had gotten her, this would have been the end of Avatar Korra had she not had her trusty animal companion Naga on her tail the entire time, sniffing her out and having finally found her.
Korra was too weak to even pull herself up at the moment however, and so in an ironic display of contrast to the time she had dumped Team Avatar off her back, she nuzzled underneath Korra and eventually hoisted the Avatar onto her back. Korra took one of the reins with what little strength she had remaining, and Naga took off back down the mountain, much slower and more carefully this time.
When they reached Republic City, Naga started searching for any sign of any of Korra's friends, all of whom she also recognized by scent. She had no such luck, but she was also clever enough to associate sky bison with Tenzin. As such, when she saw one, she howled with a certainty that it was Oogi—and she was right.
"That sounded like Naga!" Mako exclaimed. The group had been flying around the city, having lost Tarrlok's ground trail shortly after their pursuit.
"Down there!" Kwan recognized the familiar beast, as well as the slouched blue figure on its back, who was also still covered with bits of white from the snow.
Naga's intuition had been correct, and with her help Korra was reunited with her friends (and her lover). However, Korra's condition wasn't the only thing that unsettled them.
"Why are her eyes still glowing?" Bolin tilted his head, as he and everyone else glanced at Korra's wearily opened slits—which were still shimmering all this time.