Omegas fury 4/4

Chapter 14

Jinora glared at him almost as angrily as Asami. "You call this nonviolent? Any use of force that threatens children isn't worth the end result, no matter how noble. And the results you want are far from noble."

General Ho sighed. "I suppose sensible cooperation was too much to hope for. Never mind. Once Kuvira is released, I will let you all go free anyway. Those of us who believe in the Earth Empire will reclaim what Republic City wrongfully seized and dismantled. Those who disagree needn't be harmed, as long as they stay out of our way. With my new weapons to protect us, the rest of the world—and its Avatar—will stay out of our affairs."

"What are you even talking about?" Bolin shouted. "The Earth Kingdom is part of the world. You can't just isolate yourselves like some kind of fortress. Look, I know how charismatic Kuvira is. I worked for her—"

"Save it, Bolin," Korra said. "Kuvira doesn't even know this is going on. If they release her, she won't want any part of this."

General Ho's smile vanished. His brows lowered, and he looked genuinely taken aback. "Of course she will. This is the fulfillment of her dream."

"Kuvira surrendered, Ho," Korra said. "She knows that she and the Earth Empire lost balance. In fact, she's the one who tipped me off about you."

General Ho pointed his fist directly at her, the line of his jaw bunching. "You're lying."

"I visited her myself. She's renounced all her previous actions."

General Ho's angry expression relaxed, although he didn't lower his hand. Korra found his new, peaceful smile even more unsettling than his glare. "You threw her in prison, so she told you what you wanted to hear. Do you really think she regrets everything she worked so hard to build? She brought the Earth Empire into the modern era. People will have better lives because of her, because of us, for years to come."

Korra's mind raced as the general brandished his gloved fist. Arguing was getting them nowhere. Clearly, General Ho had no intention of surrendering, or believing that Kuvira had come to regret her stint as the Great Uniter. He hadn't gone to the spirit world with them. He hadn't seen the horror and heartbreak on Kuvira's face as she realized the gravity of what she'd done. No one else understood Kuvira as she was now, not the way Korra did.

"That may be true, but your miniature cannon isn't the same as Satomobiles and train tracks." As Korra spoke, she saw Jinora's boot shift on the ground, causing a tiny spray of dust. She caught the other alpha's eye, giving the barest of nods before fixing her attention back on the general. If this was going to work, she had to keep him talking. "Its only purpose is to kill. I can't let you use it."

General Ho frowned, seeming genuinely regretful. "Then I'm afraid we are at an impasse, Avat—ahh!"

Fwoom!

A plume of dust exploded around them, puffing up from the ground in a choking cloud. Jinora sliced her arms through the air, summoning a whirling sphere of wind large enough to shield all four of them. Korra realized that was her cue. She stamped, creating a pit directly underfoot. They dropped into the earth below the training field, well out of firing range.

Somewhere above, General Ho's soldiers coughed and sputtered. Purple beams flashed overhead, followed by more whirring noises, but thanks to the cloud of dust and the cover of darkness, they couldn't see well enough to aim. Jinora's plan had worked!

"Stay down," Korra told Ziwen's pups, urging them to lie on their stomachs. "I promise you'll be safe." They obeyed, throwing their arms over their heads and curling into tiny balls. When she straightened again, her eyes flashed white. This nonsense had gone on far too long. She was the Avatar, and no mere machine could stop her. She leapt out of the pit, propelled by a spray of fire from soles of her feet.