Not Your Hero

Chapter 10

[Part 3: This Changes Everything]

"What were Tenzin and Raiko doing there?" Bolin finally asked the question the four of them had been dying to know.

"Isn't it obvious?" Both Korra and Asami said simultaneously.

"That's what Tenzin said, but what does he mean? Why would one of the top generals of USOF and the president of the United Republic associate themselves with an underground organization slash psycho terrorist group?!" Mako let out an exasperated gasp.

The two girls shared a look. They were both thinking the same thing about Tenzin and Raiko. "Because they have something to gain," Asami explained. "I told Korra earlier about how Amon had a certain point: there aren't enough resources to go around. We can't provide enough food for the nearly eight billion population this planet currently shelters. With such a huge population, there'll always be people without access to clean drinking water, good bedding, or food that supports a healthy diet. So, wiping out a portion of the population doesn't seem like a bad idea to someone who's frustrated and desperate."

"Exactly." Korra agreed. "I'm guessing Raiko was at his wit's end at how to solve the United Republic's problems, and wiping out a few people would seem like a good idea. Tenzin is like Raiko's right-hand man, he's the one who coordinates USOF's actions to assist the government. I suppose the two of them decided Amon had a point, and somehow the Saviors came to be." Korra explained the situation smoothly, but she was thinking about a lot more. What did Tenzin call her? Who is she exactly?

"Wait, this all makes sense now," Mako said suddenly. "Korra, don't you think it's weird Tenzin would send two rookies straight from the Academy off on such a dangerous mission like this? He must've sent us with one of his best officers hoping we'd drag you down. I hope that wasn't the case, because if it was, all four of us could've gone MIA. And then Raiko could classify this as a training incident, the Saviors carry on their plans because the best USOF officers couldn't stop them, and everything's good. We were played like puppets!"

Bolin whimpered like a hurt puppy. "What if it's just a misunderstanding? Maybe they were negotiating." He suggested.

Korra shook her head slowly. "I don't think that's the case, Bolin. I'm a captain and also the leader of this mission. There's no way they'd engage in a negotiation without us knowing. Besides, why would they be negotiating in the basement?"

A long silence shortly ensued. All of them were lost in their thoughts. Korra found it hard to wrap her mind around the fact that the government would be corrupt enough to start killing their own citizens. And to think she'd been working for that government for three years and trained to work for them for eleven years prior. And thinking back to the conversations she had with Asami, what was she really doing at USOF? What did she want to do with her life?

For the first time in years, Korra had no answer ready. She used to be the captain who always responded to interrogations quickly, never missing a beat, and always so confident. Now, she didn't know.

What does she want? To help more people, of course. But can she do that at USOF? She spent the bulk of her life there, she can't throw it away that quickly. And then, all talk about USOF aside, just who was she? Why did Tenzin call her the avatar or something? All of this aside, what was Korra going to do about her feelings for Asami? She'd just discovered those feelings, would she just let them slip? Would she bear to not see Asami again after this supposedly failed mission?

"So what now?" Bolin asked inquisitively.

Korra sighed dejectedly. "Honestly? I've no idea." She huffed out. Korra stood up, "Anyone care to join me for a quick sparring session?" Asami stood up and followed her. Sparring was like their special moment of communication now.

--

Korra handed the other girl a pair of sparring gloves while putting on a pair herself. Korra knew that Asami was a skilled fighter: her skills were put on full display when they stormed into Republic City Government. But this was a good chance for Korra to see what the Sato was really capable of.

The answer: Asami was really good. Though Korra spent years training with well-programmed and immaculately designed combat robots as well as strict White Lotus masters in the academy, Asami's skills were just as good. Korra always liked to react on instinct and used her strength to push back--eleven years of training meant her instinct was really trustworthy. But Asami was more analytical, and she foresaw every move beforehand while calculating the best method to counter it. This made her slower than Korra, but her agility completely made up for the little bit of reaction time. And Korra had to admit, the heiress fighting was hot. She was absolutely stunning when she fought.

Their sparring session ended in half an hour. They sat down on the bench to recover.

"What are you going to do once we get back?" Korra asked. Asami sighed. "I don't know." She answered frankly. "What are you going to do?"

That question was going to come up sooner or later. But sparring with Asami had enlightened Korra a bit. "I'm going to leave USOF. I can't stay there anymore. And then I'm going to search for answers. I'm going to stop the Saviors from destroying a bulk of the population, and I want you to do it with me." When Asami looked at her questioningly, Korra took a deep breath and continued, "I know I'm not the best when it comes to feelings and relationships and such, but you helped me deal with all this jumble of confusion inside me and for once, I think I finally know what I want. I care for you Asami, and I really do like you. To put it better, I think I'm falling for you. And I know this is asking a big thing from you, but would you join me and stop the Saviors together?"

And there it was. A bold confession, clear as day. There was no turning back now. Korra felt her heart thumping so hard that it threatened to pop out. She knew there must be a blush to her cheeks, that her face must be burning up. But there was no denying it. Korra was falling for her teammate and her co-worker. She was falling so hard she didn't want a moment apart from her, even in the worst of circumstances. Yet Korra just couldn't bring herself to look into Asami's eyes. She couldn't bear rejection.

But when Korra brought herself to look into Asami's eyes, there was a look she couldn't decipher. There it comes, Korra thought. Stone-cold rejection.