Not Your Hero

Chapter 17

Since when did she start walking these corridors without bothering to look at them? Probably fourteen years ago. Those walls were supposed to be a safe haven for them, but the stark whiteness just felt like a relentless cage, daring them to go out while daring anyone else to barge in. This is no safe haven, this is no home. But where is?

They always stared at her when she passed a test. It was so obvious during her first two years at Raava Academy. She didn't know it then, but the academy was named after the spirit of light and peace and is supposed to bring about just that, not competition and jealousy. But then the tests got harder, and she would always pass them. Passing them became a task. It was what Grand Lotus Zaheer and the other instructors would've expected of her. But she couldn't care less. Her peers' faces faded by then. She barely looked at them, knowing what she would see. So why bother her sight on their expressions? They'd never talk to her, anyway. The few she did talk with became the sole friends she had.

The USOF officers were no better. Who would take a fifteen-year-old kid, and a girl, to top it off, seriously? But then they did, and she felt she found a place for herself after all.

It was only after returning from Republic City and discovering the secret activities of General Tenzin and President Raiko that Korra realized she never had a place at USOF. It sure did seem like she found her calling, but it was all based on fourteen years of jealousy and arrogance.

As Korra walked down the still white walls of the United Special Operations Force, she had her answer ready. It was the same one she submitted to Wing and Wei Beifong.

"Korra! Why have you mutinied?" Wei had asked her.

"I know what I have to do, Wei." Korra replied.

"Doesn't the compound mean anything to you?" Wing wailed.

"We all know the truth, Wing. I never really belonged here."

She used their tablets to send a message saying the intruder has been contained and sent away. No more trouble for her, though the brothers were going to get in trouble later for sending an intruder away.

Asami should be heading to the briefing room now, and with luck, she'd be able to download everything Tenzin has stored there. Korra, on the other hand, made her way to the general's sleeping quarters. He had private quarters that were separated from all the other officers'. Korra's job was to find him and try to get him to talk, while the real game was for Asami to sneak in and download the information.

Reaching Tenzin's quarters, Korra decided to knock politely. "Why are you disturbing me in the middle of the night?" The general's voice replied.

"Judging by how awake you sound, I'd hardly call it disturbing. Oh, and it's the avatar by the way." Korra smirked, knowing the mention of the avatar would make Tenzin tense. Sure enough, moments later she was let into his apartment. "I see you've figured out your identity, avatar," Tenzin said to her.

Korra's best shot was to lie right now and figure out what they were up to. "Not really, don't have much to go on. But since you so conveniently brought it up, you don't mind explaining, would you?"

"The avatar was supposed to be the highest commander of USOF. The name is taken from the stories of the avatar, the embodiment of Raava, the spirit of light and peace. The position was left open for years, but we knew you were special. So we recruited you and decided to prepare you for this position." He's lying. Korra could tell from his unconfident gaze, even if she didn't know the truth. But she needed to know more.

"Then why tell me now? Why not earlier, or later?" Korra all but shouted. "You were so young and you were yet to find your place here. I couldn't place that responsibility on you. Now the officers have finally accepted you and we could use someone like you as an ally." Tenzin explained.

"Allu? You mean helping you kill millions of innocent people? And what was their crime, Tenzin? Their only crime was living and breathing in this world! USOF was supposed to keep peace and balance, not destroy this balance." Korra was fuming now.

"These people had to die! You were the brightest and strongest of your class. Can't you see this, Korra? The world can't go on running on fumes! Too many people, too few resources. Amon has a point in this, you really can't argue. Please, Korra. Help us build a better world." Tenzin pleaded.

"Who else is involved?" Korra asked. "The generals and Raiko, not a lot." Tenzin replied.

Korra shook her head. This is so wrong. She is the incarnation of Raava, she couldn't let this happen. "These people didn't deserve to die, Tenzin. Of course, you wouldn't know that, because your father was the man who united the world. Whoever had to sacrifice their lives, it wouldn't be Aang's son, would it? Don't these people have a claim to the precious resources you claim are limited as well? Tell me, Tenzin, do you think Aang would've been proud of your actions? I'm sure he would've praised you. 'Good job, Tenzin. You just killed a few hundred thousand civilians.'" Korra scoffed.

"Don't you dare bring my father into this. You know nothing about him. He did his best to keep the world balanced, but he still failed. I'm going to carry on his legacy." Tenzin's small smile was gone now, replaced with determination and anger.

"And I have my own destiny to pursue. To answer your question, no, Tenzin! I will never help you. And I urge you to stop this before it's too late." Korra turned, opening the door. She was leaving. Asami would've had the information they needed now.

"I'm sorry Korra." Tenzin said.

Two guards came into view of the open door. The click of a gun sounded behind her.

Well, that could've gone better, Korra thought.