The Dual Bender

Chapter 42: Assassination In Zaofu

You: "I killed them Korra... Whatever that thing is... it was created from my energy... And what truly scares me... Is that I can't beat him... He's going to kill me, you, and everybody else I care about..." So, this was it, this was what's been bugging him all along... "Korra, I've already fought him twice, when you found me here... The arrows were from being ambushed... But all the wounds were not... Both times I've tried to fight him... He's let me alive out of pity... I don't just lose fights very often Korra... And I've never lost to the same person twice..." So this was finally his breaking point.

Korra: "M/N, I'm not going to say I know what it's like, because I don't, but what I do know is that your family would never want you to give up... Please M/N, don't do anything stupid, you don't need to fight this guy alone. You have us now... We're your family now, and we'll care for you, just like they would." He turns to me, I can see the dark bags under his eyes from the lack of sleep in the moonlight streaming through the window. "You should sleep, you look exhausted." He nods and lays back against the pillows. I watch him lying there, yet I can't bring myself to leave... I lay down next to him and feel his arm wrap around me...

*TIMESKIP*

Korra POV

I'm awoken by a banging on the door.

Tenzin: "M/N!? Have you seen Korra?! We nee-" He stops when he sees me.

Korra: "We need to what?" I ask him.

Tenzin: "There are reports that there will be an assassination attempt on Sue tonight, we need to get there as fast as possible. I'll explain more on the way." I turn back towards M/N, but see him getting dressed over by the window.

Korra: "Uh, M/N, maybe it's best if you don't come, you're still recovering." He shakes his head.

You: "Sue and her family may be the only true family I have left... I'm going." I nod, understanding why he felt he had to go. Tenzin nods and I go get dressed then we head out on Oogie.

*TIMSESKIP*

Korra POV

We get there that night, we are met with a about half a dozen guards when we land.

You: "What are you doing?" M/N asks them.

Guard: "Just making sure you're not part of anything." M/N's hands twitch.

You: "So, and let me make sure I got all this. People are trying to assassinate your chief, and instead of protecting her, you came here to make sure the "avatar" wasn't part of it?" He says viciously.

Guard: "Actually, we were sent here to make sure "you" weren't part of it. Our new Captain ordered it." Uh oh. M/N walks up to the guy and his claws begin to extend.

Tenzin: "M/NNN... Calm down. We don't need to start anything." M/N looks at the guard, who is an inch or two taller than him.

Guard: "Listen to your dad, boy. Oh wait, I heard he might not, well, let's just he's not around anymore." The guard says as he turns around laughing. M/N turns back to me... and smirks. Then taps the guard on his shoulder. He rears back and as soon as the guards facing him... he lands a punch square in the man's nose. He's sent flying back into the wall. The 5 other guards engage him, but M/N's gotten better... a lot better. He weaves in between every single attack.

You: "It's useless, you blubbering idiots won't even get close to hitting me." As he finishes his hand snaps up, and I see an arrow in his hand. I turn towards where it looked like it came from, and see a man in black robes atop a high building. "These aren't guards..." Tenzin, Jinora, and myself all take fighting positions. But M/N just stands there. Then the guards are sent flying by a large flame. I see M/N standing there with his leg in the air. He drops it and looks back to me. "Come on, we need to get to Sue... The assassination plan has begun." We all take off towards the central part of Zaofu. Yet I can see something isn't right in M/N, he seems, well, far too focused. M/N was always focused on a battle, yet it was a relaxed focus, a "confident" focus... He was far too tense to fight to his full capability, yet he still dodged all those guards and took them all out without breaking a sweat. He had definitely gotten stronger; the scary part was how strong he was before... How strong will he be now? We arrive at the central branch of Zaofu and get leveled by something large. When I get up I see M/N kneeled over Jinora. He stands up shakily. I look over to my other side and see Tenzin with a few knicks and bruises. I stand up and look around, trying to find out where it came from.

Your POV

What the hell happened? I get up and look down at Jinora, it doesn't look like she was hurt. I sigh in relief. I look around to see where it came from. I see Korra also getting up and Tenzin sitting a bit banged up, but nothing horrible. I look up towards the top of the building, and see someone clad in black robes. They jump off the building and float down, sending a bright blue flame from their feet. They land a few feet in front of me. I recognize who it is now...

You: "Nereza. What are you doing here?" She laughs coldly and removes her hood.

Nereza: "Do you really not recognize me? F/N?" I study her face closer, I notice she has quite a few features of, my dad?

You: "Y-you look like my dad." I say. She smiles and nods.

Nereza: "M/N, do you know who your grandmother is?"

You: "I mean, I guess Toph would be considered one?" I say, although it comes out more like a question. She shakes her head.

Nereza: "No... Your biological grandmother... Your father's mother. Do you know?" I shake my head. She laughs again. "F/N, your grandmother was Princess Azula... Your grandfather had me, and your father with her..."

Korra POV

I see M/N's eyes widen, he takes a step back from her.

You: "No... No! Your wrong! Your lying! I've heard of her! My grandfather would never do anything with her!" She just laughs.

Nereza: "How do you think you became such a powerful firebender? You had the genetics of two of the strongest firebenders in the world... And so, do I." She slips off the robes revealing an old uniform of black and maroon with the fire nation insignia on it and begins pummeling M/N with blasts of fire. He blocks, deflects, or counters all of them. But then I see metal wrap around his wrists and ankles, bringing him to his knees. He tries to struggle out of them. "It's pointless... I have a dozen master metalbenders bending that, you can't bend it, and don't even try melting it, it's coated in a fire-proof substance... Now, I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine..." I look over to the stairs... And see him walk up... No, how is he here?