[4.8]
Wu Down
A few minutes later, which were filled with an awkward silence, the food arrived. Rae's face lit up and she took her chopsticks, ready to dig in her plate of sushi, but Korra hit her hand, making her drop her utensils. "We should be waiting for the prince," she muttered to the woman, making her roll her eyes.
"I wonder what's taking him so long," said Mako worriedly after he heard Korra's mutter, "he's not one to miss out on lunch. I'll go check on him."
Mako got to his feet and left before any of the women could question him. Rae drummed her gloved fingers on the table, waiting for the two to come back so she could eat. Since her mother didn't have any food and her apartment was practically deserted, Rae hadn't eaten anything but a few packs of crackers since she left Zaofu, and she was famished.
The Avatar turned to Asami and they exchange a few words to which Rae didn't pay attention. When she realized Korra's attention wasn't on her anymore, she extended her arm and grabbed her chopsticks. Bringing a piece of sushi to her mouth, she smiled when the scent of the dish approached her nostrils. Suddenly, a hand knocked down her chopsticks, making Rae's eyes got wide.
"Let's go, Rae," said Korra as she dragged the Guardian away from her lunch.
Once they got in front of the bathrooms, Rae leaned on the wall between Asami and Korra and waited for Mako to come back with Wu. She sighed, muttering a small "alright" when Korra walked away, telling them she'd be right back. She crossed her hands over her chest, the fabric of her dress rising up a little to reveal her mid-thigh. Annoyed by it, Rae brought her hand down and pulled the rim of the dress further down her legs right as Mako walked out of the men's bathroom, panicked.
"He's no here," he said, his eyes wide, and then the three of them heard a crash from outside.
"they've got Wu," exclaimed Korra as she got to her feet when the three of them ran outside, "get the car, I'm going after them!"
Asami and Mako ran back inside the restaurant, the woman grabbing Rae's left hand and dragging her behind them, knowing she would want to follow Korra. The three of them rushed to the car and got in, Asami pressing the gas pedal even before Rae was seated. The Guardian fell on her back with wide eyes, having been knocked down by the powerful start. She gripped the sides of her seat tightly, not being able to see anything through the powerful vibrations the engine emitted.
"get in," shouted Asami once the car stopped and Rae felt Korra scoot over her body so she could take a seat.
The car took a sharp turn, or more tried to take the turn, but Rae's powerful senses detected some kind of wall being built between the two cars. But Asami didn't stop the car, on the contrary, she started speeding more, other vehicles honking at them.
"We're losing them!" yelled Korra.
"hang a right at the next block. We can cut them off on seventh!"
Rae prepared herself for the sharp turn, shutting her eyes closed even though nothing changed. However, the turn never came, and Mako panicked.
"You missed the turn!" he exclaimed, bringing his hands to his head, "Where are you going?!"
"I know these streets better than you," said Asami, "I built some of them."
There was some movement beside her, and Rae's opened her eyes in surprise when she felt Korra grip her shoulder and get on her feet.
"What are you doing?" shouted Mako, voicing Rae's thoughts, "sit down!"
And then Korra disappeared, Rae not being able to feel her anymore. When the car finally came to a stop, the Guardian had no idea where they were. But she jumped out of the vehicle as fast as she could and the moment her metal heels touched the soil, she was shaken by every small vibration on the ground. The woman ran towards Korra, who was gripping the man who presumably kidnapped the prince.
"Wu's not here," she said in anger, "this guy was the only one in the truck."
Before Mako could grab the man, Rae closed her fists. From under her sleeves flew one metal plate that wrapped itself around the man's wrist. Mako clashed his body with his, grabbing him by the color of his uniform and pushing him against the side of the truck.
"Where's the prince?"
"Halfway to Kuvira by now. All hail the Great Uniter."
~
After a police car came up and took the man, the four remained near the criminal's truck, hoping to come up with a good way to find Wu. Asami was right, there were too many cars in the city, too many ways out, and too little time to implement search checkpoints.
Rae was leaning against a vine, ignoring the small spirits that crowded at her feet. She listened closely to Asami and Mako as they discussed, but a frown overtook her features when she felt Korra walk closer to the enormous vine she was leaning on.
"can you, do it?" asked Korra in a whisper as she pointed to the vine, "what Toph said?"
The woman nodded slowly and turned her body to the Avatar, "yes, but I can only hear things, not see them. I don't think it might be useful in this case. You try it though."
With a nod, Korra closed her eyes and stepped closer to the vines, placing a hand on its surface. By then, both Asami and Mako stopped talking, turning their attention towards the Avatar. The vines emitted a small glow where Korra touched it and Rae felt the warmth that it produced. When Korra opened her eyes with a gasp, Rae pushed herself off the vine, her body growing tense.
"they're taking Wu to the train station!"
"Are you sure?" asked Asami, making Rae roll her eyes. The woman walked away from the vines and spirits and got in the passenger's seat of the car, the others following her.
"Just drive," she told Asami as her right hand found the door handle that she squeezed.
The car thrust forward and Asami turned the wheel sharply, making the vehicle drift until it took the turn.
"So how do you know where wu is Just by touching some spirit vines?" asked Mako, looking at the Avatar.
Korra turned her head to him, "I learned how to connect to people's energy through them."
"Who taught you that?" said Asami, making a small sigh escape Rae's lip.
"My grandma," she said out loud.
Both Mako's and Asami's eyes widened but Korra only nodded to Rae's words. "Yes, Rae's grandma and Lin's mom. I found her and Rae in the swamp. That place is like one giant spirit wild."
"You met Toph?" asked Asami surprised "What was she like?"
Rae's eyes rolled at the question. "A cranky, more miserable version of Lin," said Korra nonchalantly, making Rae turn and glare slightly at her. The Avatar only shrugged, knowing that her words were the truth.
"Is that even possible?" asked Mako, remembering all the times he had to suffer because of Lin.
"You'd be surprised," muttered Rae, making Mako's eyes turn to look at her.
"Well, at least we know that it runs in the family," he said teasingly as he pated the woman's shoulder. Rae rolled her dull eyes but couldn't help the small tug of her lips.
A few minutes later, the car stopped abruptly and all four jumped off. Rae sighed in relief when she felt the world come alive underneath her feet and she followed Korra through the train station. They stopped on a platform, all the departing trains on display underneath them.
"Which train is Wu on?" asked Mako as they stopped.
"I don't know!"
He turned to Rae expectantly but the woman only shrugged. "Too many people," she yelled over the whistle of one of the trains, "and too many noises. I'll never find him in time."
Mako sighed, "split up and start looking."
"I'll do my best with the looking part," exclaimed Rae before she walked away from the four.
She walked to one of the platforms and pressed her hand against the train. A few people stared at her weirdly, dressed elegantly with heels yet running around the station. But she paid no attention to it, only tried to feel any tremors that might indicate towards Wu. But nothing seemed to work, and Rae's method got her nowhere. With a sigh, she carefully ran to Korra, Asami and Mako right as the Avatar rose herself from the ground.
"He's on that train," she shouted, making Rae's eyes widen. She ran after the three and got on the advancing train, helped by Asami and Mako.
"How do you know for sure he's here?" asked Mako as they walked into one of the cabins. Rae followed him, smoothing out the wrinkles that formed in her dress and shutting the door of the cabin close behind her.
"I don't, but I had a feeling. Okay?"
"And I'm just supposed to trust your "Avatar feeling"?" argued back Mako.
"You wouldn't have to if you had guarded the prince like you were supposed to!"
"Oh, so it's my fault Wu disappeared."
"It's certainly not mine!"
Rae rolled her eyes as they entered the following cabin, which consisted of luggage. She frowned when she felt another heartbeat add to Korra's, Asami's and Mako's, and her body moved to one of the suitcases. It started moving, making the Guardian hurry to it.
She kneeled in front of it and touched the small metal locks. With one twist of her wrist, the locks opened and she raised the lid of the suitcase. Wu jumped inside, waving his arms around as he mumbled incomprehensible words, obviously scared.
The Guardian grimaced when the prince's hand came in contact with her palm and she got back to her feet, taking a few steps away from the hyperventilating royalty as Mako took her previous place.
"Wu! Wu, it's me!"
Feeling footsteps approaching, Rae turned her back on Mako, Wu and the two girls. Her grimace was replaced with a scowl when the door of the cabin slid open and a sharp metal plate was thrown at her. She raised her hand and deflected the attack easily, controlling the weapons that were thrown at her. She didn't throw away the metal plates but either reused them to attack her opponents or bent them to wrap around her arms, knowing she might use them later.
Rae stepped aside, making room for Korra's attack, and the two attackers were thrown back in the passenger's cabin. The older woman ran to the door and slid it closed. She bent one of the metal plates to it and lit an orange flame that slowly turned blue before she pressed it on, successfully melting shut the door.
"Everyone out!" yelled Korra, making Rae realize she opened the ceiling of the train cabin.
"I'm not going up there," said Wu, and Rae couldn't help but nod in agreement.
But Korra wasn't having any of it, and she blast an air current at the prince, making him fly up. Rae's eyes widened and she shook her head, but Asami dragged her and helped her up. Once on the roof of the train, the Guardian tried not to fall due to the powerful speed the train had. She wobbled on her feet and Asami found her hand, pulling her behind them.
"You're lucky the train is metal," muttered the woman when she passed Korra. However, she abruptly stopped when she realized there was a gap between the train cars. "I'm not jumping," she yelled after everyone jumped.
Korra didn't have time to say anything before two of the men that were following them jumped on the roof. While Asami was attacked by two others from the other side, Rae was left to deal with a lone attacker as his partner turned towards Mako.
The man threw a metal cable at her but she deflected it easily. His attacks were calculated, but he relied heavily on his small weapons, and he fought just like a metalbender, making Rae smile. She used the heavy amount of metal on his body to rise him in the air and push him a few cars down. He landed right next to one of his friends, almost knocking both of them off the train.
But before she could celebrate, she felt another cable wrap around her ankle and she was pulled down. Her body flew to the next cart and she landed on her stomach, next to Asami who helped her up. "I'm so lucky I'm wearing opaque thighs underneath this," she muttered as she got to her feet and pulled her dress lower, "the one time I decide to put on a nice short dress and this happens."
The roof of the train car started moving under the control of the metalbenders. Korra's eyes widened and she bent the air around the five of them, throwing them all off the train even before she yelled at them to jump.
The air bubble that engulfed them protected the five from the long fall, but they still landed down pretty hard. Rae groaned as she got back to her feet, her gloved hands tried to get rid of all the dust from her dress. Her hair was a complete mess, making her raise her hand and pull away the two kanzashi that were, surprisingly, still wrapped in her messy white hair. She put them in the pocket of her dress before turning to Korra.
"Was that really necessary?" she asked with a frown, "I went completely blind for some time there and trust me, it's not nice!"
Korra gave the woman a small apology before raising her hand and taking out a small stick from Rae's hair.
"You should be thanking Korra," said Mako to the prince, making the Avatar approach Wu with Rae behind her, "We never would have found you without her."
Wu approached Korra and bowed to her, "I owe you my life, avatar. If only there was some way to repay you. Ooh, I know. How about I take you out for a night on the town?"
"Are you serious?" asked Rae, a snort escaping her lips at the prince's question
Korra frowned at him and said, "Really? You're asking me out right now?"
"So... I'll put you down for a "maybe"?"
"How about a never?"
The woman forcefully pulled away from the young prince, who was gripping her arm, and walked towards Mako and Asami. Rae took a few steps forward too and crossed her arms over her chest as Korra talked.
"Not exactly what I imagined for our first day back together."
"But it was kind of like old times," started Asami, "Except for the getting on each other's nerves part."
"Actually," began Mako as his gaze shifted from Asami, to Korra and then to Rae, "that is like old times for me, Korra and Rae."
However, Korra's smile at the small joke fell. "I'm sorry things got so tense earlier," said the Avatar, letting her head fall down.
"It's all right," stated Asami with understanding in her voice, "I guess after being apart for three years, there's bound to be a bit of an adjustment period."
"Yeah, but it's great to have you back," agreed Mako before turning to the Guardian, "you too, Rae. Three weeks without you being grumpy like your mom was horrible."
The woman rolled her eyes but smiled sweetly. Korra turned her head to look at her, a wide smile dancing on her lips, "There's no place else we'd rather be."
"I'd rather not be here, actually," muttered Rae as a gust of wind ruffled her now free flowing hair and brought a few strands of her bands in her blind eyes. The three laughed and pulled each other in a group hug, both Asami and Korra grabbing one of Rae's hands to pull her next to them. The woman felt a body trying to latch itself in the hug and frowned. She rose her hand earthbent the soil at his feet, trapping him at a safe distance from them.
"You guys are the greatest friends a guy could have," he still said.
The four pulled away from each other and they all turned towards Wu. "So," started Korra, "what are we gonna do with him? It's too dangerous to take him back to the hotel."
"Whoo. You're telling me! I need a cushy safe house somewhere."
Rae rolled her eyes and turned towards Korra. "You handle him," she muttered, "I need rest and food."
They all laughed at her words, even Wu. It didn't take long for Mako to figure out a place safe enough for Wu, and soon they all left towards the city. Rae parted ways with them after they neared her neighborhood. She stopped by a small shop and bought some food before she arrived at her apartment.
With a sigh, she used her metalbending to unlock the door after realizing she didn't have her keys and stepped inside the warm and familiar apartment. She let the small bag of groceries fall and sat down on the sofa, almost falling asleep.
But a screeching pain in her limbs made her hiss and grab her head.
Something was wrong.
~