"Maybe I'm just not focused enough," Asami remarked, less hopeful than she had been when she had started hours ago. She dragged a long, deep breath in through her nose and let it out sharply.
"Waterbending is all about being fluid, and right now you're kinda... well, not that," Korra tried to explain, only frustrating Asami further. Asami narrowed her eyes at Korra, earning tightened lips and an imaginary lock and key.
"I want to be able to help you more before that thing arrives but this is totally impossible!" Asami cried. Korra rubbed Asami's shoulders and left soft kisses along the back of her neck. The taller woman leaned back into Korra's touch and sighed heavily. Bolin rested a reassuring hand on Asami's shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile.
"Well, the good news is that Baatar Jr. won't be here for another two weeks. The bad news is that I don't think you can master bending in two weeks," Bolin said. This earned a fist in his upper arm from Asami. "Ouch!"
Asami knew Bolin was right, but she had been at this for months and couldn't so much as ripple the water. She frowned, feeling doubtful that she truly was Korra's soulmate, as earnestly as Korra encouraged her that she was. Firm footsteps approached from behind, prompting the three to turn around. Kuvira stopped in her tracks and examined the group, appearing as though she had an idea.
"Maybe I can try teaching her to earthbend," Kuvira offered. Korra raised an eyebrow, her bottom lip poking out in thought. Kuvira extended both hands as she continued her explanation.
"Asami, you're very headstrong and confident in yourself. You're firm and as forgiving and powerful as the earth herself. Maybe that's where you need to start." Asami seemed to perk up at Kuvira's words.
"You'd do that for me?" Kuvira smiled softly.
"Of course. We can start whenever you'd like." Asami gave the metalbender a look of gratitude, thought she was still doubtful. She could feel it somewhere deep down that maybe Korra was wrong. Maybe they were both wrong. She sure hoped not. Kuvira heard her name called from across the camp and gave a wave as she headed back in the direction of the voice, reassuring Asami that she would be back soon. Asami waved back and turned to lock eyes with Korra.
"Korra, can I talk to you?" she asked. Korra nodded and Asami grabbed her hand lightly, leading her back to the tent they had set up. Korra was the first to sit down, observing Asami as she ran her hands through her hair.
"What's going on?" Korra asked as Asami finally decided to sit down. Asami looked at Korra intently, feeling her heart sink again.
"Are you sure it's me?" Asami questioned. Korra seemed to be taken aback by this. Her face dropped and she stared at Asami with sad eyes.
"What are you talking about?"
"Korra, you know what I'm talking about. We've been at this for months and I can't do anything!" Korra reached for the other woman's hand and held it tightly.
"It just takes time. Maybe- maybe we're just not trying hard enough! Or like Kuvira said maybe we're starting in the wrong-" she stammered, being cut off by a light squeeze of her hand.
"I know you feel it, too. And I know you're just trying to make me feel better," Asami said lowly. Korra was left open-mouthed, trying to find something, anything, to say to her. "Listen, no matter what happens, you know I'll always love you. If your soul is tied to somebody else, then I can learn to live with that. Or... if you choose to leave..."
"I don't wanna lose you," Korra whispered, crushing Asami in a desperate hug. Asami buried her face in the Avatar's shoulder and held her tightly.
"I'll always be in your life, Kor. You're stuck with me, friends, lovers, wing-woman." This earned a gentle laughter from Korra. She knew Asami meant every word. She just feared the thought of Asami being right. She pulled away from the hug and cupped Asami's face, giving her a soft kiss. A low drone paired with a steady rumbling of the earth sent the two women in alert. They quickly fled their tent, rushing to meet with General Iroh and the rest of the soldiers in the camp. Korra pushed her way through to Iroh and the general turned around, seeming alarmed.
"What's going on?" Korra asked. Iroh pointed past the camp out into the distance.
"That," he responded. Korra lifted her gaze and squinted. Out by the mountains, she spotted Baatar Jr.'s army approaching quickly. Her eyebrows met each other angrily as she barely noticed a hand resting itself in the middle of her back. The Avatar's growls of frustration quickly quieted as an even greater force began to shake the earth. Soft gasps and murmurs began to fill the air as soldiers looked upward even further.
The mechanic droning became louder, steadily sounding with every movement of the approaching mecha-suit, towering over 25 stories tall, a canon attached to its arm. All soldiers clamored together, quickly stepping into a battle formation just behind the barrier. The battalion of Earth soldiers and mech-suits came to a halt, Baatar Jr. and the giant suit in tow, leaving nothing but the space of the camp barrier between them. General Iroh went for his radio and searched for Raiko's signal. Korra, Asami and Bolin circled around him, Kuvira stepping through the soldiers and following them closely. The President's voice cut through the radio.
"Baatar, this is President Raiko. I order you to stand down. Turn your army around and leave," he warned. Maniacal laughter erupted from Baatar over the signal.
"I don't believe you're in any position to give orders anymore, President," Baatar shot back. "You seem to be unaware of the power I possess."
"Stand down or we will attack!" Korra and Iroh locked eyes. The general tightened his jaw as he continued to listen.
"You and I both know that won't happen, Raiko. Bring me the Avatar, I want to play a game. If you bring her to me, I will hold off my army from attacking yours until I win." Korra spun on her heel and prepared to storm out, only stopping for the pressure of a firm hand pressing into her chest. Kuvira's face crossed from a neutral expression to a warning one. Raiko and Baatar Jr. kept going back and forth over the radio behind them.
"Korra, you don't know what you're getting yourself into," Kuvira implored. Korra swatted at her hand as fierce blue eyes bore into the darker haired woman.
"I'm not letting him take Republic City!" Kuvira frowned, creasing her forehead.
"Hey Korra, I know you're the Avatar and all, but I think Kuvira's right. We have no idea what that thing is even capable of. We need to think this one through," Asami spoke up. Korra growled and began pushing past them.
"There's no time to think it through anymore. Baatar Jr. is here now. I have to try," Korra said insistently. "Iroh, tell him I'm coming." Kuvira reached for Korra's arm and grabbed hold of it.
"If you're going to do this, I'm not letting you do it alone." Bolin straightened himself next to Kuvira in silent agreement, Asami following suit. Korra nodded and made her way to the front lines.
"Baatar," Iroh sounded himself through. "She's coming." Baatar grinned, peering down from the head of what he deemed "The Colossus."
"Perfect."
The young Avatar stepped through the troops, her friends trailing behind. They all came to a stop and came to their individual fighting stance.
"You want me Baatar?" Korra shouted. She entered the Avatar state and lifted herself in a cone of air. "Come and get me!"
"Now!" Baatar barked at the bending soldiers. Like a well oiled machine, they all moved to power the machine and attack Korra. She hurled every element she could, dodging the swinging arms of the Colossus. Baatar Jr. became more frustrated and ordered his soldiers to get a clear shot.
Kuvira and Bolin worked together to distract Baatar, bending incredibly sized boulders and sending them into Baatar’s immediate line of sight. This didn’t seem to deter him, still hurdling after Korra, trying his hardest to get a solid shot.
“Kuvira! Keep trying to distract him, I’ve got something hot up my sleeve,” Bolin shouted. Kuvira wasted no time in sending the earth flying toward the Colossus, losing a glove in the process. Bolin split the earth beneath one of the feet of the giant machine and lava pooled around it, causing the weight of it to shift down. The soldiers within the machine all shouted and tried to regain their balance, only being met with an intense gust of wind from Korra.
The Colossus continued to sink as Bolin opened the pit of lava further and Korra continued her air attacks. Each bender inside of the suit firmly planted themselves and moved swiftly to regain control. They swung an arm and knocked into Korra, sending her tumbling to the ground. She shouted as the ground quickly came to meet her, saving herself only by forcing a wind beneath her. Korra grit her teeth and launched herself upwards again.
”Take the shot! Take it!” Baatar Jr. howled. His soldiers aimed the canon and prepared to fire. Korra still sent herself upward, bracing herself for whatever may come next. “Now!”
Kuvira, Bolin and Asami watched in horror as the canon shot a powerful beam straight to Korra. The wind beneath the Avatar ceased, and she quickly plunged to the ground. Kuvira reached her ungloved out to Korra and let out a blood curdling scream.
“No!” The sound of Kuvira’s scream seemed to shake the earth, her hair coming undone as she frantically was sent into the Avatar state. Everyone stared in shock as Kuvira hurled herself to Korra, just barely catching her from slamming into the ground. She set the Avatar down and her eyes glowed furiously, sending a wind even stronger than Korra’s straight for the chest of the Colossus. Baatar’s face fell when his machine began to lean backwards, failing to take notice of Iroh’s soldiers being lead by Bolin to get the Avatar moving again.
All four elements swirled around Kuvira, who was viciously attacking the machine. Surrounded by the hands of soldiers and one of her best friends, Korra weakly opened her eyes. She peered upwards and gasped at the sight of Kuvira, mercilessly throwing every element she could at Baatar and his men. Korra started to lift herself to her feet.
”Korra, Korra, take it easy. You just got hit pretty bad,” Bolin said. Korra shook her head, eyes already glowing.
”I have to help her.” Before anybody could stop her, she was already high in the air, aiming to meet Kuvira. Though they had never fought together as a team, the two moved perfectly in sync, no longer looking to take down the machine but instead working to force the glass at its head to open. Baatar barked at his men to work harder, refusing to yield to what was now two Avatars. The two women moved quickly to throw anything and everything they could to break the glass.
Kuvira came to her earth bending roots and part of the mountain behind her gave way to her force, flying forward toward the Colossus. Korra rushed air behind it, giving more force to its impact, finally breaking through the glass. Baatar’s eyes widened, his men quickly scattering.
”Everyone get out, now!” he shouted frantically, scrambling to evade the Avatars coming for him. Unfortunately for him, his efforts were too little too late. In one, synchronized swift motion, Korra and Kuvira had apprehended both him and his men. Korra grabbed Baatar Jr. by the throat, Kuvira hovering over the both of them, the glow leaving both sets of eyes.
"Shut it down and call off your army," Korra warned. A thick sheet of sweat covered Baatar's face as he was lead by force to his radio. He turned the signal to alert the troops.
"Fall back. The battle is over," the man ordered, defeat suffocating his once proud voice. Korra held him roughly by the arm, turning him to face the remaining men in the Colossus. "Do as the Avatar says. Shut it down."
Kuvira followed the benders to the heart of the machine and observed as they shut down the great beast. Korra, in the meantime, lead Baatar Jr. out of the Colossus, where President Raiko and Chief Beifong were arriving to take him. Baatar refused to meet their eyes, standing in silence as Beifong cuffed him and began leading him back to the airship that would take him and the rest of the Colossus crew back to the city. Multiple footsteps sounded behind them and Republic City police rushed to grab the men and lead them to Lin's airship. Kuvira made her approach and stopped next to Korra, who was shaking hands with Raiko.
"I cannot thank you enough, Avatar Korra," said Raiko. Korra smiled and turned her gaze to Kuvira.
"We both should be thanking her. I don't think I would have made it out of this if it wasn't for her. She saved my life," Korra gave her thanks to the metalbender, who stood firm but held a soft face. The President went to shake Kuvira's hand.
"Thank you as well, Kuvira. Republic City is safe due to you two. We owe you the highest gratitude." Kuvira smiled sheepishly and President Raiko took his leave. Asami came in a rush and smothered Korra in a tight embrace.
"Korra! I'm so glad you're okay," she sighed in relief. The taller woman broke the embrace to face Kuvira, unsure of how to approach her. "Thank you. For saving Korra."
"I would've done it for any of you," Kuvira said earnestly. Asami smiled softly and gave Korra a knowing glance, leaving the space so the two could talk. Kuvira looked down at her feet and drew circles in the ground.
"Did you know?" asked Korra, trying to will Kuvira somehow to meet her gaze. Kuvira shook her head lightly and pushed a strand of hair out of her face.
"I had no clue," she replied, finally looking up at Korra with pink cheeks. Korra fiddled with her thumbs and looked back through the camp to see if she could spot Asami, to no avail.
"Well, what do we do now?" Kuvira sighed and dropped her shoulders, her emerald gaze unmoving.
"Korra, I've always liked you. But I know how much Asami means to you," she started, causing the other to look down at her feet the same way Kuvira had done moments ago. Kuvira stepped forward and placed a cautious hand on Korra's shoulder. "Our souls are tied somehow. Whatever we're meant to be, if anything happens to you, I'll always be the guardian."