Four outta Five
One Week Later:
The first thing Korra noticed when she opened her eyes, was just how symmetrical the room was. Both beds were occupied, and next to each bed… someone was sitting down— asleep with their face pressed into the mattress, holding the patient’s hand. In Korra’s case, her hand was tightly being gripped by Asami’s.
I love you so much.
Korra, not wanting to disturb her engineer’s much needed rest, looked over at the other side of the room. The woman who had been down in the tunnel with them, Shao, was sitting at the edge of the bed. She was still clad in her police uniform— poor woman probably still had police duties to attend to, even after all the events that had transpired. Korra looked at the other patient.
“Kuvira?”
The second thing Korra noticed:
HOLY SHIT WE BOTH FUCKING SURVIVED!!
The woman, fully awake and alert, looked over at Korra and smiled. The left side of her face was a sickly black and yellow from her encounter with “Mongo”.
“Hey twinkle-toes.”
“You saved my life! You risked everything just to save me!”
“There’s another life where you would have done the same, kid.”
“Korra. Call me Korra. Please.”
Kuvira hesitated for a moment— perhaps ridden with the guilt of working for Camp Amon for all those weeks? Then she relaxed into the bed and gave Korra a wide smile. They had earned each other’s respect.
“Okay… Korra.”
“How is everything? All I remember is the explosion.”
“According to Bolin, we took a lot of the shrapnel and both of us received concussions from the blunt force of the impact. You’ve actually been in and out of consciousness, but they said that the traumatic injuries might prevent you from being aware. It’s been about a week. The doctors managed to take everything out. The— the ‘Bloodsnow Brothers’ didn’t make it.”
Perhaps it takes a lot of suffering to become so compassionate, for at that moment all Korra could feel was pity and remorse. They had done terrible— truly terrible things. But Tarrlok and Noatak didn’t deserve to die. Prison? Yes. But… what a horrible way to go.
“What about the others?”
“The explosion malfunctioned— what with the delay and all. It didn’t set off at the radius Tarrlok wanted it to. It took out the four of us and a few crates of Meth. The others, even the back-up that Lin brought in— they were all unharmed. They’ve shut down the camp permanently— for investigation reasons, but none of the staff wanted to stick around when they learned what was really happening. At least…”
“At least it’s over,” the younger girl finished.
Shao was the first to stir, and when Korra looked at the clock she nearly laughed. Of course they would be asleep— it was 3:00 in the morning! The week underground had… it had messed with a lot— their internal clocks to say the least.
Kuvira’s wife stood up hastily.
“Hey,” Kuvira said.
Shao made a noise, almost like a whimper, “HEY!? That’s all you have to say?! You nearly died, you stupid… selfish… stubborn…” The woman trailed off crying into Kuvira’s neck.
“I love you too,” Kuvira said with a grin to her wife— kissing her short, messy hair. She looked over at Korra, "It's been a week but she's still mad at me. You know the whole 'near-death' thing? Apparently it makes people over-emotional."
True love takes its form in the strangest of ways.
Korra looked down at her own girlfriend and gave a big goofy grin at the way the blanket had pressed into Asami’s check— leaving adorable little indents. The engineer began to stir at all the excitement in the room. Korra’s heart leapt for the millionth time that summer, ever since the first day she’d seen her, as she stared into beautiful green eyes.
“Korra?” she asked sleepily. Raava-dammit— sleepy-girl-voices were the best thing in the world…
“Hey Asami… that explosion— the one made from Future Industries tech… it failed.”
The engineer’s eyes narrowed, “Performance issues… you know… four outta five are fine... you just happened to get malfunctioning explosion number five.”
“Ah well… better luck next time.”
“Babe?”
“Hmmm?”
“Don’t ever face off against crazy Drug Lords again—“
“AW!!”
“— without me.”
“Oh. Alright then. That sounds fair to me.”
“Oh no, no, no, no, no, and no. I’m putting you two inside of a padded box buried deep within a mountain side for the next sixty years. You cause too much fucking trouble,” Kuvira said from across the room. Shao playfully hit her shoulder.
“That’s fair. There’s no place I’d rather be, as long as it’s with her.”
“You’re really fucking cheesy, Avatar.”
“Hey! That’s my parent’s nickname for me!”
“Yeah, and I’m practically your other mom!”
In the end, Asami and Shao had to pull the curtains around their beds so that they would quit bickering with each other. It was all in good fun, but when Korra saw the stern expression on Asami’s face— she knew it was for an altogether different reason.
“Sams…”
“Korra… babe… something happened during the explosion…”
“What? What happened? Is everyone okay?”
“Yes! Well… sort of…”
“Asami, please. Tell me what happened?”
The engineer pondered how to answer this carefully, and then her shoulders dropped in defeat. She carefully lifted the blanket without saying a word and Korra finally understood.
“T-the doctors tried their best to keep it. But a piece of shrapnel t-tore through an important artery. If Mako hadn’t used his belt to make a t-tourniquet right then and t-there, you would have d-died,” her girlfriend said with tears streaming down her face.
. . .
Two Weeks Later:
“Hey…” Korra trailed off. She was sitting in her wheelchair on Air Temple Island, waiting to begin physical therapy with a doctor that Tenzin had highly recommended.
“Hey there… Korra,” Kuvira said as she opened the door and stepped through. All things considered, her injuries were mostly upper body. Her bruise was almost healed. She’d recovered quicker than Korra had, to say the least. And she could walk around.
Don’t guilt trip her. If anything, this is Tarrlok and Noata— no. I’m not going to hold a grudge. That’s not Raava’s way. I’ll have to have some one-on-one time with Tenzin. He’d understand.
“Listen— thanks for coming. I don’t think the others would have… well… they weren’t there… you know.”
“Kid… Korra… you don’t say thank you when someone does this to you. I’m so… so fucking sorry…”
Kuvira’s shoulders slumped and in that moment Korra had never seen someone look so vulnerable.
The Water Tribe girl looked down at the stump where the bottom half of her left leg used to be— tapering off just below the knee. Did it still hurt? Yes. But… it also still felt as though the leg was there. The doctors had called this “Phantom Pain”. Korra let out a small sigh.
“Kuv— don’t you dare apologize. I wouldn’t even be talking to you right now if it weren’t for you pushing me out of the way.”
The younger girl was suddenly startled when Badgermole slammed her fist against a counter top. Korra jumped each time Kuvira smashed something— again and again until her hand began to bleed. She smashed decorative pieces and furniture and threw books and even slammed Korra’s dinner into the wall. But Korra let her blow off her steam. As Katara used to say when Korra got mad;
“Better a vase or a chair than a person.”
“DAMMIT KORRA!! Of course you wouldn’t be talking to me— if I hadn’t decided to bring fucking KIDS into this operation! All because I thought you could help me obtain information I could have gotten in due time— if I had just been more fucking patient!! I endangered the lives of so many people!!
“What if Asami had died?! Or Wu? Or Mako? Would you still be saying it was okay?! Stop being so Raava-damned selfless for once in your life and fucking be angry at me for the shit that I’ve done!! We were all kidnapped— HELL, TWO PEOPLE ARE DECEASED BECAUSE OF ME!! ALL FOR A FUCKING DRUGS BUST!!”
Korra couldn’t respond at first. She knew that, had the worst happened, she wouldn’t have forgiven Kuvira. Thankfully, everyone she loved had come out of this… reasonably intact. Fifteen minutes passed, and Kuvira was sitting in a chair with her head in her hands. Finally, Korra spoke up.
“Come here.”
Kuvira stood up and walked over to Korra. The older woman let out a surprised gasp when Korra pulled her down into a massive bear hug. Kuvira shifted so that she was kneeling on the ground while they poured all their emotions into the embrace. They cried into each other’s shoulders until no more tears could fall.
“K-Korra. Are we friends?”
“We’re so much more than that. More than best friends, even. After what we’ve gone through… I love you.”
Kuvira let out a sniffle and a chuckle as she buried herself into Korra’s hoodie, “I love you too, kid.”
A few more moments passed— each one reminding Korra just how precious life was.
“What’s going to happen to you now?”
“Chief Beifong, my aunt, fired me and took away my badge. I deserve it. At least I didn’t receive a trial for landing a minor in the hospital. Don’t protest!” she said, holding up a hand when Korra tried to object,
“They would have been right to throw me in jail. I got off easy, all things considered— actually I have your Dad to thank for that. He defended my actions because I relayed so much information to him this summer— allowing him to overtake your Uncle. The others… I told Beifong that they were following my orders, so she let them stay on the force. I guess I’ll be out of work for a while, but… Asami paid for both our hospital bills,” she answered sadly. “So at least I have some money to work with. Shao, too.”
The door swung open and in walked a gray haired woman with a warm smile on her face. The girls… well mostly Kuvira (seeing as the younger couldn’t really move) sprang away.
“I heard some yelling, is everything alright?”
“Kya!”
“Doctor Kya today, Korra,” the woman corrected with a smile. She bent down and gave Korra a big hug. She then shook Kuvira’s hand— the former cop still looking a little… spooked… from her earlier outburst.
“Well then, if you’re ready, I’d like us to begin with some simple stretches.”
. . .
One Month Later:
“Easy now, it’s okay if you can’t do it on the first try,” Kya said.
They had just finished fitting the prosthetic Asami had designed for her. It wasn’t just practical; it was also very beautiful. And blue— Asami, you charmer. Metal patterns of waves swirled around it and made a really pretty scene. Korra was spelled out in the white sea-foam. If anything could describe the word aesthetic… it was totally this little gizmo.
Korra looked over at Asami. The engineer’s hair was shining beautifully in the sun. They smiled at each other and Korra took a big breath. She grabbed Asami by the collar of her jacket and gave her a pre-victory kiss— causing the older girl to blush furiously.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Asami giggled, “Now get on that ramp and walk! I want to see that prosthetic in action!”
She let go of Asami’s arm with a hearty laugh and began to walk across the supports. It was tough. Really, really tough.
One step at a time. Come on, it’s not so hard. Just… take a step for Asami.
She did.
And another for Mako.
Her new prosthetic, while hurting a little, continued to move forwards.
A step for Wu.
She was a quarter of the way through. Her arms were shaking but she wouldn’t give up. She rested on the rails for a few seconds.
“Korra, are you alright?”
A step for Kuvira. And Shao, who showed just as much bravery when the time called for it.
She began moving forwards again.
“I’m okay, Asami. I’ve got this.”
With each step the prosthetic hurt less and walking got easier.
A step each for Varrick, Zhu Li, and Bolin.
Halfway there… Kuvira was waiting at the end with a hopeful expression— a big, wide smile. It was the first time Korra had seen a happy look on the woman in many… no… the first time ever. The further along the railings she moved, the more similar Korra realized they were. They were both fierce. Determined to succeed. Without ever thinking anything through. But most of all, they had both survived Camp Amon. They had both found their true loves. Korra smiled and kept taking steps forwards.
A step for Mom, and one for Dad too!
She was wobbling less. She was getting the hang of it!
A step for Pema and Tenzin and Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo! Aunt Kya and Katara!
Almost there…
I’m running out of people… uh… Eska and Desna! They’re going to do a great job at running the Northern Water Tribe!
Korra was sweating. It would take a long time to properly walk again, but fortunately Korra had a lot of that.
A step for Noatak and Tarrlok and Unalaq and Hiroshi. To prove to them that I’m stronger than anything they thought they could throw at me!!
Just one more to go!
A step for me. And for all the other kids at Camp Amon.
Korra let go of the railings and walked straight into Kuvira’s outstretched arms. She was joined by Asami, and then Kya. And Mako. And Wu. And Bolin. And her parents. Then the air-babies. And Tenzin and Pema. One big group hug— all for her. She smirked at the thought, and then sank into the embrace of the people she loved most in this world.