literature

What I Learned at SRU -123- (Part 2)

Deviation Actions

Destiny-Smasher's avatar
Published:
2.2K Views

Literature Text


What I Learned at SRU
Chapter 123 - Breathe
(Part 2)


"..th...nna do...wi...r..."

"...nno, b...ot my...to you..."

Muffled voices. Korra was beginning to come to, and she could hear June talking with some stranger. Everything was dark. Her breath was hot against her own face, some kind of bag stuffed over her head. As she was regaining consciousness, she tried to move, only to realize her hands were tied behind her back, and her ankles were strapped together, as well.

Fucking shit, June hadn't been lying. This felt...like a pretty legit kidnapping. Korra's heart raced a little as she struggled out of instinct, wondering if she'd been double-crossed, or...-

She was jarred by the sound of the trunk door opening, and then a few footsteps on gravel.

"See?" came June's voice.

"You're sure it's her?" asked her associate.

"Pretty fucking sure," June stiffly replied. "Take a look for yourself, if you don't believe me. Dick."

"Calm yo tits, woman. Goddamn." A pause. Korra's world went from black to...a hazy face of scruff. Some shrimpy, pale-faced prick, staring at her with squinted eyes. Korra gave him snarl. "Looks like her," the guy shrugged, his hand still lingering by her neck, having pulled off the cloth on her head.

Korra squirmed her body around, growling at him from beneath the bandana tied around her mouth.

"Good thing you put a muzzle on the bitch," the man snickered, bewildered. "Coulda bit my damn hand off."

"She would, too," June noted, giving Korra a sadistic smirk, a glint in her eye.

"All right." The guy sighed, stepping back. "Bag her back up, n' drop her off inside. You know the drill."

"That I do," June grunted, callously stuffing the sack back over Korra's face.

Korra could feel the woman's arms wrapping her shoulder, tugging her upward.

"Help me get her out, wouldja?" June asked.

The other man sighed rather audibly.

"Christ," he huffed. "It's your cargo..."

"My cargo usually isn't alive," June retorted.

Before Korra knew it, she'd been dragged out of the car. She struggled, curling up and kicking outward. She felt her boots hit flesh, a cry of surprise, and she was dropped onto gravel. The fall scraped her arms a little. She felt June's hand scrounge up a clump of her hair and yank her head around a bit. It hurt like hell.

"You wanna play rough?" June hissed. Korra couldn't figure out if this was a ploy. She kept replaying Jane's assurances in her head on repeat. June was one of the good guys now. June could be trusted. Play along. Just play along.

"Argh," groaned the henchman. He voice was super nasally. "Bitch dot my dose!"

"Heh," June was humored. "Not my fault you had your face so close to her feet." June shoved Korra's bagged head back into the gravel, releasing her. She continued to tease her apparent cohort. "Trying to get a good luck at the goods, huh?"

"Fugg yoo," he snarled back.

"Anyway," June prodded her shoe against Korra's back. "How 'm I supposed to get her inside?"

"Dafuck do I care? Drag her!"

June twisted her shoe against Korra's back, the friction rather unpleasant. Fuckin' hell.

"Are you thick?" June snapped back at the thug. "She's fucking bigger than I am, I had to use a goddamn horse tranquilizer to catch her. And it's probably about worn off by now." June shoved her foot against Korra's rib, rolling her onto her side. "How come no one else is here? Where's Bellbottoms at? He's usually the one who-"
"He's busy," interrupted the henchman.

"With what?"

"With all the fucking fuzz that have been buzzin' around lately. Place is crawling with more cops than usual. We think somebody might be tippin' 'em off."

"Well...shit," June sighed. "Let's get this taken care of, then. I don't wanna be around when shit goes down."

"You and me both. Argh, fuck." The man sniffed. "Got me good."

"Yea, nice nosebleed. Now let's get her the hell inside," June bemoaned impatiently.

"I ain't helping you drag her around."

"Fine, then let's cut her legs free, make her walk."

"Oh, nice, yea. Let her get away."

"She can't fucking see, you nimrod. Where's she gonna run? Into that brick wall? Anyway, I've got my gun, I'm sure that'll keep her motivated-" June gave Korra's gut a kick. "-to behave."

Korra choked and sputtered in shock from the blow. It wasn't too hard, but the surprise of it was the issue. She could barely breathe in this damned sack.

The kids, Korra, girl. Deal with it. Do it for the kids. This crazy whore's just doing her job, which is getting you inside. Deal. With. It.

Korra was winded and a bit dazed, and as she was reacclimating her senses, she realized that the ties on her feet had been cut. She also realized that a cold cylinder of metal was pressed against her head.

"They want you alive," June specified. There was a clicking sound, and Korra knew what that was. "Now, I wanna get paid, and I'm sure you'd like to stay living. So don't go messing up my concentration, don't cause any accidents, and we'll all get what we want, mm? You understand?"

Korra hummed out her confirmation – she made sure to push her her shaky breathing and racing heart to present a forceful grunt.

"Huh?" June taunted. Jeez, lady was really playing it up. "Nod."

Korra did as she was told. She was abhorring every moment of this. Powerless, no control...and she'd chosen to put herself in this position.

Korra was yanked by the hair and pulled up to her feet. She wobbled and swayed, unable to see and her head dizzy. She was pushed forward, June's gun pointed at the back of her head all the while. They walked for about twenty seconds, then passed through what sounded like a sliding metal door.

"The hell is...-?" a new voice asked. "Ohhh. It's you. Took your sweet-ass time."

"Traffic was a bitch," June retorted.

"What's the pistol? You know you're not-"
"You in the mood to carry this prisoner all the way in?" June posed. "You wanna end up like Marty here?"

"Ech," groaned the guy Korra had kicked in the nose.

"Ha!" The interior guard laughed. "Maaan, got you right in the-"
"Shuddup," Marty huffed. "I'm goin' back to my post."

"Yea?" said the guard. "You can see June out, then."

"Uh...-" June huffed indignantly. "I ain't leavin' 'til I get my money."

"That's too bad, 'cuz you're gonna h-"
"Unless you want me to blow her brains out, right fuckin' here," June growled. "I ain't in the mood to play games today."

There was a tense pause.

"Jeez, June," sighed the newer guard. "No need to-...Fuck, man..."

"Is she always like this?" Marty asked.

"She didn't used to be," the guard replied. "Fine," he said to June. "But they won't be happy to see you."

"I won't be happy if I don't paid, and you won't be happy if you have to wipe her brains up off the floor."

"OK, OK, christ. Just...go. I got enough goin' on to be dealin with you."

"Good. C'mon, kid," she pushed the gun barrel against Korra's head. "Chop-chop."

Another metal door. Their footsteps echoed, bouncing across the hallway. Korra could smell lots of metal, rust, and wood. Aside from the steps vibrating against concrete, Korra couldn't hear anything else. The hallway seemed deathly quiet. After about ten seconds of walking, June spoke in a whisper that carried across the hall's acoustics.

"Heyyyy, whaddya know? You can play nice. Ah, that's good, Cowgirl. You just remember what I said, n' this'll wash out fine."

Korra sighed through her nose. She'd never felt like this before: so thoroughly vulnerable. Her heart was racing, her breathing was quick and shallow, her stomach was empty and squirming, her legs were rubbery, her arms sore, her head throbbing, her hands quivering, her eyes watering...Rrrghhh.

She wanted to fucking punch something.

But she couldn't. And she knew she had to continue obeying. She had no choice at this point.

All she could do was continue subjecting herself to this bullshit and hope it panned out the way she'd planned.

Korra had to trust in something other than her fists for a change – and she didn't like it one bit. But she knew that, right this minute, she had to trust in June, the way Jane did.

A minute or two passed by, with Korra doing her best to try and drown out the helplessness void sucking away at her soul. There was some angry talking, but she was tuning it out, unable to see anything, anyway. Korra was shoved in the back of her legs, causing her drop down on her knees. The sack was ripped off her head, and the gag was yanked out of her mouth. She coughed, sputtering saliva out onto her thighs as June's pistol pushed her to bend down.

The world was a haze for a few seconds, Korra's body swerving off balance.

"Don't fall asleep on us," June teased, grabbing Korra's loosenened, knotted hair and tugging her upright.

"I'm- Argh! Fucking awake!" Korra growled, the pain shocking her back to alertness.

"Looks like her, all right," came a voice from up ahead.

June released Korra's head, and Korra coughed some more, that gun still pinned to the back of her head. She cautiously tilted her head to see the figure lingering nearby. What she saw made her raise an eyebrow. It was a man with streaked back hair of gray and ragged sideburns, his face weathered and wrinkled, dressed in a suit. What was puzzling, however, was that he was seated in a wheelchair.

"You thought I was lying?" June retorted dryly. "Like I'd drive all this fucking way if I wasn't damn sure..."

"Ah right, ah right," groaned the man in the chair. Some chunky lackey stood behind him, also in a suit, and push. "Jesus, June, lower yer goddamn gun. No need for theatrics."

June sighed, and Korra's shoulders tightened as she felt the weapon against her head click and pull away. She breathed out with some relief.

"Hey, can't be too careful," June explained defensively, giving Korra a light kick to the back. Korra growled in reply. Whether this was out of impatience, irritation, or simply to play along, Korra was certainly ready for this act to end. June added, "She's fuckin' dangerous."

"Yea, bet she is," the disabled man acknowledged. "But I think we can handle her."

"Look, Zolt," June puffed. "Just gimme my fuckin' payment and I'll leave you it."

"Always so hasty," Zolt bemoaned, shaking his head slightly. He twisted his head back over his shoulder a bit, advising his comrade. "Go ahead, give it to her." The man behind Zolt turned around to retrieve a metal briefcase from a table behind them.

June knelt over, setting her gun down on the floor. She startled fiddling with Korra's wrist bindings, making to tighten them. June initiated more discussion.

"Sorry I ain't been I contact," she grumbled.

Korra felt the tension behind her back loosen, the bindings suddenly disconnecting. She knew to maintain the illusion that she was still tied, however; when June gave her arms a tug, she grunted and flexed her arms a bit, wriggling to show the facade of a struggle. As she did so, June pretended to hold her down, all the while slicing apart the bindings on her ankles.

As this happened, June further distracted them with conversation.

"The Lotus has been breathing down my neck," she went on. "Only had a chance to slip outta town because of the little shit storm your folks have been stirring down there. They're already in a tizzy over those kids you swiped. They hangin' around here, too?"

"Heh, yep..." Zolt nodded his head. "Shin and his boys managed to grab 'em on their way outta town."

"This crazy bitch-" June whapped the back of her wrist on Korra's temple. "-got careless trying to track the runts down." She established eye contact with Korra. "But you'll be happy to see 'em again, at least, huh?" She sighed, finishing her task of cutting Korra's ties. "Anyways, the cops had their eyes on her, and they know she's been taken up here, so...-"

"We figured," Zolt chuckled. "You might wanna lock ya doors when you get home – never know what could happen these days...I had to pull some of my guys outta Wayward before they got caught. If I was you, I might consider skipping town before they start catching on."

"Well," June sighed out, dusting her pants off and retrieving her gun. She stood up. "I'll get right on that, soon as I have what I came here for..."

"She really is pushy," muttered Zolt's assistant, shaking his head as he dropped the suitcase onto the cement floor and kicked it a few feet forth.

June scoffed back, "You used to be a lot quicker with these deals, 'Lighting Bolt.'"

"Fff. Excuse me, toots, for being past my prime over here. Ya want your stuff or not?"

June shut up at that point, casually grabbing the case and popping it open to inspect the contents: some hefty wads of cash and some bags of what Korra presumed was for June's 'recreational' desires.

"No haggling this time, either," Zolt insisted. "That's more n' enough – it's exactly what we bargained."

"Yea, yea," June eased him, shutting the case after she'd inspected its contents. "I'm good to go." She rolled back one of her sleeves, inspecting a scuffed up gold watch on her wrist. "Better make sure I'm back soon, anyway..." She scooped up the case by its handle and turned to Korra.

June knelt over and gave Korra a wry, sadistic smirk. With her free hand, she grasped Korra's jaw and slapped her cheek.

"You behave," June advised in a taunting tone. Her eyes glimmered with a certain kind of spark. "Do as you're told," she advised, wiggling her brows up once.

Korra knew that the time was finally nigh for her to stop passively taking abuse and start dishing it out.

"So that's that," June stated to Zolt and his assistant. "Have fun, but be careful – she likes to play rough." June started walking off toward the metal door that she'd entered from.

Korra twisted her head to observe, but within a few seconds, her hair was being tugged at violently, pulling her body up.

"Right, then," huffed Zolt's assistant. "Time to take—hurgk!"

Korra had slammed her knee into the guy's gut, then rammed her fist upward into his jaw. The unexpected blow sent the chunky lad reeling, and Korra's adrenaline, which had already kicked in at this point, drove her to slam a couple more punches into the dude's face until he fell over on his back.

"The fuck-?!" Zolt sputtered out.

Korra ripped the bandana from her own mouth, stuffing it in Zolt's face and struggling against his frail hands as she tied it to his face. His muffled cries and flashing eyes raged against her, but she worked efficiently. By the time she was done, June was already back at her side, her pistol drawn at the man Korra had sent to the floor.

"I know what you're thinking," June said to Zolt, who was fuming at her from beneath Korra's grip. "I'm a back-stabbing cunt, right? It's OK, you can say it." She smiled slyly at the furious eyes of 'Zolt.' The man at her feet began to stir, and June pressed her pistol against his head, reaching down and shuffling her hand around his suit. She retrieved a second pistol from his waistline and slid it across the cement floor toward Korra.

Korra stared at the gun for a moment with some hesitation, and in this second, Zolt broke his arms from her grip and tried wheeling for the gun. In his feeble attempt, Korra brashly charged at him, shoulder-tackling his chair and sending him toppling over to the ground. He still attempted to crawl with his hands, grasping out for the gun. Korra stomped his hand and snatched the gun up. It was heavy in her hands.

June kicked the disabled crook's personal valet a bit in the interim.

"What now?" Korra asked, wide-eyed as she scanned the room full of various crates and palettes.

"I stay here and watch your back," June spat. "Cops are already here, they'll be swarming the place any minute. You get your ass through that door-" June nodded her head off to the side of the room opposite where they'd entered. "-find the little shits, and get 'em outta here. Should be another exit up a floor, will take you to a street. Cop's oughtta be there by now, and if not...-"

The man beneath June's shoe wriggled a little, grumbling something incoherent. Her shoe pressed into his face led him to still his tongue pretty quick.

Korra's heart was racing – they were actually going through with this. She was actually holding a gun in her hand.

"Just get going," June snarled impatiently. "You forget how to use that thing, or something?"

Korra swallowed the lump in her throat, then coughed a bit. Having that gag on her mouth for so long was still inducing some unpleasant after-effects. And the memories were kicking in...

Korra disabled the safety on the pistol and loaded the chamber – it was sort of like riding a bicycle after her academy training. Except, you know, the last time you properly rode a bicycle was when you crashed it into a fucking tree.

A gun had killed her dog.
A gun had put her friend in the hospital.

A gun had caused her immediate expulsion from the police academy.

Some well-to-do soul was probably stuck doing desk work at a station because his arm had been fucked over because of Korra's carelessness with a firearm. Korra had been rather adamant against ever using the things since. It was why she'd simply disarmed them any time she'd had to face one, and why holding this one, right that second, knowing she would have to use it, she could not simply disarm it, was downright terrifying a prospect.

And Kya? Poor Aunt Kya had been killed with a knife, so those were right out, too. Korra wanted nothing to do with the damn things.

Guns and knives killed people. But fists? Korra's fists put them down, without causing the very thing she was trying to prevent: death. Korra's fists could be trusted, relied upon – they were part of herself. She knew their limits, she knew what they were capable of.

That night in the garage, so eager and willing to plunge Jane's hunting knife into that bastard's chest...That was a part of Korra she wanted to forget, to leave behind, where it belonged. She was capable of killing, and that was a contradiction of terms with what she was striving and despairing to be: someone who could protect.

A gun in her hands – those fucking foolish, impulsive, impatient, hasty hands – was a bad idea.

But those kids who looked up to her, those kids who she was responsible for...Seeing them hurt, seeing them tortured, in pain...That was a far worse idea.

"Yo," June growled, snapping her fingers. "What the hell's the matter? You do know how to use a gun, yea?"

Korra took a deep breath, closing her eyes and trying to let her trembling hands steady themselves. She looked to June, and tapped her finger at the top of the gun barrel.

"This end's the dangerous part, eh?" she managed out shakily, attempting to convey June's ever-present sense of cool, collected sarcasm.

June shook her head with a smirk, rolling her eyes.

"Why's everyone always gotta say stupid shit like that?" she muttered to herself. "Get going," she pressed, pointing one hand toward Korra's intended destination as the other held her gun to her victim's face.

Hands clamped tight on the hardware in her calloused palms, Korra held the pistol face down as she charged off. She cautiously opened the heavy double doors after peeking through their tiny window panes, raising her gun up and directing it around any corner she passed. A minute or so went by until gunshots echoed from where Korra had come from. She worried for June's safety, but knew it was useless to turn back at that point.

She had to finish what they'd started.

She could hear footsteps and commotion from up ahead rattling, bouncing through the hollow stairwell of the decrepit storage facility. Reaction to the gunfire, no doubt. Korra took cover behind a nearby linen cart as the stairwell door was shoved open and two men clambered off in the direction she'd just come from, growling their concerns to each other.

"-think they'd find us that quick!"
"Zolt was handlin' a delivery, maybe we got double-crossed."
"Fuck that."
"This is why I said ya never kidnap kids, man. Shit."

No sooner had they disappeared did a girl – younger than Korra, from the look of it – emerge from a nearby room, evidently curious as to the ruckus. She and Korra gawked at each other for a split second before Korra pulled up her gun.

"Where are you keeping the kids?" Korra demanded in a harsh whisper.

The girl's thin lips slid open, but no words came out. She was skinny, with a nasty-looking bruise on one cheek and a swollen lip. When she went to reach for her pockets, Korra took a step back and shook the gun.

"Don't-!" Korra hissed. "Hands up."

The girl, seemingly confused, jerked her arms up, her tiny hands quivering in the air.

"Try yelling-" Korra threatened, "-and I'll make you wish you hadn't. Got it?"

The girl nodded shakily, her hands still up.

"Where are they?" Korra asked, trying to stay steady as she heard more commotion from the distance.

"Th...they...-" The girl gestured her head behind her, toward a dead end. "To...the right," she muttered.

Korra, glaring the scared girl in the eyes all the while, lurched forward, keeping the gun raised. With her free hand, she frisked the gangly, disheveled teen until she found what she was looking for: a weapon. Korra snatched it from the girl's back pocket – it was a switch blade with the letters 'TTT' etched into it. Korra popped the blade out. It looked pretty clean and unused. Korra suspected the girl had probably not even tried using it before.

"Yea, you won't need this anymore," Korra grumbled, placing the knife in her own pocket. "Get your ass out of here, and don't come back."

The girl sniffed, her brows twisting to convey her confusion. Korra yanked the girl by her arm and shoved her off with ease.

"Go," Korra seethed, eager to see this snot-nosed idiot leave this place behind.

With her muscles sore, her teeth clenched, and her hair a mangled mess, Korra cautiously stepped toward the right-side door, shoulder to the cold, dusty wall of concrete. She peeked across the hall to the opposing doorway – it looked like a laundry room of some sort. Some machines were whirring, but through the open doorway, she didn't see or hear anyone inside. The room against her back – where she'd just been instructed to go – had a closed metal door.

The machines in the other room whirred. More muffled gunshots echoed from a couple of different directions. Korra closed her eyes and tuned out the noise. She needed a second to...just breathe. After she'd given herself that much, she readied her weapon, and grabbed the door's cold, dingy handle. She ripped it open and charged in, pistol drawn.

The room was a makeshift prison with a gross cell grafted into the room with iron bars that mismatched the rest of the building. The cell was full of tattered, worn down children that she knew well. And to the right side of the room, sitting on a folding chair in front of a laptop, was someone whose face – unlike Zolt – she had not forgotten.

It was 'Shady Shin,' the man who Korra had wrestled with in the park. The man whose gun had torn up Jinora's foot. That same gun – or perhaps simply one that looked like it – was sitting on the table beside the laptop, which was playing some sporting event.

Everyone in the room was gaping at Korra with surprise and alarm, and she could feel her breathing tighten. Shin was slowly reaching for his fire arm, and she flicked her weapon at him. With everything going on, firing her gun off would cause some unneeded noise. She still had no actual assurance that anyone beside her was on her side here right now. A gun fight in such a cramped space could be a problem, and the kids were right fucking there. She did not want to even chance it, as much as she wanted to blow the bastard away. Besides, they'd been through enough.

"Jee-zus," Shin huffed, raising his arms up in reaction to the gun barrel in his face. "Ya came all this way, huh?"

Korra swiftly approached him, grabbing his weapon from the table and chucking it into the corner of the room behind her. She steadied her arm right back at him when he made to get up from his chair. The jingling of keys rung from his pants.

Shin shook his head and laughed. "Didn't think these runts were that important to ya..."

"They are," Korra stiffly stated.

"Korra...?" Ikki peeped. Her voice was hoarse. She had her face up against the barred door. Meelo was sitting against the wall, and Jinora, her foot still bandaged, was sitting in a disgusting mattress on the floor.

"Sit tight, guys," Korra said to them, keeping her eyes on Shin. "I'm gonna get you outta here."

The kids started to cheer a little, and Korra ordered them to quiet down.

"N' then what?" Shin posed. "Didja just think you could sneak in here, wave a gun around, and get your way?"

"We're leaving," Korra snapped at him with a stern, stone-line tone. She observed the

"Ya just barged right in without a plan, didn'tcha?" Shin mocked smoothly. The guy was probably used to having guns pointed at him.

"Actually, I've got a pretty good idea of what's about to happen," Korra countered. "You're gonna give me the fucking keys, I'm gonna take these kids with me, n' you're gonna be the one sleeping in a cell tonight."

"We got dozens o' guys in here," Shin warned. "They ain't gonna let you just walk off with our cargo."

"You're undermanned today," Korra retorted. "The cops are on your asses so you've been filtering your guys out, don't even fucking try me today." Korra took in a deep breath, exhaling steam. "Keys. Now."

Shin slowly lowered his hands, and Korra yelped out, "Just one hand."

Shin did as he was told, using only one hand to fish his keys out.

"Throw 'em to me," Korra commanded.

They jangled and clattered to the filthy, stained floor, and Korra rapidly swiped them up. There were about twenty goddamn keys on the chain.

"Which one?" Korra barked.

"Why don't you figure it-?"
Shin was cut off as the keys were chucked at the laptop, cracking the screen and toppling it over.

"Which one?" Korra demanded.

Shin hesitantly grabbed the keys off the table from where they'd landed against his damaged computer.

"Gettin' a little antsy, are we?" Shin taunted.

"I don't wanna fire this thing," Korra stated. "But I will have no problem blowing off your leg if I have to. Open the door. Kids, stay back."

Ikki and Meelo retreated to the far end of the cramped cell, sitting on the bed alongside their wounded sister.

Shin begrudgingly rifled through the keys until picking one, then slowly approached the cage's door.

"Open it and back the fuck off," said Korra. "Take one step inside and I'll shoot."

"Heh. This is cute," Shin said, unlocking the door. "I didn't take you for the 'gunpoint' type."

"Shut up," barked Korra flatly.

The door clicked, and Shin opened it, waving her in.

"They're all yours," he taunted.

"Gimme the fucking keys," Korra snapped, uninterested in playing games.

"Easy, easy," Shin said, gesturing his palms at her. He started to walk into the cell. "You really oughtta-"
-Bang!-

Korra didn't hesitate to pop a round into the man's leg, just like she'd said. The kids shrieked, and Shin toppled over himself, his leg bleeding out across the floor.

"Fffff-!" he seethed in agony. "You...-!"

"I fucking warned you!" Korra bellowed, kicking him in the gut and pushing him aside, away from the door. She yanked the key ring from the lock and kicked Shin again. He was growling in pain, and she couldn't help but take in the delightful sight.

"You shot him..." Meelo whispered, eyes wide.

"I...I, erh, I...-" Korra was speechless, evidently. I didn't kill him were the words ringing through her head.

"Let's go," Ikki winced, staring in horror at the blood slowly pooling around Shin's leg.

"He...He's still alive," Korra shakily clarified, suddenly aware of what her gut reaction had just exposed the kids to. Shin groaned angrily at her, trying to reach at her ankle. She had to get a grip. Shin deserved this shit. She had to protect the kids. She had to protect herself. Violence couldn't always be avoided. As Shin struggled to shake her balance, she stepped on his hand. "Uh, see?" she panted out. "He's fine. Now c'mon. We're leaving."

The kids didn't budge, gaping at Korra's ragged form and the bloody-legged ruffian at her feet. She turned her gun's safety on, then approached the children. She set the pistol on the ground and wrapped the trio in a hug, shedding out a sob that had been lingering inside her for some time.

"I'm sorry, guys," she choked out. "I didn't-...Agh, shit, we've gotta...-" She sniffed, then sighed out a trembling breath.

"You came for us," Jinora stated plainly. "We knew you would."

"I did, and we're...-" Korra let them go, briskly wiping tears from her eyes and she picked her weapon back up. "I'm taking you outta here, and we're going home."

"They'll...-" Shin coughed, crawling out of the cell. He was probably going for his gun. He didn't finish his sentence, instead whimpering out through his teeth.

Korra grabbed Jinora, lifting the messy, injured teen over her shoulders.

"Hold on," Korra advised. Jinora wrapped her tiny arms around Korra's chest, gripping at the woman's shoulders. "Yup, yup, like that. Ikki, Meelo, do exactly as I say, got it?"

The two siblings nodded and hummed their recognition.

"OK." Korra took another second to recuperate, then hauled Jinora out of the cell. "Let's go."

She passed by Shin, stomping his wounded leg down. As he howled out, she commanded the kids to sneak by, and they did so without incident. Shin tried to claw at Korra's ankles and throw her off balance, but she gave his injury another good kick and he yelped out.

Korra was too concerned with getting the hell out of this place that she left Shin – and his fire arm – in that prison room, pushing the door closed behind them with her boot.

"Stay behind me," Korra advised the children, making her way for the stairwell she'd snuck by previously. There was still some commotion going on outside, from the sound of it. "Stay quiet," she added.

"Prison break!" Meelo whispered out, pumping his fists. Ikki smacked him on the back, and Korra shushed both of them when she heard quick footsteps approaching from down the dimly lit hall.

"Behind me," she hissed at them. "On the wall."

They obeyed her command, and the lot of them pressed themselves up on the dirty corridor wall as Korra drew her gun. The steps pounded ever closer for a few seconds, and she could hear the kids whimper with worry. She chewed at her lip and turned the safety off. Jinora's arms squeezed against her collar bones. Jinora's breathing was shallow against Korra's back, and Korra felt her own breaths and heartbeat quicken in sync.

The clomping footsteps were isolated – it was only one person.

Korra was thankful that the person who rounded the corner was June. The woman froze in place, yelping out a "Fuck!" before sighing, and rolling her head back.

"I see you found 'em," June grumbled.

Korra noticed the woman was gripping one arm with the other, and it seemed that some blood was dripping down her arm.

"They got ya," Korra noted. "You gonna make it?"

"Ha, this ain't nothin'," June laughed weakly. Her voice sounded more dreary than usual.

"Well, let's get outta here..." Korra decided. She led everyone to the stairs. "Did the cops show up?"

June nodded and sighed.

"Yep. They got Zolt in custody, there's...-" June waved her hand in a circle as they entered the stairwell. "I dunno, shit's fucked outside, it's-...Ech. We gotta go out this way."

They were clambering up the stairs now, their voices and steps vibrating all around them.

"Why? How do we know it's safe?" Korra asked.

"It's the north exit," June explained, breathing heavily as she squeezed at her bleeding arm. She specified through clenched jaws, "Noatak's got the north exit..."

"Wh...-?" Korra was curious as to who the hell that was, and why June sounded so sure about them. But this wasn't the time for questions.

Korra was relieved that it was only a single flight of stairs that needed to be climbed. Jinora wasn't heavy, but toting the girl around on Korra's sore shoulders after so much energy had already been drained in the past few minutes of intensity was taking its toll.

After they reached the top of the stairwell, Korra was sweating like a hog.

"Take a minute," June advised, helping Korra set Jinora safely down against the nearest wall. "I'll scout ahead. You little runts stick with Korra."

"Buh...-!" Korra panted out her protestation, but her breathing was ragged and heavy itself. "You find a way out, you take it," Korra commanded.

"Don't gotta tell me twice," June obliged with a sadistic smirk through her pain as she hobbled off.

Korra's gun-toting arm was shaking, and she grabbed its bicep with the opposing palm to try and quell it quivering. June, still leaking droplets of blood, shambled ahead through the main warehouse room. The place was packed with cars and mechanical supplies alongside a large shipping crate. Korra figured it was one of a number of guises to get money flowing around these people in a seemingly legal manner on the surface. After taking a minute or so to catch her breath, Korra could hear June shouting at them from up ahead.

The stairwell door up here was wide open, but the one downstairs rattled from being flung around. As June barked at Korra from up ahead, footsteps were echoing from the stairwell below. Korra felt her intestines shrivel with fear.

"Someone's coming," Ikki whispered pleadingly.

"Jinora, we have to...-" Korra didn't need to finish, as the girl had already pressed herself up on one leg, supporting herself against the wall and ready to head off. As Korra let Jinora hang her arm on her left shoulder, she pointed her gun off toward the direction of June's voice, past "Ikki, take Meelo up ahead to the door."

"But-!"
"Go. Now."

Ikki's eyes were welled up with tears, and she took hold of her little brother's wrist, yanking him along. The boy looked a bit shell-shocked by everything going on. As Korra followed their quick rabbit steps, she could feel Jinora's weight hanging against her.

"You got it," Korra grunted out, shifting Jinora up to keep the girl limping alongside her. "You got it. Come on..."

-Bang!-

Ikki and Meelo shrieked in surprise, and Korra watched them both duck behind a car up ahead to her right. June had growled out a "Shit" from ahead, leaving Korra confused as to why the woman was still in there. The gunshot had sounded off from behind them. It was followed by another, and Korra saw sparks fly from her left against a rusted up vehicle. She pulled Jinora in front of her and got both of them behind the car. Jinora was bawling, her teeth chattering as Korra set her down against their makeshift cover.

"I know you're still fuckin' in 'ere!"

It was Shin. How in the hell...?

Korra peeked through the car's backseat window to see an enraged Shin manically limping along. Fuckin' eh, the guy looked ready to go off the deep end, and he had that gun in his hand - the one Korra had carelessly left behind. She cursed her own snap decisions under her breath before ducking back under the car. Her mind whirled in anger at how much bullshit these poor kids would have to go through before they could go home. Shin's voice bellowed out, yanking her back to the moment.

"Listen! Korra! C'mon, you don't wanna do this shit, am I right? Dat exit's locked, you ain't gettin' out that way."

June heaved out a "Fuck you!" and Korra couldn't help but figure he was telling the truth: June should've found the way out and been gone at that point. Maybe she hadn't escaped yet because she couldn't.

"Way I see it," Shin posed, "I got two options: blow your fuckin' brains out before I get caught, or keep you alive as my hostage 'til my buddies come for backup."

"Nobody's losing their brains," Korra yelled from her cover. "Nobody's being a hostage. Nobody has to get hurt."

"My fucking leg ain't agreein' with you, lady!"

"I warned you!"

"Korra, you ain't gonna kill me, let's face facts."

"I will if I have to," Korra darkly protested, lowering her voice in an attempt to sound intimidating.

"You won't," Shin called back. "You ain't a killer. We've done this dance, we sang this song - you coulda killed me, n' you didn't. You ain't. A killer."

"You are," Korra snarled.

"Wha-? I ain't killed nobody in my life." Shin was suspiciously leaning against a batch of tall barrels of oil. Fucking cliche waiting to happen, and Korra was none too pleased at the prospect of blowing a guy up today.

"You killed my dog." Hm. Would the barrels actually blow up, or just leak...-?

"And that was an accident." They'd probably just leak gas out.

"Fff! It'll be an accident when I aim higher than your leg next time, Bub." Besides, no point risking hurting the kids. And she sure as hell didn't want a murder on her conscious. Jane had already taught Korra the heavy weight such a thing could push down on a person.

"It was a dog, jesus." Shin sighed through his pain. He finally started making his way toward them again in slow, limping steps. That punctured leg probably hurt like a bitch. "Get over yourself. You still a kid, here?"

Korra threatened, "You keep comin' closer, and you're just helping my aim."

"You are, you're just a goddamn kid in that head. You're pretty scared, ain't ya? Got a goddamn gun in your hand, I can barely fuckin' walk, and you're still scared."

"I just want to get these people out of here," Korra groaned, her eyes fluttering with impatience as her head whirled, her adrenaline supply waning. "Nobody has to die."

June growled out from up ahead, "Why does everyone fucking say that? Korra, pop the asshole and help me out here!"

A gunshot went off as Shin fired toward June. Korra, her back up against the car, held her firearm tightly, fingers trembling. To her right, three children were quivering in varying states of turmoil.

"We're gonna be OK, guys," Korra whispered to them. "I'm, er...I'm gonna distract this guy, and Ikki - you take Meelo, you two run that way-" She gestured her gun off to the right, toward a row of parked cars. "-and stay low, you both just crawl under those cars, and you keep crawling, and you get to that door with my friend, OK?"

Meelo was gawking at Korra's rowdy appearance, slack-jawed, and Ikki nodded warily, her eyes squinting as another pair of tears popped out. Korra was not in the mindset to try offering comfort. She just needed to get these guys out. She pried one of her hands from her gun grip and reached over Jinora to Ikki, giving the trembling girl a pat on the head.

"You can do it," said Korra. "I've got your sister, but you've gotta take care of yourself and your brother, OK?"

"Uh-huh," Ikki sobbed out, rubbing at her eyes.

Korra moved her hand to Meelo's shoulder and gave it a quick rub.

"You follow her, got it?"

Meelo replied with a nod and a sniffle.

"Now go, right now," Korra insisted to them. They began scurrying off and were underneath the nearest car within seconds.

Korra pulled her arm back and scratched her dirtied nails across Jinora's disheveled head. Jinora looked entirely tuckered out from this entire ordeal.

"I've got you," Korra assured her. "It's OK."

"Ya don't need to be dramatic about it," Shin grumbled out. Korra could tell he was pretty close. The guy was pretty goddamned stubborn for having a leg that was torn up. But then, Korra probably would be the same if she'd been the one who'd gotten hurt.

The car they were pinned up against lurched a little, creaking a bit from Shin's weight on the hood. Korra's breathing sharpened and her heart was ready to bound from her chest. Her hands shook, struggling to ready her gun. At close range, she'd probably blow the idiot away. But he was right about her: she wasn't a killer, and she didn't want to be a killer. She fished through her pockets and pulled out that switchblade she'd procured earlier. Fuckin' eh.

A gun in one hand was stirring thoughts of Naga's death, of Jinora's injury, of Korra's expulsion from academy.

A knife in her other hand was bringing to mind memories of nearly stabbing the Combustion Man, of Kya's blood pooling in a parking lot from a stab wound.

This was where this shit had brought Korra. This was where her decisions to use force had led her to. Violence begetting more violence.

But force was needed some times. It was required to protect the people Korra cared about in the face of idiots like Shin.

In that moment, with Shin hovering over her shoulder and the kids to her side, Korra knew that something bad would happen, one way or the other. Some show of force was going to occur. She set the gun down, switching her blade out.

"Shoot him!" June roared.

-Bang! Bang!-

Shin had fired again off at June. In this moment of distraction, Korra rounded the car, jammed the switchblade into Shin's foot, and pushed herself up. As he yowled in pain and alarm, Shin pointed his gun down at her. Korra, having expected this, was ready with her sturdy hand, grabbing his wrist and wresting the gun upward. He attempted to squeeze the trigger, but Korra's last burst of adrenaline overrode his weakened body. She practically crushed his fingers between her own until she could pry the weapon from him.

Shin's gun clattered to the ground and Korra pushed him aside. He crumpled up in a wailing heap on the floor. The guy had a bullet wound and now a knife wound to match it, but he was still alive.

Korra immediately grabbed Shin's gun, unloaded the clip, and chucked it as far as she could. As it clattered in the distance, she removed the single bullet from its chamber and stuck it in her pocket.

As Shin cursed at Korra in barely coherent rage from the reddening cement, Korra whirled back around to Jinora.

"We're leaving," Korra firmly stated. She grabbed her gun without hesitation and pulled Jinora up on her shoulders. The pale-faced girl loosely clung to Korra as they weaved around the warehouse, noise bouncing through walls in every direction.

Ikki and Meelo were hunched over in front of the thick wooden double door entrance, which was tied up with chains and a pad lock.

"Fuckin' locked," Korra growled under her breath. That just figured. Korra unslung Jinora

"What're we going to do?" Jinora pleaded, her voice soft and ragged.

"Shoot it open," June snapped impatiently.

"Why haven't you?" Korra seethed, nodding her hand at the gun hanging from June's wounded arm.

"I'm empty," June barked back. "This is for show, just...-!" She flinched her head toward the door as she huffed through clenched teeth.

"Not gonna finish me off?!" Shin was hoarsely calling out from the floor across the room. "We'll fucking...come for you..."

"How is not dead?" June sighed. "Didn't you just-?"
"Because he doesn't need to be," Korra stated firmly.

Korra flexed her fingers across the gun in her hands as she stood before the door.

She could turn around, finish the job she'd done on Shin, and be done with that fucker forever. He'd killed her dog, he'd put a bullet in Jinora, he'd stalked her, he'd threatened her...She could remove that threat quite permanently. Quite easily, too. The guy was unarmed, injured as fuck, she could just-...Pow. Gone. She could do what Jane stopped her from doing with the Combustion Man: finish what she started.

But why had Korra come here? What was she doing? What was she here to finish?

Korra looked down at the trembling children, their faces wriggling with discomfort and fear.

Korra was here to finish what she'd started: saving those kids from this bullshit that she'd gotten them into. That was exactly what she was going to do, and nothing more. Nothing unnecessary, nothing gratuitous. Nothing for her, only what would keep these kids safe and moving and out of this shit as soon as possible.

"Stay back," Korra commanded, positioning herself toward the door at an angle. "Everyone, get behind me."

June swiftly obeyed, stumbling around toward the kids.

Shin's garbled yelling was echoing across the warehouse, and footsteps were swarming up from the stairwell. It could be police - it could be more Triple Threats.

Korra rocked back and forth on her toes for a second. She flicked her sweaty bangs out of her eyes, scratched her nails across her scalp, and grit her teeth. She gripped the gun in both hands and loaded the chamber. If she could remember the moments leading to that gun accident from years back, that would've been the second she relived them. But she couldn't. She could barely remember the actual incident. Instead, her mind just wandered to seeing Jinora's bloodied leg for the first time. To a decapitated dog head being dropped into her garbage can. To a little girl in a penguin costume bawling over her mother bleeding out.

Korra's heart was acting erratic, her stomach crawling. She loosened her hold on her gun and closed her eyes.

Korra breathed. She just breathed, and focused on nothing but breathing.

In.

Out.

She opened her eyes, steadied her hand, aimed for the lock, and...

-Bang! Bang! Bang!-

The locks broke, the double doors flung open.

Air. Glorious, cool, fresh air. It came rushing in, blowing past Korra's face, caressing her cheeks as if to say, 'It's OK.'

"We're good," June shouted, hurrying the kids out through the door as voices yelled out at them from behind.

Korra dropped the smoking gun to the floor, letting it rattle across the cement.

She picked up Jinora in both hands and carried the girl outside into the dark night. They ran for a minute, making their way through the cold alleyway and toward the nearest street. Cars were passing to and fro, but a pair of police vehicles were parked nearby. An ambulance wailed somewhere nearby, and a team of uniforms marched past them as they caught their breath. The crackle of a police radio could be heard from one of the vehicles nearby.

As Korra placed Jinora down on the sidewalk, the girl gave her an exhausted hug, and her younger siblings joined in.

Korra cried with relief, muttering out hasty apologies. She released them, but they lingered at her sides.

The four of them exchanged quiet words for a minute or so, expressing private words in spite of the trauma they'd all just been through.

"You were a little fucking late," June snapped. Korra, struggling to calm herself down, was ready to blow up in defense. But she realized that June was talking to someone else.

"Plans changed," noted a raspy voice that Korra recognized. "We had to adapt."

"Yea, well...-" June shook her head and groaned in pain.

"There's a paramedic around the corner," noted the man - it was Noah, that priest from-...Wait.

"Not a bad idea," June sighed, grunting as she pushed herself forward. "Thanks for coming through, Noatak."

Noah - or...Noatak? Korra was baffled, but somehow she wasn't too surprised.

The man smiled and nodded to himself.

"It's been some time since anyone's called me by my real name," he mused.

"It's been some time since I've gotten involved in this kinda shit," June pointed out irritably. "Oh, and hey!" June barked at Korra. "Nice work, kiddo. Not bad. You got what you came here for. Try not to lose 'em again, huh?"

Korra laughed weakly. She felt like shit, barely able to manage a smile as her eyelids were sinking.

"I won't," Korra assured before clearing her throat. She rubbed her hands briskly across the skinny child shoulders they were wrapped over before yawning.

"I'll put in a good word with Lin for ya," June assured. "Maybe she'll finally get off your ass."

"Ha..." Korra shook her head, her eyes sliding closed with exhaustion. "We'll see..."

June disappeared around the street corner, leaving Noatak to speak Korra.

"I warned you."

"I know," Korra agreed, remembering their previous encounters. "I fucked up."

Noatak mumbled, "Perhaps I'm the one who made a mistake..."

"Huh...?"

"It...doesn't matter," Noatak shrugged off his thoughts. "You've all made it out safe. That's what you came here to accomplish."

Korra's mind lingered at last to a thought that she'd been neglecting in the face of the day's stresses.

"Not...everything, exactly," she murmured to herself.

"You've helped us get this group back in a defensive position," Noatak explained. "That means the pressure will be off that precocious town you choose to linger in."

"But about about the others that they've captured?"

"I'm sure the authorities will get the information they need from the people detained today," Noatak predicted with a thoughtful nod, gazing off down the alleyway that led to the warehouse. "For now, I think it would be best if you left these matters to rest and stayed out of these affairs."

"That's...pretty much the plan," Korra sighed out, letting her head hang.

"Then I suppose that's that," said Noatak stiffly, tucking up the collar on his coat as he paced off, following where the other supposed authorities had run off to.

Korra breathed for a moment, appreciating the relative quiet. There was still noise - boat horns from a nearby bay, cars passing by, pedestrian chatter in the distance...

"You guys OK?" Korra asked quietly. The children had been uncharacteristically silent - not that they could be blamed.

"I want to go home," Ikki whispered pleadingly.

"I know," Korra said. "Me, too."

"I want these things to stop happening," Jinora mumbled, her eyes closed as she rested her head back against Korra's chest.

Korra's eyes quivered, already wet from recent tears. Her mouth trembled in a downward curve, beyond her control, and she bit at her lip, trying to save face. She rubbed Ikki's back with one hand, Meelo's with the other, and dipped her chin against Jinora's head.

"They'll stop. This is...all over. I promise. I'm not going to let anything like this happen to you guys anymore."

The four sat in a clump on the evening sidewalk, keeping each other warm as the cold city air brushed past them. A police light flickered red and blue over them, and the sloshing sea of urban sounds flowed all around.

Korra closed her eyes and let the bits of warmth from smaller bodies soothe her tired, aching muscles.

Korra breathed.

In.

Out.

fav.me/d7092p3 <--- Chapter 123 (Part 1)
Chapter 124 ---> fav.me/d70f8bt
[Re:SRU] - Coral Kesuk Reference Set by Destiny-Smasher
© 2014 - 2024 Destiny-Smasher
Comments8
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
alleemaria's avatar
Wow, great chpater!! :)