Kuvira's Assistant

Chapter 23

"Kuvira, I want to apologise..."

The young, curly-haired firebender peeped her head into the main control room, in which Kuvira stood in the centre.

The black-haired commander turned around slowly, head over shoulder, and simply looked over at her assistant.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you, our cause, and I shouldn't have made you feel betrayed or anything like that. I'm sorry about my behaviour." She looked pleadingly and sincerely into Kuvira's eyes, still standing halfway through the metal door. "... I'm here to do this all by your side."

The Great Uniter turned back around without a word. She continued to look out into the city as the mecha stomped ahead deeper into Republic City.

Akemi huffed and added, "Can I... Join you?"

A few silent seconds passed, the control room operators darting eyes at each other, and Akemi watched as Kuvira shrugged her shoulders, still looking ahead.

"Take a few more minutes to make sure that this time, that's your final decision. No more wavering. No more uncertainty. I've had enough of that." She said in a deep voice, still without turning around.

"I-" Akemi's eyebrows furrowed, and she stopped herself and took in a deep breath. Exhaling, she added, "Yes, Kuvira."

"Okay, that's it. I'm gonna radio her." Lin's stern voice whipped at Mako.

"Wh- Are you sure? You were right, I mean we can't blow our cover... She-"

"Detective, we can't sit here all day waiting for her to signal us. Our asses, and the entire population of this city's asses are waiting on her assistant butt to start this operation. I'm calling her. If she gets in trouble, we're right here to help her out."

Shrugging a little and raising his eyebrows, the firebender replied, "As you say, Chief... I'll signal the others to wait."

The Chief of Police snatched the receiver from Mako's radio and started to contact the Great Uniter's assistant.

Akemi shut the door to the control room and walked down the stairs outside it, making her way to the storeroom where she'd left her radio. Barely making it down two steps, she froze as she heard a familiar voice crackle through the wall behind her.

"AKEMI. AKEMI? ARE YOU THERE??"

FUCK.

The assistant took in a deeeeeeeep breath, and instantly turned around to swing the control room door open. Wide eyed, she frantically looked towards the left corner of the room, and then up at Kuvira, who was also looking at that same corner. Her eyes calmly shifted to meet Akemi's.

"AKEMI??"

Her radio. How the fuck did it end up in the control room? Akemi's attention shifted to an operator sitting beside it, who started to speak to her.

"Oh, sorry, General Akemi. I found this in the storeroom a few minutes ago and the Great Uniter asked me to bring it in here and give it to you when you came." His voice started fading as Akemi got light-headed and looked back at Kuvira.

"Pick up." Kuvira's nostrils were flared, her teeth gritted and her eyes seething.

"FOR SPIRITS' SAKE, SHE'S NOT ANSWERING. WHA-" A crackle and pop indicated that the line had closed.

"What are we supposed to do now?!!" Lin barked at Mako and General Iroh as she set down the receiver. "General. What do you think? Should we commence operation?"