Korra and Asami

25: Cost of War

Thirty minutes turned into an hour, which then turned into two and there was only so long Asami could walk before heading back. The team realized that whoever was after her clearly didn't want her on that night, but they could always try again. 

Once she was back in the lab, the rest of Asami's friends showed up shortly after. Toph sat in the corner annoyed with how long she waited for seemingly no reason. 

"They didn't want you, huh kid?" Toph asked grumpily.

Asami frowned, paying the old woman no mind, looking around the room as more and more people walked in, feeling confused. 

"I don't understand, they didn't hesitate to destroy the mechawatchers, which indicates they are always on the lookout, but once the person they want is in arms reach, they just. . . ignore the opportunity?" Asami asked, not understanding. 

"I don't know, maybe they had another mission of their own this night. . ." Opal suggested. 

"No. Asami and her work have been their main priority and they've made that abundantly clear," Mako shook his head. 

"Korra what do you think?" Bolin asked looking around for the Avatar. 

Time seemed to freeze at that moment, Asami looking around the room frantically for her absent girlfriend. 

"Korra?" Tenzin called her, also looking for the Avatar. 

Realization seemed to dawn on everyone, they all realized they had been played. 

"No. . ." Asami whispered, looking down in disbelief. 

"She was the furthest away from the rest of us. . ." Lin clenched her fists. 

"While all our eyes were on Asami," Mako gritted out, throwing a fireball angrily at the nearest wall. 

Asami fell to her knees in pain and anger, "I should've known. They knew. . . they knew everything!" 

"Asami, we'll find her," Tenzin told her firmly, turning to his airbenders, "Search the perimeter, the mansion, the whole city if you must, find the Avatar, now!" 

Without hesitation, all the airbenders took off. 

Kuvira stepped forward, taking a knee in front of Asami, "Whatever you need from us, we will do it." 

Asami shook her head, wiping away her tears angrily, "I don't know what I need, because we don't know who they are!" 

Kuvira worriedly looked up at the group, not knowing what to say at this point. 

"Asami is right. Until we know who they are-"

Just then, the door busted open and Varrick stomped inside looking quite. . . a mess.

"I'll tell you who they are!" 

Asami's head snapped up in hope, along with everyone else, waiting for him to tell them. 

"Well? Get on with it!" Tenzin urged. 

"Well, I don't know who they are," The group grew upset at his false claims, but he continued, "But I do know that they are using spirit energy to do so! Some of those benders just tried to take me, but I fought them off pretty good."

Lin gave him a flat look, "You mean you ran away. . ."

"Besides the point!" He shouted.

Toph shook her head, "You guys still hang around this goon?"

Lin sighed, "He's proven himself to be occasionally. . . useful."

"Well, I'm going home. Good luck finding the avatar," Toph took her leave, stopping in front of Asami on her way out, "Brighten up kid, if there's one thing I know about Twinkle Toes, it's that she's a survivor and very hard to kill," With that, she left.