The Terror Within - Part 1

Elira was sitting on the steps of the training area. Pabu was on her lap enjoying some pets, and Pichi was beside her sunbathing. She was watching as Korra spared with Wing. 

Wing fired two meteorites at the Avatar, but she twirled and dodged them before sending her metal cable at him.

 Wing ducked and dodged the first strike, then jumped over the second one and trapped Korra's cable on the ground with his foot. 

Bending the cable, he sent it spiralling back at Korra. The impact knocked the Avatar to the ground.

"I can't believe I'm sparring with the Avatar!" Wing grinned 

"I can't believe I'm stuck with her friend," Wei complained, not far from where Korra and Wing were sparing.

He was sparing against Bolin, who was attempting to metalbend a meteorite but wasn't having much luck.

"Hang on. I think I got it. Let me just try this." Bolin tried to bend the meteorite again as Wing and Korra continued their spar session. The meteorite didn't change shape, and it only fell out of his hands. 

"Nope, okay, maybe-" Bolin then suddenly got nailed with a slab of metal. Elira winced at the sight. 

"Trial by fire. It's the best way to learn metalbending." Wei smirked, sending another meteorite at Bolin as Elira noticed Mako and Asami approaching and stood up. 

Bolin ducked under the meteorite and quickly bent a pebble at his attacker, directly hitting his forehead. 

"Whoa. Nice shot, Bolin!" Mako said as Wei grabbed his forehead in pain with both hands, "But I thought you were supposed to be practising metalbending, not earthbending." 

" Yeah, cheater." Wei scowled, rubbing his red forehead. 

"Mako, metalbending is extremely difficult. No one gets it right away if they can get it at all! It's not normal!" Bolin huffed 

Everyone was distracted, looking to the side as Korra and Wing were still sparing. Korra kicked away a meteorite Wing threw at her before using her cables to flip him onto the ground. 

"Woo-hoo! Metalbending champion!" Korra cheered, jumping and flexing her muscles. 

"Oh, sure. She's the Avatar." Bolin frowned but smiled a little when El took his hand. 

"Guys, it's time to get cleaned up. Tonight is Opal's farewell dinner." Asami informed 

"Okay... Race you back!" El smirked and took off running. 

"Hey! El, that's cheating!" Bolin laughed and ran after her. 

*

El sat between Bolin and Opal as the chef served them dinner. 

"Thanks for making my favourite meal." Opal smiled

"I'm really going to miss you, Opal. No one appreciates my raw veggie wraps like you do," The chef replied and walked away to continue serving food. 

"This looks so good! I don't think I've ever had raw kale before." Elira grinned as the chef served her food. 

"You don't eat kale at the temples?" Opal asked 

"No, it's mainly broccoli and carrots and boring things like that. Of course, that doesn't stop my little brother from trying to throw it at me," Elira said, and Opal chuckled a little 

"How many siblings do you have?" 

"I'm the oldest of five. Two younger sisters and two younger brothers," El explained. 

"Do they annoy you as much as mine do at times?" Opal giggled, gesturing to her siblings sitting around the table. 

"Of course. I've found with my siblings that the younger they are, the more likely they're gonna annoy me. Jinora's not so bad anymore now that she's grown up a bit. But Ikki can be pretty annoying when she wants to be, and I've mentioned Meelo, the terror who likes to throw food instead of eating it. Rohan is still a baby, though. But if the trend continues, he's sure gonna give my parent's a run for their money. " 

"Wow, they sure sound like a handful," Opal said 

"You have no idea", Elira sighed. "I'm really going to miss hanging out with you, Opal." 

"We'll be together soon. You guys are coming up after finding more airbenders, right?" 

"Yeah, but that's like a hundred years from now." Elira huffed and slouched in her seat. 

 "Well, until then, we'll always have kale." Opal smiled, holding up her kale

El giggled and did the same "We'll always have kale." 

"Everyone, if I could have your attention, please?" Suyin suddenly stood up and clinked her glass, getting everyone's attention. "Tonight, my beautiful little girl leaves for the Northern Air Temple." She turned to her daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Opal, none of us could be more proud of you. You're an incredible daughter, sister, friend, and soon-to-be airbending master." 

Suyin wrapped an arm around Opal and kissed her head. Huan, Wing, and Wei watched the slightly emotional scene, and the twins sniffled while Huan rolled his eyes.

Suyin stood up and raised her glass " Here's to Opal. May she help lead us into the new era!" 

 Everyone raised their glass for a toast.

Later that evening, after dinner, everyone was gathered at the docking bay, watching and waving as Opal's airship took off. 

"Bye, Opal! See you soon!" Elira yelled, waving her arm in the air animatedly to her friend, who was standing at the window of the ship, waving goodbye. 

When the airship was far enough away, everyone stopped waving as Opal most likely couldn't see them anymore. 

"We'll head out first thing in the morning." Lin declared, smiling at Korra and the others before walking away. 

The teens followed behind her, Bolin wrapping an arm around Elira, making her smile, as around them, the metal petals of the city started to close. 

*

That night, Elira lay in bed cuddled into Bolin's side as the earthbender snored, his arm wrapped around her in his sleep. Pichi was asleep on the windowsill while Pabu was curled up on top of Bolin's chest.  

Pichi's ear twitched slightly when it picked up a noise coming from outside, waking the lemur. Looking out the window, Pichi sprang up and hissed to get Pabu's attention. The fire ferret perked up with a squeak and leapt off the bed, hopping over to the window sill. 

Looking out, Pabu noticed whatever Pichi had and pawed against the glass. He and Pichi squeaked and screeched loudly in alarm in an attempt to wake their owners. 

The young couple jolted awake with a gasp. "What? What's going on?" 

Pabu and Pichi continued to make noise, Pabu pawing at the window. 

Bolin groaned in annoyance " Pabu, Pichi, sleep!" 

He sunk back and laid down on his pillow, trying to block out the noise. El, however, got up and sluggishly made her way to the window to see what the animals were freaking out about. 

"What is it?" Rubbing her eyes, El peered out the window but saw nothing. "There's nothing there. Go back to sleep, guys." 

Making her way back to bed, Elira collapsed onto the mattress, cuddling into Bolin's side as he wrapped his arm around her again. 

On the windowsill, Pichi chattered to Pabu, and the two leapt onto the bed, making as much noise as possible, trying to get their owners' full attention. Elira groaned and hide her face under the pillow as Bolin sat up. 

"Huh? What? Oh, Pabu, Pichi, it's not playing time right now" The animals jumped back onto the windowsill. "Okay, we are seriously going to have to have a talk- What the heck?!" 

Bolin gasped. Outside, the members of the Red Lotus were seen fleeing through the trees. And they had an unconscious Korra with them!

 "They've got Korra!" 

El jolted up again. "What?!" 

"They've got Korra!" 

The two jumped out of bed, El grabbing her glider beside the bed, and ran outside.

They burst out the door into the garden. 

"Korra!" El sent a gust of wind at the criminals, followed closely by Bolin punching a boulder at them. 

Hearing all the yelling, Mako came rushing out of his own room. 

"Let her go!" He yelled, sending a blast of fire at the kidnappers, which El enhanced with a blast of air. 

 Bolin sent another boulder shortly after Mako and El's attack, but P'Li absorbed the fire, while Ming-Hua stopped the boulder with waterbending. 

She sent a line of water at the trio, but Mako countered it with more firebending. P'Li and Zaheer attacked, but Bolin bent up a wall to shield them, and they hid behind a pillar.

"Korra's in trouble!" Elira yelled to the guards on top of the towers. 

An alarm began to blare loudly, and two guards activated the spotlights, directing their beams down on the criminals.

"So much for the element of surprise," Ming-Hau muttered 

"Back-up plan," Ghazan stated 

P'Li turned and fired a blast at each spotlight before curving a third around the pillar El and the boys were using for cover, sending them flying. El used her bending at the last minute to soften their landing, but they still ended up in a pile outside Asami's door, who ran out to help them. 

"We can't let them take her." Mako groaned, sitting up 

"I don't think they're going to get far. Look!" Asami pointed 

One of Zaofu's guards attacked the group but was sent back by a blast from P'Li. 

The criminals attempted to flee but were stopped in their tracks when a metal slab blocked their path. Looking over, El smiled when she saw Lin metalbending the plates. 

Soon the metal plates surrounded the criminals, with Suyin, Wei and Wing adding to the pile, backed up by Kuvira and more guards.

"We have you surrounded. It's over. Release the Avatar!" Kuvira ordered 

It was silent. Everyone's eyes were trained on the pile of metal slabs. 

Suddenly, lava began to flow out from underneath the pile, evidently bent by Ghazan. Lin used a rock pillar to propel herself away from the deadly substance, and Kuvira and another guard did the same with their metal cables. 

The metal cage holding the criminals slowly fell apart under the magma, showing the criminals in the centre. 

"No way! That guy is lavabending! That's awesome!" Bolin grinned 

Elira sent him a pointed look. 

"... ly not good for us." He corrected himself. 

The Beifong estate courtyard has become a battleground. 

The Metal Clan and Team Avatar were pinned down by P'Li while Ghazan and Ming-Hua protected her from retaliatory attacks.

"I'm going to create some cover. We've got to get out of here!" Zaheer used his glider staff to airbend a mask of smoke from Ghazan's lava. 

But his wrists were suddenly caught by a cable of one of the guards, who was able to reel him off the platform. 

Ghazan sent a lava bomb at the guard who broke cover to go after Zaheer, but it was blocked by another guard with a metal slab. 

Zaheer landed, and the guard, backed up by another, attacked him. He sent one away with a gust of air before knocking away a stone slab sent by the other guard. 

El, Bolin, Mako, Lin, and Asami took cover together behind a slab of metal in order to avoid the criminals' attacks, firing off some of their own. 

 El then noticed the guards facing off against Zaheer. They were losing badly.

"Guys! Cover me!"

"Elira! Get back here!" Lin yelled but was too late as the airbender had already taken off towards where Zaheer was fighting the guards.

 Bolin and Mako did as asked and sent more attacks towards P'Li to distract her. 

P'Li arced a combustion blast to hit them, but it was quickly blocked just short of connecting by another metal slab bent by Suyin and her twin sons, who joined them.

"How did they get in here?" Lin questioned before everyone ducked reflexively as a combustion attack detonated nearby

"I don't know, but we're not letting them escape!" Su declared 

Three guards used more metal slabs to create a bridge to get to the criminals. But Ghazan simply knocked them off, destroying the bridge with his lavabending. 

Elira used her bending to leap over them and finally reach where the guards were trying to apprehend Zaheer but were ultimately knocked back. 

Elira used her staff to send an air swipe at the criminal, who had his back to her. It knocked Zaheer off his feet, but he quickly flipped and landed upright, turning to face the younger airbender

The two glared at each other for a moment, waiting for the other to make the first move as the battle continued around them. 

Finally, Zaheer struck first, sending a blast at the girl who twirled to avoid it and ran at the criminal. 

As she neared, Elira sent more blasts of air at Zaheer, who used his own bending to block the attacks. 

Elira suddenly jumped and spun in the air before kicking her leg out, sending a strong gust of wind at Zaheer and pushing him back. 

Once again, he quickly found his feet. 

"How did you know Korra was here?" Elira demanded, holding her staff in front of her. 

"I have my ways", Zaheer replied. "Turns out Zaofu is not as safe as you thought." 

Elira glared and attacked again. 

"There's no way to cross that moat," Asami said, still hiding with the others. 

Suyin looked up at the ceiling of the dome " We don't need to cross it. Lin and I can drop in from the dome on cables." 

"That's a great idea. Except we'll get blown up the second that third-eyed freak sees us." Lin replied sarcastically as another blast exploded as if to prove her point

"She's a combustionbender. If one of you can stun her, her powers will be knocked out temporarily." Suyin explained 

"Bolin can land a shot", Mako proclaimed 

"I can?" Bolin questioned 

"You have to take her out right before we drop down," Su said 

"I do?" 

*

A little while later, Asami, Bolin and Mako were still huddled behind the metal plate, waiting for the signal from the others on top of the dome. Whilst waiting, Bolin watched nervously as Elira battled against Zaheer, now thankfully backed up by more guards. 

"We're in position." Wing's voice came through the walkie-talkie 

"Copy that", Mako replied before turning to his brother " It's Bolin time." 

They all flinched as another explosion went off close by. 

"All right. Bolin time. Bolin time!" Bolin fired a boulder at P'Li, but she ducked and avoided it.

 The criminals immediately started firing attacks toward Mako, Bolin, and Asami's slab. Fire, water, earth and lava went everywhere as they fought. 

"I can't get a clean shot!" Bolin yelled and ducked behind the slab again. 

"You have to!" Mako knelt beside him. 

"Are we a go?" Wing asked through the walkie-talkie 

"No, go!" 

"Copy that. We're a go." 

"I said no! Wait!" Mako yelled into the radio, but he was too late. Suyin and Lin dropped down on cables from an opening in the dome. 

Mako peered back at the criminals, who were preoccupied with the guards when P'Li suddenly looked up and noticed Suyin and Lin.

"Bolin, take the shot!" Mako fired more fire blasts. 

P'Li grinned and got ready to fire, but Bolin quickly got up and launched a tiny pebble at her. 

The pebble hit her dead centre in her third-eye tattoo, knocking her head back and causing her attack to explode right above her team. 

The explosion knocked the criminals down. 

"Haha, nice job, little bro!" Mako cheered as Suyin and Lin landed safely.

Lin picked up Korra, who had woken up but was still paralyzed, before travelling with her sister back up toward the dome. 

Ming-Hua saw this and quickly trapped her leg with water, but Mako blasted fire at her to break her hold and divert her attention. 

Meanwhile, Zaheer was busy fending off Elira and the two guards, backing away as he deflected their attacks. He noticed what happened from the corner of his and looked up, seeing Lin escaping with Korra.

Elira followed his gaze and sighed in relief to see her friend was now safe. 

"No!" Zaheer yelled and opened his glider, flying in pursuit of Lin. 

But Elira wasn't going to let him get away so easily and was right on his tail. 

Zaheer kicked an air blast at the chief, but she managed to avoid it. 

Just as Zaheer was about to reach her, Elira came flying in from the side, crashing into Zaheer and sending him off course. 

Looping around, Zaheer glared at the girl before attempting to reach Lin and Korra again. Only this time, he was stopped by Suyin swinging Lin out of the way and metalbending the metal shards that make up her necklace at the glider, piercing its wings and sending Zaheer spiralling down. 

"Thanks." Lin smiled at her sister as they continued their accent 

Elira flew down and landed beside her friends, still behind the metal plate. She stood up and glared at the Red Lotus as Zaheer folded his gliders and landed safely next to his team using his airbending.

"We've failed!" Zaheer stood up and glared at the airbender girl. El gave him a cocky smirk. 

Zaheer continued to glare for a few more seconds before angrily airbending a huge cloud of smoke. 

The others all covered their faces before Elira used her bending to form an air bubble, keeping the smoke away from them. 

When the smoke finally cleared and the lava cooled, Zaheer and the Red Lotus were gone. 

*

"This should neutralize the shirshu toxins" Aiwei slid his hand under Korra's head, placing a green bottle to her lips as she lay paralyzed on a couch in Suyin's office. 

Suyin and Lin were watching from behind the couch, and the Krew were all sitting on the couch opposite. 

Drinking the cure, Korra slowly began to move, and her friends sighed in relief. 

"How could you let this happen?! You assured me this was one of the most secure places in the world." Lin snapped at her sister as Korra tried to sit up, and El was quickly at her side to help her. 

"It is. I don't know how this happened. Obviously, this was a well-planned operation, so don't blame me." Su frowned 

Kuvira suddenly appeared in the doorway. "We searched the entire estate. There's no sign of them." 

"Well, keep looking!" Lin ordered, and Kuvira gave a bow and departed 

" It would seem they had some inside knowledge of Zaofu. They must've been working with someone." Aiwei theorized, standing up

"The- the guards." Korra put her hand on her head in pain. "It had to be one of them." 

"I agree," Aiwei said 

"Question them all! Whoever betrayed my city will suffer the consequences!" Suyin yelled and stormed off.