Omegas fury 4/4

Chapter 14

Korra dug the soles of her boots into the dusty training field, bending her knees and raising both fists. Instead of launching an attack, she remained still as stone—watching, waiting as General Ho approached. The man wasn't at all what she had expected. A middle-aged, subdued-looking beta stood before her, his only notable feature a long grey mustache.

In the past, she would have snuffed him out where he stood. Blasted the smug look from his face with fire, or whipped him off-balance with a gust of air. But she wasn't that Korra anymore. She wasn't alone, either. Two young pups clung to her skirts, their tear-streaked cheeks shining in the eerie purple glow. When she'd found them locked in a shed on the other side of the compound, she'd promised to return them to their mother. She couldn't fight General Ho head-on without endangering them.

A few yards away, her companions had the same thoughts. Mako's flames died, leaving the training field darker, while Bolin dropped clods of earth and loose rock. Asami lowered her glove, if only slightly. Korra exhaled in relief. Of the three, she'd feared Asami's potential lack of restraint most.

That might change, however, if General Ho insisted on monologuing. "Judging from your lack of response, Mrs. Sato, I suppose a demonstration is in order. Captain Kwong? If you would be so kind."

A beta soldier emerged from the group of ten near Asami, Mako, and Bolin. She was tall and willowy, with pale skin and darting eyes. She aimed her glowing glove and fired at one of the training dummies. One moment, it stood still in the darkness, little more than a silhouette. Then, a flash of purple. A low-pitched whirr. Before Korra could so much as blink, the dummy was in pieces. Trails of smoke drifted from the wreckage, dissolving into the air and spreading a faint, singed odor.

Korra's heart raced. She'd dealt with hand-to-hand weapons before. Shock gloves, stun batons, metal cables, and improvised weapons of all kinds. Even giant mechas with flamethrowers and lightning zappers attached. This was different. She questioned whether her reactions, quick as they were, would be fast enough to block one of the purple beams. She'd been right to hesitate.

"You have our attention," Asami snarled, lips peeled back from her teeth. "What do you want, Ho?"

General Ho spread his arms and addressed Asami with his hands outstretched, as if he posed no threat at all. "The unconditional release of our Great Uniter, of course."

"So we're hostages?" Korra asked. "You want to exchange us for Kuvira?"

"To start." General Ho lifted his fist, admiring the glove he wore. "The Great Uniter should be most pleased to hear of our recent developments."

Korra studied his glove, too. Unfortunately, most of the outer material was leather. She doubted she could yank it off his hand with metalbending. Clever bastard. I bet all the tiny metal bits are encased in platinum, too.

General Ho noticed her stare. "Do you like it, Avatar? The cannon Varrick and Baatar Junior designed was a marvel of engineering, but so large and clunky! Slow to fire, and easy to dismantle from within." He clenched his fist, showing off the nozzle attached to the back of the glove. It ran down his forearm, ending at a small electrical box near his elbow. "My version is much simpler. Often the best equipment is compact, straightforward, and mass-produced. Surely your mate agrees."

Asami's eyes flashed with fury. "I wouldn't trust myself with that kind of weapon, let alone a jackbooted thug who kidnaps children."

General Ho pressed his open palm to his chest, as if he were hurt. "The entire point of taking hostages is to avoid bloodshed." He looked to Jinora. "You should agree with me, airbender. Your people advocate for nonviolence whenever possible."