Bleed Your Heart Out❟ TLOK¹

𝟬𝟬𝟰 A New Era

CHAPTER FOUR
﹙ a new era ﹚

✴

IF Sanyu could express her love for flying a million times over, she would. It makes her feel liberated from the weight of the world. She dreams of soaring away, starting a new life somewhere beyond Republic City. However, her earthly attachments to her mother and her younger siblings keep her grounded, despite her countless thoughts of escape.

But when the young Avatar offers her a ride on Naga, Sanyu eagerly accepts despite the fact that she loves flying. Exhausted from the recent fight, she also harbors a secret desire to experience riding this magnificent polar bear dog.

Seated at the back, behind Mako, she clutches her staff tightly on one hand, and the other is holding onto the firebender to prevent herself from falling.

"Sorry for getting you involved, Sanyu," Korra apologizes as Naga ventures through a deserted city street in search of Bolin. "I know you should be home by now, but I just had to bring you──well, also because you glared at me when I wanted to help Mako by myself, and yet you──"

"I got it, Avatar," Sanyu interjects with a frown and an annoyed eye roll. "Spirits, you talk too much when you're nervous, don't you?"

"I-I'm not nervous!" the other girl defends as Naga heads toward another street with a closed night market.

"Says the one who just stuttered."

"What──?!"

Mako lets out a heavy sigh before intervening in the quarrel between the two girls. "Okay, can we focus on finding my brother instead of bickering like kids?" he chides them.

His words silence the girls momentarily, but then he turns to address Sanyu directly. "And you have to stop wearing that police uniform and shouting 'This is the police' every few seconds if you want to help me find my brother." He shoots a disapproving glance at the cop and raises an eyebrow. "Don't you have any other clothes than that?"

Sanyu glares at him. "No," she snaps, squeezing Mako's arm tightly, eliciting a yelp of pain from him. "And how dare you tell me what to do or wear!"

Korra nods, now siding with the cop. "Yeah, Mako," she agrees, giving him a judgmental look. "Let her do and wear what she wants."

Mako raises his hands in mock defense. "I'm just saying . . ." he says with an innocent face. "Officer Sanyu──"

"That's Beifong for you, you jerk!" Sanyu corrects sharply.

"I mean, Officer Beifong needs to be careful, too," he continue to explain after being interrupted. "Because the first thing those masked men are going to do is attack her instead of the Avatar. She's more of a threat to them since she's a police officer, capable of arresting them."

Sanyu narrows her eyes at him, reconsidering his words. A frustrated groan escapes her lips as she reluctantly agrees──she must proceed with extra caution to investigate this case.

She sighs in defeat. "I can't believe I'm agreeing with you, taking advice from a man," she admits, her expression sullen. "But you're right. I need to change up my appearance . . ."

"Here, wear my coat," Mako offers, removing his coat and handing it to her. Beneath, he's wearing a white compression shirt.

Sanyu hesitates before accepting it, pulling it over her police uniform. The scent of sweat and city smoke wafts from the fabric.