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Mako breathed a shaky sigh of relief as Naga chased the two Equalists away. That had been far too close. But they hadn’t managed to get Bolin back. He was still in that truck!
The truth and reality of the situation finally caught up with him and Mako’s chest squeezed so tightly he couldn’t breathe. His body started trembling and his eyes burned with a prickling sensation.
His younger brother’s terrified face sprang to his mind; of his brother tied up in the truck with a bandana tied around his mouth. He saw the pleading look that flashed through Bolin’s eyes, the look Mako had last seen when his ten-year-old brother was crowded by Triad thugs, the look that prompted Mako to unleash the most powerful firebending he ever used in his entire life (to this day he still didn’t know whether the thugs survived or not). His normally cheerful, carefree brother who was quite honestly the only thing preventing Mako from just ending it all and leaving this shitty world behind. His brother who was the only one who could make him feel loved and important and that he belonged somewhere and he was worth something—
And now he was gone, bound and gagged like an animal.
Bolin was gone.
Bolin was captured.
Gone.
Captured.
Mako sprang to his feet, the pain and discomfort from whatever those two Equalists had done to him completely forgotten in the wake of his panic. He immediately took off in the direction the truck had left, leaving a confused Korra in his wake.
Korra blinked for a few moments as she watched Mako’s frenzied dash down the alleyway (he was running so fast she couldn’t help but feel he was somehow using airbending to guide him) then looked at Naga. Once the Equalists had left, she leapt to her feet and embraced her faithful polarbear dog. She nuzzled the beast and congratulated her on a job well done. Pabu then scurried up her leg and chattered in her ear, as if trying to remind her that he helped as well. Korra had laughed and thanked the fire ferret as well with a pat on his head.
She was just about to turn to Mako to come up with a plan when he whizzed right past her. He had sounded like he was having trouble breathing, but if that were so, then how was he running so fast? By now he was already out of sight after turning some corner far up ahead.
Pabu let out a screech and kept nudging his head in Mako’s direction, as if telling her to get a move on already. She shook her head to clear it and nodded. “All right—let’s go guys.” In one swift movement she leapt onto Naga’s saddle and snatched up the reins, Pabu perched on her shoulder with his tail wrapped around her neck like he had with Mako. “Go, Naga!”
Korra’s body arched back as Naga tore down the street and she struggled to sort out her thoughts and feelings. When she first saw Bolin in that truck, she had been so sure they would be able to get him back. She was the Avatar and she had Mr. Hat Trick firebender with her—plus they were riding an enormous polarbear dog. Easy enough, right?
She hadn’t counted on the Equalists tripping Naga, however. Or the two fighters that seemingly came out of nowhere and we able to do that weird punching thing. She shuddered at the memory of the sensation. Just a few jabs and her limbs were useless—what was up with that?
And now here they were, with Bolin … not here. They had failed in saving him. Now they had no idea where he was. Korra’s chest constricted with an unpleasant and unfamiliar feeling. It’s not like she knew Bolin that well, but in a way you could say he was one of the first friends she ever had, or rather was someone she could see as becoming one of her friends. They had only known each other for a few days after all. But the knowledge that he was gone left her with the same feeling she had when she said good-bye to her parents, and she didn’t like it.
“Mako!”
They had caught up with him now. He was just up ahead and Korra could see that his previous speed was completely gone. The firebender was reduced to a frantic, zig-zagged, spinning … mess. His chest was heaving and he was moving all over the wide open lot like he was trying to look for clues and couldn’t make up his mind up of where to go.
Korra pulled hard on the reins and jumped off Naga. “Mako—”
“—Where could they have gone? I know I saw them turn down this way just before we fell, but where did they go next?!” Mako gripped his hair with both hands and turned around, his eyes darting all over the place in a desperate attempt for clues. “There’s absolutely no sign of—”
“MAKO!” Korra’s scream halted him in his tracks, and he froze, staring at her with confusion. His breathing was still heavy and uneven, and Korra felt uncomfortable as she noticed his eyes had slightly more moisture in them than usual (though thankfully he wasn’t or hadn’t cried). In fact, Mako’s whole … self right now made her uncomfortable. He was acting so unlike Mako. This … this wasn’t how Mako was supposed to act. And Korra was already worrying about Bolin and struggling to sort out her feelings … she couldn’t worry about Mako as well.
Realizing she was supposed to say something, Korra cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her neck, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “We um … I don’t think we’ll be able to do much else here, so … why don’t get go tell Chief Bei Fong or something about what happened, or even Tenzin—”
Mako let out a derisive laugh. “Are you kidding me? Avatar Korra who got arrested within hours of arriving at Republic City now wants to go to the police and ask for help?! They’re not going to do anything about this! Now if you excuse me I have to go save my brother—”
“Hey!” Korra’s face turned pink from the insult and she glared at Mako. “I’m only trying to help, you ungrateful—”
“My brother is gone!” he yelled, his voice breaking at the end. A pained and embarrassed look crossed his face. Mako took a deep, shuddering breath and his entire body slumped when he released it. “They took him,” he said, his voice flat and quiet. “I can’t sit around and do nothing while he’s off who knows where while he—” He closed his eyes and turned to the side with his arms folded, then finished in a whisper, “He’s all I have.”
Korra’s throat clammed up and an incredible rush of affection coursed through her. This was … she didn’t know much about the brothers’ past or how they came to live in the attic of the pro-bending stadium (and part of her was a little afraid to find out) but she did know that they were close. Closer than most of the siblings she had seen, but now … now she knew they were closer than she could have ever imagined. It was almost breathtaking actually, and Korra knew she wasn’t really an emotional person, but the affection and love the termed “fabulous bending brothers” really had for each other was very touching. The small, warm smile that had crept onto her face suddenly vanished as she was once again reminded that Bolin was gone, and the severity of the situation came back at full force.
No wonder Mako looked at the end of his rope. She noticed the slight trembling of his hands and the way he was almost hugging himself with his folded arms. This had to be killing him, and if they didn’t get Bolin back and fast …
Korra took a few small steps forward and reached out to softly touch Mako’s shoulder. He turned his head to look at her hesitantly, looking more meek than Korra had ever seen him. She gave his shoulder a tight squeeze and said with as much confidence as she could muster, “We are going to save your brother.”
Mako just stared at her blankly for a moment, then gave a curt nod. To Korra’s relief there was the briefest shadow of appreciation on his face, before it was replaced by an stone-cold, impassive expression. Normally that look would irritate her to no end, but this time was different. Korra knew he was doing his best to keep himself together, and she was quite impressed with him. He had to be struggling so hard to keep himself composed in her presence. There was a brief pang of hurt she felt because Mako wasn’t willing to share his true feelings with her, but she quickly squashed it. The two of them barely knew each other, so it was only right. Hopefully with time they’d become good enough friends to feel more comfortable around each other, but now wasn’t the time for that.
The two brothers had given her so much already: friendship, freedom from a life of never-ending training, fun, the chance to play on a pro-bending team, and the chance to feel normal for once—now it was her turn to pay them back. She had to be the strong one for both of them.
“All right, how about we go back to your place, grab a few of your things, and then head to Air Temple Island?” When Mako opened his mouth to argue, Korra shook her head and continued, “We can talk to Tenzin and see what he has to say. And considering what … happened, I think it’s best you come sleep where it’s safer.” Mako frowned and still didn’t look entirely too convinced at the idea. Korra knew he wanted nothing more than to charge in and rescue Bolin (to be honest, she was feeling a lot of that herself) but she knew this would be the best course of action. Call it her Avatar sense, but this seemed right.
“Bolin would want you to get some sleep,” she said softly. “You can’t save him if you’re dead on your feet.”
Mako flinched at her words and Korra let go of his shoulder. She waited patiently for him to agree with her, and noted how ironic it was that she was the level-headed one in this situation. Finally, he nodded and Korra beamed.
“All right—no time to lose! To the arena, Naga!” Korra mounted the polarbear dog once more. This whole situation was foreign and she wasn’t exactly sure how she should act, so she decided to act like her normal self. Korra only hoped she didn’t seem too insensitive or anything. Mako didn’t seem to really mind, so she must be doing well so far.
Mako followed behind her with a little less enthusiasm. When he sat behind Korra, Pabu pounced on him and nuzzled his neck. Mako closed his eyes and returned the fire ferret’s affections as one would a toy platypus bear, and Korra couldn’t help but smile fondly at the sight. Bolin was right—Mako tried to act like a ferocious saber-tooth moose lion, but he was really an awkward turtleduck.
The thought of Bolin made her chest constrict again, so Korra gave Naga the command and they took off toward the pro-bending arena.
—
Mako made his way to his and Bolin’s room in a daze, Pabu on his shoulder. Korra was waiting patiently in their living room/kitchen/everything but their bedroom. To his relief she didn’t seem bothered or pitied them for their small living space. She actually seemed more impressed at how spotless everything was, and Mako couldn’t help but chuckle at her comment. After living without the comfort of a nice place to live, you grew to be more appreciative of what you did have. He and Bolin knew how lucky they were to get a place that wasn’t the filth-infested corner of a dark and freezing alley, and so they kept their place clean.
The firebender crossed off a mental checklist as he tore through his belongings, getting everything he needed. While he would never admit it, he was grateful Korra had offered him a temporary place to stay until Bolin was found. He didn’t think he could stay in this place with his brother’s loud absence looming over him. The streets were so much more inviting.
When he stuffed his last item into his fraying knapsack, Pabu let out a screech and pawed at something underneath his bed. Mako bent down and saw it was an old shoebox that had become dislodged from its usual spot during his hurried searching. Mako’s throat clenched as he realized what it was. And while he knew he didn’t exactly have time for this, he couldn’t help but want to look through its contents for a moment.
Mako carefully pulled out the shoebox and sat on his bed, the knapsack sitting beside him. With a deep breath as if to steel himself, Mako set the box on his lap and removed the lid.
Inside was a strange assortment of objects that would at first glance and to anyone else look like junk, but to Mako … these were treasures. He turned to Pabu who was on the bed next to him, peering at the box in curiosity and said, “You can’t tell Bolin about this, okay?” The fire ferret squeaked his promise with a nod.
The shoebox was collection of items that all had to do with Bolin in some way. They were things that Mako had gathered over the years, and had been able to keep it a secret from his younger brother thus far. If Bolin ever did find out, Mako wasn’t sure who would be more embarrassed.
He held up a few old, fading photographs. There was one of him holding Bolin after he was born, one of Bolin dressed in Mako’s clothes (though it looked more like he was swimming in them), and one of them holding hands and covered in mud. Mako then held up a tiny green sock that Bolin had worn when he was a baby. The other one had disappeared somehow, and Mako had taken the other one with the promise he would find the missing sock and return the pair to his baby brother. Obviously, Mako never succeeded, but the sock still remained with him.
The process continued for a few more minutes, as Mako found himself lost in memories as he took out each of the items one by one. There were a few brightly colored and polished rocks that Bolin had found and given to Mako as little presents, a yellow sparrowkeet feather (they were a rare breed—sparrowkeets tended to be green), a little schedule written on a scrap of paper in Bolin’s scrawl (Bolin presented it to him one day because he wanted to help Mako with the chores), a red and green elastic band Bolin found and wore for months on end as a bracelet, and many other things.
He finally reached the last item in the box, and Mako’s fingers trembled slightly as he carefully unfolded the piece of paper. It was a drawing of him and Mako holding hands. It was just a stick-figure drawing, but Bolin had included Mako’s red scarf and Bolin’s characteristic little curl of hair. There was a fire next to Mako and a wall of dirt next to Bolin. Then at the very top were the words “my family.”
It was a birthday present given to him one freezing morning on the streets. The two of them were huddled in their makeshift home, huddled together for warmth as Mako diligently kept a small fire going on a piece of wood they had salvaged. Mako had no idea how Bolin managed to draw it, but it easily became one of Mako’s prized possessions.
An overwhelming flood of emotions overcame Mako. First of regret that Bolin didn’t remember his own parents enough to include them in the picture, then of gratitude at having been blessed with such a kind and loving brother, his own intense and burning affection for Bolin, and finally the terrible fear that he would never see Bolin again followed by the guilt that he allowed something like this to happen. It soon became too much for him and Mako finally succumbed to the feelings he had been trying to keep at bay for so long, filling the bedroom with the sound of his gut-wrenching sobs.
—
Korra tapped her foot impatiently. Spirits what was taking him so long? She knew Mako couldn’t have packed much, and he had to want to leave as soon as possible so they could resume their search for Bolin. It was getting late and they needed to reached Tenzin before he retired for bed. Plus she was getting antsy—she wanted to kick some Equalist ass now despite how calm she tried to appear to Mako.
Deciding she had waited long enough, Korra pushed herself off the couch with an impatient growl and plowed into the bedroom.
“Come on, Mako we’ve got to—”
The words died in her throat when she saw Mako hunched over on his bed, sobbing like a child. It was bound to happen sooner or later; Korra had been expecting it, but … to actually see and hear it was completely different. She was never really one for crying and hadn’t really been around crying people, and then to see someone like Mako who also didn’t seem to be one for crying … the young Avatar felt incredibly awkward and like she was intruding on something private and personal. A strong urge to flee the room and possibly the arena gripped her, but an equally powerful want to help and comfort the distraught firebender kept her frozen in place.
Korra was many things, but comforting wasn’t one of them. She had all the motherly instincts of a wild boarcupine. It was how she was, and she was fine with it. But now, she couldn’t help but wish she wasn’t.
Mako just looked so lost, so unsure and distressed. His entire world was crumbling all around him. Korra knew he liked to be in control and in charge of his life—it was one of the traits they shared. And so to see him reduced to this state brought tears to her own eyes.
Her presence was only acknowledged by the tips of Mako’s ears turning red. He kept his face buried in his hand as tears ran down his arm in rivulets and dripped onto his pants. It distressed her so much to see him like this, and she knew he was just as uncomfortable, perhaps more so. But she couldn’t leave.
It was almost like someone gave her a small nudge from behind and she stumbled over to the bed. Korra put the knapsack on the ground to clear some room for herself. With her face burning from embarrassment, Korra threw her arms around Mako and held on tight, burying her face into his shoulder.
Mako’s entire body tensed at the contact and his crying paused for a moment, then he leaned slightly into her touch and continued crying. Korra said nothing, and she didn’t need to. Somehow, she knew this was what Mako needed.
Eventually, Mako was able to calm down. When his sobs were reduced to hiccups, Korra pulled away and kept her eyes trained on her lap. She heard Mako blow his nose into something, then found a tiny pack of tissues held out before her. Korra chanced a glance at Mako and mumbled her thanks. His eyes were red and puffy, and his face was still slightly damp despite his obvious attempt at scrubbing it dry.
Once she had dried her own tears, she peered at the item in his lap. “Uh, what’s that?” she asked. It had been in his hand while he was crying, but she hadn’t been able to get a good look at it.
Mako sniffed and wiped his eyes. “Oh, it’s ah … a birthday present from Bolin.” He hesitated for a moment, then carefully handed it to her.
Korra broke into a wide grin at the picture and couldn’t stop a few more tears from escaping. “It’s beautiful,” she managed to say. She returned it to Mako and he held it out in front of him, with his finger gently brushing over the stick figure of Bolin.
“I have to find him,” he whispered after a few moments had passed. “I can’t lose him.”
His voice was so small, so frail—it was the voice of a child begging their parents to tell them the monsters aren’t real. It tugged at Korra’s heart and she had to help him. She reached out and covered Mako’s right hand with her own, then pulled it toward herself. When Mako finally raised his eyes to meet her own, she gave him a soft smile.
“I swear on my title as Avatar we’ll find your brother,” she said. She gave his hand a tight squeeze. “Don’t you worry.”
Mako’s eyes filled with tears again and he looked away, using his other hand to wipe them away. A small sob escaped his throat, but then he turned to Korra with a grateful smile.
“Thank you.” He squeezed her hand back.
Korra coughed and sprung to her feet. “Well! Let’s get a move on, shall we? Tenzin will be going to sleep any time now, so we’ll just have Naga swim across.” She snatched Mako’s knapsack off the ground and slung it over her back as she rushed out of the room.
Mako stood up and glanced back at the pile of objects with a fond smile. Then he picked up the drawing from Bolin once more. Pabu leapt onto his shoulder and licked at his face. The firebender chuckled and gave the fire ferret a light kiss on the head.
With a sigh, Mako glanced at his brother’s bed, which hadn’t been made from this morning. He returned his attention to the drawing in his hand, then re-folded it carefully and placed it in a pocket hidden in his clothes.
“I’m coming to save you, Bolin. Just hold on a little longer.”