Chapter Text
The rain poured down over Republic City, blurring the colorful neon that littered every street corner. Autos rumbled down the road and the citizens of the United Republic’s main hub go about their business, even in this terribly cloudy storm. Each sign is unique in its own way, pairing colors together in harmony, while other’s bared intricate designs only made possible by the skilled tradesmen that the city’s industrial district could provide.
There is one sign in particular though. One that seemed to catch the eye of anyone who passed by it. Republic City is a busy place after all and it’s filled with a great mix of people, and most of those people need coffee just to get their days or nights for that matter, started. Rolling blue waves made of neon glass poured over the hard red lettering above a glass doorway. The interior gave off a warm and inviting vibe even from the outside. The name of this place of course, was Southern Tribe Coffee.
A modest place that sits in the center of downtown Republic City and is near everything anyone could ever want. The owner of this fine establishment sits behind the counter at the register. She knows every customer by name and can usually remember their everyday order. Korra stared from behind the register, taking in the sights. Rich wooden bookcases stuffed to the brim with old leatherbound stories, with a faint sound of the jazz record skipping but pushing on through to fill the space with smooth bass lines and brassy trumpet ramblings. It had really come along since she rented the place a few months back and Korra couldn’t be happier.
“Yo Earth Kingdom to Korra, come in Korra,” Bolin muffled under mouth made radio clicks and static, “We need you back down here.” He dropped his hand but held a tight lipped face, waiting for a laugh.
Korra’s eyes strained and slowly rolled away from the dark bookcases and music. Her lackadaisical glare sparked a smile in Bolin. He flashed his teeth, combining them with light green eyes and some strangely bushy eyebrows. Korra chuckled at the sight of her friend.
“Sorry Bolin,” Korra sat up on her stool, “I got distracted trying to figure out where I’m going to put my newest shipment of books from back home.” She said with a light smile.
Bolin tapped a pointed finger on his chin and a devious smirk formed on his face. Korra straightened out more, her eyes widened and they looked up and down at Bolin. “Wha.. What’s that look for?” she stuttered and adjusted her blue ovular glasses to sit steadily on the bridge of her nose.
“Are you doing anything after you close up tonight?” Bolin whispered with a sly stare like he was about to ask her out.
Korra grabbed the receipts from the front of the register and shuffled them into place with a blushed gulp. “Bolin you know I’m not like that, you’re not really my type.”
“Whoa whoa whoa!” Bolin waved his hands and shook his head with a feared expression. “That’s not what I meant!”
Korra was relieved, she didn’t want to have to go through with Bolin what she and his brother Mako went through. The brothers had been her closest friends since she left the South Pole. Things got a bit awkward during and after her stint with him, but they managed to stay close friends. Korra and Mako joke about them being the only people in history that have successfully done this. And for all they know, they may be right.
“Okay, so what were you planning on asking me?” Korra quipped and set down the receipts.
“Well, there’s this new bar down the street. Mako and I went a few days ago. There’s something you absolutely need to see there.” He cooed and raised his eyebrows erratically, and in the most ghost story-esque way, flailed his hands about, wiggling his fingers and finished with a long and low ‘ooooooooooh’.
Korra rolled her blue eyes and folded her arms. She lightly tapped two fingers on her bicep, which bore a traditional water tribe tattoo.
“And what pretel, is that supposed to mean?”
Continuing his oooooo-ing and aaaaaaaah-ing Bolin showed the same sly smirk. “Just trust us, okay? Mako and I want to take you. This is something you definitely need to see.”
Korra persisted in her furious tapping. She stood up from her barstool and cocked her hips, looking at Bolin’s pleading face.
“Fine. Just for a bit.” She sighed.
“YEEEEES,” Bolin howled, as he stamped his feet.
“Bolin,” Korra hissed, he stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. “Just for a bit. I have to open up early tomorrow.”
“No problem! I’ll swing by with Mako after close and we can walk over together!” He barked grabbing his jacket from the old green chair and walked out.
Korra waved as Bolin passed by the front of the store. Once he was gone she started the prep work for closing, but at the back of her mind, all she could think about was what on earth Bolin and Mako had planned for her. The counter was mostly clean and organized. All that was left was the new sacks of coffee beans that arrived earlier that day. Korra’s toned arms flexed as they took the full weight of the five heavy burlap bags. She made her way into the back room.
DING, the metal bell rang out from the counter. Korra adjusted her glasses and checked the clock behind her.
9:55
“Damn, so close,” Korra thought as she shoved the bags into their rightful container, brushed off her apron and headed back out to the register. As she stepped out, she noticed that the shop was completely empty, save for one bespectacled woman holding a small note that she studied intensely.
“We’re about to close, need some that bad huh?” Korra quipped but the woman did not remove her gaze from the note. From what she could tell, it was an order list.
Great.
The woman looked up from the note and smiled. “Sorry to do this to you, but my boss needs his daily fix.”
“It’s no problem, this is my job after all,” Korra responded quickly, brushing off the apology. “What does the bossman want?”
“Nothing special, just a tofu soy latte with extra whip cream and seven shots of espresso.”
Korra stopped for a second. “That’s a heavy drink, is he going to be okay?” She wearily asked.
“He’ll be fine, that’s his usual drink during the weekly all-nighters. He told me to go to the nearest coffee place and that happens to be yours. I’ll probably become a regular if he likes it,” the woman spoke softly but deliberately and her glasses slipped down the bridge of her nose a bit. She wasn’t from Republic City that’s for sure. Korra guessed with her lighter skin and eye shape that she was originally from the Fire Nation across the sea.
Korra began to work furiously on the order. The woman took a seat nearest the counter and watched.
“So if you’re going to become a regular here, I may as well introduce myself. Name’s Korra, pleasure to meet you,” she said with a smile while tightening the knob on the bronze espresso machine. The woman stood up from her chair, the note remained between her hands which she placed on her thighs and gave a slight bow.
9:59
“My name is Zhu-Li, I work for Varrick the owner of Future Industries nightclub just down the road. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Korra.” she smiled again. Korra admired her properness and rigid posture, her gray eyes pierced through the glass lenses but remained soft and personable.
Korra plopped down a very large cup and fixed the lid onto the wide mouth. “There’s the bossman’s drink,” she laughed at the size, set down a regular coffee and pointed to Zhu Li. “And this one is for you. On the house, since I’ll be seeing you around.”
Zhu Li smirked and cocked her head with enjoyment. “Thank you Korra, that's very nice of you. I’ll see you around.” She laid money on the counter, grabbed each coffee and headed out.
“Some people sure are nice here,” Korra said to herself, spinning her keys around her finger as she walked to the front entrance.
Lights off and doors locked, Korra headed upstairs to her small apartment to change. Though she loved the smell of coffee, having her clothes reek of it probably isn’t the best idea. Her fresh outfit consisted of a dark red long sleeved henley, jeans and boots. Winter was fast approaching and the nights had been getting colder, even so, they were nothing compared to the harsh cold of the South Pole. Korra may have gotten used to the nice weather of Republic City and apparently her cold tolerance had diminished. She grabbed her favorite button up sweater and swung it over her broad shoulders.
That’s when the rumbling came and it shook the floor. A large white beast ran out from the living room and jumped on Korra. They came crashing down with a thud, a huge heap in the middle of the small bedroom. Tongue and slobber rained down on Korra’s face.
“Na- Naga! Enough! Bleh! I can’t breathe girl!” Korra chuckled between hefty tongue licks. She pushed her dog off of her and Naga quickly sat down, furiously wagging her tail. “You’re hungry huh? Sorry girl, I wish I could’ve taken more breaks today but Opal had to leave early.” She said as she made her way to the pantry and grabbed a large bowl and even larger sack of food. “Eat up!” She poured the food and then put away the bag. Korra kicked over her shoes and began to lace them as Naga dug in.
A knock on the door made her shoot straight up but it swung open before Korra could turn around.
“Yoohoo Korra, you ready to go?” Bolin stomped in with an excited heaviness and Mako in tow. The taller of the brothers, with dark combed back hair and amber eyes, the junior detective strolled in a more orderly fashion compared to his rambunctious little brother. The cop and the actor, two peas in a pod but entirely different in almost every way.
“Hey guys,” Korra leant down to pet Naga on the head, “Yeah, I’m ready to go. But you’re being so secretive about this I don’t know if I’m actually ready. Wanna clue me in?”
Mako raised a hand and waved as he entered Korra’s apartment, “Well, no we can’t yet. We just want to take you to the new place and have a few drinks, sound good?” He formed a convincing smile and Korra stood up and nodded. “Plus you put up with Bo rehearsing in the coffee shop so I at least owe you a few drinks.”
Korra’s eyes lit up with delight and she let out an elated chuckle, “I guess that is true.”
Broken and looking sad, Bolin hunched over himself, “I’ll get a good gig soon! You’ll see! You’ll all see!” He roared, waving a heavily balled fist in the air.
“I’d give you the part just for that, Bo. You could make your own mover, call it the Out of Work Actor,” Mako cooed and rolled his eyes.
“Let’s just get going!” Bolin growled. The three headed out the door and into the street.
The city air was so cold that Korra could see her breath. Winter really had snuck up on them. She stuffed her hands into her pockets in an effort to warm them but it didn’t seem to be much help. The city however, looked warm and bustling with action. Multi-colored lights polluted the air and painted the sides of buildings between the streets, dicing each block into neat, uneven portions that sprang forth with color. Cars and people littered the roads headed from bar to bar and diving face first into the night life.
Bolin and Mako walked slightly ahead of Korra who was, as anyone would be, uneasy about the whole mystery of this new place. She decided to break the silence as well as the distance.
“Okay at least tell me what this place is called!” Korra blasted her voice in their ears stopping them dead in their tracks.
“So loud. God. Why?” Mako groaned and rubbed his ear. His hand traveled to the back of his neck and he looked up and away from Korra. “It’s.. It’s called Future Industries.”
“Oh! I heard of it! I met the assistant of one of the owners in my shop earlier!” Korra said.
“You did? Well, cool. It’s a nice and normal place. The thing you need to see though will stay a surprise for now,” Mako dropped his hand into his pocket and he ushered Bolin and Korra back into walking down the sidewalk. “I know you’ll enjoy it.”
Korra tilted her head, ready to fire back with another question but Mako had already forged them ahead with shivers down their spines. It was a cold night after all. They turned a corner up the street from Southern Tribe and they were met with a blinding light and loud chatter from a bustling crowd.
A colossal neon sign hung off the side of the brick building and across the width of the sidewalk. Drenched in pink and a coral blue, cursive lettering smoothly spelled out Future Industries. An impressive sight, the sign tinged the ground, buildings, cars and people with it’s high pallette. Speaking of the people, there were a lot. The line ended just before the corner that the three friends had just turned on.
“Come on, we know the bouncer, he’ll let us in ahead of everyone,” Bolin said triumphantly and gave his best hero pose. With rolled eyes, Mako and Korra followed him past the long line and up to the entrance. The door was closed, adorned with a velvet rope that cut off a small square in front of it. Korra could hear muffled but loud music reverberating from within. The bouncer stood menacingly near the crowded line with a firm grip on the gold clasp of the rope. A bald man, standing very tall and very broad with nothing but a goatee and an arrow tattooed onto his cleanly shaven scalp.
“Hey Tenzin, long time.” Mako walked over and shook the sullen man’s hand. His expression quickly changed from brooding to bright.
“Mako! Bolin! Good to see you. Back again I see? Who’s your friend?” he nodded in Korra’s direction. Bolin stepped behind Korra and pushed her forward.
“This is our close friend Korra, she runs the coffee shop down the street. She’s the one I told you about. You know, the one who needs to see you-know-what.”
The tall man smiled and extended a hand, “Oh! She’s here for that? Good! I was wondering if you guys were joking! Go on in!” Tenzin finished his firm handshake and lifted the outer rope and motioned the trio into the doorway.
Korra kept cool, though her mind was racing frantically as she tried to figure out what there could possibly be in this club that everyone seemed to think she would like so much. But she didn’t get to ask any questions, the bass heavy music drowned out most conversation until they got to the bar. She tried to process everything that was happening to and around her, but Mako and Bolin had bought them a few rounds and Korra was feeling good. She could handle herself alcohol-wise, but Future Industries must pour their drinks strong. Combine that with the ecstatic and pulsating music and hordes of people. It was definitely a fun place to be, especially while drunk.
“One more round please!” Mako yelled over the deafening roar of the club, pointing a finger and circling the group in hopes the bartender would understand. The three of them had drank their fill but he figured one more should do the trick.
Korra tipped the end of her low-ball glass upward to finish the last few drops of whiskey that coalesced on the ice cubes. She surveyed the view from the bar. There were multiple dance floors, some with flashing lights making up the ground, others with choreographed strobes. So many differences between them all, yet every person moved up and down and to the beat in a distorted unison like undulating waves on a choppy ocean. It reminded her of home in a weird, roundabout way.
The staff on the floor was almost entirely female, wearing little to nothing as they walked from patron to patron with hand-rolled cigarettes and free samples of alcohol. She watched as each one walked to and fro, admiring their appearances but feeling bad that they had to wear such a modest uniform. That’s when she noticed the other girls. Each dance floor had a one or two raised circles with a pole in the center, and there they were, well, the dancers. She had never guessed that this exciting place filled with all kinds of people, both men and women would also double as a strip club.
Korra felt a freezing sensation on her arm and she jumped back in her seat. She looked up to see Mako’s goofy smile and an extended hand containing yet another drink. She took it and he raised his glass and yelled “Cheers!”
The three tapped their glasses against one another’s and took moderate gulps. Smooth at the beginning but it burned on the way down. Korra reveled in the burning, it kept her warm from the frozen air outside. She slammed her glass on the bartop and the two boys turned to look at her.
“Okay you two, time to come clean. Why am I here?” she stammered as her drunken confidence waivered mid-sentence. The brothers looked at one another, Mako giggled a bit and Bolin smiled wide.
“Okay- okay. Fine fine,” Bolin set down his glass and leaned over Mako. “You may have noticed that this isn’t your everyday nightclub.”
Korra looked around and gave a small nod of assurance. It sure wasn’t like any place she had seen. “Yeah, I can see that.”
“So,” Mako interrupted and leaned forward, pushing Bolin’s face out of the way with his chest, “we want you to come with us and then everything will be made clear.” He smirked again. Korra hated when he smiled in that devious way, it usually meant he was up to no good.
She nodded again before she could even form a response. She blinked and then her hand was taken a hold of and she was being led by the two brothers past the dance floors filled with chest rattling bass and into a curtained off doorway. They walked into a dark expansive room filled with people and another bar situated at the end. The female employees were dressed equally as bare but the people sat at round, velvet wrapped couches and laughed at one another’s jokes and ordered more libations with small umbrellas and crushed sugar cubes.
“Go in there,” Mako pointed at a red velvet curtain near the end of the bar, “and sit in the chair, the only one. You’ll get it when you go in there.”
“Oh-kay,” Korra muttered looking hesitantly at the closed off room, “Why?”
“Just trust us Korra!” Bolin butted in, “Just promise that you won’t leave until it’s over, just go with the flow.” He raised an eyebrow and rolled his tongue, he waved his arm like an ocean swell and small drips of whiskey dribbled off the top of his glass.
“Fine,” She gave in. “This better not be some kind of prank.” She walked off with a hesitant step. She knew what it was, at least she thought she did, but she thought there would be no way that Mako and Bolin had that exact thing planned.
Korra parted the smooth curtain with a finger and ducked her head inside to see a simple, white chair in what appeared to be a small room filled with dim amber light. She walked in slowly, trying to adjust her eyes to the new darkness. The chair was comfortable, and she felt a lot better as the leather material sunk her into the cushion. Her vision was still hazy, all she could see was the light coming through the part in the curtain and a few amber spotlights flushed against the wall.
Then, that curtain opened, but just enough that she couldn’t see who was entering. Korra squinted and fought the dimness, she could barely make out the figure. The leather seat had caused some discomfort now, beads of sweat began to form on her arms and forehead. Her chest echoed with heavy heartbeats and a nervous breath.
A soft, breathy voice floated across the room, tickling her ears, and she saw a quick flash of emerald eyes.
“You must be Korra.”