十二

[anatural]

[action]
[This is the first time in weeks that Naga has left Korra's side. While Korra goes to meet Arthur, Naga finally takes the opportunity to get out of the City. She's a wild animal, and the tall buildings and busy streets upset her.

You might run into if you're at:

• the forest
• the drowning pool
• the city limits

It's been an interesting few weeks. Best be careful around her.]

Comments

[anatural]

Sorry. I promised Asami another movie night.

[Come ooooooooon, Chekov.]

[mortemscintilla]

[ People aren't very perceptive of looks, which is fine with Hei. He does most of his info-gathering from looks. In fact, you can disregard about 99% of what actually comes out of another's mouth. Their faces tell an entirely different story. ]

[ Chekov's face is telling one right now. ]

[ A story that must be aborted. Fast. ]

I guess there's always next time, Pavel. Korra seems to be in a rush. [ An apologetic smile to both. As if Li has nothing to do with said rush. ] I'll see you guys around.

[candothat]

Yes, of course.

[He gives Li another searching look, trying to divine what's going on through sheer will--which never works.]

I will see you later, Li.

[In many ways, Chekov is no better at lying than Korra (the difference between them being that he knows not to try lying); his expression gives all of his suspicions away. But he does go along with Korra and uncharacteristically perturbed Naga.]

[anatural]

[THANK GOODNESS. Korra almost forgets to breathe until she, Naga, and Chekov have put a fair amount of distance between themselves and Li. So she thinks. When she finally feels safe again, she lets go of his hand and smiles.]

Thanks for coming, Chekov. I really appreciate it.

[Please don't ask her anything more. Please please please please please.]

[mortemscintilla]

[ He nods a friendly goodbye to Korra and Chekov. Watches them depart -- before discreetly shadowing at a distance. Measured footsteps. Calculated camouflage. He has years of practice in the field. He knows how to draw himself in. Be almost invisible. ]

[ He's not letting them out of sight. Not until he's cornered Chekov alone. ]

[candothat]

[That tension, Korra? Noticeable and not doing much to render Chekov less suspicious. He glances behind them, half-expecting to see Li. There's no one there, of course (he's only being paranoid if he feels that they're being followed), and there's no reason to worry. Naga will detect any threats long before he does even if he calls upon all of his training.]

Korra, I'm always happy to fix whatever you might break. [With your delicate, lady-like, and oh-so-patient ways.] But why are you and Naga behaving strangely?

[Curiosity. Cat.]

[anatural]

[Naga herself doesn't relax until they're back within the City limits. She loses Li's scent in the urban stench.

Korra does her best to look innocent.]

We're not acting strangely.

[candothat]

Yes, you are.

[At least Naga is back to normal. Korra, not so much. But they are friends, and that means that he shouldn't pry if this is a matter she would rather not talk about for whatever reason.]

If this is something private between you and Li and you do not want to discuss it with me, please tell me. I will leave you alone.

[anatural]

[Thank you, thank you, thank you, Chekov, for giving her the perfect out.]

I really don't wanna talk about it.

[Lie. Korra feels like she's drowning. She can't tell what's real or not; she doesn't know what she's supposed to do. Everything is complicated and she wants more than anything to pour it out on someone who could make it make sense.

And yet truth. She doesn't want to talk about it. Not just because it would put Chekov in danger. Not just because she doesn't even know where she'd begin.

She doesn't know why Li is pretending to be someone he's not. She doesn't know why this is so important, he'd threaten to hurt her friends if she told.

What she does know is that he's spared her. More than once, and not with the goal of hurting her later. He's not Amon, cornering her while she's alone and promising to destroy her when the time is right. His attacks have been brutal and terrifying, but in a weird way, she can see them as self-defense. There's something in her gut that says he's...not an enemy.

Whatever his reasons are for his lies, they're his reasons. They're not hers to share.

She reaches out again to briefly squeeze Chekov's hand.]

Thank you for caring. And I'm sorry about lying to you.

[candothat]

[Chekov doesn't like not being in the know, but it's tolerable if whatever Korra's hiding isn't a danger to her. She's too much like his friends at home--willing to keep something secret even if it's harming her in order to spare others. If it's only something embarrassing...

Well. There are some things that are meant to remain secret.]

It's okay.

[But Li's not off the hook yet.]

...Is the dvd player really broken?

[anatural]

[She winces slightly.]

...yeah, it is.

[candothat]

[Oh, Korra. You will never be in trouble for breaking things.]

It should be easy to fix. But are you sure that it needs to be done immediately?

[Because Chekov would like to find Li and poke him.]

[anatural]

I...guess not? {She looks at him suspiciously.] You got somewhere you need to be?

[candothat]

No, but I would like to find Li and talk with him. [quietly] Something is not right with him.

[anatural]

No. [She comes to an abrupt halt and grabs his arm, hard enough to leave bruises.] Chekov, don't. Just leave him alone.

[candothat]

What? [And also ow. She does get him to stop, however.] Why? I have been friends with him for months.

[anatural]

[How does she explain how does she explain how does she explain?]

It's just... It's just not a good time right now. He's got some personal things going on. He wouldn't want to talk about it.

[candothat]

[This is getting ridiculous. Chekov pulls away from Korra, patience at its limit.]

You can talk to him, but I should leave him alone? Should I stop talking to all of my friends?

[anatural]

What? No! Chekov!


Can you just trust me? Please?

[candothat]

[He can't very well say no to that, although he's reluctant to say yes.]

Okay, yes... I will trust you. [But not happily and not without being deeply, deeply uncertain about this.] I'll leave him alone for now.

[anatural]

[She lets out a heavy sigh of relief.]

Thank you.



[ooc: Totally cool with handwaving the rest so the Hei/Chekov madness can begin!]

[candothat]

Of course.

[Gah, what are these feelings of annoyance and dissatisfaction, and why did they bring guilt along with them? What's going on? How can he possibly figure out what's going on when he's not supposed to ask about it or talk to Li?]

I will be by later to look at the dvd player.



[ooc: Okay. ^^]

/creeeeps

[mortemscintilla]

[ Out of control. That's the only way Hei can describe this mess. Idiotic and out of control. Something about the City has snagged at his sentimental underbelly -- drawn it out with harmless curses, real stars and soft beds. Blunted his alertness. Now he has liabilities to handle at every step. Crouched perfectly concealed on a fire-escape, near Korra and Chekov, he watches them converse. Hard to determine words over the pedestrian clamor. But he can read lips. ]

[ No details spilled. But he's not taking chances. ]

[ When Korra and Chekov part ways, he slips to follow Chekov. Amusing, how killing him would be easy -- regardless of crowds or location. Hei can dispense death just by brushing past him, delivering a fatal voltage. Erasing minds is trickier. He needs to get Chekov in a secluded spot. ]

Hullo, favorite creeper!

[candothat]

[When he parts ways with Korra, Chekov is visibly troubled--more so now that he believes he's unobserved, just an anonymous part of the crowd. Knowing that something is wrong and being unable to investigate it is immensely frustrating.

And something is very wrong. Li hadn't seemed troubled the last time Chekov spoke with him, and his entire demeanor in the forest when he had been with Korra was off. It was almost as if Li had been another person, just for an instant. Naga had looked ready to attack Li, as well; that doesn't mean anything in and of itself, but it's puzzling.

Chekov wants little more to get out of the crowd so he can think in peace. Wholly unaware of Hei, he veers off towards Xanadu, first at a brisk walk and then, as the crowd thins, at a jog. A little exercise and time alone--that's what he needs to sort this out.

He's in a flat-out sprint by the time he hits the City's outskirts. Chekov is a thinker first and foremost, but he is also an accomplished runner: the youngest to win the annual Starfleet Academy marathon, accustomed to running barefoot for two hours each day to stay primed. What he lacks in size, heft, and combat experience, he makes up for in speed.

He doesn't stop until he's sure he has gone far enough to avoid company, but, should Hei fall behind, it's not difficult to determine where he went. Running is not a terribly stealthy activity.]

Favorite? There are OTHERS? O:

[mortemscintilla]

[ He can tell Chekov is preoccupied -- bet with absolute certainty what ideas are running through his head. And Korra wonders why he's so adamant about keeping himself to himself. The slightest crack in demeanor, the briefest slip-up, and Citizens appoint themselves amateur Philip Marlowe's in The Story Of Your Life. Whether it's out of boredom or self-righteous concern, Hei neither knows nor cares. But secrecy and self-preservation are the indisputable laws that govern Contractors. There are no complex collieries to it. Certainly none here. ]

[ When Chekov takes off at a sprint, Hei follows. At a distance, keeping to shadows and corners. His shoes, light and high-backed, make no sound. The idea that assassins wear metal-capped boots is a myth. He doesn't kick with his feet unless he has to; the attack is too slow. Balance is far more vital. He's impressed though; Pavel certainly can run. But so can Hei. He may not be in active warzone anymore, but his reflexes have hardly suffered for it. The opposite. He's experimented and trained his body to push past human demarcations to survive in a field of superhumans. ]

[ He doesn't chase Chekov all the way on foot. The last few laps, he determines his quarry's course. Falls back to take a short-cut between buildings. Taking Chekov by surprise will be easier. No witnesses. No messes. ]