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Chapter Text

🚨 SPOILERS! Assume every part of JoJo's and all of The Legend of Korra could be spoiled. Enjoy the source material first!

Back of the Album Cover ◎⃝⃘

9789 BG Avatar Wan faced down his greatest foes. Neither man nor spirit, but monsters that dined on human flesh. Four beings that laid waste to all armies of humanity in a single night.

The Pillar Men had come to destroy their world!

Wan went into the Avatar state as the immortals regenerated from their injuries, their faces nonplussed. Wan would change that!

Using every last bit of power he summoned the oceans from beyond the horizon. Refracting the golden light of tomorrow at the horrible monsters.

Their bodies became crusted in stone, twisting into the forms they would remain in for thousands of years.

Their conquest of terror was over!

Avatar Wan fell to the earth, succumbing to his wounds. Balance had been restored, the avatar had saved everyone…His only failure, he thought as he grasped for the gray face fallen just outside his reach, was to find and destroy every last Stone Mask!

"Oh well," he croaked, "That's the next Me's problem…".

Avatar Wan has Died.

◎⃝⃘

10 BG Jonathan Joestar drove his fist alight with the flames of Hamon, a power of light beyond the knowledge of bending, into the heart of Darkness!

DIO! His brother-rival, had abandoned his humanity and sought to plunge the world into the depths of hell. With a heavy heart JoJo destroyed his friend's!

9 BG The severed head of DIO all but extinguished the glorious flame of Jonathan's life. With his last embers, JoJo held tight the head of one he once tried to love as a brother. His wife of just one week, Erina, takes refuge in DIOs reinforced coffin with the stranger's child she'd saved.

Jonathan Joestar has Died

◎⃝⃘

100 AG In the South Pole a beam of pure white light cuts through the sky. The Avatar has returned to the world, beginning one of the greatest stories ever told.

Halfway across the world an uneasy alliance is forged between Commander Zhao and Joseph Jostar to vanquish the Pillar Men. Using brilliant tactics, the greatest science in the world, and the Joestar Secret Technique, the Pillar men were defeated and Kars banished to the icy vacuum of Space!

153 AG Avatar Aang never lost his love for travel. Even after journeying to every nook and cranny for nearly "165" years, this world still held surprises in store.

Like this arrow made of a strange luminescent metal.

It supposedly came from a meteorite, the same as Sokka's space-sword. But in reality, the two could not be further apart. Pure gold instead of black, and indomitable to the greatest earth benders. Even the master of metal-bending could not budge it a nanometer.

But none of this compared to the myriad of rumors surrounding it, tales each far more Bizarre . They swore that it had a mind of its own. That it could grant those it chose unbelievable power. Strange bending(?) and mastery over the spirits themselves.

Aang had been careful to avoid its sharp head, gripping the arrow securely at the feathered end of its shaft. But {and he would swear this for the rest of his days} the arrow wriggled like a worm, bending the stiff wood in a sharp U?! And driving the head through his hand!

ゴゴゴゴ

ゴゴゴゴ

ゴゴゴゴ

His remaining weeks saw him float in and out of consciousness, body gripped by an illness no healer could cure. Constant delirium interspersed by insignificant moments of lucidity. In his seemingly most clear, he spoke tales of utter nonsense:

"An entity made of light traveling through the perimeter of our White Lotus compound. Dancing between the guard's eyes".

He said it'd pressed him up against an expansive curved membrane, staring out into a strange new perspective. Enraptured by the beauty he saw.

"What a Wonderful World" he croaked.

Only later did he claim to realize it was the eyeball of the new Lotus intern, 'Jinn'…

It was concluded by all that the sickness had spread to his mind. His family, and the White Lotus began to get his affairs in order…

Avatar Aang has Died

◎⃝⃘

157 AG Korra was presented to the White Lotus bending three of the four Elements. They listened further, enraptured by her tale of an invisible spirit that stood by her side, convinced this was a further sign of her gifts in the metaphysical.

After getting to know her, however, everyone concluded the spirited (but not actually spiritual) little girl was simply describing her imaginary friend.

"What a vivid imagination the Avatar has," members of the Lotus would joke. "Creepy too… A skinless four-faced woman with taut hydraulic cables for muscles".

(ó﹏ ò ｡)

◎⃝⃘

165 AG Ever since the attempted abduction by the Red Lotus 7-years prior Korra had not been allowed to leave the compound. It was fine. She had everything a young Avatar could ask for: Bending training by the greatest masters alive, nonstop lessons about the cultures and places beyond her walls…

…

So when a rescue boat carrying the victims of a horrific Airship crash brought with it 4 of the most Bizarrely dressed strangers, she had to see them. A nice change of p̶a̶c̶e̶Fate!

ゴゴゴゴ

The White Lotus worked tirelessly to ensure the swift return (removal) of all crash victims. It was simply too many people to protect the Avatar from. They were stretched paper thin. Once the last survivors were put on steam boats heading north (those 4 weirdos included, thank the spirits) the White Lotus could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Content again with their duty of watching Korra.

"…Where is Korra?"

エ

"| shake |"

"| shake |"

"Joseph-san, why is your suitcase squirming?"

"HORI SHIET!"

"Yare Yare Daze…"

ゴ

ゴ

ゴ

ゴ

Korra : Destiny's BIZARRE Child!

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Chapter Text

–[Track 1: GIRL]–

The Speedwagon-leased boat lulled gently in the sea, in stark contrast to the frantic shaking inside Joseph Joestar's luggage. All four Crusaders stared in confusion as the contents wiggled about, finally finding a zipper, and wrenching it open. A small child, no older than 12 stuck their head out, gasping for air!

"Oh My God!" Joseph clasped his hands to his face.

"Mr. Joestar," Avdol spoke hesitantly, "Did we just kidnap a child?"

"What do you mean 'We'?" Jotaro scowled, pointing at the gold monogrammed "JJ" leather suitcase the girl was still struggling to free herself from, "That's JiJi's bag". He coolly ignored Joseph's angry-betrayed glare burning holes in his back.

Kakyoin sighed and went forward to greet their 'guest'. "Here, let me help you".

"Hey, I don't need any help!" The girl yelled, a foot still stuck in the trunk. "And no one kidnapped me. I came because I wanted to".

"But~ if you're all too scared about people chasing us, don't be!". With a tear of expensive leather (and tears from Mr. Joestar) she pulled herself free. "Nobody knows I'm here. Made sure to not leave any clues, not even a note!" She smugly stated.

"Eh… well-" Kakyoin began.

"Wasn't really sure where we're going so I just raided my stuff for everything. Couldn't fit any of it though… My room now looks like a Tasmanian devil-boar tore through it all for nothing".

"I-I see…" Kakyoin sweat dropped as Joseph utterly 💀 in the background.

"Ha-ahh, well be that as it may little girl- { KORRA! } -Korra, we're all headed on a very dangerous journey and it wouldn't be right to take you along, so if you can tell me how best to get you back to your family…" he trailed up hopefully.

The gleam in Korra's eyes dashed said hope soundly.

"Oh, it's dangerous is it?"

"Yes, but—

"WATER!" She bent up a jet stream carrying with it several chunks of seafloor.

"EARTH!" She spun up with the water current before crashing down with an elbow cleaving a rock.

"FIRE!" Both arms swung infront, catching the thermals and igniting them in a power display of flames.

The stunned silence was exactly what she hoped for. "Looks like you just lucked into the best person to join your little group".

…

…

"……oh my shit you're the Avatar. Oh My Shit, you kidnapped the Avatar!" Kakyoin whirled back around to glare at an increasingly flustered Joseph. "HOW!? HOW DID YOU KIDNAP THE AVATAR!?"

"I don't- You can't think this is my fault! Back me up Jotaro".

"I don't know you…" he pulled down his hat and walked away.

Joseph frantically turned to his one remaining lifeline. "Avdol please, you've gotta say something. I'm too young to go into a White Lotus prison!"

"Well, uh- This is very concerning, *cough* for you—"

"Aren't you a damn fortune teller?! Why didn't you see this happening!?"

"I foresaw no children in my bags".

Joseph grabbed Avdol's lapel and shook him back and forth. Meanwhile Korra snickered at all the chaos she caused, until a sudden shadow blanketed her in darkness.

"Well, what do we have here!? A no-good stowaway on my ship". The stranger's muscled hand yanked her above their head. She cried out in pain and tried to firebend her attacker away, only to get smacked in the face.

"I don't tolerate stowaways on my ship," the man in captain's clothes said with venom in his voice," Regardless of who or what they are". He jerked her up again!

"Stop! You're hurting her. Put her down now!" Joseph demanded.

The captain looked nonplussed at the livid Crusaders. "Hmmm.. Now why should I do that? It's well within my rights to apprehend stowaways. Just as it is within my rights to defend myself from attack, or did you not see her try to maim me?". He slammed her into the railing eliciting an air-crushing gasp of pain.

"On the Sea my word is law. No one, not even the Avatar, is above it". He gave her a condescending smirk.

Korra leveled back a glare that promised unending suffering. The skin beneath her captured arm began to bubble and a liquid metal "something" rose out, clenching into a fist. The metal-hydraulic hand solidified, creaking and groaning as it fought against tightly wound "muscles".

The fleetest bit of worry crossed the captain's face, before it morphed into a predatory smirk—

–and Korra found herself flung overboard below the waves!

"KORRA!" the Crusaders scream.

All four Crusaders crowded to the railing to see Korra slipping further and further away, barely keeping her head above water. Joseph whirled on the captain, ripping him up by his collar.

"How could you do that to a child!?"

The captain smirked and calmly pulled out a thick book from his breast pocket, titled "Maritime Laws of the Sea", tapping it against Joseph's chest.

"Page 127, Paragraph 13, in the section titled 'Sentencing at Sea'. You will find everything I have done to be in exact accordance with international laws".

Joseph glared at the man, taking his book but refusing to put him down. As he read through the section he became increasingly flabbergasted. "How could this be? It's insane?!"

"What's insane is taking a long voyage like ours with only enough rations for my crew and yourselves, then trying to feed another hungry mouth". He pried himself free, capitalizing on Joseph's moment of shock".

"Besides, what's there to worry about? She's the Avatar, and a natural born waterbender. A 70 km swim to shore shouldn't be a problem".

The Captain grew a sadistic smile. "Really, you all should be thanking me. Now you're not kidnappers…"

Avdol turned, robes flying, furious! "But This Area Is A Feeding Ground For Octo-Sharks!"

The other three Crusaders gasped in SHOCK! All converging on the captain as he gave his most cruel grin yet.

"Ooops…"

A black blur dove into the ocean!

"Jotaro!" both Kakyoin & Joseph called out.

He cut through water, swimming to where Korra was being tossed back and forth. Struggling to waterbend, she was completely unaware of the massive 8-armed shadow beneath her. The Octo-Shark, a gigantic hydra-like creature, erupted from the water. Its shark-headed tentacles lashed out at a terrified Korra.

ORA!

A 'guardian spirit' (that's the only way she could describe it) uppercutted the Octo-Shark, launching it into the sky in pieces! Her eyes went starstruck, taking in every inch of the spirit, until their eyes darted fast-as-light to hers! She suddenly felt microscopic, like being underneath one of those reverse-telescopes she'd read about. Every cell scrutinized…

Judged…

Then the sky was clear with the spirit was nowhere in sight.

"What! Where did they g—

"Hey, Kuso-Gaki! Get back to the ship".

Korra snapped back to reality as Jotaro pulled her towards the boat.

"I can swim by myself!".

"Then do it," Jotaro scowled.

She's about to bite back with a scathing string of insults (probably about his stupid hair-hat Ծ _ Ծ ), but as she turned to let him have it, she saw his face and the similarities…

The features, those piercing blue eyes, were the exact same as the spirit's…

"Lookout below," Joseph warned before chucking the life preserver. The still dry Crusaders began hoisting them aboard as Korra plumbed the events over in her mind.

🌊SPLASH!🌊

Something leapt out of the water, grabbing the life preserver in its teeth! It pulled down with inhuman strength, snapping their lifeline apart! Korra screamed as they tumbled back into the sea; only for them to be caught at the last moments by a green strand?

Floating the ocean's surface, the life preserver rests with a massive bite, before it's pulled away into the deep.

ゴゴゴゴ

The first thing Jotaro did on board is light up a cigarette. Korra's mind was racing a mile-a-minute. Those strings... That spirit? That wasn't bending!

Were they like… Could they see hers?! 

Her lips wavered up into a smile. 'Finally!'

… But first… "HEY YOU-!"

Korra stalked toward the captain, a ghost hand rising from her fist.

Kakyoin quickly pushed himself in between the two. "We each will be using less of our rations, leaving more than enough over for Korra. There's no justification for throwing anyone else overboard".

"Hmmp. Have it your way, but this—"

He noticed and swiped Jotaro's cigarette.

"Is a smoke-free ship. I won't have you dirtying my deck, or worse, the sea".

"Understand?". He extinguished it on Jotaro's hat, looking down at the boy. Jotaro glowered back.

…

"He's the Stand user".

All Crusaders gasped in shock!

"What's a stand?" Korra asked, "Doesn't matter, if it means we beat him up I say he's got one!" She slammed her fists together with an audible *Klunk!*

"Huh… A Stand? What's that" the captain seemed nonplussed.

"Jotaro…" Avdol counseled, "You can't just throw accusations around like that- { Yes he can! } -His conduct may be harsh, but that's not proof. In my travels I've found men of the sea to be just as strict, if not more so".

"And his credentials check out," Joseph chimed in. "Everyone onboard has been vetted by the Speedwagon Foundation. Besides, what Stand are you talking about?"

"The one that followed us underwater and took a bite out of our preserver. The one he summoned". He pointed at the captain, dynamism in every inch of the gesture, drilling into his blank expression!

…

"What's a Stand…?"

Jotaro chuckles, "Play dumb all you want, I found a way to separate all Stand users from normal people". He took out another cigarette and swept it up to eye level. "I saw, after users sniff smoke from a cigarette, their blood vessels will show on their nose".

"What?! (x4)" . Everyone except Korra grabbed their noses!

Jotaro calmly brought the cigarette up to his mouth -suddenly lit!- and tooke a deep inhale. No blood vessels popped on his nose.

"AHA!" the Crusaders scream

"Aha-! Wait, what's happening?" Korra asked, still a little lost.

ゴゴゴゴ

"Where's the real captain?".

ゴゴゴゴ

ゴゴゴゴ

The "imposter" captain removed his cap. "Hmmm… the real captain? He's at the bottom of the ocean, diced for the fishes".

"He's what?…" the world fish-lens zoomed around Korra and sound faded away. All she could hear was her heart thundering in her chest. "You..." she stalked.

Behind her, a massive scaly arm pulled Kakyoin off the ship.

"KAKYOIN!" Jotaro called out!

The Imp-Cap jumps to the railing, grinning with sick manic glee. "Some of your Stands are a mystery, but Lord DIO's forces informed me about yours! A long-range Stand that is as weak up close as a common snail-ant!".

Kakyoen screams as razor claws dig into him. His Stand is ripped out in full view, trapped in its talons.

"I was planning on taking you out one-by-one, killing you quietly in your sleep, as a kindness…But you betrayed that kindness!

Treachery and Deceit. The shadows blanking the Deep.

My Dark Blue Moon will await, as you come and join your friend's fate…"

He fell off the ship, Kakyoin in tow, laughing at everyone's screams. "Your Stand is fast Jotaro, quick as your wit. But underwater even bullets slow to a crawl-ORA! A massive fist cut him off!

ORA!

ORA! ORA!

ORA! ORA!

ORA! ORA!

ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!

The 'Guardian Spirit' was back, wailing into the sea monster with lightning fast punches! And there was no question in Korra's eyes where that spirit came from!

ORA!

Dark Blue Moon, decked with fist imprints, flew off Kakyoin. Bizarrely, the imposter captain was thrown as well, marred with the same fist imprints on his body.

"Fast enough for you?"

It's without a doubt the coolest thing Korra has ever seen.

But…

"What's wrong, Jotaro?" Joseph demanded, "Why aren't you pulling Kakyoin up?"

Light drained from the sky as they all began to realize something had gone terribly wrong.

"I can't! The bastard's grabbing him!"

Monstrous Barnacles raced up Jotaro's arm, crusting over his entire limb and hemorrhaging his strength.

"I can't even pull back my Stand-!" The Barnacles' weight multiplied and plummeted them both overboard.

"JOTARO!" everyone screamed.

With his last bit of strength he threw up Kakyoin into the waiting vines of Hermit Purple. More vines sprout, trying to save Jotaro, but the Barnacles devoured them as Jotaro is swallowed by the sea.

"NOOOO!"

He fell deep beneath the ocean waves and saw the Imp-Cap floating in balladry with his Stand, like a grotesque pair of sinking gargoyles.

"Welcome to the world of Dark Moon Blue… HA HA HA HA HA HA".

The Stand was laughing? He didn't even know they could do that.

…

…

"…What do you want to be?"

"…?"

"I mean what kind of seafood? Sashimi? Fish filet? Maybe fish paste?"

The captain glowered, the water's shadows lengthened his grimace. Dark Blue Moon lashed out with its webbed hand.

The onlookers watched in horror as the placid sea became a turbulent nightmare.

"A giant whirlpool has appeared!" Avdol exclaimed.

Kakyoin jumped into action. "I'll go save him. Hierophant Green!"

The Stand dove down, but a mere touch of the vortex shredded its hand, blood spurting from Kakyoin's!

"There are Thousands of razor sharp scales in there!"

"We can't jump in or we'll be killed," Joseph realized.

"I can see Jotaro, he's not moving!" Avdol called.

The four react with shared shock and horror, all except…

"…Hmm, he's out of strength, but not struggling? Maybe that's a good thing". 'What's he planning?' Joseph contemplated...

"KORRA NO!" Kakyoin screamed.

Korra rocketed off the side of the boat, firebending her way to breakneck speed. She struck the surface, waterbending it away just in time to save from going splat, and torpedoed through the whirlpool!

"Let me guess what you are thinking now: 'There is a point in the pool that doesn't move'".

"…"

"HEHE… That was easy".

"'There is the center. If I can get there I can attack'. HEHEHE.

YOU MUST BE THINKING THAT NOW?".

"…"

"WHY DON'T YOU TRY… WITH THE FISTS YOU WERE SO PROUD—"

Korra blasted onto the scene and both Stand User's eyes darted to her. The Imp-Cap grew a malicious smile, while Jotaro's face flashed between shock and fury.

Quicker than the fastest fish, Dark Blue Moon swam at Korra, bringing with it its user and leaving Jotaro leagues behind. Korra saw them come and tried to waterbend her own vortex. Turbulent murky water swirled infront of her, creating a moving wall to cut off Dark Blue Moon's attack, but…

"Do you know nothing of our power!? Only a Stand can pierce another's intangibility. I choose which currents touch my Dark Blue Moon!"

"Your Bending is Useless Useless!"

Dark Blue Moon effortlessly phased through the murky water wall, 6-inch claws ready to shred her flesh, and saw… empty ocean?!

🫧ORA!🫧

Korra's Stand-covered fist erupted from behind the Stand within the vortex's ring, decking Dark Blue Moon squarely in the right temple!

The Imp-Cap and Stand reeled back and screamed as Korra triumphantly grinned.

"RHAAA!" his Stand wailed, before:

… ha! ha ha!

HA HA HA HA HA HA!

The imposter captain began laughing maniacally. "HA HA HA HA!"

"One weak punch, is that all you could do?" HA! "Phase through the waters or tackle them head on, it doesn't matter which! Your momentum will be gone!"

"I wa🫧n't trying 🫧 punch 🫧u. I just want🫧 to put th🫧 PIN in 🫧ur head🫧🫧

"Hmm you'll have to speak up," he said, condescendingly putting a hand to his ear.

"PIN? What PIN—"

He now saw it! A PIN jutting out of Dark Blue Moon's head in the shallow dent of a fist. All at once an overwhelming pain pummels the inside of his head, building and building with no signs of stopping. The Stand tries to pull it out -its claws try ripping it to pieces- but the PIN holds firm.

🫧Hey Loser🫧 whoevr🫧 your name is🫧

She brings up her Stand covered hand and gives him a thumbs down

🫧The real Captain sends his regards… From The Bottom Of The Sea!🫧🫧

Bubbles rushed out the imposter captain's mouth as her Stand's mysterious force caved half his head in!

「STAND NAME」: ?

「STAND MASTER」: KORRA

「Stats」:

Power (A)

Speed (?)

Range (E)

Durability/Staying: (?)

Precision: (?)

Development/Learning: (A)

Korra burst through the surface, hacking and spitting up water. An angry Jotaro popped up nearby, his body looking like it went through a blender.

But no water was coming out of his lungs… 'Weird?'

"Hey, need a hand?"

Joseph waved down at them, both his and Kakyoin's Stands reaching for the pair. Avdol was off to the side smiling proudly.

Korra was gently put back on deck, only to immediately fall to her knees, still sputtering water.

"So miss Avatar, are you still a fan of Danger?".

She rolled onto her back and gave him a wry smile.

"OI JiJi! What do ya think you're asking?".

"An Avatar and a powerful Stand user… HA! DIO won't know what hit him!".

"She's still a Kuso-Gaki!".

"But remember, Aang was just as old when he began his own journey," Avdol chimed in.

"Hmm.. And I suspect her reasons are similar to… well, if she wants to come, how can I fault her?" Kakyoin added.

"Hmph!" Joseph crossed his arms and nodded, "Well then, Democracy has spoken { You're all Idiots }, Avatar Korra, want to join us on our quest to save my daughter and bring an end to the greatest evil this world has ever seen?"

"HECK YA!" Korra coughed💦, pumping her fist into the sun!

◎⃝⃘

Three years later Korra pulled back the same fist, its shadow dancing over the walls in the cargo ship hull. Her arm creaked and groaned beneath its black shoulder length glove, but she paid it no mind, punching out with her other, ungloved fist. Each strike aimed at a crude drawing clipped to a low hanging intercom line.

The paper didn't so much as rustle.

"Come on! Come on! Come on, AIRBEND!" She screamed, each word punctuated by increasingly frantic punches.

The blonde man trapped in the terrible drawing mocked her desperate efforts. Korra's eyebrow shot above her head, bounced by a twitching eye. All at once she throws everything she has at it: Katas, strikes, bending forms from all elements, the kameha-wave attack and spider-spirit hand signs. But…

"Will- You- Just- Freaking- MOVE!"

The blonde was laughing now. Fire sparked in Korra's hands, begging to burn it to ash.

'No, wait!'

"Ok… you wanna play that way? Well then, watch me bend air with air".

She reached up the fabric of her glove all the way at its top, near her bicep. Her fingers dove underneath, in perpendicular, down to the last knuckle. They wormed around, searching until with a *klunk!* her arm fell to the floor.

"Ok buddy, get ready for some Stump-Bending!" She swung her stub at the drawing.

"HYAH!"

"WA-CHAH!"

"WOOOOOOO-ooooOOOO-WAHHHHHHHH!"

It somehow moved even less.

Red seeped through her everything, boiling over into a scream of pure frustration!

"Hey, did you hear that?!" a voice called from within the cargo hold.

"Yah! Someone's down here with us. We've got a stowaway!"

"Oh Crap!" Korra gulped and quickly scurried her arm into her bag, leaving behind the drawing.

"HEY, GET BACK HERE!"

Korra ran across the ship's deck dodging the crew, twisting and dancing around the thrown elements with a bright smile growing on her face.

"Get back here you No-Good Stowaway" one slashed a water whip out at her. Korra caught and bent it around, spiraling her up to the top of the ship.

"Ah, but a No-Good Stowaway would have been caught before we reached the harbor". She turned around to give her "loving" audience a bow, "I'm a Great Stowa—" Fire erupted from one of the crew's fists, engulfing her! Firebending on instinct, she's barely able to stave being burnt as the flames blasted her overboard!

"HA! Great Stowaway my Butt!" the firebender chanted down, running to the railing to see Korra sink beneath the surface. All the crewmates joined them, boots sloshing through the water bent moments before.

"Um, wait- hold on…did she just Water and Firebend?" the crewmate next to them asked.

Their eyes drifted to the singe marks left from the redirected flames. As one, everybody turned on the firebender with the faltering grin.

"Oh my Shit. Did we just kill the Avatar!?"

…

"…Whaddya mean 'We'?"

◎⃝⃘ ◎⃝⃘

The ocean roared, splashing Korra on the rocky shore. She stumbled off the rough landing, quickly reminding herself that yes, 'Waterbending really was harder with only one arm', and shook herself dry like a Polar Bear-dog.

With a heave, she pulled up her >Dry?!< bag and let a smile creep as she looked at the four PINS humming with power. 'That never gets old' she thought with a smirk. Still, she gave the bag a once over. Never hurt to be too carefu–

There was a hole in her bag. A burnt hole! That Idiot Burnt a Hole in It!

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, No!"

She tore it open and found the entire thing filled with water

"NO!" Her hand plunged in, pushing everything, even her arm, aside! At the back was her zippered compartment. Quickly, she tore it open and pulled out a photograph.

It's of Them… the 6 Crusaders and her, one last time together. And thankfully, only the polaroid frame was wet.

Korra collapsed into a sigh, clutching it close to her heart. She sat there as the waves rose and fell around, giving it a wistful smile.

…

The photo is safely placed in her jacket's breast pocket. With fire in her eyes she picked up her bag and headed up the shore, toward Republic City's open gates.

◎⃝⃘

It was time to learn Airbending!… and see the people she left behind.

ゴ

ゴ

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Korra : Destiny's BIZARRE Child!

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Chapter Text

-[Track 3: EMOTION]-

Jotaro walked down through the dead-silent passages below deck, every step bouncing off walls, traveling up and down the corridors until they came roaring back to him. He'd long since given up walking softly; it did nothing to help. There was no sound to mask his own on this entire ship.

That wasn't right. A boat this big would've had a crew of twenty or more, working round the clock to feed the engines and run all the lightning-bent machinery. It should be a zoo… but, nothing?

'A Stand Master's at work here, 'Jotaro knew, 'But, they made a huge mistake disappearing the crew'.

He clenched his fists.

There'd be nothing the enemy user could do to hide. All he had to do was listen, strain his ears to perceive the slightest, quietest, soun—"HELLO!? IS ANYONE HERE?" 

Korra screamed through her cupped hands. "HELLO?"

"Oi, what the heck are you doing!?"

"What does it look like?" Korra asked, eyebrows arched. "I'm bringing all the bad gals to us so we don't have to search the entire ship, duh! ".

…*Twitch*… Jotaro took a deep breath as Korra screamed again, and tried, struggling, to remind himself "Why" Jiji grouped him with the kuso-gaki?

◎⃝⃘

"Ok, listen up," Joseph called, getting everyone's attention on deck.

"Me, Avdol, and Kakyoin will take the Port side. Sailors, you can come with us or investigate the Starboard. Us Stand Masters could be attacked any moment, so it's safer if you stay out of the Enemy's range".

He pointed at Jotaro. "Stick with Korra—Got it".

…

Korra pulled him down by the sleeve and smiled. "No worries JoJo, I'll keep him close!" and a flame flickered on her thumb.

"Jiji. Why?".

"Isn't it obvious?" He asked with twinkling eyes.

◎⃝⃘

"He'd find it hilarious!" Jotaro glowered, pulling down his cap.

"HEY BAD GALS! If You Come Out Now, Me And JoJo#2 Will Let You Walk Away With MOST Your Limbs"… "Well, not walk if we take your legs, but—

His Stand grabbed her face. "Shut the Hell up, you annoying girl!" 

She clawed, scraping away thin air and Jotaro rolled his eyes. "Oi, idiot. That's not going to work. Stop”. Fire erupted from her in response and some spurted out the nostrils like a war pig, but Jotaro felt nothing. Star Platinum held her firm as all she could do was tread air.

Silence, finally, was back.

— And immediately broken by a hydraulic machine tearing through Korra's flesh. Her Stand came out in jerking rigor mortis movements, each biomechanical joint screamed hard against its tightly wound muscle-threads. Finally, they snapped up her flames in their fingertips and Jotaro's hand began to 'Burn? !'

He flung her away, quickly nursing bubbling blisters.

Korra tumbled back, arms spinning as tried to right herself, windmilling forward and overcompensating until she landed with a smack on the floor. Her head came crashing less than an inch from her Stand’s red hot fingers, and she yelped as her eyebrow was set on fire.

"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR!?" She scowled up with only one eyebrow as he cradled his hand, studying its 10 blister rings. Each matched the locations of Star Platinum's metal studs.

"You can bend through your Stand".

"Yah?! So?!".

"Stop being so loud, Gaki" he sighed. Then he flashed his eyes behind her. "A Stand User could’ve used your noise to sneak behind that bend”

Korra turned around, seeing for the first time the blind corner 2 meters away. "Oh…" Her eyes widened.

'Good. At least she's got some sense'

"Ooooooooh! You're just scared, aren't you?" she swarmed.

‘God damn it’.

Korra cocked her fist back and screamed at the corner.

"¡ Hie-YAAH !"

Metal knuckles punched forward, igniting intense orange flames as her PIN jumped from the back of her hand, twisting thrice & a-half, before sinking back forward through her palm and into the fire. Her power rang out, encircling the flame's base. 

• Force rapidly applied itself, channeling the orange into an intense stream. 

• The backdraft kicked, almost knocking Korra off her feet. Her fires screeched as the pressure continued to build; two-times.. four times! 

• The flames howled at ear-splitting decibels, trapped inside the tight corridor. Their temperature skyrocketed, transforming them brilliant blue!

The halls turned black as they splashed off, flash vaporizing everything down the tube.

"Korra. Korra! That's enough!" His sweat boiled.

"W-what? You want me to go hotter? Okay-". Jotaro Stand clenched into her shoulder.

"Ok fine I'll stop. Jeez," she cut off the flames. 

"There," she panted, "No big bad Stands will- *wheeze* will get you on the Avatar's watch". 

She snapped away at loose embers and spun round, wobbled and grabbed the wall, sucking as much air as she could through her cheeky grin. She leaned (fell) against the wall and crossed her arms. “See? I told you *pant* I’ll keep yo- *pant* you safe”. 

Jotaro said nothing, leaning away as still smoldering fingers clicked under his chin. One stuck out their pinky and Kora snickered. “Avatar Promise!” 

Water burst out of the ship’s sprinklers, drenching Jotaro! Korra looked out from beneath her hastily made water dome. 

“…Oops?" Her grin wilted under Jotaro's glare.

Yare yare… "This is—

Gemsbok-Bullshit!”

"Language, Li! What if the little Avatar hears?”.

“She should hear!” A short, sooty striped sailor stomped ahead of the gaggle. “This cuts against everything she stands for”.

“But what's the matter, divvy?” Uki, a tall, blonde-dyed sailor asked with a smile. “I thought finally meeting real spirits would be all the berries?".

Sailor Li stopped stomping around, triggering a pileup of all the other sailors, and whirled on Uki.

“A fire chicken and pervert vines are Not. Real. Spirits.” He jammed his sparking finger into Uki’s chest!

…

……*Pat*…*Pat-Pat-Pat*

Li hurriedly patted away the soot, eyes averted to Uki’s patented, “Really, Silly?” look.

*Pat-Pat…Pat-Pat-Pat—PAT!* “There, all done!” He looked up and caught Uki’s grin. Blushing, he quickly found his toes very interesting. “I-Is there permanent damage?”

“Well, you could look”.

“...”

“Or, you could continue your rant?”.

Li’s eyes lit up as the other sailors groaned. “Uki, why?”.

“Sorry”. But it was already too late. Li took in a deep breath, chest swelling three times its size.

“Oh no,” they cried

"Oh Yes!" Li swept his arms to the heavens. “Because they’re an AFFRONT! An INSULT to the classics! These Costumed MANNEQUINS disrespect the very name of Spirit!”.

“But they’re Stands, Li!” a third sailor pleaded.

“They’re invisible beings of incomprehensible power. Ofcourse they’re SPIRITS!”.

Uki nodded behind him.

“...You’re enjoying this?”.

Uki kept nodding.

The third sailor clenched a pipe between his teeth. Looking over at the fourth, he saw her sprinkle something much stronger than tobacco in hers. Wordlessly, he gave her his as well. Then they both gave a hearty chuckle.

‘Typical Li’ 

‘It seems what I’ve read is true. Never a more lively bunch than sailors’. Kakyoin smiled, pondering if it was because they journeyed in such tight familiarity. He turned from the railing towards Joestar-san & Avdol-san.

“Hmmmm”. Joseph stood with his back turned to him staring at a hung map. Vines weaved in between the paper fibers searching for… Nothing!

“Avdol, any luck finding a user?”

The fortune teller sat blindfolded and moved a finger down toward his Ram Prashnavali grid. When he felt carved wood, he removed the blindfold and frowned. The character underneath depicted the उघरहिं अंत न होइ निबाहू। कालनेमि जिमि रावन राहू॥ verse: 

Hidden… disguised… deceit.

“No Mr. Joestar, I can’t glean anything identifiable”.

“Well then, the old fashioned way it is”. Joseph turned and Avdol stood up. The two made eye contact with Kakyoin. 

“We’ll search away from those sailors,” Avdol said. “A powerful Stand will have a short range and we can only surmise DIO is sending his best after us”.

“Agreed.” Joseph quickly said.

Kakyion frowned as a shadow crossed his face. “Understood”.

“I don’t understand, what type of Spirit hangs around in the noon day sun!?” Li kicked the cabin of a cargo crane as hard as he could! “Presentation man, it’s a lost art” he said and slumped against its door.

“Maybe you’re being too hard on them?” Uki offered, “You just met them after all”.

“Oh, you think so?” Li grumbled. “Uki, we’re leagues away from the world, on a Haunted Ship-”.

“Wait, you think it’s haunted?”.

"There's 5 spirits onboard and you won’t call this ship haunted?” he raised an outrageously bushy eyebrow.

“Ok… you may have a point”.

“Then come here and be sad with me”. He took the much stronger hand and pulled. Uki plopped down next to him. 

Above them, the heavy cargo crane shifted against the wind.

“How could the Avatar think those are real Spirits?!” Li asked, dejected.

"Well she's got one too, 'Lil-Li' ?" He booped his nose and he made the cutest-angry face. "I know they are not what you've been expecting, but give 'em a chance. They're still the real deal, right?".

“Oh, you wanna see the real deal?”

“No…”

“You want to see a Real Spirit?!”

“Please No— “This is a Real Spirit!”

Li got up and threw his shirt up into the wind. It flew over the stunned, strung-out faces of the crew, their pipes clattered to the floor, because tattooed across Li’s entire torso, was the snarling face of Hei Bai. 

He even bleached his nipples!

“That’s Horrifying!..Everytime” Uki cried.

"Exactly!" He shook Uki by the shoulders, "That's what a Spirit's supposed to be!" He pulled Uki to Hai Bei's hyper-realistic slimy tongue and swung his hand out before him. "Imagine you're Avatar Aang, Ripped from your body and suddenly trapped in a bizarro, nonsense world, facing down a monster from nightmare and You. Can't. Bend!"

"I.. can imagine". The tongue was almost licking him now.

“Think of that, an Avatar that can’t bend. What does that even mean, Uki?!” He slammed his fist down against the railing. “I want to know those questions. Find something out about *well* Everything! But with these “Ghost Butlers”. He sighed, “All I know is that the old guy belongs on some sort of list!”.

…

…

Li took a deep breath, flicking a bit of soot into the water as the shadow above them lengthened. “I mean, am I right, or just-?

“Weird? Yep-yep!".

“Bite me.”

“But we’re in public”.

Li let out a chuckle and then a sigh. “Was this worth spending my spare Ban trying to find, huh?”.

“You spent all your Ban on spirits?” Uki looked at the dozens of expensive spiritual nicknacks hung on him. “Is that why our last Anniversary was so cheap?” 

“No, no, nononono! It's because you threatened to dump me if I ever spent so much on you again, —Which BTW, is not how someone lovingly accepts a pearl necklace”.

“It’s still too much.” Uki sheepishly tucked his pearls away under his shirt.

“I was on track to be an accountant, remember? If I wanted to buy you diamonds, you wouldn’t even notice our savings dip”. Li stared into the wide open sea… “Could’ve been an accountant, parents would be proud, but..” he swallowed in the shadow. “That job’s nothing but counting beads all day.

“Beads, beads, beads. Everything's just…”

The waves sprayed up, dousinging him with water as it slipped back into the sea. He watched it pool in his open palm, becoming droplets again as they fell off one by one.

Water tugged off his clothes trailing Uki's hands. Li gave him an appreciative smile before looking lost back out to sea. Uki looked back at the other sailors for support, but they were too busy scooping up the spilled ‘white’ tobacco leaves.

“Tch!”

Uki reached out his hand but hesitated, the black round eyes of Hei Bai's panda face staring into his soul. Morbidly, he tilted his head to see where the two faces met on Li’s torso.

'I've got weird fucking tastes,' he thought, before grabbing Li and pulling him close. His head rested on his shoulder.

"You like the weird and freaky, I can't fault you for that. Well, maybe a little" he drummed his fingers over his inked skin. "But I get it. Life's better weird, like you".

Li huffed and Uki snuggled him close.

"Give 'em a fair shot though. Your first impressions were eavesdropped talkie-talk. A dull lifeboat and bright sunny skies are tough settings for any ghost story". Uki chuckled, "Even Hei Bai".

Li perked up at that.

"They may turn out to be just as horrifying as Sifu Panda-Venom, if you let them"

"Maybe…" and Li gave a growing smile. "It's the Avatar, right? That has to make these things… legit".

Uki hugged Li tight, enjoying his warmth against the sudden cold.

"Thanks… for listening to me, just fly off the handle," he groaned. "I know I'm alot”.

“Least you don't lock it away forever”.

“Which We Need To Talk About, UKI! But yah, I shouldn't be such a fire-tosser just because I'm right and also earlier our ship blew up”.

"Oh wow! That did just happen… See, suppressing works".

"You. Me. Talk. No more bottling, Uki".

"We'll see…"

…

…

"Ok," he sighed, "Let's go help the Avatar and her bizarre friends find more "Spirits"," he gave one last smile as the shadow above dropped.

ゴ

Salty droplets covered his face again. A big wave must have hit while he wasn’t paying attention. Everything was now “slick” with water.

“Uki, could you bend the water again”.

ゴ

ゴ

ゴ

Some of it had gotten into his nose. It smelled…coppery for some reason?

“Uki?”

A misshapen weight hung off a hook, dribbling red drops pooling on the deck. The other two sailors stared up in horror.

ゴ

ゴ

ゴ

ゴ

“Uki..? Uki-”

The pearls dropped, scattering across the deck.

ゴ ゴ ゴ ゴ

Uki hung from the ship’s gantry crane. Its hook punched out through his teeth, both slowly turning with the wind. 

Dead.

Li screamed out a hellish wail.

Jotaro's eyes darted to the far wall of the Captain's quarter. 

The metal, there was something… off about it…

Star Platinum lightly rapped their knuckles against it, caving it in. He tried again 6 inches to the left and the same result. The walls were hollow and yet, *KTNK*-*KTNK*-*KTNK* every rap brought back that same sharp tap.

Where was the echo?

*KTNK*

*KTNK*

*KTNK*

*Tap*

*KTNK*

*KTNK*

*Tap*-*Tap*

*KTNK*

*TAP!*

"You know *Tap* It's pretty rude to ignore your god".

…

*KTNK*

Korra glared daggers into Jotaro’s back. "As Team Leader, I command you to stop being such a jerkbender!"

“Who said you’re the leader?”.

“We’ll duh, it doesn’t need to be said. I’m the Avatar” <(˘ ˘ ˘)>

Jotaro stared at her. “You’re not our boss”.

She grinned. “Sure am! I’m everyone’s boss, just like Aang was”.

“You’re not Aang”.

*KHNK!*

"Yah, w-well Aang never had a Stand!"

"And you having one matters why?"

"Well duh! I'm the Avatar-

"Not of Stands".

*KHNK!* 

*KHNK!*

“You're just jealous mine’s, like, a million times more powerful than yours".

He shrugged and had to hide his smile from Korra’s fuming face. “Just tell me if The Avatar needs help dissaperating her Stand. Or are the extra arms for show?”. 

Korra's extra arms jostled back and forth. "I-I could pull these back whenever I want to…. But you-!" she pointed and her many hands followed suit, "Said we could be attacked at any moment, so bring yours out. Come on, do *wheeze* it." She swayed dangerously.

“Hmmm Avdol told me Stands are linked to the breath. So twerp, you ok down there, twerp?”. 

"I'm Fine! A-And readier than you".「Star Platinum」flashed before her eyes then was gone entirely! She blinked, rubbing her eyes, staring at the empty spot next to Jotaro. She then caught his eyes, the condescending smirk , and broke eye contact.

"Hmph," he said

"Hmph!" Korra mimicked. "You're talking pretty big for someone I had to save".

"...Thank you".

"See was that so hard–"

"Your matchup was lucky. Even a kuso gaki couldn't have found a way to lose that fight".

"You are UNBELIEVABLE!" She threw her hands“sss” up and stormed off.

Jotaro chuckled and went back to checking the wall.

*KHNK!*

"You know my Stand's the Bestest, don't you Mr. Monkey?"

ゴ

Korra stuck her arm into the large cage snug at the end of the room, and tried petting the oversized Orangutan.

"Korra, get away from him!"

"Why? Look at him. He just wants to have fun". The smiling monkey was dancing around, clapping his hands, coming closer.

"He can tug your arm off!”

ゴ

ゴ

The orangutan, named Forever by his cage's nameplate, smiled wide at Korra. Large, rotten teeth; slinging drool everywhere.

“He seems like a big softy. And if I’m nice to him, he’ll be nice to me”

“He could’ve been mistreat–”.

"Relax! If he gets handsy my Super Stand will beat him. Or is this matchup too hard for me?".

Jotaro groaned, exhausted by… everything. "Fine, go bother the monkey. You're right, this matchup's fair for you".

"See, was that so hard to admit — HEY! My Stand’s a darb, you don't even know all it can do".

"I figured it out instantly," Jotaro said, leaving the room.

"Hey wait! No you didn't—!" Forever grabbed Korra's arm tight with his big meaty hands. He held her firm, caressing the contours of her muscles. They scraped their fingers deep inside their jowls, wetting them with spit so that they could slide across her skin. Dead yellow eyes crinkled up as his tongue came towards her arm.

Korra's Stand shot out at him, but he backed off before it struck, waddling back to the end of his cage, hands up.

Korra stared dumbstruck at the monkey, slobber still dripping off her arm.

"Ew".

"Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. EW!" She flung her arm around as fast as she could. "What's wrong with you?!"

The monkey shrugged and… lit up a pipe?

"Hey, if you're so smart then you know you shouldn't do this!" She raised her sticky arm. The monkey waved her away.

"RRHAGH! I can't believe I vouched for you!" Korra stormed off. Forever shrugged and leaned back against his cage, looking out at a nearby porthole.

Outside was a mirror, reflecting another mirror that reflected another and another. All the way up and down the ship they went, set up in convoluted places that served no rhyme or reason. Without him touching them, one of the mirrors rotated its angle, focusing back on the Starboard deck. There he saw the Crusaders carefully untangling Uki's corpse from the hook.

The sailors were in utter shock. One was crying beside themselves. Forever grinned.

ゴ

ゴ

ゴ

Korra raced out the door after Jotaro, arm still wet. She stepped over the doorway lip, dropping her foot on what was supposed to be the ship's floor—!

It's gone!?

The thought was all she had to cling to as she tumbled down a gaping hole. Frantic firebending smacked her into the shear walls face first. Her Stand dug their nails into the sudden shaft, but the metal was all wrong! Slipping through her hands like water. She crashed to the bottom with a terrible heap.

Forever watched above, straightening away the last wrinkles from his new captain's jacket. Sick yellow eyes focused on the dark depths where Korra disappeared too, gaining a glint with anticipation. His lips stretched wide in the most hideous grin, revealing his long, sharp glistening fangs.

He jumped down, following her into the Boiler Room!

ゴ

ゴ

ゴ

ゴ

Korra : Destiny's BIZARRE Child!

Play next track?

[ ⏮ ▶️ || ⏭ ]

Chapter Text

-[Track 4: SURVIVOR]-

Blue eyes narrowed at the looming metal wall.

The wet ocean breeze bristled down dead halls of the drifting ship. Jotaro felt it pull at his trenchcoat, staining it with salt. It was another blemish in an endless list from his short time at sea. The wall before him had been out here for far longer. It should be a crusted cake of sea grime and rust like the rest throughout the freighter's identical corridors.

— Immaculate Metal —

Inches away he could count the barnacles stuck in his eyebrows. No door, rivet, nor crease to disrupt his reflection.

The door…

Korra wanted to be a child and play with the Monkey— 'Fine, whatever' — she was the Avatar and he'd be around the nearest corner; 20 paces at most, just room enough for some quiet…

And in those seconds… she, the door & room, disappeared.

"…"

Salt clumps dragged down his coat while his eyes darted in on the only blemish; a thin toothy line, made by metal teeth:

Two incisor fangs, followed by three zig-zagging tiny teeth, and a large molar closing out the half-jaw he always kept close in his pocket.

Jotaro ran fingers over his house key's familiar fangs and cavities, squeezing it until the metal bit him back. The wall had that one mark, as several in the windy passageway did. Distinct different symbols he'd used to mark this endless maze. It took femtoseconds for his Stand to scratch the looping strokes of Free Jazz as he walked out the door:

"D• C A-G D• G# G-F D•"

There was no door. The notes remained but their shapes were smeared, flowing far too thin. All stretched through the missing door…

The key bit his hand again.

ORA!

Star Platinum's fist caved the steel wall in with a wailing crunch. Air *whooooshed* to fill the cavity, crashing off its "far" side. Jotaro's eyes shot wide, sputtering back signals his brain refused to process. The room was gone- Completely! 'No Korra, no Monkey? Nothing?!'

All there was, 3-inches from his Stand's outstretched fist, was another wall, identical to the first in every way. Right down to his jazz scribbles.

…

…

" Shit…"

" You Had ONE Job!"

The Crusaders' frantic footfalls warped deck wood as they raced behind Jotaro to the last spot he saw Korra. The sailors trailed, jumping at every shadow. Li was in their midst, puttering along with a white towel draped on his shoulders. Blood drenched his face and no light shone behind his eyes.

"Jiji-"

"Don't you 'Jiji' me! Why'dya think I put you two together?!"

"To mess with him?" Kakyoin bid.

"NO -well yes, that too- But also, his "Stand" was the only one that could keep an eye on our little Houdini".

He jabbed a finger up at Jotaro who glared back. Joseph shook it and continued, "Korra's escaped the most secure fortress on the planet. That should be impossible and she did it- In *MY* Flipping Suitcase!".

He took a deep breath and hardened his eyes.

"And now… we know there's an enemy Stand Master on this ship!"

Jotaro's look darted back at Li as blood continued to pool down into his slack mouth. He glanced away, but felt his grandpa's eyes follow and he.. couldn't turn round to meet them. He dipped his head and let his face fall into the shadows.

"Kusogaki…"

Korra screamed, hurtling headfirst down the sudden shaft! She bounced face-first off the walls, over and over, screams cut short by metal walls sucker punches. *SMACK!*

"Ahhieeahhh-!"

*SMACK!* *SMACK!*

"Aieea—

*Sma- CRuNCH!* Her arm bent inwards, hitting the steel floor beneath her body. With ear-sickening tearing tendons, her right arm *popped* out of its socket. She sat there, hunched over a radiator, clutching the torn up swollen arm. Vomit bulged from her cheeks and she struggled not to cry.

…*sniff*…

A Warm, Rancid Weight PANCAKED her radiator! Broken metal oozed out between grimy harry toes and hot -Hungry breaths bristled across her shoulders. They were excited and rank, traveling down the back of her neck and underneath her shirt. Drool dripped down her collar. Inching from the dark came giant, cavity filled rotten teeth. She saw them curl up from the corners of her eye, becoming a slobbering wet grin. The teeth opened.

◎⃝⃘

Korra was running running down the tunnels, hissing hot pipes snaking crisscrossing in front of her, biting at her ankles; every bounce jostled her arm, sending up waves of screaming agony while booming, Meaty footfalls chased her down the crawlway.

She cut down every corner. Hot steam erupted from pipes, twisting the emergency red lights as a whooping weight bounced above her. She ducked down a passage, but had to backpedal as blistering clouds rushed out. It flooded her tunnel white and left her no path forward except –'THERE!' a hole beneath the pipes untouched by steam.

The galumphing feet reached the passage mouth and stopped. Ears covered by knotty orange fur perked up and the constant hissing steam abated. Down the hole scraping, dragging noises met his ears between whimpers of pain. The shape's dirty-yellow eyes crinkled up, elongating his face with a cruel smile.

The pipes resumed their hissing.

◎⃝⃘ ◎⃝⃘

Korra dragged herself beneath the hot tubes centimeters above her head. Pressed flat, she tasted rust and oil glazing her tongue. Pools of it gathered in the divots, mixing with the condensing water until they overflowed, spilling over into her face. She shut her lips, but the sludge still found a way in. Up her nose, she was gagging and coughing; the vomit was back, and every move forward swung her arm on its torn up ligaments, twisting into agonizing spirals of pain.

An alcove opened ahead. 'Here!' sheltered beneath three large looping tubes, she caught her breath and puked.

A shaking left hand whipped vomit away and tugged water from her pouch, bending it up along her shoulder. Pale lights twinkled off the pipes and she quickly twisted her body to keep it covered, biting back the pain.

Under its glow she felt her tendons grow en masse, until, with a soft *snap* they popped her humerus back in.

She let out a small breath and gave herself a smile.

Massive fleshy fingers grabbed at her face! They came through the bars, wrapping all the way around her head. She kicked away screaming, her water evaporating on a hot pipe. Locs of her hair were caught between long yellow claws. She cut them off with fire.

The hand shot back and roars shook the pipes. She crawled on her back through her hole, looking everywhere for that hand, her right fist still lit and shearing the shadows away. All she saw was the pipes.

A loud Thumping landed on the ducts above her. It moved closer, Knuckles Dragging, its weight crushing her pipes! They creaked and squeaked above her while more fog came to bounce her firelight away. A meaty trunk slammed down beside Korra. She jolted to her left as the hairy haul thing extended its digits through her squeeze. Another came down on her right, reaching through! Almost touching bare skin.

'The hole's exit was inches behind her. She could scrape through!'

Awful muggy air panted into Korra's face. The metal pipes bent aside, almost pinning her and she saw sick glowing yellow eyes come out behind with a metallic grin.

*KA-BWOOOOOOOSH!*

Fire erupted between her and that horrible face, caking everything in blistering orange! She punched the monster over and over, each strike rattling her bones. It would Die! She'd scorch away and Bash Its Stupid Skull In!

*DING*

*DING*

*DING*

Her fists struck again and the pain finally got through. She yanked them back but her right was snapped up by the pipes. They snaked around her wrist in impossible designs, cuffing it below the grinning face of a … Radiator?

2 Sickly yellow temperature gauges rested over a curved up grill. This shock severed the connection to her flames as rust and soot sprinkled down into her slack-jaw.

*ScrEEECH!* The trunks next to her flexed. Yellow clawed nails scraped across the metal floor as the weight above the radiator shifted. She looked at her hands, one trapped and the other sparking forth a new flame, eyes darting between the two.

The fatty weight jiggled through the pipes, dancing out of sight from her orange light. It whooped and hollered, layers of unwashed fat folds slapping as they bounced through the metal jungle behind her. Korra's head shot back to the exit hole. Inches away, close enough for those long orange fingers to come through and–

She heard the tubes shift. Her eyes darted from her trapped hand to the exit, and then at the fire held in her left. She pulled, twisted, and yanked but couldn't free her wrist. Her fire grew with panic, hungry to burn.

-Her hand was stuck.

-The monster was coming.

-Her flame blade rose!

The orangutan dropped in front of the hole, rattling the pipeworks. At the flick from his too-long fingers their spouts twisted to face him, releasing clouds of cool steam. Drenched wet, he could now reach his hand through with no fear of Korra's flames.

The spider digits spread wide, taunting the child with scraping on the floor. *rat-tat-ta-tat* up to her head and pounced on nothing…

They scrambled across the bare metal floor into every knock and cranny. Forever, the master of the「STRENGTH」Stand, ducked his head below. Red lights "grew" from the ground, painting in a Korra-less mess of pipes.

Their brass coating had been scraped away to reveal their shining gray metal centers bent out of place. All that was left was a sweat stained shirt-sleeve torn off by her escape.

Forever carefully brought it up to his eyes. He then pressed the damp cloth against his nostrils and inhaled.

*SNIIIIIIIIFFFF*

- ◎⃝⃘ -

Korra's right hand clenched underneath its ghostly counterpart. Metal flaked off her Stand, twinkling in her firelight, but besides that the corridors were pure black. Something, or someone, shut off all the emergency lights. Her Stand hand clenched with a loud squeal and she winced.

"Ok, Korra, OK… You're a bit behind the eight ball, but that's OK!” she hissed as her right arm ached, a good chunk of its healing undone.

“A big monster (probably Mr. Licky-lick) is chasing you through a water tube maze. These things probably happened to Aang all the time. Could happen to anybody," she muttered.

"So. You've. Got. This!"

A blast of steam doused her flame. She couldn't breathe. Her flame sparked, smothered in the water saturated air. She cupped it and watched it flicker red between her fingers.

Wide eyes crinkled as it grew. Her Stand lashed out at the pipe, caving it through with one clean hit.

"You Know you can take IT in a fair fight! So get up to the deck and show 'em all (Again) why you're the Avatar!". She smiled and pushed forward. Another spout of steam hissed, but she'd already pulled her fire to safety. Her smile grew into a smirk dancing in her firelight.

"Take that, you Kanky thing!". Behind her, an Orange shape turned its head. Eyeing her flame, it quietly puffed up its cheeks to bulging big balloons and…

Korra felt wet steam whizz past her ear, shooting through her fire and inking the room in total darkness.

…

…

Korra scrambled for the paths to the upper decks, again running running while the booming laugh chased her down. Vapour gushed from all the pipes, flooding her tunnels with white and drowning every spark she made. She tried to grab at it, waterbend the haze, but it was too much like air to budge.

"Where are you?! Show yourself!"

The monkey watched on, not through eyes of course. An orangutan's eyes were no better than a human's and neither would see the hand before their face. But he felt her run. Vibrations through his metal traveled up his hairy toes. It was her fear; running and bumping into his maze, heart hammering deliciously in her tiny chest. 'To Feel that pulse directly,' it just made him feel giddy.

Especially down…

The little avatar could scamper all she wanted, cutting down corners & squeezing through pipes, working up a sweat.

He licked his balloon lips.

She'd never see the sun again.

Korra took a lucky turn angled at the exit. Forever almost clapped, before bringing a pipe out of the ground to snag her ankles.

She jumped, landing pinpoint precise with her toes on the pipe before kicking off to swing through the tubes. She accelerated, twisting on dimes in her race for the door.

'How…?'

The girl was making a Monkey of him!. Which wasn't possible -Unless- Was it a power of her Stand?

He pondered it, then scoffed. That mystery had already been parsed by his great intellect long ago, when he first spied her using its power. No, this was something else?

He scraped the gunk off his feet and went to check again, slamming his foot down with a splash!

—Condensation dribbled from above, lacing the floor with puddles. A few drops spritzed over his face on their journey down. He caught one before it fell with his long four jointed finger, bringing it to inspect.

Water…rushing through pipes.

The monkey threw back his head with a bloodchilling howl of laughter.

' Clever girl!'

He flicked his fingers as if he were a conductor, and the water rushed through the pipes in a new direction.

"Oi, Jiji! Everyone…".

The Crusaders stopped, one foot in the cabin doorway to look back at Jotaro. He stood over the deck railing, scowling.

"What is it, Jotaro?"

Jotaro pointed down and the rest crowded around to look.

Thousands of gallons of water jettisoned out of the ship, turning the surrounding sea into a frothy kaleidoscope of white water rapids.

"Ohhhhhhhhh. That's not good".

"No no no no!" Korra clutched air as the last gallons flushed away. It was gone, ALL GONE! Her bending pulled at nothing. The pipes were dead and dark.

*Gulp*

She lit a small fire which sparked and sputtered in the damp air. Cool red light that barely reached a foot in front. Squinting, she saw to her left was a tunnel made from crisscrossing tubes of haphazard sizes. On her right… the same thing, but worse.

Korra's breath hitched. Her heart had begun to race, pounding in her head, so deafening the monkey could be behind her and she'd never—!

She spun around jumping at her shadow! It flickered against the light, a tiny little silhouette.

"…"

Korra swallowed and clenched her teeth. Her Stand's arm, still manifested, ignited their fingertips. She straightened up, and turned to face her two paths: one bad and one far worse.

*SKReeEEAK!* From the right her ears picked up- "Claws" -scraping against the pipes just out of sight, coming closer. Korra took a step back and darted her eyes to the left path. Down the squeeze, running all the way to the top. She'd escape. Nothing could stop the Avatar, after all…

Korra cocked her head right path and raised her trembling lips into a sneer.

'Naah'.

Ignoring the hair-raising scrapes, she squeezed through the decimeter tight gaps of the harder path and went on a monkey hunt.

…

…

…

Korra shimmied down the half-foot gap with her tiny red-orange flame lighting her front. Her Stand-limb swiveled out from her collarbone, jerked by pulley wires crisscrossing the cobalt metal. Flathead screws strained to whirl, knotted to one another by a rat's nest of black muscle wiring. Powerful hydraulics pooled underneath master pistons linked to a master pulley running down the limb. They pulled it taught, forcing the limb to jerk around and shine their finger flames into every nook & monkey-sized cranny, somehow always missing the head level pipes.

She 'Finally' reached the end at a gate covered by mist. With one decisive swipe she broke down the fog wall and found:

—an empty room…

Korra swung her light across the 7x10 meter blank square. Immaculate metal walls without a door nor divot. Her eyes narrowed to pinpricks and she tried to stomp back the way she came, swearing how her Grunkle Soka taught her, but then stopped dead in her tracks.

Her one way out now split into two. Another tunnel was running beside here. Cocking her head, she tried to peer through the thick fog. It dropped to the ground like a stone, jolting her back. She forced herself still and glared down the new passage, lifting her fires up. They grew into great orange suns and saw: The same place she just came from?!

Her eyes twitched. Curses flooding her mouth ground to bits by clenched teeth, coming all out as half-formed garbles. She could only jab a shaky finger down the tunnel, sputtering and fuming, as she saw red.

*Breathe Korra*

She blasted fire down both paths, scorching away the outer coats of metal. It glowed bright coral, pulsating in her eyes.

*Just breathe*

She sighed, and —Came Nose to Nose with a Grinning FACE!

Korra stumbled back and punched jets of fire. Her flames grabbed, but bounced away at weird incongruent X angles, billowing off into black brume. She kept firing bursts after burst, but while backing away and eyeing the room, listening for any *meaty* sounds.

Under her bombardment the face's expressive smirk began to droop. Brass globules of flesh smacked against the grate floor, melting holes through. She cut her bending off and the figure teetered.

The metal person fell over with a crash, cratering the grate floor. Korra jumped and her firelight sputtered, sending the shadows bumping into one another in the tight room. Immediate fire rushed back into her hand and her second filled with sparks. Sweat ran down her neck as she brought both down to the figure.

It was another metal fake out. 'How- Why?!'. Her eyebrows shot off her forehead and she moved in closer, shifting around the body. Dirty silver, human teeth stuck out at odd angles, twisting with the smelted face. It was lifelike in every way. Defined muscles roiled beneath smooth brass skin. Its body -No, "her body!", because that was a girl's body, right? She had Korra's proportions and was just as tall! All draped by alloy woven clothes Korra recognized in an instant:

Southern Water Tribe.

She swallowed and drew back while "her" empty sockets tracked her move. Power pumped, flooding into her flames! She backed further into the room as brass light blinked in from the dark corners. They were coming for her, edging closer in the flickering shadows with each twist of her head.

"ENOUGH!" !

Fire pillars scorched the high ceiling. Wide, fearful eyes spied her all angles, all from one identical face.

Hers?

They were her! Every single one, surrounding her, caught in mid-motion animated in the act of coming towards her and… removing their clothes?

Some had just begun, frozen with their shirts pulled up their midriffs. Others were far ahead with a clothes pile beside them. All leveling her with the same wide trembling eyes.

"What. The. Heck…?"

Korra backed away, never taking her eyes off "hers". There was no point staying in this weird room. She moved for the exits and slammed her spine into a metal wall.

She whirled, hands clawing at what was supposed to be her tunnel.

Behind her the metal of the mannequins *creaked*.

Her fingers tore into the sheet, ripping it apart like putty.

'Was this Metal bending? It had to be . Her first time and already perfect!'

The entire wall flowed down like water, wiping away what she tore apart. 'She was too good!'

More shifting creaks behind her. Her Stand snapped around she winced and spewed out billowing streams of flames.

They continued closer.

The slag one beside Korra squeaked. She felt it stir up.

"Come On! Come On!"

She plunged both arms elbow deep and grabbed fistfuls of metal. With a scream she flung it away -And the Monkeys Smiling, Gnashing Face Lunged out at Her!

Steel waters breached and Korra fell beneath its churning wake. Orange fatty rolls clapped liquid metal spraying at its colossal feet. She backpedaled before she could think, suffocating under its shadow. Thick hairy hands reached for her tiny frame.

" NO!"

White hot rage curled her hands into fists. 'No More Running!' It erupted from her hands in exploding ion light →Metal arms grabbed and pinned her limbs. They slammed her face first against the grate, forcing her giant jets of fire into the ground. She screamed and thrashed, trying to worm her way free, but the clothless mannequin bodies piled on, pressing her flat.

She sucked in air to unleash a roar of fire when a metal fist drove itself into her stomach. Air screamed through clenched teeth.

She Couldn't Breathe!

Her fire died.

One of the "hers" grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head up. In the darkening corner of her eye she saw the slag one's horrific grimace. The others were now dragging her forward, across the grate floor and to…

A long, four-jointed orange finger came underneath Korra's chin! She tried to pull away but the "hers" kept her there. Brass, eyes widened and necks squeaked as they tried to look away.

Korra saw their faces warp and shift between emotions. They were terrified, holding her between them and IT. Some held her Stand back, twisting against the joint. Metal began to crumple causing blood to run down Korra's arm. She watched them shake their heads in shame.

The Monkey's maw stretched as he brought himself face to face with the little girl. There was fire in her eyes. White hot hate clenched teeth dripping malice -spraying it with her shaking head. All to hide the real emotion underneath.

FEAR…

The monkey licked his bulbous balloon lips. 'Delicious fear'. She could try and hide, bury it deep under bravado, but it would always leak out.

She was jerking away, fighting on fumes while his Orange hairs bristled the scruff of her chin. He saw her eyes go wide, just like his dolls, and plaque-caked teeth gnashed with anticipation. The bleed of fear was beginning. From the tears in her eyes, inking the rest of her features. She was driven still as he reached to caress her soft, young skin.

"¡OWATTA!" she hissed!

A second metal fist burst into an uppercut. Forever leaped away by hairs of his many chins, backflipping with a twirl at the end of the room. The fist continued its arc, colliding into the slag mannequins holding Korra's head. It rocked her head backwards, but otherwise nothing until the gears on the hand spun. A PIN shot from the back, twisting round in its socket by pulley strings. They spun to a precise interval before shooting back through into the brass head.

It jutted out of the "Korra", crowning her a unicorn. Unblinking eyes stared up at it. A sound tang out, *PINg* , and horrific realization dawned on the brass girl with

Her lips parted, "please-"

The PIN drove itself through her head.

Metal buckled and her upper body was crushed flat in seconds.

Sharp shrapnel flew, nicking Korra. One large shard skewered the floor between her thighs.

Her trapped Stand-hand broke free and Korra heard the *SNAP!* before she felt her left thumb splinter.

'No Time For Pain!' She swung that Stand-arm at the staggering Shrapnel generator.

"¡OWATTA!"

"¡OWATTA!"

A third hand grew from her shoulder, crossing through the brass thigh's shadow. Its PIN joined the other on the opposite femur, both angled up against the crushing force. Two ethereal "PINg" sounds rang out before they shot into their thighs.

Metal crumpled up as all three PINs' force vectors met and overlapped in perfect symmetry. A sphere of stress collapsed the figure -shrapnel & all- dropping a dense ball Ker-Thunking across the floor, dancing awkward on its PINs.

Here one moment, gone the next, the PINless ball dropped, carving a crater in the grate. Its brass shell split to reveal a dark-silver core.

" OWATTA! OWATTA! OWATTA!"

PINg!

PINg!

PINg!

Black, bedlam muscles bulged out of her Stand. Twisted too tight, they strained against their frame, forcing out in rough jagged jabs. Another naked mannequin, this one with her knee pressed on Korra's throat, found herself skewered. Gone in an instant, now a ball bouncing by Korra's face.

" OWATTA! OWATTA! OWATTA!

OWATTA! OWATTA! OWATTA!

OWATTA! OWATTA! OWATTA!"

More mannequins fall, raining at her feet. The master pistons dotting her Stand's skin squashed down within, multiplying their force exponentially. Raw hydraulic power coursed through, unleashed on her pulley wires.

"OWATTA! OWATTA! OWA– urgh –TA !"

Her thick pulley cable snapped and her real arm dropped. The last "her" fell to the floor and bounced up and down with the rest. Its PINs unraveled themselves, disappearing into translucent ribbons.

Korra Stood! Her left arm laid across her stretched out leg. The middle finger twitches, it's all she can make it do as she glares down at her monster. White hot hate overtakes her eyes. It's blinding! She rose and Forever took a step back, before composing himself with a quick grin.

Korra grinned back and her second Stand-hand snapped infront of her. Where the first was cobalt hues, brushed by waters and koi fins, this one burned. Scared splotches with embering rings ate away, colliding with billowing smoke stacks that soaked her arm in ash. Yet, out of this ash sprouted green; vines of plants that did not exist twisted up her limb and around her fingers. She opened those fingers and let tufts of dirty orange hair fall before the monkey's eyes.

"I almost had you," she winked. Forever looked down at the hair and then back to a smug Korra.

"Yep! Had you fooled, huh? All Acting!". Her left shoulder buckled as she tried to flick her nose with her torn-up arm. She made an immediate switch to her right.

The monkey raised his brow.

"Come on," she rasped, "You think those baby taps c-could knock my wind out? I'm an airbender in training, remember." Short, painful pants punctuated her words.

He yawned, then brought his right hand into a hanging fist, quickly flipping it up, pointing left, cupping into a circle, and then pointing up. He blitzed through these signs with practiced ease, spelling (M • E • T • H • O • D).

A quick wink and Korra felt ice run down her spine. She shook it off and signed her own response.

"I don't know what- (W3TH0B) -means?" Forever giggled.

"But I know you can see my Stand. Nobody back home could. They all thought I'd made an imaginary friend. So consider yourself special". She kicks one of the metal balls at Forever's face. He caught it with his toes.

"That yours?"

Forever dusted it off with his Captain's coat. Cleaned to his standards, he balanced it on his fingertips and began a slow clap. The clap gained speed, whooping and hollering at Korra but he never dropped the ball. The applause filled the room, multiplied off dozens of brass hands. They were back! Jeering at the Avatar. Korra spun, the noise thunder in her skull, her three fists pointing at the enclosing crowd.

"DON'T MOCK ME—"

Forever held up a hand the clapping stopped. Korra's eyes shot to him as he jammed his long spindly fingers through a crack between pipes. They curled around the edges of a 'something' and pulled it out. A 10x8 ft chalkboard glided out on wheels through the centimeter's thick gap.

Korra's brain rebooted.

Chalk scraping and white clouds filled the air as Forever stacked the entire board with atomic numbers and complex mathematical equations; all surrounding one sentence.

Hypothesis : Pure Platinum is unbendable?

The dark-gray spheroid balls glinted at Korra's eyes. Hers narrowed.

The monkey underlined the word "CONCLUSION:" and crushed the ball under his foot to paste.

With dexterous toes he picked it up and tossed it to his hands. A blur of fingers bent the soft metal like a balloon until he formed the word, "NO". Then, with a knobbly finger, he poked out the hole in the letter "O". Meeting eyes with Korra, he slid his finger in and out and in and out.

'… wha?'

His grin was all teeth, rotten cavity crusted with drool sloshing out of its holes. The odor assaulted her with his fast eager breaths.

"Oh my ME!" she gagged. "Brush Your Stinky Stupid Teeth!"

The monkey actually recoiled, checking his breath with worry in his eyes. One of his girls laid a comforting hand on his knee, and Korra's rage Broke.

"HEY! Are we gonna keep signing things I don't get? Or are we gonna start speaking my language!?" Red embers sparked off her rippling flames.

Forever *tut* *tut* *tut* ed and Korra's eye seized, rage and confusion playing double-dutch with her lid.

"I'm gonna kill him. Gonna kill- freaking skin him and turn his hyde into a mop for the poop deck!"

The ear splitting noise of nails on chalkboard yanked her eyes back on Forever. He was clawing a word, cutting over his math with Big, Exaggerated letters.

PURESHA! (Pressure).

A naked "her" walked out from behind the board with a sign card above her head. She was strutted out like a pro-bending ring girl, twisting the sign for all to see. Her metal lips trembled.

[ P =F/A ]

"What… The… Fuck!..".

Her stomach wormed itself into knots as something within, something primal, made her take a step back.

The ape's yellow eyes looked at her.

"…So you figured out how I'm gonna whoop your but. Congratulations, give him all a big hand," she drawled and the mannequins began to clap again. Forever took off his Captain's hat, teary eyed, and gave elaborate motions of thanks to the crowd.

Korra spat on the ground before him.

"Make all the metal "Me"s you want. They can't protect you from getting *Popped* like a meat balloon!"

Metal shrieked as she brought her Stand-hands to point at the orange and obese beast.

"And all I need to do is touch you-?"

Forever wet his fingers with drool and rubbed his nipples…

…

…

"NOOOOOPE!"

Flames explode out from Korra's one working fist, crashing her into the pipe rafters. Her two Stand-hands slam together, sparking metal, and between their fingertips her livid blue eye pierces Forever! The water hand stays limp, so the others jar down to it. Gears whir and her left arm seizes, its muscles twisting and tearing within. Her limb is overtaken by dark blotches of blood beneath the skin as its PIN dives between the other two. She rips all hands away, sparkling embers trailing her Stand.

" Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~"

Held above her human hand was a tiny flame pierced at three separate vectors.

Its PINs hummed, rotating in their sockets, and crushed the flame down to the smallest possible particle. Harsh light splintered out and the boiler room gauges went wild. Temperatures skyrocketed and Korra was kicked back by their force, blistering her hand as she used every ounce of bending to force the heatwave away.

A high piercing whine filled the tight room. Orange streaks raced from all hands, sucked in by the soaring pressure differential. The bomb shook in her hand.

"Ya know, I was planning on being nice! Put on a show for everyone on deck & let you break your own limbs –Buuuuuut You Had To Make This Weird!"

A blistering singularity emerged at the center of the PINs. Sharp arcs of flame escape and shear clear through the metal. The mannequins took a fearful step back.

The monkey raised an eyebrow high over his scalp. Advanced geometric calculations flashed through his mind and he moved his foot an inch and a half to the left. The pressure cooker buckled and an arc carved through where his toes once were.

He sneered and brought up his captain's pipe. An arc later and it was lit.

The fireball rotated, pointing one PIN down at the monkey and mannequins. The "Korras" fell back, running and clawing at the metal walls. Her blue eyes take on a manic glee while she grins, squinting as the harsh light flashes between orange and blue.

"I want you to take your creepy sculptures, your unwashed hands and hyde, and your disgusting putrid slobber and Buuuuuurrrn!"

Forever ran his tongue over fat drooping lips. He motioned and a cocoon of metal sprung around him.

Korra was grinning ear to ear. She flooded her fire with more power and the ball warped around between her fingertips. Her Stand grabbed her arm, steading it, as the entire room shook. The "Korras" were banging against the walls, pleading to be let out. Behind his plexiglass window Forever silenced everything with a dismissive swipe.

Sound vanished . Korra glared at Forever and saw him lift his fecal covered four-knotted finger. Beneath his captain's hat one eye twinkled at Korra as he curled his finger back in the only sign she understood:

"Bring it, little girl".

–Her PIN unraveled in a beautiful spiral.

–Fire sensed the hole in its pressure cage.

–The world exploded in a blue wave of annihilation, crashing against his cocoon as rotten cavities leered from ear to ear.

ゴ

ゴ

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「STAND NAME」: ?

「STAND MASTER」: KORRA

「Stats」:

Power (A)

Speed (D)

Range (E)

Durability/Staying: (?)

Precision: (?)

Development/Learning: (A)

Pressure Pins: Every hand can affix one PIN to a subject (physical or elemental). The PIN(s) then exerts a Force equidistant over the target's surface area. The upper limits of this force are unknown.

Elemental Interaction: Korra can Bend through her Stand, however, their tightly wound muscles could tear with most techniques.

ゴ

ゴ

ゴ

ゴ

Korra : Destiny's BIZARRE Child!

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[ ⏮ ▶️ || ⏭ ]

Chapter Text

-[Track 5: BUG a BOO]-

Blue!

Absolute pale blue light stretched a deep dark doppler streak behind the monkey's box. Her fire boiled metal, bursting pipes into slag. Wet splats unheard under the thunder shrieking roar! Giga-gallons of flames raced past her shaking hands, both Stand's and flesh, until its overwhelming thrust rocketed her back against the far wall.

But the flames kept rushing out, because she would incinerate every speck of the orangutan and burn the stain for good measure! The walls glowed, greedily lapping up the heat until their bellies bulged. Melting dripping boils spread between their frames through every inch of the room until one grew behind Korra's back.

She screamed and cut off the flames, dropping to the floor. Her Stand's hands sunk up to their wrists and the heat ran up their arms, but her Stand held. All she felt was the pain.

Just pain! Nothing more. Far better off than that Monkey! She spat a phlegmy loogie and watched it sizzle on the warped black floor. Everything had become a twisted Burton dream of slag and ash surrounding… a brass box?

A Pristine Brass Box.

…no …No! No! How?!

It was twinkling bright. Sharp lines carried the light across a frame that sat above sludge, unbothered.

ゴゴゴゴ

One by one, orange tarantula leg fingers grew out of its plexiglass window, bringing out a flab-swinging trunk of an arm and that rotten cavity filled smile. Forever the Orangutan pulled at his captain's sleeves and rubbed it "clean". Satisfied, he flashed Korra a thumbs-up and phased back inside.

"You…! Don't Mock Me!" She ripped her Stand free and dropped to the still smoldering floor. Ignoring the pain, she smashed her hands together with a great *KLANG!* . Fire leapt from hands and squeezed to a bright blue dot with the hiss of pins.

The monkey soundlessly laughed through the window. Korra screamed and everything went blue again.

The boat shook, throwing the crusaders off their feet. Even the sailors with decades of life experience were knocked face first on the deck. Li landed the worst, breaking his nose. But all he did was noncommittally touch the blood leaking out.

"What the hell was that!?" Joseph yelled.

…

…

"Korra!" they all cried.

Joseph tore the ship map off the wall, brushing off the protective broken glass. "Kakyoin, give me your buttons".

"…eh?"

Joseph was already moving on, snatched buttons in hand. He took out several children's coloured markers and pulled the cap off one with his teeth. "Ok, Avdols got those little squiggly lines… Kakyoin's got the superman curl. Jotaro, are you more hat or hair?"

"JiJi!?"

"It's important! The more accurate I draw, the better this'll work. Screw it, 40:60 ratio it is…

There!" he proclaimed and proudly presented the buttons drawn, surprisingly well, with the likeness of everyone. "「HERMIT PURPLE」". Thorny vines sparkling with sunlight dove into the map, looping through the plane like sea serpents until they pounced on the buttons. Each flew across the paper, mapping their location.

"Look! Korra's in the engine room," Kakyoin exclaimed.

"Let's Go!" Joseph said and they raced off! And in their haste, none noticed that Korra's button was burning out…

"FIREBALL!" "FIREBALL!" FIREBALLS flew from Korra's hands, pelting the box. Her limp arm flopped along too, flinging sparks.

WHY 🔥 WON'T 🔥 YOU 🔥 DIE?!"🔥

Forever blew a wet raspberry which splattered on his glass.

"RHHAAAAAAAAGH!"

Ash rained down from the ceiling. It flew down her throat and she hacked, doubling over as her 5 hands weakly sparked. She looked to the vents at the top of the walls. Any second, they would pump back in fresh air.

Any second now…

The ash flakes dropped like stones. The vents shook, but made no sound. Her hands couldn't make flames. They clutched at her throat. The Air?! HE WAS SUCKING OUT HER AIR?!

She tried to airbend —she had to airbend!

Nothing happened. Her hands clawed at dark spots emerging from the walls. They multiplied across the room, dining on its colour. Already some bit into the brass box.

That box! If… if she could just reach it— Her feet sunk into slop. The metal was suddenly a runny bog, splashing and sucking up her limbs. One wet splash reached and grabbed her Stand! Runny fingers wormed their way through its groves and hardened tight. Her torn tendon arm twisted as she tore it free.

…

Heavy footfalls splashed sludge that no longer made sounds. She buckled as each Stand limb burst into raw light. Pain hammered her chest for release and she fought with everything to keep one finger present! It reached for the box past the black spots, but they had already invaded inside her mind, walking down its corridor in crowded lines, each unpassionately flicking off the lights as they went.

Korra dropped soundlessly on the floor and her Stand unspun.

…

…The large box glid over Korra and opened wide. Pale light bit into the room. Forever, wearing scuba equipment, stepped out and breathed in the air of victory.

The "prize" below him twitched — He smiled at that. Fat hands slammed next to Korra and his breathing became almost too much for his respirator.

Then, the room shook from the top down. Fast feet hit metal and raced down through the lower decks. Forever whipped his head up and snarled. Hollering and hooting he marched to a wall and drove his fist through!

Out with his fingers came a boxlike machine with large dials and dozens of widgets hooked up to a gigantic paper roll. A needle blurred across, marking the tremors in bold sweeping jagged lines hawked by Forever's eyes. They zipped where the strokes zagged while he punched away at a calculator which grew from the ground.

A light shone behind his eyes. A sickly yellow glow that flashed bright as his eyes crinkled up.

The ship came alive beneath their feet! Fire hoses twisted and struck at them like snakes. The stairdoor grew teeth and chomped off three of Joseph's metal fingers. Bolts shot at the sailors plunging deep into their thrown up arms. One rusty screw shot itself at Li's eye, caught at the lashes by Star Platinum!

"「MAGICIAN'S RED」". The walls melted in a perfect circle out to the ocean. "Get the sailors out there!"

Startled shouts and panicked shrieks came from the three picked up by the invisible strings of Kakyoin's Stand and thrown out the hole.

"Good job Kakyoin!" Joseph exclaimed. "Now let's fi-

"Um, Mr. Ghost-Guys… Thank you, but we're still in Octo-Shark waters! …And Li's covered in blood…"

"SHIT! New plan—Kakyoin, with me now". He didn't give him any time, grabbing him with his vines and leaping off the ship.

And not a moment too soon. Gargantuan fins cut through to the sailors!

"HAMON OVERDRIVE!" Joseph touched the water with pure sunlight. It rippled and pulled the sailors up into the air and away from gnashing teeth!

Kakyoin hit the pane face first.

"Look alive Kakyoin!" Joseph called, standing on water. "If they can't snatch us from the sides they will adapt and strike from above and below". His arms pretzeled, looping down at the diving tentacles, and up as the sailors crashed back down with wet thuds.

"I'm sending my vines down as tripwires but don't take your eyes off the ones up to—!"

Rows and rows of foot long serrated teeth interrupted him! Above, slitted blood-red eyes shined with hunger!

—And then the eyes were green!

"EMERARUDO SUPURASSHU!" Kakyoin called, his right foot stretched far along the water plane with its heel pivoted up. His hand followed it, twisting up as well as he looked back over his shoulder. His Stand grew from his torso, running their hand along his cheek with a finger outstretched.

"Bullseye," he said as the emerald riddled tentacle head fell.

"Great shot Kakyoin!" Joseph praised.

Kakyoin smiled. "Avdol—Jotaro, find Korra please. We'll protect the sailors".

Both took off, feet pounding the decks. Jotaro punched through the snarling stair door and one set of feet struck the stairs…

…"Avdol?"

…

"AVDOL!?"

He raced back up the well as its tight walls banged back his tramp, when midstep, the ground curled away… and dropped him into darkness!

ゴゴゴゴ

ゴゴゴゴ

ゴゴゴゴ

ゴゴゴゴ

Forever's machine was a beautiful work of art —Not of his own design, ofcourse— but copied from the world's most advanced seismograph, courtesy of the Geological Institute of Ba Sing Se.

Breaking that apart to dissect its inner workings was child's play. The only challenge being keeping all the tiny pieces out of the growing pools of blood.

He pulled his tube lips back in a sneer: Disgusting! Where were the janito-

Oh!

…

Under the ship which pierced through the institute's west wing roof was an arm still clutching a mop handle.

Weeeeell… sacrifices had to be made.

He chuckled at the memory and pulled the paper readings from his machine: Subarashi! SU-Ba-RA—SHI!

Almost all the pieces were gone from his board. Just 2 remained, the Magician and the Star, and he'd already hoodwinked the Magician.

◎⃝⃘

Rows and rows of identical doors leading to identical engine rooms boxed Avdol in. Korra could be behind in any of them!

And—?! Was that GAS he smelled? He quickly doused his flames and the corridor went black.

Immediately, Avdol heard dozens & dozens of high-pitched scrapes. The doors had swung wide open and in the dark, child sized things moved.

"Korra?"

The loud tapping of tiny [but heavy] feet raced at Avdol. He stumbled back.

"KORRA?!"

Brass hands grabbed him!

◎⃝⃘

'SU-Ba-RA—SHI!' Forever gnashed his teeth happily. 'Now…' Tracing his long chintinic finger across the scroll, the readings, if correct 'And they always were,' showed the Star of the show still sprawled where he crashed down.

'DIO, was your caution misplaced?' He clapped his meaty palms, rocketing the room with his raucous cheer, but then paused: …Could the "Star's" big role be a possum?

He smirked and curled his fingers in one… two… three… four… Five! 5 pipes broke off from the walls above Jotaro and skewered the floor where he was! Forever's machine jumped, picking up all five thuds and …and …and? Nothing!

No racing of feet. Not even a slight pitter-patter. Nothing moved.

'SU-Ba-RA—SHI! SU-Ba-RA—SHI!' He swung his arms wide, danced on his tippy toes across the room. It was now just him,

…and her.

He knelt down and put his scuba respirator on her face. Her chest immediately rose: One breath… Two breaths… Each with a sharp:

*Hisssss!*

Korra's blue eye slackly lifted, then widened! Awful putrid light crept over her, dying her skin yellow. A glowing door stretched wide above her and from within, hairy worms tainted in the colour, wriggled through the light. They twisted into one another, overlapping by the hundreds until two monstrous trunks were formed, each with five long digits. The floor shook as they galumphed by her side, dragging behind them a black rotting grin with beams shining out its holes!

*HISSSSS!*

Wave after wave of fat yellow layers rolled above her head and hot muggy breath splashed her prone form!

*HISSSSS!*

Dark sounds were dredged from the deepest depths, warped like a funhouse mirror on the journey up: A carnival of laughter.

*HISS— ackK!* The monkey took the mask, because he knew from experience that'd been just enough. Oozing scabbed fingers worked fast to unhook the last two buttons on his coat. One flew off and smacked the wall with the stitching still stuck to it.

His own mask was now too fogged to see. Fingers fumbled over the last button, snagging it on the opening.

Almost…. ALMOST!

His fingers tugged and twisted at the button, the fabric began to tea, Korra spasmed below, and- BOOOOOOM!

The far wall blasted apart letting light rush in. Forever threw his hands before his eyes, but between the finger cracks he could see it.

Blue!

"Good," Jotaro said. "I hate being late".

Forever snarled and flung spit everywhere.

"Disgusting". He growled, then looked down by the monkey's feet and clenched his fists.

Korra's chest shot up and down, gulping in the fresh air. Heavy lidded eyes swam but she forced them to land. Opening wide, she saw the monster's fingers, a hair's width away from stroking her jugular. But behind them was JOTARO!

Bridal carried by his Stand, pointing at them both!

…

What?

Forever's fingers stayed by Korra's neck, shaking! But then, he retracted them and flashed Jotaro a smile, buttoning up his coat.

Star Platinum punched the box.

"I understand it now," he said and pulled out a chunk of the wall, showing it off. "You put a vacuum in the metal. So when Korra burned through the first layer, her flames hit nothing and died".

"SU-Ba-RA—SHI!" Forever signed.

Jotaro leapt out of Star Platinum's arms, 80 ban¥ leather shoes crunching soot as his trench jacket swung around in a grand sweep. "But you goaded her to keep firing flames; burn away any air rushing in to fill the vacuum".

Forever looked all too pleased with himself.

"Congratulations, you tricked an 11 year old," he said and Forever's smug look fell to the floor, leaving behind an ugly glower of cracked and crusty leather with its pores oozing hate.

Jotaro calmly walked over. "Your Stand's the strongest I've fought so far. But can it hit harder than mine?".

Forever stomped his finger-feet and raised his arms. The room *Crunched* — Pipes and rods burst through the floor! Razorsharp pieces of wall broke off and flew. Everything shot towards Jotaro!

"Bang." he calmly said and the ape's head rocked back! Bloody drops flew from a quarter-inch disk lodged in his forehead.

Star Platinum's hand rolled a brass button between their fingers. Jotaro's lapel was missing two. It rolled to their thumb where they flipped it high.

"ORA!" The button punched through its twin.

"Mine Hits like a Bullet".

Forever's throat locked up and all he could make was wet hacking sounds. He tried to look up but only one eye made it — the other rolling left, back into his head. The room went runny, dripping its metal down in splashes. Forever ripped his jacket off.

"So it's true. An animal threatened will show its belly as a sign of surrender. Is that what you are, just an animal acting on instinct?". His Stand's fingers clenched down like pistons one-by-one.

Forever viciously shook his head, cheeks smacking into one another. He flung his arms, trying to sign as more blood spurted out of his head.

"Yare yare daze…". His shoes kicked up ash as he walked forward. The monkey stumbled back, tripping over the warped room, signing furiously on the ground, flinging his arms in large looping pleas.

—Until they snapped inward at crooked angles!

Jotaro whirled around and saw?!

"Harmony is… Harmony is… Harmony is NOT with us," Korra repeated the bending mantra with harsh whispers, inching forward, her hand outstretched in a claw grip.

"Korra…?!" He whispered.

"So… Not responsible for yourself, huh?".

Throbbing veins bulged through skin as her snarling lips curved up.

"That goes for your water too?". Forever's body was jerked on red strings. Pulled to its tippy toes, if a single muscle moved, they would shred it!

"Did ya know… 70 years ago, Master Iroh did a BIG Nations wide No-No and bent fire like a waterbender.

Crazy thing to get mad at, right? But after the war, the world wised up and now, Masters from everywhere are all pooling their bending knowledge…". Something metal grew through her lame arm, bulging out of the bruises. Burning ash fell from the whirring pistons forcing her hand up. "-and there's no greater Master-Melting-Pot than at MY compound!".

"Korra, what are y–". And then, the monkey SCREAMED.

Jotaro slammed his hands over his ears! It was a rank, god abandoned shriek of octaves. Shrill and wet, like razor wires pulled across bone. He could feel their hooked barbs dredging in the shriek - Swimming just under the skin before being ripped through the creature's throat!

First its fingers bubbled, then its toes. The densest nerve clusters in the body were pulled over massive boils as they grew their way through its body, shoving apart organs and pressing them against bone. One the size of Jotaro's head swelled beneath the left kneecap! Hairy orange balloons which wriggled within. Six engorged its right arm, snapping the bones into tiny shards.

No one heard them shatter…

Not under its scream…

Teeth gnashed! Head thrashed side to side as blister boils danced up its face. They tugged and shoved at the hole in its head, tonguing the two lodged buttons. One fired out with a spurt of blood, while the other was quickly crushed between a knurling whelk mass which drooped down its face.

Star Platinum blocked a drop of blood from hitting Jotaro's face. His question - Why'd they do something so trivial - fell when his hand burned!

In his Stand's palm the monkey's blood sizzled.

"Harmony is not with us! …Harmony is NOT with us!". Her hands writhed into one another as on the walls, their shadows flickered and grew. Jotaro stared — Korra's fingertips were popping flames!

The ape fell, flailing its bubbling fingers. He saw their skin stretch apart until it burst in red clouds dripping burnt coagulated masses. They sizzled on the floor. Its one good eye looked up, brandishing its stumps at Jotaro who took a step back, away from the growing pool of boiling blood.

Skin, hair and flesh melted and glued itself to the floor. The walls threw back wails in different keys while its body wrenched, tearing apart and spraying more blood.

"Korra!"

More boils popped, jerking it around in a bad dance. The fat was oozing out now, broiling. A disgustingly sweet smell. And then the screaming stopped, because it couldn't anymore. Bubbling blood leaked out blister holes dotting its throat. It thrashed! One mad eye swelling lopsided.

And it still tried to scream.

Then meat exploded and Korra threw up her hands, catching the geyser of blood. Star Platinum disappeared from their protective stance in front of both and Jotaro could stare at what was left of the monkey.

Cooked organs floated in the red. Its chest rose once… twice… and never again.

…

…

…

"Good work team!" Korra flashed him a thumbs up.

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Korra : Destiny's BIZARRE Child!

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