I've never written a LoK fic before, but I'm a avid fan of the show.

The ending of last episode seemed fitting but tragic, yet the urge to diverge into an AU when I saw this prompt was too great.

The prompt is:

During their fight in When Extremes Meet, Tarrlok doesn't bloodbend Korra. He's been reflexively shying away from it for years and that doesn't change even in those few seconds he needs it most.

So Tarrlok is left on the floor of City Hall half-dead and badly burned while Korra is left to look at exactly what she's done. Whether she flees or sticks around is up to you. Meanwhile, Tarrlok is effectively out of action during the revolution, Noatak is very aware of the injuries caused to his brother, and the city is full of people raging about abuse of power.

Bonus if Noatak manages to visit Tarrlok while he's incapacitated. Extra bonus if he confronts Korra and now it's personal. Yet another bonus if Korra is genuinely shocked by what happened herself.

Too tempting to avoid and so this fic was born.

Also, many thanks to my beta reader, willlowscribe, for saving my descriptive failure. :D

Chapter 1: Stepping Out of the Shadows

A huge explosion shook the interior of City Hall as the entire wall from Tarrlok's office came crashing down from the upper floor. Korra was there, lit by the light at her back. "Still think I'm half baked?!"

Tarrlok could feel himself tripping over his own feet. He hit something hard against the back of his heel and was knocked backwards. His carefully arranged ponytails were in disarray, obscuring his vision as he grasped the balcony, holding on for dear life.

Holding on for dear life. The only thing he seemed capable of anymore.

Nothing ever seemed to change.

When he was just a boy, failure seemed to come naturally. Always second best to his brother, never good enough for Yakone, always needing Noatak to protect him. He hadn't even had the strength to run away with his older brother.

"Yakone was right," Noatak had said. "You are weak."

That had been the final straw. Coupled with his mother's depression and his father's unresponsive state, he'd left in search of something better.

And he'd got it too. He held a seat on the Republic City Council, was the representative from the Northern Water Tribe, and had been one of the strongest water benders in Republic City before Korra came along.

There was no question that he had power.

He was a masterful politician, lining up the other Council members just as he wanted them to, tugging their strings in just the right ways. Tenzin had called him a manipulative tyrant.

He had no idea how right he was.

But then Avatar Korra had come and then Amon and the Equalists.

So he had adapted, created a task force to deal with Amon, and flattering Avatar Korra over to his side. At first, everything seemed to fall into place.

His fingers were slipping, his defense was crumbling.

And down came reality, along with him. Crunch. The floor was hard, the truth was harder.

Just as he once stood, his posture straight and his eyes toward his glorious future, now he found himself crawling amongst the rubble of City Hall, scrambling for any kind scrap of pride he could dig up.

Korra came right after, her fist embedding itself deep within the stonework. Her earth bending shook the foundations around them. Her heavy breathing did nothing to douse the fury behind her eyes.

"What are you gonna do now? You're all out of water, pal." She took a step toward him with every word.

Tarrlok crawled backwards to no avail. He grit his teeth in frustration. Everything couldn't just fall into place, could it? Never in his life had anything just fallen neatly into place.

Everything he had worked for, ruined, by one little girl with the power to turn the world to ash.

In the back of his mind, his father whispered how there one solution. One easy way out of this whole mess. It was the natural one. The rational one.

He could feel her blood pumping, her pulse rushing as she prepared to strike. The beat of her life flowing through her muscles.

Fire lit in her palms with no intent of mercy.

How easy it would be to clench a fist and have instant control. To end it with one move.

No, he thought. His brother's grip on his veins. The feeling of helplessness. The promise he made to never let anyone experience it.

"I don't want to do that to anyone. I never want to bloodbend again."

No! Never again. Never ever again.

He could feel the line behind him. The one step separating him from his father.

No.

He stood up. He let his arms drop. He could feel the heat from her fists as she approached with lightning speed.

As she ran at him, ponytail whipping behind her, he thought of how similar she looked to Noatak.

Then he closed his eyes and knew no more.

~ O ~

Korra could feel the lingering warmth of the flames now extinguished in her hands.

He just stood there.

The remains of City Hall were scattered around her.

He just stood there.

There was a still-scorched scar on the left side of Tarrlok's face and chest.

He just stood there.

Spirits, what had she done?