Title: a good distraction
Summary: Amon's side of things. "When Extremes Meet" spoilers.
Fandom: The Legend of Korra.
A/N: Written immediately in response to "When Extremes Meet." Crossposted from my fannishcodex tumblr.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to the Legend of Korra.
Time for a progress update.
"How many more?" Amon asked one of his Equalists (Satoshi, a young man who loved the theatre).
"Almost all the civilians are out. The Lieutenant was checking the last cells-"
The sounds of fighting reached them. Amon took Satoshi's shoulder, stopping his approach.
"Tell the others to continue, I will go."
The young Equalist nodded, and ran the opposite direction, toward the civilians that had grown terrified and the comrades that had stopped at the commotion to wait for orders.
Amon dashed forward, following the sounds of electricity and clashing metal.
He found the Lieutenant facing off against more Metalbender cops than they had counted on, especially since the operation had been going so smoothly until now.
The Equalist leader immediately provided back-up. As he dodged and struck, Amon noticed the Lieutenant fall back-perhaps he had been injured...
No, good, the Lieutenant was opening one of the cell doors, he would get the others out (hopefully the last ones) while Amon took care of the Metalbenders-
For a moment Amon was confused when the Lieutenant had deactivated one of his kali sticks and threw it inside, then returned to his side to fight. Intelligence had confirmed that this prison block only held the civilians grabbed after the new curfew was put in place, it shouldn't have any of their trained people here.
Amon's question was put to rest when Asami Sato lunged with the Lieutenant's kali stick, catching one officer in the throat.
Together the three nonbenders fought until finally all the guards were down.
Amon glanced to the girl, the Lieutenant's kali stick still in hand. "The Lieutenant trained you well."
Said Lieutenant twitched while Asami scowled. "'The Lieutenant,' huh?" She leveled a glare at the man. "Never gave me that name when Dad took me to train with you."
The tension broke as a boy's voice drifted over, "Um, Asami? Little help here?"
Not taking her eyes off Amon and the Lieutenant, Asami went to open the other cell doors.
Amon noted she freed the probenders from Avatar Korra's team. Double the reason she would watch them so warily, given her loyalty.
She slowly said, in a testing voice, "We need to free those people-"
"Already taken care off," Amon told her smoothly. "These were the last cells we had to check."
The girl nodded, the only way she had to acknowledge their actions. Still she stood protectively against her benders, both boys regarding them warily, and with clear confusion.
"What now?"
It was the Lieutenant who spoke, his voice low. "You know what I'll offer. Asami, your father wants you to come home. And I think you'll be better off there." The Lieutenant's voice lowered, gesturing to the cell door he'd freed her from. "You've seen what the majority of these benders are like."
"You provoked them. It's no excuse for their actions, they shouldn't have done this and they will pay for this...but you did give them a little push at the very least," Asami said in a deathly soft, yet firm voice.
Amon cut in. "Now's not the time to point out that this isn't exactly new, with only the scale expanded-not the time to again debate this-"
Amon turned to the Lieutenant, catching his eye. "-nor is it the time to convince you to return to your father."
He turned his back, and the Lieutenant followed. "We are leaving, as well as the civilians and the rest of my people. You are free to go if you want, but we will not wait for you."
Amon looked straight ahead, refusing to check if the Lieutenant glanced back at his former student.
###
The civilians had escaped all right, mostly because the Equalists had continued to make sure of that. Including Amon and the Lieutenant, now separated and isolated from the rest.
Amon went over the plan in his head; yes, the civilians and the rest of his people should be fine. The operation would be entering its second phase even without his immediate presence, making sure the civilians would still be all right afterward...the police would either retaliate or ignore the escapees due to renewed political pressure for a time...
"She still has your kali stick." Amon dryly pointed out as he scanned the block for enemies, though he was fairly certain they had shaken off pursuit by now.
"I have spares," the Lieutenant replied in a tired voice.
Amon tried to find something to say to comfort his comrade. He'd been struggling to find something adequate ever since the fight underneath Hiroshi Sato's mansion, but the Equalist leader only had so much skill in very personal matters...
"We were fortunate Tarrlok didn't show."
Unsubtle change of topic worked, and the Lieutenant glanced at the moon. "It's not-"
"It doesn't have to be, for him to bloodbend."
"You think he would've if he'd shown up?"
"He might've been finally pushed-"
Amon stopped so suddenly, the Lieutenant's "What is it?" was very terse.
"The Avatar's beast," Amon whispered, and the Lieutenant joined him directly at his side.
There the creature stood, its white fur against the darkness of the city. It was lying down, head flattened to the ground and ears pressed against its skull, the very picture of desolation.
The Lieutenant broke the silence. "Sir, remember the stories about Avatar Aang losing it when his sky bison was captured."
"Duly noted. We wouldn't want her to enter the Avatar State prematurely," Amon said dryly.
And so the Equalist leader and his lieutenant left the polarbeardog, though Amon would look back at it, still faintly baffled by the strange sight and coincidence-though perhaps it wasn't so much of a coincidence. The Avatar and her polarbeardog lived in Republic City now, they would roam the place. Still, it wasn't randomly placed, but waiting in the vicinity of the council's offices.
Amon was then struck by the idea that the Avatar could be in there, uselessly trying to make Tarrlok release her companions and the civilians. He smirked slightly at the thought; the Avatar could've been an effective distraction for the rescue operation for all he knew...
###
"...Equalists suspected in the disappearance of Avatar Korra..."
The Lieutenant lowered the terse radio voice as Amon leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.
"Now what?" The Lieutenant asked, his voice just as tense.
Amon quietly considered.
Then he began to answer.
fin
A/N: I'm just amused by the idea that while Korra and Tarrlok are fighting, Amon and the Equalists are busy freeing everyone. My theory that an undercover Lieutenant was one of Asami's self-defense teachers employed by Hiroshi Sato. Also theorizing that Amon would not be surprised by Tarrlok's bloodbending.