Don't Think Twice/It's All Right

Chapter One: Welcome to Republic City

Korra sat handcuffed, her wrists aching from the tight metal. Several other people who were chained up sat with her. Across from her, a man with face tattoos was dosing off, mumbling something about coming out of the best cactus juice high he's ever experienced. The woman beside him kindly let him rest his head on her shoulder; her eyes were puffy from crying and she looked terrified. To Korra's right, a bearded man with a missing eye sat whispering to himself. His arms and legs, though bound tight, were in constant movement, even bumping into Korra a few times too many. She wanted to tell him to stop, but she was in no position to defend herself if things went sour. There's no telling what he was in for.

To Korra's left, curiously a little boy sat beside her. Unlike Korra and the others, he was not handcuffed, and he seemed the most relaxed in this small group of delinquents. He sat with his legs crossed, using his thigh to steady a notebook. In his hand he held a pen. Korra watched as he wrote down some words. It looked as if he were writing an essay of some sort. He came to halt after scratching out a few words and turned to Korra. "What's another word for execute?"

"Oh, um… killed?" said Korra.

He wrote down the word killed and gave an unsatisfied sigh.

"Murder!" suggested the man to Korra's right, a terrifying sparkle in his eye.

The boy shook his head. "No, not in the right context," he said.

"What about assassinate?" said the woman.

"That could work," said the boy.

"Um, are you doing… homework?" asked Korra.

"Yeah," said the boy, "I'm writing an essay on Fire Lord Sozin. The guy was a madman. Did you know he was eighty-two when he had his son?"

"That's pretty… interesting," said Korra.

The boy nodded in agreement as he placed his pen and notebook on the floor. "So, what're you guys in for?"

"Unpaid parking tickets," said the woman across from them. She looked down, ashamed of herself. The man on her shoulder was now fast asleep, unbothered by the people around him.

"Murder!" said the crazy man with one eye.

"And you?" asked the boy, turning to Korra.

"Destruction of public and private property," said Korra, "among other things."

"Ooh, that's pretty big," said the boy. "Y'know, the Chief... she's not big on delinquents, so—"

"I'm not a delinquent!" defended Korra. "I just got a little carried away, that's all." She looked at the boy, suddenly aware of just how small he was. "Why are you even here? You're a little kid."

"I'm... thirteen," he corrected stiffly. "And—"

The door opened, and two police officers came strolling in, one of them had a clipboard in his hands.

"Let's see… who do we have here with us today," said the officer with the clipboard. He spoke as if they were at a raffle and was about to announce the winner of some grand prize. "Ba Tu, c'mon down. We've kept your cell nice and warm for you."

The other officer pulled the sleeping man up out of his chair. He awoke with a snort. "I… I wanna talk—speak with… my lawyer persons."

"You already spoke with her, Ba Tu," said the second officer calmly as he guided him out of the room.

"Okay, next we have Korra," continued the first officer. "You'll be going into interrogation room three."

"Korra?" said the boy. He turned and examined her clothing curiously. "Wait, are you—"

The officer looked up from his clipboard. "Liko," he scolded, and the boy jumped, "you know you're not supposed to be in here. Stop making friends with the delinquents and go wait in the break room before I go tell your mother."

"She says she's not a delinquent," said the boy.

"That's what they all say," the officer retorted.

The boy grabbed his pen and notebook off the floor and stood. "Good luck… Avatar Korra," he whispered to her before exiting the room.

In the break room, Liko busied himself by making instant tea, a new invention from Varrick Global Industries. The VariTea Machine, as it is known, promises the user that they can make tea as quick and hot as a firebender, or their money back. The user fills up a cup with water, selects the type of tea they desire (in Liko's case, he chose Jasmine) and pours it into the cup. Then the cup gets lifted up into the machine and within minutes the tea is hot and ready to be consumed.

One sip told Liko that the machine did not heat up the water properly and the tea tasted more like an imitation of tea, not the real stuff. He felt the need to pour it out, but for an unknown reason, he kept drinking. His mother once commented that it was such a success because it was so simple, and people were becoming too lazy to make their own tea. She was right, because a tea pot was right next to him and he wasn't even thinking about making tea from the pot.

"What a pleasant surprise," said a voice behind him. He turned to see his father at the doorway.

Liko gave him a wave and a weak smile. He looked down at his cup, watching as the lukewarm liquid moved calmly inside the cup, like a gentle wave in the ocean.

"I thought you had school," continued his father.

"We got out early today," said Liko, sipping his tea. "Student holiday or something like that."

Tenzin smiled. "Well, good for you."

Liko had nothing really else to say, so to fill the awkward silence, he began loudly slurping his tea. It was terrible, and he honestly wanted to dump it out, but this conversation, or lack thereof, with his father was more terrible than any cup of instant tea.

Tenzin coughed, his own way of filling in the silence, Liko suspects. "And how are your studies going? Top of the class, I hope."

"The Avatar's in jail, you know," said Liko, ignoring his father's question. "I thought you were supposed to be moving to the South Pole to train her."

"Yes, I am… aware of the Avatar's whereabouts. That is why I am here." He breathed in and breathed out, releasing all of his anger. Perhaps not all of his anger, for he still looked pretty upset. "And… after recent events, I've decided I am most needed here in Republic City."

"You're talking about the Equalist riots."

"Yes."

He took another sip of his tea, hiding his distaste for it, and his distaste for his father's decision. "Hm…"

"Is there something the matter, Liko?"

"Oh, nothing… I just assumed completing the avatar's training would be your main priority. Not a stupid new colt forming in the city."

Tenzin sighed. He took a moment to collect himself, before smiling at his son. "Say, it's been, well, a while since you've stayed over on the island," he said. "Pema's making steamed tofu tonight."

Liko narrowed his brows. "Yum," he said with more mock than sincerity.

Tenzin, however, did not seem to catch on, for he continued: "Yes. You'd be more than welcome to join us."

"I wish I could," said Liko, "but my mom and I... we already made plans. Sorry."

"Oh... okay, that's all right," he said. "Maybe some other time."

"Yeah," said Liko, sipping his tea, "maybe another time."

Again, they were plagued by silence. Liko puffed air and looked away, suddenly finding the walls around him very interesting, while Tenzin rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Finally, an officer came in and broke their silence:

"This way to the interrogation room, Councilman," he said, encouraging Tenzin to follow him.

"It was good to see you, Liko," he said genuinely.

"Yeah, see ya," Liko mumbled out meekly.

He turned his attention to the instant coffee mix, wondering if VariCoffee would be better than VariTea. He tried coffee once when he was eight, more out of curiosity than anything else, and nearly threw up. He remembers his mom laughing at him as he tried wiping the taste away with his hand. The memory made him smile as he poured out the tea and dumped the Styrofoam cup into the trash. Though hesitant, he grabbed another Styrofoam cup and turned his attention to the VariCoffee machine.

Driving away from the station, Liko looked back to stare at his grandmother's big metal statue. He was facing backwards, sitting on his knees, with his cheek resting on the headrest. He watched as the statue got smaller and smaller as his mother drove further away from the police station.

He felt his mother's touch on his shoulder, guiding him down to sit the correct way. "Put your seatbelt on," she instructed.

"Do you know where your mom is?"

"You know the answer to that."

"Do you think she's in Zaofu?"

"No, I don't think so," said Lin. "Maybe. I don't know."

She did not continue, so Liko turned his attention to the people outside. Some were merchants. Some were streets rats. Most were just people walking home after a long, hard working day. His eyes found a young boy about his own age, who was holding hands with a man. They laughed as they waited for the street light to turn red, so they could cross the street safely. He only got a quick glance of them, for his mom had turned a corner.

"Tenzin—dad... invited me to dinner tonight," he said casually.

"Why didn't you go?"

"I told him we already had plans."

"You did?"

"Yeah, I was hoping we could have dinner at Yo-Yo's."

"I can't," she said tiredly, rubbing her forehead. "I'm dropping you off and then—"

"And then you're going back to work, right?" said Liko, crossing his arms.

"Maybe we can go to Yo-Yo's Saturday," she said.

"Maybe?" he said, slumping down into his seat.

"What?" She glanced at him curiously, and quickly noticed he still had not done what she had asked him to do. "Seatbelt," she said sternly.

"Maybe means no, like, ninety five percent of the time," said Liko.

"It's going to mean no a hundred percent of the time if you keep complaining."

"Okay... sorry."

Lin took a swift left turn and was immediately greeted by heavy traffic. The car came to an abrupt stop and Liko, who still did not have his seatbelt on, fell foreword. Lin grabbed him before his head crashed into the windscreen and pushed him back into his seat, the back of his head hitting the headrest hard.

"I said seatbelt!"

When it was safe, and the car was at a complete stop, she metal bent his seatbelt on him. He rubbed the back of his head, already feeling a slight bump.

"Damnit," said Lin, looking at all the cars in front of them. "This goes for miles... We'll be here all night!" Enraged, she honked her horn a few times, which did not make the traffic move quicker.

Liko tried to look at all the chaos far in the distance. Part of the lane had been closed off due to rocks and rubble, blocking it from use. A traffic guard was guiding cars from both lanes out of the whole mess.

"The Avatar has made quite the first impression," she said, gritting her teeth.

"The Avatar did this?" said Liko, impressed. His mother told him about the grand entrance she had made, but he assumed she was just exaggerating because of all the stress she was under lately. It isn't too terrible, though, he notices quickly, but it is, nonetheless, very extravagant.

Liko thought he heard his mother growl. Thinking it might help the time pass, or perhaps cool down his mother, he turned the radio on.

"Up next," announced the radio host, Shiro Shinobi, "is what the young ones would call rock music, because of its upbeat, no nonsense attitude. Some say it's an act of rebellion. Some say it's art. I say, it's music to my ears.

"Formed in Ba Sing Se, no less, the Rocky Rocky Boom Boomers have certainly rocked the city, if not the nation," he continued, "with their loud electric instruments and meaningful lyrics. Here now are the Rocky Rocky Boom Boomers performing their new hit single, Red Moon in the North!"

Immediately, a guitar started playing and Lin tried to hide her distaste. Her son, to her disappointment, turned the volume up. A man with a scratchy voice then began singing. To Lin, he was just shouting nonsense. She turned the radio's volume down, to her son''s disappointment.

"You like this garbage?"

"Yeah," said Liko, almost offended that his mom was calling it garbage. He snapped his fingers to the chaotic beat and wiggled his body in his seat. Some might call it dancing; some might say he was having a seizure. Lin would say it was something in between those things. "They're a little ahead of their time, I know, but—c'mon, mom… no, don't change it! Just give it a—"

Too late. Lin had switched to some more relaxing jazz music. The other type of music, the rock or whatever, would have made her head explode.

"You're no fun," grumbled Liko.

"Please, I can already feel the headache," replied Lin. "This or nothing at all."

"Fine." Again, he slumped down into his seat.

She looked at her son, watching as he sulked in silence, and rolled her eyes.

The car behind them honked furiously, wanting Lin to move forward and make space for him. Irritated, she lifted her hands up. "I'd move if I could, fuckwad!" she shouted as if the man could hear her. She huffed angrily. "I can't believe he let her into my city," she mumbled to herself.

Liko frowned at the comment. "Mom, you're going insane."

"What?" Lin turned to her son, baffled by his words.

"Face it, this whole Equalist stuff is stressing you the fuck out."

"Watch it," she warned.

"You said it."

"Yeah, well, do as I say, not as I do." She was distracted by the guy behind them, who would not stop honking at her. She gave a few honks back in retaliation.

"Take a day off," he suggested. "Go to the spa or something."

"The spa?" For a quick second, she looked amused until the guy behind her reminded her just how irritated she was.

"Or something."

"I'm fine!" she yelled. Liko jumped slightly at her sudden outburst.

She took a moment to collect herself, taking a deep breath in and slowly letting it out. "I'm fine," she repeated more calmly.

"Mhm."

The car in front of them moved up slightly. She moved forward, which seemed to satisfy the driver behind them, who had ceased his honking.

"What about you?" she said.

Liko turned his attention back outside. The people on the sidewalk seemed unbothered by the terrible traffic and the loud honking the cars were making. "Yeah, I'm fine," he answered, his voice breaking slightly. He cleared his throat. "I'm fine, too."

"How was school?"

He let out a soft sigh. "Y'know, it was… okay."

She knit her eyebrows. "How okay?" asked Lin, concerned.

"Like, you know, it was just… fine, okay?" he said. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Fine, as in you passed your math test or… fine, that kid's still picking on you?"

He shrugged, not daring to look at his mother. "It was... it was the latter," he answered softly.

"Where's your teacher when all this is happening?"

"He's… there, but—"

"But he doesn't do anything about it?"

"He… doesn't know," confessed Liko. His mother rolled her eyes in disbelief. "I don't like confrontation! Besides if I tell on him... then, yeah, he'll stop for a few days, but then it'll just get worse."

"Then don't tell. Solve the problem yourself."

"What?"

"Kick his ass," said Lin simply.

He looked at his mother in shock. "I… I can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"Mom, it's immoral," said Liko. "I can't go around solving my problems with my fists."

"What else would you use?"

"My words," said Liko.

The cars in front of them began moving.

"Talk to your teacher," instructed Lin as she drove forward.

Liko focused his attention back outside at the pedestrians. "Go to the spa," he retorted quietly.

He instantly regretted saying it, but it had to be said. She needed a break. Maybe not a spa break, but a break of some sort. He thought his mother would explode, go on a tangent about how it was her duty to keep the city safe, but to Liko's surprise, she smiled.

"Okay," she agreed. And when they arrived home some forty-five minutes later, she did not go back into work.