Hey everybody, Sokka's Fan-Lawyer here!

That's right, Sokka and Toph are back for more…hijinks? I'm sure that's an accurate word for it…. Anywho, this is a sequel/continuation to my three shot "Wakin' Up in Ba Sing Se" (wow, with that title, who would've guessed the stories were related? *cough* Please, if you have any suggestions about the title, feel free to send them my way…I beg you…), which acted as a fun prologue to this. While it's not necessary to read it first, as I summarize the important stuff, you may want to if my exposition falls a bit short (I'm still a work in progress, after all). If that is the case, let me know immediately and how I can improve, and I will adjust it as needed.

Now then, the basic layout of this fic is simple, but different from what people may expect. Basically, the whole first part is going to be Sokka and Toph solving mysteries in Republic City, while trying to figure out an underlining case (Basically, just think of a USA show like, say, White Collar where there is a constant background thing alongside the problem of the day episode, which will eventually build and explode at viewer-grabbing proportions at the end of the season…). I am taking suggestions if there are any mysteries you guys want to see Sokka and Toph get involved in though!

Anyway, enough with my blabbering! On with the fic!

Disclaimer: I own nothing outside of some nice pocket lint where my wallet used to be (and I'm willing to part with it for the right price)

…

Mr. Fuin was not a coward. Even when he had been a child, he was the one chiding his older brother for being afraid to go to the bathroom at night because it was outside. Now that he was older, wiser, and the owner of one of the higher quality apartment complexes in the new Republic City, he should have even less reason to feel ill at ease. However…he glanced over his shoulder; there was an ominous feeling that he just couldn't shake. Perhaps it was merely because it was late at night and the building was entirely silent; as the owner, he felt it his responsibility to take the late shift behind the lobby desk. He glanced out the stone entrance at the dark street beyond.

"The city itself seemed to be asleep tonight…," he murmured to himself. The middle aged man wandered from behind the wooden lobby desk to the entrance. He peeked his head out on the street; with the aid of the City's street lamps, he could make out the figures of two travelers on the otherwise empty lane. He sighed and looked up at the starry sky. Even the Moon Spirit seemed to be taking the evening off. Otherwise, things seemed peaceful enough. Yet, Fuin still felt something stirring in his stomach. For some reason, the past few nights, there seemed to be a heaviness infecting the atmosphere of his establishment. More than one employee had noticed it and has taken advantage of their unused vacation days. What could it be? Ever since he had….No, he shook his head to stop himself, I'll not think about that now.

Instead, he moved on to other topics that merited his attention, such as who had paid their rent in advance and who was being kicked out shortly. It hurt him, but as he looked at his master guest list, it was looking like Tiguh on the third floor was overdue by three months and didn't show any signs of paying yet. "And don't get me started about that bastard Gin on the second floor." Fuin scowled. Was the bum even employed? It had seemed so when he first rented to him, but ever since, rent payment had been inconsistent at best. Then there was the woman from the second floor and the man from the first that he had not seen as of late; would they be able to pay that month's rent or should he be looking for more tenants? While Fuin tried to be an understanding man, when the City came looking for payment for their water and power bills, it was every man for himself, as far as Fuin was concerned.

The man looked up at one of the lit lights and shook his head in bafflement. As much as he hated to admit it, he was old enough that he marveled at the fact that Republic City had, thanks to some crazy man known only as the Mechanist, utilized steam and had brought something called electricity to the City's citizen's. Fuin had never thought he'd live to see the day that electricity replaced torches, but then, he also didn't think he would ever see the War come to an end, and he had been proven wrong there; why not with other things? That Mechanist fellow and his son seemed to have taken up house in the outskirts of the City and had become something of an elusive celebrity due to his work with steam; there were even rumors of his recreating airbending via the steam, but Fuin didn't put much stock in such ridiculous tales. Still, the Mechanist was backed by Governor Tong, so the man couldn't be that crazy.

Still, it was amazing how the world seemed to be changing lately…now if there weren't so many of those damn Fire Nation colonials wandering around, maybe Fuin would feel safe at night. The Earth Kingdom man trusted Avatar Aang's word, but when it came to his promise that the Fire Nation people would not attack again, now that Ozai was behind bars, Fuin shared a widely held skepticism. Just because the boss was in jail didn't mean that the evil subordinates could be trusted, and Fuin refused to rent any of the Colonials who came to him, if he could help it; let them keep to their own kind for all he cared. As it was, the three he had sharing an apartment on the third floor felt like too many; however, he conceded, at least they paid their rent on time; Spirits knew where they got the money to do so, though.

A loud thud shook Mr. Fuin from his thoughts. He shook his head and realized he had been starring at the same page for the past five minutes. Sighing, he set the list back down on the counter and looked around. Nothing had fallen in the lobby, as far as he could tell; the delicate vases were still intact and none of the artwork on the walls had come loose. He looked at the relatively long hallway behind him, where the six apartments on the floor were housed, three on both sides; it was lit by three lights that dangled from the ceiling, but they had been dimmed for the night. Nothing. Mr. Fuin's brow furrowed. Had he just imagined the noise? Had one of the tenants dropped something and dealt with it? If so, Fuin knew that when he next collected rent, he would have to inform the tenants to be quieter. With that, he shrugged and turned to return to his desk.

Suddenly, the lights flickered and died.

Plunged into darkness, Mr. Fuin didn't try to think much of it; after all, as the city's electrical network had only just been installed last year, it was to be expected that it break down sometimes. Already that month, the power had broken down five times, surely this was no different. However, a part of Mr. Fuin knew that something was wrong. The ominous feeling in his stomach seemed to increase as a bead of sweat slid down his cheek. The entire room was dark; not even the street lamps had been spared, it seemed, and the moon was at its dark phase, so he wasn't going to get light from there.

Suddenly, Mr. Fuin stiffened, a chill set in the small of his back: there was someone in the room with him, he was sure of it. He could just feel their presence. "Hello?" He called out while trying to keep his voice level. No response.

He reached into the desk's one big drawer and fished out some flint. With a grunt, he managed to light the candle that he always had set on the desk top. Picking it up, he quickly glanced around the room. No one was there. Cautiously, he turned around and again looked down the first floor hallway; however, he could not see that far down, thanks to the candle's limited light.

Suppressing a shiver, Fuin walked around the desk and slowly shut the wooden door and locked it. Pocketing the key, the owner turned towards his desk and began to make his way down the first floor hallway when he stopped. To his horror, he thought he could see someone standing at the end of the hallway. He was wearing a dark cloak but it was the mask he wore that chilled Fuin to the bone. He was wearing a dragon mask that seemed…to be glowing?

"Ji Fuin…," The figure slowly hissed, as if savoring each syllable. "You bear much hate in your heart for the Fire Nation…." Fuin had nothing to say; he could barely hear the man over the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears. Suddenly, the glowing mask charged at him, stopping mere inches from his face, all without a sound. The owner almost dropped his candle in shock.

"W-what do you want with me?" Fuin finally managed to get out. The figure chuckled darkly.

"We don't want anything from you but your disappearance. Leave this building and never return, or things are going to start…happening."

"I-I'm not scared of you…!" Fuin weakly replied as he tried to back away from the figure. A cold, claw-like hand grabbed his collar.

"Yes you are." The mask seemed to be…smiling down at him, and Fuin swore he could smell a hint of sulfur.

"What do you want with my building?" The figure laughed.

"That's for us to know and for you to never find out." The figure blew out Fuin's candle and released him. The light from the mask's glow seemed even brighter as the man walked into the lobby and turned to Fuin. "You will do as we've asked." Now that the man was farther away, Fuin felt a stirring of courage surge within him; who was this bastard to come into his place and order him out?

"Now you listen to me: this place was passed down to me by my father! I refuse to let some Fire Nation loving freak come here and tell me to get! I'm not leaving!" The figure said nothing. The ornate dragon mask seemed to stare right into Fuin's soul, but he promised himself he wouldn't budge, even if he had to call the police or fight the bastard. Finally, the speaker spoke in a booming voice.

"Then I damn you, Ji Fuin! I damn you, your business, and your tenants under the Curse of the Manasa!" Again, Fuin could swear he could smell sulfur and a chill gripped him, stopping him from breathing. The mask just continued to stare at him in anger. "Just remember, when your precious money tickets come to you, you brought it upon them." Smoke began to obscure the glow of the mask and the room began to feel humid. A loud roar erupted and the figure vanished without a trace. Fuin just continued to stare in shock. The lights flickered and began to revive, illuminating the lobby again; however, there was not a trace of Mr. Fuin's mystery guest. His breath slowly returned to him and he could begin to try and figure out what just happened.

He wasn't given long, as a shrill shriek came from above, followed by a loud crash. Quickly, Fuin began to race down the hall to the staircase at the end, beginning to hear the clamor as more and more tenants were awoken by the screaming. What have I brought upon us, Fuin wondered mournfully. What have I done?

…

Sokka moaned as he stared out the window. He didn't get it; he had spent years traversing the world in what had to be one of the shakiest vehicles in existence, a fucking flying bison, and didn't get motion sick once. Put him on a large carriage being driven by what had to be a drunk madman, and suddenly he feels like throwing up the sea prune stew his sister had made for him before they parted ways three days ago.

"Oh, will you just quit your bitching? Seriously, I'm blind and rely on vibrations to see, yet lo and behold, I'm perfectly fine." His best friend and "wife" rolled her eyes and gave him a light punch on the arm. "Suck it up, pussy." Sokka didn't have the energy to retort. Instead, he just groaned and muttered.

"A lady doesn't talk like that, you know." Keep in character. The message wasn't lost on Toph, who just brushed a stray hair behind her ear.

"I thought we agreed you were the 'lady' in this relationship." She coughed pointedly. Sokka chuckled dryly, as the motion sickness lessened; the carriage had stopped rocking as drastically and slowed.

"Yeah, whatever; you just don't want to admit you're wearing a dress and liking it, aren't you?" Toph glared at him and her hand twitched; had they not been surrounded by half-asleep people and on the ground, Sokka knew that she would have earthbended the crap out of him. After a second, she sighed and set her hand down on her lap and gave a halfhearted "teehee"; it sounded artificial but Sokka didn't push her on the issue. For a few minutes, the two sat in silence and Sokka couldn't help but wonder how the heck they found themselves in disguise, immigrating to what had to be one of the biggest and most unstable cities in the world.

It had seemed like just yesterday when one of his best friends and brother-in-law (no matter how much it made him cringe at the thought), Avatar Aang, had "saved" him and Toph from Ba Sing Se (if aiding fugitives from the law and justice counted as saving, morally speaking). Afterwards, he had asked Sokka to look into something. After the Fire Nation's 100 year War against the world ended, Aang, as the Avatar and spiritual guide of the planet, and his friend Fire Lord Zuko, had decided to build a city that would unite the people of the world. Populated by people of the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and the Fire Nation alike, they had combined multiple cities in the Earth Kingdom with the Fire Nation colonies and called it: Republic City. Two years later, the City still had some kinks to work out, such as the high crime rate, disorganization, and prejudice; however, things were going well, considering. Given time, the project might even succeed. However, there was a problem that Aang was hoping to keep under wraps: people were disappearing. Not being murdered or held ransom or anything tradition: they just disappeared. There was no rhyme or reason to these disappearances except for the fact they were all benders, people capable of controlling and bending the elements to their will. Normally this would have been a problem in and of itself; however, there was a bigger issue at hand. Of the three nations present in Republic City, the Fire Nation had lost the least amount of benders. If the public picked up on that, they would turn to blame the Fire Nation for the disappearances and the whole concept of a united city could be strangled in its cradle. The world could wind up at war again, if no one stopped whoever was behind this.

Sokka smirked. Fortunately, Aang had known that Sokka was sharper than the average Moose Lion and trusted him to take care of the matter. Seeing that he was busy pushing off confronting Suki about their "argument" anyway, Sokka had agreed to Aang's request. Sokka risked a glance over at Toph, who was staring out the window, bored. After they had reunited in Ba Sing Se, it hadn't seemed right to just go off on a mission like this and not at least offer to bring her along; she was his best friend, after all. Besides, she wouldn't have dreamed of missing out on a possible adventure anyway. Plus, Sokka knew it couldn't hurt to have a master earthbender who could also serve as a human lie detector on board, especially with a mystery of this magnitude. The Water Tribe warrior smiled to himself; he had to admit, it was nice traveling with her again. It just felt right; after all, solving mysteries and kicking butt were only fun if you had a friend to do it with, and Toph certainly fit that bill….

Sokka paused. There was that feeling again; it was something that had been bothering him ever since their misadventure in Ba Sing Se but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. It could have been due to his fight with Suki, or Toph's new mature look, or the fact that she had helped him out of a dark place of self-pity, but for some reason, when he thought about her, his stomach seemed to clench a little…. It reminded him distantly of what he had felt after the first time he had been on Kyoshi Island with Suki; but that didn't make any sense! He was, however estranged they are, in love with Suki. So what could this sensation really be? While he pondered this, Toph looked away from the window and leaned into Sokka. "I've been feeling you staring at me for the last five minutes; keep it up and I'm going to have to start charging."

Sokka blinked. He hadn't realized he had been staring at her, especially to the point that the blind earthbender could notice. "Sorry; I was just thinking."

"Well, that can't be good for anyone." Toph rolled her eyes. "What about?" Sokka quickly shook his head and unconsciously flushed a little.

"Nothing! Nothing for you to worry about, at least." Toph looked up at him with a deadpan expression.

"I can tell your heart rate's gone up, idiot. Don't even try denying it." Sokka grimaced; she had a point. When he didn't answer, she gave him an odd look but shrugged. "Whatever. If you don't want to tell me, fine." She pushed herself off his chest and returned to leaning on the window. Sokka mentally groaned; he could tell that she was pissed at him. Having the team divided before the mission even began was not a good omen. He had to come up with something to tell her. His blue eyes quickly fell to the bag beside him and inspiration struck.

"Well, if you must know, I was thinking about our cover story. Given the sheer number of immigrants and the disorganization of the City, we should be okay, but it still has me a little nervous…; hopefully, those passports that Aang gave us will work…."

After Sokka and Toph had agreed to help Aang, they realized that not only were they too recognizable of public figures to be able to subtly dig around the City, but after their time in Ba Sing Se, they were wanted fugitives as well. Which meant, much to Sokka's delight and planning, cover identities were needed. Thanks to his connections, Aang and Katara, Sokka's sister and waterbending master, had managed to supply him and Toph with both finances to set up shop in the city and a new identity to go with it; that was the most they could do, without drawing too much attention to the matter. Plus, they felt bad that they couldn't help Sokka and Toph more; after all the adventures the four of them had had, it didn't seem complete without Aang and Katara. But they were more renown than Sokka or even Toph, and Aang had his Avatar duties to uphold, on top of his relationship with Katara; they were just too busy to help, hence their outsourcing the problem to Sokka and Toph.

Of course, in addition to their fugitive status, the drunken shenanigans in Ba Sing Se had created a further complication….

A tan, barely middle-aged woman sitting near them noticed Sokka and smiled. Eagerly, she leaned over and whispered, "That is a beautiful betrothal necklace." She gestured to the distracted Toph, who had resumed staring out the window and pretending she couldn't hear her. "I noticed it an hour ago and just felt I should tell you that the craftsmanship is remarkable! Much better than what my husband gave me before we got married…." She tossed a playful glare at the man beside her, who just rolled his eyes and kicked her lightly. "Oh you! So, how long have you two been engaged?" She directed her attention at Toph, who grudgingly stopped pretending to look out the window and faced her. Sokka was surprised to see that she was blushing a little; then again, this was something of an awkward experience for both of them. Fortunately, they had rehearsed their story beforehand, so they should be safe.

"Oh, we've been dating for years now, but it was only recently we got 'officially' engaged. Since my fiancé's family…fishing business was barely staying afloat, thanks to the War….," Sokka snickered at the pun, but Toph quickly gave him a light smack to shut him up. "Anyway, he barely had any money to make a decent proposal, especially for my parents' satisfaction. But somehow, he managed to make me this betrothal necklace," She gestured to her neck, where a black medallion hung off its stone choker. Sokka sighed; it had used to be her space-earth arm band that he gave her while they were adventuring, but after they got drunk at Ba Sing Se, they woke up to find it permanently transfigured into a Water Tribe betrothal necklace. Despite her best efforts, Toph had been unable to bend it back and so they were forced to include the engagement into their cover story. "I still don't know where he found the stone…."

Sokka laughed pointedly. "Ha, honey, how many times do I have to tell you? It's a secret!" The woman took a closer look at the necklace.

"It does seem a tad…irregular…." Sokka chuckled.

"What part of 'secret' don't you women understand? Geez! This guy knows what I'm talking about!" He gestured to the woman's husband. "Right? A man never tells where he got the betrothal stone." The other man gave Sokka a knowing look and nodded firmly.

"Yeah. It is a secret Water Tribe men carry to their graves." The woman rolled her eyes.

"You just don't want me finding out that it was some cheap stone you found in the woods while you were hunting with your friends."

"Hey, if you need someone to be the judge, I've got a pretty good eye; besides, I grew up with two sisters. I think I know a thing or two about betrothal necklaces…." Sokka offered, coming to the other man's aid. The woman shook her head, but lowered the hood of her cloak to reveal a deep blue, ornately carved medallion. Sokka leaned over and furrowed his brows, as if analyzing the piece; truth be told, he had no idea of what he was doing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Toph give it a thumbs down. However, he kept on pretending. He tapped the necklace, felt the smooth texture, and grunted. Finally, he nodded and said, "Your necklace is fine; it's one of the nicer one's I've seen, anyway! Though, I grew up in the Northern Water Tribe, so I've seen quite a few in my day!" The woman blushed while the man nodded appreciatively. Toph rolled her eyes and decided to take control of the conversation, if the couple insisted on continuing bothering them.

"So what brings you to Republic City?" She asked politely, leaning into Sokka again. The woman glanced at the man, who shrugged.

"I used to be with the Dai Lee in Ba Sing Se; but once they joined Azula, I resigned and hid among a band of refugees just entering the city. That's where I met May here," he rubbed her shoulder affectionately. "Anyway, once the War was over, I didn't see much point in staying in Ba Sing Se; however, when we heard about this international city thing, we knew that we had to live there; maybe because we're a multiracial couple, the idea just appealed to us, you know? So, we both worked and only just recently saved up enough gold to risk the move. We're planning on staying with May's brother for a while, at least until we get on our feet. " May smiled up at her husband. Sokka and Toph just stared at the man, incredulous.

"This guy's Dai Lee?" Toph whispered into Sokka's dark green cloak.

"Apparently!" He hissed. "Dear spirits, I hope he doesn't remember us…."

"If you had done your job right and not sucked at knocking people out, this wouldn't even be a problem!" She retorted.

"Well, just look at the guy! Look at his dazed, glazed over expression; if there was ever a guy with brain damage, it's him. We're good." Suddenly, they both looked up and saw May grinning at them.

"What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing!" Sokka shoved Toph off his chest and tried to look innocent. May just laughed as Toph glared daggers at Sokka.

"Aw, you guys are adorable!" Suddenly, the rocking of the carriage stopped completely; they could hear the sounds of muffled sounds of hustle and bustle all around them. "Oh, Alphonse, we're here!" She hurriedly tried to get to the window to look outside, but the carriage driver opened the door before she could get there.

"Welcome to Republic City," the carriage driver slurred, reading off a piece of scroll in his hands. "The City of potential, renewgals, and…and," He squinted at the handwriting. Finally he just gave up and pocketed the scroll. "Just grab your shit and get out." He stepped out of the way, freeing up the doorway. May looked excited while Alphonse had a quiet smile on his face; Sokka saw their subtle impatience and waved them to get out before them. May squealed and grabbed her bag while Alphonse stood up and bent over due to the compartment's low ceiling. With a grateful nod towards Sokka and Toph, the couple got off the carriage. Once everyone else had managed to get off, Sokka sighed and slowly got to his feet. He glanced down at Toph. "Ready to get this adventure started?" Toph just waved dismissively.

"Please; calling this an adventure is being generous. We'll get this done and over with, then go to Kyoshi Island to see your bitch of a girlfriend…." She paled as she realized what she said. "Sorry, I didn't mean that quite the way it sounded…." Sokka grimaced.

"You know she's not like that; we're just having a little fight is all…." Toph just gave him a look that clearly said Does a "little fight" send you running off to Ba Sing Se, drinking like some washed up musician? Sokka chose to ignore it, slung his bag over his shoulder, and shuffled off the carriage. He stepped onto the street and reached his hand to Toph. "Come along, dear. You need to see this." She glared at him, but allowed Sokka to take her hand and guide her out of the carriage. The second her feet touched the stone street, her eyes widened.

"Oh…my…; d-do you have any idea…?" Her senses were almost overwhelmed from the sheer number of vibrations and people. Sokka took a good look and was flabbergasted as well.

"I think I do…." There were so many buildings, each of varying heights and designs. It seemed that there were buildings and shops and posters of every shape and size imaginable. Surprisingly, most of the buildings were not even in the same style they were used to; instead of the slanted, tile, ornate designs Sokka had seen in villages and cities the world over, most of the buildings were straighter, taller-much taller-, and more clumped together. The Water Tribe warrior couldn't even find the words to describe the immensity of the City. People were everywhere; more than in Ba Sing Se. People rushing down the sidewalks, or crossing the street, dodging the rampant carriages and ostrich horses; everyone just seemed to be doing their own thing, but there were millions of things going on at once. Along the streets and hanging off some of the buildings, there were lamps-but they didn't need fire! They were lit up on their own! Above them, Sokka could see an oval-shaped airship slowly making its way around the city, a banner trailing behind it. Some kind of communication system, Sokka wondered, but his attention quickly went back to the lights. It was hard to believe that they were only on the outskirts of the city. He looked down the street to his left and gaped; it seemed to go on forever, with thousands of people going this way and that; the buildings only seemed to get even taller and more immense the further into the City people traveled. Sokka glanced to his right and saw a large, but still plain-looking bridge connecting to the distant shore; he couldn't believe that they had traveled over it! The talkative couple must have begun distracting them just when the carriage had gotten onto the bridge! Sokka made a mental note to himself to walk on the bridge later, if only to see the view.

Despite the impressive view, a shred of doubt began to worm its way through Sokka. He backed up against the carriage, eyes slightly widened. Toph glanced his way, noticing the increase of his heartbeat. "What's up?" She approached him while wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. Trying to sort out the all this shit must be testing her, Sokka thought, feeling a little guilty. Still, he found himself admitting his concerns anyway.

"There's just so much here…. When Aang described it, it was just numbers, but now that we're here…how the hell are we going to find someone here?" Toph grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the carriage, just as it set into motion, leaving them stranded on the sidewalk with the other dazed passengers.

"Relax." She waited a second, then, looking annoyed, pinched Sokka. "I can feel your heartbeat; you're not relaxing."

"And how the hell is pinching me going to help?" Sokka snapped, rubbing his now sore forearm. Toph just glared at him, which made him sigh; he could already tell this was going to be fun. His enthusiasm for adventure slightly dampened, Sokka took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then let it out. Toph patted his arm encouragingly.

"Isn't that better?" She smiled sweetly; Sokka just scowled. This act was already getting on his nerves and they had only just gotten off the carriage.

"Not used to the big city?" Alphonse grinned at them as he and May walked by. "I'm not surprised; I spent most of my live in Ba Sing Se and even I'm wowed by all….this." he gestured to the street in front of them.

"Yeah; it's nothing to be worried about, young man!" May laughed. "Just listen to what your fiancé tells you and everything will be fine; you'll see!" She pulled out a small piece of scroll from her bag and placed it in Toph's hand. "Here! It's where my brother lives. Feel free to stop by any time and we'll help you out however we can."

"Thanks, we'll do that." Sokka shook Alphonse's hand. "It was nice meeting you." He nodded and, while May was waving goodbye, began to make their way down the sidewalk; they were quickly enveloped by the crowd. Sokka glanced around them and noticed that he and Toph were the only passengers at the stop. Waiting a few moments, he sighed and glanced down at Toph, who looked up at him.

"So, what's the plan, oh fearless leader?" He pondered this, then nodded confidently.

"First, we need to find some place to live. To the bar!" He pointed dramatically to a building with a lit up sign that read "The Winchester". As Sokka dragged her towards the bar, Toph sighed. Now her it was her turn to wonder if they actually had a fucking clue what they were doing.

…

For those that are just reading, I've decided to try and split up the chapters to make them more reader friendly and less time consuming, in anticipation for the update that will be coming out shortly *fingers crossed*. I hope this helps!

Please review and tell me how to improve! Thanks for reading.