Tales of New Republic City

A/N: I don't own anything ever.

Intro: This is a fic born out of a desire to flesh out Mako's character more. Much as I loved LoK, I think Mako deserves some more love and respect as a character, and I thought this would be an interesting and fun way to take it. No real end planned, just a series of short stories, probably not even all centered on Mako (but these first few are), where I take a peek into what I imagine the lives of our favorite team Avatar years after s4. All canon parings in this fic. Hope you enjoy it!

CHAPTER 1: The Heart Grows Stronger

Mako sat outside the interrogation window. He was watching the chief grill a young, grizzled looking man, late 30's. His face was peppered with unkempt stubble and a rude scar cut through the left cheek of his face. Mako had briefed himself on the context of the case beforehand, but by this point in his life, he had grown into a top-notch investigator. He could read subtle clues about the suspect's behavior and responses, and internally maintained a list of all the discrepancies. He didn't do this out of worry; Chief Beifong was excellent at her job, and he could hear her respond to the man's cues in much the same way. This guy was toast, he thought to himself.

it was three years after Mako, Bolin, Korra, Asami, and the rest of the rag-tag group of benders and non-benders had taken down Kuvira's "giant smashing machine", as Varrick was fond of describing it. In that time, the city had grown, and by necessity, so had the people who lived there. Mako was now second-in-command, taking orders directly from Chief Beifong. At first, his ascension was plagued with rumors of favoritism; it was no secret that Lin had worked many times with the Avatar and her friends, and many thought Mako's connection to the Avatar had played at least some role in his quick rise to power and responsibility within the Police Department. The rumors were soon quashed, however, by a major crime ring bust headed by Mako, in which he had single-handedly deduced the hiding spot of the reformed Triads, and found the evidence which was incriminating enough to put Chao, known amongst the darker side of Republic City as simply The Eye, behind bars for good.

His past three years had also been marred with strife and struggle. He took a major hit from a noble lightening-bending strike in the heart of Kuvira's machine. His arm was still scarred; he knew it would always be a reminder of that fateful day for the city. But the lightening had come dangerously close to striking his heart, and a few months ago he had collapsed suddenly while in a council meeting with the Avatar and President Raikoh, who was now in his last year of his last term. He had lived through the incident, no doubt thanks to the immediate and quick response Korra gave him, but the doctors were solemn after he woke up in a hospital bed. He would have to be careful, they told him, to not bend lightening anymore, and certainly not be struck by it ever again. His heart, they said, was weaker, as it had been damaged by the strike to his chest. Certainly it wasn't terminal, and there were many firebenders who could not or chose not to bend lightening, but the news dampened his noble and diligent spirit. He wasn't ready, at his young age, to be told that things weren't working correctly in his own body.

Mako dealt with the news the only way he knew how: by strengthening the rest of his person, in every way he could. He had grown substantially since his first encounter with Korra in the pro-bending circuit. He knew now, more maturely, what kind of person he was. He had drive, and he could be impatient, but he had learned to be grounded in his own perseverance. He looked at his life, and his job and his personality, and was proud that he never stopped fighting.

So Mako, functionally losing his lightening bending, took to strengthening his mind. He carefully studied Chief Beifong when he could, learning all the subtle tricks of policing and detective work that normally would take years to master. He had no illusions of being the best, he simply knew what he didn't know, and used that knowledge to his advantage. It was a very practical kind of wisdom. And even in that moment, right then, he was taking time out of his lunch break to watch the Chief verbally tie the noose for this suspect in the booth. He cracked a wry smile.

Beifong stepped out and slammed the door shut, and he saw the man inside wince. He looked up at her. "Looking good, Chief", he said with a chuckle.

"Can you believe this guy? Says he was at Kwong's Cuisine with his ladyfriend and that's why he knows nothing about the murder. Pretty sure I've never seen anyone walk into Kwong's before looking like they haven't showered in a week." The two of them shared a laugh. "What are you doing out here, kid? It's your break time."

"Ah, you know. Gotta watch the best when I can."

Lin snickered. "You think kissing ass is gonna get you anywhere, Mako? You're already as far at the top as you can go, minus my job."

Mako knew she was just giving him a hard time. It wasn't that no one else worked as hard as Mako did; the force was full of diligent and honest working people. It was just that Mako was so focused when he applied his efforts that his personal growth was evident to everyone on the force. He commanded respect now, in his mid twenties in civil service. Not many people had ever made such a claim before.

"Actually," Lin continued, "I've been meaning to talk to you about that." Mako's eyes widened a little bit.

"Chief...?"

"I've been doing a lot of thinking, kid. These last few years have been crazy, and I've learned a lot."

"Slow down, Lin, you being all introspective is gonna take out my heart here." Mako almost never referred to Chief Beifong by her first name, out of professional respect. Clearly this was a serious matter.

"I'm serious, Mako. I think it's coming up. I'm going to retire at the end of the year."

Mako blinked twice. Once because he had to, twice because he didn't know what else to do with himself. He was stunned.

"You're...going to retire?"

"Oh, come on, is it really that hard to see me doing anything else besides work?!" Lin threw up her hands a little.

"I didn't mean it like that Chief...it's just..."

"Don't start with some 'I'm not ready to be chief' nonsense. You see anyone else watching an interrogation on their lunch break?"

"That wasn't what I was going to say. I guess I'm just really surprised. You're in your element here, Lin. And I know your life hasn't been always the happiest, but I always felt like you needed this place just as much as it needs you."

Lin gave Mako a hard look before sitting down next to him on the bench. Another officer walked in and escorted the main in the interrogation room back to a holding cell. When they were both gone, she resumed.

"Mako, I don't know what to tell you. I may look it on the outside, but I'm not the same person I was when you first joined the force. I've seen a lot of things change. I watched this whole city get blown to the ground, and then watch as it rise back up. I made amends with my family, hell, I even saw my mom again. I gave her a hug." She paused to let that sink in. "I...I'm ready, Mako. I'm finally ready to give my life another chance."

Mako looked hard at his boss. She was the closest friend he had in the force. They had helped each other and helped the Avatar several times in the past, and as a duo, they had quickly enforced the stability necessary for the rebuilding of a city. Mako wasn't sure if he was ready, not because he didn't think he was qualified, but because in his mind, the Chief was Lin, and Lin was the Chief, and that was all there was to it.

"We've got to formalize the details, but I want you to take my place when I finally step aside." Lin continued, unaffected by the silence. "Every person in the city knows who you are, Mako. You're a respected person in Republic City. You've done a lot of great things for this place, you got the arm and the heart to show for that. Republic City will be in good hands."

There was a pause.

"Are you going to just sit their in silence for the rest of your life?"

Mako shook his head. He stood up and Lin followed suit. All of a sudden, he put his arms around his friend. Her eyes opened wide, but she smiled a small, Beifong smile, and returned the hug.

"You're a good person, Lin. I'm happy for you," was all Mako said.

Lin stepped away and looked at Mako. She was thankful that he had taken the news as well as he did. She had full confidence, too, that he would lead the city competently and strongly.

"Think of it this way, you'll be the first chief of police that's not from my messed-up family," Lin said with a smile. "But don't get too excited! There's plenty of work to be done before the year's over."

Mako saluted his boss, almost in jest. "Yes ma'am!"