Three men stood in front of an old building in one of the back alleys of the Dragon Flats district. They seemed to be waiting impatiently for something or someone. And from the looks on their faces, things weren't going according to plan. The atmosphere was tense to say the least, and they sprang up, alert and wary every time a beat patrol car whizzed by as the night wore on.
"Why do we gotta wait here, Boss? Everyone knows we work outta here!" Shin groused.
"Because the BIG Boss said so. Now shut up!" Viper snapped.
"Well, he said he'd be here by 10. We've been waiting here for an hour!" Two-Toed Ping piped up, almost as annoyed as Shin for being kept waiting.
"Exactly! And I've gotta get back to my girlfriend! I promised her I wouldn't duck out on any more of our dates!" Shin said angrily.
"How come you've always got a date whenever we have these meetings?" Ping asked.
"How come you guys always have these meetings when I've got a date?" Shin fired back.
"Would you two knuckleheads quit yapping? He's here!" Viper snarled.
There was a dull screech of tires over gravel as they noticed a shiny, black limo approach the place where they were standing. It stopped right in front of them and the window slid down to show a tall, sallow skinned man with thick, greying hair surveying them, his golden irises keen and severe.
"Get in," was all Zolt said and the three men didn't waste any time in listening. Soon they were on their way out if Dragon Flats and across the Silk Road Bridge towards the other side of the city.
"Where are we going, Boss?" Viper asked.
"I've acquired us a contract," Zolt answered. "And if we do this right, we'll be set for a while."
Across town, in a rundown old mansion tucked away behind several imposing warehouses, two figures kept watch from a dimly lit sitting room. The whole house was silent, save for the ticking of the clock on the wall and the occasional rustle of paper as the documents on the desk in the back were being shuffled.
"You think this will work?"
A young woman in her twenties shifted from her position by the window, and turned to face her companion, giving her a crooked smile.
"You've seen the recipe yourself," she replied, her green eyes twinkling with mirth. "Any one of those ingredients taken by itself is lethal. Mix them all together and it's sure to do the job."
"I don't trust this recipe."
The woman by the window rolled her eyes. "You never trust anything, Hana."
"With good reason! I mean, look at this. What if the plan backfires and we're on the receiving end?"
The woman by the window gave a laugh. "Relax. Don't worry so much. Want a drink?"
"You're impossible," Hana muttered, but her perfectly manicured hands were already reaching for the bottle. "What time were our…friends supposed to get here?"
"Ten, according to the boss. Looks like they're a no-show."
Hana glanced out the window, towards the winding drive that remained as dimly lit as ever. Not a single set of tire tracks were visible. Sighing, her friend stood up from her place by the window and stretched, running a hand through her short, dark hair.
"Well," She said, applying a coat of red lipstick to her lips. "If they're not coming, I'm going to hit the bar. Song said there's a rich guy who pays handsomely for a night of entertainment, and I don't know about you, but five hundred yuans seems like a fair price for a one night stand. Besides, even if it's not, it's not like the guy will be alive after dawn."
The woman chuckled to herself and slipped into an elaborate pair of shoes before shrugging on an elegant shawl. She'd just reached for her purse when her friend grinned.
"Looks like you're going to have to take a rain check on that, Ami," Hana laughed. "Our guests have arrived."
Ami sighed, peering through the window again. "So, these are the formidable Triple Threats?" She wondered. "They don't look like much."
Hana grinned, fiddling with something tucked in her sleeve before tucking a strand of her brown hair away and fixing her make-up.
"Did the Red Lotus look like much?" She demanded.
"No," Ami conceded. "Still, I expected more of our esteemed comrades here. They look rather…simple."
"Well, they're a triad after all. What did you expect? No manners, probably no education; I'm not all that surprised they look like that."
Ami sighed dramatically, crimping her short hair before slipping a sharp pin, which expertly concealed a tiny Shirshu dart, in her hair. Hana slipped a small canister of something that look suspiciously like knockout gas down her dress and slipped two knives into her sleeves, before turning to face her friend.
"I think we've kept our friends waiting long enough. Let them in, Ami."
Viper didn't know what he had been expecting when the limo pulled up beside a rather old looking mansion, but whatever it was, it wasn't this. He'd been expecting a platoon of guards loitering about, waiting for them. Maybe a couple of mecha -tanks too, but definitely not an abandoned mansion. It was rather secluded for a dwelling on city property, but all the same, it wasn't at all what he pictured an Equalist hideout to be.
"You sure this is the right place, Boss?" Shin asked, opening the door before the limo even came to a full stop. "Looks fishy."
"This is it." Zolt promised.
"I don't like this," Ping admitted, sliding out of his seat and shutting the door quietly. "It looks like a trap."
Zolt laughed and led the way up what was once probably a very stately staircase, towards the front door.
"Relax, gentlemen. Everything will be fine. As it happens, our- shall we call them partners? - need something from us, so they'd be at a disadvantage to double cross us. So, quit whining and go knock."
Ping didn't seem inclined to do much of anything and even Shady Shin looked hesitant, so Viper decided to take one for the team and pounded the knocker against the door. He half expected some masked individual to usher them in, but was instead greeted by two women. Behind him, Ping gave a low whistle and Zolt clobbered him none too gently.
"You take your time, don't you?" The woman asked, laughing sweetly. She had short, dark hair that frame her face in waves and her green eyes were twinkling. She smelled faintly of jasmine and Viper blinked, half sure her perfume was addling his brain. "Do come in."
Under normal circumstances, Viper would've been wary of entering an Equalist stronghold, but this time he walked in without first ascertaining that the people on the other side didn't pose a threat. The woman didn't seem very threatening and honestly, neither did her companion who stood a few feet behind. The companion was the taller of the two and had brown hair that was neatly braided down her back. Her make-up accentuated her features well and really brought out her amber eyes and Viper found himself staring at the two a bit more than he'd have liked. Zolt must've noticed, for Viper received a sharp jab and a glare.
"Well, gentlemen," the companion said. "I trust everything in the contract is to your liking?"
"Yes," Zolt said, moving to sit down at the first woman's behest."I find the terms agreeable."
"Uh, what terms, Boss?" Ping whispered.
"Hasn't he told you, Mr. Ping?"
Zolt bristled. "I wanted to get all the facts straight first, Ms…"
The woman laughed. "Oh! Where are my manners? We haven't introduced ourselves. I'm Hana and that is Ami." The woman who had let them in smiled softly.
"I didn't realize there were beautiful Equalists," Viper blurted out, unable to stop himself.
Ami laughed, sliding into a chair across from him.
"You flatter us, Mr. Viper."
"You know our names?"
Hana smiled serenely and poured him a glass of something that smelled too good to not be intoxicating.
"You're something of a legend on the streets, Mr. Viper. The Triple Threats are quite well known." Hana explained. "It's how we contacted you."
"Bah!" Zolt grumbled. "I'm not a fool, Ms. Hana. You didn't get our names from someone on the street and it certainly isn't how you contacted us. I've seen Equalists at work before and even if times have changed, the Equalists have not. You've been keeping an eye on us, I'm sure, and when you decided we had something to offer, you found out where we were and left a note for me. If I'm not mistaken, it was that old fool, Shu, who told you."
"It was," Ami admitted. "But you mustn't blame him. He was intoxicated and we were having so much fun."
Zolt muttered something inaudible under his breath. Viper wondered if he still felt as confident now as he had before, because Zolt didn't look quite so composed. But, Viper had spent a lot of time with Zolt, so he was able to read him better than most people could.
"So what is the plan?" Ping repeated, downing his drink and eyeing Shin's glass. Shin passed it to him and rolled his eyes in disgust.
Hana fished something from her pocket handed it to Ping. It was a piece of paper and a faded one at that, but there was no mistaking the image printed on it.
"The Avatar?" Shin whistled. "What business do the Equalists have going against the Avatar?"
"What business does anyone have, Mr. Shin?" Ami demanded. "Haven't you grown tired of living underground? Don't you think the Avatar is sitting too comfortably?"
Shin shrugged, eyeing the picture his friend held. "Personally, no. We triads work best underground, away from the prying eyes and ears of the police force and the average citizen. As for the Avatar… well, we're not her biggest fans, but I'll admit I don't begrudge her her current position. She's got a bit of work to do, so I don't think she's sitting comfortably."
"Well, wouldn't you like to see her gone?"
Shin shrugged. "I wager Zolt might, but I'd like my bending back, so no."
"We might be in a position to help you get it back." Hana explained.
Shin quirked a brow and leaned forward. "I'm listening."
"The Equalist movement has weakened considerably," Hana said. "Since Amon's demise, there hasn't been much of a movement at all. Our brothers and sisters grow weak and disheartened, so we've decided to remedy that, starting with the Avatar. Once she's out of the way, there won't be much to stop the Equalists from coming out of hiding."
"And the Equalists mean to do this by themselves?" Viper wondered.
"Oh no," Ami chuckled. "Of course not. But we mean to do this for our cause. We're going to finish what Amon started and we're going to do it right."
"But the Avatar is a formidable opponent," Hana said. "She's mastered all the elements and then some and a direct attack would not end well. She has the support of the Air Nation, the police force, the Metal Clan, the United Forces; the list is endless. If we were to attack her once and failed, we'd be dealt a devastating blow. The minute word gets out that the Avatar is a target… well, you've seen what's happened in the past. Amon tried to rob her of her bending and that didn't work. Her own uncle tried to strip her of her title and kill her, but that failed. And even poisoned, bruised, battered, and weak, she held off remarkably well against the Red Lotus. And you've seen what she did to Kuvira. All those weapons and all those resources and even then, the Avatar won."
"I'm not sure I understand your point, Ms. Hana," Ping said. "How do we fit in?"
"My point, Mr. Ping, is this: with every incident, the Avatar's support system has only grown larger. She's made some powerful allies and she's important enough that they'd help her if the situation warranted it. So in short, alone, we'd be slaughtered. Figuratively speaking, of course. Alone, we Equalists would be picked off one by one and shipped to the Boiling Rock or locked away in some mountain prison never to see the light of day again. But together, we'd be a pretty powerful force to reckon with."
"We?" Viper echoed.
"We," Ami repeated. "This small band of Equalist brothers and sisters willing to carry out the plan, along with you triad members, and the Red Lotus. Together, pose a greater thread and even the Avatar will have a tough time disposing of us."
Viper let out a low whistle. "That is some team. And what exactly is this plan? Our boss hasn't given us the particulars, but I've got to admit, I'm eager to hear it."
"You're familiar with these ingredients, yes?" Ami asked, reaching behind her to grab a piece of paper and presenting it to them. All four men nodded.
"Some pretty toxic stuff. Wouldn't want to be around those things." Shin said.
"Precisely. Alone, they're lethal enough, but taken together…"
"You mean to mix them into something?" Ping demanded. Ami nodded and he blinked. "Into a pill?"
Hana laughed. "Oh no, Mr. Ping. A pill is far too complicated and besides, we have no way of ensuring that Avatar Korra actually takes the pill and that would require us getting too close to her and we can't get caught. As it happens, the Red Lotus has the perfect formula for turning these ingredients into a gas. We've got the tech mass produce the gas, to make canisters to contain the gas, etc. and you triads have access to Republic City's underbelly which would give us the perfect opening we need to gain intel and plant some of these somewhere the Avatar is. And once detonated, the Avatar would be out of commission. But, it requires us to work together. We must unite to take down a common enemy."
"And the Red Lotus is on board with this?" Ping wondered.
"Yes, very much so."
"And they're willing to help us, just like that?"
"I'm glad you asked, Mr. Ping. As it happens, the Red Lotus is on the premise. They wanted to wait to see if you triad members would agree before they signed on, but now that you've agreed, I'm sure they'd have no objections. If you gentlemen will follow us, we'll go meet them now and discuss this properly."
Hana and Ami stood up and motioned to the door and Shin and Ping followed, with Viper and Zolt trailing behind.
"I sure hope you know what you're getting into boss," Viper whispered.
Zolt's amber eyes gleamed. "Oh, believe me, my friend: I do."
In the room next to the one where this absurd group was meeting, a middle aged man found himself looking at the back of a massively built man wearing a cloak and a hood. It seemed that the man was poring over some information he'd just received. Yet, as if he sensed another's presence, he turned.
"I'm assuming our guests have all arrived?" he asked, his deep voice conveying his charm and authority all at the same time.
"They have, boss," he meekly replied.
"Good. Then it appears that we must go greet them in person," the man declared as he got up. The smaller man couldn't help but gulp a little at his imposing form. His very posture radiated authority and decisiveness, making him seem like a force to be reckoned with.
"You seem to have some reservations, Shen," the man stated plainly, at which the smaller man winced and hesitated.
"I don't know about this boss," Shen said finally. The hooded man turned toward him and leveled him with a glare. Shen realized he may have overstepped.
"I'm not doubting the game, I'm doubting the players. These people all have various reasons to hate each other, plus this toxin isn't even in the testing phase yet and-"
"I thought you weren't doubting the plan?" He asked softly. How is it that someone with that much muscle could speak so eloquently (and sound even deadlier)
"I'm not I swear! But how do we get these fools to work together?"
"By reminding them of their common enemy." He slammed down the newspaper which had a young, Water Tribe woman's face printed across the top half. Korra's recent negotiations had made the front page.
"I'm just saying, Boss… that if Zaheer, with all his friends, couldn't take her down, I don't see how we-"
"Zaheer was a pompous zealot," the man spat. "He disregarded practicality for theatrics. He should have known that the Avatar State works as a defense mechanism as much as it works as an opening."
Deciding against arguing any further, Shen simply sighed and nodded. The man seemed pleased at having bested him with his infallible argument, so he walked towards the other room with Shen at his heels. As soon as he opened the door, his keen eyes scanned the people gathered there, sizing them up and checking to see if they were up to the task.
"Welcome, everyone!" he greeted. "I trust Hana and Ami have brought you up to speed on our plan?"
"They did," Zolt answered. "But we need to know who we're doing business with. I don't help people I don't trust."
Shen winced as he noticed a change in his boss' demeanor. The man's posture turned rigid and even more imposing, if that was possible. His arms were crossed in front of his massive chest as he debated his next move.
"Our identities are not important, Mr. Zolt. At least not at the moment. Suffice it to say that we have a common goal: the fall of Avatar Korra. That is what we need to concern ourselves with. We have given the Equalists the formula, and you have the means and resources to produce it and ship it out in massive quantities to the right people and places. You will be well rewarded once we succeed. Now, shall we begin?" the man asked in a tone that invited no questions whatsoever.