As the freighter closed its distance to the Republic City docks, Sokka reflected upon his time aboard the comfortable steam powered ship. The trip from the South Pole to Republic City had been a long one, but the goodbye's had felt longer. Sokka's departure from the slowly rebuilding tribe had been filled with heartfelt farewells and more than a few glassy eyes. For him, however, it was the start of a better life. At least, he was hoping that it was. All things considered, life had taken a bit of a downturn when Suki had ended their relationship, but it hadn't really been a surprise. Their love life had been strained for years prior, and her finally ending it had been both a relief and one of the worst things to happen to him in a while. It had taken a long time, but after his moping period he had realized that it was better for the both of them.

Sokka had been staying with the tribe for the last two years, helping them rebuild. It was a tedious job, and one without many thanks due to their changing of tradition. The stress had been building up on both sides, so when his father and the council for Republic City had suggested he become the Ambassador for the Southern Tribe, Sokka had jumped at the chance. Not only because it would get him away from the constant marriage interviews and his father's growing irritation, but because he would finally be doing something more useful. Sure, he had been useful when he was helping design the new structures for the Southern Tribe, but he hadn't FELT useful. Truth be told, he hadn't felt useful since his time in the great war. Even if he and the Gaang had helped out with finding Ursa, he hadn't been instrumental or useful since the last battle between Ozai and Aang. In fact, he hadn't even been in a real fight for going on six years now. While Sokka tried to remember the last time he'd fought outside of a spar, the freighter finally pulled into the Republic City docks. Once the call sounded that they were in port, Sokka headed his way up to the deck, while the crew set about removing the luggage from the holds. Not that what the crew did mattered to Sokka, since he had only packed a duffle bag and his ornamental armor.

Ah, his ornamental armor. When Zuko had made him a set of Fire Nation-esque armor three years ago, he had been torn between feeling ecstatic and angry. No matter how good the armor was, it felt like a slight against him personally. What was wrong with his own armor, after all? In the end he had taken the gift with grace and excessive thanks, knowing that it would be in poor taste to simply refuse such an expensive, not to mention beautiful, gift. The armor was beautiful, of that there was no doubt. It had the edge and intimidation of the ancient Fire Nation armor, but a streak of blue across the chest plate and a lunar eclipse in the center. Add to that the stylized wolf helmet, and he felt very much at home in his new armor. Still, he had been wary about letting others see it, as it was just Fire Nation enough to make old grudges rise up to the surface. With that in mind, it had spent it's entire life in his room, where it would likely take up residence in Republic City as well. Securing his satchel and his duffle bags, one of which held his armor while the other held his weapons, Sokka made his way down the gangplank and set his feet on the fresh ground of Aang and Zuko's beautiful creation.

Sokka had taken four steps on the docks before he spotted his ride. A beautiful carriage bearing the blue of the Water Tribe was waiting for him, with the driver looking in his direction. Deciding it would be better to not make his ride wait, Sokka double timed it over to the carriage and smiled widely at the man. Without a word, the driver opened the door to the passenger section and clambered up into the driver's seat. Smile now laying dead on the floor, Sokka climbed his way into the carriage and closed the door behind him. He barely made it into the seat before the driver began guiding the ostrich-horses towards the center of the city.

Once they had arrived at the council building, the driver opened his door and walked away, again, without a word. Sokka decided to ignore the obviously irritable man and clambered out of the carriage, making his way quickly towards the nearest clerk. Knowing that the council was likely waiting for him, or was at least expecting him, he quickly asked for directions to the council chambers. The clerk was friendly enough, stuttering out directions as he stared wide eyed at Sokka's trademark warrior garb. As soon as the clerk was done, Sokka made haste to the giant wooden doors that represented the council chambers. Knocking twice, Sokka waited for the voices to die down and the word 'enter' to be spoken.

After he had entered and been seated, Sokka found that everything aside from the introductions had been full of nothing but bickering and veiled attempts to sway the other members in favor of their own agendas. The council itself seemed divided on most everything, from how to deal with the rising Triad threat to how much of the city should have an increased police presence. Without the chief of police, Toph, being present for the meeting, they had decided to simply keep things as they were. Once that had finally been decided, the council had moved on to other, even more boring things. Sokka had found himself resisting the urge to yawn several times, but when he looked at Aang, he didn't see the same exhaustion and boredom. Instead, he saw a dedicated council member trying his best to come to a viable conclusion for every problem that was presented. The young boy from the iceberg had really grown into his role as both the Avatar and a public representative.

After every issue had been discussed to death, the council adjourned and Sokka finally got his chance to speak with his old friend. Catching him in the hallway, Sokka made sure to check that nobody else was having the same idea before approaching him. Seeing that he was clear to start up a conversation, Sokka quickly wrapped an arm around his old friend and grinned widely. "Aang, my old pal! It's been far too long! Have you been doing well, little buddy? Taking good care of my little sister? How's Appa?"

If Aang was surprised by the sudden contact, he didn't show it, quickly giving Sokka a hug before matching Sokka's grin with a large smile of his own. "Slow down, Sokka. It has been too long, far too long. Katara and I have missed you, almost as much as Appa has. Your sister has been taking care of me more than i've been taking care of her, i'm afraid. She'll complain sometimes that I love the job more than her. Lies and slander, of course, but I don't do the best job balancing my time. How are you feeling about coming to Republic City, though? I know you've probably been itching to move out of the South Pole ever since you got back there, but are you sure you want to become the connection between the Southern Tribe and the council?"

Sokka laughed at the idea that he'd be worried, but it was just like Aang to have more concern for his friends and his duties than himself. "Aww, so the snotbag did miss me… and Appa did too!" He paused slightly as horror flashed across his face. "You won't tell my sister that I said that, will you? But yeah, i've been eager to leave since the day I got back. As much as I love my homeland, it doesn't have much in the way of adventure. I'm sure you've been taking good care of Katara, and she just doesn't realize it. You two are more in love than any couple i've ever seen, and that's including my parents. Now, when it comes to being the connection between the South Pole and Republic City? I'm feeling more than just a little nervous, but it'll be fine. I'm the son of the chief, after all. Politics is in my blood. Now, what's this about that 'Triage' they mentioned in council room? I didn't think the Avatar's city would have a crime problem."

Aang sighed as they walked, his expression turning somber as he looked over to Sokka. "It's worse than you'd think, Sokka. The Triad formed a little over a year back, and in the little time they've been around they have grasped Republic City in an iron fist. Our police officers have little to no idea where the thugs will strike, even in the heaviest of gang territories. Not to mention that when we do catch them, what few we've caught are freed within a day or 'commit suicide' in the cells they're in. Isolation cells, I might add. All in all, we're just struggling to keep up with the rising tide."

Sokka was shocked to see such a hopeless look on Aang's face. This wasn't the bright eyed boy he'd fought the Fire Nation with. This young man held the weight of an entire city on his shoulders, and it was becoming clear that the load was starting to wear on his very spirit. Still, there wasn't much that he could say to such hopeless words. Saying their farewells, the two decided to part ways, with Sokka heading towards his new house in the downtown area, and Aang heading back to his home on Air Temple Island.

It didn't take Sokka long to find his way into the downtown area, weaving through the crowds of people, but as he was passing by a combination bar/ramen restaurant his senses stopped him dead in his tracks. Something was happening nearby, and Sokka knew it wasn't the charitable or happy kind of something. Silently drawing and unsheathing his sword from his dufflebag, Sokka made his way down an alleyway, following the sounds of what had to be a fight. Rounding the corner, he saw three Triad members kicking a young woman on the ground.

She wasn't even fighting back, seeming resigned to her fate. At the pure despair she was exuding, Sokka's vision went red. A howl of rage escaped his lips as he fell upon the gangsters, steel glinting in the low light.

But Sokka was not entirely lost to his fury. No, he aimed merely to wound, cutting tendons in the legs and stabbing the biceps in an attempt to render the first thug useless. By the time the first man fell, the morons had started to rally, but it was useless by that point. Two low level gangsters against an apprentice of the fabled Pian Dao? They never stood a chance.

The punches that the second threw went wide, not only marking him as a nonbender but as a poor fighter. The strikes, if they could even be called that, missed the swordsman as he ducked and weaved around them, slicing and rendering the second man useless in the fight by once again cutting out the tendons in his legs. Seeing his companions bleeding and helpless on the ground, the remaining thug tried his luck, making an escape attempt that ended with Sokka's sword burying deep in his left calf before slicing his right achilles tendon. Howling with pain, the final thug went down on the ground, leaving Sokka to stand over him and make sure he wouldn't escape.

His work done, Sokka surveyed the three whimpering cowards and the woman who was crying on the floor. Ignoring the brutalized thugs for the moment, Sokka sheathed Not Space Sword and extended his hand to the poor girl.

"It's alright now. You'll be okay." Sokka said softly as he helped the young lady to her feet. She was distraught, and covered in bruises, but she could walk and she could talk. That was more than enough for Sokka, and as soon as he made sure she wasn't bleeding internally, he told the woman to go and find a police officer and tell them what had happened. He assured her that he would remain here and make sure they didn't escape.

Apparently there had been an officer nearby, because it hadn't taken her more than a few minutes to find one and bring them back here. The man was quick to cuff the Triad members, making sure to be extra rough with them in a way that had Sokka smiling. Once the officer had radioed for a truck to come and collect the thugs, Sokka made sure to escort the girl home. When she stuttered out her thanks, Sokka told her that he was only doing what was right and that he would come by the next morning to make sure she was okay.

It was late at night by the time Sokka finally made it to his new apartment. After speaking to the manager and getting the key, he made his way up to the top floor, where he and three others had the privilege of the largest apartments in the building. Naturally, it would be an expensive place to stay, but his job as Ambassador paid well. His first month's rent had already been paid, and Aang had said before they parted ways that his rent would be taken out of his paycheck every month, so long as he stayed in his current residence. The place was well furnished, in a way that only a professional designer could pull off. Thankfully, someone had seen fit to include an empty armor mannequin in his room. Probably Katara, since she knew just how much he loved to have his Water Tribe armor on display. It was a lucky break, really, since he hadn't thought of where he would keep his gift from Zuko when he'd moved here. All in all, it took less than an hour for him to get situated and ready for bed.

As he lay in bed, Sokka went over his mental checklist of things to do. Check on the girl in the morning? That would be easy enough, since he knew how to retrace his steps easily enough. Find some good quality meat after work? There had to be a good vendor around here somewhere, it was just a matter of how hard he looked. Talk to Toph some time in the next week? He could manage that. She'd probably be ecstatic to see him, and then laugh at him for thinking she could actually see him. Slowly, Sokka's eyes drifted closed as sleep claimed him for the first time in a good fourteen hours.

When the sun rose, Sokka found himself in a good mood. He had done something right last night, and it had been a long time since he had been in a fight like that. Actually, he didn't think he'd ever been in a fight like that. He'd never been the juggernaut stomping down the inexperienced fighters, the roles were usually reversed. The faint feeling of adrenaline was in his veins as he got dressed in his formal attire, proving that the fight was far from gone in his mind. His dresswear wasn't really that formal, but an outfit given to him by Master Pian Dao was still magnitudes above anything else that he had. Of course, it had to be let out several times as his body had grown and broadened out, but it was still as fancy as the day he had first put it on. Preparing a small breakfast and consuming it with his usual ferocity, a freshly dressed Sokka made his way downstairs and out into the hustle and bustle of his new city. Making his way to finish the first thing on his mental list, Sokka wove his way through the winding streets of Republic City, humming a tune from his childhood as he moved through the crowds of people. As he approached her building, Sokka saw the young woman walking out the front door of the complex. She hadn't spotted him yet, so he waved enthusiastically in an attempt to grab her attention as he jogged over to her. The girl spotted him quickly, waving back in a shy manner as he closed the distance.

"Hey there! Are you feeling any better after last night...um...pretty lady?"

The girl suppressed a small giggle at his flirtatious comment while Sokka wracked his brain to remember her name. With a sigh, the girl patted him on the shoulder knowingly. "My name is Akane. Don't worry about not knowing my name, we never really talked after...what happened. But don't worry about telling me your name, Sokka. Anyone would know your face. I'm still stunned that one of the heroes of the hundred year war is my own personal savior. Would you, um, l-like to have breakfast with me? As way of repayment, of course."

Sokka smiled as she told him her name, finally being able to put a name to her pretty face. He didn't have the heart to tell her that he'd already had breakfast, but he figured there was no harm in having a second breakfast with such a nice girl, so he nodded eagerly and gestured for Akane to lead the way. While she was leading them to a small diner, they talked about things ranging from his relationship with Suki (she had seemed oddly relieved that it had ended) and what he had been doing since the war to how badly the Triad had taken hold of the city. Akane seemed to know a fair amount about the Triad's movements, having lived deep in Triad territory when they had first come to power, and was deeply frightened by just how much power they held over Republic City. By the time they had arrived at the diner and ordered their food, Sokka had found out that this wasn't the first time Akane had been mugged by those Triad thugs, and it made his blood boil. Such a nice young woman shouldn't have to be used to such hardships, and it disgusted him that the police hadn't done more to stop the presence of the Triad.

After their meal, Sokka and Akane parted ways, with him saying that he would visit tomorrow just in case she needed some help. Her shy smile had left him grinning like a loon, and he made his way to the council building in high spirits. As he arrived at the main office for himself and the other ambassadors, Sokka mulled over the idea of asking Akane out to dinner. They had already had breakfast together, but he was thinking along the lines of something more serious. It had been over two years since he and Suki had broken up, and he was fairly certain she'd moved on when she started courting the Fire Lord. Why shouldn't he try his own luck? The spirits had given him the chance to talk to a pretty young girl his age, so why shouldn't he try and be more than friends with her?

This line of thinking went on for most of the day, and though he was distracted he managed to focus enough to ensure the creation of several trade routes between the Southern Tribe and Republic City. His home was an animal rich environment, so meat and pelts could be harvested with much less difficulty than up in the Earth Kingdom lands, which meant it made sense to set up the trade agreements with this newer, more active city.

After work, Sokka made his way back to his new home. He was pretty sure that he would fall into a comfortable routine here, and even though it wasn't the action and excitement of his younger days, he could get used to the days of peace. Locking the door behind him, Sokka made sure his armor was in good shape before flopping onto the bed. He hadn't had any dinner, but his breakfast had been large and he was used to not eating more than twice a day, no matter how long it was in between the meals. Not to mention that he was exhausted. Who knew that paperwork was such a difficult task? Deciding it was best to just sleep and have another big breakfast, Sokka closed his eyes and drifted off to a comfortable sleep.

Sokka rose with the sun, but his mind was far from rested. He had been plagued by nightmares of the war. A horde of Fire Nation soldiers had surrounded him and the Gaang in his dream, picking them off slowly until only he had remained. Once it was down to him, the fight hadn't lasted long, and he'd woken in a cold sweat. After taking a cold bath in his new washroom, Sokka prepared himself a nice breakfast and got dressed. He hadn't packed too many clothes, so he was wearing Pian Dao's outfit once more when he locked the door behind him. Already giddy to be with the bustle of the city in the morning, Sokka decided to stop by Akane's apartment and ask her out to dinner. Calming himself as he rounded the corner, Sokka was greeted with a sight that made his heart drop into his stomach. Four police officers were standing outside of the building, and there was a stretcher being guided out of the entrance. The feminine outline of the body told him what he dreaded would be true, but regardless of what he was sure had happened, Sokka quickly walked over to the officer who looked to be in charge. "Officer, what happened here? Who's the victim, and is this related to the Triad?"

The officer bristled at the grilling he was receiving from a stranger off the street, but after taking one look at the man in question he realized who he was talking to. "Ambassador Sokka, I didn't think you'd gotten into the city yet. Victim is a young female, aged approximately twenty years old. Name of the victim is Akane, her neighbor found her early in the morning outside her apartment with a knife in her heart. Knife pommel matches the kind used by Triad thugs, so we have no choice but to call it a gang-related incident. Do you know if she has any ties to the Triad, Ambassador?"

Sokka was floored. The Triad had killed her? They had barely even gotten to know one another, and already she was taken away from him. It was Yue all over again, and he felt the guilt welling up in his heart already. "No, sir. All I can think of is that she was being mugged a couple nights back by some Triad thugs. I stopped them, but she said it hadn't been the first time that had happened. You could probably get more from the thugs that were arrested that night."

The officer sighed, shaking his head and dropping Sokka even deeper into despair. "I don't think we'll be able to do that, son. Those three seem to have committed suicide in their cells the night they were arrested. Chief Beifong thinks one of the guards was responsible, so all of the night shift have been put under investigation. I'm sorry, but I don't think we have any leads here. The neighbors won't talk for fear of inviting the Triad down upon their own heads, and she didn't have any next of kin, so I guess the only thing I can say is… i'm sorry for your loss, Ambassador."

With a nod, Sokka turned and began walking away from the scene, mind numb as he thought about just how quickly the Triad worked. She had been fine the day after the mugging, but less than 24 hours later she was dead. As he walked his mind turned from shock to anger. He had to do something, someone had to do something. But who? Immediately his mind turned to the chief of police. Toph would know what to do, she'd been chief for years now. With a new plan forming in his brain, Sokka turned away from the council building and headed towards the police station.

Once he made it to the station, it took no more than a few seconds for the woman at the desk to recognize his hairstyle and sword, and only a minute of persuading her to let him through. Apparently the entire force had been alerted that a new Ambassador was arriving in the city. After being told to go through the moose-bullpen, Sokka made his way to Toph's office. Knocking once on the door before opening it, he walked in and took a seat right in front of her desk. It was plain to see that she was busy, her hands trailing across the papers in front of her, but she still smiled as he sat down.

After a moment of silence, Sokka decided to take the lead with the conversation. "It's good to see you, Toph. It's been far too long since we saw one another. How's it going with being the Chief?"

Toph's smile widened as she set the papers aside and focused on him fully. "It really has been too long, stranger. You should really visit more often, Sokka, we haven't talked in ages. How's the cushy new job as ambassador treating you?"

Sokka's grin grew as he thought about his new career. "It's been a surprisingly good fit for me, though only time will tell if it's the best job for me. How about you? Big time police chief, fighting crime and catching baddies left and right, you must feel right at home."

Toph chuckled as she kicked back in her chair for a moment, basking in the praise, before leaning forward with a somewhat serious look on her face. "I'm doing the best that I can, meathead, but it's been a struggle. With crime on the rise we've had an increase of corrupt officers, which only makes catching the bad guys all the harder. Still, I know that you're not here for chit chat. What is it you need to talk to the chief of police about, Sokka?"

Sokka's smile died as he remembered why he had made this trip. "You're right, Toph. I need your help. We need to set up a task force that can take the fight to the Triad. They have to be stopped, and it needs to be done as soon as possible. Too many people are being threatened by these thug bastards."

Toph sighed as he spoke, putting a hand on her forehead as she leaned back in her chair. "Sokka, I know you're new to this city, but you have to understand something. Fighting the Triad as soon as they act is all that we can do right now. There's no way I could scramble together enough trustworthy officers to form a task force, even with you leading the charge. I'm doing all I can as it is, so I can't give you false hope by saying that it'll happen right now. Maybe Aang could scrounge up more funding to recruit more officers, but I don't think he's going to go for a forceful option. I'd ask why you're so set on fighting the Triad, but I heard about the girl this morning. I'm gonna be honest, I didn't know she was that important to you, Sokka."

At the mention of Akane, Sokka struggled to keep a straight face. It was just Toph being Toph, blunt as always. She didn't know that he'd spent an entire morning talking to Akane, or that he had been thinking of asking her out. All Toph knew was that he was the guy who saved the girl. "She was an innocent, and she'd been harassed before by the Triad. That's all that matters. Not to mention that i'm getting tired of seeing people die right after they meet me. Still, i've taken enough of your time, Toph, so i'll catch you later. Maybe we can go drinking some night, catch up on horror stories about our families. I'm sure your parents have been bugging you to get hitched just like my father has."

When Toph chuckled again and nodded her assent, Sokka got up and left the office. He had to talk to Aang now, see if maybe he could convince the airbender to do something about the Triad. As he walked out of the station, he saw a few of the officers staring at him. He wasn't bothered by it, and he could understand. It wasn't every day that some stranger walked in and got to see the Chief, after all. He shrugged it off, more than used to being stared at. He'd had enough of that after the war, and he had a job to do.

It was easier than he thought it would be for Sokka to corner Aang. The airbender had been standing out in the gardens of the council building, likely having finished his lunch moments prior. Sokka was behind the young man before Aang could register that someone was there, and the hand that he placed on the airbender's shoulder made Aang jump. Whirling around, Aang seemed ready to chew someone out, but he stopped and smiled when he saw that it was Sokka. "Wha- Oh, Sokka, it's just you. Don't scare me like that, buddy!" His grin faded when he saw the grim set of Sokka's jaw. "Sokka? What's wrong?"

"I need to talk to you about the Triad. We need to organize a task force to take the fight to them, and we need to end them. Permanently. They cannot be allowed to run free, rampaging through the city." Sokka spoke with seriousness that hadn't graced his voice since the final battle against Ozai.

Aang was stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered. "We're not letting them run free, Sokka. We have a noticeable police presence in all Triad heavy areas. It's not like we're just doing nothing, and a task force wouldn't be the answer. We need to arrest these ruffians, not kill them."

Sokka grimaced as he heard Aang's words. "Arresting them isn't getting the job done, Aang. We need to be more aggressive. If stopping the Triad costs the lives of some thugs, i'm all for it. Not everyone can survive being a pacifist like you."

Aang's eyes turned cold, and his voice hardened as he put a hand on Sokka's shoulder. "It's not about being a pacifist, Sokka. If I were to sink to their level to put a stop to them, i'd be no better than the scum I was fighting. We have to be the better men, okay? This is no time for drastic action."

That crossed the line for Sokka. "No time for drastic action? People are being murdered in front of their spirits-damned homes, Aang! This is exactly the time for drastic action! What if it were Katara? What if it were my little sister, your beloved, with a knife in her heart! Something needs to be done about this, and I'm going to find a way to do it." With that, he stormed off, leaving a very confused Aang in his wake.

The day was a long one, filled with contemplation and anger. Sokka managed to fill out all of the needed paperwork, but his mind was elsewhere. If the police couldn't do anything, and if Aang wouldn't do anything, that only left one option. Sokka would have to take the fight to the Triad himself. He had a set of armor that the public was unaware of, which would help conceal his identity, and he had his swords. Add to that his knowledge of traps and his mastery of steel, and he would be a formidable foe. Eventually he'd be up against benders, but that wasn't a first for him. Not like any bender could match the people the Gaang had fought, and he had learned a lot in his time since the war. As Sokka made his way home, he did so with a clear goal in mind.

The Triad, the scum of the city, had best tread carefully. Because there was a wolf in Republic City, now.

And this wolf was out for blood.