So… I've been on a crazy ride with this story over the last 2 years. I've rewritten it three times! Yet, I still feel like I could do better. I could just count my losses and write a new story but I want to prove to myself that I can make this work.

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the Legend of Korra or Dragon Ball Z. Those belong to Bryan, Mike and Akira Toriyama.

WARNING: This story is a bit dark as it contains violence, some gore and a bit of coarse language.

- . Offing Purple Haze . -

Chapter 1

"Unit two-sixteen. Cancel that four-twenty all along the Watchtower. Come back to the station. Over." The police scanner was at full volume in Asami's, Bolin proclaimed, Avatarmobile.

Turning the volume nob down, she spoke the anger that's been hung up on both their minds, "I'm sick of this! These police scanners don't help us out at all."

"Well unfortunately it's the only way we can find criminals before he does."

"Oh don't remind me Mako. 'The Devil of Republic City'. How pretentious!" she burst out, slamming her fist against the dashboard.

She turned back to him. "How did you manage to convince Asami to let you use her car anyway?"

"What do you mean by you? It just so happens that I'm a fairly good driver, unlike a certain someone who first thought the clutch was the glove compartment." He brought his gloved hand to his mouth and coughed, followed shortly by her name.

"Hey! The cough is supposed to cover the name!"

"No. I'm doing a thing where it's separate." At that Korra raised her fist and made him cringe as he awaited the customary pain that followed.

"Calling all units! Level four alert. Jailbreak at headquarters. Officers down. Electrocuted. Convicts are still at large. They are armed and dangerous! Last seen heading East. I repeat! Level four alert. Equalist jailbreak."

The hot tempered Avatar eased off her attack. "That's not far from here."

She shifted her body forward. A quick glance at him was enough to form her reaction. "Well? Don't just sit there! Step on it Mako!"

Pulling away from the side of the road they set off as fast as the Avatarmobile could accelerate, leaving a set of asphalt-vandalising tyre tracks behind him.

Her voice was loud - compensating for the roar the vehicle produced. "Do you think we can get to them in time?"

"I think so. They're probably just around the corner. There's no way he'll beat us to it!"

Searching franticly, they raced through the empty streets of Republic City. Korra's eyes sprinted from left to right, looking down the streets they passed for the escaped convicts. "Stop!"

At that, Mako stomped those brakes as hard as possible, turning the wheel in all directions, trying not to spin out. "Hey be careful!" She regained her composure, "Do you know what Asami would do to you if you scratched her car?!"

"You said stop!" Focusing on driving, he didn't waste any time changing into reverse and backing up. He turned the car around, pulling a J-turn with precision. The vehicle slowed down and turned down the first street to the left.

She turned to him and slammed the dashboard yet again. "Not this street Mako!"

His eyes darted to the Avatar. "Are you kidding me? You seriously couldn't say this before I turned?"

"They're getting away Mako!" Mako couldn't do anything but let loose a deep grunt. Turning around as fast as he could, they returned to the main street.

Making sure he turned left at the right street, he asked first. "Is it this one?"

They both heard the very loud crash emanating from their destination. "Yeah that's the one! Turn Mako!"

He pulled the handbrake and turned, sending the Avatarmobile drifting round the corner. "Don't tell me how to drive!"

Their eyes fell on the wreckage before them, seeing their fears turned to reality. They were too late.

The car slowly came to halt. They got out and carefully moved to the wreckage, making sure to defend themselves in case the convicts are still up and going or, more likely, The Devil is still around to clean up.

She moved around the smashed vehicle. "Do you think he's still here?"

Mako walked along the other side of the wreckage. "Don't know. Let's ask them, shall we?"

This sight was all too familiar. Four convicts and another, no doubt the getaway driver, lay sprawled all over the road, sidewalk and even on the busted hood of the car.

Korra's frustration got the better of her once again. "How does he do this? Five criminals, all beaten and broken, face deep in asphalt!" Accommodating her banter was a hard kick against the debris.

Mako bent down and examined the wreckage, followed by the surrounding area. "I don't understand how this possible. Look at this. No other tracks, no burn marks, no water, no out of place boulders and no property damage. This car is totalled but there's nothing in the road to crash into and all other objects are untouched."

"Gee, nice work detective. Conveniently narrating the obvious is exactly what helps." She strode over to the unconscious convicts. Their wounds were something fierce, definitely not inflicted by somebody in good mental health.

In the distance she heard a faint grunt. It belonged to another convict, unseen till now, crawling deeper into the shadows. She sprinted over to him, eager to get some info. "Mako, get over here quick! One's still conscious!"

He heard footsteps behind him and noticed he was no longer crawling alone. Was he here to beat him further? He wasn't keen on finding out. He clutched onto the ground, trying to grip whatever he could to get away as fast as possible. The footsteps neared him. He dragged his beaten body as fast as he could.

"No… No. Please. Let me live." He felt a strong grip grab onto him. "No!"

The person above him forcefully turned him onto his back. To his surprise, he didn't see the face of the Devil, but the face of the Avatar. Honestly, who knew which was worse?

She looked at the broken man before her. She was horrified to see the bruises, blood and misplaced bones on this man's body. Her eyes met his, the fear and terror on display made her stomach drop. This man had been beaten and left to crawl along the broken bodies of his fallen comrades. This was torture. Who could do something like this?

Korra cringed at the sight. The fear this man experienced was all too familiar to her. She had experienced it before, at the hands of a nightmare himself, Amon. She couldn't help but feel sympathy for the man before her.

She pushed these feelings aside and reminded herself what she was doing here. "You can spare yourself a further beating. Tell me what happened here."

A pained grin came to his face. "Haven't you already…" he struggled to speak as coughs took hold of his voice. "Done enough to us Equalists… since killing Amon?"

A smirk formed on her face. "Is that what you all think huh? Well then I guess you only have thirty seconds to live." Her grip around his collar tightened and she hoisted him off the ground. "Better fill it with words pal! Who did this?"

He stared her down followed by an attempt to spit in her face. This only boiled her blood more. She dragged him over to the side of the building and slammed him against the wall. Out of his throat came a constipated yell.

"Tell me what I need to know!"

Pain and fear ruled his vocal chords as he spoke. "He… He fought like a demon. Didn't ask a question… didn't say a word…"

She groaned at his answer and slammed him again. "I'm not in the mood for the pronoun game! Who is he?"

"I don't know who he was I swear!" She threw him to the floor. "What does he look like?"

He painfully lifted his arm in protest as she neared him. "Stop it please. He… His hair looked kinda purple. Very distinct. But that's all I know I swear!"

Mako gripped her wrist. "Okay Korra I think he's endured enough torture for one night. We have what we need. Let's leave before Lin shows up."

She stared at the Equalist. "You're right. Let's leave." They walked back to the car. She quickly turned back. "I'm going to the police station tomorrow. If I don't see you there because you ran away before the police showed up, I'll find you and have you eating through a straw for the next two months. Got it?"

His response was quick, his voice well shaken. "I got it…"

He opened the faulty door to his old apartment. As per usual, the door never opened big enough to comfortably walk into the small living space, so once more he had to resort to sliding through the gap. He looked around the old apartment. No furniture, just a fridge he made from the scraps the junkyard had to offer. Although his home was a dump, he has lived in worse conditions.

His eyes fell back onto the tears in his clothes. It was just due to a loss of focus, nothing more. Mental discipline could fix the focus issue but not the tear. He'll have to get some supplies and sew it back up.

He couldn't help but wonder. What would his father say? His own flesh and blood, living in an old, rundown apartment, having to sew his own clothes back up. What a disgrace.

Although his father was a difficult man, he truly missed him. The gruelling training, the short temper, the arrogance, oh King Kai his arrogance. These were traits he often saw within himself. Although he tried to be polite and respectful, he knew his father's qualities were a mirror of his own.

He's spent a few weeks in Republic City. For the first few, he searched for the one responsible for bringing him here, but to no avail. If he couldn't be found, there was no way back. Trunks was stuck in a world he knew none of.

He brushed his hand through his hair. The exhaustion of work took its toll on him and he needed rest. Sleep, that's something he hadn't seen much of lately…

There ya go folks. Chapter 1. Hope you liked it and hopefully this a much better, not to mention controversial, read than the previous version :)