Chapter 2

Debrief

"We are two sides of the same coin, you and I."

"We're here to see the chief."

The secretary looked up at Mako and Bolin, taking in their uniforms and badges. She nodded across the room to the closed door and blinds. "She's waiting for you two in her office."

Mako nodded his thanks and he and Bolin made their way towards Lin's office. Despite their discreteness, several of the night shift officers were staring at them and sharing suspicious glances.

"Um…Mako?" Bolin muttered to his brother. "Why are they all staring at us?"

Mako cast a glare throughout the room. "I don't know," he replied lowly.

Mako opened the door to Lin's office and Bolin hurried through, eager to be away from the gazes of all the officers.

"Close the door," Lin told Mako, and he did. Then he turned and stopped in his tracks.

The chief's office was dimly lit, the blinds all closed and the lamp on her desk the only source of light. Stacks of paper were strewn about the room, but there was only one file dead center on her desk. Lin sat behind her desk, and just to her right sat none other than President Raiko.

Mako quickly snapped into a salute. Beside him, Bolin nearly stumbled over his own feet in an attempt to do the same.

"At ease," Raiko sighed, waving at the two chairs opposite of him and Lin. "Have a seat."

They sat, Bolin fidgeting awkwardly. Mako leaned forward. "No offense, sir, but chief, why is the president here?"

"I told you this was going to be a matter of international security," she told him.

Mako and Bolin exchanged a look, paling.

"Before we start, I need you two to know something." Lin leaned forward and steepled her fingers on her desk. "What we're about to tell you, you can't share with anyone that isn't a national leader. If you do, I'll be required by international law to hang a bounty and manhunt over your heads. That is how serious this is, and this is your only warning, your last chance. Walk out that door, and you can leave this case for good."

Mako and Bolin looked each other in the eye, remembering the symbol on the warehouse wall, so similar to the one that had nearly destroyed their best friend's life. Then, they both faced forward.

"No," Mako said firmly. "We're here to stay."

Lin nodded and then flipped open the single file in front of her, sliding it across the desk to Mako and Bolin. The two brothers scanned the papers within and looked up at Lin with wide eyes.

"We've been finding more and more traces of the Red Lotus across the world," Lin began, nodding down at the file. "Ever since Zaheer murdered the Earth Queen, we've been finding connections everywhere. It seems they're concentrated in the Earth Kingdom, and we believe they've taken advantage of the unrest these past four years to increase their numbers throughout the continent."

President Raiko leaned forward. "As you know, Prince Wu has only very recently managed to establish the Earth Kingdom governmental council and the summit next week is only the second." He paused for one grave second. "The Earth Kingdom is finally reaching true stability for the first time in four years. Our fear is that the Red Lotus will move to end the progress Wu and the council have made already. If the government crumbles again, the kingdom may never be able to fully recover."

Lin picked up again after him. "So while the Red Lotus is spread across the globe, our main concern at the moment is their whereabouts in the Earth Kingdom."

"Alright," Mako said slowly, taking all that in. "Do we have a trail yet?"

Lin nodded, tapping her finger on the open file. "We requested info from the Terra Triad members in exchange that they not be associated with the Red Lotus in their prosecution." At Bolin's skeptical look, she smiled grimly. "I know, but regardless, they'll be spending a long time in prison.

"Anyways, what we gathered from the leaders is that they'd set up a trade between a few warehouses here in the city and back in Ba Sing Se, and as far as we know, the Triad has had very little contact with the higher-ups of the Red Lotus. We've been given the export location but we know for a fact it isn't the final location. It's only a pick-up spot. We need you two to find the final drop-off."

Mako hesitated. "Chief…that's like finding a needle in a haystack."

Lin nodded. "Normally, we wouldn't bother because of the size of Ba Sing Se, but you both saw the symbol in that warehouse. She nodded at the file. "We've been finding those all over the capital, mostly around the Lower Ring."

Bolin gaped. "You mean…that wasn't the first one?"

"It was the first one we've found within Republic City," President Raiko replied. "But we've been finding them in Ba Sing Se for months."

"But," Lin cut in. "Like I told you before, they're being too obvious, like they want us to know they're here."

"Breathing over our shoulder," Mako muttered, and his brother gave him a strange look, but Lin only nodded.

"Right," she agreed. "Because of that, I want you two to be at your best. Don't let your guard down, because we may be sending you right into a trap. But together, I trust you the most to get the job done."

Bolin faked a sniffle and Lin shot a glare at him.

"The rest of the info you need is in that file," she continued after a moment of withering silence. "There's several alternate identification cards just in case and a paper in their for your temporary house. We're also providing you plenty of currency pieces you can pick up at the front desk before you leave."

Sensing this debrief was coming to a close, Mako and Bolin stood, followed by the president and chief of Republic City.

"We won't let you down, chief," Mako said.

"I know," Lin replied. "But just in case, be careful, boys. I don't want body bags the next time I see you two."

They nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

President Raiko reached out and shook their hands. "You young men are very brave. I'm honored to have such detectives working in my city. Come back alive, you two."

"Of course, sir," Mako answered. "We wouldn't have it any other way."

Walking out of that office, neither of them had any clue what they were about to head into.

"Hey!"

Kuvira opened her eyes and looked across her cell to where Yao stood on the other side of the bars. Behind him, Katsu stood at the door of the platinum room beyond, arms crossed.

"Get up," Yao commanded gruffly, scarred and bearded face pulled into his usual scowl. "You have a visitor."

Kuvira wordlessly stood from her mattress and made her way towards the bars, keeping a wary gaze on Yao the entire time. She slowly stretched her arms forward through the gaps in the bars. Yao pulled the handcuffs off his belt and clapped them onto Kuvira's wrists, winding them down tight enough that they bit hard into her skin. Yao turned away and Kuvira grimaced, leaning backwards so the chains of her handcuffs were taut against the front of the bars.

Katsu opened the door and leaned out. "Come on in," he said to whoever was outside. Then he put his back to the wall as Yao stepped up beside him, thumbs hooked in his belt, as if Kuvira would actually have a chance of getting out of her cell.

Katsu opened the door wide enough to let her visitor through, and in walked…

"Korra," Kuvira said, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "What a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting you back so soon."

"It's been three months," Korra chuckled in reply. She was balancing a wooden tray with steaming cups in her arms, waiting patiently by the door as Katsu closed it and the guards locked it on both sides. When the young man nodded, Korra finally came forward. She set the tray before the bars of her cell and sat cross-legged behind it. Kuvira lowered herself into the same position, metal scraping against metal as her handcuffs slid down the bars.

"I brought in platinum cups this time," Korra said, sounding exasperated as she slid one of the cups into Kuvira's cuffed hands outside the bars. "But they still insisted I use the wooden ones."

Kuvira shrugged, leaning forward to take a sip of tea through the bars. "They're picky about metal and wood here."

Korra snorted. "I noticed." She took up her own cup of tea and slid the tray to the side. "So how's it been in here?"

Kuvira shrugged again. "Same as usual. Empty. Boring. I'm getting by." She cocked an eyebrow at Korra. "How about you? Have you and Asami finished your vacation?"

Korra blew out a breathy laugh. "Finally, yeah. Took us a while, but it was fun. I really enjoyed it, and we didn't even have to go all the way to one of the poles on the way in, so good job with that."

Kuvira smirked even as she felt a painful twang in her chest. "I can't take all the credit."

Korra grinned and sipped from her tea. They sat in comfortable silence for a while before Kuvira eventually broke it.

"How is the Earth Kingdom coming along?" She asked, an anxious note finding its way into her voice.

Korra's face softened. "It's getting along just fine. The Earth Council's second summit is next week. Things are looking up again."

Kuvira nodded, relaxing a little at that information. Then she narrowed her eyes as Korra inhaled sharply.

"Actually," the Avatar said. "I need to ask you something."

Kuvira warily nodded for her to go on.

"When we made that portal, did you see anything? Feel anything at all?"

Kuvira cocked an eyebrow at her. "I blacked out, Korra. All I remember is waking up in the Spirit World."

Korra shifted uneasily. "Right."

Kuvira frowned at her. "If you wouldn't mind my asking, why?"

Korra gazed at her for a moment and nodded. Then she told Kuvira about the spirits' strange behavior, the mobs she and Asami had seen and the unease that was practically tangible in the air of the Spirit World.

"I tried to ask them what was wrong every time they mobbed like that," she continued. "But all they would say is your name. So…" She spread her arms to encompass the room. "Here I am."

Kuvira shook her head, lost. "I have no idea why any of that is happening."

"Well…" Korra shifted to get more comfortable. "What about more recently? Any weird feelings? Any visits from spirits?"

"No one is allowed in here without papers," Yao grunted.

Korra twisted around to look at him. "Spirits don't live under the same laws as the rest of us," she told him.

Kuvira carefully sipped her tea, keeping her expression blank. Behind her, she heard Mamoru shift, but she figured he'd been there for a few minutes now, silently listening. He tended to keep silent whenever she was speaking to someone else.

After a moment, she said, "No, I don't believe I have had anything like that."

Korra sighed into her cup. "Great," she grumbled. "And here I was thinking I might get a break."

Kuvira snorted dubiously, earning a grin from Korra.

"Speaking of which, how is it going between you and Asami?" Kuvira asked.

A blush almost immediately spread across Korra's cheeks. "Oh, you know…" she cleared her throat. "It's- I mean, it's going okay."

Kuvira raised her eyebrows. "Okay? Details, Korra."

The Avatar narrowed her eyes at her. "When did you become so interested in my love life?"

Kuvira shrugged. "I have to keep myself amused somehow."

Korra shook her head with a small smile. After a moment, she said, "It's…good. Great, actually. She makes me really happy."

"Have you kissed her yet?"

Korra's face turned a mortified shade of red. "N- no! I- no. Of course not."

Kuvira had to smile at her reaction. "Its been a year and half, Korra," she said,. "You don't need to act so shocked."

"You're one to talk!" the Avatar exclaimed. "It took three years for you and Baatar to-" Korra clamped her mouth shut, blanching, but the damage had been done. Kuvira set down her empty cup and leaned back, all traces of a smile gone.

"Sorry," Korra said, staring down at her hands.

There was silence between them again, this time not so comfortable. After a long time, Yao grumbled, "Visiting hours end in a few minutes."

Korra sighed and nodded, not looking back at him. She gazed at Kuvira a moment, then said, "If it helps any, they're all doing fine. I met with the airbenders the other day and Opal told me Zaofu was in good shape." Her face softened. "All of them are moving forward, even…" She trailed off, not needing to say his name.

Kuvira nodded. "Thank you, Korra." She met the Avatar's eyes and forced a smile. "It was good seeing you, but I'm thinking you'll need to leave soon."

The Avatar raised her eyebrows. "Kicking me out?"

Kuvira really did smile now. "Not my choice."

Korra grunted as she got to her feet with the tray in hand. "I know." She offered Kuvira a slightly sad smile. "Ill be back in another month or two."

Kuvira nodded. "Goodbye, Korra."

"Bye, Kuvira." The Avatar turned as Katsu unlocked the door and slipped through. Yao roughly yanked off the cuffs and followed after her, leaving red sores on Kuvira's wrists. Katsu stopped at the threshold to gaze back at her.

"See you tomorrow with your breakfast," he said, and closed the door behind himself as he stepped out and locked it behind him.

Kuvira stood and stretched, turning to face Mamoru. He was sitting on the floor in the back corner of the cell, looking incredibly comfortable despite his position. "How much did you hear?" Kuvira asked him.

"Enough." Mamoru watched her carefully as she lay back down the mattress. "Why didn't you tell her about me?"

Kuvira bit her lip. "I don't even know if you're real," she told him. "For all I know, you're just a figment of my imagination, and I'm getting crazier by the day."

"I told you this already," Mamoru said, sounding slightly insulted. "I'm real, just as real as you. I'm just not all the way here in this world. I'm a spirit."

"But why are you here?" Kuvira ground out, glaring up at the ceiling.

Mamoru didn't say anything for a long time, and Kuvira almost thought he had faded away, but then he said, "You still have it."

Kuvira looked over at him. "What?"

Mamoru motioned to her neck. "The ring. You still have it."

Kuvira's hand wandered up to the chain around her neck, a platinum ring strung on it. Normally, the guards would never allow such a thing into the facility, but it was all made of pure platinum and the chain was thin enough it would break as soon as someone so much as tugged on it. Plus, Kuvira had laid even her pride down to keep it. After all, it was her engagement ring.

"I do," was all Kuvira said to Mamoru, turning onto her side so her back was to him.

"Why? You know he won't be back-"

"I know that," Kuvira said, a little too quickly. "But it's a reminder."

"Of what?" Mamoru sounded genuinely confused.

Kuvira squeezed her eyes shut. "Of what I had to do, what I'll always have to do. And why."

"One and the same."

Next chapter will begin the explanation of what happened immediately following the Day of the Collosus.