-Nights After The First Sting-
"What do we got Jin" a man in a metal armor police uniform asked a women in a private investigator trench coat as he landed and retracted his gauntlet cable. At approximately two o,five in the morning at the old low town docks the republic city police had gotten a call to come down and investigate a disturbance that had been spotted by a elderly couple who was star gazing since there was less city light to block the sky.
At first they thought it was just some youngster benders making entertainment for themselves but when they started hearing screaming, cussing, and the sound of crashing there guts told them to call the authorities. When the cops showed up to find a beaten man huddled with his wife and children next to a bunch of gang affiliated men tied up and hanging from a busted streetlight, surprise was not the proper word for there reaction.
"Same as the last few cases Yashin. We got a ring of human traffickers to bring in but no body alive to cuff the last operation was reported in nights ago by officers Bato and Han and even with the avatar present on this one they could not find out who our what got in to those hostages. Doesn't help that the witnesses themselves refuse to recall what they saw in there.".
"In short another invigorating morning of chief bei-fong giving us an earful on how were slacking as a unit" Yashin groaned with tired sarcasm earning a chuckle from his associate.
"Hey cmon Yash I thought you liked it when ol Bei-Fong scolded you like a naughty boy" Jin teased earning a mildy tired scowl from the metal bender.
"Cut the the crap Jin I aint in the mood for your innuendos. " he seethed letting out a agitated yawn "I havent slept a wink yet since the chief has us working over the clock to dig into this vigilante."
"Ok ok I got ya Yash I got yash" Jin said putting up her hands in mock surrender.
"So got any leads ?" He inquired
Jin took another swig of her bottle and shrugged ."Nah the trail runs cold once again."
Yashin shook his head and groaned rubbing the bridge of his nose "Great"
Jin walked up beside him and placed an arm around his shoulder "Look at the bright side, at least this is the only headache we gotta deal with."
Times were never easy, but it seems like its just getting heavier by the moment.
After the bust of the slave traffic ring, a great emotional ordeal washed over the people. The salves being treated and hospitalized, sending them home to families with hanging hope to find their loved ones alive, and pushing others to the streets of republic city to find a new life. This would be seen as joyous, yet it wasn't, a new mascaraed has frightened the citizens.
Scenes of horror unfolding, men whom once terrorized are now scared to step foot out into the night. Though it seemed to have good intentions, it wasn't enough, the people needed order. And Bei-Fong wasn't going to let some man with a goofy mask bring it to them, most certainly not in the way he has. She had sat in her sato mobile that hid in a dark alley on a quiet area that was prone to violent attacks in evening and wee hours in the morning, she had set up a pair at each area around republic city that was known to have trouble in some shape or form.
Resting on her steering wheel was a manilla folder which had mug shots and clippings of those from the boat days before, the information of the traders. Flipping through them she stopped seeing one catching her eye, an autopsy photo taken with long stitches across his chest and broad markings that spelled out fear as a black thread over lapped as it sewed up the gapping incision he had received. Her index finger rubbed the smooth skin of her bottom lip as her eyes darted across the windshield as she observed every movement of the area, closing the folder tossing it to her side landing in the passenger seat. She was obviously in deep thought, looking at her CB radio as she reached over pressing down on the button calling the nearest squad car checking in.
" Jin! Yashin! Anything from your end? I'd like to have a full report by morning !" She spoke in a commanding tone over her men, her left arm leaned on the door she ran her fingers through her hair taking a deep breath as she focused on the task at hand.
"As we were told by the investigation team boss we are at another cold end and the scene seems just the same. Found two poor bastards strung up like fresh trout at the street light." Yashin answered first with his voice cracking through the radio with the sound of movement in the background.
"Seems the same , but is the same is a different matter , the scenes get more brutal depending on the files we pull up. Looks like these were a set of drug dealers two of which had alleged rumors of pedophelia. No signs of a child being harmed were near but we did find there bunker after we managed to build the stomach to ignore the sight of the gutted body guard."
Jin followed up.
"Okay then, I guess you guys can call it a night, I'll stick around in case anything happens " She spoke, reaching over starting up the mobile , hearing the low rumble of its engine as the headlights illuminated the street ahead of her.
"Chief with all due respect as much as the bed sounds nice about now , I dont feel comfortable leaving you out here on your own. Your a strong one but if the goons are as scared as they say the brave ones might be prowling to prove themselves." Yasshin spoke in a serious tone.
" Don't worry about me, I maybe old but I do have tricks up my sleeve " She spoke into the mic pressing her foot upon he gas pedal driving off into the late evening
Hanging up the line the man whom was just a year or so younger then her let out a tired sigh rubbing the bridge of his nose as once again he had to bite his tounge against the persistent Bei-Fong pride.
"Awwww are you sad your crush wont notice you Yashi~" Jin said in a teasing voice poking his cheek.
Slapping her hand away he would shoot the investigator a sour look before shooting a cable to the roof top without even looking."Just clean up and go home Jin."
He said sharply before shooting off into the night via his metal bending cables. He looked like he was going home for the night...but strangely he was feeling the scenic route.
Driving off , she focused on the road, yet her vision kept fazing into the photograph from before, the in incision's precisely made. The burned in letters of fear has engraved themselves into her eyes, speeding up she needed to clear her mind, going beyond the speed limit hitting towards the docks.
Things started to connect together, who ever did this wasn't an ordinary creep who played hero like the men she had captured in her younger days. This was a person who targeted, studied , and even stalked these men. Ramming the breaks causing a screeching in the tires that was only heard in the area, she had opened the door climbing out resting her hands on her forehead pacing in a small circle before she leaned her back against the car.
She looked off into the crashing waves that seemed to hold no value, Lin sat herself on the hood of the car as the door propped open letting the mobile have a slanted position.
This was also not the first time she had dealt with organized idealist whom hid behind the confusion of the people , the day the equalist came into town there were many times when they would find millions of former benders strung up dry looking lost and shells of there former selves after Amon laid on his touch. It was only a miracle that Korra had stumbled into town that year when it truly began to escalate.
Now come years later after this town...her city was being torn from the inside out as they tried to rebuild , it dawned on her that now she was seeing the same signs and another force that had no qualms bringing men in that now threatened to spark fear not only in the hearts of the underworld but now the public as the rumors spread like a virus.
If they didnt get a lead how could these people trust there police force. A more daunting question would be...
How could they trust there avatar.
She gave a deep sigh, shaking her head looking over from the docs to see a empty space that laid between the warehouses, police tape , broken debris around that was soon cleared. It had a small stone barely visible from this distance but the glare of street lights flashed waving her down. It was where Mako had died, she remember clearly his memorial service, having a line of men in fours firing off their rifles at a low tone.
Looking away catching the stray tear that fell down her cheek, it wasn't a time for wandering emotions. It was time to keep on track, yet she couldn't help but not feel a tangent of worried emotions over Korra.
After the bust she seemed strange, left out of place. Yet she has been that way since the service, clearing her throat she turned away heading back into the mobile with a groan slamming the door as she gripped its steering wheel she got inside of her vehicle she noticed a shape out the corner of her eye scamper into back ways of an alley between two warehouses. Subject appeared to be male around the teen years the kids of team avatar were when they started but judging from the limp and the way he knocked over waste bins , he was either on the run or trying not to be noticed
Her eyes must've been playing tricks on her, she couldn't understand what was going on in that exact moment but she knew that she had to act soon. Something washed over her body made her want to chase after , turning the keep stepping on the gas pedal as the roaring engine echoed the area soon reaching into busy areas beyond here. Tires burning rubber as she sped off leaving a trail of smoke, her eyes narrowing down as she quickly approached.
" The hell is that?" She spoke whispering to herself, it was a tone of confusion and inquiry. Upon hearing a car engine roar to life and the sound of tires speeding , the figure when went from a cautious job to a frantic sprint with arms flailing back and forth while he himself was trying to make as much distance as possible.
She was too far away
She wouldn't make it
And that angered her, speeding the car beyond its point, she had to catch up. Rising her arm up bending a piece of ground making a strong ramp, as the car rolled on into the air, going across a small stretch of water she landed roughly causing its bumper to fall as the car skirted on one side. Rocking back and forth she cursed speeding up again, fueling the emotions she had try to leave behind. Pouring them into now, the chase , a thrill, the rush.
"Shit..."
The figure mouthed to himself as he realized that the car was surely soon to catch up at the rate he was going , using a wave of his arm he flicked water out of a concealed pouch and extended a water tendril to a tall roof hoisting himself up to gain some high ground. He could not afford to be caught in the night , it must have sent the driver after him to finish what it started. He didnt want to die and he would not die tonight!
She wasn't going to let this bastard go! Jumping up in her seat breathing through the metal roofing as the mobile swerved crashing into the sea wall as Lin brought her arms up in a strong structure possed making a large earth column one after another jumping as she tried her hardest to catch up towards the mystery male.
GO AWAY!"
He yelled back at her as spotting her from the corner of his eye he would turn and do a whip motion sending a spray of ice needles at her attempting to knock out her balance.
" How about that you slow down for me "
She spoke curling her body up as she jumped bending the metal of her suit making a shield against the whip, a earth pillar appeared behind her as she extended her left foot back kicking her into a boost as she reached close enough to wrap her arms around the male in the mere instant as if time had slown down, she gripped him firmly as they landed onto a roof top roughly.
He was tackled roughly feeling the impact of her metal armor against his rib letting out a shocked gasp hitting the rough with a heavy umph and rolling a bit feeling the wind knocked out of him.
Sprawled on his back he felt like his left side got hit by a truck and now he was prone stuck under the grip of a assailant.
"D-Damn..."
Reaching back as she flipped the male onto his stomach as she took a pair of hand cuffs latching them onto his wrist. Bending the metal to form a uncomfortable bond straining his arms and shoulders as she roughly placed her knee on his back.
" You have the right to remain silent, anything you or do will be used against you in the court of law. " she spoke getting up as she grabbed his elbows lifting him onto his knees as she left him leaning as her knee dugg into the male.
"You dont understand its after me , its after all of us!"
he spoke in a panicked tone as he tried to struggle but winced in regret feeling the way the cuffs dug into his skin.
"By god if you saw that damn hollow smile you would not even be wasting your time with me. Especially when theres a fucking thing out there stacking bodies faster then you and your little joke police force can arrest."
" Well you'll be helping us then " She spoke pressing into her speaking into a small wire " Send me some back up, west side fishing area"
"Dont bother chief everyone is too far out and if anything coming this way they wouldnt make it in time."
A voice spoke followed by the hiss of metal bender cables showing a man whom landed with a crouch shading over his eyes with his metal bender unit cat.
"Luckily I took the scenic route."
Yasshin would say in a tired but all the same cheeky voice.
" my knight in shining armor " She spoke in a slight teasing tone as she rolled her eyes handing the newly captured male over to him.
"So whats this guys M.O did you catch him snagging a bag of old fish or something." He inquired while he held the male in a tight grip to assure he would not slip his grasp.
She dusted her hands placing one on her hip looking over at Yasshin then at the kneeling male, her eyes averted back to the city lights
" He was near old ware houses, running, suspicious I chased after him then I landed here " She walked over to Yasshin bumping into him slightly leaning forward whispering in his ear for only them two could hear " In my office as soon as we get back, we need a private talk. "
"You got it." He spoke keeping his tone casual and professional thanking the dark roof for concealing the slight gulp he got from her wording.
As the roaring sirens filled the air, police men storming the building as they filled out into the roof top carrying the male off , following behind she looked back at Yasshin giving a slight nod then retreated with everyone else.