The girl pushes past him and rushes to a man standing by Tarlok.

"Papa! I'm so glad you're alright."

"Tarlok, why are you here? You're supposed to be on the Council! These people are murderers." Zolt and Ping are drenched in their own blood, icy chains covering their wrists. A raspy laugh escapes from him, water slamming his body down to the ground.

"You don't understand anything, do you boy? The Triads and the Red Monsoons have bigger problems to worry about than their damn civil war." A poster flutters down to rest by his cheek. It was the same exact one he saw in that house; of the man in the mask.

"His name's Amon. He won't rest until every last bender in Republic City is gone. I've come to convince these fools what a real threat they face."

A growl explodes from somewhere in the room. "Ha! He can try to take our bending. Let him step foot on our beaches. Let him see what we can do." Mako assumes this to be Kwai talking.

"Some men from our very own police force have had their bending taken away. I-I don't know how he did it, but it's permanent."

A shudder works its way through Mako's body. He tries to imagine life without the sun enriching him with its energy or feeling the gentle heat of the flames on his fingertips.

"We are not afraid."

"What could possibly takes someone's bending away?" Mako questions. A powerful rip tears through his body.

"Shut it, boy! You should count your lucky stars that I don't cut your arms off and feed them to the elephant seals!"

"Calm down, Kwai. I'm arresting these three. They'll be taken in for questioning." He pauses for a moment. "At least consider my proposal."

"Hmm!"

The unconscious gang members were thrown in the back of a police vehicle. At least Mako got to ride up front.

"Why are you arresting me? I didn't do anything wrong."

"You think being an accessory to theft and murder makes you innocent? Ha! That's rich." Mako did not like this man so far. He exuded confidence and leadership. He was manipulative and cunning. He also smelled like a lady.

"I have a little brother to feed. I can't go to jail." Tarlok didn't say anything for quite a long time. He tried to manage how Bolin would function without him? He supposed Korra could take care of him, but that just wouldn't be the same. He was the only family Bolin had.

"I suppose we can work something out."

"What do you mean?" Tarlok just smiled at him.

"Can Amon really take someone's bending away? I mean, only the Avatar has ever done that."

"I've seen it done myself. They call themselves the Equalists. They're chi-blockers; they can temporarily take a person's bending away. Amon has found a way to do it permanently."

"Why were you recruiting the Red Monsoons to help you?"

"Because Republic City needs all the help it can get. I mean, we don't have an Avatar to rely on. We need to start taking matters into our own hands."

Tarlok drops Mako off at home, telling him to be at the station tomorrow morning. Mako is surprised to find that the apartment is pitch black since its only 8 in the afternoon. The door is unlocked and Mako rushes inside to find a trembling Bolin wrapped up in a corner.

"Bolin! Are you alright?" He wraps his brother into his arms and rocks him. Bolin clutches his shirt collar tightly.

"Where's Korra?"

"S-she never came back! She went to look for you but she never came back!" Mako hugs Bolin even tighter.

"I'm so sorry, Bolin."

Mako arrives at the station in the morning. He rushes to where they're keeping the gang members.

"Where is she, you son of a bitch?"

Zolt sneers at him through the bars. "Don't act all high and mighty. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be locked up in this jail cell. Nice how you're out there and we're in here."

"You should punish me then, not her. What, did you order one of your boys to abduct her so I would play along? Tell me where she is, now!" He pounds his fists on the bars.

"I don't know who you're talking about. But I promise you, you're going to feel a hell of a lot worse than this when I get out."

Mako reaches through the bars and grabs Zolt's collar. He almost lands a punch when someone jerks him away.

"Stop baiting our prisoners, Mako. You don't want to be in there with 'em do you?" Tarlock places a hand on Mako's shoulder and leads him away.

"Come, let's talk." The councilman leads him into a small room with various statues and stacks of paperwork.

"I figured out a way you can reduce your sentence."

"I don't care about that now. Someone very important to me is missing and I need to find her." Tarlock steeples his hands together and places them under his chin.

"You're not going to find her rushing blindly through the city and making prisoners want to kill you. I'll help you find her if you do something for me in return."

"What?" He asks cautiously.

"Come with me to an Equalist rally tonight."

"Why ask me? Why not someone more experienced?"

"Because if anything goes wrong, I won't be losing anyone important."

Mako slips his red scarf high over his face and follows Tarlock to a seemingly abandoned building. A man greets them at the door.

"Invitation please." Tarlock shows him a slip and they slip inside. Mako gasps at how many people have turned up.

"I can't believe this many people hate benders so much." Mako whispers.

"People will follow anything if they think it will make them stronger." Tarlock muscles his way through the crowd, Mako close behind. They edge their way to the front and watch as smoke fills the stage.

"What's happening?"

"Looks like Amon is about to make his appearance."

The smoke clears and the man who Mako saw on the flyers appears on the stage. A powerful presence exudes from him.

"Welcome my brothers and sisters. We gather here today to celebrate a fine victory against benders. Many of you may wonder why I am on such a quest to spread equality in this world. Well, the answer is easy. Benders have always taken what they thought was theirs. Like my face, for instance."

Amon pulls his mask away and reveals a horrible disfigured patch of flesh beneath it. The crowd gasps and suddenly wells up in anger.

"Yes; a bender did this to me. Right after he killed my parents. But I have been chosen to lead us out of our bonds and into freedom."

He snaps his fingers and a covered cage is wheeled out onto the stage.

"For years this revered being has been hidden away. But now I have found her. And she is mine." With one swift movement he uncovers the cage and there lays a half unconscious Korra, beaten and covered in her own blood.

Mako shoves the people in front of him out of the way and rushes towards the front. Tarlock tackles him and holds him back.

"Wait! We must not make a scene. We're in a room full of people who hate us remember?"

"But that's Korra! I have to do something!"

"Just wait. An opportunity will present itself."

Amon laughs and gestures towards the cage. "Yes, my friends. This is the revered Avatar who is supposed to save us all. Well she doesn't look so very powerful to me. I'm about to show you something that the gods have bestowed onto me. The Avatar has abandoned us all. Now I will make sure she can no longer oppress us."

"Tarlock, let me go."

Amon unlocks the Korra's cage and drags her to his feet. He moves her into a sitting position and places his thumb and forefinger on her forehead.

"I will take away this girls bending. This world no longer needs an Avatar." A strange light bursts from Korra's eyes. He can see her body slowly start to grow weaker.

"Stop," he shouts. Mako pushes himself away from Tarlock and rushes towards the stage. Amon removes his finger and Korra collapses onto the ground.

"Amon, let her go." Fire bursts from his fingertips and straight at Amon's charred face. He quickly evades his attacks and gives two swift punches to his arms. He falls to the ground where Korra lay.

"Mako," she croaks out.

"See, me brethren this is what happens when benders rule. Not anymore. You can take your precious Avatar, boy. Her bending is no more."

To Be Continued