Disclaimer: I don't own LOK. If I did, the show would be much more complicated and have a progressing storyline that spans for 10 seasons.

a/n - At the time I am writing this, I got 4 reviews for the last chapter. Thank you so much! I can't begin to describe how wonderful those reviews are. Also a big thank you to Full Deck - who pointed out about a dozen mistakes and inconsistencies (specifically the part about Korra not being able to airbend yet). I have attempted to edit everything, but am going to go over it a bit more.

This chapter is my favorite so far... but the next is even better!


Chapter 4 - Soft

It was early the next morning when they met up with Shin. The bright glow of the sunrise still filled the sky. The two brothers' silhouettes were visible in as they walked across the empty expanse of smooth pavement and toward the rusting metal warehouse. Drops of rain echoed throughout the abandoned building, fresh from a rainstorm the night before.

Shin was as immaculately dressed as before, leaning against an equally immaculate and highly polished car. The setting was not anywhere near the level of prestige that Shin had set the bar at, but it was a common meeting place for the Triple Threats to conduct business discreetly. The waterbender smoothed his hair back before pushing off of the vehicle and greeting the two brothers.

"I assume you found my coins?" the man didn't really ask it, but rather spoke in an expectant tone.

Bolin nodded and handed them over. The waterbender examined one from the pile, as if the two boys were at risk to provide him with false materials. The corner of his mouth curled into a small smile, "Excellent, excellent. Here's your pay for this week, boys." A wad of bills was tossed in the younger brother's direction, the earthbender having to react quickly to catch them without Pabu falling off his shoulders.

Mako's eyes were glued to the Yuans for a moment. That was a lot of money. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, "You paid us."

An eyebrow was quirked in the firebender's direction, "So I did. I'll take it back if you're complaining."

The younger brother clutched the money in his arms, quickly reacting to the senior triad member's threat, "That won't be necessarily!"

His brother pushed on despite Bolin's discomfort, "Zolt usually sends someone to deliver our money."

"What if I am the man that is delivering this week?"

"But you aren't," Mako's voice was skeptical and abrasive.

Shin pocketed the coins and held up his hands in submission, "Alright, you got me. I've talked to Zolt about this whole plan. I was originally going to have us infiltrate the Monsoons over a course of months, but he thinks that an immediate attack is possible without completely blowing our cover. Both of you are going to be joining us in this little event."

"We're not going going to participate in your turf war, Shin," the elder brother gritted his teeth. He placed a hand on Bolin's shoulder and began to guide him away from Shin. He felt sick to his stomach even thinking about exposing his little brother to that kind of danger. While the earthbender was far from an innocent youth, he wasn't ready to be subjected to the violence and ruthless life of a what a real Triple Threat went through.

"On the contrary, you are. Zolt's orders." The name Zolt commanded authority. Mako and Bolin had met him once when they first joined the Triple Threats, and they came away with the same impression that they would be better off not crossing him. Since then, he was simply a name with a powerful pull on the entire triad. If he had asked for them personally to join, then they didn't have a choice.

The firebender froze in his place as he absorbed Shin's words. The man was a tricky bastard, always able to find leverage without even lifting a finger. "When is it?" Mako clenched his fists at his sides, unable to find any way to get out of the dismal situation.

"Three days. Until then, you boys should enjoy yourselves and get your sleep," he smirked, thrilled he had won the battle of wills against the abrasive firebender, "And you might want to brush up on your bending techniques. Chances are you'll be required to do some damage." Without another word, the waterbender opened the door to his vehicle and slid in the seat. The machine thrummed to life seconds later, a small smirk sent their way from Shin before he sped off.

The brothers stood in silence, one brimming with frustration, the other only slightly concerned.

"Mako?"

The firebender stuck his hands in his pockets. On the outside he appeared calm and in control, but the placement of his hands was strategic to prevent himself from punching a nearby object or wall, "Yeah, Bolin?"

Pabu crawled down from his perch to peer at the Yuans. The fire ferret sniffed at the bills before returning to Bolin's shoulder. "It's not such a big deal, you know?" The two began their walk back to the city.

"It is, Bolin," Mako told him, "It really is. You don't know the kind of things these people would do. They don't care about anything other than themselves."

"They haven't been bad to us so far."

The firebender took a deep breath, "Only because I've been trying my best to shelter you from that."

Bolin didn't look upset, but he wasn't happy about his brother's words, "I don't need sheltering!" Pabu curled around Bolin's neck in a fearful response to the teen's sudden raised voice.

"Let's not get into an argument about this..."

"No, Mako. I'm 14 now. You can't shelter me forever."

"So many people have died because of this crap."

The earthbender's voice became quiet, "You're going to have my back and I will have yours. Those people didn't have that type of benefit." Mako could say nothing to that. Bolin knew his brother well enough to interpret it as a reluctant form of acceptance.

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One week and one day. It had been one week and one day since his daughter had gone missing. Tonraq's mind had been everywhere but his duties as chief the last few days. His best men had been sent to scour the far corners of the South Pole in pursuit of the Avatar, a new group of warriors coming back each day to report the same news: they had found nothing. It frustrated Tonraq to no end. Not only was it is duty to protect the Avatar and keep her under the safest conditions possible, it was his duty as a father to protect his family. His only daughter had gone missing.

Katara's words from days earlier continued to resonate within his mind. It wasn't about where she left to, but about why she left. It was also something he had continued to think about. He had pinpointed from his wife that she had been frustrated with her training. if Tonraq was perfectly honest, he hadn't been paying much attention his Korra's progress. He had been so caught up with maintaining friendly diplomatic relations with his brother's tribe that he had neglected his own kin. It was quite possible most of her stress had come from the rigorous training exercises she had been subjected to since she was a young child.

"Chief Tonraq," a male's voice announced, "we have spotted a large flying object approaching the village."

The Chief smiled, "That should be Master Airbender Tenzin. I'll go out to greet him."

Although it was late in the evening, the sky was clear and the sun was high in the sky. One of the many pros and cons of living in the South Pole was the prolonged daylight and darkness - depending on the time of year. The messenger had been right, the unmistakable sight of a large, six-legged creature was approaching. Tonraq could identify the small outline of a man perched atop the beast. It briefly crossed his mind that this was the way the air monks had traveled for thousands of years. This was the way that a 12 year old Avatar had traversed the entire world and eventually saved it. With all the airships and advances in technology, it was hard to believe that not 70 years ago the automobile had not existed and airships were just beginning to be manufactured.

Tenzin landed 15 minutes later, greeting the Chief with a bow. Tonraq returned the gesture before leading the man to his home. It would be safest to talk about such subjects there. One could never be certain of the wandering eyes and ears in the palace. The information they would be discussing was highly subjective.

"Tenzin," Tonraq greeted as they both sat down before the lit fire inside his home.

The airbender was quick to get to the point, "Has there been any word of Korra since you sent your letter?"

The Chief shook his head in disdain, "Nothing at all. I've kept in close contact with Lin, but the distance has caused a three day delay between each message."

Tenzin clutched at his airbending robes, the chill now getting to him despite his training to avoid such issues. He told himself it was his exhaustion that wasn't allowing years of meditation and body temperature regulation to take effect. "This is not good news at all. My father was never gone for this long."

"Your father is why I requested you here. I've been told you are like Aang in so many ways. What would he do? What would you do?"

"I... don't know. I wouldn't have left. I came here because I thought you would know why your daughter left."

This was not going as Tonraq had hoped. In his perfect world, Tenzin would have recalled a place that Aang visited in the Southern Water Tribe, someplace that Korra would have naturally been led to. They would have found her and order would once again be restored in the world. Such thoughts were a pipe dream. "We think she left because she was stressed about her training."

Tenzin place a hand on his bearded chin in thought, "Leaving like that sounds like something my father would have done. He would have left and gotten as far away as possible. By any means."

Tonraq swallowed hard and looked at his hands. She couldn't have evaded all of the guards on the ship. For three days, nonetheless.

"Have you searched the entire South Pole?"

"Much of the region has been searched. I have a few more groups of men set to return with news over the next week. They're searching every nook and cranny in the entire South Pole."

"That's good news at least. I'll remain here until they all return," the airbender paused in his thoughts, "I have something to talk to you about."

"Does it concern my daughter?"

Tenzin looked uncharacteristically nervous, as if he was about to say something he would immediately regret, "In a way. I sent a letter to your brother... about Korra."

.

.

It was no high security compound in the Southern Water Tribe, but the room was comfy and homey. Despite the walls being bare, the furniture needing immediate repairs, and an odd smell of rust coming from the bathroom sink, Korra thought it was great. Its most redeeming quality in comparison to her old home was definitely the lack of White Lotus guards hovering over her shoulder and watching her every move. It wasn't located in the nice part of town, and she was pretty sure that the man at the front desk was sneaking sips from a flask of alcohol, but the hotel was cheap. Korra had been staying there for the past four nights and she still had enough Yuans from Mako and Bolin to last a few more days.

The issue of money was another looming issue. She needed to find a job or way to quickly garner a steady income that would at least give her enough to survive. The past three days the Avatar had been exploring the city and getting used to city life. While she had been careful to act discreet and not allow anyone to stare at her face too long, it seemed that her false identity was working flawlessly. Even with the fliers of her identity littering the streets.

Korra locked the door to her room and headed down the stairs to the lobby. She gave a polite wave to the worker behind the desk. His flask was clutched in his hand and his head was supported by his hand. The poor guy was clearly exhausted, his eyes weakly following her form as she left the building. It was later in the day than she had anticipated. The streets were bustling with activity, vehicles honking at pedestrians who weren't crossing the street quick enough. The sun was high in the sky, shining brightly on the 15 year old Avatar.

She set out across the street to her favorite diner. It was much like the hotel in the respect that it was not a place where high rollers would be seen. However, the establishment was cheap and they served excellent authentic Fire Nation cuisine. Korra pushed open the red door, the warm smell of meat cooking filling her nostrils. Inside the small room were 4 tables and a long counter that stretched the entire length of the restaurant. The kitchen was located behind the counter, allowing one to watch their food be prepared. Korra took a seat at the counter, where a burly Fire Nation man took her order.

"The regular please. No fire flakes on the ostrich horse eggs though."

"You sure you don't want them? They're our specialty."

Korra nodded, "I tried them yesterday and steam nearly blew out of my ears."

The man laughed, "Oh yeah, I remember you." She was pleasantly surprised he had recognized her. Her disguise had been working perhaps too well if the man who had served her food the last 3 days didn't know who she was. Blending in was one thing, but as a teenage girl, being invisible was not preferable. Korra had wanted normalcy, not invisibility.

The worker left to give her order to the cook before returning with mug of tea, "You liked lychee tea, right?" The Avatar nodded, "I thought that was you. We don't serve much of it. Most of our stuff is either spiced tea or types that General Iroh - the first one - was famous for."

"Do you know much about him? The late General Iroh, I mean."

The man picked up an empty mug and began to clean it with a cloth, "As much as any Fire Nation lad would know. He's considered a legend in some ways."

Korra took of sip of her tea before yawning. The worker smiled, "Stay up too late? You're in here later than usual."

"Yeah. I've been looking for a job. I'm getting low on cash."

The man was about to speak, but was cut off by a loud, crazed shout from the other side of the bar. "I know that girl!"

The Avatar froze in her place, looking down in order to avoid suspicion. From the corner of her eye she could identify an old man with tattered clothing, messy and ungroomed white hair, and one glassy eye. He held a piece of paper in his hand and waved it around furiously as he yelled, "That girl is the missing girl!"

Korra's friend behind the counter snatched the paper from the old man's hand, looking back and forth between the image and the girl herself. "It's her, I tell you!"

To her relief, the burly man shook his head, "This girl doesn't look anything like this poster. The facial structure is completely different. Now stop harassing my customers or get out of my shop, Uncle."

The worker continued to shake his head as his uncle left the shop, ranting all the way out the door. He gave Korra an apologetic look, "I'm sorry about that. My Uncle isn't the most stable man."

Korra held up her hands, "Oh, no problem!"

The man stared at the image in his hand before rolling it up and tossing it in the trashcan behind the counter, "You know, it is funny though. You're a waterbender just like the girl in the poster."

"Oh, I'm not a waterbender," Korra held up her hands in defense. He set the cloth and mug down and turned quickly to retrieve the girl's plate of food, placing it gently in front of her with a friendly smile.

He leaned forward on the counter with crossed arms, "You aren't a waterbender?"

"No!" Korra quickly replied, thinking of how the poster had specifically identified her as a member of the Water Tribe.

"Then you must be a firebender. You said you were at risk to have steam coming out of your ears, after all."

Before the Avatar could help herself, she nodded in agreement. She stuffed food into her mouth before she was able to dig herself further into her grave.

"That's excellent. In that case, I can get you a job with my buddy Renji."

With a full mouth, Korra cocked her head to the side, "A job?"

"Yeah. It's sort of a firebenders only thing. But don't worry - they pay well."

Korra wasn't sure if she was willing to take the plunge and tangle herself in a web of lies. She had already told those two boys she was an earthbender. Hell, she had demonstrated her earthbending to them. If they were to even get a glimpse of her firebending at this new job - by some strange chance - they would know exactly who she was. "How well do they pay?"

"To the tune of 500 Yuans per day, more depending on the job you do."

Korra was sold.

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The metalbending Chief of Police opened the door to the station with reckless abandon. While she was not usually the type of person to directly express happiness and joy, this was overkill. Lin Beifong was obviously not happy. She walked up to the desk, the poor soul behind it doing his best to not be intimidated by her angry glare.

"I was called in from a very important investigation. This better be important."

The man nodded, leading her into one of the solid metal interrogation rooms. A young boy sat at the metal desk at its center. He looked familiar. She studied his Fire Nation robes before immediately pegging him as the messenger who delivered Tonraq's letter.

"You brought me away from a very important meeting with one of the triad's double agents for a little boy?"

The officer quickly began to elaborate, "We caught him stealing in the marketplace. He said he had important information for you in return for immunity."

Lin fumed, "What sort of information could child possible hold that is more important than an attack between the Red Monsoons and Triple Threats?"

"It's about the Avatar, Chief Beifong."

Lin's expression was unreadable, but the tension in her form dropped. She motioned toward the door, "Leave us. And don't allow anybody to monitor this conversation. If I hear that anything from it got out, then I will personally ruin the man responsible." She didn't have to ask twice, as he had left in a flurry of relief the moment she motioned to the door.

Chief Beifong walked toward the boy with a frown on her face, "Didn't I tip you? You had no need to steal in my city."

"The White Lotus members make me pay for their supplies out of pocket. I was hungry."

"Nonetheless, kid, you're in big trouble."

"My name is Lee," he told her, looking more courageous than any grown man Lin had faced all day. She had to hand it to the kid, it wasn't every day that a someone would be willing to subject themselves to a negotiation with her. Those who did came few and far between - and none of those fools had encountered her before. This kid was a different breed of person - a type that Lin respected. She wouldn't let him know that though.

She rolled her eyes, "Alright Lee. I take it you know about the Avatar's situation."

Lee nodded in response.

"Then you should know that any information is useless to me. I know everything about her situation."

"I know something... something that nobody else knows about Avatar Korra."

Lin sighed, ready to be disappointed by whatever he had to say, "Out with it, kid."

"Will you grant me immunity?"

"Only if the information is useful to me."

The boy looked down at his feet, guilt overwhelming him as the words spilled out of his mouth, "The Avatar is in Republic City. I aided her on the ship ride over.".

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.

Korra was concerned she had arrived at the wrong place. This place was shady. As in, more shady than the hotel she was staying in times a hundred. She hadn't seen a soul in over two kilometers. The usually bustling streets of Republic City had transformed into a deserted wasteland over a mere 20 minutes of walking. The buildings were abandoned, ghosts of their days used during the initial industrial boom. She looked at the slip of paper in her hand once again, although Korra had long since memorized the address. It was this building. It definitely was. Though... that couldn't be right. It looked abandoned and in incredibly poor shape. Clearly this 'Renji' guy was not worried about how his place of business looked.

Korra stepped up to the metal door with a placid look on her face and knocked. Dead silence filled the air as the Avatar waited for a response. No one answered. She repeated her actions, this time making her knocks louder and more profound. Silence once again. She groaned out loud in frustration. Had the nice guy at the diner really set her up with a fake address? What was the point? Perhaps he had been mistaken... but even he had meant to send her to the place next door, that building also looked completely abandoned.

"All for nothing!" she kicked the door in frustration, a small fire emitting from her heel as it made contact with the steel. It felt good to be able to release by bending.

Suddenly, the door groaned on its hinges as it swung open. A clean shaven man with a buzz cut appeared, staring at the young Avatar intensely, "Firebender. Are you here for the Agni Kai triad recruitment?"

Korra watched the man, her shocked expression in reaction to his sudden appearance rather than his words. Before she could say anything, a pillar of earth erupted from the ground between the two, the Avatar narrowly avoiding being struck by it. It seemed her counterpart was not so fortunate in his luck, having been battered by another mound of rock emerging from the cement near his feet. The dust cleared, the man's form now visible. He clutched his jaw with his hand as he lie on the ground, the piece of bone clearly dislocated and hanging off of its hinges.

Suddenly, a male figure appeared from behind Korra, crouching on his knees next to the man that had been attacked. He looked back in the direction he had come from, fear visible on his aged features. With a deep voice he yelled at his allies, "This guy's not a Monsoon, Shin! What's an Agni Kai doing here?"

Korra was unable to see the ball of fire hurling toward her. She stood frozen in place, blissfully unaware that in a matter of seconds she would meet her end in a fiery inferno. Her mind was doing its best to understand what had just happened. Everything had happened so quickly. She was alone at one moment, and the next she was lying in what could have been considered a battle ground. Not only was Korra unaware of her impending doom, but even moreso of the quick hand that pulled her out of the way at the last minute.

Her savior's red scarf dangled loosely off his neck as he barked at her, "What the hell are you doing here?"


a/n - Okay, so I know that may have been slightly confusing. Any/all confusion will be completely resolved in the next chapter.

Once again - I would LOVE to hear your feedback. Anonymous readers... I know how you work. Just take two seconds and review this. You'll make my day. I get so motivated to know I am entertaining people with my writing.