hello ladies and gents of all ages, allow me to present chapter number four of A Speedster among Benders. Before the story continues, let me thank all those who have left such nice reviews and advice, and for everyone's patience during the delays between updates. To those who've been getting annoyed by the delays that I encounter, I apologize for taking so long, but like everyone, I do have a life and responsibilities to take care of.
In case you've forgotten, I cut the last chapter off where I did so that I could get it published sooner; the same thing's going to happened with this chapter. It once again started getting pretty long so I decided to stop with what you see here and publish it to make up for all those loyal readers who get impatient from a lack of updating with this story. Please leave all complaints as constructive criticisms and not as flames, and if you have any questions or suggestions, send me a message and I will put them into consideration.
Now for the disclaimer; The Legend of Korra is owned by Nicktoons, Young Justice is owned by DC Comics and Cartoon Network. Now that we're done with all that information, let us continue the story with chapter 2; please read and review when you finish reading, but I will understand if you choose not to.
Chapter 4: Welcome to Republic City, Part 1
Late that night, when most people in the compound were fast asleep, Wally and Korra snuck out of their quarters and headed to the stables to begin their journey to Republic City, grabbing only a few personal possessions and some yuans to pay for anything they might need in the city. They made their way over to the stable where Naga slept at night and headed inside, and had just started tightening the straps of the saddle when they heard a voice behind them.
"Nice night for an escape, isn't it?" They turned and saw Katara standing in the table's entrance. Korra spoke up in a saddened voice.
"I'm sorry, but we have to leave. I have to find my own path as the Avatar." Katara just smiled understandingly and responded with "I know you do."
Korra's face turned from a sad expression to a grateful one, nodding her head slightly as a silent thank you. Katara continued speaking in a reminiscing voice.
"Aang's time has passed. My brother and many of my friends are long gone. It's time for you and your generation to take over the responsibility of keeping peace and balance in the world."
Katara walked towards Korra and placed a hand on her shoulder. "And I think you're going to be a great Avatar." Korra hugged Katara and uttered a grateful "Thank you."
When they finished hugging, Katara looked a Wally, who stood there watching the whole exchange. "As for you Wally, I don't know how or understand why you were brought to this world, but I have a feeling it's for a good reason. Whatever it is, I know you have the best chance of finding it with Korra. Until you do find the reason, I expect that you'll help Korra as much as you can on her journey, and hopefully she can help you find your journey."
When Katara was finished, Wally smiled and hugged her as well. When he had finished his hug, they mounted Naga and rode out of the compound. Before heading to the harbor, Korra insisted that they stop by her parent's place so she could tell them goodbye. When they arrived, she explained what she was doing and hugged both of them at once.
"Mom, dad, I'll miss you both." Korra's mother Sedna spoke up as well, her voice close to cracking. "We love you so much."
Korra then separated from them and climbed back on Naga, sparing her parents one more look before she turned Naga away and started riding in the opposite direction.
Once they made it to the harbor, Wally bribed one of the workers to let them stow away in the cargo hold, using up about two-thirds of the money they had brought with them. Naga fell asleep quickly, but the same could not be said for Wally or Korra. Wally leaned over and noticed the pleased look on Korra's face.
"I'm guessing you're to excited to sleep to huh?" Korra sassily responded with "Like you aren't." They shared a brief laugh before they returned to staring at the ceiling.
Wally broke the silence a few minutes later. "What's the thing you'll miss most about the South Pole?" Korra thought for a second before she responded.
"Probably the Glacier Spirits Festival. It's something they hold every year during the winter solstice; they have rides, games, prizes to win, and all the fried food on sticks you can eat. That festival was basically one of the only times of the year when I could leave the compound and do something besides train in the elements and try to find new ways to annoy Takeo and the other White Lotus elders."
Wally responded with "Definitely gotta attend that next time it comes around, if I'm still here to enjoy it I mean."
Korra turned to Wally with a teasing smile. "Because you want to spend time with me or because of all the fried food?"
Wally nonchalantly replied with "Both are major reasons, and then there are the prizes and the other general attractions to be found in the standard carnival."
Korra laughed slightly before she turned back to looking at the ceiling and asked Wally a more serious question. "Do you think I made the right choice, leaving everyone to go to RepublicCity? I honestly have no idea what I'm going to do once I get there beyond finding Tenzin, and I'm not sure who I'll meet once I get there."
Wally looked at her and replied in a comforting voice. "Honestly I'm not sure how this'll play out in the long run. I can tell that your heart is in the right place; you're just going to have to trust it and follow what you choose."
Korra gave Wally a grateful look before she spoke up again. "We should probably get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."
With that, she laid back down on Naga's flank and drifted off into dreamland, while Wally did the same. Soon enough, they were fast asleep with content smiles on their faces.
The next morning, Korra was awoken by the sounds of metal grinding against each other. Glancing around, she realized what time it was and started waking up Naga and Wally. "Naga, Wally, we're here."
Naga woke up rather easily, but Wally just groaned and readjusted himself. Instead of trying to shake him awake, Korra waterbent some of the water from her pouch and splashed it in Wally's face, causing him to sit up with a start. "Gah, I'm awake!"
Korra laughed a little at his reaction while he sent a mild glare in her direction. "That was not funny."
She just laughed and responded with "It was to me." They said nothing else as the climbed on Naga and readied themselves for leaving the ship. As soon as the doors were opened, Korra had Naga rush out past the surprised dockworkers, knocking one of them over in the process. "Thanks for the ride."
A few minutes later, they arrived near one of the suspension bridges leading to and from the city, witnessing the impressive skyline of the city's skyscrapers and various other high-rise buildings. Wally and Korra were both rather impressed, Wally speaking first. "Whoa. Korra, are you seeing this?"
Korra responded equally flabbergasted. "Yeah, look at this place." They made their way down to the nearest sidewalk, still looking at their surroundings with wide eyes. Korra reacted to the sheer number of automobiles with awe.
"I've never seen so many Satomobiles in one place." Wally was a bit more focused on the task at hand.
"Maybe we should find Tenzin before we continue sightseeing. I'm pretty sure he'll want to know why we're here." Korra nodded reluctantly and had Naga head towards the harbor. While there, they noticed a massive statue of Avatar Aang as a young adult. Wally noticed a small island not too far from the statue with what looked like Flying Bison near one of the towers.
"Hey, is that where Tenzin lives?" Korra looked in the direction Wally was pointing, and her face lit up with recognition. "Yeah, that's Air Temple Island."
Korra looked to Naga. "You ready for a little swim girl?" Before Korra could start guiding her, Naga started sniffing the air and began running off in another direction.
As Naga started gaining speed, Wally shouted out "I think she has something else in mind." Naga continued running through the city, narrowly avoiding crashing into a few Satomobiles. Korra worked on getting Naga under control while Wally apologized to the pedestrians who scrambled out of the way.
"Whoops, sorry about that. Excuse us. Coming through. Heads up. Sorry, we're new in town." Eventually, Naga slowed down at an open square and started sniffing the ground for whatever it was she was after. She had just stuck her head through the curtains of a food stall to take a bite when Korra stopped her.
"No Naga, wait." Naga whimpered in disappointment but did as she was told, while Korra and Wally dismounted and headed to the front of the stall. Korra grabbed one of the meat-sticks and told the person on duty "We'll have one of everything, please."
The person, an elderly woman, told her "It's 4 yuans a stick." Korra paused and put the stick back on the rack while Wally spoke to the woman. "Isn't that a bit much for a stick of meat?"
The woman retorted with "I have debts to pay off to the Triple Threats, so pardon me if the prices are too high, but I would like to keep my house, thank you very much."
Korra asked "What are the Triple Threats?" The woman just stared at her. "You're kidding me right?"
Wally answered with "No, we just got here this morning." The woman sighed and started explaining.
"The Triple Threat Triad are an organized criminal gang run by Lightning Bolt Zolt that runs a protection racket in a large portion of the city. Anyone who doesn't respect them, they MAKE respect, one way or another. There are also the Agni Kai Triad, which only allows firebenders, the Red Monsoon Triad, which only allows waterbenders, and the Black Meteor Triad, which only allows earthbenders. The Triple Threats are named because they'll allow any decently good bender into their ranks, the type of bending doesn't matter."
Korra digested this new information while Wally took out the rest of the cash he and Korra had brought with them and handed it to the woman. "We'll take however many meat-sticks this money will buy. There's 70 yuans here by the way, and you can keep the change."
The woman stared at the cash for a second before she smiled and said "Deal." With that, she took the cash and handed them a large bushel of cooked Possum Chicken. Korra and Wally started talking as they left the cart, Naga walking beside them.
"You do realize that you've spent the rest of our money on meat-sticks right?"
Wally raised his free hand placatingly. "Yeah, I know that, but we'll be heading to Air Temple Island soon, and that woman needed the money more then we did."
Korra spoke again, but in a more curious tone. "I've heard a lot about Republic City, but I never thought of organized crime being a part of it, much less such a big part."
Wally spoke from experience. "Organized crime has always been one of the more negative aspects of big-city life. Wherever there are lots of people and lots of wanting for illicit materials, there are going to be people to take advantage of those wants. It's pretty hard to find any city that doesn't have a criminal element, trust me on that."
Korra's face started turning grim at that point, so Wally decided to turn the conversation away form criminals. "But hey, we just got here and there's a ton of stuff that we haven't done or seen yet. Lets start focusing on some of the more positive parts of city-life. I'm sure Tenzin won't mind if we spend a few hours looking around. That sound good to you?"
Korra smiled and responded with "Sure thing." Their attentions were grabbed by the whining of still hungry Naga. "As soon as we find Naga something to eat."
A little while later, they found themselves in Republic City's massive park, not unlike New York's Central Park back in Wally's homeworld. Naga started snatching fish from the pond while Korra and Wally sat down to eat their sticks of meat; Wally took most of them and left Korra with four sticks. Wally had just finished his sticks and Korra had finished her second when they saw a man stick his head out from a nearby bush, surprising them both, but mostly Korra. Before either of them could react, the man spoke up.
"Uh, say, think I can I get one of them tasty-smelling meat-sticks?" Korra awkwardly replied "Yeah, you can have them both if you like."
The man walked up to them in big, weird steps and took Korra's remaining meat-sticks and sat down to start eating them. Wally spoke up after a second.
"So, you live in that bush right there?" Surprisingly, the man answered with pride in his voice.
"Yes, presently that is what I do call home. Took me a while to procure a bush that beauteous. This park is quite popular with all the vagabonds." Korra seemed slightly surprised at that last part.
"So there are a lot of you out here? I thought everyone in this city was 'living it up'." The man chuckled before he responded.
"You've gotta a lot to learn newcomer. Welcome to Republic City." Korra stared at the homeless man with a somewhat unnerved expression, so Wally decided to intervene.
"Another less positive aspect about big cities, there's often a lot of homeless people and at least some unequal distribution of wealth. The number of homeless people and amount of wealth distribution varies from city to city, but there's always some of both."
They were interrupted from further conversation by a blowing whistle. They turned and saw a park official heading their way. "Hey you, get your dog out of the pond! It'll eat all the fish!"
The stranger hopped back in his bush and told them "You best skedaddle." That was all Korra and Wally needed to hear before they hopped on Naga and rode out of there. Wally looked back to see the official had stopped and was now panting heavily, while the friendly vagabond popped out of his bush and waved at them.
Korra and Wally were near one of the exits of the park when they heard someone speaking from a megaphone not far away. "Are you tired of living under the tyranny of benders? Then join the Equalists! For too long the bending elite of this city have forced non-benders like us to live as lower-class citizens. Join Amon, and together we will tear down the bending establishment and establish a new era."
Korra looked confused by what the man was saying. "What is that guy talking about? Bending's one of the coolest things there is, if not the coolest thing period."
Wally dismounted from Naga and started talking to her again. "You know better then most people how powerful Bending can be; it's precisely because of that power why some people might be afraid of benders. The thought of what they could do with that power is pretty bad, and it can be pretty scary to a lot of people."
Korra paused and looked back to the protester and the sizable crowd he was drawing, so Wally decided to continue. "I've also read a lot about the history of Bending back at the Compound's library, and a lot of times, people with Bending are given good jobs or positions of rank because their benders, whereas non-benders might have to work for years to get to that level, if at all."
Korra was still staring at the protestor as she answered. "That all does make sense." She stared at them for a few more seconds before turning to Wally.
"Maybe I should go over there, see if I can talk to them." To her disappointment, Wally shot down that idea.
"I'll have to advise against that. These people sound like they hate and fear benders, so I don't think they'd take too kindly to a bender trying to tell them that they're wrong."
Korra looked at the ground and sighed. "I guess you're right." Wally noticed her dour look and decided to change the subject. "We should go." Korra nodded as Wally lead the group away from the protester and the small crowd he had gathered.
After a few minutes of wandering around, Wally and Korra decided to stop and ask for directions from a shopkeeper. "Excuse me, we think we're lost. Could you tell us how to get to AirTempleIsland from here?"
The shopkeeper pointed down the street and responded with "Just head down this street." right as she said that, they saw a bright red Satomobile with a golden-colored Lion-Turtle plaque adorning the front come into view. The sight of the vehicle sent the shopkeeper and another one nearby scrambling for cover, the woman giving them a warning while doing so.
"You two should get moving. It's not safe." As the vehicle comes to a stop, three people with a 'gangster' feel about them get out of it and saunter over to a phonograph vendor cleaning one of his products. The apparent leader of the three, wearing blue-gray clothing, spoke to the frightened-looking vendor.
"Mr. Chung, please tell me that you have my money, or else I can't guarantee my friends and I can protect your fine establishment." The gangster in red and black clothing added to the threat by lighting a small flame in his left hand. Korra turned to Wally with a serious look on her face.
"We have to go over there and help him." Wally tried to talk her down. "Hey, I want to help to, but we have to find Tenzin and-." Wally was interrupted by a shout and the sound of something burning. Looking over, he saw that the firebending gangster had kicked the phonograph Mr. Chung tried to give him out of his hands and set it aflame, reducing it to a pile of burning trash. The lead gangster spoke up again.
"My friend here is not a music lover. Give me the money, or else-" Before Wally could do or say anything, Korra dismounted from Naga, ran over to the gangsters, and interrupted the leader.
"Or else what hoodlum?" The gangsters turned and saw Korra grinning confidently, hands on her hips. The gangsters looked at each other questioningly before bursting out in laughter. The lead gangster spoke to Korra when they had stopped laughing.
"Since you're obviously fresh off the boat, let me explain a couple things. You're in Triple Threat Triad territory, and we're about to put you in the hospital." Korra's confidence never wavered, and she smashed her fist into her palm as she spoke.
"You're the only ones who are gonna need a hospital; and for your sake, I hope there's one nearby." The Triad gangsters adopted enraged looks as the leader spoke again.
"Who do you think you are?" Korra just kept grinning defiantly. "Why don't you come find out." The lead gangster's eye twitched slightly in anger before he sent a water-blast from a hidden water skin in his coat. Korra stopped the water easily with one hand and sent it right back at the gangster, freezing the water over his head. He starts stumbling towards Korra, who proceeds to hit him in the head and slam him against the Satomobile with a spinning back-kick, causing the ice to shatter as the gangster sagged.
The gangster in green, presumably an earthbender, attempts to attack Korra, but she knocks him into the air with a slab of earth before he has a chance. The old woman and another shopkeeper witnessed what happened in shock. "What just happened?" Wally sardonically answered "She just earthbent that thug into the air."
Said thug proceeded to fall on a suspension wire, get catapulted against a wooden advertising board, fall down on the pentice of a shop, and get thrown into a tapestry, which rips under his weight and sends him flopping to the ground. The last gangster proceeded to send a stream of fire at Korra, but she jumps forward, parting the fire doing so, and grabbed the man's hands. The shopkeepers continued to look on in shock, and Wally answered their question before they asked it. "In case you're wondering, she is the Avatar."
While he spoke to them, Korra had thrown the unfortunate firebender through the paper windows of a nearby radio shop. Korra walked up to the man with a haughty smirk. "Got any idea who I am now, chumps?" Wally walked up to the victorious Korra with a cautious expression.
"Did you really have to do all that? It seemed like overkill to me." Before Korra could respond, they heard the sound of a roaring engine and turned to see that the other two gangsters had recovered and had gotten in the Satomobile, which was now barreling towards them. They managed to get out of the way, but not before the earthbending gangster helped the firebending gangster get in through the window. Korra wasn't about to let them escape.
"You're not getting away." As she said that, she sent a wave of earth at the escaping vehicle, causing it to swerve out of control and crash into a nearby shop. They approached the damaged shop to see the dazed thugs fall out of the vehicle. Wally approached Korra again to criticize her methods.
"Again, you went overboard with the bending." Korra responded in a slightly indignant tone.
"You saw what they were doing, they were harassing that poor man and threatened to destroy his shop." Wally gestured to the torn-up road, the destroyed window, and the hole in the store.
"True, but you've destroyed a lot more then just one shop." Before Korra could retort, they heard a siren sound from a police dirigible floating above them, followed by a warning from an onboard megaphone.
"This is the Republic City Police! Freeze where you are!" After that announcement, a hatch on the side of the airship opened up and revealed three policemen ready to jump, but they didn't have parachutes. Wally's concerns were abated when they shot out metal cables from the holsters on their backs, attaching them to nearby buildings and pulling them taunt, slowing their fall. Korra and Wally stared at the cops in awe, Korra speaking first.
"Cool! Metalbenders!" As she said that, another metalbending cop, who appeared to be the commander of the group, landed in front of them and retracted the cables back into his uniform. As they approached, Korra gestured proudly to the Triple Threat thugs, who stumbled out of the store with groans.
"I caught the bad guys, officers." The head cop pointed at the goons and told his comrades "Arrest them!", prompting the officers to wrap secure the goons in metal cables. While that was happening, the lead cop approached Korra, but he did not give her the praise she expected.
"You're under arrest too." Korra gasped and took a step back before she collected herself and tried to explain.
"What do you mean I'm under arrest? Those are the bad guys over there! They were smashing up a shop!" The officer wasn't swayed in the least.
"From the looks of it, you smashed up a lot more than that." It was then that Wally decided to intervene before things got out of hand.
"Officers, I think I can offer some explanation as to what happened here." The lead cop looked at Wally for a second before he responded with "Please do so."
Wally smiled faintly and started explaining. "We were asking for directions when those Triad thugs showed up and started threatening a shopkeeper named Mr. Chung to give them some money that he apparently owed them. Korra here went over to help while I suggested a different course of action, and as I've told her, she went a little overboard while fighting them off. She didn't mean to cause all this damage, she just wanted to help."
The officer stood there taking Wally's story in before looking back at Korra with a serious but somewhat understanding face. "On some levels I can understand why you did what you did, but there are protocols that need to be followed. As good as your intentions are, you can't just go around doling out vigilante-style justice like you own the place."
Korra responded defensively. "But it's my job to help people wherever and whenever I can. I'm the Avatar." The policemen's eyes widened and the lead officer looked to Wally for conformation.
"It's true, she really is Avatar Korra." As further proof, Korra generated a small flame in her hand, then bended a small piece of rock, and then bent a little water from the moisture in the air. The lead officer looked away for a second before turning back to them.
"We'll need to take you both to headquarters for questioning, but I think we..." The officer was interrupted when one of his subordinates came running up with a panicked look and a radio in his hands.
"Lieutenant Saikhan! Officer Song just called in; something big is happening at Republic Savings and Loans!" The lead officer, Saikhan, looked worried for a brief second before taking the radio and calling into it.
"This is Lieutenant Saikhan; what's the emergency?" The response came in panicked and filled with static.
"Lieutenant Saikhan! Heat Wave and Boomerang are breaking into the deep vaults of RSL! Dozens of officers and civilians have been injured! We need as many cops and healers as we can muster as soon as possible!"
Saikhan's eyes widened and a look of grave worry crossed his face upon hearing the names of two of the United Republic's most dangerous criminals. Setting his face in grave determination, he called back into the radio in an authoritarian tone.
"I'll get as many officers and medics as I can down to the RLS, and I'll work on getting the chief! Until then, try to hold them off as long as possible and ensure that no one else gets hurt!"
With that, he signed off and handed the radio back to his fellow officer. "I want as many officers and EMS medics as possible converging on the RLS, and I want them there 10 minutes ago! Get Chief Beifong on the line and see if she knows of the situation."
Wally and Korra just stood there slightly confused, Wally speaking first. "If you have the time, could you tell us who Heat Wave and Boomerang are exactly?"
Saikhan turned to them with a grim look. "Heat Wave and Boomerang are two of the most dangerous criminals in the United Republic, acting as assassins and mercenaries for the worst kind of people imaginable. Heat Wave is a pyromaniac who's more fascinated by fire then most Firebenders, and an expert on creating and using explosives and pyrotechnics. Boomerang is a lot more sane but just as dangerous, using both regular boomerangs and trick boomerangs that include explosives, incendiaries, razor-edges, and maybe some that we haven't even seen yet."
Wally and Korra looked at each other in amazement and worry. They hadn't been in Republic City for a day and already they had to deal with Triad thugs, cops, a grouchy vendor, and now a pair of highly dangerous criminals.
Korra looked back at Saikhan and spoke with determination in her voice. "Take me with you." Saikhan's response was immediate.
"No, you may be the Avatar, but I know a rookie when I see one. You haven't faced people like Heat Wave or Boomerang and there are a lot more criminals out there besides just those two."
Korra remained defiant about her choice. "We don't have time to argue about this. You said that those are two of the most dangerous criminals in the city, and that you'll need all the help you can get. What better help can you find then the Avatar?"
Saikhan sighed and muttered "The Chief is going to kill me for doing this," before looking at Korra.
"Alright, you can come, but only if you do what we say, when we say it. Got it?" Korra nodded and replied with "Totally." With that, Saikhan turned to the rest of the officers and started barking out orders.
"Lets move it people. We need to get to the RSL as soon as we can, double-time!" Before following the officers, Korra turned to her friend with a an apologetic look.
"Sorry Wally, but I don't think they'll let me take you with us."
Wally just smiled and responded with "No worries, I'll take care of Naga while you help the police." His smile suddenly turned sly.
"Besides, Wally West might not be there, but Kid Flash on the other hand..." Korra nodded in understanding and went to join the officers before they left without her. When the airship had left, Wally turned to the nearby shopkeepers.
"Do you mind watching over Naga for a little while?" The confused shopkeeper replied with "Not at all," and took the reins from Wally while he ran into a nearby alley. Making sure no one was watching, Wally started taking off his shirt...and revealed the Kid Flash uniform he had been wearing under it, putting the gloves and goggles on as well.
"It's hero time."
And thus we end the 4th chapter of A Speedster among Benders. Please leave a review for all to see and send all comments, complaints, and questions in a message when you can so that I can answer them or put them into consideration. Also, I left a nod to another well-known Cartoon Network show in this chapter, near the very end; virtual cookies to all who find it.
Let the records show that I enjoyed the chapter 3 reviews, and I hope that the ones for this chapter are just as good. Again, if you are unable or unwilling to leave a review, I will be okay with that and not give people any grief about not reviewing. You should all know my policy on flaming by now, so I'm just going to repeat it once more: any flames received will be ignored, and if you don't like the story, them don't read it.
Next chapter, We see Korra and Wally fight two of Republic City's most dangerous criminals: Avatar-World versions of the Flash villains Heat Wave and Captain Boomerang. Wally makes his Avatar-World debut by helping fight those two criminals, but while the public and some of the police appreciate his help, Chief Beifong is less then happy about their arrival, same with Tenzin. Originally they were planned to be sent back home, but Tenzin gives it some thought and changes his mind. The city enthusiastically welcomes both Korra and Wally, who starts going by The Flash, but unknown to either of them, some people feel threatened by their arrival, and enact plans to either recruit them...or end them.
What sort of criminals will Wally find in the city? What sort of groups besides the Equalists begin taking an interest in either of them? What sort of trouble will they manage to get themselves into this time? You'll have to wait for the answers to these questions in the next chapter of A Speedster Among Benders.