Ch 7

"You want to start training us in combat?" Korra asked.

"Yes. The sooner, the better." John said, sharpening his sword.

Asami walked thru the halls, looking for Mako, and she saw John sharpening his sword.

"Hey Chief." Asami said.

John waved is hand, and continued sharpening his sword. Asami looked at it, and was impressed. It was a long sword.

"I'll start training you and your friends in hand-to-hand combat. Bending is near useless against what the equalists have." John said.

"I'd like to say, thanks for saving our asses back there. I still can't believe it." Asami said.

"Don't worry. Hiroshi will reap what he sows. Count on it." John said.

"What makes you so sure?" Asami bitterly asked.

"Asami, if you know me my entire life, you'll know I never break promises. I fought in a long war, against aliens that were superior than me. And I survived all that. Trust me. Hiroshi, Amon, the equalists, even if they do take the city, the world will unite against them. They won't last long. And considering you have a super soldier working with you, I doubt they'll accomplish much." John smirked.

"Where'd you get that sword?" Asami asked.

"Bought it. You ever wielded a sword?" John asked.

"A bit." Asami said.

"Lets see what you're made of." John said, opening the window. He jumped out of the window fell 2 stories onto the ground, landing upright.

"Yeah. I'm not doing that." Asami said.

In the courtyard, Asami and Chief faced each other, sword in hand.

John struck first, and Asami parried his blows.

"You fight well. Never use the low guard. And remember this. Use your head and whatever strengths your body can give. If you're flexible, use that to dodge. If you're strong, use that. Use the high guard, like this." John said, raising his sword above his head.

"The guard of the hawk. You strike down, like this." John said, and moved the sword down in a cutting form.

Asami held her sword high above her head, but she paled when seeing the Chief with his sword above his head.

"Defend yourself." John said, and attacked.

Asami parried the blows, and performed a backbend, avoiding a slashing move. Completing the move via cartwheel, Asami held her sword, ready for another strike.

"You attack first." John said.

Asami struck first, swinging her sword down, only for John to block the sword. John parried the sword away, but Asami was quick to react. Asami strikes low, aiming for the legs. John jumps above the slashing sword and lands behind Asami. Both turned to face each other, and John grabs Asami's sword and throws it away.

"Good fight, Asami." John said, putting his sword away.

"Saikhan is being inducted as the new Chief. We should be there." Korra said.

John followed the group and watched the induction. He wasn't happy when Saikhan said he's give all resources to Tarrlok. A politician using the police as his own army was a bad idea.

"He'll turn the city into a police state. The KGB, Gestapo, ONI, it'll turn out like that." John said.

"All in the name of taking out the equalist. It'll probably backfire on Tarrlok." Cortana said.

John left the meeting and headed to the temple island. When Korra and her friends arrived, he started training them. It helped to take their mind off of current events. As Bolin and Mako trained against Asami, Korra trained against the Chief.

Korra attacked with firebending, only for John to side step the blast, grab Korra's arm, and twist her around.

"Try again." John said.

Korra attacks with all the elements, but the chief easily takes her down.

"I think that's enough for today. You fight real good Korra." Chief said.

"Thanks, Chief. I need that." Korra said.

That night, Korra and her friends decided to roam the streets and fight the equalists. And they invited the Chief to fight with them. John ran alongside the car, easily keeping pace.

"There!" Mako shouted, seeing an armored truck with motorcycles flanking it.

They run towards the van, only for the equalists to block their view with black smoke.

"Help me make this turn!" Asami said, seeing the van turning a corner. John watches as Bolin and Korra create a large burm and Asami drives on it.

John runs ahead of the car, and throws a kabar at the equalist riding a motorcycle, killing him. John grabs the motorcycle and puts it on his back, still running.

"That shouldn't be possible." Mako said.

"Give me a ramp!" Asami said, seeing their route blocked.

Driving up and over the ramp, they continue their chase, and hear a scream. Looking to their side, they the second motorcycle crash, as John used his bike as a Frisbee against them.

Speeding towards the van, Mako fires a lightning bolt towards the driver, knocking him out.

John rips the back doors off the hinges, and pulls the terrified equalists out of the truck.

"Cuff them." John said.

Tarrlok and his lackey arrived, rounding up the equalists.

"Korra, what are you doing?" Tarrlok asked.

"Gee, I didn't see the police, or your task force. If it wasn't for team avatar, they would have gotten away." Korra said.

"This is your last warning, Korra. Stay out of my way!" Tarrlok growled.

"Cortana, keep an eye on Tarrlok. We'll be fighting him before we fight Amon." John said.

"Don't worry about him. He's gonna fail anyway." Cortana said.

The next night, they were sitting next to the car eating some food, waiting for the call.

"Mass rally of equalists taking to the streets. Dragon Flats Borough." The radio said.

"I got the location chief. But why would the equalists have a mass rally?" Cortana asked.

"Doesn't matter. We'll stop them." John said.

Arriving at the borough, they noticed a rally of innocent non-benders. They weren't equalists at all.

"Tarrlok." Cortana bitterly said.

John walked to Tarrlok, furious.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" John asked.

"Tarrlok, give those people their electricity back, now." Korra said, entering the tent.

"Korra, you've no business here. It is an equalist rally." Tarrlok said.

"They don't appear armed or dangerous. What are you trying to pull?" John asked.

Tarrlok walked out, and grabbed Asami's arm with waterbending.

"Let go of me!" Asami said, struggling against the grab.

"Her father is a known equalist, and she's a non-bender out past curfew." Tarrlok said.

"Tarrlok, let her go." John said, pulling out his sword, and putting the blade on Tarrlok's neck.

"I could have you arrested right now." Tarrlok said.

"I'd like to see you try." John growled. He turns his head when he heard some noise, and saw Bolin and Mako also get arrested.

Korra levitated two large boulders, aiming them at Tarrlok's head.

"If you want to see your friends again, you'll put them down." Tarrlok said.

"If you want to live, you'll let them go." John said, his sword still on Tarrlok's neck.

Korra put down her rocks, admitting defeat.

"Fine. You win this round. But I'll be back." John said.

John and Korra sat in Asami's car, and drove to the city hall. John started up the engine, and headed to the police station.

"John, you're not going to break them out are you?" Cortana asked.

"The ends justify the means." John said.

The station was mostly deserted, everyone had gone home. John stayed to the shadows, his training and experience helping him.

"Cortana, where are they?" John asked.

"I got their bio-signs. But be quiet. We don't need the police force on our ass." Cortana said.

John approached Asami's cell and opened the door.

"Asami, wake up." John said, shaking her awake.

"Chief, what are you doing?" Asami asked.

Chief put a finger to his visor, telling her to be quiet. John then walked to the brother's cell and opened the door.

"Get up. We're leaving." John said, walking to the brothers and shaking them awake.

John lead them thru the hallway and approached a window. John opened the window and look down. They were two stories above ground.

"I'll catch you when you jump." John said, jumping first.

Asami jumped first, then Mako, then Bolin.

"Keep your heads down, and follow me." John said.

John lead them thru the dark streets, finding it very similar to when he guided survivors from a bombed out city to a pelican, away from the Covenant forces. John put the memories to the back of his mind and continued heading to the air temple.

"Any chance we could hurry this up?" Mako asked.

"You want to be arrested again, be my guest." Cortana spat.

Arriving at the docks, they climbed into a boat and made their way to the temple.

John entered in last, looking at the city.

"Search in the morning." John muttered.

"Hey Chief. Thanks for getting us out." Bolin said.

"You're welcome. Get some rest. We're searching for Korra in the morning, if she doesn't arrive at the temple." John said.