Everyone seemed quite taken with f*ckboy's vine attraction... maybe I'll do a fanart for it so y'all can see what I envisioned if there's enough demand. Junior's inspiration came from his dream about Kuvira, with the Zaofu pavilion and the (TOTALLY G RATED) private dance. A few things- yes, like HurricaneGlass said, the Linzin/Baavira parallel was on purpose, as was that odd little interview scene. Baatar's scar also is a Lin/Baatar parallel... eh? eh? ;) Now, to business! 1. Thank you for the lovely guest reviews- and thank you for picking a screen name for yourself (you know who you are)! 2. Onward!

Kuvira's sutures had finally been removed, and she ran her fingers over the bumpy skin as if she couldn't quite wrap her mind around it. She was used to injuries, having had her share from her time in Suyin's dance troupe and the skirmishes that came with the reunification process, but the injury from her fight with Korra had been different. It wasn't that the wounds had been particularly serious, but her overall attitude and lackadaisical approach to her own health had dramatically slowed her healing process. The curve of her waist was narrower than it had been from her prolonged period of self-imposed starvation, and the skin bore raised jagged marks dotted by bumps from the needle's entry and exit. Kuvira didn't mind the permanent aesthetic damage to her body, however; she had always felt that scars told a story. They were a physical record of her history that no amount of distortion could change. Baatar was of a different mind, preferring her body unmarked by injuries no matter how trivial, but had resigned himself to the nature of her profession, conceding that so long as her face remained untouched, he could live with them. It was cruelly ironic that her scar from the invasion was concealed by her clothing, while his was on his face, impossible to miss.

She stretched carefully, mindful that her muscles were stiff from a lack of use, and slowly arched to the side allowing the tension in her obliques to gradually ebb away. Her appeal for linen bandages had been approved by Chief Lin Beifong in a curious bout of charity, and she bound her feet and ankles with a little thrill of excitement. Kuvira hesitated for a moment, and then launched herself into the dance, hitting lines that were half combative stances and half lyrical choreography. She counted under her breath, the music in her mind a fierce military march, and she cut through the air with her limbs with sharp precision as she counted the rhythmic coordination of duple against triple. She executed a brisé and then a spin, and had begun to improvise a rather flashy and elaborate bit of choreography when she heard the familiar announcement of a visitor.

"Send him in," she called, her breath coming in a gasp from the exertion, and she scowled, realizing she could no longer deny that she was out of practice. She sat in one of the chairs, resolving to start a strict regimen of aerobics and bodyweight training from her cell.

"Out of breath there?" Keisai said with a smile, sauntering into the room. "Glad to see you're getting some exercise or dancing or whatever it is you were up to. Baatar told me you're the reason he gets up at irrationally early hours for the weight room."

Kuvira looked at Keisai sharply, but her gaze wandered to Baatar after a moment. "Speaking of irrationally early..."

"He wanted to brief you," Baatar said simply.

"And?"

"And I thought I'd come along," he said. "It's been about a week since my last visit..."

Keisai looked from Baatar to her in surprise, a slow grin manifesting itself on his features. "Was it, now?"

"Stay out of this," Baatar said evenly. "Tell her what you came here to say."

"You know that we interviewed Korra," Keisai said, smiling at the memory. "Naturally, there was very little to say with regards to Baatar's case, but she has kindly agreed to meet me for brunch within the hour. Alone."

"I could be wrong, but I believe the avatar is in a relationship," Kuvira said drily. In the corner of her eye, she saw Baatar's lips twitch as he repressed a smile.

"No, I have no intentions of dating Korra," Keisai said, holding up his hands, "although she's a very pretty girl, and that would be an excellent story... I just needed to get her away from the councilman, Tenzin. He seems to be like a second father to her, and I could see that with him there, getting a statement to help your case would be damn near impossible."

Baatar stared. "That explains so much.."

Keisai snapped his fingers. "Nothing I do is without purpose, my friend. Why do you think I'm always trying to get you to get drinks with me? The public needs to see you humanized. I can't help Kuvira with that, but your trial isn't far away in the grand scheme of things, and I need people to be sympathetic. I've done my research, and your work downtown isn't publicized nearly enough. I want your name on that tourist attraction, even if the placard is microscopic."

"You're a borderline alcoholic," Baatar snapped.

"You've seen it, then?" Kuvira said, standing. "How is it?"

"Outstanding," the lawyer replied. "Maybe you can convince him to stop dismissing his engineering capacity, heaven knows I've tried. And actually Baatar, I don't drink much when I have an open case... I need to keep my mind sharp."

"What exactly do you intend to get out of Korra?" Kuvira said sternly, her mind back on the reason for the visit. "If you're planning to countersue..."

"I know all about the debt you owe the avatar," Keisai said, patting her arm, "but like I said when we started working together, this will only work if you trust me." Kuvira narrowed her eyes, but nodded. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with Korra, so I'd best be off."

"I thought you said it wasn't a date," Baatar said flatly.

"Date, legal deposition in an informal setting- what's in a name?" Keisai said brightly. "Staying a bit longer, then?" he added as he observed Baatar pulling out a chair.

"Yes, don't wait up," Baatar said, sitting down. "I'll see you tonight, perhaps?"

"Afraid not, man," the lawyer said ruefully. "I'm booked all day. Varrick is next on my agenda, and you need to sleep more anyway." And with that, he left the room. Kuvira looked at Baatar, unsure how to begin a conversation, and they sat in silence for a few minutes, their eyes questioning.

"You do need to sleep more," she said, her gaze roving over Baatar's face. "You look terrible."

"If this is about the scar, that's your fault," Baatar replied, an edge to his voice.

"I think it suits you," Kuvira said, cocking her head to the side. "It makes your jawline a bit more...rugged."

"I'm glad you like it, since you put it there and it's permanent." Baatar's hand involuntarily rose to his cheek, running a fingertip over the raised scar tissue.

She sighed. "I can't say anything correctly anymore, apparently. What I meant was I'm worried about you, and that you need to take care of yourself."

Baatar quirked a brow. "And you're one to talk? You haven't been eating for the longest time-"

"-you apparently no longer sleep-"

"-and that's on top of an injury that requires sufficient nutrition to facilitate wound closure," he said loudly, raising his voice. "It's basic physiology, Kuvira."

"-at least you don't have to worry about me working myself to death," she said over him, crossing her arms.

"Fine." Baatar said. "I can see we've reached an impasse."

"With this argument, or with our relationship?" The words were out before she could stop them, having stewed at the forefront of her mind since his last visit of his own volition, and Kuvira clapped her hand over her mouth, eyes widening and her face heating as she wished she could reclaim her words. "Damn it."

Baatar stared for a few seconds, but burst out in laughter at her expression, and Kuvira smiled even as her cheeks burned. "You're so red," he said when he'd managed to stop.

"Remember Ba Sing Se?" she said, thankful that he'd ignored the outburst. "When I called that evening a date and then immediately backtracked?"

"It was a date, to me," Baatar reminded her. "I usually waited for you to put labels on things, but I had been planning that for a while."

"I know." The reminiscing was bittersweet to the both of them, but Kuvira was glad to hear him speak of those simpler times.

"What do you think Keisai is angling for in this interview with Korra?" Baatar asked, changing the subject. "Last week he seemed more keen on flirting with her and reminding everyone of his connection to the Fire Nation royals than anything else."

Kuvira's eyes narrowed as she thought, and a flash of realization crossed her face. Her calculating smile slowly spread, and she sat up a bit straighter. "Oh," she murmured. "He's looking for a loophole."

"Are you going to tell me what and how? Because I do need to get to work," Baatar said, standing.

"No, he'll tell you," she said, her old confident tone back. "But Baatar? Be nice to him." Impulsively she reached for his hand that rested on the table, her smaller fingers curling around his in a warning squeeze. "He knows what he's doing."

Baatar looked from their hands back to her. "Maybe he was right about you."

"How so?"

She couldn't be sure, but Kuvira thought she detected a hint of his old wonder that he used to reserve exclusively for the topic of thermodynamics and her, and she sat up a bit straighter as the door closed behind him, drilling herself on a new set of choreography with renewed energy and his last words in her ears: "You should have been a lawyer."

o0o

"So tell me, why'd you become a lawyer?" Korra asked, picking up her chopsticks and studying the man opposite her. "You don't really seem cut out for the stuffy office life."

"I didn't plan on it right away," Keisai admitted, "but I've always had an interest in the intricacies of the courts. And I took up humanitarian law and defense for military criminals because I believe in second chances."

"That's very admirable," Korra said, surprised. "I was expecting something more about an interest in the mental acrobatics involved.. Tenzin was telling me about your record and Lin told us about your reasons for taking Baatar Junior's case."

"I went into law because I care about justice and balance, Korra," Keisai said, looking at her intently. "I think we both value those things very highly."

"Definitely," Korra said, tucking into her noodles. "So.. why the dictaphone again?"

Keisai sighed dramatically. "I wouldn't feel right keeping you in the dark about this... I'm also going to be representing Kuvira in court for her trial. I do have a few questions for you as a witness in her case as well, if you don't mind. If you're not comfortable talking about it here, I completely understand."

Korra shrugged. "I mean, it just seems a bit.. unguarded here. Aren't you worried about other people hearing?"

Keisai sat up a bit straighter. "Oh, of course. We can go to a side room once we're finished here." The meal went quickly, and Keisai's fingers twitched on the dictaphone in anticipation more than once as he maintained an attentive facade. The lawyer fairly suffered through the meal but kept up the pretense of enjoyment, entertaining the avatar with little firebending table moves and exchanging party tricks. The check couldn't come too soon, and Keisai hastened to pay it and escort Korra to the adjoining conference room of the hotel restaurant. "Where to begin," he said, turning on the device and setting it aside. "So, you and Kuvira go back a bit further than the day of her invasion."

"Yeah," Korra said, expression pensive. "She actually saved my dad's life when we were fighting the Red Lotus more than three years ago. And she stepped up as the interim head of the Earth Kingdom when I was still healing in the South Pole."

"What happened?" Keisai said gently. "I feel like you of all people would be able to reason with her... saving your father would have been a significant gesture to the both of you."

"I thought so too," Korra admitted. "But Kuvira brought the army to Zaofu, so I tried to convince her to meet with Su and negotiate once I was back from my stint away."

Keisai nodded, arranging his features into saddened understanding. "But she took the city by force all the same."

"Well no, actually," she said, frowning. "Actually, Kuvira was fine with negotiating, and called a truce so she and Su could try to come to an agreement. Su actually broke the truce."

"Really?" Keisai feigned surprise. "She seems like a hot-tempered woman, but not someone to assassinate a world leader. So after that, Kuvira attacked the city?"

"Not exactly," Korra said, wincing. "She gave me a chance to defend Zaofu in a one-on-one fight. I didn't really have my stuff at the time, and she won Zaofu."

Keisai's eyebrows shot up. "She out-bended the Avatar? How injured were you?"

Korra winced. "Actually, I was in the avatar state and she was on the ground.. I guess the PTSD kicked in and I couldn't finish the job. She ended up attacking because Opal and Jinora, Tenzin's daughter, intervened to get me out of there."

"Ah," the lawyer said, stroking his chin. "So two agreements were broken that day."

"We didn't have much of a choice," Korra said, an edge creeping into her voice. "If she'dve put me out of commission no one could have stopped that mecha-suit."

"Of course," Keisai said easily. "But I imagine that's why she tried to kill you during the invasion."

"We had flown out for some recon," she said, "and we saw the mecha-suit on its way to the city. We had originally planned to cripple her weapon-"

"To make the battle a fair fight," Keisai said, nodding. "That spirit nuke would have decimated Iroh's troops." He paused. "Don't tell him I said that."

"Exactly!" Korra said, relieved. "So we flew out to try and take it out, but she ended up seeing us and we retreated. I'm pretty sure you know the rest-"

"She fired the weapon?" Keisai said thoughtfully. "She left that part out...she said you and your friends left to warn the city."

"Well, right," Korra said. "I think Kuvira realized the power of the avatar state after we fought in Zaofu. She probably didn't want to risk me going into it again."

"You're saying she saw you as an aggressor, or as a threat," Keisai said, steepling his fingers and raising an eyebrow as he regarded Korra. "You seem pretty sweet and charming to me, Avatar Korra... doesn't that sound a bit dramatic?"

Korra laughed. "Well, thanks. But I'm pretty terrifying in the avatar state... remember, I redirected a super-charged spirit vine blast and tore a new portal into the spirit world in the avatar state. That's a pretty threatening power."

Keisai held up his hands, smiling at Korra beneath lowered brows. "All right, you're a force to be reckoned with. Believe me, I take the power of the avatar all too seriously." He drummed his fingers on the table. "So then once you and your stealth team took Baatar prisoner, Kuvira fired after she learned of your location?"

"That's right," Korra said. "It was a sloppy shot- if she had fired directly, we wouldn't have had the time we needed to take cover under the wreckage."

"So that was when they were negotiating the surrender, then," Keisai said.

"No, that was after Raiko surrendered," Korra said. "I think Baatar was bringing the formal terms of surrender to Raiko when we captured him." She winced. "I never really found out the details.."

Keisai laughed. "I don't blame you," he said. "After that you had to deter her troops, evacuate civilians, and take down that colossus."

"Is that what they call it?" Korra wrinkled her nose. "That's really pretentious..."

"Baatar is really pretentious," Keisai said, leaning in conspiratorially. "Don't tell him I said that though, because his checks are ridiculous." That got a laugh out of her.

"He seems pretty quiet," Korra mused. "Has he mentioned Kuvira at all to you? We threatened to keep them apart forever when we were trying to get her to hand back Republic City."

"Did she?" Keisai asked sharply.

"No, she blew up the warehouse!" Korra snapped. "But he was pretty torn up after she did."

"He tries not to talk about her," Keisai said soberly. "I can tell there's no topic he thinks about more, though." He and Korra regarded their hands in silence. "Well," Keisai said, "why don't you show me how you do that little tornado thing again? Maybe I can recreate that with firebending.. that's a great party trick."

"Sure," said Korra, and as she began to bend the air, explaining the mechanics behind the move, Keisai slowly switched the dictaphone off and animatedly expressed his interest.

o0o

"I must admit," Keisai said slowly, taking in the plush interior of Varrick's office, "you are a man after my own heart, Sir Varrick."

"Thank you, sir," Varrick returned. "May I just say that I've watched your quick rise in the legal world, and am an avid supporter? When I was in jail during the Water Tribe civil war, you were the man I wanted representing me in the dock. Of course, I only allegedly tried to kidnap the president... so I'm sure you could have gotten me off." He winked. "Zhu Li! What's taking so long? We have a guest!"

"I believe that's the assistant's job," his wife observed drily, taking a stack of papers and sitting in one of the velveted armchairs.

"Right," Varrick said, snapping his fingers. "Force of habit."

"I'm flattered that you considered my services," Keisai said, inclining his head. "I'm actually a stockholder in Varrick Industries, myself. I've long since been a fan, and I thoroughly enjoyed the movers... think you could get me an audience with Nuktuk, hero of the South?"

"A stockholder? Why didn't you say so?" Varrick reached for a bottle of chilled wine, offering Keisai a glass. "Sure, I can set a few things up. You know, when I first met Bolin, he was just a bumbling buffoon of a boy, traipsing around with Asami. And three years later, we've done movers together, brought stability to the Earth Kingdom, and took down that giant mecha-suit." Varrick sniffed, wiping away the world's smallest tear. "I can only imagine what we'll do... in the future."

"Yes, that's actually an excellent segway into what I wanted to discuss," Keisai said, taking a small sip. "You worked for Kuvira for years, despite Suyin Beifong offering you sanctuary and saving you from a life in prison. Why?"

"Well, we've established that I wouldn't have stayed in prison," Varrick said, winking. "But Kuvira had a real vision for the country, and I was getting tired of being tied down. I needed a change of scene! Something to keep the creative juices flowing and my old Varrick ingenuity on edge! So Zhu Li and I joined her in her campaign for reunification."

"What was she like to work with?" Keisai said, turning on the dictaphone and stealthily discarding half his glass into a nearby plant.

"Kuvira's crazy," Varrick said, throwing his arms to his sides in a dramatic gesture. "Zhu Li, do the thing."

Zhu Li snapped her fingers in response. A young man in uniform moved in to clean up the spill. "Allow me," Keisai said, re-filling Varrick's glass before the man could. "So she threatened you if you didn't join her?"

"No, not at all," Varrick said. "Kuvira's crazy, but it didn't really show until much later. She was strict and demanded the best of everyone, which got pretty constricting after a while, but nothing was a huge issue until she tried to constrict my uniform around my neck!" To emphasize his point, he tugged his cravat until it resembled a noose, theatrically pretending to choke.

"What brought out that side of her?" Keisai asked. "You were all too happy when she pressured Raiko to pardon you, I imagine."

"She was pushing me to work on some spirit vine weapon," Varrick snorted. "You saw the damage those things can cause! After a mishap on the train, I didn't want to work on the project any longer, and she threatened my life."

"Surely that wasn't in the print of your contract," Keisai said, his tone exaggeratedly appalled.

"Yeah... funny thing about that," Varrick muttered.

"It was in your contract?"

"Maybe, who has time to read the fine print?"

The lawyer leaned forward, his eyes narrowed. "So you and your wife escaped with Bolin, but you were brought back, and you escaped her service through faking a suicide detonation." Varrick nodded. "Then you helped prison camp fugitives escape and returned to Republic City with intel for the president, following up by leading the attack against the mecha-suit with your newest patent. Interesting." Varrick's face paled, and Keisai leaned back, smiling. "Well, I think we're done for now, I don't suppose you have any questions for me...?"

Varrick shrugged. "Listen pal, you don't need to play these games with me. You took Kuvira's case for a reason. I know all about your reputation in the courtroom. Zhu Li, do the thing."

Zhu Li stood, allowing the stack of papers to drop. Keisai turned and saw that they were actually a long sheet folded multiple times. It was a detailed history of his professional background, complete with case studies of every trial he had ever served on as the defense attorney. "Where did you-"

"You aren't the only one with friends in high places," Varrick said. "I know that you don't take a case if you don't think there's a strong chance of acquittal. Do you really think Kuvira can be pardoned?"

"That's entirely my professional opinion," Keisai said. "I know that you were completely on board with everything she was doing until she forced the terms of your working contract with her that you tried to break. The woman got you pardoned, and you're prepared throw her under the bus? I thought you were better than this, Varrick." He stood, his arms crossed over his chest. "Did you or did you not say 'Kuvira controls the whole nation now, and Republic City is begging for the metal we're mining'?"

It was Varrick's turn to narrow his eyes. "And what if I did?"

"Oh, or perhaps "this train has left the station, and we own the track'?" Keisai prodded, holding up a warning hand with a spark of fire dancing around his fingers as Zhu Li made a move towards the dictaphone. "You were every bit on board with her authority until she turned it against you, when you were guilty of noncompliance with a binding contract."

"Where did you hear this?"

"Did you say it?" Keisai demanded, unbending.

"That's hardly-"

"It's a yes or no question, Varrick," he said loudly, undeterred. "Well?"

"I don't-"

"Yes or no?"

"Fine!" Varrick jumped up from his seat. "I said it. What does this have to do with anything? People aren't allowed to change sides when a dictator gets too crazy for their tastes?"

"If Kuvira faces the music, you can rest assured that you will too," Keisai said, sitting down. "Testify honestly for her, and your own case stays non-existent. I know who's part of the prosecution, Varrick. They aren't above charging you as an accessory if it will help their case against her. I'm sure you can deal with the legal battle, but it will be messy and expensive, and settling out of court will cost you even more."

"What do you want me to say?" Varrick exploded. "She would stop at nothing just to keep all the states in her pocket! Baatar probably sparked an arms race, and I'm supposed to defend her?"

"Not defend her," Keisai said. "Stay neutral, objective, and factual. Set aside your personal bias towards her and Baatar for whatever wrongs they've done you and testify as you would for any other defendant. Need I remind you what happens to those that commit perjury?"

Varrick steepled his fingers, glancing at Zhu Li. "What do you say, Zhu Li?"

"What does your conscience say?"

Varrick snapped his fingers at her. "You bring out the best in me," he said, expression softening. "Fine, Keisai. I'll work with you."

Keisai shook his hand warmly, switching off the device. "I'm glad to hear it. And I really am a fan your work. Maybe we can get drinks after this is over."

"It's been a dual effort," Varrick said, standing and wrapping an arm around his wife. "Maybe after you're done helping the enemy, you and I can talk business someday."

The lawyer frowned. "'The enemy'? What did we just talk about?"

"Kidding, kidding." The two men exchanged smiles after a tense moment, and Keisai saw himself out after thanking his hosts a final time. "I like him," he head Varrick say as the door swung closed behind him. "Guy after my own heart."

Zhu Li snorted. "You are a discerning judge of character, Varrick."

o0o

Baatar hurried home from another long day of overhauling downtown, swearing under his breath when he realized the late hour. Keisai had told him to be by the phone before eight, and with five minutes to the hour taking the call was wholly impossible. The public transport seemed painfully slow, and he idly flipped the pages of a newspaper without really taking anything in. An interview with Wu spread over four pages, with his plans for the new republic and thoughts on loyalist discontent, caught Baatar's eye, and he began to read. Suddenly, the bus slowed to a stop, and he glanced around him; something wasn't right. The other passengers seemed unperturbed overall, but one man a few seats ahead of him sat up straighter and turned, his movements slow and deliberate. He raised one arm, seeming to signal someone in the back. Baatar whipped around, returning his gaze to the man in front of him. Their eyes locked, and he instinctively felt uneasy.

Suddenly the lights of the bus' interior went out, and the passengers proceeded to scramble and chatter in panic while the driver begged them to remain calm over the intercom. Baatar secured his wallet and bag, his spare hand gripping a slender knife he kept in a concealed pocket. When he felt the expected pressure at his side he seized the stranger's hair, jerking the man's head back and bringing the knife to his throat. "No sudden moves," he muttered, voice audible only to the stranger in the pandemonium. "What do you want with me?"

"Don't! I'm a supporter," he heard the man whisper. "The empire is still loyal to you and the Great Uniter." There was the sound of fumbling, and a packet of papers was thrust into his lap. "The sooner Kuvira is pardoned, the sooner you both can rule your empire."

"I don't know that we'll be pardoned, and I'm not working outside the law," Baatar hissed. "I need a name-"

"The empire remains loyal to you," the man repeated. He tensed, and Baatar realized just in time that he intended to throw himself against the blade if he were not released. Baatar jerked his arm away, freeing the man, just as the lights flickered on.

"First stop," the driver called, and before Baatar could seize the stranger and force a name out of him, he fled the bus.

Baatar contemplated following him, but the papers in his lap arrested his interest. Tucking them away into his bag after quickly skimming the top page, he sat in silence for the rest of the trip, heading straight to the phone as soon as he let himself into his apartment. A knock on the door minutes later made him growl in frustration, but he felt uncharacteristically happy when he saw none other than the lawyer on his doorstep.

"You missed my call, and no one answered the phone," Keisai reproached. "You had me worried, man.. especially when I heard about your usual bus being hijacked on the radio-"

"What?" Baatar felt an odd smile spread over his face despite the nature of the news. "I'm so glad you're here-"

"I knew you'd warm up to me."

"-because we have an interesting development."

"What's going on?" Keisai said. His eyes widened as he saw the small stack of papers. "What are those?" Baatar had already reached for the phone and was dialing.

"Aunt Lin?" Baatar said, spreading the papers out on the desk as he cradled the receiver between his ear and shoulder. "I'm going to need your professional help with something."

"This had better be good, kid." Lin's voice was sharp.

"Looks like Kuvira and I have supporters right here in the United Republic," Baatar said grimly. He heard Lin swear on the other end, and Keisai for once was at a loss for words. The moment seemed surreal to Baatar, and he was thankful for the first time in months that Kuvira was in a maximum-security cell.

A/N: AND SO IT THICKENS. Lemme know what you think.

Also, by popular request I'm gonna draw Keisai for you guys. I debated being cruel and just posting a picture of myself, but that's hardly fair to such thoughtful and dedicated readers! Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter, I'm off for the night! Lemme know your thoughts in the comments!