Notes: I need to know everything about Lin's relationship with Aang, like, really bad. I sincerely hope that the reason she refers to Republic as "my city" is because of what I wrote here.


"Lin, it's too dangerous."

The ex-Chief of police slapped the blueprints in her hand down on the table so hard, that the resulting sound rebounded off the walls and the table shook. Korra could feel the vibrations travel all the way to her chair, which she sunk in a bit under Lin's gaze, even if it was directed at the unmoved Tenzin.

"No, what's dangerous, Tenzin, is Tarrlok," Lin spat. "This mission is going to happen with or without your backing. I need my men by my side if I'm going to protect my city."

"Will you at least consider other options?"

"No." Her eyes, if possible, narrowed even further. "It is not your place to dictate my actions as head of my metalbending forces. I'm going in alone, I've gone over the blueprints of the warehouse - I can and will do this."

His stony face melted into defeat with his heavy sigh, exhaling with enough force to blow across the table and move Korra's hair.

Without another word, Lin let go of the blueprints and turned on her heel, marching out of the room.

Korra watched her leave in silence, before turning to see Tenzin fall into the chair at his end of the table. All was quiet as he had his eyes shut, brow knit together as he massaged his temples. A few sounds of cracking earth and hollow taps of metal hitting metal resounded in the distance, all the way down the hall of the metalbending academy where Lin now spent her days since giving up her job. The woman was deep in her work, going over plans for Tarrlok, the Equalists, Amon, and recovering her officers, but by the way Tenzin reacted to her obsessions, it seemed normal.

As far as Korra was concerned, it wasn't normal, and it partially got on her nerves. Lin was an impressive person, no doubt, but it seemed as if she was trying to take over Korra's job. When that didn't sit well with her, Korra stood and followed the path she had seen Lin take in order to find her.

It didn't take long to spot her in one of the training areas, an open patch of land surrounded by open walkways on all four sides. This one was filled with flat, dry, hard earth. Lin had already erected a chair from the ground and sat in the shade at the far side, eyes shut and reclining into the seat.

"Korra," she said the second the young girl's foot touched the ground, eyes still shut, but jerking her head in greeting.

"Lin."

She breathed in sharply through her nose when Korra raised a small platform next to her stone chair, which Korra sat on. "Do you need anything, or did Tenzin put you up to this?"

Korra rolled her eyes. "I was just wondering...," she trailed off, not quite knowing the words to express her annoyance while still being respectful.

"Well, spit it out."

Korra decided to let her annoyance speak for her.

"Why do you always do my job?"

Lin's eyes opened and she sat up to look down at Korra, her harsh face actually looking confused for once. "Excuse me?"

"You should just worry about your police officers," Korra said defensively. "I should worry about Amon."

"If you think I'm leaving my city in the hands of a seventeen year old, then you - "

" - And why do you always call it my city," Korra shouted above her voice to be heard. Lin's mouth was left hanging open as Korra spoke. "It's not yours, it doesn't belong to anybody!"

Her words hung in the air for a long moment before Lin closed her parted lips and the tension left her face. Korra had never seen her so surprised, so open, and felt embarrassment eek into her skin. Lin's cool green eyes left Korra's and gazed out at the rocky expanse before them until her expression shifted to regain her usual sharp demeanor.

"It belongs to Aang," she stated flatly.

"What?"

Lin frowned. "Republic City belongs to Aang. It was his vision and goal, and when he died, he left it for me to protect. I'm keeping up a promise you didn't know you made."

Korra had never heard Lin speak of Avatar Aang, despite Tenzin's encouraging words that the pair of them were close. It was worse than hearing him speak of the man; Tenzin resorted to titles and distanced himself by forgoing use of the word father. Lin's voice held sadness and longing that was only just detectable, as if she were trying to hide it but failed. The fact that Lin made it sound as if Korra and Aang were one and the same hit the young Avatar like a punch to the chest, robbing her of air and making her eyes sting.

She opened her mouth to try and encourage some words forward in response, but none came. After a moment, Lin's gaze smoothly traveled over the earth and back to Korra's face. She regarded it for a moment before speaking.

"I promised you a long time ago that the city was yours when you came back. I don't think Aang expected you to be quite so...eager, so I'll hold onto it for a little while longer. Not until you've passed the Beifong school of Avatar training, that is."

The words managed to make sense to Korra for a long moment after they were spoken.

"Wait, really?"

Lin suddenly stood and with a small tap of her heel, the chair she had made sunk back into the earth as if it never existed. She calmly walked to the center of the training area, locking her knees and spine, rooting herself to the earth and smiling sharply. "You passed once before. Don't tell me you're too much of a pansy this lifetime around that you can't handle it again?"

Korra laughed and stood, and she watched Lin's face melt with just a touch of affection before it snapped back to be battle ready. When Korra was thrown to the ground about ten seconds into their fight, she couldn't help but laugh again, this time louder even though the pain. It felt right to be knocked down by Lin for a reason she didn't quite understand. Losing usually sent Korra into a fit of anger, but this, despite the hard earth jabbing at her sides, felt right.

As it had before.