Rio was wrong on all accounts about the chief but before talking about her disappointment with its leader Rio took the atmosphere in the Metal bending police force headquarters. As the name implies it was a completely metallic building from the outset, complete with a statue of a metal woman. Apparently, she was caught staring.
" Toph Beifong, greatest earthbender in the world, first metal bender, earthbending teacher to the last avatar, chief of police for decades. The women did a lot before she left the world stage, she was quite an inspiration to many." spoke Hakim. Rio simply stared at him and the statue, both leaving her in a state of confusion.
A part of her was nagging her when she heard the name and saw the statue. A familiarity or ...nostalgia for some reason. She couldn't explain it and that was all she had for Hakim.
Odd doesn't quite do him justice. He was oddness, dressed in strangeness while speaking nonsense. He kept switching languages as he spoke with Anansi, his apparent servant, which raises so many questions on its own. Had several tattoos on his body and face, while wearing gold jewelry and pure white robes.
Rio once heard of a legend from her mother. A Mali king called Mansa Musa, a king so rich that he ruined whole economies by visiting whole nations. A man so riched that he went from the western tip of Africa to the Kaaba for Muslim pilgrimage and still had more to spend.
Hakim looked like his spitting image. Rich and exudes a type of power that choked Rio just by standing near him.
Hakim was leading Rio to the police station, him and him alone. He had Anansi take Jinora to her father so Tenzin could bail out Korra. Yet Rio didn't believe that reasoning.
"There's no need to worry, Jinora is in goods hand with Anansi. She is also going to the most secure building in the city besides star labs, It would be a national emergency if something bad happens at the councilmen building. " Rio grimaced in response. She was getting tired of being pulled around by the whims of very strange people.
Much less someone she could not read.
She was not as good Elio in the field but she was no slouch either, Hakim was just that good at hiding his true intentions. At Least that was what she thought in her mind. The only thought from Hakim Rio gleamed was that he projected preparation and control.
He said he wanted to get this done by dinner time bit seems so… lackadaisical but the whole affair of the arrest. Aside from Elio kicking the avatar in the head, for some reason he made absolutely sure with Rio that Elio did do that. Like he was still processing that.
Ignoring that he at least acted like everything was moving by his whim or he had read the script several pages ahead.
He moved through the crowds and traffic with no problem. He even predicted several speeding cars and stopped Rio from being run over.
He waved and smiled toward the people around him with an unnatural familiarity as everyone tried to ignore them. Either cringing or grimacing in his presence.
Rio remembered the way Anansi unloaded all that personal information about the protesters in front of the crowd he had gathered. She wondered if his underling had all that information on a random person, what would the boss know?
He certainly acted like he knows what was going to happen.
"All right so when you meet Beifong you need a couple of things memorized. First, let her speak first she loves that. Your friend?, brother?-"
"Cousin."
"Cousin broke the law so don't minimize that, she is very much a rule's first person. Lastly, try to keep talking about Tenzin to a minimal."
"Why?"
"Long and short of it is that she is the reason that He is married and that she lives alone." Rio was immediately confused by his statement and tried to just focus on the first two things.
The police station was certainly what she expected from a police station, not that made her comfortable. The opposite actually, her and her mother watched the news habitually and were acutely aware of the last place to be black and sassy was the police station. She wasn't sure if that was the same with this world.
Much like the vast majority of the city, she has seen so far, most of the policemen were Asian's of some kind or another. Some had green eyes, silver eyes, gold eyes like Elio had and for the most part, most wore metallic armor. Which also confused her to a great degree.
The strangest thing she knew of this world she was aware of was that some people controlled the elements. So the metal armor would protect them from what? A water person freezing it to their skin, a fire person from melting it to their skin or even just another metal bender moving them around with it. That or crush them with their own armor.
"If your done gawking your cousin is over there." Hakim chimed in, apparently done talking with an officer while Rio was critiquing the armor. "Officier Saikhan should be informing Lin about the bail notice. We just need to wait for Tenzin." He said while shrugging. His nonchalant ness was making Rio quite annoyed.
"The guy is nice but I can pay bail." Rio held out the wad of cash in front of Hakim unimpressed face.
"He's coming for the avatar's bail."
"Wait! her bail!?" Hakim raised an eyebrow.
"Yes her bail, she broke the law." He scrunched his eyebrows. "More than she should to be completely honest. Also, I want them to leave together."
"Wait why it was her fault?"
"I'm well aware of...the accident." The way he said it made him seem even stranger in Rio's eyes. The way he seemed perplexed by it, she thought back to when Anansi said 'it wasn't too supposed to' Did they plan around the gang fight? Did they orchestrate it or just knew they would happen? What was supposed to happen?
"While it isn't your cousin's fault, the fact that he attacked the avatar is still gossip and newsworthy. Do you know how fast the tabloids work around here?" Hakim explained quickly as his chipper demeanor slipped into a mask of disappointment. He let out a sigh.
"Yeah right. It happened an hour and a half ago how quickly can they-" Hakim cut off Rio with a tabloid newspaper fresh off the press, from an officer's desk.
Weird Jacko went Wacko on the Avatar in a local street brawl. Possible rival? Lover's quarrel? New gangster on the rise? Tune in to tonight's radio broadcast to join the discussion. Mongoose -Snake News at Eleven! Hakim read to her.
"Yeah news travels fast here Daughter of Oceanus." Hakim slyly. Rio immediate went to her side. "I wouldn't do that If I were you unless you want to be a newt." Rio paused not in instinct but from confusion and disbelief. Hakim let out another sigh.
"See that platypus-bear over there with the old lady."
"The what with the what?" Rio looked over to the other side of the waiting room and honest to god there was a large brown bear looking creature with a flat tail and a duckbill. Even had little hair buns. Perhaps God was drunk when he made this world or gods.
Honestly, that whole debate made her head spin in circles. She asked Chiron and all that he gave was a deflective "we don't deal with the metaphysical." Kind of a cop-out if you asked her.
Hakim focused his vision while no one was looking at the bear, platypus thing. Its form twisted and shifted all at once in a puff of sand. The only thing left behind was a newt in an oversized collar and leash. As soon as that happened it shifted back to the bear thing with only the creature knowing what happened.
"In essence, do what you're told. Its harder with thinking creature's but possible and it's not my only option. I know its hard for demigods but keep your pride in check." Rio grew a sudden interest in her shoes from that point on.
Rio didn't like the way her life was going. An understatement for the millennia, she was over the moon two weeks ago over finishing high school a year early. Now she on another world, she knows that she's only half human with her only family member is facing criminal charges while she sits in the same room as a god-damn platypus bear.
"Pride? Is pride something you think I have?" Rio said through gritted teeth as her face was perpendicular to the floor.
"House of light relation 101, deal with a demigod by appealing to their sense of ego. It is weirder if you didn't have that trait." Rio clasped her hands.
"You want to know what I'm proud of? My normal optimal life before all this bull fell on my feet." My lounge singer of a mother who took me to all the restaurant just to see her have fun while I had fun dancing. My loving father who owned the restaurants she sang in, the one who took me up and down the coast of America from Canada to Tierra del Fuego. Then boom you're a demigod, boom my father was married the whole time to another woman, boom I have thousands of siblings, boom my dad fought in a stupid war for my uncle. Who was a genocidal maniac in a high school kid's body!" A couple of officers turned to both of them with confused expressions.
"Don't mind her! she playing out a role for play!" The officer, more out of apathy than anything, resumed their work. "Cool it with the magic and other world junk." Hakim aggressively whispered.
"Otherworld?" Rio narrowed her vision. "You're from my world." Hakim shrugged at the suggestion.
"Possibly, Don't know, so keep quiet about unless you want to know what a mongoose snake looks like." Hakim somehow said all this with a cheerful expression on his face. Either because he knew that he needed to hide what they were talking about or he actually took pleasure in thinking of ways to keep her in line.
She didn't appreciate either thought.
As both Rio and Hakim sat quietly at the front desk Lin Bei Fong, chief of police, was also watching two quiet teenagers.
Not by choice mind you, both were unconscious with one of them slowly waking up from a head concussion while the other seemed to be in a serene coma. Lin was not … excited about the Avatar coming. She was under the impression that the spineless, in her mind, waste Tenzin would be moving to teach her but the impatient girl escaped her compound and came to Republic city. Lin's city.
Not only that but she also had the gall to pull a vigilante stunt, taking her job, while making what would have been a simple shakedown into a tabloid extravaganza. Idiot Avatar smackdown to earth by random illegal. Then there was said, boy.
There quite literally nothing on the ...kid. He seemed to be around the same age as the Avatar. Early twenties, late teens. Bit of peach fuzz and very fit for his age, too fit. All anyone knows is that they suddenly appeared on air temple island. The only other bit of information was from this afternoon incident.
He was with an assistant to one of Star Labs newest and youngest researchers. He joined in said gang fight of his own accord while, for some reason, his partner burst out laughing. He yelled at the Avatar for making the satomobile crash into a home.
Well deserved Lin thought.
He verbally fought the Avatar but the only actual fighting between the two started and ended when he spin kick the side of her head into the road. It was part of the too fit association, the impact of the kick caused cracks in the road. His examination pinned him with the body mass of a bending master.
Besides that nothing, like he suddenly came into existence yesterday. Same went for his partner, Lin noted. Nothing but today's report.
The case was getting on Lin's nerves more than anything. She was just on the ending of a manhunt for a serial murder and now this is tossed on her lap. She was counting the ticks on the clock to when Tarrlok tried to exploit them. That or Talos and Hiroshi, Its a toss up which one will go first if the businessmen get involved.
Korra was the first to stir, rubbing the side of bandage head.
"Good. I can reprimand a conscious useless bag of flesh." The Avatar was muttering as she slowly opened her eyes and saw the chief. "You're in a whole mess of troub-"
"Please not so loud...everything is still spinning." Lin did not expect that response. She heard that that Korra was the complete opposite of her previous carnation, Avatar Aang. A man Lin knew well. She heard that the girl was brash, impatient, prideful and ready and willing to use her bending to get out of any problem. A figure of unchecked power.
All she saw a girl her head in pain while a boy was unconscious in his chair.
"I'll be as loud as I wanted after all the damage you caused young lady! Destruction of private and public property, Vigilantism and nearly picking a fight with on-duty officers." Korra barely heard the chief grilling her as she rubbed the side of her head and felt the bandages.
"How bad was it?" Korra asked solemnly. Lin was ready for another rant but restrained herself.
"That boy needs to learn to control his strength if there weren't healer's on standby… You're fine for the most part." Lin let out a sigh and reminded herself of her job. "That still doesn't excuse your actions you can't just waltz in dole out vigilante justice like you own the place!" Korra was slowly regaining her composure and gumption.
"So when the shopkeeper was being threatened by thugs I should have what, done nothing." Korra vision was blurry but she got a good enough view of Lin. An older woman with graying dark hair and a more official version of the metal bending police force uniform. And a face that a little too used to being either being stressed or glaring.
"You should have called the police and besides your help hospitalized an innocent man and nearly his whole family." Korra winced but kept her foot down.
" I'm the Avatar it's my duty to help people! I can't just stand by when something like that happens!" Lin was stone-faced.
"I am well aware that you're the avatar. Your title means nothing to me, missy until you finally accomplish something then it will." Korra had a surprising look at the response. Most of the stories she grew up with about the previous avatar told how much reverence people had for the Avatar. Even the Avatar enemies, non-chalantness was not what she was expecting at all.
"Fine then-" Korra saw the boy, Elio right next to her, tied into a straight jacket fused to his chair. "Why is he here!" Korra complained, she noticed that her hands for cuffed to the metallic table. "I have many other more important matters than facilitating your teenage rebellion and tantrums. Besides I want as many perspectives on this so your fine can be as accurate as possible." Elio eyes fluttered opened as Lin listed of the all the fines that applied to him and Korra. Lin was the first to notice.
"So the mysterious stranger finally wakes." Lin focus turned to the boy as he seemed to be in the middle of waking up. Smacking his lips and yawning. "You have any idea what you did today boy." Elio blinked both of his eyes separately and simply looked at Lin. Didn't react, didn't make a sound, didn't move. Lin wasn't sure if he was even aware that he was in a straight jacket.
The boy coughed before speaking, a slight bit of blood was flung from his nose as he did.
"Cockle-doodle-doo bitch, Where am I?"
Lin shook her head, she was not in the mood for the nonsense words coming out the boy's mouth. She had a quick thought that maybe Saikhan choked him a bit too hard and his brain did not get enough oxygen.
Either way, she had enough experience to recognize an insult when she heard. She wasn't going to let some emigrant punk get the better of her in her own station.
"Your speaking to Lin Beifong, Chief of pol-"
"It's an honor to meet you but the comment was for you." The boy yawn as he finally seemed to notice the straight jacket and tilted his head in Korra's direction. Her face was transfixed with rage and annoyance personified. " Sorry to be rude but Rio and I have the money to pay for bail so could we speed this up."
"Speed this up?" Lin said through gritted teeth.
"Is that not how it works here?" The boy asked sincerely.
"You do have a bail notice but I highly doubt some random vagabond can afford-"
"How much?" Elio cut off Lin again.
"Alright hotshot, 100,000 Yuan for your charges alone adding her it adds up to 400,000. Now then, let's get this over wi-"
"So if taxes don't affect it too much then I'll have 100,000 after paying." Lin was getting tired of the boy's insolence and disrespect. "Yes we should get this over with, Ill bail the avatar's charges as well."
"That's it!" Lin walked up to the boy and grabbed him through the straight jacket. "You don't get to talk like that after the stunt both of you pulled. I don't care what Title or what money you have to give you'll face proper justice." There was a knock on the outside of the interrogation room that caught Lin's attention. A small opening revealed itself and a man face on the other side.
"Your favorite people are here, chief." Elio and Korra recognize the man's voice. It the same one that Korra nearly picked a fight with and the same one who choked out Elio. Lin let out a loud sigh.
"Let them in, let's get this over with." Lin went into a hard stance and mimicked her arms prying the door open, the door did as she motioned as it opened up to two gentlemen. One was Tenzin, the man whose island Elio was staying and the other was… strange even with the standards Elio was given for this world.
He wore a stone masked that resembled a Greek theatre mask. The first person Elio has seen in this world display anything west of the holy land. Everything else looked like it would be at home in an Asian cultural center or a museum. Including the people, Elio saw no one who looked European not even anyone with natural blond hair. He saw more people that looked like him than anything else. Dark skinned native, the only difference was they all had blue or silver eyes.
It was all very strange for Elio.
The new man, however, was hard to pin down, his face was obscured and he wore a shawl with a hood. Metallic boots and gauntlets that went up to his elbow, a Tunic and pants combination that looked like a rejected noble outfit from the old Spanish kingdom.
"Lin your as radiant as ever." Tenzin said with forced calmness. Elio was taken from the other man.
"Cut the garbage Tenzin, what is the avatar doing in my -"
"Her city." The masked man said matter of factly.
"What are you one about!?" Lin said with defiance as the man walked up to the two teenagers to get a better look at the two of them.
"The United Republic were colonies that Avatar Aang and Firelord Zuko created together and Republic city was a place personally looked after by Avatar Aang. It is my understanding that the Avatar reincarnates, correct?"
"Yes but that-"
"So she and Avatar Aang are the same person."
"No."
"So the Avatar does not Reincarnate?"
"No, they do."
"Then may I asked which it is? Does the Avatar reincarnates or not?"
"This has nothing to do with what she's done here today."
" It has everything to do with her given purpose. But I can be placated into dropping the issue if you let her go air temple island I get to speak alone with the boy."
"And If I refuse?" Lin said with her arms crossed. The man took a book from his side and plopped it down on the metal table between the two teenagers and the adults. 75th edition of The United Republic: United law code.
"You know me, Lin, I stonewalled Politicians and businessmen alike for hours in countless debates on the exact use of the law. I have all day to placate a standoff for your stubbornness." Lin raised her and snapped her fingers. The lock of the handcuffs on Korra opened themselves and the latches on Elio's straight jacket disassembled.
"Okay, I'll bite who are you?" Elio said as he slid out of the straight jacket.
"Talo's, CEO of Star labs." Talos gave out his hand to shake. Elio simply stared at it.
"Hey Tenzin, He he he." Korra laughed awkwardly as Tenzin walked up to her. His expression toward her was that of great disappointment until he turned to Lin.
"If you would be so kind as to drop the charges ill will pay the damages."
"Can't"
"Now lin I know we-"
" The kid already paid for it." Tenzin turned to see the two teenagers.
"When you say that?"
"The boy." Tenzin looked confused for a second but turned and bowed to Elio.
"I thank you for your generosity. Though I must ask that you keep your distance from the avatar for the time being." Elio tilted his head.
"I did what I thought what was right, she would have caused more damage if she fought the police." Tenzin grabbed the bridge of his nose with his hand.
" I'm aware of how you view it but It is for the best this way. Your cousin may stay on the island but I must ask you to leave if this sort of problem-solving continues." Elio wanted to say something but clearly, the people around him saw Korra as a victim and him as the perpetrator.
In his mind, he was still right for what he had to do that at the moment it was needed. Korra doesn't seem to listen to reason when angry and fighting the policemen like she fought those gangsters would have lead to greater injury.
"While I don't disagree Tenzin that the boy needs to work on his peacekeeping tactics, Evicting him right when he just arrived in the city is unneeded." Tenzin turned to face Talos as the businessman stood up for Elio.
He didn't know what to expect from Anansi's boss or at least one of them. But this was far from what he expected, then again appearance is deceiving. He learned that from Eclipso and to a lesser extent Camp Half-Blood.
"Talos I agreed to let you come just so we can discuss the projects your running past City hall. Why the interest in this boy?" Talos turned to Elio with a static glare.
"Tenzin I'm a researcher, a patron, and lover of innovation. All things that can deliver mysteries and hide secrets catch my fancy. Besides any man that knock a trained fighter down in one kick would make a good assistant in these dangerous times." Tenzin looked toward Elio with a pensive glare and let out a sigh.
"For the time being, I let you stay on the condition that you find a home for yourself and Rio" Elio took a bow toward Tenzin.
"I promise not to make not to take this chance for granted or disrespect it." Elio said lowly and turned toward Korra. He saw the bandaging and guess how much damage he caused to her head. He took a deeper bow. "I'm sorry for injuring you Avatar Korra, I was acting irrationally and carelessly." He continued the bow as he got on his knees but before he was perpendicular to the floor a hand was placed on his shoulder.
"No given the circumstances you did what you felt was right. If anyone at fault it's the gangsters who tried to shake down the shop. You did what any other heroic figure would have done." Talos words, while encouraging, yet had a strange tone that made him nearly shudder. The fact that the man's hand was cold and metallic only amplified the feeling.
"Don't call vigilantism heroic, he will still pay the fine or serve the time inside our newly constructed jail." Lin interjected. " I will not have either one of them doing anything like that again. Outside police supervision."
"If your men were half as effective your description, we would not need the people to fight for their own safety. Need I mention the radicals who are gaining traction." Lin gave a stern look toward Talos as his statement hung in the air.
"I need to ask you to leave now Talos." Talos bowed toward Lin and extended a hand to Elio.
" I assume that Hakim told you of the arrangement. It remains the same, just a different location. Are you aware of a restaurant named Kwong's cuisine?" Elio looked at Talos strangely. "It's a simple question?"
"I heard about it having a dress code." Talos circled the confused boy and looked at the ruffled acolyte robes he was wearing.
"It's just clothing, Will have Hakim order some clothes on the way." Elio felt the words came out more like order and instruction that an offer. You will come and you will be provided for. As long as you follow my lead.
"And Rio?" Elio questioned as he passed by Korra. She tried to glare at them but Elio ignored her, not even noticing the gesture.
As Elio and Talos walked away from the interrogation cell together, said girl and Hakim were waiting in the main reception area. Hakim and Rio's feet nearly in sync in tapping the floor with anticipation.
Hakim took out, what looked like a list, written in the same language Rio has seen everywhere. She wasn't an expert in Asian language so she could not tell if it was Japanese, Chinese or whatever other type of nese is out there.
Hell to her it might as well be Hindi. Yet this rando, who might come from her world, can read it like she read gossip magazines.
She liked the article's...and the scandals.
"They should be done by now." Hakim turned his head to the sound of two sets of footsteps walking toward them. " Finally we can-" He saw only Elio and Talos walking toward them. "I thought we agreed, these two and the Avatar. Where's the avatar!?" Some of the cops looked toward the small group but stopped when Talos glared at them.
"The Avatar is busy dealing with the consequences of today's mishaps. I also told you that these two were a priority, they won't reincarnate after death." Rio and Elio both stared at the robed figure weird fixation on that fact.
"Fine, but at least tell me when you decide that plans changed." Hakim started to yammer and unleashed a word vomit stew about the importance of planning. As he yammered and mumbled, Elio walked over to Rio.
"You got the money."
"Si idiota, just been waiting for the people to actually let me." Rio pulled out the 500,000 yuans from her robes. " So what's up why did Tenzin look like he was gonna choke slam you harder than the fuzz?" Elio explained that he is slowly being evicted from the island for his fight with Korra whatever seemed to be important about the meeting. Elio pulled her toward him so he could whisper.
"I don't trust him, not fully."
"Doesn't tell me much, given you know, the shadow demon you let inside you?" She said reflexively.
"Fair but he was a spirit, not a demon." Elio regretted saying that as soon as he said it.
"You heard yourself right?" She said with a deadpan expression.
"Regretted it as soon as I said it."
"Regretted what?" Hakim asked as him and Talos stood over both of Elio's shoulders. Elio went quiet.
"You haven't made your deal applying yet. I had hoped that you could make it as appetizing as possible but every twist and turn that has happened today has made me lose my stomach." Hakim raised an eyebrow while Talos simply stared at the boy.
"What did I tell bottomless greed, should have given him the full 100,000,000." Talos nodded in agreement.
"What what!?"
"Never mind that." Talos held 500,000 yuan in a bandaged bunch. " If it's, all the same, we really should get to the restaurant, even for someone as wealthy as me they express a harsh understanding of punctuality and dress code." Talos turned to Hakim and nodded his head. Hakim returned the nod and went out of sight from everyone else around the corner.
After going through a lengthy process of paying, what essentially was, our bill. Seriously the process of bail was much longer and tedious then either Elio or Rio imagined. T.v and movies make it look so easy. After the process, they saw Korra and Tenzin arguing in the lobby.
"I'll take that as the queue to leave." Talos said going through the front door. Elio closely followed. Rio took some notice of the argument, how Korra described how she left with Tenzin's mother permission. Tenzin's anger over her bring her up and how fed he was about the trouble she caused.
"Rio you coming or do you want to get arrested?" Elio yelled from outside the building. Rio picked up the haste and rushed out the door. Rio could not get the argument out her head for some reason, she wasn't quite sure why she was stuck on it.
Her first encounter in the flesh with Korra didn't exactly endear her to Rio so it couldn't be her. Maybe on some level, she was sympathizing with Tenzin.
The frustration, the shit being flung their way out of there control. Dealing with a bombastic and slightly psychopathic family member may also be what they share but she wasn't sure with Korra. The way he did scold her did seem father like.
When Rio and Elio made their way down the rocky-quality staircase to the cities streets, a fancy 1920's style limo was waiting for them. A shiny black exterior and dark tinted windows with a generous back area.
"You may use this in lieu of the trolly or any animal during your stay." Rio and Elio blinked twice. " It is yours while you stay here. Simply put in this code." On the side of the door, Talos punched in JLI-V5 into a keypad. Rio was highly confused. Were keypads around in the 1920's? or does this guy break the rules as they did? What world, if he ever did come from another one, did he come from. "No diddle daddling, Lin BeiFong takes duty quite seriously when she despises the person she pursues. She will find a way to arrest you for loitering."
Elio and Rio looked behind themselves and saw said chief looking down on them. They both reluctantly went into the limo and took the seats on the far end of where Talos was. He simply watched the two teenagers as the limo started up its engine.
Rio didn't know what to make of the man, she guessed he was more powerful and influential then he was letting one to the both of them. He walked right into an investigation, done by the chief of police herself and treated it like a day in the office while paying off the fines like a parking ticket.
Just who the hell was this guy.
"Do you like this city?" Talos asked as he watched from the tinted window. "Does it fit the standard of what a city should?" Elio and Rio simply exchanged confused looks.
"I haven't been to that many cities, I wouldn't know what it is supposed to be" Elio said simply.
"I see…. What should it be then?" Elio raised an eyebrow.
"Que?"
"Ah I see that your from a world where the Spanish language exists." Rio and Elio's heart skipped a beat. Elio mentally kicked himself for slipping his tongue with his response. "At this rate dinner will be most expedient."
