A/N: I want to give a big thanks to everyone that has read and reviewed this story as well as those who have put the story on their alert list or favorites list. It means so much to me that all of you like this story. As promised this chapter is out much sooner than the last two chapters have been produced and I hope to keep that streak going. Without further adieu, here is Chapter 10!
Also, a couple of people have brought it up through the reviews that there is a female member of the Order of the White Lotus within Legend of Korra and that because this character is in the show that my story is not following the canon that has already established. When I had started writing the story I had not realized that one of the members of the Order stationed at Air Temple Island was a women and discovered this character when I was rewatching the episodes for a refresher on the events that happen within the show. Because the storyline was already established, I chose not to go back and change what I had already written. Besides this one difference and the placement of my character in scenes of the show, I intend for this story to follow the canon.
It hadn't taken long for Karin to realize that the address she had been given was one of the many abandoned buildings in the Warehouse District. The building wasn't very far from the Equalists headquarters, and Karin wondered why Amon didn't simply meet with her there as opposed to finding a hidden location.
As she made her way down the packed streets of Republic City, her heart beat frantically within her chest. Hundreds of questions ran through her mind as the crowd began to thin and the cold gray facade of the Warehouse District rose in the distance. Why would Amon want to speak with her privately and at a hidden location at that? Had he found out who she really was? Was she going to walk into this meeting and never reemerge?
A small part of her wanted to run to Air Temple Island and reveal herself to Tenzin in an attempt to gain protection. The fear of losing her bending or her life within the coming moments race through her veins turning her blood cold while the rest of her burned with adrenaline.
She stopped abruptly in front of a small brick building, the windows were busted out and covered with tarps, the inside dark and smelling strongly of smoke. She looked up and saw a portion of the roof caved in.
The streets around her were empty, but she surveyed her surroundings for a moment before stepping into the dilapidated building with apprehension.
The smell of smoke, mildew, and urine pervaded her senses and she fought the urge to cover her nose. The floorboards creaked underfoot as she walked deeper into the building. Her sounds were the only thing to be heard within the structure, accompanied by the scurrying of elephant-rats. Her heart kept a steady rhythm, but it was beating so harshly that she felt as if it would suddenly pop out of her chest.
She pulled aside a piece of tarp that blocked the entryway to the room in the back right corner of the building. The tarp crinkled loudly as it moved and her heartbeat began to calm down as she realized no one was there.
Maybe someone from the Equalists put it there as a joke,Karin reasoned with herself.
Then out of the darkest corner of the building emerged a man in all black clothing, a hood pulled up to cover his hair. His customary red and white mask was placed firmly to hide his face.
"I see you got my invitation," he began in his gravelly voice. Karin tried to quell her nervousness and her fear, but her body was seemingly not under control in front of this man.
He walked further into a patch of light that illuminated the room through a small hole in the ceiling. Though it was only a few steps, Karin could see a sense of purpose in his stance. His back was ramrod straight, hands clasped behind him, shoulders back, and chin level. It was a stance that many men from the Order had and Karin associated it with strength, power, and dignity.
She had never been this afraid of someone before, but ever since the Revelation she had become terrified of Amon. The power to take someone's bending away was an ability that only the Avatar should possess. In Karin's mind, Amon's powers were unnatural and fell out of the order that had been established long ago.
"Of course," she replied. She was relieved that her voice remained firm; she didn't want Amon to realize how scared she was in his presence. He could perceive the fear as something to be proud of, something along the lines of instilling fear in a loyal subject. Or, he could see the fear as something outside of himself and begin to dig into her life and find her true identity, if he hadn't already.
"I have been watching you for some time now." Amon continued, and Karin took a deep breath.
This is it; he knows who I am.She tensed, bracing herself for an attack, but it never came. Amon simply continued to watch her.
"You have proven yourself an exemplary member of the movement, and are quite gifted with chi blocking." Karin let out the breath that she had been holding and forced a smile hoping that she portrayed the young student, gleaming with happiness because she had finally received recognition.
"Thank you, sir," Karin replied, dipping her eyes to the floor demurely.
"I also noticed that you come into contact with the Avatar and her...friends quite frequently." Karin grimaced and wondered briefly if she had been wrong to assume that she was in the clear because of the praise, but something told her that Amon had brought up the Avatar for a different reason.
"Yes, sir. Unfortunately, the restaurant that I work with is a favorite of the earthbender," Karin replied, attempting to lace the word "earthbender" with an appropriate amount of disgust. Amon nodded before walking closer to Karin.
Her heart had been beating crazily throughout the exchange and began to beat faster as Amon drew near.
"That is good to hear," Amon said, and Karin looked incredulously back at him.
"Good, sir?" Karin questioned. Her fear remained, but her nervousness began to shift into confusion. Why would the leader of the Equalists think it was a good thing for one of his members to be in close contact with the Avatar? Unless...
"It seems that you are in a perfect position to keep an eye on the Avatar for me," he continued. Karin had to keep her mouth from opening in shock.
Chen had joked with her about being close to Bolin before, told her that Amon wouldn't need a little girl to run recon on the Avatar for him - and yet here she was, being asked by Amon himself to do just that. Karin would have laughed if she didn't have her heart in her throat with fear.
"Lieutenant has vouched for you and your history in Republic City has checked out. There is no reason for there to be issues of trust with you. Is there?" Amon asked.
"No, sir." Karin shook her head emphatically and Amon nodded before clasping his hands behind his back.
"Not only will you be watching the Avatar, but we feel that you could be a primary candidate for a position as a General," Amon said, a tone of finality in his voice. Karin couldn't believe what was happening. She had believed that she would walk in this building and never come out, or at the very least that she would lose her bending, but all Amon wanted to tell her was that she was being promoted within the order. Everything he was telling her was everything that she needed.
"I am honored to accept the position," Karin replied, bowing deeply in fake respect.
"We are glad to hear it." Amon placed a hand on the back of her head before Karin could rise and she tensed once more. "Do not disappoint us, Karin."
Karin rose and nodded her head. Amon walked around her and pulled the tarp aside and just like that, the house became empty and silent once again. It was almost as if the conversation had never happened. The only sign of Amon's presence was the large footprints that he had left in the layer of dust that coated the wooden floor.
Her heartbeat finally began to slow and Karin made her way slowly out of the building, her mind still whirling in disbelief.
She made her way back to Narook's slowly, her mind in a daze. The sky began to darken as night fell and the streets began to fill up. It was then that Karin realized that they were probably coming back from the Pro-Bending Tournament.
She began to tune back in to the conversations in an attempt to see what the results of the Quarter Finals were.
Snippets of conversation flowed back to her as she turned onto her street. By the time she got back to the restaurant she knew that the Fire Ferrets and the Wolfbats had advanced. It seemed that most citizens of Republic City couldn't be bothered with the other two teams that had made the cut.
She walked into the restaurant to find it completely packed, both Chihiro and Koji working hard to keep up with the orders. Though she wasn't one the schedule to be working, she grabbed an apron and began to help with the work load. The conversation with Amon didn't leave her mind as she worked and as soon as the crowd died down she made her way upstairs to write up a report to send to the Order of the White Lotus.
All of her reports were written in a simple code in the guise of a letter to her family with the most valuable information being written on a separate sheet of smaller paper in a cipher that coded each letter. The letters would be coded using a book on the history of the White lotus based on the page, line, and letter in that line. They used this format for important intelligence because anyone who intercepted to letter would be unable to break the code without knowing which book was needed to do so. Once each letter is decoded the message becomes clear.
It was considerably quieter as she made her way downstairs into the restaurant, but the sound of someone sobbing caught her attention. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she found Bolin sobbing into a bowl of Seaweed Noodles, and Chihiro awkwardly trying to comfort him.
Karin stopped in her tracks, hoping that neither of them had heard her footsteps. She didn't know if she could face Bolin right now, not after receiving orders from Amon to purposefully get close to him.
Unfortunately, Chihiro chose that moment to glance around her for a little backup and locked eyes with Karin. She made motions for Karin to come over and Karin held up a finger and mouthed "Just a sec."
Karin quickly made her way to Narook's office and placed the report in his pile of outgoing mail before making her way over to Bolin's booth.
It seemed like he was trying to tell Chihiro what had happened, but the story was indiscernible because of his sobbing.
Chihiro shot Karin a pained look as she patted his back. "I'm sure it wasn't all that bad?" She said, in an attempt to stop his tears, but this only made it worse.
"Bolin, what's wrong?" Karin asked, her heart constricting slightly at the sight of him. He had Seaweed Noodle juice splashed on his shirt, his face was red from crying, his eyes were puffy. She had never seen Bolin upset before, she was so used to seeing him happy and smiling that it almost seemed like he never got upset over anything. It had to be something big to make Bolin so inconsolable.
"Korra a-and Mako," he began, but broke down in another fit of sobs. Karin looked up at Chihiro as she slid into the booth across from him and Chihiro shrugged her shoulders. Bolin's pet fire ferret Pabu chirruped sadly in reply.
"Can you take care of him? I gotta head home before my mom sends the cops out to find me." Once Karin nodded in response, Chihiro grabbed her bag from the receptionist counter and made her way out of the restaurant.
"Bolin, come on, how am I supposed to help if you don't tell me what's wrong?" Karin asked him warmly, placing her hand gently on his. He looked up at her through his tears and wiped at his eyes.
"I-I-I saw Korra a-and Mako..." the tears began to flow again and Karin handed him the pile of napkins. "I saw them kissing!" He blurted out as he was wracked by more sobs and Karin grimaced.
She had seen some of the boys in the compound crying when they were younger, but had never seen one so close to adulthood in such a state. Most young men learned as they grew older that showing signs of "feminine" emotions, such as crying, were a sign of weakness and had been taught to suppress those emotions and avoid any actions that expressed those emotions.
It was a lesson that she herself had decided to learn. It was strange to see any man, let alone someone familiar, crying so openly. Karin thought absently to herself how refreshing it was to see a man so open, but it also made her a little uncomfortable. Bolin was extremely vulnerable and she wasn't entirely sure what she could do to help.
So Chihiro was right. Bolin liked Korra and he took their outing last night as a date, but Korra just wanted to be friends. Even worse, it looks like she has feelings for Mako.Karin hesitated before grabbing his hand firmly within hers and squeezing it reassuringly.
"You really like her, huh?" She asked, and she felt a little sad as she said it. Though she wasn't willing to admit her feelings openly to Chihiro, she knew deep down that she had affection for Bolin. She hated to see him upset and she definitely didn't like seeing him with someone else, but to see him sitting here heartbroken shifted her jealousy of Korra to a shared sadness. She didn't want to see him with Korra, but she didn't want his heart broken either.
He nodded his head in response and dabbed at his tears with the napkins, his sobs subsiding. "She's just so cool and strong, like me. I thought we would be perfect together. I...I didn't think she would like Mako," he finished, lowering his head dejectedly. "I guess I should've seen it coming. Everybody loves Mako."
"Hey now," Karin replied, squeezing his hand again. "You've got your own following, you make sure to let everyone here know all about your fangirls," she joked and Bolin's frown lifted to become a weak smile in response. "Any girl would be lucky to have you."
"So why not Korra?" It seemed that he was determined to exhaust every avenue as to why no one wanted him. It reminded Korra of the time that she had comforted Eri after one of his girlfriends had dumped him.
"Well, sometimes the person that you like doesn't like you back the same way. It hurts, but would you rather her pretend that she feels the same?" Bolin shook his head. "It sucks, but it's better to be with someone who genuinely likes you back, than with someone who's pretending." He sniffled and Karin gave his hand one last squeeze before pulling back and putting her hand in her lap.
She couldn't help the feeling of guilt that rose as she gave Bolin this advice. She felt as if any interactions with Bolin from this point on could be seen as having an ulterior motive. If he somehow found out that she was a general in the Equalists movement he would feel that she had betrayed him.
How can I talk about her pretending to like him when I have been asked to do exactly the same thing? she asked herself.
"I guess you're right," he replied as he wiped his face one last time with the napkins. He went to take a bite of his noodles only to notice that his bowl was empty. He looked up sheepishly at her and before he could ask Karin was already standing.
"I'll see if Haku had the forethought to make another bowl up for you before he left," she said.
Bolin chuckled softly and it seemed like that small sound and his weary smile lit up the room. "Thanks."
When she peeked her head around the partition to the kitchen she not only found a bowl of seaweed noodles, but also a tiny bowl for Pabu. They were a bit cold from sitting out, but Bolin was happy to eat them anyway.
Karin headed up the stairs for bed and looked back one last time to see Bolin tearing into the seaweed noodles with gusto. He was still sad about Korra, but it seemed to Karin that he would get through it.
Narook passed her on the way up and reassured her that he would look out for him.
As Karin began to get ready for bed, she kept an ear open for Bolin to make sure that he wasn't reverting back to the hysterical sobbing from earlier
A part of her began to wish that she had not accepted Amon's mission. It would have been easy enough to be a double agent, almost all members of the Order had trained for occasions where it would be necessary, if not helpful. to do so. However, to be asked to keep tabs on Bolin and to get closer to him as a way to give Amon intelligence on Korra left a bad taste in her mouth. She realized that it would be one thing to get close to a stranger and a completely different, and harder, task to get closer to someone who she wanted to get closer to on her own terms.
"And this is exactly why spies aren't supposed to develop feelings with someone when they are on a mission." Karin said to herself before rolling over with a frustrated sigh.
The next day marked Karin's first day as a General in the Equalist movement. As such, it would be Karin's first time entering the generals' meeting in the upstairs room of the headquarters. When she walked into the room she found herself feeling a little bit disappointed.
The room was small and sparsely furnished. A long square table filled up most of the floor space, there were three chairs on either side and one at the head of the table on the side opposite the door. Karin assumed that this chair was for Amon or possibly Lieutenant if Amon didn't attend the meeting.
Equalist propaganda lined most of the walls, but one whole wall was covered by a detailed map of the city.
All of the other generals had arrived already and were seated at the table. They all smiled at Karin welcomingly as she took the empty seat closest to the door. Karin knew the faces of all of the generals; most of them wore their uniforms, but very rarely wore their masks. It was this tradition that led Karin to leave her mask behind as well. It was risky to let them all see her face, but once Amon had left that note in her room she knew that any attempts at hiding her identity were moot.
"Congratulations Karin! Lieutenant told us about your promotion yesterday," the man next to Karin said, clapping a hand on her shoulder. It was then that she recognized him as the general that had agreed to spar with her the previous day. "Can't believe that it took them this long to see your potential."
"Thank you." Karin replied with a smile. The room suddenly became very silent and Karin glanced toward the door to find Amon and Lieutenant waiting patiently. All of the generals rose from their seats and stood at attention. Karin was just a second behind them.
"You may all be seated." Amon said as he made his way to the head of the table, Lieutenant close on his heels to sit at his right hand. "As most of you know we have a very important event coming up soon."
"The Pro-Bending Finals?" One of the men asked, and Amon nodded in confirmation.
"So, what are we planning?" The man next to me asked.
"We are going to attack," Amon replied matter-of-factly. Karin had to suppress a gasp. Up until this point the Equalists had been a completely underground movement. If they were planning to attack the Pro-Bending Finals it would bring their organization to a whole new level. Not to mention that if the Fire Ferrets made it to the finals that would mean that the Avatar would be in the cross-airs.
The other gentlemen leaned forward expectantly, eager to hear what the plan would entail.
"I will make a proclamation to the city warning them to close the arena. If everything goes according to plan, they will keep the arena open and increase the security around the event." Amon continued.
"What do you mean, if everything goes according to plan?" Karin spoke up and all of the men turned to look at her.
"They could choose to heed my warning or ignore it. It is our hope that they will ignore us. To have us successfully attack with the increased security will show the city that we are a force to be reckoned with." Lieutenant replied and everyone nodded in agreement.
"If they allow the arena to remain open and proceed with the Pro-Bending Finals, we will attack once the winner has been proclaimed. And I will personally relieve them of their impurities." Amon finished. The men all smiled conspiratorially. It took Karin a moment to get past her feelings about this plan. Once she was in control of herself, she flashed a smile to match the men around her.
Karin's mind began to race with all of the possible things that could go wrong should the Equalists succeed with this plan. Not only would they be putting a sizeable amount of the community in danger, but if the Fire Ferrets won the tournament there would a big possibility of Korra, Mako, and Bolin losing their bending. Was this the moment Amon had spoken to Korra about? Is this why he hadn't taken her bending at Aang Memorial Island? Had he saved her so that he could make a public example of her?
The anger that she had kept buried within her ever since the Revelation began to boil to the surface. She had to consciously keep her smile from turning into a scowl. What makes these men think that a world without benders will solve all of their problems? Who gave them the belief that bending is an impurity?
Karin wished that she could explain to them that not every bender saw their gift as a tool to be used or a weapon to wield against others. She had been bending as long as she could remember and had always viewed the ability as an extension of herself. Her bending was a substantial piece of her identity. To take that away from someone was cruel and almost the equivalent of taking their life.
The haunted face of Lightning Bolt Zolt rose from her memory and she realized that no matter what she thought, these men would do what they believed was right. No, not what they believe is right. What Amon has told them is right.
She looked up at the leader of these people and suddenly wondered who was behind that mask. Was he even who he said he was? Did he really believe in the movement or did he simply want the power that came from rallying a group of people to follow him?
"Kaito, how is the training progressing?" Amon looked at the man to his left.
"They have almost mastered the tech. I'm sure that they will be ready for the Tournament," he said. Karin realized that he must be the man training the new recruits on how to use the energized gloves that their secret benefactor had provided.
"Provided they are ready, we will place them throughout the audience to incapacitate the security guards," Amon replied.
"I'm sure they will be honored," Kaito said, bowing his head respectfully.
"Does anyone other matters to discuss?" Lieutenant asked. Everyone shook their heads in response, and Amon began to rise from the table.
"Then our meeting is adjourned," he said. Everyone rose in unison as Amon made his way towards the door. "Meet here tomorrow afternoon to prepare. You will all make a stand with me at the Tournament."
All of the generals nodded, and Karin joined them. Soon Lieutenant and Amon were gone, and the generals were back to talking about different matters. They tried to draw Karin into the conversation, but her mind was preoccupied.
She had to warn someone. Sure, Amon would be warning everyone over the airwaves come morning, but Karin could not sit around and do nothing in the meantime. It was clear that Amon assumed that the city council would leave the arena open. Karin decided that she had to get to someone and warn them that if they left the arena open, they would be playing right into Amon's hands.
It was that thought that led to Karin's abrupt departure from the meeting room.
She changed out of her Equalist uniform in the alcove of the sewers that had become her changing room. She stealthily made her way onto the streets and back to Narook's. As soon as she arrived she made her way back up to her room and opened the trunk at the end of her bed.
She stashed the uniform into the trunk and pulled out the street clothes she frequently used when she needed to remain hidden within plain sight. The last item she grabbed was a black cloak with a large hood. She placed this cloak in a bag. The hat that she normally used to cover her face would do nothing once she was inside the building, and she couldn't risk exposing who she was.
Karin made her way through the city, making sure to be extremely aware of her surroundings. She couldn't have Amon's watchmen on her tail as she made this little trip. They would find their way back to him faster than she could find safety and being taken before Amon as a traitor after being promoted would ruin everything that she had gained through this mission.
The streets were dark. Small halos of light emanating from the lamps in the area and the soft glow from the buildings along the street were the only sources of light in the darkness. As the streets converged in front of City Hall, Karin silently hoped that he would still be there, despite the late hours.
Once inside the building she found a dark alcove and pulled the cloak out to cover herself. Satisfied with her disguise, Karin made her way down the halls of the building until she reached the door of the person she was looking for. A plaque next to the door read Councilman Tenzin.
A soft glow flowed into the hallway from the room, and Karin sighed softly with relief. He was still there. She wouldn't have to secretly find her way to Air Temple Island to warn him.
She knocked loudly three times and retreated down the hallway into the dark shadows. She could hear Tenzin's footsteps as he approached the door and opened it. For a moment he looked confused, but she saw his eyes widen as he found her figure in the darkness.
His expression changed and he took an airbending stance, preparing for a fight.
Karin held up a hand to stop him. "Please. I'm here to warn you."
"Who are you?" He asked, remaining in the stance.
"I believe you already know the answer to that, councilman Tenzin." Karin replied, keeping her voice that octave lower that she had used on Aang Memorial Island.
His eyes widened slightly as realization dawned on him. "You're the one that helped Korra," he began as he stood up straighter. He began to take steps towards her, but Karin held her hand up again. He stopped.
"Yes, and I come here again for her sake." Karin lowered her hand and dipped her head slightly so that the hood would cover more of her features. "Amon is planning an attack."
Tenzin became immediately alarmed at the mention of Amon. He almost looked as if he was going to run out of City Hall that moment to protect Korra.
"Be calm; it is not happening now. Tomorrow. During the Pro-Bending Finals." Karin began, Tenzin became less tense, but his body was still stick straight and rigid. "He will make his proclamation in the morning, telling the council to close the arena. You must do what he says. If you let the arena remain open you will be doing exactly what he wants."
Tenzin let out a small sigh of relief. "If he warns the council to close the arena, I assure you that we will. Amon poses too much of a threat for us to not heed his warning."
"You are sure?" Karin asked and Tenzin nodded. "Then my duty here is done. Though I warn you, if you keep the arena open you will not just be risking the safety of the citizens of Republic City, but potentially the Avatar as well, should her team make it to the finals."
Tenzin nodded in understanding. "I just heard over the radio that the finals will be between the Wolfbats and the Fire Ferrets."
Karin grimaced. This was the exact thing that she had been worried about. "Then you must make sure that the arena stays closed. Do not fail."
"Who are you?" He repeated, walking towards her again. This time Karin backed away, further into the shadows.
"I cannot risk you truly knowing who I am. You must trust me. I have been sent to make sure that she is safe," Karin replied. Tenzin stopped and smiled.
"Well, then I must thank you," he said.
"Why?" Karin asked.
"I could use all the help I can get in keeping her safe," he finished before turning his back on Karin and heading back towards his office.
"You're welcome," Karin said softly as she headed down the halls of the building and out into the city again.
Thank you again for taking the time to read this story. As always reviews are much appreciated, whether they be praise or criticism, so don't be afraid to tell me what you think! I hope that you all enjoyed the chapter. Have a wonderful week.
-ClassicCrime