Welcome back, everyone. We are now heading into Book 2 of Blacklight Avatar. While the world isn't completely different to the show, there are a few changes that have happened since Blackwatch attacked. Everybody is scrambling to grab as much of their tech as possible, especially the guns. Plenty of people are willing to pay the moon to get their hands on some guns, so that they can disassemble them and learn how to build even more. Their helicopters have been salvaged by Future Industries and Cabbage Corp, with a few new businesses springing up to be the first to remake them. It's only through infighting and police raids that have stopped people from making successful prototypes. All they can get are faulty flintlocks, and there aren't many who want to use a weapon that could literally blow up in your face. Also, Alex has had some time to calm down and enjoy some peace, so he's going to be a bit more mellow in this story. And by mellow, I mean he won't rip someone's head off for looking at him funny. Blacklight Avatar is about both Korra and Alex getting some character development.
So let's begin, and enjoy the show.
Chapter 10: What Nameless Shapes Lurk Even Now?
Captain Uchikawa sighed deeply, blowing out a ring of smoke from the pipe he was sucking on. This was definitely the most profitable trip he's made in years. They were out on the ocean with not a single officer in sight. With no one at all in sight. Perfect when you're smuggling dangerous contraband. As long as they kept a good eye out for anything unusual, things shouldn't go wrong.
That is, as long as the crew stopped messing with the goods.
"Can you believe people are willing to pay for this junk?" One of the cabin boys scoffed as he held onto a rifle. "It's weak, it's tiny, it won't help against a sword, and the things it fires are way too small. I mean, what are they hunting? Fleas?"
"If you had been in Republic City when Blackwatch and the Equalists had tried to take over, you wouldn't be laughing." Another crew member said angrily as he snatched the weapon away. "I saw just one guy kill at least 7 benders with one of these. You couldn't even see the ammo flying it was so fast." He shook his head. "With just a few of these babies, you could take on a force at least 5 times your size, and all without having to get close. I'm telling you, these are going to revolutionise war as we know it."
"Still sounds like bull to me. There's no way one of these clunky things could ever beat a fine bow and arrow." He stopped talking and looked inside the case again. "And what use is that big round thing? A club? Or does it fire some bigger things at people?"
"Don't touch it." Uchikawa barked, startling the two shipmates. "The big ones can crack open a wall like a walnut shell. They're some kind of explosive launching device. If either of you morons so much as touch one of them, I'll throw you overboard. Am I clear?" The two looked everywhere except at him. "Someone out there is willing to pay 150 Yuans per rifle, and I am not missing out on that because you two are busy arguing. Now, get that lid back on and keep a lookout for ships. I don't want to find that the law crept up on us while we were arguing." Wilting under his fierce expression, the two workers silently put the rifles back and nailed down the lid.
"You can act like they're nothing, but they represent how much our world's changed." The big worker, Chan, said as he looked out over the port side. "We actually got invaded by guys from another world. A world without any bending. And they've got tech far more advanced than we ever had. And now we're distributing their stuff to anyone with enough money. I bet you that in a year, everything will be completely unrecognisable."
"Will you quit going on about that Chan?" Tomi replied. "This is nothing. In a year, everyone will dump this worthless crap and go back to what works. If this was so great, then how come they're all dead and we're still here?" Tomi heard a loud splash, and turned in time to see a giant tentacle grabbing Chan. He only had time to scream before it pulled him under. "Holy Spirits! What is that thing?!"
"There's more of them!" Another worker screamed, trying to fend it off with a crowbar. His feeble attacks barely held it at bay, before a second tentacle slammed into him from behind.
"We're under attack!" Uchikawa shouted, ducking under a blow as he scurried for cover. He headed straight for one of the bins, only to find Tomi already prying it open. He grabbed one of the rifles and tried to pull on the trigger, only for the rifle to refuse to work. Uchikawa ripped it from his hands and flicked the 'safety', before ripping holes into the tentacles. "Don't just stand there Tomi. Grab another weapon and start blasting!"
"I tried! The piece of crap wouldn't work!" He was scrabbling through the cargo, throwing weapons aside for something that worked.
"There's a switch on the side. You've gotta flick that before you can use it." His gun clicked loudly, forcing him to grab one of the fruit-shaped items packaged with it and push another button. The empty ammo dropped, allowing him to slap a full one in its place. While he was fumbling around, the tentacles had healed over and moved closer. "Tomi! Use something already!"
"I've got one!" Tomi shouted excitedly. Uchikawa turned slightly to see him handling one of the rockets in the crate. And he was pointing it too close.
"No, you fool! You'll kill us…" He didn't get to finish, as the idiot opened fire at point blank range. The explosion severed the tentacle, but there was nothing left of either of the smugglers. The water around the boat glowed a vibrant purple, before the air was rended by a loud drone and a purple beam pierced the sky.
When it was over, there was nothing left of the ship or its crew.
Meanwhile, in Republic City, the streets were just as quiet. Most people had retired for the night, content to a good night's sleep after a hard day's work.
But there were always some who refused to play by the rules.
Several people were woken up by the squealing of tires as a truck rounded a corner and nearly flattened some trash cans, before swerving away down the road. Behind them was a single man on a motorcycle, wearing a Metal-Bending Police badge. His sirens showed that he meant business.
But the truck continued to try and escape. As they moved onto a long straight road, the back doors opened up. One man bended water from several buckets, using his bending to turn it into mist. The officer saw that the other man had a rifle in his hands, and he clearly knew how to use it. Scowling, the officer was forced to dodge as the man opened fire with the rifle, the air filled with bullets and the sound of gunfire. Still undeterred, the officer drove down a side street, letting the men think they scared him off. Spotting some old planks leaning on top of boxes, he used his firebending to push the front of his bike onto the planks, letting him drive up and onto the roof. Spotting the truck below, He threw a fire punch at the engine, scorching the front of the cab and causing it to swerve. The men in the back spotted him, and started attacking again with their weapons. The officer yelled as water froze under his wheels, causing him to skid and nearly fall off the roof. Thinking fast, he let himself slide off and fall back to the road, ending up side by side with the truck. He revved his engine, moving forward enough to aim for the engine again. This time, it was a direct hit. The truck swerved and skidded until it fell on its side and crashed into a lamppost. The three men inside the truck crawled out of it as flames sparked from the engine, running away as the rifles in the back started exploding. They nearly crashed into the officer, falling onto their butts as they tried to stop. He took his helmet off to reveal a familiar firebending Probending champ.
"Let's see. Smuggling illegal weapons; attempted assault of an officer; resisting arrest; disturbing citizens. You guys aren't looking too good right now. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when Chief Beifong gets her hands on you."
"On the plus side, you made disposing of those weapons so much easier."
Mako was right. He wouldn't want to have been those guys. Beifong got as close as the law allowed her to giving out some police brutality. The three smugglers were crying and snivelling before her fury. He turned to see a couple of other officers using their Metalbending to open up the truck and take it apart, pulling charred and damaged rifles from the burnt out wreckage. They then crumpled them up and threw them into another truck, where they would be sent to various industrial companies to be smelted down.
"…And if I ever catch you three smuggling again, I'll make sure to lock you all up and throw away the key! Now, get them out of my sight!" Mako wiped the smirk off his face as he heard Beifong step up to him. Despite all that shouting, her expression was calm and professional. "How's the clean up going, Officer Mako?"
"It's going great. No discharges. No explosions. And as far as I could tell, no one's reported any injuries from that firefight. Some people are complaining about me driving on their roofs, but that's the price you pay."
"Outstanding work then. Good job. We might just be making a dent in the gun running trade." She sighed. "Though I seriously doubt it. Just how many weapons did they bring with them?"
"Hard to say. I'd guess maybe enough for an army, but Alex showed that even that's not going to do much to him. So, probably enough for two or three armies." When Blackwatch went down, Alex helped point out as many secret bases and stockpiles as he knew about. But since he didn't get to 'talk' to their leader, they might've still be bases he didn't know about. And plenty of the Equalists who escaped arrest managed to find them and attempt to go on revenge sprees. Without Korra's help, they could've killed a lot of people. The Police were reasonably sure that they found and destroyed all their bases, but there were already too many guns out on the streets.
And the worse part was that no one had a clue just how dangerous they could be.
"Well, I guess the best we can do is keep hassling the smugglers. Sooner or later we've got to find every last weapon Blackwatch brought with them. Just as long as they don't have any more of those bombs lying around somewhere." She shuddered as she remembered the sheer force from the bomb Alex had flown out to see, remembered the fiery wall that nearly reached Republic City. If even Alex treated one of those things with care, then they should be terrified of it. "Has anyone been to check the warehouse they came from?"
"Not yet. I'll get a few others to come with me and round up what's left. And after that, I need to start getting ready for my holiday."
"Ah right. A whole week of you and Korra having a blast at the South Pole." Beifong smirked. "Have fun, kiddo." Mako nodded, looking out towards Air Temple Island. He still couldn't believe it. To think they were actually dating. Him and the Avatar.
Life was looking good right about now.
(The Next Day)
Air Temple Island is usually a quiet and peaceful place, where one could meditate on their place in the world and enjoy the stunning view of Republic City. Right now though, it was finding itself the location of a race to prove who the greatest Airbender on the Island is. A couple of monks had to quickly move their game of Pai Sho as Avatar Korra and Tenzin's children blasted past them on their air scooters, while Pema suddenly found herself spinning dizzily as they rushed past, her new son Rohan giggling with excitement. The race was split between two groups, with Korra and Ikki neck-in-neck for first place, while Jinora and Meelo struggled for third. But no matter what Korra threw at her, Ikki remained just out of her reach, clearly the favourite for first. They turned the last corner, the finish line standing before them. Ikki smirked, confident in her win.
She was then very surprised to see Korra blazing past her, her eyes glowing white as she entered the Avatar State. Korra speeded through the gate, Uncle Bumi coughing from the dust as he waved his flag. Ikki came a close second, while Meelo had to settle for last.
"The Avatar is the winner!" He shouted joyfully, excited by the close win and the energy of the race. Korra jumped off her air scooter and landed heavily, triumph all over her face. Ikki landed next to her, frustration straining hers.
"No fair." She whined. "You can't use the Avatar State to win." Korra responded by sticking her tongue out at the younger girl.
"You did what!?" Tenzin startled them, having heard Ikki complaining. "Korra, the Avatar State is not a toy to be used as a booster rocket. You are messing around with a dangerous power that you clearly do not fully appreciate."
Korra scoffed. "It's the Avatar State, and I'm the Avatar. Who'd appreciate it more than me?"
"Clearly you still need more training to better grasp the depths of your spiritual connection, not to mention that you've got a long way before you've fully mastered Airbending."
"I have mastered Airbending." She laughed. "Watch." She punched out at the trees by the gate, the air blasting leaves from the branches in clumps. "See? Mastered."
"Looks pretty good to me." Bumi said as he watched her in action. Tenzin sighed.
"Is it too late for you to 'unretire' from the United Forces?"
"Sorry Tenzin. The paperwork's already been done. From now on, it's 24/7 Bumi time. Besides, I want to meet this Alex Mercer who saved the city. We didn't really talk that much when I got here before."
"Alex has always been a loner. Just give him time, and I'll bet that you'll be best buds." Korra said, waving her arms around. Tenzin's eyes were drawn to her left arm. The one that Amon had sliced off, and Alex had replaced with his own matter.
The one whose fingers were now crooked and unresponsive.
"You've mastered Korra style Airbending, not real Airbending. Hopefully our visits to the Air Temples will help you fully master it. And it would be even more likely if you went to see a doctor about your arm."
"Whoa, hold on Tenzin." Korra replied, looking nervous. "There's nothing wrong with my arm. I'm perfectly fine. Nothing to bother a doctor about."
"Korra, I know you're nervous about the doctor discovering what your arm's made of. But Alex has hidden as a human for months before Blackwatch found him back where he's from. There shouldn't be any way for the doctor to realise something as ludicrous as a walking weapon gave you his arm."
"Really Tenzin, I'm fine."
"Oh? Then move your fingers." Korra stood there, looking at the ground. "It can't be good for you to have a faulty hand."
"I'll wait for Alex to get back here. He said he was going to get back today for the trip to the South Pole. He's definitely going to be more helpful than any doctor." Tenzin sighed, but he's lived with Korra long enough to know when she wasn't going to budge.
"We should bring Alex with us to the temples." Ikki said. "He could really use some peace and quiet. He might be able to show us some really cool stuff from his world, like satomobiles and booming things and that weird box-thing."
"You've tried to look at it, haven't you?" Korra asked her.
"She has." Jinora answered. "But luckily, all she gets is a weird box with strange writing. Maybe you need to write a password or something."
"Why do you guys want to look at it so badly? You can't even read English. It'd be useless to you guys."
"But you can read English." Ikki noted. "You could tell us what's all that stuff is about."
"No." Tenzin said. "You are not rifling through Alex's… laptop." He sighed again. "Who knows what is on that strange device?"
"Ok everyone." Pema shouted as she got closer, monks carrying large bags following her. "I've got everything packed for the trip. Korra, are you all set?"
She nodded. "I just need to 'rescue' Alex's laptop from Ikki before we go."
"Already taken care of. I even remembered to have it placed inside a case before we packed it." Pema passed Korra her bag. "And Bumi, your packing is very well done. Hard to believe you're a bit of a wild man."
"You get that sort of stuff drilled into you at boot camp. Anyone who doesn't have a clean pack is made to scrub out the showers. With a nailbrush. That's the kind of thing you only do once." Bumi explained.
"Lovely. Once we're finished at the Southern Water Tribe, I'll make sure to have your bag loaded with the rest of our stuff. And of course you're coming." She gave Tenzin a look, letting him know she wasn't going to hear anything different from him. Tenzin stared at her and Bumi in horror before sighing, his eye twitching.
"Wonderful." He muttered.
Asami breathed deeply as she exited her satomobile at the port, taking in the salty air. It felt good to finally get to go outside again. Barring the times she tested out several Future Industries vehicles, she had been stuck in an office every day, trying to undo the damage her father caused. But no matter how much she tried, no matter how polite she was, no matter how much she tried to juggle the numbers, there was no way to deny the drop in sales. No one wanted to deal with them. No one wanted to supply them, and no one wanted to buy from them. Thanks to her father, the Sato name was mud. In fact, many of their workers had left to find jobs elsewhere, leaving only the very loyal and the very desperate.
If she didn't do something to change things around, Future Industries was going to go bankrupt before the month was over.
She perked up a bit when she spotted Korra by the boat they were taking, looking around and watching the sky. Asami knew she was probably looking for Alex, though given that he was a shapeshifter he could be right next to her and she wouldn't know. She winced a bit as she saw her damaged arm. Even if it wasn't crippled, the fact that it wasn't actual flesh and blood nauseated her. To have a virus grafted onto you… It just didn't seem right.
"Hey Korra." She greeted her. "You do realise you look a bit silly circling like that, right?" Korra spun round as she heard Asami's voice. Her face froze a little before she smiled back. Asami knew why she was like that. She and Mako were now dating. Before, it had been Asami and Mako, perfect for each other. But his attraction to Korra was just too much. Korra was probably worried that Asami blamed her for taking him away.
But she could never blame her. It wasn't her fault that Mako liked her more.
"Asami. It's so great to see you." They gave each other a hug, Asami perfectly aware of how much stronger Korra was. "I didn't realise you were coming to the Glacier Spirits Festival."
"Well, the Festival is a nice little bonus. I'm actually coming along because Varrick of Varrick Global Industries. I'm hoping that he could help Future Industries out."
"Oh, right. Yeah. That whole… you know." She looked nervous before clearing her throat. "I'm sure it'll work out great for you."
"Yeah. I hope it does." She couldn't stop some of the pain from entering her voice. She decided to change topics. "So when do the boys get here?"
"Soon, hopefully. Mako said that they needed to sort out the rent before they left. Right now, I'm just more worried about Alex not showing up in time. Maybe he got impatient, and he's waiting at the South Pole already." She was so deep in thought that she didn't seem to hear people shouting as a giant black dragon came flying down onto the boat. It rocked and dipped a bit before settling, the dragon pacing a bit as it tested out the boat. "Or maybe he's still hunting down Blackwatch members out in the middle of the Earth Kingdom." The dragon started shrinking, its scales turning into a liquid and flowing towards the docks like a river. "Or maybe he's forgotten all about it."
Asami chuckled. "Or maybe he's standing right behind you." Korra turned, startled to see Alex standing right up close. He had flowed towards an alleyway before coming back out as himself, probably to avoid more attention. "That wasn't the most subtle landing there, Alex."
He shrugged. "Yeah. Had to make sure the boat could handle my weight. I've had a real chow down while I was gone." There was something different about him. He was still scary, still colder than ice. But he seemed to have loosened a bit. Before, it was like he was ready to kill anything that looked at him funny. Now, it was like he deigned the presence of others. He held himself more loosely, like he wasn't wound up so tight.
Maybe spending 6 months not worrying about being hunted down and destroyed did him some good.
"So Korra. What's with your hand? Alex asked, pointing towards her mangled fingers. Korra laughed nervously, holding it behind her back.
"Yeah, about that. Well, a few weeks ago, I was just doing stuff when it stopped working properly. I can get some movement occasionally, but after that it gets even worse. Could you fix it up for me?" Alex held onto her hand, squeezing it gently as he did his thing. Asami could see Korra's skin writhing under his fingers, and only his fingers. It stopped moving, and he looked at Korra funnily.
"What kind of stuff were you doing, exactly?" He asked her.
"We found a few Equalists who hadn't gotten the memo about being beaten, and were trying to make a comeback. I got in a fight with them, and I knocked around their heads. And I think I accidently punched the wall while fighting them."
"Well there's your problem. Your hand's broken. And from the looks of it, you've been breaking it over and over again when you start moving it." He frowned, and one of his fingers grew sharper. He poked the center of Korra's palm. "Did you feel that?"
"No. I didn't." He moved up her arm, poking around the elbow.
"How about that?"
"Still nothing." He moved higher, until his hand was on her shoulder.
"Now?"
"Still nothing."
"What about this?" He poked her in the stomach, Korra moving away as he did so.
"Ow. Yeah, I felt that."
"Hmm. I must've gotten something wrong while I was recreating your nervous system. That's probably why you didn't realise you'd broken it. Why didn't you go to a doctor about it?"
"I… I was worried he might realise it isn't a normal arm anymore." Korra replied nervously. Alex sighed. A simple act that made him seem so much more human than before.
"There's nothing 'abnormal' about your arm. Blacklight is capable of mimicking your DNA so perfectly even your own body won't be able to notice any difference. For all intents and purposes, that is your arm."
Korra hung her head in embarrassment. "Sorry Alex. I didn't fully realise that."
"Yeah well, now you know." He placed his hand on her arm. "I'll fix the damage and reconnect your nervous system. But this might be painful."
"Painful? How painful?" Her question was answered as she fell to her knees, face screwed up in pain and groaning through gritted teeth.
"About as painful as breaking your hand." Alex replied. After a few seconds he helped Korra to her feet, letting her pant in pain. "There. The damage is all healed over, and everything should be working properly this time. Just remember that your arm isn't superhuman right now. It's just a regular arm."
"Right. I understand." She panted. Korra took a deep breath as she spotted Mako and Bolin approaching them.
"Whoa. Hey Alex. Man, is it great to see you again." Bolin greeted Alex cheerfully. Mako smiled, but there was still a bit of bitterness to it. "Man, it's been ages since we last saw you. You look… completely the same. Hey, are you maybe interested in joining the Fire Ferrets? Cause we kinda need a good player on our team. We're kinda stuck in a losing streak right now."
"No interested." Alex shot him down. He walked over to where some of the Air Temple Monks were placing all the luggage and picked up most of them, carrying them onboard for them. Shaking her head, Korra led the others on board after him. The boat dipped suddenly under his weight, startling the captain again.
"So, what have you been doing these past months?" Korra asked him as he headed down into the hold. "I wouldn't think that hunting down Blackwatch would take you 6 months to do."
"You're right." He shouted back. "Even with hiding, I still found them all in only a month. After that, I figured it might be good to see more of this world myself instead of someone's memories." He came back up and dusted off his hands. "I've been everywhere now. From the dusty deserts of the Earth Kingdom, to the iron cities of the Fire Nation. I even had a look at some of the old places that were destroyed during the Hundred Year War."
"Really? And… you're ok with what you saw?" For some reason, Korra was alarmed that he decided to explore. Asami wasn't too sure why. He wouldn't have stuck out any more than Korra would've.
"Yeah. I'm fine with it. Fighting is just in human nature, and nothing's going to change it. I got a bit pissed about what the Fire Nation did, but luckily Lord Zuko managed to make up for quite a lot of it. All in all, this world isn't much different from home in how people act. Guess I just gotta get used to that. What about you guys? What's been going on here since I left? I heard on the radio about how Korra's been restoring peoples' bending, and a new guy is now President of Republic City. But that's all really."
"Eh, not much to talk about. Asami's been really busy trying to fix Future Industries reputation. Bolin's stuck around with Probending, despite a few setbacks. And well, Mako and I are now dating." Korra said, after breathing a sigh of relief.
"Hey Korra. Your arm's been fixed." Bolin noted. "So what was wrong with it? Was it rebelling against you or something?"
"Nothing like that Bolin. I just broke my hand when I punched that wall by mistake."
"While I recreated the nervous system in her arm, the connection to the rest of her system didn't work right. She couldn't feel anything, so she didn't realise what she had done to her arm." He punched her lightly in the arm, causing her to wince. "So, you said you and Mako are dating now?"
"Yeah. We've had a few off days, but things are good between us." She looked as Asami, probably still nervous about talking like that around her. Alex stepped closer, until he was right in Mako's face.
"Good. Because if you hurt Korra, I'm going to clean my teeth with your entrails." He turned to face Korra. "That's what a friend does, right? Make sure the boyfriend doesn't do anything to hurt you? At least, that what my memories tell me fathers did for their daughters."
"Close enough, I guess." Korra laughed. And knowing Alex, he probably didn't see anything wrong about saying things like that. "Come on. I want to know more about what you did. There's no way you could've gone all over and not cause some problems."
Alex smiled. "I like to think of it as solving problems. There at least 10 roads in the Earth Kingdom that are now bandit-free." They walked away, Alex regaling Korra with tales of things he had killed and/or destroyed while exploring the world.
As much as she hated to admit it, things certainly were livelier with Alex around.
Everyone at the docks watched in surprise as their ship bobbed upwards when Alex stepped off it. He kept forgetting that he was significantly heavier than normal people, no matter how heavy he looked. He was rather surprised his feet weren't going through the dock already. Jinora, Ikki and Meelo ran around him towards a grey-haired tall lady standing next to Katara, hugging and greeting her. She gave Tenzin a playful punch on the shoulder, smiling at him. She must be his older sister, Kya.
"It's always great to see that family again, am I right Alex?" Bumi asked as he punched Alex in the shoulder. Alex wouldn't really know. The only family he has hates him for being a monster. He doubted that she wanted anything to do with him anymore. "Hey, why don't you use your cool powers to startle somebody, liven up this dull greeting."
Alex smiled. "Alright then. One big distraction, coming up." Bumi yelped as Alex gave him a push, flying away and splashing into the water. He chuckled as Katara and Kya Waterbended Bumi out of the drink. "You're right, Bumi. That did liven this place up." He kept walking until he was near Korra, where she was smirking at him. "What? Bumi asked me to make things interesting. He was the closest target."
"I'll bet he was. Alex, you remember my dad, right?" He did. Korra's father, Tonraq, was a large man, on par with an Orion. He gave Alex a cold look, but the twitching of his mouth gave the game away.
"I certainly hope you and Mako here haven't been getting my daughter into any trouble." Tonraq said sternly.
"They haven't, sir." Bolin replied, stepping in. "Alex has actually been a real big help. Especially when Korra…" He yelped as Alex nudged him with his elbow, pushing him aside by several feet.
"Hey Alex, Bolin. Check out that big ship coming in." Mako said, grabbing them both by the shoulder. "Let's get a better view of it, somewhere closer." He waited until they were further away before hissing at Bolin. "What were you thinking? You can't just blurt that kind of stuff out."
"What?" Bolin asked defensively. "I was just going to tell him how replaced Korra's arm."
"And how did you think he'd react to learning that Korra actually lost an arm because of Amon and Alex grafted a monster arm to her? We'd be lucky if he lets us anywhere near her anymore."
"I highly doubt that." Alex replied, pretending to be interested in the ship coming in. In truth it was too gaudy for his liking, and he had seen bigger and more impressive ships while in the Fire Nation. "Korra's not the kind of person to let anyone tell her who she can or can't see."
"Yeah, we've noticed. But I get the feeling that Korra's more likely to listen to her dad than anyone else. At least, that's what I'd do."
"Mako, you'd listen to your father because it would mean you'd have a father. Plenty of my memories show that kids are pretty rebellious around their parents, no matter how much they love each other." Mako glared at him, but didn't argue. Instead, they watched the guards marching down the ramp, Korra stepping alongside them. In between the guards were three people wearing long flowing Water Tribe robes. At the head was a tall, thin man with greasy looking dark hair, followed by two people around Korra's age. Even with his knowledge of gender identity, it still took him a while to recognise that one was male and the other was female. Half-Identical twins. He always figured they were a figment. And from what Korra was saying to Bolin, he still hadn't figured it out.
"Come on. We're supposed to be with my dad." Korra said, dragging them back along to stand by Tonraq. Alex fidgeted under all the scrutiny. He was used to being overlooked, ignored. Being in the centre of attention meant that he was fighting something and everyone was trying to kill him. He had to quash down his instinct of just running away and hiding, or killing everyone within range.
"Avatar Korra, Avatar Alex. It is an honour to meet you both." The chief said, bowing to them. Korra bowed back, while Alex just nodded his head. The guards looked a bit shocked that he would be so informal. The chief turned to face Tonraq, and his warm expression turned cold. "Tonraq."
Tonraq was even less welcoming. "Brother. I'm so glad you could deign to grace us all with your presence."
"As Chief of the Northern Water Tribe, it is customary for me to be present at the Glacier Spirits Festival. And I seem to have a calming effect with the spirits, as you should know. Now, aren't you going to show us around your fair village?" Tonraq took a deep breath, as though he was trying to control his temper, before leading Unalaq and his children towards town.
"I hate that guy." Alex said.
"You seem to hate anyone in a position of leadership." Korra replied.
"Not all of them. Just the slimy ones. He reminds me too much of Tarrlok." They all started heading into town after them, Alex modifying his feet to create snowshoes. "You know, you never mentioned your father and your uncle were both chieftains of the Water Tribes."
"It never really came up." She shrugged.
"So what's the story?" Mako asked.
"I don't know all the details. Dad doesn't really talk about his life in the North. My guess is that he's still sore that Unalaq was chosen as Chieftain instead of him, and he headed down here to get away from it all."
"And then he got voted Chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe." Alex finished. "Probably as a way to show Unalaq that he was just as worthy."
By now, they were well within the heart of the city, with festival stands all around them. Alex smiled a bit as he saw it all. If it wasn't for all the ice and snow, this could be a festival back home. Korra seemed to enjoy it, openly smiling as she looked from stand to stand. But Unalaq looked around as though this festival's very presence was an insult to him.
Turned out he wasn't far from the truth. "It's a shame that the Southerners have abandonded all connections to the spirits, even during the most hallowed times." He said frostily. But his comments did nothing to dampen Korra's excitement.
"I've always loved the Spirits Festival. The lights, the food, the games. It's fun." She said.
"This festival used to be a solemn time of fasting and meditation. Now it's just a chance to see a rube stick an entire artic hen in his mouth." He turned to Bolin, who was indeed doing just that. Alex smirked and Airbended one of the hens into his hand, swallowing it with ease.
"Bolin. I'll pay you 10 Yuans to see you try and eat that thing." He said. Bolin nodded, before chomping down as much of the chicken as he could. "You need to lighten up, Chief." Alex continued saying. "Solemn stuff always end up getting made fun. Where I come from, there was this great ritual known as All Hallows' Eve. People were fearful that demons and evil spirits would rise and steal their children, and so had them wear masks of monsters to confuse them. And they left out treats for the demons as an offering. These days, it's a chance for kids to dress up as their favourite fictional characters and go around asking for candy." He smiled a bit as memories of Halloween came to him. "I've always enjoyed Halloween."
"Rituals have purposes." Unalaq argued. "Those demons and dark spirits you spoke of could be angry that they are being ignored."
"Doubt it. The only demons around are people. My world isn't like this one. There are no spirits."
"It's like what Alex said. Traditions change. It's not the end of the world." Tonraq spoke up.
"Tell that to the sailors who are being attacked by angry spirits in Southern Waters." Unalaq replied. "Here, in this world, tradition has a purpose."
"Wait. What's this about spirits attacking ships?" Korra asked. Alex was a bit curious himself. Despite all that he had learnt, Spirits were still a strange concept to him. Probably because there were dozens of scientists inside of him that said they didn't exist. "Alex, have you heard anything about this?"
"Not until now, no." He shrugged. "I might've heard that some gun runners have gone missing, but I always assumed that this world's version of the Coast Guard had caught them."
"My, my. I'm surprised that the Avatars were unaware of this. Apparently you haven't been giving them all the information they need."
"Alex has been gone exploring the world." Tenzin replied. "And Korra's still learning about Airbending."
"Well, perhaps it would be best if they learn how to fight against spirits. It would be my honour to teach the both of you."
"I wouldn't mind learning how to fight spirits. Airbending is getting a bit boring. What do you think Alex?"
"I've already got a plan for fighting spirits. Hit them hard and fast. And then hit them again until they run." He replied.
"Tenzin is Korra's tutor." Tonraq said firmly. Alex could definitely see Korra rebelling against her father if he acted like this all the time. "He can give her all the training she needs."
"So you've said, brother." Unalaq walked away. Or skulked. That was a better word for what he was doing.
"You're right. This man is so much like me it's uncanny." Tarrlok said in his head.
Asami took a deep breath as she stood outside Varrick personal yacht. "Ok Asami. Take it easy. You just need to impress him enough to get him to work with Future Industries. Ignore the fact that he's described as eccentric. Ignore the fact that you've got little to show but ideas. Ignore the fact that you're completely nervous, and if you fail to convince him Future Industries is pretty much dead, and…" She took another deep calming breath. At this rate, she was still going to be standing out here when the Summer Solstice starts.
"Hey Asami." She screamed loudly and jumped into the air, startled as she heard Bolin's voice. "Whoa. You ok?"
"I'm… I'm fine, Bolin. Just a bit nervous." She tried to get her heart back under control. "I'm just trying to psyche myself out and ask one of the richest men in the world to help Future Industries get back on its feet. But I'm completely calm now. I can do this. I saw Alex turn into a monster of nightmares and tear apart an entire district. I saw him wipe out a base and rip a man apart. I can handle talking to one, perfectly normal guy."
"…You're scared, aren't you?" Bolin asked.
"I'm terrified." She admitted. "I think I'm going to wet my underwear. Or pass out. Or pass out and wet my underwear." She was pacing now. "Oh, what am I going to do? I can't go and see him. He'll laugh at me. I mean, I've got nothing. It's only the fact that I'm friends with the guy who ripped apart entire teams of Blackwatch members that the bank hasn't shut us down." She stopped as Bolin grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Asami. Calm down. You're a smart, talented, awesome lady. As long as you keep your head on, there's no way Varrick wouldn't say yes. I bet he's even got the paper stuff all ready for you."
Asami chuckled a bit, her nerves calming down. "Thanks Bolin. That really helped." She snapped her fingers. "Hey, I've got a great idea. You can provide me with support. Just pretend you're my assistant, and don't say anything. Just keep waving me on."
"No problem. Pabu and I are natural assistants." He followed her up the ramp onto the massive yacht. It was so big that Asami had first mistaken it for a building. "Wow, this thing is nice. I've gotta start getting involved in this whole business thing." They walked along the deck until they reached the stairs leading down, where hopefully Varrick will be in the mood to meet them. With no one there to stop them, they kept walking down until they arrived in a room full of people. They were rich and well off business people and actors from all over the world. And in the centre of the room was Varrick himself. With the darker skin of the Water Tribes, he was dressed in an opulent blue suit, with a purple fur cape around his shoulders. They were all sitting on cushions, and Varrick was holding his fingers to his head and concentrating deeply. After a few seconds of this, he opened his eyes.
"Did you see that?" He asked everyone. "Levitation. I was a foot off the ground." Everyone started clapping politely, too busy currying favour to tell him the truth. Maybe she should do that. He might like her better if she indulged in his fantasies. Right now, he was standing up and taking deep bows.
"It looked like you were just sitting on a pillow." Bolin remarked, startling everyone. Asami could already see the contract getting ripped apart in front of her eyes. Varrick stormed over to them until he was right in Bolin's face.
"Are you saying I wasn't levitating?" He asked Bolin angrily, making him look worried. Asami silently pleaded with him to say yes you were levitating, to say that he was mistaken, to say that he was so amazed he was blinded to what really happened…
"Uh… No?" Asami placed her face in her hands and nearly wept. Her last, and only chance, gone.
"Well why didn't anyone tell me? Now I look like an idiot." She stopped and looked up in surprise to see Varrick glaring at the whole room. He pointed to a man wearing a blue robe and red hat. "Swami, you're fired." The man glared at Bolin before bowing deeply and leaving the room. Varrick grabbed Bolin by the shoulder and smiled. "I like you kid. You're a real straight shooter, just like me." He turned so that he was in Asami's face. "Miss Sato, he's with you?" She nodded dumbly, making him smile again. "Brought your tiger shark with you to do business, eh? I like it." He nudge her with his elbow. "Now that's moxie. Get over here and pop a squat. Zhu Li, get them some tea." The mousy young lady sitting next to him shooed two other guests off their cushions for them, before rushing off to grab a tea set.
"Thank you for meeting with me." Asami said. "As you know, Future Industries is looking for a partner to help us with our shipping…"
"Sure." Varrick interrupted her. "But first you've gotta check out my newest venture. Moving pictures." Asami blinked in surprise. She was sure Alex talked about moving pictures before. "Zhu Li, do the thing." Zhu Li handed the tea tray to Bolin and started up a strange machine, while flickered to show a blank screen on the wall. "You're going to love this." He said as he pushed her down. The blank screen then showed an ostrich horse, actually running in a field. It was exactly like Alex said. It was a picture, but it was moving. If it wasn't for the lack of colours and the flickering, she could almost believe she was seeing it live. "Mind-blowing, isn't it?"
"Yeah. Except our friend Alex said his world already has that. And theirs is in colour. And has people." Asami had a near heart attack. While Bolin telling the truth got them in, she was worried it was going to get them kicked out.
"Really? Hey, do you mean Avatar Alex? That guy from a more advanced world?" Bolin nodded. "That's great news. But I want to develop this stuff without his help. I want us to make all this by ourselves. Just think, in 20, maybe 30 years, we could have all the stuff Blackwatch brought with them. That's the future. As for the people thing, that's my next big project. Movers. Fun for the whole family." He stopped and looked more closely at Bolin. "Say, you ever thought of trying out for a Mover?"
"Well, since I didn't realise we were making them now, not really." Bolin admitted.
"Well you should. You'd look great on the big screen."
"That… sounds wonderful, sir." Asami said. "But I'm just concentrating on getting Future Industries back on track. If we could start hammering out a deal…" She was surprised by Varrick getting right up in her face.
"Stop. Look me in the eye." Confused, she kept her watering eyes open for as long as she could, glaring at how crazy this was. "We've got a deal!" He shouted suddenly, startling her into falling backward. Zhu Li helped her get back on her feet, while everyone else started clapping. Varrick started pumping her arm furiously. "We'll hammer out the details at the royal feast tonight. Now, who wants a rocket boat ride?" The other guests started clambering, following Varrick as he led them outside.
Bolin looked confused. "Is that how business usually works?"
"Not even close. But it works for me." She hugged him. "Thank you so much for your help. Come on, we'd better find the others and give them the good news."
"This is a wonderful feast in your honour." Korra said as they sat down for the Glacier Spirits meal. She always enjoyed this part, mainly for the fancy food and the bright lanterns.
"This is nothing. When the Festival was first founded, the tribal elders would commune with the spirits. People would watch the brilliant display of light as the spirits danced in the night sky." Unalaq replied.
"Wow. I wish I could've seen that." Even with all the amazing things she had seen, that would've been truly amazing. Unalaq's face grew softer as he regarded his niece.
"And that is a shame, since the Avatar is the bridge between the material world and the spirits. That is why I want so badly to teach you both. To help you both fulfil your destinies."
"I thought I made it clear that Tenzin would be teaching her." Dad said angrily. They glared at each other before Unalaq looked back at her.
"Every Avatar before you travelled the world to learn the arts. From what I've heard even Avatar Alex has been seen in the different kingdoms. It's a shame that your father and Tenzin decided to seclude you from the world by keeping you in a compound."
"What?" Korra asked in shock. "I… I thought Aang ordered the White Lotus to keep me down here?" She turned to look at her father.
"We did what we thought was best for you." He explained. Korra felt hurt. Her own father thought she couldn't handle the world, thought to keep her in a gilded cage.
"Who I train with should be my decision, dad. Not yours, or Tenzin's."
"Yes, brother. Let Korra decide who should teach her. I can offer her so much if you would just let me." They were probably about to argue again when a black fire ferret scurried onto their table. The warped appearance and tendrils told Korra who had sent this.
"Alex? What's this all about?" She held her arm out, allowing the ferret to scurry onto her. It's paws were soft and warm, and it was lighter than she expected.
"A message to Korra from Tarrlok." The ferret said in Alex's voice. The rest of the table turned to look at Alex, who was sitting with Asami and the others and glaring at Unalaq. The ferret coughed to get their attention. "Greetings, Avatar Korra." It said in Tarrlok's voice. "I'm just offering a friendly bit of advice. Your dear uncle may seem to be on your side, but Alex and I both agree that he's very much like myself. And I never helped you out unless if benefitted me more. There's likely a sting to his aid. A way to turn you, a chance to lord over his brother. Whatever it's for, I doubt it's with your interests at heart."
Korra sighed. "Come on, Alex. Stop being so paranoid. He's my uncle. He's not plotting anything."
The ferret harrumphed. "Really wish this world had Hamlet." It said in Alex's voice again, before hopping off and scurrying back to Alex. He picked it up and kept glaring at Unalaq.
Alex sighed as he absorbed his messenger. Korra was always stubborn, but she was naïve as well. There were many tales from his world about family members acting with foul intentions to their siblings, or children, or nieces and nephews. And even here there was the story about Fire Lord Zuko and his father, Fire Lord Ozai. He couldn't believe that she wasn't listening to him.
Still, if they all survived his plan, he could say he told her so later on.
"Wow, this thing never gets old no matter how many times I come here." Varrick said as he sat down, acting like a child. "And look, they've still got the silverware. Guess I still gotta pay Zhu Li that bet we've got going on. But one of these days the silverware is going to go missing." He turned so that he was in Alex's face. "Hey Avatar. According to Bolin, you know all about Movers."
"Movers?" His brain clicked. "You mean movies. And yes, I know a bit about them."
"Great. Forget about them. They're ancient history. Or ancient future. One of the two anyway. Right now, I've had our world's very first Mover made. It's not much, but it's one of the biggest achievements we've ever made. I can't wait to show you. Say, you ever thought of getting into show biz?"
"Not interested." Alex knew that he didn't have the temperate to deal with any kind of acting. It wasn't that he didn't have the training, it was that he had trouble expressing in. He was either cold, or angry. Never anything else.
"Well that's a shame. Say, you want something to drink? Zhu Li, bring me man here some refreshments." Alex was about to say no when he looked this 'Zhu Li' in the face. They both stopped, as still as statues. Stiller even, like time was frozen.
No living creature could freeze so suddenly.
"Julie Yamata." Alex said, memories flooding back. "I wondered where you had run off to." Julie was trembling now, her hands denting the metal tray. She looked like she was going to throw it at his head. "I know we left on a bad note, but I'm willing to forgive and forget if you are."
"Forgive? Forget?" Julie let off a shaky laugh. "You turned me into a monster. You killed millions of people. You tricked me into eating my family. And you expect me to ignore all that, to let you run wild and ruin this world too?"
"I've changed." He explained. "I was in a bad head space before. It's what happens when people betray your trust and you've got an insane lab experiment in your head. I'm better now." Everything went dark as he heard metal digging into an ice wall. He regrew his head in seconds. "Ok, I'll admit I deserve that."
"Look, Zhu Li. Julie?" Asami said. "Alex has changed. He's been here for over a year now, and we're still ok. You can trust him." Julie looked at her, and bit her lip. "You're terrified of him. I get that. I'm terrified of him too. Mako and Bolin are terrified of him, and they have bending. Spirits, Korra was originally terrified of him, and she's the Avatar. All we're saying is that if we can trust him, then so can you."
"You forgot to mention that Korra's actually been inside his head." Bolin added. That made Julie look up.
"She's… Been in his head?" They nodded. "And she trusts him?"
"She does." Alex replied. "If anything, you're the one I don't trust. I never made you do anything at first. There's no way I could command you to do anything. Why else do you think I asked you to kill targets? Everything you did, you did on your own will."
"I was in a bad…" She stopped, realising that her excuse was the same as his.
"How about we keep an eye on each other? If I start going bad, then you can kill me. But if you start going bad, then I get to kill you. Deal?" He held his hand out. Julie started laughing.
"I think you mean try to kill you. But what the hell. It's not like I've got any better options." She shook his hand, trembling in his grip. They all sat down again, Julie cleaning up the mess she made.
"Varrick, were you aware that Zhu Li was from another world?" Asami asked him.
"Oh yeah. That's partly why I hired her. Look at what she can do. She threw that tray hard enough to slice Alex's head off. If he wasn't able to regenerate, that would've been fatal. And I know what you're thinking, but Zhu Li isn't telling me what to make. She was a dance student before she became an Evolved. She just helps me with ideas when I'm stuck. Like that mover I made. Can you believe I didn't think to attach wheels to the camera until she suggested it? That just blew my mind." Alex tuned him out, turning to watch the room better. Some people were still looking at the tray now imbedded into the wall, while others had gone back to their meals. Korra was still being moody about everyone trying to tell her what to do. But Unalaq was still watching Alex with his cold, icy eyes. At times, it was like looking at a mirror. They glared at each other from across the room, Alex's fingers nearly cracking the table.
It was Unalaq, normal slimy human Unalaq, who looked away first.
Alex was already alert when he first heard Naga howling like mad. Contrary to what people believed, animals were very intelligent, and could detect danger even machines couldn't pick up. That's why there are so many stories of animals running before an earthquake or tsunami or tornado struck. He had his claws out before he had even finished exiting the igloo he was resting in. He found Naga and Korra standing on a nearby cliff, Naga continuously howling. Bolin and Mako were heading towards her, asking what was happening. He rushed over as fast as the snow would allow him. He flicked through his different visions as he ran, seeing if he could spot anything out of the ordinary. But everything was quiet and normal. People were moving as Naga woke them up, probably wondering what was happening too.
"I can't stop her from howling." Korra said as he rushed over to them, kicking snow everywhere. "Do you think it's got something to do with the problems with spirits?"
"I couldn't say." Alex answered truthfully. "Spirits weren't exactly something I ran into back home. Maybe she picked up the scent of something else, like a bear or a wolf." He flicked back to his thermal vision and looked again. Maybe he could spot something from up here. As he looked, he heard Korra grunting in pain. He turned to see her flying back, stumbling over herself as she fell to one side. There was nothing there. He flicked his vision off. No, there was something. A dark, cloud-like monster with glowing yellow eyes. It lashed out at her again, knocking Korra aside like she weighed nothing. Growling, Alex rushed them both, slicing at the hand reaching out for Korra. It howled in pain, before reforming the hand again. It turned towards him, but he punched it in the face. Strange. It was like he was attacking a ball of feathers, or a cloud. There was no weight to it, no mass. The spirit – because that was the only thing he could think it would be – went flying through the air, landing in a pile before rushing him. It was fast, faster than him. The snow didn't affect it. Still, maybe he could rip it apart until it couldn't reform. He lunged at it with his claws, the blades covered in a coating of fire. They ripped through the spirit, but it kept reforming or flowing around his attacks. It kept its eyes on Korra the whole time.
"Where's a proton pack when you need one?" He growled, lashing out with as much water as he could. The water seemed to dissipate it, but only for as long as all the other attacks. By now though, everyone else had arrived. Tonraq worked alongside Alex to surround the spirit in a prison of ice, but the spirit broke free and lashed out with tendrils. Tonraq and Korra were thrown about, but the tendrils seemed almost hesitant to grab Alex. It broke out completely, and rushed towards Korra again. "Oh no you don't, you slimy bastard." Alex dashed after it as fast as he could, using the air to propel him at full speed. The spirit was surprised when Alex slammed into it hard enough to make a crater.
And when his hand stabbed into the spirit, it started screaming.
A strange aura engulfed his senses, like a phantom fire that couldn't burn him. He felt himself relive bad memories, angry memories. Things that made him want to lash out. He pulled his hand free, and the feelings faded. The spirit jumped out of the whole, trembling and nearly falling apart. As he jumped out after it, the spirit screamed loudly and ran away.
Of course. Alex nearly smacked his head over how obvious it was. To a spirit, he was a crawling mass of screaming tortured souls. It would be like seeing Cthulhu, or a monster made of people. He was beyond terrifying to them, a monster among monsters. He was about to check on Korra when he saw another dark spirit rushing from the festival grounds. And a person standing not far from where it came from. Looking closer, he saw Unalaq pointing towards them, running after the spirit. Like a farmer leading a sheep. Alex ran towards it to intercept it, but it slowed down as it got closer to them. Everyone else moved away as they spotted it, while Unalaq ran up behind the spirit and encircled it with two streams of water. The water glowed golden, and the spirit became smaller. Its purple skin turned a brilliant gold, and its angry expression turned calm and peaceful. Then the calmed spirit floated away, and vanished.
This had set-up written all over it.
"How did you do that?" Korra asked Unalaq. "Nothing we tried worked until Alex punched it."
"As your father could tell you, I've spent my life studying everything there is to know about spirits." He explained. "As for Alex, I'm afraid I don't know. I wasn't there to see what happened." But Alex bet he would learn later, once his minions tracked that spirit down and talked to it. "But still, without our aid this could've been dangerous, maybe even fatal. If you wish to learn how to fix this, I could teach you everything I know."
"Chief Unalaq, it is clear that you are a wise and knowledgeable man." Tenzin replied. "But Korra still has much to learn about Airbending. It is my hope that the Air Temples will be able to provide her with the knowledge she needs."
"The Air Temples will teach her nothing. Only I can teach her."
"Of course you can." Alex scoffed. "I'm sure that any knowledge that isn't from you will be outdated and flawed."
"Hey. Do any of you care what I think?" Korra asked them angrily "I'm tired of having everyone else decide what's best for me. I didn't see you guys do anything against those spirits. And Alex. You are way too paranoid. You keep expecting for everyone around you to turn out to be a threat, or a danger."
"It's only paranoia if you're wrong." He explained. "But you've got a point. I didn't like Unalaq when we first met, and I don't like him now. But if you believe that he's the only one with the training you need, then it's your decision."
"See? Alex is supportive. He doesn't try and tell me how to live my life." She looked away from them. "I want Unalaq to teach me how to fight these spirits."
Tenzin looked hurt, but he bowed respectfully. "It has been a pleasure teaching you, Avatar Korra. If you finish your training early, you are still welcome to join us at the Air Temples. You too Alex." He headed off back towards the huts, while Tonraq just stood there and fumed.
"If I could just have a word with Tonraq." Alex said, grabbing him by the shoulder. "Maybe I could help him understand." Unalaq nodded, while Korra just kept looking away. He had many memories of teenagers acting rebellious, but this seemed far more than just that. He led Tonraq away from them and more into the festival grounds, until they were away from prying ears. "Unalaq's up to something."
"My brother's always up to something." Tonraq replied, pulling free of Alex's grip. "He's always been fond of scheming and tricks. I bet he's using this to try and get Korra away from me. He's been trying to be her teacher since she was first found."
"I get that. But what I mean is that he's definitely up to something right now." Alex explained what he had seen from the clifftop, and how quickly Unalaq had followed the spirit. "He keeps saying he knows more than anyone about spirits. It wouldn't be hard to imagine that he knew how to send a spirit or two after Korra."
Tonraq frowned furiously. "I can't believe this. Is he really so determined to become her teacher that he'd threaten us all just to make himself look good?" He clenched his fists angrily. "We have to get her away from him. I'll kick my brother out of the South, while you keep Korra away from him."
"That won't work. We've both been going on and on about how we don't trust him. We'll just look like we're being irrational if we try to kick him out. And Korra's too headstrong. If you tell her what to do, she's going to ignore you on sheer principle. The best thing we can do right now is to keep an eye on them both, and get her away from him before he does anything to her." It would be so easy to kill Unalaq and take his place, but Korra would know its him. Killing him without solid evidence besides seeing him directing the spirit would just push her away, maybe even make her kill him. He was going to have to play it safe and slow, keeping an eye on her and wait.
But the first chance he could find, Unalaq's blood was going to be all over the walls.
And there we go. I was originally planning on having episode 1 and 2 in this chapter, but then I realised just how long this was getting. I know there haven't been some major changes going on, but we just need to give Alex some time to do his magic.
Now, I figured that to the spirits, Alex would be even scarier than to humans. With humans, he could at least change his appearance and appear normal. But to spirits, they get to see his mind hive all the time. He's an abomination, an impossibility. In fact, to them he might be even creepier than Vaatu. (And the seeing him 24/7 thing will become an important plot point later on.) And the reason that no one was really panicking when he regrew his head is because during the Equalist/Blackwatch war, there were people who saw him shapeshifting and healing. To them, this is just a unique power he brought over with him from his world. And news spreads pretty quickly.
Next up, Zhu Li. Varrick's the kind of person who will try and use almost anything he can get his hands on, including a monster from another world. He's not crazy enough to use Infected, but to him Evolved aren't really Infected. Zhu Li's gift (or should I saw Julie's gift) was that she was unconnected to the Hive Mind. While it meant that she couldn't use any of the information it could offer her, it also meant that Alex was blind to her and couldn't control her. Kinda like with Heller. I chose her because the idea that someone as calm and resourceful as Zhu Li turning out to be an Evolved seemed awesome. And it could lead to some good scenes between her and Alex. Remember, he was the biggest monster in the world when she ran. As for arriving before him, let's just say that the portal also fudges time along with space.
And yes, that opening scene with the gun smugglers is based on the deleted opening scene from Atlantis: The Lost Empire. The one with the Vikings. It also shows that this time, there are worse spirits than in the show.