Misdirected (adj.): having been sent or aimed in the wrong direction.

Next day

10:13 AM

Republic City, Residential District

7 months, 2 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

A streak of golden lightning crisscrossed the streets of Republic City at a tense but relatively lax pace, making its way to a middle-class apartment building and its third floor. A gentle breeze sent a series of papers lifting off the surface of Mako's home desk, where his hands smacked down as he gave the cause an annoyed look.

"What?"

"Nothing," Mako grumbled as Barry made for the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. "Just need to remember to fix that door. Stupid thing always causes a draft whenever it opens."

"Or you could just lay down some paperweights," Allen suggested with a tilt of his glass.

The detective rolled his eyes. "I would, except for the fact that I need access to all of these at once." Amber eyes narrowed. "I've got a feeling about this case…"

Barry snickered as he made for his room. "You always say that."

Mako sighed hard. "I just don't get it. Why go through all the trouble of putting criminals in the ground if he's so good at getting evidence against them?"

The CSI froze in his tracks, then took a step back and looked over Mako's shoulder. "You workin' on the Arrow case?"

"Yeah. It just doesn't seem right. Why kill them?"

Barry's eyebrows furrowed.

"I'll stop killing when you stop running."

"Maybe he doesn't trust the system."

Mako gave him a sidelong look. "What?"

Barry blinked rapidly. "Well, you know the first person he targeted, right?"

"Chief Beifong. So what? He missed."

"No," Barry said, shaking his head. "He doesn't miss. And she didn't bend it away."

Mako's brows furrowed. "Then what are you—are you saying the Flash—"

He shrugged. "It's the most likely explanation."

The detective's gaze shifted back to the files. "Still doesn't make any sense. If the Flash was there, why didn't he just stop him?"

"I'm…sure he tried."

Mako stayed silent a while. "Thing is, she hasn't been targeted again since. Why not? If the Arrow is as mistrustful of the system as you say, why hasn't there been another attack?"

Barry's lips pursed. "I get the feeling he's biding his time."

"Makes sense, given his history in Ba Sing Se. They say he's a master strategist as well as a fighter. That's how he stayed ahead of the Dai Li for over half a year despite all efforts to apprehend him. Though given that the last attack occurred yesterday, and yielded evidence of embezzlement, with the victim, one…Nelson Hargrave at the top of the food chain, I'm guessing he's starting to wrap things up."

"Which means he'll be after the chief next."

Mako nodded and rose to his feet, grimacing as he worked out the cramps. "I want to put a detail on her full-time, just in case."

"You know she'll never go for it. Too damn stubborn."

He shrugged and smirked. "I know…but in this case, even she's gotta admit, we've only ever faced a man like this once before, and last time, she lost her bending." Mako frowned as he leaned over the kitchen counter. "Half the city lost its bending."

Barry sighed hard. "Well he's no Equalist, and he's sure as hell not a bloodbender."

"That we know of."

"I don't know. Pretty hard to mask a skill like that."

"Why? Amon did it for months."

The younger man winced. "Touché. I still think she'll say no."

"Maybe, but I have to try. And if worse comes to worst, I can always follow her myself."

"Which would earn you both her ire and a quick ticket to desk duty, if not suspension. You know how she is about disobeying orders. If she says no, she probably knows what she's doing."

"Yeah…I guess." Mako turned to face him. "But the last time the Arrow took a shot at Chief Beifong, it took the Flash's help to save her. What if he's not there this time?"

Barry pursed his lips. "Something tells me he will be."

…

Air Temple Island

"Breathe, Korra. Just breathe."

"Do you see me turning blue?"

"No backtalk," he scolded. "Just breathe."

Korra attempted to take Tenzin's advice, taking a deep breath, though more to stifle the urge to water-smack him in the mouth and less to meditate. Ten seconds later, she was in a better place, the blackness of her eyelids still allowing some of the blazing sun through, and the more she focused on it, the warmer she began to feel. Add that to the deep breaths and mind-numbing exercise of meditation, and she found herself nodding off. She was only reawakened when a boisterous voice was heard approaching. A sharp breath entered her lungs as her eyes opened and looked around to see Tenzin absent, but Bolin and Opal approaching, the shorter girl giggling at something he'd said.

A smirk came to Korra's face at the way they just…fit. Opal's training as a part of the Air Nation often brought her to Republic City, which was perfect, since Bolin was overjoyed every time she got to visit. Why he was here now—and approaching Korra—was a mystery she figured she'd get the answer to in no time. The waterbender met them halfway, sauntering over and stretching out her stiff joints. A brief thought wondering how long she'd been out flitted through her head, and she was about to check her new watch when a beefy hand clapped her on the back.

"Korra! Tenzin told us you were out here, and we thought we'd say hi."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Wait…Tenzin told you? So…he just left me there?"

Bolin and Opal exchanged a look. "Why? Something wrong?"

She shrugged. "No. I just figured he'd be less than inclined to walk away when I fell asleep on him."

The earthbender blinked several times. "Wait…you fell asleep? During meditation?"

She could see him restraining a laugh. "Yeah…guess I must've painted a very convincing picture of serenity."

A mischievous glint entered his eyes. "With the way you sleep, drool and all? I doubt it."

Opal's eyebrows shot up as Korra crossed her arms defensively. "I do not drool."

"You so do."

"Do not."

"Korra," he began earnestly, "I've known you for two years now, and we've spent more nights around each other for me to be more than familiar with your sleeping habits. You drool."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. If you came here just to embarrass me in front of company, you're doing an excellent job of it."

Opal restrained a giggle.

"Actually, I was hoping to take you guys to an early lunch. Mako and Asami are meeting us in town, and I thought it'd be nice to get the gang back together."

Korra felt her lips twitch upward. "That sounds…awesome. I gotta get a few things, but I'll be right back."

Without another word, Korra made her way to her room's window, airbending herself to the third floor and entering after yanking open the shutters. Every time she looked at those shutters from the outside, she half-expected to see Barry standing on the other end, hands in his pockets with a grin on his face. Luckily, he was at work, so changing was not an issue. Given the fact that she'd been out in the sun for the better part of—three hours—she figured a fresh set of clothes was in order. Once changed, she pulled her hair together in its usual braids, then took a glance at her reflection.

Dark brown eyebrows furrowed. Something wasn't right. Something looked…off about her appearance. It was too…young. Too much like how she'd looked when she first left the compound. She looked inexperienced, naïve. She didn't like it. Crossing her arms and staring at the reflection with some ire, she tried to pinpoint the source of this issue, huffing in frustration when she couldn't. Korra marched over to the window, about to leap down when something occurred to her, and she reached up, tugging at her hair-ties until they came loose. Her hair fell in loose waves around her face, not obstructing her field of vision or tickling her shoulders uncomfortably. She glanced back into the mirror and shrugged once. Better.

A leap to ground level brought her to Bolin and Opal, who were linked arm-in-arm and getting almost disgustingly close to each other. A grin made its way onto her face despite her eye-rolling, and she was quick to step between them, slinging her arms over their shoulders as she not-so-subtly pulled them apart. Bolin looked miffed at the interruption, and Opal was quickly turning pink, but they got over it quickly as they made their way off the island. Korra had gotten better at driving, true, but that didn't stop Bolin from gripping Opal's hand a little more tightly as she made last-second turns and dodges that barely kept them from crashing all the way to the restaurant, a decent establishment near Police HQ that offered a wide selection of seafood and noodles.

The moment they were "parked," Opal had to restrain Bolin from physically kissing the ground, as well as her own laughter, especially since she saw Korra give her a conspiratorial wink during the "roller-coaster." The trio made its way inside, taking a seat at one of the booths and ordering five menus from their waiter, who gave Korra a slack-jawed look until she arched an eyebrow and asked him if she had something on her face. He sputtered an apology and quickly took off as Bolin vainly suppressed a chuckle and looked over his menu. It was barely five minutes later when Asami showed up, Mako close behind and looking rather despondent.

"Uh-oh," Korra said. "What's got our uptight detective down in the dumps?"

Asami just smirked and slid to the far side of her bench while Mako slumped down next to her.

The Avatar leaned in closer. "Well?"

Mako muttered something incoherent while Asami's shoulders shook with silent laughter and she translated. "Chief Beifong caught him following her after denying his request to put her under police protection. As a result, he now has evidence logging duty with the precinct's resident geek."

"Nerd, actually."

Korra's smirk vanished as she turned toward the new voice. "I didn't know we were expecting anyone else."

At this, Mako managed a small smile. "Well, since he got stuck with it with me, I decided I might as well take Barry along for lunch. Least I can do for makin' a mess of his workspace."

The CSI snorted as he slid in next to Mako, giving Korra's hair a brief look. "Mako, please, my workspace is already a mess. No need to sugarcoat it to avoid hurting my feelings."

"Well at least it has some order to it, unlike how we left it."

Barry smirked. "Well, if it's any consolation, I find it often helps to take a step back when a problem's starting to frustrate you. When we get back, we'll know how to properly organize it all."

Korra looked between Mako and his coworker with raised eyebrows, then shot a pointed glance at a confused Opal.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the scientist sputtered, holding out his hand to the airbender. "Where are my manners? Barry Allen, RCPD, CSI Division."

Opal's eyebrows shot up as she extended her hand. "CSI?"

"Crime Scene Investigation," Mako filled in. "They pick apart a crime scene and find whatever we can trace to catch the bad guys."

Korra couldn't miss the way her eyes lit up. "I'm familiar with forensic science. The basics, anyway. Back in Zaofu, there wasn't much to do except read and work." She smiled. "And Mom has a pretty extensive library."

Barry grinned. "That's awesome! How far did you get in your studies?"

"Only as far as the arsenic test, but I've been a little distracted lately. Spreading myself too thin, over too many subjects."

He leaned in. "What else you interested in?"

"Well…" Her voice trailed off as she collected her thoughts. "To be honest, a little of everything. I've always had a thirst for learning, and that's only grown the more I take in. My interests are so diverse, I can't even begin to imagine what I'd do with it all."

"It can be pretty overwhelming," Barry admitted. "Though I can't say I know what you're going through. My academic career, when it could be pursued, consisted of only one subject and whatever I needed to become an expert at it."

"Forensic science?"

He nodded.

Opal's eyebrows furrowed and she frowned as she leaned toward him. "Can I ask why?"

Barry blinked once as Korra shot him a warning look. "I uh…my parents were killed when I was eleven. One of the guys involved is sitting in a holding cell in Police HQ, just one floor below my lab."

Opal's jaw dropped a bit.

He sighed. "The other one…I haven't heard of in years. Since that night, actually. It's like he just…dropped off the face of the planet." A smile was forced onto his face. "But better one than none, right? Justice has to be served, even if it's incomplete, because to do nothing…it just isn't fair to the people they've harmed."

Mako put a hand on his shoulder as Korra restrained the urge to grab his across the table.

A smirk made its way onto Barry's face. "You know the best part, though? The guy we have in custody, Blackout? I helped bring him down. My evidence put the police on his trail, and, by extension, the Flash."

Opal smiled a little. "Well, if I ever meet him, I'll have to say thank you. You seem like a good man, and though I practically just met you, I know your parents would be proud."

Barry grinned and nodded several times. "Thank you. Now, let's eat."

He and Korra exchanged a look as the food started to arrive, where no message was passed, only a contented silence. Mako had invited him into their circle, in public, and Korra wasn't pushing him away. That look conveyed more gratitude than she could immediately understand, though she thought she knew why. Since yesterday's…incident, she'd spoken to Mako over the phone, trying to get another perspective on the cheerful speedster and assure her old friend that he didn't need to be concerned.

One thing in their conversation stuck out, specifically the fact that apart from him and Chief Beifong, no one really visited him up in that lab. Given the fact that he'd graduated at the top of his forensic science class at age fifteen, over a decade ahead of any of his peers, and immediately been recommended for a job at HQ, that meant he'd spent just over a year and a half stuck in that lab or at crime scenes with virtually no human contact. Mako didn't even know if he had friends outside of work, barely knew his eating or leisure habits. Far as either of them knew, he didn't have any. He ate, worked, and slept, only to do it all over again the next day without hesitation or complaint. By all accounts, previous and current, Barry lived for his work, and with his new responsibilities as the Flash, she could only assume that would intensify.

Thus far, he'd been keeping a level head about it, but Korra knew better than anyone how easily stress can destroy a person. She could only hope that he wasn't like her in that regard, that he was smart enough to seek help before that happened. Up until now, he'd shown no signs of cracking, but something told her there was a reason he smiled so much, so easily, and it wasn't just his optimistic personality. He was a victim of a tragedy she could barely dream of. That kind of trauma couldn't just be pushed past, it needed to be coped with, and everyone coped differently.

His approach was smiles and humor, with the occasional nerd speak and geeking out, all of which were far more endearing than she'd ever admit. But she'd taken a peek under the hood and cowl, under the smiles and laughs and optimism. The first time he'd taken on Blackout, she remembered all too clearly how broken he'd looked, curled up like a child. She imagined he'd looked exactly like that after his parents died, and seeing that woman burned through, just like them…

A sigh left her throat as she considered it further, looking up to see Barry chatting animatedly with Bolin about the merits of fire ferrets as a means of entertainment. Asami shot her a questioning look, but Korra just shook her head and smiled.

"Tired," she mouthed.

"Ah," Asami mouthed back, returning her attention to the conversation and chuckling at something they'd said.

Korra frowned once again as she observed Barry, focusing on his expressions and posture. He never came to terms with his grief, did he? Everything since then, by his own admission, had been geared toward finding his parents' killers, and though one of them was already behind bars pending trial, she could tell by his earlier tone that he wasn't satisfied. That he wouldn't be until the other one was found as well. Is it hope or desperation that drives him to search? It's been seven years since it happened, and no one's seen or heard from the second man. How can he keep going after all this time?

When they cleaned out their plates and started to leave, she pulled him aside and asked.

His expression sobered to a concentrated frown. "I spent the last six years before I started helping this city thinking I would never be able to find the men who murdered my parents, much less catch them. Now one of them's sitting in a prison cell, pending a trial and probably execution. So, it's hope, Korra. Hope that the trail's not cold enough to hide that murderer forever." His eyes darkened. "Everyone gets what's coming to them, in this life or the next."

Korra gulped and nodded, then patted his shoulder. "See ya later, Bear."

He nodded back and started walking away, hands in his pockets.

"Hey Bear."

Barry turned his head to look at her.

She smirked and raised an eyebrow, striking a pose. "You still like the hair?"

He bit down on his lower lip to restrain a grin that slipped through anyway. "Yeah. I still like the hair." He was out of sight seconds later.

Bolin cleared his throat next to her. "So…what was that all about?"

She didn't like his tone, and she certainly didn't like the teasing grin on his face. "Just friendly banter. It's kind of our thing."

Bolin dramatically put a hand to his chest. "Oh Korra, you wound me. Here I thought banter was our thing."

Korra crossed her arms. "So what, I can't banter with anyone else?"

"Nope."

"Oh stop it," Opal laughed, looping an arm through his. "It was lovely to see you again, Korra."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You're not coming with me?"

"Oh, no," Bolin answered, "I live pretty close to here, and Suyin's gonna send someone for Opal later tonight, so…"

Korra arched an eyebrow with a smirk. "You're just trying to avoid getting in a car with me behind the wheel, aren't you?"

"W-Whaaaaat? Pssht, why would you say that? Can't I opt to take a long, luxurious walk with my girlfriend? Instead of a blood-chilling deathtrap," he added in a not-so-subtle mutter.

"What is so wrong with my driving? We got here in one piece, right?"

Bolin sputtered with a few incomplete sentences for a few moments before shaking his head. "You know what? I'm not even gonna dignify that with an answer. Opal, we're leaving. See ya later, Korra."

"Running away?" she called as they marched off.

"Walking, actually," he called back, checking to see that Opal wasn't looking before he stuck his tongue out at her.

Korra's shoulders shook with silent laughter as she shook her head and leapt into her car.

…

A pair of intense blue eyes gazed out from the confines of a nearby building, narrowing slightly as they peered down at the Avatar, who left the restaurant seconds later.

"Do you think she'll be a problem?"

The blue-eyed man gave the speaker an appraising look. "Perhaps. Though not as much if she's isolated. It would've been better if she'd returned to the South Pole for her recovery…but we can still work with this. Send an envoy to the earthbender. Make him an offer."

"Yes, sir."

"And Sarab," he added, cutting off the other man's attempt to leave. "No one can know that we're operating in Republic City. No one."

The taller man bowed slowly. "Yes, Al Sa-Her."

He left moments later, leaving his superior to gaze out at the presidential palace with an upturned nose, hands behind his back as two Dai Li agents flanked him on either side.

…

6 hours later

8:20 PM

Future Industries Airfield

"What do you got for me?"

Cisco grinned and pulled on a drawer animatedly. "Oh, you're gonna love this." Two dark metallic panels were pulled from foam casing and handed to the metalbending master. "Since the Arrow is a good enough shot to hit the gaps in your armor, I designed these: interlocking metal shields that can be expanded or retracted with your bending. The design is based on the blades some cops use, so once they're strapped directly to your gauntlets, they should be just as easy to manipulate."

Lin nodded once, locking each shield on her arms and feeling several pounds added to her frame. A clench of both fists sent the devices expanding to their maximum width, the interlocking vertical panels forming circular shields with radii of six inches. She shifted her gaze to Cisco. "And you're sure these things will stop his arrows?"

"Based on the chemical composition of every one we've recovered so far," Barry said, "yeah. It should work."

"The shields are made of a silicon-carbide composite," Cisco explained, "so they're lightweight but extremely durable."

Lin nodded slowly. "Good work." She retracted the shields, then checked the clock on the wall with a sigh. "Better get this over with."

Barry frowned. "Chief, I still think my interference should be part of the plan. All you would have to do is distract him, and then I'll ambush him from behind. He won't even see me coming."

"That's the issue, Allen, he'll expect that. He's going to expect that I won't honor the terms of our engagement, which means he'll be partially distracted looking for my backup. That'll serve to my advantage, at least for a while."

Barry nodded slowly as the others went to various corners of the control center to prep for their vigil.

"Allen," Lin started softly, "I know you only want to protect me, but please, trust me when I say that I have to do this alone."

"Why?"

Her features set. "I can't say. Just trust me. Please."

Her tone conveyed far more than her trademark stubbornness, a resolve that spoke of a greater plan, something that would turn the tables on her opponent. He could only hope she was right as he sighed and nodded.

"Good." Lin took a quick look around. "I better get going."

"Okay," Cisco said as he approached, "but before you do, take this." He handed her a small rectangular device with a round piece sticking out of its side. "I reverse-engineered the tech Varrick used on Barry's earpiece and managed to tweak it a bit, made it three-way instead of just two-way." He nodded to Barry. "Did the same to yours, so you should be able to listen in on what's happening, even at a distance."

The speedster nodded slowly as he made for his Flash suit, putting it on in seconds. "I'm gonna scout the location ahead of you, see if I can pinpoint where he'll come in, or if he has any traps scattered around."

Lin frowned, but nodded. "Fine, but make damn sure he doesn't see you. If I'm right, he's already waiting there, so it may be better to just stay away."

The Flash nodded once, then vanished in a burst of wind and lightning.

"We'll be monitoring things from here," Caitlin said. "I'll have a car ready in case you need medical attention."

"Appreciate it."

"Be careful, Chief," Bolin pleaded.

"I'll be fine, kid. Trust me, I've faced worse."

The trip to the location was short but tense. She'd rarely been so on edge. The last time a nonbender had challenged her so directly was Amon…and that had not turned out in her favor. The good news was that the chances of losing her bending again were slim to none. The bad news was that the chances of losing her life were exponentially higher. But if she was right, if she'd figured the Arrow out the way she thought…it wouldn't come to that. The moment she stepped onto the roof, every sense was trained on her environment, eyes scanning the area keenly before closing as she retracted one of her boots.

A bare foot stomped the rocky ground of the building's top, her seismic sense outlining every turn and twist, every fan and generator and stairwell access door, but no Arrow. A metallic twang caught her attention, and both shields expanded to maximum as she spun in its direction, the shot glancing off one of them and imbedding itself in a wall. Her green eyes lifted to see a darker green figure perched on a radio tower on an adjacent building, hood over his features and bow drawn back, another arrow already nocked.

"Lin Beifong, you have failed this city!"

She arched an eyebrow as the shields retracted. "I fail to see how. Mind explaining?"

In response, he let the arrow fly, to which she responded by flicking her hand to the side in a metalbending maneuver. Shock and pain warred for dominance when the arrow sunk into her left shoulder anyway, the impact knocking her back into the wall with a grunt. Green eyes widened as they stared down at the injury, then shifted back to the vigilante.

"Wha—how?" she breathed.

"That arrow's made entirely of a high-density carbon polymer. No metal or anything else you can bend." He leapt from the radio tower and landed on the far side of her roof with a roll, drawing back another arrow upon rising to his feet. "I learned from our last encounter."

She arched an eyebrow, grunting as she yanked the arrow out. "Our 'last' encounter? You mean in the academy? I didn't stop you then, either."

Even at this distance, she could see his eyes narrow. "Whatever the case, you won't be bending your way out of this one."

He released another arrow, this one reflected off one of her shields as her other arm shot a cable from her arm, its sharp metal point flying just past his face as he spun away, drawing another arrow from his back in the motion. He released it a second later, running sideways as she continued to dodge and deflect every rapid-fired shot, every one of them impeccably on-target. Lin had never seen such sheer skill before, and despite her own extensive experience, she could practically see the gears turning in his head, the vigilante's keen mind already working out a way to beat her. So she changed the game, earthbending one section of the roof after another until the concrete formed a rooftop maze.

The Arrow excelled in open spaces with long sight lines. Taking the open environment away would rob him of his ranged advantage and force him to either close the distance or climb on the walls to take a shot. Either way, there were only so many places he could be thanks to her efforts, and she would see him coming thanks to her seismic sense. Another stomp put the outline of the maze in her mind's eye, slight vibrations of movement detected through two walls on her right. She bent the first wall out of the way before punching the second, sending a large chunk of concrete toward the source of the vibrations.

The Arrow rolled out of the way just in time, spinning mid-movement and rising to a crouch, arrow already nocked. He fired as she ducked and rolled away, putting up an earth wall between them and blocking two more shots as he withdrew. A metal cable shot out from the side of the wall, nearly skewering his firing arm, but missing as he performed a backward handspring and drew an arrow from his thigh quiver. A seismic pulse revealed his rapidly approaching figure a second before an arrowhead stabbed down toward her chest. Lin's gauntlets and shields reflected one strike after the next as he bore down with relentless fury.

She managed to throw him off-balance when he brought his bow down with a hard strike, sidestepping his maneuver and elbowing him in the back as her other hand came down for a shield bash. He rolled with her first strike, using the momentum to catapult himself forward into a roll, the movement spinning him back toward her as the arrow in his hand went onto his bowstring. The moment he released it, she deployed her shields, catching it between them as she slammed them together in front of her torso, pulling them apart to see him charging in, bow in his right hand. The hard frame of his blunt weapon impacted her face hard, causing her to grunt and stagger backward before deploying a blade on her right gauntlet while her left remained a shield.

Another bow strike was deflected off her shield as her arm blade thrust toward his shoulder, the limb smacked away with his empty hand as he countered with a roundhouse kick. She withdrew from the blow and charged in with a shield bash that sent him back several steps, right leg stomping hard and popping him into the air as the ground beneath him shot up in pillar form. The Arrow flawlessly recovered midair as he turned the knockback into a backflip, landing in a backward roll and breaking off into a run that took him out of her sight and into another section of the maze.

Refusing to play along, she launched herself onto one of the maze's walls and sprinted toward his last location, one of the steps barefoot and allowing her to pinpoint his location. The Arrow sprung up one of the walls to vault himself onto an adjacent wall, instantly spinning to face the approaching police chief as he landed in a crouch. He drew an arrow from his side quiver, firing as soon as it was nocked. Lin swiped it away with her blade as she metalbent her left shield off her arm and threw it in his direction. His upper body leaned backward as it went fully horizontal, dodging the flat projectile by barely an inch as it returned to the arm of its owner.

Unfortunately for him, his method of dodging also threw him completely off-balance and sent him falling back into the maze. Knowing exactly where he was, Lin earthbent the walls around him before he even hit the ground, encasing him in a concrete box without a single gap. The chief breathed heavily a few times before jumping down in front of the box.

"It's over, Arrow."

Silence was her only answer, but as she put a finger to her ear to call for Cisco and the others to call it in, the concrete wall began to turn red-hot. Her eyes widened. Don't tell me he's a freaking lavabender. As it turned out, he wasn't. A half-melted arrow was seen through the rapidly expanding hole as another flew out toward her, the shot barely missing a gap in her armor and reflecting off the metal as she leapt back. A green figure dive-rolled out of the molten hole, right arm snapping toward her despite the distance, a small thrown projectile managing to get past her surprised guard and sink its way into her upper left arm.

A pained grunt left her lips as she raised a shield to deflect the next shot, retracting her blade and firing a cable at his legs. The Arrow cartwheeled away, landing in a solid crouch and rolling away when she fired again, drawing and firing another arrow that glanced off her right gauntlet. He performed a wallrun up an adjacent wall as Lin threw another cable, finally managing to snag his waist and slam him into the opposite surface. His bow clattered to the ground as he yelled in pain, the metalbender sending him crashing against one hard surface after the next before tossing him through his former cage, the structure shattering as his body went through it.

The vigilante rolled to a stop and painfully rose to all fours, looking up at her from under his hood as his gaze flickered to his fallen bow. Lin stomped, dislodging a concrete projectile and throwing it in his direction. A backwards handspring sent him out of its range, and he spun around the next shot as he sprinted toward her. A forward wallspring and midair spin sent him dodging the last earth projectile as he came down with a flying cross. She blocked the blow and countered with a knee that he pushed away with his left hand, backpedaling then getting in close to limit her bending options.

One of her shields impacted with his fist, causing him to yelp in pain, then roundhouse kick her shield arm as his entire body spun, his other leg managing to land a side-kick on her chest. The surprisingly strong blow knocked her back a few steps, allowing him to roll for his bow and retrieve it just as she charged back in. He rose with a diagonal swing of his bow, the strike knocking her shield away once again as his empty hand landed in her right. She twisted his fist away and head-butted him solidly, kneeing him in the chest, then grabbing his left arm and tossing him over her shoulder.

His recovery was far more sluggish than before, but his eyes were keen and calculating as ever, and she knew he had something else in the works, even if his quiver was mostly empty at this point. With a faked charge at her, he spun to the side and vaulted over a wall, Lin following immediately as he leapt from one wall to another, then jumped down into the maze and kept running. She followed hot on his heels, rounding a corner right after him but finding only a dead end. Eyes narrowed, she retracted one of her boots again only to whirl around when the whiz of rapidly moving air reached her ears. Before she could react, two arrows pinned her legs to a nearby wall via cables wrapped around her ankles.

Two more twangs were heard from another direction as her wrist armor was caught and nailed to the same wall, completely immobilizing her. A green figure leapt from the source's direction, landing ten feet away from her and drawing an arrow back threateningly. Behind the Arrow, she could see the Flash's red-clad frame perched atop the radio tower, ready to intervene at a moment's notice, but she shook her head ever-so-slightly, seeing his jaw tighten in response, but the speedster making no move to attack.

"You're going to pay for your crimes against Republic City."

"And what might those be?" she asked hotly, narrowing her eyes. "If you're going to play judge, jury, and executioner, you should know that in a court of law, the accused has a right to know exactly what they're being accused of."

"Bribery, corruption, negligence. Take your pick," he growled.

"Corruption? How do you figure?"

"The two policemen I executed earlier this week. They were involved in racketeering, intimidation, coercion. They were in the pocket of every triad and criminal organization in the city, their actions far too high-profile for you not to notice. You knew what they were doing and did nothing!" The arrow drew back further. "That makes you an accessory."

She arched a gray eyebrow. "Does it? Perhaps so." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Or it would be if there weren't a greater plan in place."

The Arrow blinked, frame tensing. "What are you talking about?"

"I knew about their activities, yes, but I also knew that they were connected to a much larger organization operating in Republic City. I had more than enough evidence to convict and ship them off to some hellhole, but I refrained from doing so. Why? Because they were the minnows, and I was after the shark."

His blue eyes widened slightly, shadowed expression shifting in dread before hardening in anger. "You're lying," he hissed.

"Am I? I suppose I could be, given that you've got an arrow to my head, could be trying just to save my own skin…but if you know my reputation, you know I don't crack so easily."

The Arrow just stood there, tense as a high wire.

"So make the call, Arrow. I told you the truth, it's up to you whether to believe it. And if you don't, then why haven't you fired yet? We all know you've killed before, so tell me…why are you hesitating?"

He remained silent, jaw tightening.

She smiled internally, warm confidence flooding her. "Is it because you're considering the possibility that I might be right? But no, you can't consider that, because if you do, you'll have to admit that you made a mistake, that in your self-righteous fervor, you undid months of work and hamstrung a plan that would've brought the entire system of corruption to its knees. Because you didn't trust the system, trust me to know what I'm doing, you needlessly executed valuable resources and doomed this city to another six months of misery."

His jaw dropped slightly as his shoulders began to heave with heavier breaths.

"So make your choice, Arrow. Make the call. I won't try to stop you." Lin shot Barry a look that he do the same, then shifted back to the vigilante, his last impact arrow nocked and drawn back fully, jaw clenched. "Make. The. Call."

What little she could see of his face twisted in anger, frame tensing as the shaking built to a fever pitch, his firing hand pulling back even more as he roared in rage and released the arrow.

A blink, a high-pitched whiz of rapidly moving air, a loud thud.

Lin didn't even turn her head or eyes, opting to continue staring at the Arrow, his weapon imbedded in the wall just three inches from her face. His shoulders continued to heave as he stumbled backwards into a roof access door, bow clattering to the floor as he slid down the wall into a sitting position, head in his hands. Breathing a sigh of equal relief and empathy, she tensed her arms and earthbent the wall behind her, separating the sections of concrete where the arrows were stuck, then knocking the weapons off and letting them fall to the ground. Beifong approached the vigilante like a wounded animal, putting her hands on her hips as she saw his slightly shaking frame.

"I didn't know," he whispered, broken voice barely audible. "I swear I didn't know."

"I know," she replied, tone somewhat softer than before. "This is why vigilantism is a crime. When you take the law into your own hands, you rarely have all the facts, and though you were eliminating criminal elements from the equation, your focus on treating the symptoms blinded you to the bigger picture, allowing the disease to fester."

He nodded slowly, still despondent as ever.

She frowned deeply. "You know I have to take you in now. Criminals or no, assassinating someone is still murder."

The Arrow nodded again, slowly rising to his feet. "Yes, I know. But first I need you to hear me out, and make me a promise."

Her head cocked and eyes widened as he pulled his hood back, revealing a young, scruff-shaded man with cropped blonde hair and piercing blue eyes surrounded by green paint.

"My name is—"

"Oliver Queen," she finished, tone disbelieving. "I know who you are. Some socialite big shot in Ba Sing Se, or at least you were before the Earth Kingdom went to hell."

He nodded. "Before I started operating in Ba Sing Se, I was trapped on a deserted island for five years, where I honed my skills after discovering that my father was involved in something…horrible."

"There was an accident that sunk your boat in the middle of the South Sea, I remember."

Another nod as he zipped his green vest down halfway, reaching inside. "Before he died, my father gave me this." His right hand pulled out a small black book. "He explained that the people on this list were all part of a conspiracy that had to be stopped at all costs, a conspiracy that he was a part of until he realized what they were really trying to do."

Oliver handed the book to her, allowing her to leaf through, the chief mentally noting the sheer volume of names already crossed out.

"The night of Harmonic Convergence, I finally managed to escape the island and make my way back to Ba Sing Se. I spent the next six months hunting down the people on that list, but it wasn't until seven months ago that I finally realized the connection between them all."

Lin tabbed through the pages of the notebook, to around where the middle of the crossed-off names was, her eyes widening as she recognized four names in particular. She looked back up at him. "Zaheer? P'Li? You mean…"

Oliver nodded gravely. "They're all members of the Red Lotus."

Beifong cast the book a horrified look as she flipped through the pages, revealing that at least a third of the book was filled with names that remained uncrossed.

"Just promise me that you'll devote all your efforts to apprehending these people, and I'll come quietly."

Lin locked gazes with Oliver, expression grave. "I promise. These bastards tried to kill me and my sister, and the Avatar as well." She held the notebook up. "This will help immensely."

Oliver nodded once more, then sighed and held his hands up in front of him. His blue eyes widened and flickered behind Lin when a gentle gust of wind hit her back.

"What if we don't take him in?" a new, familiar voice asked.

Lin turned to face the newly arrived Flash. "Like I told you a month ago, the rules are the rules, and I have to abide them even when I don't agree."

"But only the three of us know he's even here. And now that we know what he's really been doing, we can't afford to lock him up."

She arched an eyebrow. "And why not?"

Flash's jaw tensed. "Because he's our best shot at stopping them once and for all. Even the president himself admitted that the Red Lotus is the biggest threat to world order since the Hundred-Year War. How much of a stretch would it be to say that he'd get behind the Arrow if we tell him that he's been hunting down its members?"

Lin blinked hard, considering the possibility. "You have a point, I'll admit, but what about the press? If they find out the Arrow is hunting Red Lotus operatives here in Republic City, we'll have a mass panic on our hands, and we can't rightly admit to working with a vigilante who's technically considered a murderer."

Flash frowned deeply, eyes flickering to Oliver. "Then don't. Just let him go. Mr. Queen, are there still people on that list who are operating in Ba Sing Se?"

He thought about it for a moment. "I think so, yes."

A smile played over the speedster's lips. "Then go back. We'll make a copy of the list for our use, and while you deal with your city, we deal with ours. That way the public and the president are both happy, and you can continue your work."

"Nobody's gonna appreciate more bodies dropping," Lin remarked.

Flash's lips pursed. "But they don't have to, do they?" He leveled the Arrow with an intense look. "You managed to immobilize Lin Beifong without doing permanent damage. That's no mean feat, even if you did have to use remote-controlled crossbows to get the drop on her."

Oliver's jaw dropped. "How did you—"

He shrugged. "Fastest man alive. I found the remote in your pocket when I ran onto this roof. My point is, if you're good enough to do that to her, then you don't need to kill. You know how to tie evidence to the criminals you hunt, and since the Earth Kingdom's capital city is mostly stabilized by now, law and order is back in full effect."

Oliver frowned and stared at the ground. "True," he admitted. "It'll be more difficult, operating with one hand tied behind my back…but it'll be worth it." He looked back up at them. "Killing…takes a toll on you, no matter how many times you've done it."

"Then stop. Take this opportunity as a chance to reinvent yourself, from a vigilante, just a man in a green hood, to a hero. Because you can be, Oliver. You've got it in you."

The vigilante's eyes narrowed slightly, then shifted to Lin. "And does this meet your approval?"

The chief sighed heavily, glancing at Flash, who shot her a pleading look, then shifted her focus back to Oliver. "Yes. You're free to leave as soon as we've copied that list. But you will be leaving."

He nodded once.

Another sigh. "Go. Head to HQ in the morning, we'll have the list copied by then. And show up in your civvies, not the muscle suit."

A small chuckle came from his throat. "Of course." His eyes shifted to the Flash, narrowing again before a small but genuine smile took over his features. "Thank you, Flash."

He smiled back, wider. "Just doin' my job."

The Arrow retrieved his bow and drew back his last arrow, firing a cable to an adjacent rooftop and anchoring it to the building they were on.

"Oh, and Oliver," Barry called.

He turned to look back at him.

"If you're gonna keep doing this, wear a mask. A proper mask."

Oliver smirked and nodded, leaping off the side and out of sight as Lin breathed an exhausted sigh.

"Allen, you're makin' me soft in my old age."

The speedster just grinned and shot her a two-fingered salute before taking off into the night.

AN: Super long chapter, I know, but I couldn't bring myself to cut the Arrow vs. Beifong fight scene down, or the following explanation. The next few chapters are a bit of semi-filler (not really) that will introduce some more villains and get the ball rolling with the resolution of an ongoing story arc. Hope you liked the Arrow storyline. You will be seeing him again, though rather infrequently, since this is a Flash fic. More focus on Korra and the others to follow next chapter, so stay tuned for more updates and please review at your leisure.

P.S.: For those of you who got the reference, Al Sa-Her will be taking a small role, off to the shadows, until the situation with Kuvira starts to take place…which will be a while off. It's gonna be awesome.

Musical Inspirations:

Arrow (Season 2) - Blind Spot: "You won't be bending your way out of this one"/The Arrow vs. Beifong to being pinned to a wall