A Cog in the Machine – Book One, Chapter Nine: Into the Future
Disclaimer: In case you haven't figured it out yet, I don't own The Legend of Korra. All Avatar-related characters, settings, etc. are the intellectual property of Viacom, Bryan Konietzko, and Michael Dante DiMartino.
[-]
Zaheer wandered the halls of the Spirit Library, his eyes poring over dozens of titles with every passing second.
Wan Shi Tong was allied with Unalaq more than anyone else, but the Water Tribe Chief had vouched for the entire Red Lotus when they'd first struck an accord. Consequently, they were the only humans still allowed to come and go through the spirit's sanctum – provided they adhered to the "old rules."
Thankfully, it wasn't difficult for Zaheer to procure a new piece of knowledge each time he desired access to these halls. He'd traveled more across both worlds than, perhaps, any non-Avatar in history, and picked up a wealth of tomes and artifacts that'd make any human's head spin.
To He-Who-Knows-Ten-Thousand-Things, of course, such knowledge was at best a drop in the bucket. But for simple entry, it was sufficient.
This time he'd gifted the owl spirit with a priceless stone calendar, used by the Air Nomads for thousands of years, before they'd adopted the Earth Kingdom system in the era of Avatar Bai. That was enough to buy him at least a few hours unmolested.
Zaheer turned a corner and found himself in a part of the Library that was intimately familiar.
It was here, so long ago, that he and Unalaq had first discovered the secrets of Wan, Raava, and Vaatu – the first humans to learn the whole story in ten-thousand years. Human history may have buried the Avatar's origins, but the spirits remembered, and they'd recorded it all.
Most useful had been a musty tome titled Beginnings, written by the aye-aye spirit who'd once befriended Wan. Zaheer had lost count of the number of times he'd perused it, each new review revealing details he'd missed in the last. The spirit's prose was thorough and dense, even if his language was also somewhat…colorful.
But today, he wasn't there for that particular book. He was there for the next.
A far narrower volume than its predecessor, Endings had been an addendum penned by the aye-aye spirit – who, like most spirits, was largely immortal – during one of humanity's darkest hours: immediately following the Air Nomad Genocide.
The material and spiritual planes were reflections of one another, and so much death and destruction within the former had had profound effects on the latter. The aye-aye spirit described crumbling mountains and forests reduced to cinders in an instant, each snuffed-out life magnified tenfold in the horrors it caused.
Already resentful of most humans, and of the early firebenders in particular, the spirit hadn't held back in his vicious, wrathful condemnation of the attack. He described wounds in the Spirit World which'd taken decades to heal…and in the case of those parts most intimately connected to the element of air, might never do so.
All hopes for humanity's future, which'd tentatively begun to blossom in the pages of Beginnings, were nowhere to be found in its "sequel." Ten millennia of observing the physical world had convinced the author that "Stinky" had failed in his quest.
Humans had been drifting apart from the spirits, and from their very own planet, ever since they'd abandoned the lion-turtles and formed their own, united societies. They'd wiped out countless plants and creatures, ruined the dirt and soil with their machines, and spilt each other's blood for the pettiest of reasons.
From the aye-aye spirit's perspective, the Hundred Year War had simply been the last straw; one final insult, capping off ten-thousand years of systematic betrayal.
His expression stoic and distant, Zaheer turned the book to its final pages.
It was here, once his screed against the human race's myriad flaws was complete, that the spirit chose to outline a plan. He lamented that things had been so much better, so much simpler, before "Stinky" had ignorantly separated the Spirits of Light and Dark. And he wondered, idly, whether it'd be possible to return to those bygone days.
Still, Zaheer very much doubted the aye-aye spirit had ever expected his plans might be discovered by a pair of human boys…
Or that they might decide to implement them.
Finally, the non-bender flipped to the very last page, his dull green eyes intent upon the inside of the back cover. This was what he'd come for.
He'd long since memorized every word of both tomes, but there was one thing basic recall simply couldn't substitute for. Because tucked in a small pocket was a weathered piece of paper, folded neatly into a palm-sized square.
One which, when unfolded, displayed a map of Zaheer's own planet.
A map of every weak point between the two worlds.
Memorizing the locations was pointless, since they changed constantly, affected by the emotions of both spirits and humans in each particular area. The map, a truly ingenious piece of spiritual craftsmanship, updated itself in real time to reflect these movements.
This was the Red Lotus' secret weapon, and one of the reasons they'd managed to stay two steps ahead of the White in recent years. Even their less spiritually adept members, like Aiwei or Jilu, could easily meditate themselves into the Spirit World, should they situate themselves in a place where the barriers were particularly fragile.
And as they were nearly always at their weakest in cities and other major centers of human activity, that was rarely a problem.
There were other uses for that knowledge, too. Spirits were more liable to cross over when the walls impeding them were thin, and the Lotus could react accordingly. Unalaq had once used the map to locate a spiritual grove in the North and, through a complex web of machinations, managed to usurp his brother's birthright as a result.
Oh, what Zaheer wouldn't give to be able to take the artifact home with him – but Wan Shi Tong enforced a strict "no borrowing" policy, on penalty of a most strange and painful death. Besides, he wasn't entirely sure its unique properties would even work outside the Spirit World.
No, it was best simply to consult it on an as-needed basis, and plan from there. Which was exactly what Zaheer was doing now.
One, two, three…there were a total of nine weak points spread throughout Republic City right now, and another three just outside the city limits. One of those was a mere hour or two away from their current hideout.
The non-bender smiled. They could use information like that.
He would've spent more time perusing the map for the sake of their operations in the other nations, but at that moment he felt something like a sharp tug on his soul. It was a sensation he recognized immediately – someone was shaking his physical body, trying to rouse him.
Zaheer swore inwardly, but readied himself to return nonetheless. P'Li always guarded him during meditation, and he trusted her intimately. If she thought he needed to return to the material world without delay, it had to be something important.
He took one last, lingering look at the endless shelves surrounding him, and at the map he held between his spirit's hands. Then, he went very still.
Unless he was very much mistaken, another weak point between the worlds had just appeared before his eyes. But…the size of this one…
Zaheer blinked, and when his eyelids flapped back open they had mass once more. The dusty halls of Wan Shi Tong's Library had been replaced by P'Li's face, her expression anxious.
"A message just arrived from one of our agents in the city," she said, pulling her boyfriend to his feet with haste. "Ghazan and Ming-Hua are packing now."
"What's going on?" asked Zaheer, though he too was already grabbing at supplies to throw into a nearby travel bag.
P'Li affixed him with a three-eyed stare, her face and tone unusually severe – even by her standards.
"It's Korra," she responded, slinging her own bag over her shoulders. "She needs our help."
[-]
Never before in her life – not even the time she and Ghazan had staked out a governor's estate, and she'd needed to remain awake for four days straight – had Korra so desperately desired rest.
She'd slept in past noon the previous day, of course, but it certainly didn't feel like it. Falling asleep in the Sato's guest bedroom seemed like a lifetime ago, and in a sense it was. After all, that'd been the last time she'd had all of her bending.
And without it…well, she wasn't really Avatar Korra, was she?
It'd all happened so quickly. It was all but impossible to comprehend that less than twelve hours had passed between her pathetically embarrassing training session with the Fire Ferrets and their frantic escape from the warehouse, Amon himself right on their heels.
After all she'd seen, all she'd learned, all she'd done, Korra wanted nothing more than to crawl under the covers and block out the world. But Kuvira had made that an impossibility.
Kuvira…she still knew so little about the metalbender, apart from the fact that she was pants-wettingly terrifying. She radiated authority in a way even Ming-Hua and P'Li – the two strongest women Korra had ever known – couldn't quite match, despite being significantly younger.
She gave off the distinct sense that disobeying her was simply not an option. And on a better day, Korra might've challenged it. But with her own head in such utter disarray, the waterbender had little doubt how a fight between them was likely to go.
So she'd remained still, and quiet, and submissive. She'd answered all their questions as best as she could, any hope for her cover's survival thoroughly shattered – or almost all their questions, at least.
Kuvira had generously permitted her to keep one secret.
Korra said that sarcastically in her head, but the truth was that she had genuinely no idea how she would've dealt with the others learning of the Red Lotus, on top of everything else that'd occurred.
The boys were one thing, though she liked to think they'd been growing into something vaguely approaching "friends." But Asami…
She knew she shouldn't care what a single non-bender girl thought of her – she knew that. In the grand scheme of things, Asami Sato wasn't particularly important, or even special.
But the fact remained that, wholly and desperately, Korra did hang on Asami's opinion of her, recoiling viscerally at the notion that a rift might someday grow between them.
The two of them wouldn't be able to stay together for much longer; that much was inevitable. She'd screwed things up about as much as she possibly could've, and she couldn't imagine the Lotus was going to be pleased by that.
Even if she did succeed at reclaiming her bending and neutralizing Amon – which, again, she wasn't even certain was possible – there was no way Zaheer would let her go on any more big missions after this. She'd probably spend every day between now and Harmonic Convergence locked in her room, twiddling away her thumbs until the end of the world.
And after that, well…she supposed it really wouldn't matter.
The point was, though Korra knew it would pain her terribly, she'd resigned herself to the prospect of never seeing Asami again.
But being hated by the beautiful girl? To see anger and resentment well up in those brilliant, emerald eyes? Even imagining it made Korra sick to her stomach…
Something at the core of her being, something buried incredibly deep, was telling her unflinchingly that being hated by Asami Sato was simply…wrong, somehow. That they might have their disagreements and fight from time to time, but at the end of day they'd always be reconciled.
And it was a ridiculous thought, of course. In the long run, she barely knew Asami, and Asami knew even less about her. But it continued to press insistently upon the corners of her mind, refusing to let up.
Korra let out a deep, lasting sigh that eventually became an exhausted yawn. This was precisely why she needed her bed so badly right now.
Because in sleep, everything was simple. She wouldn't have to think of everything that'd just occurred, or the numerous challenges lying before her in the future.
She wouldn't have to think about how much of a failure she'd become.
The moment Korra opened the door to her apartment, however, it became fairly obvious she wouldn't be catching up on sleep anytime soon.
For one thing, someone was already sitting on her bed.
"And now, Avatar Korra…" said Kuvira, idly revolving several metallic spheres above her palm. "You're going to answer the questions you refused to in front of your friends."
[-]
The good news was that no one had been killed by the explosion at Avatar Aang Memorial Island.
The bad news was that its staff and visitors accounted for forty-seven of the injuries reported on the radio. And unless several of those injured were moved to a hospital within the next few hours, the lack of casualties wasn't likely to remain true for long.
As such, the rest of Tenzin's morning was spent assisting with search and rescue. While he couldn't carry the patients directly – needless to say, gliding around with a person in critical condition wasn't especially wise – his bending played a necessary role in delivering supplies from the mainland, as they waited for a police airship to arrive.
To his surprise, when he arrived on the island, he found he wasn't the only person to have the same idea. All three of his children were gliding about with food and medical supplies, while his wife tended to several of the wounded, offering them basic first aid and spiritual comfort.
Landing softly next to her, he asked in a quiet voice, "You brought the children here?"
Pema looked momentarily surprised, but recovered quickly.
"We were nearby, and they wanted to help. How could I say no?" she said, one hand on her swollen belly and the other wiping sweat from the brow of an elderly acolyte. "Even Meelo's on his best behavior right now."
"We'll talk later. Once these people have all been taken to safety," murmured Tenzin, his eyes upon the hovering forms of his daughters and son. "But I am…very proud."
By the time the last of the injured had been evacuated by speedboat or airship, it was well past noon, and the airbending master was starting to feel rather famished. He hadn't eaten since well before the sting, and all the bending he'd done recently hadn't helped matters.
He was saved from having to admit this aloud, however, as the moment his two youngest landed they leapt into his arms, each firmly of a single mind.
"Daddy, can we go to Little Ba Sing Se? Ooh, can we, can we, can we?" demanded Ikki, excitedly shaking her father's robes. "I wanna get a smoothie!"
Meelo, however, harrumphed loudly. "That place is not fit to shine my boots!" he exclaimed, in that quirky and protracted way no one could imitate. "Last time, they kicked me out of the throne-y thing!"
"That would be because you drooled on it. For five minutes straight," Jinora pointed out, coming in for a landing as well and sidling up next to her mother. "Nevertheless…I, too, wouldn't mind going for some lunch right now. And, umm…perhaps a visit to the bookstore on the way back? It's not far from the restaurant."
Tenzin smiled indulgently. "I think you've all certainly earned a treat today," he said to his kids, squeezing his two youngest around the midsection and then lowering them to the ground. "If that's alright with you, Meelo?"
The young boy crossed his arms and frowned deeply, but eventually nodded.
"Very well. Let it never be said Meelo denied the happiness of a lady! Even when those ladies are his sisters," he answered, punctuating his point by snorting a long line of snot back into his nose.
Lastly, Tenzin looked to his wife, and the pair of them shared a knowing nod. While they'd have preferred a…quieter location for lunch, they were also parents. That meant priorities needed to be in order.
The councilman knew he'd have to get back to work soon. For one thing, Tarrlok's follow-up meeting was scheduled in less than three hours – and if Tenzin wanted to argue successfully against his insane plans, he'd need to prepare well ahead of time.
But for now…
His family came first.
[-]
Asami was scheduled to come into work today, but to say she wasn't feeling up to it was an understatement of almost laughable proportions.
The most she was able to muster, upon returning home to the Sato mansion, was to pick up the phone and call in sick. Just to be on the safe side, she did the same on behalf of "Mizore" and "Kinzoku." Miki, who was filling in as assistant supervisor until she returned to Ba Sing Se next week, hadn't asked any further questions.
Sometimes it was good to be the boss.
Her father was working from home, again, but for once Asami was in no great hurry to see him. She wished she could say it had nothing to do with what Kuvira had told her.
It was ludicrous, insane to be giving into even the slightest sliver of doubt, but though that was enough to ease her conscious mind her subconscious wasn't so easily placated.
Ironically, it'd been Hiroshi himself who'd cultivated that part of her brain. The part that automatically reached to analyze a problem from a logical and dispassionate point of view, unencumbered by emotion.
And purely from that perspective, Kuvira's accusations made sense.
A little too much sense, in fact. Now that the thought was in her head, she couldn't help herself from noting just how many things it'd manage to explain. His erratic work schedule, his increased guardedness, his utter secrecy regarding his latest projects…
Asami practically slapped herself. How could she possibly be entertaining such a notion, even as a hypothetical? It felt like she was twisting a knife in the back of the one person who loved her most in the world.
And, she tried to convince herself, guilt over that feeling was the only reason she was avoiding her father.
Unfortunately, he clearly hadn't gotten the memo on that. Just as she was about to slip into her room – to think, to sleep, to collapse into a heap and do absolutely nothing at all, she wasn't quite sure – his heavy hand came down upon her shoulder.
It took all her willpower to suppress her years of training and not flip him to the ground out of instinct.
Still, her pulse had sped up to a mile a minute in an instant, and as she whirled around to face him she focused intently on getting it back under control.
"Hi, dad," she said nervously, one hand still upon her doorknob.
"Where have you been, Asami?" he demanded, though his voice sounded more worried than stern. "At first I thought I'd just missed you, but the servants told me you went out with that…that waterbender girl…and never came back…"
Asami bit her lip. She couldn't exactly tell him the truth about how – and where – she'd spent the previous night.
The irony of that thought, given her own nagging suspicions, was not lost on the non-bender.
"Err…do you remember that metalbender from Ba Sing Se I told you about? Kinzoku?" she decided to ask, before proceeding to invent wildly. "We went out to dinner, with Mizore and a couple of her friends. But we all got food poisoning…like, really bad food poisoning. I couldn't even drive. So we stopped off at a motel to recover."
"Oh, I…I see…" murmured Hiroshi, his expression unclear. "Are you alright now?"
"I'm, uh…getting there," said Asami, making a sickened face to lend credence to her claim. She hated lying to her father, but she also didn't see any other choice. "But I could still use a lie-down in my own bed, I think. Those motel pillows were hard as rocks. Actually…I think they might've been rocks."
"Go rest, Asami. I'll have the servants bring you some hot towels and…soup, maybe? Something easy to digest," Hiroshi responded, before pulling his daughter into a loose embrace. "Don't worry, I'm here. I'll always be here."
Asami returned the hug, pressing her face into his chest, hating herself for doubting him.
And hating herself even more because those doubts still hadn't gone away.
"Dad…" she whispered, as she slowly pulled away from him. "Could I ask you something? Please?"
"Of course, my dear. You should never have to hold anything back from me," he told her.
Once again, Asami's stomach turned at the part of her – the very small part – that couldn't help but find the way he'd said that a tiny bit suspicious.
In any event, she inhaled a deep breath, and took the plunge. "I know you didn't get to see her much, but…" she said in a small voice, leaning against her bedroom door. "What do you think of Mizore?"
She was imagining him stiffening, right? She must've. "In, err…in what context?" he asked, his words tumbling out messily.
"I mean, nothing much, we've just…just gotten…close, lately," Asami mumbled, sounding equally as articulate. "So I wanted to make sure it'd be alright if…well, if she came around here a little more. Maybe even…regularly."
Now, there was no mistaking it. At those last few words, his entire body had gone completely rigid.
"Well, erm…that is, anything you want, sweetheart," replied Hiroshi, wringing his hands. "But, if I may…I'd caution against getting…well, against getting too close. She's your subordinate, after all. And she's here for work. There…There's no telling where that could take her."
"That…seems like kind of an odd way to put it," she said, her painted lips forming into a frown. "Even if she stopped working for Future Industries, that doesn't mean we couldn't still be friends."
Hiroshi was still for several long, silent moments…before finally stepping back and nodding his head.
"You're right, of course. How…How silly of me," he stated, shuffling awkwardly and directing his gaze to the side. "I'll just…get on with that soup. Go rest, Asami."
And with that, he turned away from her, his waistcoat swaying behind him as he hurried down the main stairwell. He tripped twice, but didn't slow down for a second.
Asami, for her part, watched her father until he disappeared into the side-hallway where the servants' quarters were. Then, she finished turning her bedroom doorknob and slipped inside, panting slightly from the suppressed stress of that entire conversation.
One thing, and perhaps only one thing, was clear. If her goal had been to dispel her lingering doubts about her father…
Then she had failed miserably.
[-]
Korra took a step back, feeling herself shrink slightly. "You mean…?" she muttered, looking askance.
"The Red Lotus. We'll cut straight to the chase," said Kuvira, clenching her fist to emphasize the point. The metal spheres she'd been playing with crumpled into scrap. "Tell me everything you know about them. Where they are, who is among their ranks, and…what they've done to you, to make you into their trained polar bear-dog."
Instantly, Korra's nervousness was overwhelmed by a surge of anger.
"They didn't do anything to me. Apart from give me a home, and a family," she snapped. "I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand."
"What exactly wouldn't I understand?" asked Kuvira, her voice hard. "Losing everything you've ever known or loved when you were just a child? Being taken in by strangers, to a strange place, and raised like you were one of their own? You don't know a single thing about me, Avatar. But I know you. And I know you've been lied to."
"If you're trying to turn me against the Lotus, it won't work," Korra declared confidently. "I've heard every story that people like you have tried to pull. None of it changes what they've done for me."
"Have you heard that they killed your parents?" said Kuvira, her voice even. "Because they did."
The water-whip was streaking toward her before Korra even realized she'd summoned it. Kuvira reacted just as quickly, however, using the scrap metal to cut through the majority of the liquid, so her face was only lightly splashed.
"How dare you?!" she screamed, another stream of water curling around her right arm in unconscious emulation of Ming-Hua. "They saved me! Saved me from the White Lotus!"
The metalbender folded her hands. "So that's what they told you. It certainly explains a few things," she replied with a frown. "Did they ever mention what reason the White Lotus might have in enacting the Southern Massacre?"
"I see where you're going with this. And it won't work," said Korra, breathing heavily as she struggled to get herself back under control. "You think I'd be so sure if they'd just told me? I have proof."
The liquid around her arm retreated back into its skin, for the moment.
"When I was old enough to know about it, old enough to understand, they showed me all the evidence they'd gathered after the Massacre," she continued on, her head hung low. "Letters. Photos. They all told the same story."
"Letters can be forged. Photographs can be falsified," the metalbender pointed out.
Korra felt on the verge of tearing her own hair out. "Urrrrgh…you are impossible to argue with!" she growled. "But fine. You want to know who else I heard it from? The freaking Grand Lotus himself!"
"Fire Lord Zuko?" said Kuvira, making a scoffing noise with her tongue. She looked, to put it mildly, skeptical.
The Avatar's eyes narrowed. "The previous Grand Lotus," she clarified.
"Master Konsai. Waterbender, scholar, eighty-sixth Grandmaster of the White Lotus. Assassinated seven years ago in his own home," Kuvira recited, almost automatically. A moment later, her expression shifted. "You were there?"
Korra's eyes glinted in pure, unvarnished hatred. "I did it," she whispered, her voice a quiet hiss.
She could tell Kuvira was doing the math in her head. "Then that means you were…" she said.
"Ten. And y'know what? I'd do it again in a heartbeat," Korra cut her off, neither feeling nor displaying the slightest shred of remorse. "He admitted everything. That scorpion-viper sat there and spilled every single plan and scheme the Order ever cooked up, my knife at his throat. One of my mentors taught me how to make one out of ice. It went in deep."
Her teeth clenched down tight, her blood boiling to the point where it became hard to speak.
"I made that monster suffer. Like he made my parents suffer," finished the waterbender. "My Tribe, my family…everything. The White Lotus took them all away. I jumped at the chance to take something away from them."
"You still haven't addressed the why," stated Kuvira, who seemed to be taking this all quite in stride. "If he told you 'everything,' he must've also told you their motive."
Korra glared at her, again trying to master herself. At least enough for her to speak calmly.
"Power, of course. What else?" she said, shaking her head in dismay. "He said the White Lotus were tired of being the Avatar's puppets. Aang brought them from the shadows into the light, allowed them to set up compounds and headquarters all over the planet. As far as they were concerned, only he was stopping them from conquering the world's nations."
Her eyes darted downward, swimming with shame.
"But when the world needed him most…he died," she added in a low voice. "And I was born."
Kuvira crossed her arms. "Go on," she ordered, her voice toneless.
"The White Lotus spent the next four years searching the Water Tribes for Aang's successor," Korra continued to explain. "When they found me, a useless little girl who could barely defend herself…well, they saw their opportunity. They used me as an excuse to build a new compound, bigger than any other, in the South Pole. Then, a little under a year later…they attacked."
"It's true that no firm reports exist of exactly how the Southern Massacre occurred," said Kuvira. "But that's not how the history books have come to understand it."
"I was there, okay!" exclaimed Korra, and before she knew it she'd punched the nearest wall at full strength. A deep dent was gouged in it. "Those books are lies, written by cowards."
"Be that as it may, numerous White Lotus corpses were discovered amongst the fallen. That fact is indisputable," the metalbender responded pointedly.
"I'm not denying that the Red Lotus clashed with the White that night. Or that people on both sides lost their lives," said Korra. "But 'history' is dead wrong about who the good guys were. I told you, I was there. I didn't just swallow a bunch of hippo-bull from a group of strange criminals. I saw it all. I lived it!"
She paused for a moment, taking several deep, steadying breaths before continuing on.
"They destroyed my tribe slowly, made me watch," she murmured, struggling to keep herself from drowning in the flood of horrific memories. "I didn't understand it then, but I think they were trying to push me into the Avatar State. Killing a child was their best chance to end the Cycle for good."
"And then the Red Lotus rushed in, valiant and noble heroes, selflessly sacrificing themselves to save an innocent little girl," Kuvira interjected, rolling her eyes at the notion. "You'll forgive me if I have trouble picturing that."
"They weren't even there for me," Korra said testily. "They'd come to investigate and sabotage the new compound. That was it. But yes, when they saw what the White Lotus were trying to do…they saved me. Sorry that I feel just a little bit grateful, for spirits' sake."
"You were five at the time, Avatar. And the night was clearly harried and chaotic. Isn't it possible you could've misinterpreted some of the things you saw?" asked Kuvira.
"Maybe…Maybe some of the details," admitted Korra, biting her lip for a moment. Within a few seconds, however, she managed to rally again. "But not the big picture. The White Lotus tried to destroy me, and the Red saved my life. And since my home was gone…they offered to take me in. I accepted. And here we are now."
She affixed the metalbender with a burning, hateful glare.
"Get this through your head, captain," she said, spitting out the rank like a vicious swear word. "You will never be able to turn me against the Lotus. Because I've lived with them nearly all of my life. I know them."
In an instant, all the water in the apartment froze, perfectly in tune with the coldness of its master's voice.
"I know my family."
[-]
Palace-Palooza was a family restaurant, in every sense of the word.
Modeled loosely – very loosely – upon the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace, it was the crown jewel of Little Ba Sing Se Fashion Mall. The food, highly processed and passable at best, was almost an afterthought; the focus was clearly on "atmosphere," and that atmosphere skewed young.
The children of Republic City could take pictures upon a replica of the Earth Queen's throne, ride around on a miniature version of its monorail, and cuddle with a life-sized statue of the previous monarch's famously adorable bear, Bosco.
As an unofficial rule, telling the kids what'd wound up happening to Bosco was expressly verboten.
The majority of the restaurant was given over to a number of games and play areas, culled mostly from Earth Kingdom street fairs but with a few Fire Nation carnival attractions mixed in as well. Each purchased meal – and Tenzin used the word loosely – came with a handful of tokens used to play them, and more could be purchased for a "reasonable" amount of yuans.
In short, it was the sort of place that no person in their right mind would venture near without their children dragging them.
Which made the sight of a young, single woman sitting alone stand out rather starkly.
"Isn't that weird, daddy? Like, super-super-super weird?" asked Ikki, who'd blown all her tokens in the first five minutes and had, until just a few seconds ago, been in the midst of begging her father for more.
Per the norm with Ikki, however, the sight of something unexpected – in this case, the bespectacled woman at the next table over, who was staring down at a tall cup of juice and not actually drinking a drop of it – had completely derailed any previous train of thought.
Tenzin sighed deeply. "Whether or not it is, how a stranger spends their time is none of our business," he said. "And it's not polite to stare, in any event."
"I dunno. She looks kinda lonely," replied the girl, craning her neck over his shoulder for a better look. "Maybe she just needs a friend!"
"Ikki, I know what you're thinking, but please don't…" he tried to tell her, but his youngest daughter was already dashing off with the speed only a hyperactive airbender could muster.
Tenzin groaned, not especially eager to chase after her but resigned to his fate nonetheless. However, before he could take another step, he heard Pema calling out his name in a mild panic, and the cause soon became obvious: Meelo had dived headfirst into a pit of rubber balls and was now, well…being Meelo.
This was not something the other children in the pit were especially happy about, particularly when you brought airbending into the mix.
The councilman groaned again, louder this time. He turned to the only one of his children not causing a scene; Jinora had already used her tokens to claim a stuffed otter-penguin from a contraption involving a large metal claw, and was now calmly eating her salad and reading a book.
"Jinora, can you keep an eye on your sister?" he asked of her, close to begging as he watched Pema attempt fruitlessly to coax their son down. "It looks like I'm needed…elsewhere."
"Of course, daddy," she said, nodding her head dutifully and marking her page.
After that, she walked calmly over to the other table, where Ikki was already trying to engage the strange woman in conversation. So far, despite the girl's best efforts, it hadn't yet worked.
"Wow your hair is soooo pretty but why do you bundle it all up like that does that take a long time also how come you're here alone I don't see any kids with you or did you come to play the games yourself that's okay I guess even grownups can like kid-stuff sometimes I saw daddy playing with some dollies once though he said they weren't actually dollies they were mint condition fully articulated something-somethings but now that I think about it he kinda said not to tell anybody about that anyway what's your favorite game mine's the Whack-a-Badgermole 'cuz I can pretend they're my brother and sister I mean don't get me wrong I love-love-love my siblings by like a bazillion but they annoy me sometimes mommy says that's natural but I dunno Uncle Bumi and Aunty Kya still seem kinda hung-up on it they're my dad's siblings if I didn't mention that already anyway that's enough about me what's your name?"
That was the first time she had to pause for breath.
Jinora took the opportunity to place a hand on her little sister's shoulder. "Ikki, we should stop bothering this nice woman," she whispered in her ear. "Look, I've still got two tokens left, you can have…"
"Zhu Li," the woman said suddenly. The airbender girls turned to her in confusion, so she repeated herself. "My name is Zhu Li."
Ikki seemed to take this murmured admission as an invitation to pull up a seat at the table. Zhu Li didn't object, so hesitantly, Jinora did the same.
"I wasn't aware this was an establishment for adolescents," she continued, still staring down at her cup rather than at either of them. Her eyes were dim and unfocused. "I don't go out very often. I'll just take my food and go."
"No, you should stay!" exclaimed Ikki, her tiny hands balled up into fists. "Stay and we can become bestest best friends and paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys and…!"
Jinora slapped a hand over her sister's mouth.
"We're so sorry, ma'am," she said, bowing her head to Zhu Li for good measure. "My sister has…err…consumed a lot of sugar. But I hope you have a lovely day."
There was a lengthy pause, and then the non-bender spoke again, just as tonelessly, "Remain here if you like. I've got nothing better to do."
"What do you mean?" asked Jinora.
"I do not normally take…days off, such as they are. My employer rarely grants them, and I never request them," Zhu Li explained in a low voice. "I find I have little idea what to do with myself."
"Well…what do you like to do?" responded Ikki. "I mean, for fun?"
"Fun?" repeated Zhu Li, as if the word felt strange on her tongue. "I suppose I've never really given it much thought. Most forms of entertainment do not interest me. I'm not fond of games or sports. I spent this morning sitting in the park, but that similarly failed to be engaging. At most, one could say I enjoy a good meal, but I doubt I'll be getting one here."
"If you don't mind…could I ask you where you work?" said Jinora, now looking mildly alarmed. If this woman got so little time off that it was practically a foreign concept, she could only imagine what her employer must be like.
"I'm the personal aide to the most brilliant man on the face of the planet," Zhu Li answered, some amount of color finally beginning to flow back into her voice. "That's why I don't need anything else in my life. Service to him is its own reward."
Jinora was wracking her brain, trying to think of which politician or captain of industry she must be talking about, but Ikki had clearly only paid attention to the word "him" – and the way Zhu Li had said it.
"Ooooooh, so do you like him?" she asked, leaning forward so far that more than half her body was atop the table.
To Jinora's surprise, however, the older woman's response to this wasn't to dispassionately ignore it, as she'd done to most of Ikki's ranting so far. Nor was it to rebuke her for such a rude and deeply personal question.
Instead, the normally stoic non-bender turned a bright crimson. "Wh…What would give you that idea?" she demanded, her face twitching slightly.
Ikki shrugged her shoulders and smiled wide. "No reason. Just a hunch," she said sweetly.
Zhu Li stared at the pair of them a moment, clearly deep in thought, before sighing and turning back to her untouched drink.
"I suppose there…there may be…some emotions I feel with regard to him, that venture into areas beyond the platonic," she replied, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "But I fail to see how that's material. I have no intention of acting on them."
"Why not?" murmured Jinora, her face falling slightly. The sheer amount of melancholy, of resignation, in the woman's voice was proving to be infectious.
"My employer isn't the most…romantic of sorts," said Zhu Li, and while her voice returned to its prior tonelessness, Jinora could tell now that it was an affect. "He's callous, insensitive, and utterly self-centered. He barks orders at me at all hours of the day, and never shows any particular interest in my life."
"Then…why…?" Ikki started to ask, but Zhu Li cut her off.
"Because he's so much more than that, too," she told the girls, her mouth a thin line. "He did something for me once that I will…never…be able to pay back. And since then, I've been the luckiest woman on the planet. Because I get to be around the mind that'll change the world, every single day. I get to be part of it."
She looked down into the bright purple depths of her beverage and, barely even realizing she was doing so, added in a whisper, "Of course…I always thought that change would be positive…"
"Huh? What's that mean?" said Ikki, trying to quizzically raise one eyebrow and failing rather spectacularly, so that she looked more like she was interrogating Zhu Li for a murder investigation.
The bespectacled woman bit her lip and looked askance, as if she'd let slip something she shouldn't have.
"It's…It's nothing…" she muttered, not especially convincingly. "Come to think of it, why am I even telling you children all this in the first place? None of it is your business."
"Sometimes it's helpful to just talk these things out," stated Jinora, smiling sympathetically at the older woman. "Have you ever considered seeing a therapist? With all respect, I think you'd really benefit from one."
"I…don't think I'd ever have the time," Zhu Li responded hurriedly, clearly not comfortable with the subject. "Now if you'll excuse me, I see my order is ready. Good day to you, children."
And on that note, the non-bender tossed her completely full drink straight into the garbage, bowed her head slightly, and departed from the restaurant as quickly as she could. She never actually picked up her food.
Jinora turned to her sister, who shrugged so wide that it was almost comical. Then, simultaneously, they both looked over at the ball pit, where their father's attempts to catch Meelo had rapidly descended into something resembling pandemonium.
"Come on," said Jinora, grabbing her sister by the wrist. "Let's give them a hand."
[-]
"I dunno if he's gonna be too happy when he finds out what happened," Bolin told his brother, as the two of them entered the massive doors of City Hall.
Due to the bombings, there was a heavy police presence both inside and outside the building. They both ducked their heads to avoid lingering glances from the cops standing sentry by the doors.
"He's not paying us to give him info he'll be 'happy' about," said Mako. "What happened, happened. And the cops made out pretty good last night, dunno what he has to complain about."
"Are we gonna tell him about…?" Bolin started to ask, his voice low.
Mako looked around them a couple times, making certain they weren't being watched, before answering, "About Korra? I don't see the point. Tarrlok's the guy who put her on our team in the first place, remember? There's no way that's a coincidence. He's gotta be in on it."
"But what if he isn't?" Bolin demanded insistently, looking worried.
The firebender sighed. "Then we keep it to ourselves. Our job wasn't to find the undercover Avatar, it was to report back about the summit," he replied. "Either way, I don't see any upside to blabbing."
Bolin sighed as well, though in his case out of relief. "Alright, just wanted to get that off my chest," he said. "And now…onward! To collect our just reward for services rendered!"
Mako just shook his head, as they made their way to the councilors' chambers.
Here, it was hard to tell there'd been an attack on this place just this morning. The bombs had all gone off in the east wing of City Hall, but the Council worked and met on the west side. The worst-affected areas had been the public service centers, including the Department of Satomobile Registration and the Office of Refugee Affairs.
Here, staff members rushed to and fro throughout the halls, carrying memos and chatting animatedly with coworkers. In all the hustle and bustle, Mako and Bolin blended in rather well.
And in the midst of all this, Jilu remained crouched behind his too-small reception desk, arguing – or at least as much as the timid page was capable of arguing – with a muscular deliveryman.
"Look bub, I just bring what the form tells me to bring," declared the second man, tapping his foot impatiently. "Ain't my fault if someone else screwed up along the way."
"But Councilman Tenzin is, like all members of the Air Nation, a vegetarian!" exclaimed Jilu, looking panicked. "That's why I specifically asked the caterer for a vegetable platter! I can't serve him these pig-chicken sandwiches!"
The deliveryman just shrugged his massive shoulders. "Go pick one up yourself, then," he said, leaving Jilu very close to weeping openly.
His mood brightened considerably, however, the moment his eyes alighted upon the brothers. "Oh, my dear sweet Fire Ferrets!" he called out, waving them over. "I hope all has been going well with your new recruit."
"Err…more or less," Mako responded evasively. "She certainly brings something…unique to the table."
"Glad to hear it, glad to hear it!" said Jilu, clapping his hands together and smiling brightly. "Councilman Tarrlok's just finishing up another meeting, but he's been expecting you. Can I get you anything while you wait? Tea, water?"
"Oh, you don't need to bother," Mako stated immediately, leaving Bolin slightly crestfallen; they hadn't eaten or drank anything all day. "We'll just sit over here and…"
But he was interrupted by the door to Tarrlok's office swinging open, revealing both the waterbender and his partner for the aforementioned "meeting" – a bald man with thin glasses and a neatly trimmed beard.
"I thank you for bringing this matter to my attention," Tarrlok told the other man, his expression severe. "Rest assured that it'll be investigated to the fullest. If you come across anything else, by all means, you can contact me through my page, Jilu."
Jilu and the visitor exchanged a look that, were Mako in a conspiratorial mood, he could almost swear lingered for a second longer than it had to. Then they shook hands and bowed to each other.
"You know how to contact me, if there is a need," he said quietly to the page, before bowing again to Tarrlok and striding away. His footsteps were remarkably light.
With that out of the way, the chairman turned to the brothers, frowning slightly. "Let's just get this over with," murmured Tarrlok, holding open his office door and shutting it the moment they ventured through.
As soon as they were seated, Bolin couldn't help but blurt out the obvious question. "Who was that guy?" he asked, without any kind of tact.
Tarrlok sighed. "Not that it's any of your business, but I suppose since you asked…" he said, folding his hands as he did. "Have either of you boys ever heard of a city called Zaofu?"
Mako swallowed, hoping the councilman hadn't noticed. "Afraid it, err…doesn't ring a bell, sir," he lied.
"It's a commune in the southwestern Earth Kingdom. Designed for the promotion of free expression and enterprise, and populated mostly by metalbenders," explained the councilman. "That man, Aiwei, is one of its highest-ranked officials. He reports to its leader, Suyin Beifong. The daughter of the legendary Toph Beifong."
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "Which, yes, means she is the sister of our very own Chief of Police," he added in oily tones. "A relation I understand she doesn't like to publicize…and consequently, one I enjoy mentioning as much as possible."
Mako and Bolin, who'd heard most of this from Kuvira already, dutifully attempted to look surprised, but the latter also took the opportunity to clarify something he still didn't understand.
"Do you know why they don't get along?" asked the earthbender, his expression almost hurt. "I mean…siblings are awesome! Did they get into a fight or something?"
Tarrlok's face seemed to darken noticeably at the word "siblings," but he was back to normal a second later, so Mako chalked it up to a trick of the light.
Still, it was a few seconds before the waterbender said, "Half-siblings, to be precise. And nobody quite knows what the reason is. Though if I had to hazard a guess, Suyin's past…associations with the Terra Triad can't have helped matters. But you boys didn't hear that from me."
Then, in far less amused tones, he went on, "In any event, you're not here to gossip about the Chief's personal life. You're here – or should be, at least – to give me your reports from last night."
"Well, sir…" Mako began, his lines well-rehearsed. He'd been going over in his head how best to articulate all of this since leaving the tea shop. "Lightning Bolt Zolt was the one who lead the meeting. He also invited Niao of the Agni Kais, Gui from the…"
Tarrlok cut him off with a wave. "Because of the police's unexpected…involvement, I'm quite aware of the bigger picture," he said. "What I need from you is to fill in the details."
That threw the firebender off his game for a moment, but he recovered quickly. "Alright, then," he replied. "I guess I'll start with the other guys Shady Shin hired as security…"
Over the course of the next half-hour, Mako did his best to describe all the events that'd led up to the three-way brawl between the gangsters, police, and Equalists. Bolin piped up occasionally to add a few pertinent details, but largely allowed his brother to take the lead, per the usual.
They both left out any mention of Korra, Asami, or Kuvira, making it sound like they'd merely slipped away in all the confusion. Which was true, technically, even if it was far from the full story.
Tarrlok listened on with little commentary, beyond the occasional question. Mako could tell, much to his dismay, that the majority of their information had little effect on the chairman – a problem, given that their paycheck depended on holding his interest.
His attentions did perk up at the mention of Ketto, the Agni Kais' representative for the security staff, running off and abandoning his boss. Why that particular piece of info struck such a chord with the councilman, Mako wasn't sure, but he supposed he wasn't being paid to speculate.
"…Anyway, we hightailed it out of there as soon as Amon was distracted by the cops," the firebender finished some time later, once he'd shared everything else he could possibly imagine might be relevant. "Out of the criminals, I think only Zolt, Shin, and that Ketto guy managed to get out with their bending intact."
"I see. All very interesting," said Tarrlok quietly, before reaching into his desk and pulling out a thick envelope. "I'm satisfied with what I've heard. Your payment in full, gentlemen."
He slid the envelope forward, and Mako accepted it. A quick peek inside had both brothers gaping; they'd never seen so many yuans, outside of the triads' own stashes.
"I look forward to a resounding Fire Ferret victory at next week's match," the waterbender added after a moment, though his tone of voice didn't exactly betray much enthusiasm for the subject. "The spirits know, the city could use something positive to cheer for. Especially now…"
"Do you, err…mean the bombings, sir?" Bolin asked carefully. "We only just heard, and we didn't really get all the details."
Tarrlok folded his hands and frowned.
"You just allow me to worry about things like that. In my own way," he said. "As for you, your part in all this has ended. I suggest you forget about the triads, and forget about the Equalists. Go, and enjoy your tournament. Make Republic City proud."
Bolin still looked concerned, but Mako cut in with a terse, "We'll do that, sir, thanks," and grabbed his brother by the arm.
"We're off the hook here, bro," he whispered, as they exited hurriedly from Tarrlok's office. "Let's just leave it at that. We can round with the girls later and deal with it then."
Mako was so busy ensuring Tarrlok wouldn't overhear these last, parting words that he failed to notice Jilu's far subtler eavesdropping, done right out in the open from behind his desk.
[-]
Kuvira crossed her arms and glared at the young Avatar, as if seeing her properly for the first time.
"Very well, Avatar Korra. For the sake of argument, we'll accept your premise for now," she said. "Supposing that the Red Lotus was the noble organization you claim, what business do they have with the Equalists? Like your supposed rescue, am I expected to believe this is simple altruism?"
"Amon is as much a danger to the Lotus as he is to its enemies," responded Korra, consciously slowing her breath to once again get her temper – and her bending – back under control. "If I couldn't make him see reason, I was supposed to take him out. Don't tell me you've got a problem with that."
"The Red Lotus and the Equalists both threaten the fragile balance of this city. I've no love lost for either," Kuvira told her, her own expression unflappable. "I'm curious what 'seeing reason' in this context might mean, however."
"I…err…didn't exactly think that far in advance," Korra admitted, flushing sheepishly. "I was mostly just concentrating on getting to him. Seeing him in the flesh last night, I…I wasn't prepared for that."
"Yet he was prepared for you," said Kuvira. "Be honest with me, Avatar. What do you think of my theory?"
"About…About Hiroshi?" muttered the Avatar, her voice tepid. "I mean…you were right. About that being the reason the Lotus sent me undercover, I mean."
She looked askance and bit her lip. Any reminder of what'd happened – or what'd allegedly happened, rather – while she'd let down her guard at the Sato estate was quick to turn her insides cold.
"But…well, I dunno. I met him the other night, and he seemed like a nice, normal old guy," she continued after a moment. "Maybe a little overprotective of Asami, but that's it. If he was secretly plotting to destroy me, he hid it really well."
"Did Miss Sato ever tell you what happened to her mother?" Kuvira demanded bluntly, in lieu of actually answering her point.
Korra shrugged uneasily. "Only that she was dead," she said, uncomfortable with the question. "I didn't ask for more details."
"Twelve years ago, Yasuko Sato was murdered by a member of the Agni Kai Triad," the metalbender informed her, still demonstrating virtually no emotion. "Her widower withdrew from public life for some time after that, and none of his friends or business associates have been able to account for his whereabouts during much of that period."
"You think that's when he teamed up with Amon," Korra stated shrewdly.
"It's all speculation, of course. But motive and opportunity are at least half the story, and Hiroshi Sato has both in abundance," replied Kuvira. "If nothing else, I'd say it all certainly warrants further investigation."
"How are we supposed to do that, though?" asked the Avatar. "We can't exactly just stroll up to his office and say 'Hey, did you by any chance hire a big scary mask guy to attack me in bed?'"
"Much as I dislike admitting it, in this all the power rests with young Miss Sato," said Kuvira. "Should she inform her father of our suspicions, he will likely go to ground…and we'll lose any chance of pursuing the matter further. Right now, our respective covers survive only at her tender mercies."
"Well, we're supposed to meet up with her and the guys tomorrow," Korra reminded her. "I guess we can bring it up then. But…carefully."
Kuvira nodded, her motions rigid and purposeful. "Then that leaves just one more matter to attend to before we part, Avatar Korra," she added, without missing a beat.
"What do you mean?" whispered Korra, unnerved by her sudden change in tone.
The older woman's eyes narrowed. "I will be blunt," she said. "Can you be trusted?"
Korra just gaped for a moment, unsure how to respond to that, so Kuvira continued to speak.
"The Red Lotus are predicated on the destruction of all world governments, and the dissolution of the Five Nations," she explained, her tongue sharp. "For now, it seems we're united against a common enemy. But should the Equalists fall…what would you do then? Would you seek to harm this city? Slaughter its leaders? Plunge it into chaos once more?"
"I don't…" murmured Korra, shrinking beneath the metalbender's harsh glare. "I don't know, okay? But…this city, this world, is out of balance – you can't deny that. It's my job, as the Avatar, to bring it back."
"I won't deny it, no," said Kuvira. "But I think you and I have very different ideas on who's responsible for making it that way."
"Then we'll settle that when the time comes," responded the Avatar, finally mustering the willpower to meet her glare with equal harshness. "But in the meantime, you have my word: my focus is on Amon. Just him."
"I'm still not certain I can take that all on faith," Kuvira spoke softly, waving her hand as she did. The scrap metal she'd been using earlier exploded into shards, embedding itself into the walls of the apartment.
Her meaning was clear – she knew where Korra lived, and would have no trouble finding her again.
And with that, the metalbender extended cables from a contraption at her hip and slipped effortlessly out the window, her parting words delivered coldly and without expectation of reply.
"But for now, Avatar…I'll choose to."
[-]
Investigation of the Equalist bombings currently fell under Detectives Lu and Gang, which was another way of saying the investigation was going absolutely nowhere.
To be fair, Amon's broadcast hadn't left a lot of room for doubt over who was responsible. The only real question, then, was how they'd managed to get a hold of such high-tech explosives in the first place.
Remarkably, their current activities – namely, driving between the seven distinct crime scenes, pretending to jot down notes for the first few minutes, and then spending the rest of the time stuffing their faces with Varri-cakes – had brought them surprisingly close to the solution, though of course they failed to make the connection.
But with numerous other matters occupying the Chief's attentions, they were conducting this investigation with virtually no oversight. So nobody was around to actually call them on it.
"Hey, Lu…" said Gang through a mouthful of pastry, as they looked upon the Ba Sing Se Bureaucratic Annex. It was the last of their stops for the day, and probably the worst affected. While large gashes had been blown into each of the other targets, this building had been reduced to little more than rubble.
The shorter detective paused to pick a dollop of icing out of his ample mustache, looked at it for a moment, then shrugged and tossed it into his mouth.
"What's up, my friend?" he asked, once he'd finally swallowed.
"Ain't it weird how bad they hit this place?" Gang stated slowly, looking almost surprised at his own daring. "I mean…if that masked freak just wanted to send a message, seems like he didn't have to go this far."
"Eh, come off it. Probably just went a little overboard with the booms," replied Lu, waving his hand dismissively. "Or maybe he's like most guys, an' just thinks the Earth Queen's a ragin' b…"
"But look, man. The ground's all different from the other places," Gang interrupted him, gesturing to the ruins now that they were close enough. "Everywhere else, it was singed and ashy and stuff. Here, it kinda looks like it all…uh…well, melted…"
Lu flicked his partner in the forehead. "Get real. Whoever heard of a meltin' building?" he said. "What's gotten into ya, anyway?"
The taller man shrugged, running a wadded-up napkin through his own mustache. "Dunno, just thought it was kinda interesting," he answered. "Anyway, we need something in the report besides 'nobody saw nothing,' or the Chief'll be breathing down our necks."
"Heh, good thinkin'," Lu admitted with a chuckle. "Could always just make somethin' up, though. S'not like she's ever gonna come out here an' check."
"I dunno, she's been out in the field a lot more lately," said Gang. "Like, that strike team last night? The one that took out all those Equalist and triad goons? She didn't have to lead it out personally, but she did."
"Eh, that was jus' so she could impress her ex," Lu tossed off, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Gang just stared back at him in confusion, so after a beat he added, "What, you didn't know? The Chief an' Councilman Tenzin…yeah, they used to be tight. Real tight, if ya catch my drift."
"I can't imagine that woman dating…well, anyone," responded Gang, his mouth still hanging open in shock.
The corners of his partner's mouth turned upward as he stuffed yet another cake into it. "I expect…that's why…they ain't…together no more," he said, in between bites. "Even Mister…Love an' Peace…must've gotten tired…of the metal stick up her a…"
"Uh…Lu?" whispered Gang, once again cutting off the other detective.
"What's the matter?" asked Lu, but his partner just pointed forward.
Gang's eyes followed his arm, and even with his detective "skills" suppressed even further than usual by an oncoming sugar coma, it didn't take long to realize what he was referring to.
A massive fountain, with a stone statue of Queen Hou-Ting sitting astride a badgermole – an obvious fiction, given her notorious distaste for animals – stood prominently before the once-proud annex. And it was moving.
Well, to be precise, the water within it was, but the enormous volume still made it a terrifying sight. Lu and Gang barely had time to let out a scream before the waves crashed into them and solidified into ice.
"You just had to get in your licks on this place, didn't you? I told you it'd attract too much attention," said a gaunt woman in faded blue robes as she emerged from her hiding place, behind a nearby tree.
It seemed natural to assume she was the waterbender currently holding them, except for one, rather disturbing detail: she had no arms.
"That woman made my life a living nightmare," declared another man as he stepped out from the same spot. He bore green-and-gold clothing, and a mustache to rival Lu's. "How would you feel if, everywhere we went, there was stuff that reminded you of your dad?"
"I'd probably rip them into tiny little pieces, and freeze those pieces solid just to be safe," the woman hissed vindictively. "But you're supposed to be better than me."
"Oh, I am," said the man, with a low guffaw of a laugh. Then he raised one foot up, slowly, and brought it down with a thunderous impact. "Just not about this."
Lu and Gang watched on in horror as the Earth Queen's statue turned to molten liquid right before their eyes.
"Anyway, if these idiots are the best Republic City's police force has to send, I'm not worried about them figuring anything out," the mustached man went on after a moment. "The Equalists still blew the place up, I just…helped it along, is all. And only because it happened to be on the way."
"Hey, if Zaheer buys that hippo-bull, no skin off my back," replied the woman with a shrug. Without arms, the motion looked distinctly odd. "But you're the one who has to explain when we meet back up."
"I think I'll manage," the man said confidently, his arms crossed as he leaned over, toward the frozen detectives. "And I think I'll be able to sweeten my case with this little consolation prize. Idiots or not, they are still cops."
Their mouths were both encased by the ice, so all they could do in response was mumble incoherently, their eyes wide with panic.
"So tell me, before my friend here really starts to lose her patience…" he continued, gesturing toward the woman.
Obligingly, she licked her lips, and that motion was enough to raise thick spikes out of the ice, each stopping less than an inch from their bloodshot eyeballs – the only parts of their bodies currently free to move.
"Would you be kind enough to give us a ride?"
[-]
Korra knew, the moment after Kuvira left, that she had a million other things she should be doing.
What'd started out as a relatively simple, if risky, operation had rapidly spiraled into something far above her head, and there was no question she was drowning in it. At least five individuals in this city already knew her identity, and one was a mortal enemy. Yet she still knew virtually nothing about him.
That she'd have to pursue him at such a crippling disadvantage, the equivalent for her of missing two limbs…just made it that much worse.
Research, reconnaissance, training – all of them were things she needed to do, in great abundance, if she was to have any hope of defeating Amon and reclaiming her full power.
But all of those required energy, and she had none right now. She might've expected her heated conversation with Kuvira to invigorate her exhausted mind, but if anything, it'd only drained her further.
Mostly because, if what they'd just engaged in could be called a contest…she had a sinking feeling she'd lost.
All this meant that the moment her head hit the pillow, it stayed there. The jumbled-up mess that was her mind soon slowed to the consistency of buzzard-wasp honey, and Korra welcomed on the coming bliss of oblivion. Content to forget, if only for a few hours, all the various miseries that plagued her waking thoughts…
Korra did not dream very often, and when she did, the images tended toward the…abstract. Sounds and smells and colors; a hazy outline of a distant figure, at the most.
She'd asked Zaheer about it once, and he'd voiced the theory that, as the Avatar, her unconscious might be picking up the stray thoughts of wayward spirits, the way a radio occasionally caught chatter from a different channel. Since spirits inherently thought differently than humans, it made sense their dreams would be different, too.
This time, however, her dreams were clear and vivid as crystal.
[-]
Before her, below her, stood the vast expanse of Republic City. Or…what remained of it.
Structures large and small – bridges and parks and office buildings alike – were indistinguishable now, reduced to piles of smoldering ash. Here and there, traces of the once-grand metropolis could be seen amongst the rubble, like singular blades of grass stubbornly poking out from a crack in the sidewalk.
She wasn't sure how she'd gotten here. She wasn't sure why she stood so tall above it that the distant Hu Xin Mountains seemed to be at eye level, nor why she could see no signs of life or movement in any direction.
Korra's eyes darted around the valley, desperate to discover some clue as to what the heck was going on. After a few seconds, she happened to glance downward.
And her heart nearly stopped.
Her hands were massive, towering over what remained of the landscape like two great storm clouds. It was hard to tell, with so little left to compare them to, but she was pretty sure they could've crushed the bending arena with a single gesture.
Yet, despite her size, her entire body felt almost weightless. As she moved her limbs experimentally, it was like vapor moving through air – floating about with virtually no resistance.
And even then, that wasn't the most disturbing thing she could see when she looked down.
She wasn't wearing any clothes, but that was okay, because she didn't appear to have any skin either. Her body was semi-translucent and glowed ethereally, like a spirit's, the colors a chaotic kaleidoscope that shifted from moment to moment. The two most consistent, however, appeared to be a cool, bright blue and a dim, foreboding red.
"Why…Why am I…?" she opened her mouth to whisper, but that was all she could bring herself to say.
Because the sound that erupted from her throat was simply…wrong.
Her words sounded as if they came from a legion, as at least three disparate voices spoke them at once, each discordant and just slightly out of time with the last. Her own voice was among them, but it was tiny, and barely audible. Two more – one masculine, one feminine – drowned her out like crashing waves, as if fighting with each other to be heard.
Confused, desperate, and stricken, it didn't take Korra long to notice something suddenly appear upon the horizon. Despite the distance, she found she could see him perfectly: billowing red and yellow robes, a neatly trimmed beard, that distinctive tattoo of an arrow upon his forehead…
Korra realized, with a shock, that she was looking directly upon her predecessor for the first time in her life.
He was looking upon her as well, but his eyes – like tiny dots from this far away, and which nonetheless she could read as if they were face to face – shown with sadness and disappointment. Shaking his head, he turned away.
"Wait…!" she cried out, in that horrific voice, her titanic arm outstretched. But already, he was gone.
More figures appeared around her, within the valley and atop the mountains. An old man bearing the headpiece of the Fire Nation Crown Prince, a woman garbed in the dress and paint of a Kyoshi Warrior, a stocky man clothed in the skin of a polar bear-dog…
She knew who they were, of course. Had seen the paintings, the scrolls, the carvings. Had even been taken into the Hall of Statues by Zaheer, during their secret pilgrimage to the Air Temples.
But it was still jarring to see all those who came before her in the Avatar Cycle – each as silent as Aang, and each just as clearly ashamed.
One by one, they faded as well, just as quickly as they'd come.
Korra wanted to cry. She wasn't even sure she could cry anymore, but she couldn't think of anything else to do. Everything was gone. Everyone was gone.
She was alone.
"You are never alone, Korra," said a voice from behind her, kind and soft.
Slowly, like a battleship shifting to face the wind, she turned around.
What she saw was a spirit nearly as large as she. Glowing a warm, inviting gold, it had the body of a dragon and the features of a great, majestic bird. But the spirit wasn't the one who'd spoken.
Atop its crown, between its enormous feathers, stood an old man. His skin was pale, his stark-white beard long and bushy. He wore plain green robes, the symbol of the Earth Kingdom upon them.
And he looked to her with the gentlest eyes she'd ever seen.
She thought, perhaps, that she might recognize him. But she wasn't sure. Either way, she couldn't quite place his face.
That hardly mattered right now, though. At this point, she would've been relieved to speak to anyone.
"You…know who I am…?" she asked slowly. In these words, the smallest of mercies, her own voice was ascendant; the others, dim whispers.
The old man sipped calmly from a steaming cup of tea.
"I know all that you are, Korra. All the pain you've suffered," he said, his voice low and sad. "None of it was your fault. All of it, could've been prevented. If only…"
He paused, finishing his cup.
"I cannot stay long. I am so sorry," he started again, hanging his head. "But there are things you must know. And you must come to the Spirit World to learn them. Before it's too late. Before Harmonic Convergence is upon us."
The dragon-bird, and its rider, were already fading from view, just the same as the previous Avatars.
"Hold on…!" she screamed, the panic in her voice bringing the others back to the forefront. The resulting screech was terrifying. "What do you know about Harmonic Convergence…? Who are you…?!"
"We will meet again, Korra," he said, his whispered words echoing across the ruined landscape.
Korra awoke with a jolt.