Chapter 14: Power is the Key

3 Months Ago

Mako was just coming out of his home to get the mail that had just arrived. As he was walking back in, he heard the mail car drive up again.

"Hey Mako!" the mailman called out. He took out a letter and put it through the opened window.

"This letter has just arrived for you."

"That's weird…" he said walking up to the mailman. 'Thanks Viz."

He drove off and Mako went back in Bolin was on the training floor of their new apartment, so Mako was alone for a bit. He had also just joined Beifong's Police force. He threw his jacket down and laid on the couch, and opened it. The letter was written on old worn out paper. It was a short letter that read.

Meet Me In Ba Sing Se at Borre's Bar, Tonight at 11 o'clock sharp. I will be at the corner table at the far right end of the bar. Make sure you come alone. We have important matters to discus.

- Z

Mako was confused. Should he go and leave Bolin behind? Will this mean that he has to leave Korra for good? It did say at the end that they had important matters to discus. He had made his decision. He was to tell Bolin tonight at dinner. Bolin came back up and started cooking dinner. They sat down at the table to eat. They were quiet for a moment.

"Hey Bolin…"
He looked up at Mako, with a mouth full of noodles.

"I have to leave town for a few days, starting tonight."

He swallowed the noodles. "How come?"

"Chief Beifong wants me to investigate on what's going on in Ba Sing Se." he lied.

"Can I come with?"

"I think it's best for me to go alone."

"Aww!' he whined. "Why can't I come?"

"I'm afraid it might be dangerous for you."

"I'll stay out of the way," he begged. "I promise!"

"I'm sorry, Bolin." Mako made his decision. "I have to go alone."

His brother finally understood and they continued eating. After eating and cleaning up, Mako went to his room and started packing. He felt around for his pocket and noticed tat the letter was still in there. He sighed and continued. It was nine o'clock, two hours before the requested meeting time. He said goodbye to Bolin and left the apartments. He called for a taxi and told him to go to the docks. Mako had plenty of money with him, so he was able to afford a ship ride to Ba Sing Se as well. Once he arrived to Ba Sing Se, he went up to the only boat owner he could trust, an old friend, Jengo.

"Ba Sing Se, huh?" he confirmed with Mako. "That's where you want to go at this time of night?"

"I was requested there through a letter."

"A letter, eh?"

Mako handed Jengo the letter he had received this morning. He read it and his eyes grew wide opened. Jengo had a black beard and a mustache. He wears what ship captains tend to wear.

"This writing…" he scratched his chin. "on this piece of parchment…"

"What about it?"

"It could only mean one thing…"

"What's that?" Mako asked.

"Ba Sing Se is in more danger than we thought…"

Present Day

They all got off the ship and Oogi landed safely. Tenzin put him in a Flying Bison facility and went off with the others. Hao brought them to some guy.

"Guys," he said. "Unfortunately, I must leave you all, for I have some…business to take care of. Meanwhile, please enjoy your stay here in New Ba Sing Se."

"NEW Ba Sing Se…?" Kya asked. "What happened to the old?"

"My old pal, Lin, will tell you all what you need to know." Hao explained. "The ship you will want to take is called the "S.S Earth's Freedom.", and it leaves tomorrow morning at 10:30 AM sharp! I am afraid I cannot go with you."

"That is obviously a lie…" Roh said. Hao just looked at him.

"What is it you have to do?" Bolin asked.

Hao just tipped his hat and walked away. Roh noticed there was something up with him. So he decided to leave the others and go along with Hao. Lin came up to them and took them on a tour of the new Ba Sing Se. It looked much different from before. Mako began to have a weird feeling in his stomach.

3 Months Ago: Ba Sing Se

Jengo took Mako to Ba Sing Se, just like he asked. Before Mako stepped off the ship, he warned him of the dangers that could possibly happen while he is there. They both shook hands and he watched Mako walk off.

"Good luck, old friend…" he said before he walked back into his boat.

Mako put on an old brown coat and put the hood over his head to prevent him from being seen. He stumbled across a gate. The small window opened, the gatekeeper peeking through.

"Do you have any identification with you?"

"Identification?"

"I can't let you in without identification."

"Since was this a rule?"

"Since there have been rumors of the Dai Li planning on taking over."

Mako took off the hood and the gatekeeper's eyes grew wide opened.

"MAKO!"

"Hello, Po."

He closed the window and unlocked the gate. He put the hood back on and walked in. He greeted the gatekeeper by shaking his hands.

"What's this business about the Dai LI?" he asked. "I thought they were done for."

"So did we," Po answered. "but, it seems someone has started it up again."

"Who?"

"We aren't sure." he answered. "All we know is that he's dangerous."

They were quiet for a minute.

"What brings you to Ba Sing Se at a time like this?" he asked Mako.

"I received a letter."

He took the letter out of his pocket and showed it to his friend. He skimmed through it. He then gave it back to Mako, why folded it up and put it in his pocket.

"The person who seems to have written this letter seems to trust you."

Po walked him to Borre's bar and Mako walked in. He looked for a man sitting alone at the the far right end. There was no one there. He decided to check into the Inn next door to the bar. He got the key to his room and went upstairs. Finally, the time was eleven o'clock and he went back to the bar. Again, he looked at the far right end of the table and saw the man sitting there. He was wearing a hood, so his face couldn't be seen. He slowly walked over there and sat down. The waiter set down two drinks and walked away.

"Are you alone?" he asked in a raspy voice.

"Yes."

"Good…" he replied. "Let's get down to business. First, I just want to say, I knew I could trust you with this after I saw one of your fights in the arena."

"So, after a fight…" Mako cleared up. "You decided to ask me? Why not Korra?"

"Asking the Avatar is too much."

"She's cleared up, really."

"This is something she cannot know as of right now."

"Why not?"

"It is concerning a family member of hers." he finally gave the honest answer. "In three months time, a member from her family will betray her, just as he did to her father."

"Are you saying…?"

"Yes," he replied. "Her uncle, Unalaq. He may seem like a nice type of person, but deep inside him, comes a dark power."

"That is…?"

"Vaatu…"

"Who the hell is that?"

"Someone who is enemy of Raava…"

"I am not getting this."

All of a sudden, a group of people, wearing triangular hats that fit their head, came in. They wore dark shirts that looked like targets, except it was tan on the outside and green inside.

"Where is HE?" the leader asked.

"I-I-I…" he said. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play stupid!"

"I don't know who you're talking about!" the owner whimpered.

They looked over to where Mako and the man were sitting, then at the door that had just opened and closed.

"Thanks for nothing!" the leader said, throwing him to the ground.

They ran out of the door, and chased after them. They saw them turn turn a corner and used electricity to go faster. They both looked behind them and saw that they were getting closer. They turned around and saw three more coming right at them. Seeing that they were trapped, the mysterious man looked around and saw a dark alley. Without seeing where they went, the six members of the Dai Li that were chasing them, bumped into each other.

"Where did he go?!" the leader shouted.

"We don't know!" one member said. "We had him, then we lost him!"

Mako spotted a ladder and told the man. They climbed up it silently, and waited for the right moment.

"How could you lose a man?!

"Actually, sir." one interrupted. "There were two."

"What?"

"He was with another boy."

"WHO?"

"We didn't get a closer look."

The leader created a rock wall and pushed him against it.

"PAY ATTENTION, YOU FOOLS!" he shouted. "SPLIT UP!"

Once that was said, the man did a little airbending, knocking two people together, causing them to be unconscious. They all looked around to see where it came from. Not paying attention, a fireball came out of nowhere, causing two others to fall over. The leader looked around everywhere, but there was no sign of them anywhere. The man looked over at Mako.

"Stay here…"

He jumped down in front of the Dai Li leader. He smirked at the sight of him.

"It's about time you appear…" he said.

The man removed his hood to reveal a man with a long, skinny goatee. Mako was surprised it was the same man that he saw the other day who kept staring at Korra.

"You have betrayed us, Feng Shay…" the leader told him.

"I felt what I did was right."

"You gave out important information to people who had no business with us."

"I kept my promise to Kyoshi…"

"Kyoshi does not have control over us anymore." he said. "That Dai Li is long gone."
"The Dai Li I once knew may be gone," he said. "but it's never too late to return the Dai Li to the way it was before. You're blinded."

The leader, got angry and threw a fireball at him, He airbended it out of the way. He pushed him against the wall, and a fight broke out, There were rocks all over the place. Feng was either dodging them or throwing them back. The leader got up and threw another fir ball at him. He jumped out of the way, and came back down, causing an earthquake. All of them flew back. Once they could not fight any more, Feng turned around and walked over to the leader.

"Wh-who are you…?" he looked scared.

"An former aly," he said. "An airbender and an earth bender. Son of the Earth King, Kuei. Friend of Avatar Aang."

The Leader slowly tried to get up, but was immediately pushed down.

"Don't bother, Master Chang." he said. "You will just lose like you did tonight."

As he was walking away, he was saying something faintly.

"He will succeed…" he said. "The Dark Avatar will reign supreme ruler of all nations."

Feng stopped in his tracks, he looked over his shoulder.

"We'll see about that, Chang…"

Then, he walked away.