潮
Tai woke with a groan, disappointed that sleep had a time limit to it. With the speed and agility of a cow-walrus his fingers scrabbled across the sheets, making the slowest journey possible towards the edge. With an almost lethargic effort they grabbed the sheets, and he nearly passed back into sleep from the effort of throwing them off of him. Slowly he sat up, blinking the sleep out of his eyes.
He stared at the wall in front of him for a moment, usually his thoughts would be ablaze with ideas and sarcastic observations, but currently they were about as witty and fast as well… someone would be just after waking up. The boy scratched another spot on his neck and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, his feet dangling for a moment before touching down on the wooden floorboards, which were cool and pleasant to the touch.
He tipped forwards a little, craning to see the state of the sky outside the single window in his room. A particularly heavy drop of rain smacked against the window pane, managing to shake It a little. Tai rubbed his eyes and blinked twice, then sighed.
Doesn't look like they'll be able to get much training done today.
He stood up from the bed, stretching a little as he slid the door open, heading out into the warm hallway. As he moved past Mako's closed room, the one next to it slid open, revealing Bolin, looking as lively as ever.
Tai stopped for a moment, waiting for him to catch up. "It's the middle of winter, right?"
Bolin nodded, scratching Pabu on the chin. "Uh yeah?"
The airbender nodded, before smirking as he folded his arms together, nodding at Bolin's choice of sleepwear. "Singlet and shorts?"
His friend huffed. "What about you? Grey shirt and black pants? Is it all black and grey with you?"
Tai chuckled. "Not at all. Sometimes I have a bright orange sash to compliment the whole outfit."
They both stopped for a moment, then laughed, walking together towards the main entrance. "Tenzin got anything planned for you today?" Bolin asked.
He shook his head. "Nope. Though, considering how well that little sparring match went yesterday, I can't blame him."
Bolin's eyes lost a bit of their cheer as he answered. "Yeah.", he looked away for a moment, and Tai glanced at him inquisitively.
"What's wrong?" He had an idea about it, but it would be better for Bolin to say it rather than him.
"Nothing." he lied. Tai arched an eyebrow, unconvinced. Bolin sighed. ", It's just…I went to Mako about what happened during his match, and things got a little messed up." His shoulders sagged as Pabu squeaked and licked a spot on his chin.
"Say no more. That's private stuff there Bolin." Tai said as he stopped just outside the hall that led to the dining room and kitchen.
As Pabu nestled back down onto his collar, he nodded. "I s'pose you're right…"
Tai looked at him. "When are you going to talk to him? He'll only get more stubborn the more you wait."
"I know…" Bolin lifted his head. "I'll do it after breakfast."
"Alright."
There seemed to be a spring in Bolin's step as they walked down the hallway, nearing the almost-empty dining room. They walked past the table, the only occupants being Jinora, Ikki and Meelo.
The young and bald boy eyed them as they moved past. Bolin arched an eyebrow and Tai shook his head. The sounds of a massive pot being stirred reached them as they entered the kitchen.
"Morning, boys." Pema said as she stirred the almost concrete..
"Hey Pema." They both said. Tai wrinkled his nose a little. "That's not porridge is it?"
She smiled in answer. Bolin piped up. "Pema, don't take this the wrong way, ma'am, but…" he noticed the dark look forming on her. He laughed nervously, rubbing his neck, and backed towards a kitchen counter nearby. "I think I'll…have some toast. Heh."
Pema lost the dark look and sighed. "I know…tell you what, I'll talk to Tenzin about getting some…extras… for you guys." She laughed. "Sometimes he forgets that not everyone only eats vegetables!" she gasped and doubled over in pain for a moment, breathing heavily. They both moved to her side as fast as they could but she waved them off. "It's fine! Just a little kick." She grimaced as she felt a stab of pain.
Bolin and Tai's faces showed no sign that they were convinced. "Pema…"
She held up a hand. "It's fine. I can handle it.", she saw the concern on them. "Guys. I'll be fine." reluctantly they both nodded.
Bolin stepped away to rummage through some of the cupboards. "Where do you keep the toaster?"
He sounded like he didn't expect an answer when she laughed and pointed to a door near his leg. "In there. We do keep with the times Bolin."
As he pulled out a very shiny and very curvy toaster, the boy laughed. "I didn't insinuate that at all." He looked at himself in the metal's reflection, nodding very appreciatively; his eyes practically sparkled as he stared into the silvery surface. "Is this new?" he being answered by Pema chuckling.
Tai sighed and rolled his eyes. He spotted the hem of a red cloak as it disappeared into the hallway. "Uh. I'll be back soon guys." He excused himself and left the two of them in the kitchen, walking past the kids as they talked among themselves.
He poked his head around the corner, and saw the red hem again as it moved behind the doorframe and outside. The sound of Oogi complaining about something again let him know that Tenzin was going somewhere. As a student of his, Tai felt compelled to find out.
Luckily only a fair breeze was present as he headed outside, finding himself under the cover of a walkway that connected to another section of the temple. A path cut the walkway in half, and he saw Tenzin and Lin conversing nearby, standing near Oogi.
The idea of putting on his long coat called to him irresistibly, and he headed back inside, walking down the hallway to his room. He found it where he had taken it off last night, sitting just under the bed, he bent down and picked it up, shaking away any creases and folds in the thick material as he poked a hand through a sleeve, sliding it on. A few seconds later he walked out, feeling very secure in his long coat.
He wondered briefly if that was weird.
He shook the thought away and left the room. Rather then seeing Pema and Meelo walk out of the dining room, he heard them, particularly Meelo's laughter, and someone shouting in alarm. He would asked Bolin later on.
After they had moved outside, he approached the threshold of the main entrance room. He stopped for a moment, and heard the sound of Oogi taking off. Well that cancelled any training plans he had for today.
He stepped outside, seeing Lin standing there with Meelo wriggling in her hands. He thought about ducking back into the warm hallways, well aware of having first hand experience with Meelo the humanoid typhoon. Unfortunately his decision came too late, as Lin smirked as she walked towards him, with Meelo being dangled on the end of one of her wires.
Tai backed away from the advancing woman, quickly looking around for a avenue of escape. That fell through when Lin stood in front of him, a devilish smile on her. Tai folded his arms. "Yes Lin?" he noticed a desperate glint in Lin's eye, before it disappeared. "Nuh uh. I don't do bath time."
The devil-woman narrowed her eyes, and Tai felt a familiar feeling in him surface, the feeling of a weapon being unsheathed. Then they softened as she sagged. "Care to assist me?" she arched an eyebrow. "Not like you have anything else planned today, right?" she said that part as more a command rather then a suggestion.
Despite his misgivings Tai nodded. "No. I don't. I'll help."
Lin nodded and walked past him into the building, the wires shaking slightly as Meelo began doing mid-air somersaults and rolls and occasionally blowing puffs of air into Lin's face, making her grumble. Tai couldn't help sniggering at his display, drawing a dark look from her in the process.
"So...do you actually know where the baths are?" Tai innocently asked.
"Of course I do. I have been here before." She answered with a little bite in her tone.
"Fair enough."
Lin led them through a doorway that led to a wood paneled room, with a bathtub built against the windowsill in front of them. Tai opened a door nearby, revealing a toilet. Lin nodded and dangled Meelo in front of her, and pointed at the small alcove. "In and out, Meelo. No funny stuff."
Meelo attempted a clumsy salute as a puff of air came from him, grinning in satisfaction as Lin set him down on the floor. He made a beeline for the toilet, almost turning into a blur as the door closed.
Tai leaned against a wall, and she sat on a stool. As Tai shifted, the heavy material of his coat made a audible noise, drawing Lin's attention, leading her to notice all of the rips and scratches visible on the boy's clothing. "You look like you've been in a few fights." she commented.
The boy looked at her, then at his long coat. "Yeah, quite a few."
She folded her arms. "Ever not get into trouble?"
He smirked. "You met me in a interrogation room."
She sighed. "Don't tell me you're still hunting him.", her suspicions were confirmed when Tai's hands curled sligtly.
"So what?" he quietly said.
Lin scowled. "It's going to get you hurt, boy." she fixed him with a stern look, which he responded to by looking away.
Tai stared at the wall nearby. "He's done things to me you have no idea about." he growled.
She rolled her eyes, "I know exactly what he's done to you. I've heard it a dozen times, from people exactly the same as you, all of it caused by the exact kind of person Amon is-", she was about to continue when the toilet flushed, and they both whipped their heads towards the opening door. Meelo ambled out, a look of utter relief on him.
He stared at the both of them, then looked up at Tai. "She's got a point.", he walked past the two of them towards the bath tub, stepping out of his pyjamas and climbing in. He sat there, looking expectantly at Lin. She got up and walked over to the taps, twisting them and allowing streams of hot and cold water to fill the tub.
Tai excused himself, leaving rather quickly.
Bolin stumbled over a loose stone on the stairs, nearly losing the piece of perfectly toasted bread he had dangling from his mouth, his hand flailed around while clutching another piece as well, and he would be devastated if they both dropped.
While most people would think of bread as a staple of everything, Bolin and his brother saw it differently. Old habits die hard.
He held onto the golden colored square with all the strength he could muster as he tipped forward for a heart wrenching moment, more fearful for his bread rather than for himself.
Managing to right himself, he continued across the empty grounds, heading towards the ramp that led to the pier. As he went down the breeze got stronger, and began to ruffle his hair, annoying him and forcing him to dedicate a hand to keeping his high maintenance 'do' under control.
The wooden pier stretched out before him, running over the top of a small beach, surrounded by rocky cliffs and faces. He saw a lone figure standing at it's end, looking at the city that sat only a few miles away. He hesitated a moment, still so unsure if he really wanted to make up with him so soon. Immediately that thought disappeared, and he strode confidently towards the one fixture in his life.
"We missed you at breakfast." His brother didn't respond, only looking at the waters in front of them. Bolin fell silent, and not even the wind could conceal how loudly he was chewing at the moment.
After a few silence filled moments his brother whipped around, annoyance evident. "What are you-" he stopped, looking at the golden square in Bolin's extended palm. For his part Bolin just kept working on the bread, enjoying it immensely. Mako snorted and turned away from him. "That's not going to work."
Bolin held it closer to him, giving the delightful smell leeway to Mako's nostrils. Bolin walked forwards, standing by him. "Sorry about those things I said- I didn't-"
He stopped when Mako stole the piece of toast from his offered hand, looking at it to keep himself distracted. "No. You did. And you're right.", Bolin wisely chose not to speak up. "I've been stupid Bo'. I've messed up a lot haven't I?"
"It's okay Mako. You can't help it that I got the brains." he teased.
Despite what Mako must have been feeling he laughed, smiling at him. "Right," then he sighed, looking back to the water. "It's such a mess..."
"Bro, you were right as well. I think I was trying to..." he reddened and looked away. "You know."
Mako clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it."
Bolin looked away sheepishly. "Yeah..."
His brother thought of something and sighed again. "What do you think I should do?" he asked Bolin.
"Uhhh not sure I can be much help...alright, I guess all you can do is talk to her. Best I can come up with." he laughed nervously.
And Mako chuckled. "Words of wisdom, Bo.", he looked down at the waters for a moment, then found himself staring at the serene city waterfront instead. "I think I will.", he turned and smirked before grabbing Bolin in a head-hold, dragging him back down the pier towards the ramp.
Bolin sputtered while laughing. "Dude!"
Mako rolled his eyes as he dragged him up the ramp, going slower than usual while Bolin tried to free himself from his prison. He struggled and struggled, which only served to get his arm trapped as well. He slackened for a moment, before launching a renewed attempt at freedom.
He failed, and Mako laughed as he let him go once they reached the top of the ramp. Some of the cheer in his golden eyes was lost when he saw a long-haired figure disappear into the living quarters nearby. He straightened and went to march down there, before Bolin clapped him on the back. "It'll be fine, Mako." Thinking how weird it was to hear himself saying that.
His brother nodded and left for the living quarters, leaving Bolin standing alone for a moment, before hearing the exertions of someone training. His curiosity piqued he followed them to their source, climbing up the ramp to the training grounds to do so.
He spotted a familiar brown skinned girl flowing from technique to technique; water streamed from her pouch as she gathered it into a thick ribbon in front of, sweeping it in several graceful arcs before letting it stream back in; her hands flared, and she danced and spun as she unleashed kicks and punches at a invisible foe that surrounded her, the flames she loosed were a bright orange, with their sources even tinging blue at some stages.
They died away to shadows of their former selves; and she grounded herself for a moment, exhaling a deep breath before chunks of earth rose around her, each one higher than the last, she hopped on them in sequence, and grunted with exertion as she managed a front flip of the highest, tucking her knees in to absorb the impact. As she hit the ground she rolled forwards, and extended her leg out, sweeping it in arc in front of her.
A massive portion of earth rose up in a expanding fissure, before settling down as a dust cloud was thrown up.
Bolin was entranced. And reminded of why he loved everything about her. He reddened as he found himself drifting into her more physical qualities, and he quickly clamped them down as he sat down on one of the steps.
She was still for a moment, wiping perspiration from her brow as she turned and saw him. She straightened and walked towards him, grabbing a water bottle that sat on the bottom-most steps, she sat down next to him, breathing heavily.
"As ever, you have blown my mind." he smoothly began. Korra nodded, a out-of-breath smile on her as she tipped a stream of water down her throat, after a few seconds she stopped and glanced at him, now clutching a half full bottle.
She wiped a few drops from around her mouth, licking at her fingertips, causing Bolin to look away for a moment. "Just a bit of training, been doing it all my life."
Bolin nodded. "I think some natural skill comes into it Korra."
She smiled at his sweetness, although she still thought it was all the training. "I don't really know, haven't found any master benders to compare myself to, well, apart from Tenzin," she looked away and sighed, "And he can bend something that I can't."
He surprised her as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on Korra, just do what you normally do! Work and work until it just comes to you!" he grinned at her.
As ever, she was stunned by his belief in her. "Yeah? You really think so?"
"Sure I do! You're incredible!" he said. Inwardly, he wondered if he was laying it on a bit too much. She smiled again, this time a lot more easily, and he knew his answer.
"Thanks again Bolin, you can really cheer a girl up.", her smile was earnest as she nestled into his hand a little.
"I'm at your service anytime."
They both chuckled, then fell silent, letting the lemurs and birds take over their conversation. After a bit Korra sighed again. "Doesn't mean I'm great at everything else."
Bolin's face fell. "Korra?"
She stared at the ground, slowly kneading the dirt on the steps with the tip of her boot. "I'm not so good with people, if you've noticed."
The way she stressed that last part made Bolin instantly know what she was referring to. "I don't think any of it's your fault-"
"Wrong. It is." She glanced at him. "Come on Bolin, stop lying to yourself. You know what I did was wrong."
He shifted uncomfortably under her look. And in a small voice he answered her. "I...don't want to...I don't think I honestly can. Although...it did hurt for a bit after I saw you two- you know."
It was her turn to look away and shift uncomfortably. "I'm sorry.", suddenly she laughed and grabbed his hand. "Still. Friends right?"
Not wanting to hesitate, he answered immediately, event though all he wanted to be was a lot more. "Yeah. Friends."
She smiled at him and looked away, watching the snow begin to fall. He quietly sighed and did the same.
The tree swayed a little underneath him, causing the white orbs around him to wobble a little from their hanging points. The cover of the tree's thick leaves provided a surprisingly effective cover against the wind and falling snow outside, and the branch he was laying on was pretty well ventilated as well.
Also it helped that he had manipulated the air around him to be fairly comfortable, and he simply regulated his body temperature to keep at a comfortable temperature.
It helped him calm down and forget his troubles for a while.
He stared up at the darker leaves that grew closer to the trunk, tracing the outlines of the veins in their structure. It was a good time waster.
Still. She was right.
Keeping up this hunt was going to hurt him. Badly. And things got even more confusing when his brother and newfound friends were thrown into account as well.
He made a noise of annoyance, accidentally immolating a unfortunate leaf nearby. He noticed the cinders fall from the corner of his eye, and he quickly put a lid on his emotions.
Yeah. Things were getting complicated. He supposed it was always going to end up like that, especially concerning someone like Amon. That got him thinking about his brother.
He was alive. He'd seen him twice now, and it had only just hit him in the full impact of all that it meant. He was alive. And he was currently with the man who butchered their family. His eyes narrowed as he watched a leaf quietly snap off from it's twig, and fall past him in a twisting descent to the ground below. He thought about snatching it out of the air for a moment.
He had to get a lid on this. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to picture his calmest place. His thoughts swirled and flowed, and he found himself flitting through images of everyone he'd met so far in his time here.
Lin. The iron lady. He used to think she was a annoyance, but now she was honestly more of a...caretaker. He refused to add motherly to that.
Tenzin. The stoic and calm man that had taken him under his wing, had given him a place to stay, a steady ear to speak to. He knew with everything he had that he could depend on him.
The air bender kids. Though Meelo and Ikki always found ways to get under his skin, he realized that was most likely their own special brand of accepting him as their friend. Jinora was more reserved, although he was certain she thought the same thing.
His thoughts changed to that of a short haired fire nation girl, and a wolf helm wearing water tribesman. They stuck with him ever since he came here, and even better, they were both great people.
Tai sighed in content as he shifted to re-balance himself on the tree branch. Hesitation creeped inside of him for a moment, before he closed his eyes again, and slowed his breathing. He collected his stray thoughts, piling them into a corner so he could focus properly on meditation.
He was loathe to try it, still fearful of his experience with it a few months ago. He measured his breathing, making it slow and steady, enough to put a soothing calm over him.
His eyes closed once more, and immediately he was back in that calmest place. He was standing on the cliffs near the training ground, looking out at the calm waters below. Their surface sparkled as the light from the early morning sun hit and bounced off of them, suffusing the rocky faces below him with a small glow.
The air the wind carried towards him was gentle, and held a salty and fresh scent to it. Something told him to turn around, and he saw Korra and Tenzin standing there, looking happy.
That definitely told him he was currently enraptured in his head. He chuckled to himself, meditation might just work out for him this time.
But the view changed, and the land dropped away and swirled into different forms. It was too much for him to look at, so he squeezed his eyes shut as a pervasive white glow grew everywhere around him.
A range of different, but welcome, smells soon drifted up his nose, and he slowly opened on eye as he recognized the heady and sweet smell of pyju fruits approaching maturation. His view was met with the groaning stem of one of the orchards, holding a bunch of four of the orange colored orbs. He looked to his left, seeing a narrow path lined with the same orchards, and he realised he was in a orchard field.
He heard four different voices nearby, and he walked towards the source, ducking under the heavily laden bushes and growths as he did so. Once he had crossed at least ten rows or so, the edges of a golden colored field were visible underneath the row in front of him. He looked to his left and right before walking across the dirt track that separated the two areas.
Tai winced as he felt a crunch underneath his foot. He lifted it up, revealing a bunch of tattered billowy petals clinging lifelessly to the sole of his boot. It was only now that he could pick out the same willowy flowers that dotted this strip of growth between the field and the orchard.
A feeling of deja vu entered him, and filled him with the curiosity to see who the people working in the fields were. This time he stepped over the flowers carefully, and squinted to get a better look at the figures off in the distance.
Golden colored stalks parted for his feet easily as he stepped into the golden field, drawing closer and closer to those four people. Two of them stood at a significantly lower height than the others, with only one of them even beginning to reach shoulder height.
One of the taller ones was bent over, using a hoe to cut down a swathe of the stalks, which the second figure than grabbed and bundled them into a large basket she was carrying in her arms.
Tai shook his head. That's right, that one was a woman, the one cutting was a man, and the two children nearby were both boys.
It's at that moment when everything clicked into place. "Mom, Dad." he breathed. He stepped towards the four of them, who curiously didn't even react to the dark clothed boy walking towards them.
The woman was tall and reedy, and the delicate features on her granted her a graceful and elegant look. Her grey eyes shone as light from the setting sun went into them, and they were happy as she laughed at a joke the man just told.
As the man looked up, his glasses reflected the sun's dying rays, and occasionally he scratched at the stubble on his jawline with a hand marked with a scar running down the palm towards the wrist. Behind the glasses, his golden eyes still managed to stand out brilliantly, they twinkled as he laughed at his own wit, absently running a hand through messy black hair.
One of the children suddenly tugged at his leg, making him stumble a little as the child giggled. Several patches were visible all over his loose fitting grey t-shirt, and the cuffs of his pants were ripped and mangled, as though the child spared no expense at trying to destroy them with any means possible. He held a huge grin on his face, and his grey eyes twinkled in a similar fashion to the man's. His hair was almost at a bush-like level, barely contained by the dark grey beret perched on his head.
Next to him, the taller boy snorted with laughter, and had eyes similar to that of his brother and mother, although strangely enough, his hair was a light grey in color, in stark contrast to his brother's jet black hair.
Tai found himself smiling giddily, and stopped where he was, lost in memories gone years by. The sound of half deflated tires flopping noisily on a uneven dirt track made him whirl around.
A incredibly battered satotruck drew up behind him, listing to a halt. The tray fixed to the rusty cab's back was empty, and the sole occupant looked to be in a seriously injured state.
The family stopped laughing and headed towards the truck, running together to help the stranger. They all ran past Tai, not even acknowledging that he was physically there. They watched as the driver side door slowly opened, and a hooded figure tipped forwards onto the ground with a sigh. The father grimaced as he carefully rolled him over, so that the strange man was facing the sky.
He wore a strange white mask.
Police Headquarters.
The reception lobby was loud, and completely packed with all kinds of people. Ever present police officers milled among these in small groups, and had taken over a great deal of the waiting chairs, now dedicating them to improvised meeting places and equipment benches. Still, there were chairs and seats that still performed their intended function, occasionally emptying and filling as someone was led away to a interview room and a new arrival took their place.
Of the people who sat in these chairs, it was the older ones who waited the most patiently, and when a young officer or clerk called out their name, they would stand up and follow them to a secluded room, sad expressions on their faces.
Sensha could sympathize with them. She knew all too well how hard it was to find someone in Republic City.
She shook the thoughts away as the voice on the line grew curious. "Sweetie? Sensha?"
Sensha quickly brought the reciever back to her mouth and ear. "Uh. Sorry grandma, just got a little distracted."
Her grandma chuckled in a fashion only grandma's could. One the managed to both mock and comfort someone. "See anything you like?" she teased.
The short-haired girl flushed a little. "Grandma stop it! And no, if you wanted an answer."
The voice on the other end calmed down. "Well alright then. How's Boto? Are you alright?"
She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "He's fine Grandma, and yes I'm alright."
The little sigh on the end made her smile. "Just looking out for you Sensha."
"Thanks Grandma," she leant in a little closer to the wall. "Umm. Do you know when mom will be back from deployment?"
Her Grandma sighed again. "Nothing yet," Sensha shook her head, disappointed. But her Grandma wasn't finished. "I do know her ship is near Republic City though."
"Still..." Sensha said worriedly.
The voice spoke to her in a soft and consoling tone. "Honey, she'll be back soon. Just have a little faith."
Sensha was about to speak up when a little hammer on the side of the wall-mounted phone banged against a little bell, making a chime that set her teeth on edge. "Damn...sorry Grandma, time's nearly up."
"Alright sweetie. Stay safe." the voice said in a soft way.
Sensha nodded. "I will. Love you."she hung the reciever back on it's hook, and turned away, noticing a flash of pale blue armor heading towards her, the person wearing it had just split off from a large group of similarly clothed officers, who were filing into the freight elevator, with commander Makei at their head.
"Hey." she said as he stood next to her, watching the officers depart. "What's the commander doing?"
He looked at her. "They got a tip off about some equalist base out of the city, they're headed there to disarm and disable it."
She nodded. "Uh...heard anything about Korra?"
He smiled. "She's safe-"
"That's great!" she said, cutting him off, "Sorry." she apologised when she noticed.
"-And Tai is as well." he finished.
She sighed with relief, surprising herself a little. "Good. He's pretty thick-headed."
"It turns out that Naga found her." Boto said right out of the blue.
She arched an eyebrow. "Her polar-bear dog?"
He nodded. "Yep. She's a great tracker." he said, remembering a few of the times he spent playing with her when she was only the size of a arctic-wolf.
Sensha grinned as she looked at him. "Well this doesn't happen often. The enigmatic Boto said something about his childhood!" she teased.
Boto chuckled, and Sensha noticed the wistful look that flashed across his eyes for a millisecond. "Yeah..." he rolled his eyes. "It's kind of boring though, being raised in a place full of ice and snow."
She got the message and just nodded.
They heard a commotion at the reception desk, and they both turned to see what was going on.
A young man, was standing in front of it, and the group of officers surrounding him gave him a wide berth, and they knew why when they saw the belt of ticking explosives around his chest.
Emblazoned on each one of the brown sticks was a bright red circle.
Judging from the reactions of the crowd nearby, he had only just revealed himself, a few of them tried to push through the police officers to see what was going on, and were quietly pushed back by some of the burlier officers. Boto and Sensha began to make their way through the crowd, when a pair of wires from several of the officers wrapped around each of his limbs, with a pair of them wounding around the terrified young man's chest. They quickly towed him away, as Saikhan entered the lobby, and gestured for the two of them.
They walked towards him immediately, Boto snapped off a salute. "Sir?"
Saikhan repaid the gesture. "We've got a situation brewing down at City Hall. Councilman Shizu's car was found abandoned nearby, with equalist weapons found all over the scene. I need you two to get down there and make sure the councilman is safe and sound. Understood?"
The two of them nodded. "We'll head there now sir."
"Good. I have a feeling something big's about to come." he said as he glanced at the spot where the young man had been apprehended. He turned on his heel, heading towards the hallway that held the freight elevator.
"Let's go."
Sensha nodded.
As they left, Saikhan took the elevator up to the second level, walking down a grey, utilitarian hallway that ended in a rectangular room, lined with consoles and their operators. A few saluted when he arrived, although a majority where too busy talking into their headsets or busy tapping out messages, he picked up a mic on the large central table.
"This is the Chief. All available personnel, perform a sweep of the building, terrorist elements may have planted suspicious packages throughout the building. Be careful. That's all.", as he clicked off the mic he noticed the concerned looks everyone shared in the room. "Back to your stations! We need to stay on top of this people!"
Ling-Yao street, near City Hall.
Behind his wolf helm, Boto scanned the almost deserted roads, while a feeling of unease grew larger and larger. They hadn't seen anyone at all on their way here.
He guided the motorcycle around another bend, the wheels gracefully absorbing the shock and impact as he mounted the curb for a short while. He was thankful he had removed the side car after they arrived back at the station yesterday morning.
The wheels screeched slightly as they met an imperfection in the road, the line of buildings to their right dropped away to the view of a massive gardened and bricked square, with piles of snow dumped across whole swathes of it.
Just to be sure, he took a look behind him at the street they just passed, and the smiling visage of a black haired Earth King Yao looked back at him, wrought entirely using gilded silver, a metal that was incredibly difficult for earth benders to mold thanks to the low impurities. Commander Makei surmised that once the equalist supply of platinum was cut off, they would resort to using silver instead. It was only now that everyone was beginning to take them seriously as a threat now.
He slowed the bike, causing it to coast forwards a little on it's shrinking momentum before coming to a halt. In front of them a satomobile, colored earthen tones and colors, sat abandoned, it's doors flung open and windows smashed.
Sensha took of her helmet, laying it on a hook on the back of the bike as she dismounted first. He followed, keeping his helm on as together they cautiously advanced towards the councilman's custom-made car. The gaudy gold-plated pipes running along it's sides and into the same-colored grill irritated him a little.
As they made their way to the front of a car, they noticed the unique profile of a mecha tank sailing through the air high above them. They both gaped as it crashed down onto a roof nearby, causing snow to fall off of it in droves.
Gusts and blows of wind could be seen and heard, and they ran across the square, aiming to assist the one person who could control that element with such precision.
The massive doors were already opened, and they noticed that the hinges on them were broken and torn apart. They exchanged worried glances as they passed them by, and grew further worried when they were met with a completely wrecked hall.
Scorch marks were present everywhere, some of the long seats had been turned into splinters, which were strewn across the floor in a huge mess. They heard the sounds of fighting from one of the council offices on the second level, and took one of the corner staircases up.
They ran the length of the balcony to a pair of brown doors that had been smashed off of their hinges, through which the sounds of floor being ripped up and the groans and shouts of fighting were heard with much more detail.
A pair of equalists spotted them, Sensha ducked around one of them, slamming his head into the wall nearby, the man sighed and fell to the floor. His partner lashed a foot at her back, and Boto intercepted it, grabbing her leg with one hand and punching her in the face with the other. She cried out and slumped as well, already unconscious.
They ran forwards, and three more equalists flew past them, pushed back by the strange stone cubes that made up one wall of the office. The earth kingdom councilman stood on top of one of them, his feet wide apart and his arms rigidly moving up, down and forwards. The segmented parts of the wall jutted in and out at random intervals, giving the five remaining equalists a tough time trying to get to him.
Sensha hanged back as Boto tackled one of them from behind, taking out another one with a well timed ball of flame to the chest. The three remainders tossed out as many grenades as they could, and Boto struggled to gather any moisture from the air, only having enough to freeze two of them.
The councilman shouted a warning, and Sensha quickly dived out of the room. While he stomped a foot down, causing a pillar of earth to send Boto flying upwards, Boto alighted on one of the jutting cubes, as the gas grenades unleashed their clouds, quickly filling the bottom of the room in a green haze that would bring pain and tears to the eyes and ears.
She heard the sound of feet running towards her, and she whipped around, seeing Tenzin quickly windmill his arms, making the gas thin out and disappear completely.
Tenzin gave her a nod before walking into the room, as the earth kingdom councilman brought himself and Boto back down to the floor. Sensha walked into the room after him.
"Shizu, how many were there?" Tenzin asked.
Councilman Shizu was breathing heavily, evident for a man of his age. "Nine or so, luckily these two were able to distract them for me.", he sighed. "I think they have the others though."
Tenzin nodded. "We'll have to find them later on, I don't suppose your car is working?"
"Completely trashed." Shizu replied.
"Very well. We'll take Oogi.", he glanced at Boto and Sensha. "Good afternoon you two."
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