It's belated of course, but Happy 2019 to all the readers joining us this time around. Things were really rolling 2018, and 2019 will be an even better year for sure. I have to thank Maria Sato, SaoirseParisa, and Taurus The Dragon for reviewing the previous chapter. Now that the Red Lotus, with Unalaq's help, has taken hostages, it's all about what Korra will do to get out of this. Strap in tight because it's going to be a wild ride!

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own the Legend of Korra.

"We'll try to stay out of sight then, Jinora. Thanks for bringing in reinforcements," Opal stated before cutting the call. Slipping her cellphone back into her pocket, she trotted back to the centre of the kitchen, where Asami and Korra gathered. Other than the two semi-automatic firearms on the counter, Korra and Asami were busy weighing their options. "I'm guessing you want to use the boiling water, since it worked so well earlier?" Opal asked.

Korra only kept her lips pursed, but Asami spoke on the water bender's behalf. "It's the best weapon we have right now," she explained, "We have to get Jinora and the other air benders in here so we can set off the fire alarm, which gives Korra an extra bending source. Until then, we can scorch the Red Lotus members and just slowly take down their forces."

"But how will we play a role?" Opal queried, gesturing at the guns before them, "I don't have experience shooting guns, and I don't think you do either. Even if I use my air bending, we still have to worry about Zaheer and the others. What will we do if they attack us?"

Asami snapped her fingers. "That's when our families will come in handy. Don't forget that your mother and Kuvira are both there, and the only reason they've been neutralized is due to them being elevated from the ground," the engineer pointed out, "So when we attack the Red Lotus, we have to divert their attention away from the central platform, which allows Suyin and Kuvira to get closer to the ground. Once they can earth bend, things will become easier."

"Don't forget Varrick and Zhu Li as well, even though it's Zhu Li who will do most of the combat," Korra added, her eyes wandering off away from the two other ladies and the other weapons in the kitchen, "I think if Opal can air bend at the non-bending members of the Red Lotus, or Asami can start firing at them, maybe Zhu Li can do some damage in the midst of the chaos. She's always been good sorting out chaos, so at least we can trust her with that."

"It's going to be very dangerous, because it's us three against the rest of them," Asami described, "But we have two things on our side, and they are the element of surprise and the presence of a support system. Once those air benders can set off the fire alarm, the Red Lotus will be in chaos. They'll be on the defensive and there's nothing they can do to stop us from fighting back. Plus, if we text everyone now, then they will be part of our plan."

Opal winced, pulling out her cellphone once more. She clicked on the numbers for Suyin and Kuvira, but did not type anything in the text box. "What if the Red Lotus notices that we texted them?" she inquired, squeezing the cellphone just a bit tighter, "I mean, our cover almost got blown when I dropped my phone, so what if they start inspecting or confiscating phones?"

Asami shook her head. "We go big or go home, Opal. We are the only people that got out of the main ballroom alive. Everybody in that ballroom and outside are relying on us," she declared emphatically. She picked up one of the semi-automatic weapons on the counter and gave it a quick inspection. Even though she was still hesitant about using it, Asami knew it was on her now. "If we don't take this risk, they will kill everyone until there's no one left."

At this time, both Opal and Asami turned to Korra, who still seemed overwhelmed by what occurred. The water bender's weight shifted from one foot to another, while her hands clenched and unclenched involuntarily. "Korra, will you be alright?" Asami asked, placing a hand on her long-time friend's shoulder.

That got Korra to flinch dramatically and let out a dramatic gasp. Asami could only pull back, surprised at Korra's reaction but also realizing she had to be sensitive. Korra most likely had a sensory overload when she was locked in the bathroom, and being alone before Asami and Opal got to her didn't do Korra any favours. But at this point, Korra had the most important role, and Asami knew she had to put Korra in the right state of mind. "No matter what happens, we will save everyone here," Asami announced, leaning her head closer to Korra but avoiding all physical contact for the moment, "And whatever you do, just know I'll support you all the way."

Korra tilted her head back, staring at Asami diagonally rather than directly into her eyes. Even though Korra knew she could handle this situation, she still lacked a lot of confidence. All her life she grew up sheltered, mainly due to her mental health condition. She followed routines to a tee and, despite being a water bender, sometimes found it difficult to adapt to changes. But now, she was forced into an uncertain situation, with no guarantee of the end result. In the midst of all this chaos, it was good to know there were still people who had faith in her. "I won't let anyone down, and that includes you," she declared.

"Mr. Vice President, welcome back," Zaheer's distinctive voice echoed from through the kitchen doors. Korra, Asami, and Opal raced to the doors leading to the main ballroom. They were greeted by a frightening scene, where the bald leader of the Red Lotus now held another hostage on stage. "Our fifteen minutes are up again, and we have brought another special guest to the front. I believe this is Ms. Meriwa, from the Northern Water Tribe, who is an advisor to your Minister of National Defence and Public Safety."

"Zaheer, the remaining members of the cabinet are now with me. We are meeting as we speak and we are not prepared to meet your demands," Tenzin's voice could be heard on the videophone responding to Zaheer, "We are prepared to hear what other requests you have, but to take down the political structure of the United Republic is sheer insanity. So in the interests of all the hostages in that building, we ask you to stand down."

Zaheer didn't respond. Korra, Asami, and Opal craned their necks to see Zaheer beckon P'Li to the front, with the combustion bender standing a few metres from the advisor. "You are aware that as long as we have these hostages here, you aren't really in a position to make any further demands, right?" Zaheer taunted Tenzin, "I know your government's policy of not doing negotiations with terrorists, but I think it's time you reconsider that option."

Zaheer nodded at P'Li, who took a deep breath. Korra's eyes grew wide before taking cover, pulling Asami and Opal down with her. Before long, a loud explosion rocked the main ballroom, the shockwaves resonating for several seconds before a deathly silence descended on the hall. By the time Korra looked back up, she could see the remains of a mutilated body being taken off the stage, all the while the smell of burnt flesh seeped into her nostrils.

"I hope you realize how serious we are about this, Vice President Anil," Zaheer's voice resurfaced from the mess, "Our guest's head just exploded with unimaginable ferocity, and all the people in the ballroom had a chance to see it. If you're still not prepared to dismantle the United Republic's structures of power, then we'll just go after bigger targets. We will go after a presidential candidate next, or maybe even the incumbent president himself."

Tenzin remained silent, but that only prompted Zaheer to make one more demand. "I am aware that you have some type of mole in the building," he pointed out, gesturing at the crowd, "I saw two ladies run out of the main ballroom, and my men can't locate them. You might want to bring them back, or I cannot guarantee the safety of your VIP's. Maybe we'll kill more than one person at a time, or we'll increase the frequency of the executions. Either way, the choice is in your hands, so I hope you make it wisely."

Zaheer cut the line, leaving Korra's breathing rate through the roof. This was the second gruesome killing she saw tonight, and it totally overwhelmed her. She glanced at Asami and Opal, both of whom were also shocked, but ready to spring into action. Knowing she had to do this for them, Korra took several deep breaths before focusing back on the task at hand. "Let's increase the fire on the stoves and start creating some smoke," she decided.

"They just killed another person, so it's either we act now or there will be more deaths!" Lin declared to the roundtable of cabinet ministers gathered in their makeshift meeting tent. It was barely a few minutes after the cabinet gathered when Zaheer contacted them again, this time with his second hostage. Tenzin ran interference by refusing to back down while offering some leeway, but it was still a fruitless exercise. "Zaheer and his Red Lotus are absolutely mad. If we want to save everyone, we have to authorize a move now," Lin insisted.

"Let's not forget that there are other cabinet ministers and presidential candidates in there, and Zaheer can kill them as well," Tenzin added. He currently stood at the head of the foldable table, a steel look of determination plastered onto his face. "Chief Bei Fong already has her team ready, and we have some air benders willing to assist. If we storm the ballroom now, we still have a chance of minimizing the damages."

While the cabinet deliberated their options, Mako trotted up to his family with his cellphone in hand. He quickly compared messages with Bolin and Kai, confirming the latest details inside the building. "Korra has every stove on boil in the kitchen and she'll try to use some of the fire from those to create a distraction," he explained, "While the small amount of smoke will distract some of the Red Lotus people, it gives us enough time to rush in and tackle the bigger task, which is to create the even larger distraction."

"The junior Red Lotus people, I'm not worried about them," Toza added, reading Bolin's phone from over his shoulder, "It's the four major players that I'm worried about. Opal's text said that one guy can turn all earth, rocks, and concrete around him into lava, which renders all earth bending useless. I can't imagine how we can tackle a guy like that."

"I'm more worried about the combustion bender, since we saw her blow up that hostage on the screen," Kai chimed in, scrolling through his texts as well, "She's basically a sniper on steroids, and no amount of air bending evasive formations can avoid that."

"And you think that armless water bender who stabbed that presidential aide to death isn't scary?" Yung countered, placing a hand on his foster child's shoulder, "If she's waving those tendrils around, I don't want my boy anywhere near her!"

But Bolin remained undeterred by the dangers. "We can't give up yet, not when we haven't even taken the first step," he responded, tightening his grip on his cellphone. The earth bender wasn't sure what the cause was, but somehow he felt there was a higher duty for him to fight for his country. Maybe it was him knowing that Opal was captured, or that he had to make it up to everyone after siding with Ginger, or even just wanting to make a mark, Bolin was determined to tackle the Red Lotus and save everybody inside. "There are so many people in there depending on us, and if we let them down, our entire country will go down. So I'm going to fight these guys trying to divide us and I'll make us whole again!"

Everyone stared at Bolin, feeling impressed and incredulous at his audacious speech. They knew Bolin worked hard to get back into everyone's good graces, but this time it was like he wanted to go all the way. While it was admirable, they also realized this was a huge risk. Even if he truly did this out of love for Opal and everyone else inside, they also didn't want Bolin to lose his life. "Take it easy, Bro," Mako stated, "The police will be behind you all the way."

"Mako, come take a look at this," Saikhan called from the police van. Mako excused himself from the group once more, entering the vehicle while his family and friends craned their necks from the outside, "I think we found who our Red Lotus mole is," the captain pointed out.

Mako focused in on the screen pulled up by the technology expert, who now accessed the security footage from within the building before the Red Lotus invaded. It was clear that many VIP's were scattered about, but certain people dressed in blue were particularly concerning. They wandered through the crowds and lingered near doorways, but never paid attention to the people near them. "Are they from one of the Water Tribes?" Mako queried.

The technology expert raised a finger, silencing the fire bender. As the group looked on, the technology expert zoomed in on a sequence where a more regal man also dressed in blue split from the VIP's and approached several of the strange characters. "He sometimes talks to them when they are alone, but other times he talks to them in small groups," the bespectacled man explained, gesturing at the screens once more, "Do you recognize the face?"

Mako focused his attention to the tall and slim man, his long and emotionless face becoming more recognizable when the visual was zoomed in. "That looks like Unalaq from the Northern Water Tribe," the fire bending police officer recalled, "I researched him a bit in the Fire Nation, and he's been suspected of having ties to the Red Lotus."

"And that's not all," Saikhan continued, pointing to another screen. The technology expert zoomed in once more, this time to a scene occurring less than a minute after the previous one. "Notice how our Minister of National Defence and Public Safety kept eyeing Unalaq from afar, but Unalaq never paid him any mind? It's either Minister Yakone was taken for a fool by his fellow tribesman, or he's trying to signal Unalaq but failed to do so. And who's this other lady that keeps buzzing around the dear minister?"

"That would be Ginger, who worked with our warehouse for a while, before Varrick put her on administrative leave," Mako described, his eyes narrowing and his tone lowering. He knew Ginger was bad news, but this was the lowest of the low. "It looks like she's still not done with manipulating those around her, including the minister."

Taking one final set of notes, Mako stepped back out of the police van and into the tent where the government was gathered. Lin and Tenzin were still attempting to get a consensus from the cabinet on the best course of action, but Mako was prepared to crash the meeting no matter what. "Folks, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but there is something very important here," he announced, explaining his findings to the cabinet.

By the time Mako was done, the entire cabinet was in complete silence. Now that their suspicions were all but confirmed, this was a case of state-sponsored terrorism, and it was hitting them right in the heart of the United Republic. "If Unalaq supports Tarrlok Yakone, who is still a frontrunner in the election, we basically just put in a guy with ties to an ally of the Red Lotus," Mako pointed out, "As long as Unalaq is still a political leader, we can never prosecute him for these crimes due to diplomatic immunity. And for every minute we spend out here debating the options, the Red Lotus will kill another person according to their schedule."

Tenzin rubbed his forehead, realizing this placed him at an intense dilemma. At this point, he was in the same situation Bumi was in with Amon, pitting his Air Nomad values against his duty to the country. "Alright, we proceed with the invasion as planned," he decided, "And even though it will only be used as a last resort, I will authorize shooting to kill."

As the cabinet mumbled amongst themselves, Lin and Mako left the tent to reconvene with the rest of the invasion group. Tenzin slipped to the side and, still trembling from his latest order, pulled out his cellphone. He quickly texting his mother and siblings, asking them for backup. "Bumi can probably help lead some invaders, while Mom and Kya can heal some of the wounded," he muttered, "But for now, I really hope I made the right decision."

Hiroshi, Yasuko, Varrick, and Zhu Li could only glare at the remaining Red Lotus guards now marching before them. By escaping the area, Asami and Opal took two of the guards with them, and so far neither of those returned. A text message from Asami to Hiroshi indicated that those guards were taken care of by Korra, but Hiroshi was not in the position to reply to that text. "How can we even communicate with these guys watching us like hawks?" Yasuko hissed to her husband, tilting her head at the guards.

Hiroshi pursed his lips, narrowing his eyes at the man with the semi-automatic weapon. He would not be surprised if those were funded by the ancient items found in the military goods stored at Boar-Q-Pine Logistics. Asami's latest text stated that the Red Lotus might be supported by the Northern Water Tribe. "So Tarrlok lets his man smuggle in goods, Aiwei smuggles them out behind Korra's back, and Zaheer sells them on the black market for the weapons," Hiroshi hypothesized, "If we get out of this, I will sink Tarrlok's career for good."

"Never mind that," Varrick whispered, leaning his head over to avoid the Red Lotus guard from looking over. Varrick's earlier bathroom stunt didn't help his case, and now the guards paused every single time they marched past him. "Korra said she has a plan to get to us, but it requires outside help. In the meantime, she wants us to get involved as well."

Hiroshi tilted an eyebrow at Varrick. "Neither you nor I are especially good in hand-to-hand combat, given your lack of self-defence skills and my rather large frame," the bespectacled man commented, "Yasuko basically has just one leg, so it's all left to Zhu Li. Unless Asami, who did take martial arts when she was younger, can charge in guns blazing, we're pretty limited."

"Not necessarily," Zhu Li chimed in, gesturing her head to the stage. The hostages were kept visibly closer to each other, given the lack of security near the area. "I know Korra took out two guards patrolling the halls when she left the bathroom. Asami and Opal then took out two more when they met up with Korra. That means the Red Lotus is short-handed, which is why the VIP's are kept much closer together. In other words, they know the advantage is slipping."

Zhu Li glanced down at her phone again and, just when the guard turned way, quickly sent a text to Korra. "I know Korra wants to use smoke generated from the kitchen equipment to set off some fire alarms, which will distract the Red Lotus from here," Zhu Li described, "That will buy the invaders enough time to set off more fire alarms, which gives us the chance to act."

Varrick glanced upward, taking a look at where the sprinklers were in the ballroom. With such a wide room, there were bound to be several near the stage alone. "If all those go off, this entire place will be flooded," Varrick observed, "I guess that gives water benders the advantage, but the Red Lotus has their own water bender as well. How well do you think Korra can stack up against the armless freak? And what if the other special benders back her up as well?"

"The combustion bender might be disadvantaged by virtue of the humidity. With all that water coming down, I think she won't be able to do much," Yasuko pointed out, craning her head to observe P'Li wander off to the opposite side of the stage, "And I wonder if the lava bender will be affected as well, with the water creating a slippery ground."

Before anyone could answer Yasuko's question, a sharp bell-like tone sounded off outside the ballroom. The Red Lotus members nearest to the doors all glanced out, leaving several groups poorly guarded. "I think the operation has just commenced," Hiroshi muttered.

"What's going on? What's with that horrible noise?" Zaheer demanded, gesturing his arm to various directions on stage. Immediately, the Red Lotus members closest to the doors yelled back, letting him know that the fire alarms were going on and off. They even asked Zaheer if they should go outside to check, to which the bald Red Lotus leader flat out refused. "No one leaves the room. This has to be the doing of those missing girls. Put us back on the line with the vice president immediately, because we'll flush them out with another hostage."

P'Li and Ming Hua immediately rushed back to the centre of the stage, getting the webcam back to function for another call. Even Ghazan, who guarded the wooden platform where the earth benders were kept, edged several steps closer to the stage. Sensing the change in positions, Hiroshi and Varrick waved their arms as Suyin, hoping to get her attention. "If she or Kuvira can get their feet even a bit closer to the ground, we'll better our chances," Hiroshi added.

The ringing outside did not abate, and by now the clear hissing of the sprinklers being turned on echoed through the doors. Hiroshi's group all turned to the closest door, trying to gauge from the moving shadows on when Korra would enter with the force of a tsunami. During this time, Zaheer managed to contact Tenzin again. "Vice President Anil, you're playing games with us," he stated with a snarl, "The two ladies who ran off have not been returned, and now fire alarms are set off. If this is your attempt to cooperate, then I say you're doing a poor job of it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Zaheer. I assure you that we never sent in any police team or national security team, other than who is originally there for the event tonight," Tenzin's voice could be heard responding, "I'm sure whatever malfunction in the building can be fixed by a team of technology experts. Let's make a deal, alright? I will order the team of experts to go in, and in exchange you release the hostages. Everything else can be addressed later on, but let's stop the sprinklers before they drown everyone!"

"Stop your nonsense!" Zaheer roared, slapping a hand on the podium, "At this rate, I will kill a hostage every thirty seconds until everyone dies, or they all get drowned by the sprinklers. So give me the missing ladies, or I'll kill someone right here and now. How's that for a deal?"

Tenzin could only sputter at that response, but Zaheer remained resolute. Reaching back, he grabbed the first person he contacted and that person to the front. To the shock of Varrick and Zhu Li, it was a water bender they both knew well. "Please tell the vice president who you are and what your relation is to the current government," Zaheer commanded in a murderous tone.

The woman edged to the webcam, her entire body shaking in fear. "My name is Senna Arnook," she stated in a trembling voice, "I am the wife of Tonraq Arnook, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and also a candidate in the upcoming election."

Zaheer smirked before turning back to the laptop screen. "I made it clear that someone major will go down, and what better than the wife of a current minister and future president," Zaheer taunted Tenzin. With that, he swung his arms around and enclosed a ball of air around Senna's head. "In less than a minute, she will lose all air, and ultimately her life."

Senna gasped and pawed at her throat, which only made Zaheer increase his bending's intensity. Zaheer sneered at Tenzin, realizing that it would be seconds before his first big target was down. But before he could wave his arms around more, he was hit by a gigantic pillar of water, sending him sailing to the other side of the room. As the sickening thud echoed across the room, two smaller blasts knocked P'Li and Ming Hua down as well. With the air ball around Senna's head gone, she fell to the ground, taking in gulps of air to replenish her lungs.

Everybody in that group turned to the door, which was blasted through its hinges. The sprinklers outside showered the area, but there was no mistaking the individual standing at the front. She seethed with anger and pointed a long finger at the stage. "You Red Lotus terrorists take your filthy hands off my mother, you hear?" Korra growled.

The second the doors burst open courtesy of Korra's water blast meant chaos for the main ballroom. Thanks to Asami and Opal with their little stunt, the Red Lotus was shorthanded on one side of the ballroom. Those who were near Korra when the doors burst open tried to launch their attacks, but Opal blasted them with air. Whoever that was left had to dodge machine gun fire from Asami, which amazed Suyin as she observed from her wooden platform. "I thought Asami didn't know how to shoot guns," she commented to Kuvira.

Kuvira couldn't help but nod her head, impressed at the engineer's handling of the situation. Right now, she had all remaining non-bending Red Lotus members at a stalemate, as they were either disarmed by Asami or too far away to get a clean shot at the heiress. "I recall her telling me once that she was interested in doing her internship at the United Forces," Kuvira recalled, "But it was only a civilian position and didn't require military training."

"I won't ask again, Zaheer," Korra demanded, positioning the columns of water behind her back. By now, Senna managed to crawl back to safety, with Tonraq checking on her despite them both being tied at the wrists. "You release these hostages right now, or you'll regret it."

Zaheer struggled back onto the stage, rubbing his back in agony. The water blast from Korra sent him sailing to the other side of the room, slamming him back-first against the concrete wall. "I would think someone who sees the world as differently as you do would see things our way, Korra," Zaheer stated. Korra's eyes could not help but widen slightly, as she did not expect the Red Lotus leader to know her by name. "Yet you're assisting those in power to keep the oppression around, even though you've been treated differently all your life."

Zaheer got a hand from Ming Hua and P'Li, both of whom were trying to recover from Korra's double cannon. He waved to the entire group to stand down, opting to talk directly to Korra. "We became aware of you when the big news came out, Korra," Zaheer continued, "We know how talented you are and how amazing you can become. You're fighting for the wrong cause, and we can help you fight for the right cause. Who knows, maybe you'll find your family along the way. How do you know you don't have ties outside of Republic City?"

Korra softened a little, allowing some of the words to take hold. It was true that she was treated differently all her life, with authority figures and those more popular than her making fun of her for being autistic. Even when she was very young, with Tahno and his gang, Korra was put down because her autism made her different. She didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb, but she didn't choose her condition either. So was there some merit to Zaheer's words?

But one look to her either side confirmed that Zaheer's words were bogus. To Korra's right was Asami, juggling two semi-automatic weapons and pointing them in the directions of the assailants. To Korra's left was Opal, slightly crouched in an air bending stance and her eyes darting amongst the hostages. And beyond Opal were Korra's biggest supporters, namely Varrick, Zhu Li, Hiroshi, and Yasuko. Not to mention that on the stage were two more big supporters, Tonraq and Senna, both of whom almost lost their lives to the Red Lotus. There was no way Korra would sacrifice these people for Zaheer's twisted goals.

Korra turned back to Zaheer, no longer afraid of staring him in the eyes. "I absolutely will not join you, not in a million years," Korra spat, tightening her fists and causing the water from the sprinklers outside to pool up, "Don't think I don't know about my family history, and how you're trying to manipulate me by bringing in another lost family member. Let's just say a terrorist is not and will never be my family, no matter what you say."

As Korra continued to expose the Red Lotus lies, linking both Unalaq and Tarrlok into the mix, Suyin and Kuvira used the distraction to feel around the wooden platform. Despite the wooden boards and frames, they managed to locate two hinges made of metal. "The quality is not high, meaning we should be able to bend this," Kuvira pointed out.

Suyin nodded, all the while whipping out her phone. She typed a quick text to her sister, letting Lin know of her situation. It took only seconds before Lin responded to her. "Lin has the police force storming the place as we speak," Suyin reported back, "It won't be long before they set off more fire alarms, which will then turn this place upside down."

Kuvira was about to respond when the Red Lotus got her attention. "I think we've heard enough from you, Korra," Zaheer retorted. By now, P'Li and Ming Hua both stood back up, and Ghazan, located just in front of the stage, got into his lava bending stance. "Since you won't be joining us, we'll just kill all these hostages and everyone else in the room!"

P'Li turned to the hostages and took a deep breath. Meanwhile, Ghazan focused on turning the concrete under the stage into molten lava. Even if the hostages survived the explosion from P'Li, they would still burn to death by Ghazan's lava. Sensing the danger, Suyin hurried to the front, where she placed her hands around the other hinge. "You focus on the lava bender while I get the combustion bender?" she suggested to Kuvira.

Kuvira nodded, just in time for them to rip the hinges off the platform and flung them at their targets. Suyin's hinge sailed in a horizontal arc, slamming P'Li right in the forehead and knocking her off balance. Not only did the combustion blast not emit from her forehead, it instead exploded just above P'Li's head, sending her tumbling off the stage and tumbling onto the ground below. Even Zaheer and Ming Hua had to duck for cover from the errant blast.

Meanwhile, Kuvira aimed lower with her hinge, curving the metal into a sickle shape and using it to slash at Ghazan. The blade did its work, slicing right into Ghazan's left calf. That got the earth bender howling in pain, losing his concentration and turning the concrete under the stage back to normal. Unfortunately, that got the wooden platform all wobbly, but Suyin and Kuvira jumped off just in time to bend up a concrete ramp for the earth benders to slide off.

Then, as luck would have it, more smoke alarms were set off inside and outside the ballroom. Everyone turned in time to see more thick smoke pouring in from the doors, and Korra realized Mako's plan worked. "Everyone, you have your weapons right now!" she declared, "Air benders, earth benders, and water benders all have your bending sources. Now is the time to take back this convention centre and stop the Red Lotus once and for all!"

With a loud battle cry, several earth benders formerly on the platform now attacked. Led by Suyin and Kuvira, they sent slabs of concrete at the junior members to the side of the room, disarming them from their weapons if not knocking them out altogether. And now that the Red Lotus guards in front of the air benders and non-benders were distracted, it gave the air benders a chance to flex their skills as well. With Opal at the helm, they swarmed the guards and pushed them back, allowing the Satos and the Varricks and pull the hostages off the stage. "Does anyone have anything sharp?" Varrick called, gesturing at the hostages' zip ties.

Zhu Li pulled out a Swiss Army knife from her pocket, flicking out the sharpest blade and sliced into the zip tie. As the first hostage rubbed his wrists, Yasuko led him out the door while Hiroshi continued helping Varrick. "What inspired you to keep something like that on you all the time? And where in the world do you keep it?" Hiroshi wondered.

"I'll explain later," Zhu Li curtly replied, slashing the zip tie off another hostage, "But for now, let's get these to your wife, who can then take them outside. Chief Bei Fong and the police shouldn't be too far out, so the sooner the hostages get to safety, the better."

"Police, nobody move!" The sounds of various officers echoed through the halls as uniformed personnel stormed into the convention centre. Thanks to the text messages going back and forth between Korra and the outside world, the police now had a much better idea what was going on inside. It gave them plenty of time to plan for their invasion and overwhelm the junior Red Lotus members. "Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air!" the police shouted.

While other officers disarmed the Red Lotus, Mako and Lin continued their push inside. From behind them, various members of the military followed. "I'm glad we managed to get Bumi and Iroh to help," Mako commented, "At least Bumi and the air benders can continue to set off fire alarms and give water benders like Korra a fighting chance."

Lin glanced backwards and saw the United Forces marching in, spreading to various halls to look for hostages. "Any news from where Korra is and what she's doing?" the police chief asked, "I got a text from Suyin that they would take out some senior Red Lotus people, but no more since then. I assume they're still in the main ballroom."

Another explosion rocked the interior, with debris flying straight at them. Luckily, there were officers in the front, along with Bolin and Toza. The group used earth bending to raise a slab of concrete, blocking off most of the debris and preventing further injuries. "Do you think that's coming from the combustion bender?" Bolin called, lowering his slab once more, "I know it's pretty wet in the main ballroom, but I don't think combustion bending is affected by that."

Another set of fire alarms went off, courtesy of the smoke being sent into the air. Mako turned just in time to see Yung, Kai, and Jinora trot towards him. "This is working really well, Mako," Kai reported, holding whatever was left of the torch Mako let on fire earlier. The fire bender gave the air benders various torches, to which the air benders used to set off the alarms. "There's mass chaos and none of the non-bending Red Lotus people know what to do. Unless there are more guards in front, it's a one-way street all the way to the main ballroom."

"How are we doing with the injured?" Toza asked, all the while the police proceeded without them, "Did you find any of the hostages escaping? How many were hurt?"

"My aunt Kya and my Gran Gran Katara will take care of them," Jinora responded, brushing some wet hair out of her eyes, "They're both expert healers and they both volunteered to help us. With all this excess water, healing the injured won't be a problem."

The sounds of more gunshots could be heard, causing Bolin and Toza to put up the concrete shield while everyone else ducked behind it. "My goodness, this is crazy!" Yung called, crouching behind the earthen shield while craning his head to peek above it, "Are there any other air benders around? Maybe we can form a tornado and repel all the bullets or something!" Turning to his ward, Yung gestured to the front. "You think you can handle it, Kai?"

Once the sounds of battle eased, Kai took a deep breath and stood back up. He had been in bending battles before, including the times when he lived on the streets. But the sounds of gunfire still shocked him, and right now the younger air bender didn't know what to believe. "I don't want to lose anyone, and I know Yung won't want to lose you," Toza stated, lowering the shield once more, "But if this is getting dangerous, maybe you and Jinora should break for now."

Kai vehemently shook his head. "Yung and I are in this together, and there's no way I'll abandon him," he insisted, clenching his fingers that much tighter around the torch, "And as long as Jinora is in here, I want to fight alongside her as well."

The air bending master glanced at Kai and smiled, albeit keeping the same firm look on her face. Switching the torch from her right hand to her left, Jinora linked her right fingers into Kai's left. "And I'm not giving up on you either, Kai," she added with determination.

Before another word could be said, the police hollered once more. While exchanging fire with certain people inside, some hostages could be seen hobbling out. Jinora immediately let go of Kai's hand and checked on the hostages, leading them in the direction of her grandmother and aunt. "How many injured do we have there?" Mako yelled to the front, hoping either Saikhan or Lin could give him a response, "And are there other hostages still around?"

But just then, another person staggering out caught everyone's attention. "Mrs. Sato," Toza called out, stepping to the side to assist her. Yasuko could be seen leaning significantly on her cane while she took deep breaths. "Is everything alright?" the former pro-bender asked.

Yasuko waved a hand at Toza to indicate that she was fine. "I've been helping the hostages escape," she described, detailing the huge bending battle inside. "Asami has a firearm and she's using it, while Opal and Korra were using their bending. Suyin and Kuvira were there as well, and now they're going after the senior Red Lotus people."

"Where's Opal now? Is she hurt?" Bolin inquired, lines creasing across his face. The entire group glanced at his worry over his companion, which caused Bolin to catch the slip. "And, uh, how is everyone else? Where are Hiroshi and the others?"

Yasuko managed a small smile, realizing Bolin's care for Opal tended to trump the others. Nonetheless, the millionaire took no offence to Bolin's comments. "Last time I checked, Hiroshi and Varrick were helping the hostages on stage escape," Yasuko explained, "Zhu Li pulled out a blade and cut all the zip ties off the hostages. They were still inside when I left, and that's because Hiroshi wanted all the untied people to leave first. I didn't see anything further until after I heard the gunshots, so I'm not sure where my husband is."

"Do you think they already escaped through another doorway?" Yung asked, stepping closer to the older woman. By now, the sprinklers created a torrential downpour, and Yung was surprised that his torch was still lit. "Maybe he's at another part of the convention centre."

More explosions rocked the area, causing Yasuko and the others to tumble to the floor. "Don't look now, but that combustion bender is back and she's aiming for us!" Mako hollered. Again, Bolin and Toza lifted an earthen shield, blocking any potential blasts and debris. Turning to Yasuko, Mako requested that she got herself to safety. "We will look for Hiroshi, Varrick, Zhu Li, and the others. Right now, we just have to get all the hostages out of here!"

Yasuko nodded her head before getting up with her cane. She glanced back once more at the group, thanking them again before hobbling off. "I know Asami thinks really highly of you all, and your actions today only reaffirmed that," she declared.

The group nodded and smiled at Yasuko's statement. While Asami's parents rarely visited the pier, the group knew Hiroshi and Yasuko were kind souls. Even with Hiroshi losing his way, they never doubted the Sato family's sincerity. That's why it meant so much to them when Yasuko gave them such a huge vote of confidence. As Yasuko left the group, the focus was back at the front. "How will we get in with that combustion bender sniping us?" Kai asked, "Don't tell me the police will have to send in their own sniper team."

No answer was given when the ground rumbled. Bolin and Toza lowered their rock shield only to see a strange sight. The entire floor in front of them turned into molten lava, and the gooey liquid was headed their way. With some police officers already scorched while others tried to escape, it was clear that the group was blocked off. "Everybody get back!" Saikhan yelled, "Regroup immediately and start looking for other entrances into the ballroom!"

After what seemed like an eternity, Tenzin stepped back to the police van, his face paler than he was at his sickest. Things already went haywire when he authorized the United Forces and Republic City police to shoot to kill the terrorists, something that was against everything he believed in. It almost felt like karma was biting Tenzin right now, after all the times he chided Bumi when Bumi had to take part in missions for the United Forces that involved losing lives. "If we get through all of this, I'll make sure to take Bumi out to dinner and remind him how much he means to me and that I'll always love him," Tenzin murmured.

And that was yet another aspect that drove Tenzin insane, which was that he sent his oldest child and his two siblings into the fray. While Tenzin would have given an arm or a leg to go in, the fact was that he was interim president now meant there was extra security for him. None of the security forces or police, including Lin herself, would let Tenzin enter the battle, in fear that there was no more political leadership left. Other than checking on Pema, Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan, there was not much more Tenzin could do at this point. "I can only hope Bumi, Kya, Jinora, and Mother will all emerge alive," Tenzin added, rubbing his bald head.

Tenzin finally re-entered the main van where the technology experts were gathered. They kept an eye on everything while the operation was still in place. Tenzin glanced at the various screens before him, with both gunshots and bending filling each one. "Any news on where the hostages are and if any of them have been rescued yet?" he demanded.

The technology experts all pecked feverishly on the keyboards, but none responded to Tenzin. The vice president could only grit his teeth while scanning the screens. It was clear that the police and military both infiltrated the main ballroom, but the Red Lotus kept them at bay. The most disturbing part was with the lava bender, who turned everything into molten lava and let the rest of the senior leadership take off with several hostages. "Can we confirm who has been taken and who got out alive?" Tenzin inquired again.

"Mr. Vice President, I got something," a female tech expert called. The air bender trotted over to the other side of the van, where another security camera zoomed in on one of the halls just outside the ballroom. It resembled a side entrance to the ballroom, where some people could be seen scurrying out. "Do those resemble any of the VIP's?" the tech expert asked.

Tenzin narrowed his eyes. Despite the sprinklers still going at full blast, he could make out fancy suits and ball gowns. That at least gave him a hint that some of the attendees got out okay. But what shocked him next was the ferocity of three people, all of whom were women. A woman dressed in green launched vicious air blasts into the ballroom, while another woman in red fired off a semi-automatic weapon, even though it seemed like she had limited experience with it. But most impressive was the final woman dressed in blue, who took advantage of all the extra water and created a torrential downpour against any Red Lotus members around her. "Is that Korra in there? That is unbelievable!" Tenzin exclaimed in shock and pride.

But indeed, Korra was holding her own in there, slamming Red Lotus benders to the side while Asami took on any non-bending Red Lotus members. With Opal serving as a backup, watching out for attacks from behind with her air bending, the three ladies made quick work of all the Red Lotus people. At this rate, the police had another entrance to the ballroom without having to deal with the lava bender. "Contact Lin and Saikhan and tell them about the new opening," Tenzin ordered, "They still have a chance to get in from where Korra is."

The tech expert was about to forward the message but something interrupted her. "I just heard from Chief Bei Fong," she reported, "It seems like some VIP's are on the way out, and both Kya and Katara checked on injuries. The chief wants some police presence at the exits of the building so that the VIP's can be taken to safety once they leave the building."

Tenzin could hear the woman relay those orders to the security teams on standby outside the building, which allowed him to stroll back towards the man. Despite the mayhem, at least there would be some survivors, which gave Tenzin some reassurance. Tapping the male tech expert on the shoulder, Tenzin queried about any potential threats on top of the Red Lotus. "We know Unalaq of the Northern Water Tribe is in there and he may have ties to the Red Lotus," the vice president pointed out, "Can we confirm if the people he brought are also dangerous?"

The tech expert scanned the screens at the moment. When Lin was still outside with Tenzin, they had a skim over the monitors. Unalaq was located along with various figures dressed in blue, but none of them could be found during the hostage taking sequence. Besides, there were reports that when Iroh issued the ultimatum for Unalaq to stand down at the Southern Water Tribe, he never got a chance to negotiate directly with Unalaq. Now that the Northern Water Tribe fleet had gone away after the United Forces intervened, Tenzin wondered if the guests in blue were Unalaq's troops in disguise.

Tenzin turned around and stepped out of the police van, getting a look at the military now rushing towards the exits. Any moment now, the survivors would file out of the doors to be checked by medical personnel, and Tenzin was grateful that military medics would lend a hand to assist civilian medics. As Tenzin looked on, a soft female voice called to him. "Is everything alright?" Pema asked, tapping her husband on the elbow.

Tenzin looked over and saw Pema with the three younger children. Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan all had concerned looks on their faces, probably still worried for Jinora's safety. Tenzin was nervous too, but he realized there were bigger issues at hand. "Things are under control for now," Tenzin responded, quickly describing what he discovered inside the police van, "Unless Unalaq's forces launch a surprise attack, we shouldn't have too many problems."

"Boo, why can't we just beat up that Unalaq guy?" Meelo complained, sticking out his lower lip in a pout, "If I was allowed in, I'd hit him so hard he'll be crying for his mom!"

Pema could not help but chuckle at that comment. "Take it easy, Meelo. You can't just beat up people," she chided her oldest son, "Besides, with Unalaq being a political leader, he has diplomatic immunity, meaning only his own government can punish him for his bad acts."

"Who gave him the permission to be bad and not let us punish him anyway? Why can't we stop giving him permission to do that?" Ikki interjected, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes, "Can we call his government and tell them they should take him back or something?"

Tenzin paused, realizing that Ikki and Meelo hit an important point. With Unalaq now in Republic City, there must be someone in the Northern Water Tribe taking control. If not, then how did Iroh get the Northern Water Tribe fleet to retreat and head back north? Moreover, if the leadership in the Northern Water Tribe happened to be against Unalaq's current actions, then maybe the diplomatic immunity might be revoked. "Guys, thank you for giving me a very good idea," Tenzin muttered, patting Ikki and Meelo on the head before trotting off.

Tenzin marched back into the makeshift tent where the other members of cabinet were waiting. Briefly updating them on the events, he immediately proposed a change in the course of action. "We have to contact the Northern Water Tribe right away and see who is in charge," the air bender suggested, "Let's also find out about their political structure and power delegation. If they allow political power to be stripped away unannounced, then we just hit the jackpot."

And here is another long list of inspirations and acknowledgements that I have to go through for this chapter:

1.) Taurus The Dragon was originally going to edit one scene, but we didn't get the chance to do so. I wanted to get this chapter out because of some other stuff I have to deal with, and we didn't really get a chance to discuss. Nonetheless, I want to thank him for offering his assistance anyway and I hope we can still proceed with the scene as is.

2.) The use of the fire alarm through fire and smoke is from various action films, but it's also a call out to the original series. When Hakoda was trapped in the Boling Rock, he and Sokka showed flexibility and ingenuity by using the gondola to escape. I figure that Korra and her friends can do the same here, given the situation. With Zaheer separating each bender by element, the best way to attack is to get one element first, and then moving onto the others. And of course, with Korra being autistic, it's even more remarkable that she's able to be a part of all this. I hope this can do justice to the original series as well as showcasing how those with autism can still be strong.

3.) What Tenzin mentioned regarding not arresting Unalaq is diplomatic immunity. It means that political leaders or those representing their country in a different country cannot be prosecuted for crimes committed outside of their home country. There is a similar story in Canada where a Russian diplomat killed a Canadian citizen while driving drunk, but the Canadian police had to let him go. However, the diplomat's home country, Russia, can punish that diplomat, first by recalling them from Canada and then criminally charging the diplomat in Russia. So when Tenzin was asking if the Northern Water Tribe can revoke political leaders' powers, he was hoping to get rid of diplomatic immunity so Unalaq can be arrested for aiding and abetting in terrorism.

4.) Kai worrying about using evasive moves around P'Li is from "the Ultimatum" in Book 3 when he tried to distract P'Li in his glider only to be shot down. Bolin worried about Opal and offering to make everyone "whole again" is from "Operation Beifong" when he said something similar in his attempt to rescue Suyin and family. Korra exposing Red Lotus secrets and linking them with Unalaq is from "Endgame" in Book 1 when she did the same to Amon. And Varrick and Zhu Li helping everyone escape (with Hiroshi and Yasuko assisting) is from "Reunion" in Book 4 when Varrick slipped off to make his own weapon to help the group escape while a bending battle was going on behind him.

Thank you for reading this chapter. Not sure if I'll be able to update in a month. Like a said before, I have some other stuff to take care of and there will be delays in updates. I hope that won't be too much of a convenience to you all. Thanks again and hope to see you next time!