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The Cactus Bar.
The bell over the door rang as it opened, and two men in thick trenchcoats quickly stepped inside, eager to get out of the bucketing downpour and storm that had recently settled over the city.
The younger of them immediately made straight for a booth close to a window, sitting down in it and waiting for the older one to sit down on the opposite side of the table between them. "Why did the storm of the century pick now to appear?"
Maro answered with a sigh. "It's not a storm, Lagi. Waterbenders are simply bending the rain to help put out the fires around the City. Damn Agni Kais." He finished with a mutter.
Lagi nodded in answer and then glanced at the little radio sitting on the corner of the bar, a little irritated at the tinny voices coming through, barely hearable above the static. "Hey, can we get that radio fixed or something? Miho?" He called out to the woman tending the bar.
She shook her head as she laid a cloth over the bar top and started sliding it back and forth. "It's been broken for a while now. Can't help you, Lagi."
The young man frowned and sighed as he looked back at Maro, before noticing movement coming from the guy sitting at the bar. He lifted a hand and pointed it at the radio, his fingertips crackling with bright blue energy for a instant before releasing the spark into the radio.
The little jolt cleared up the static coming from the speakers, now loud and clear. "Happy?" The stranger asked, not waiting for an answer before lowering his hand and tending to the bottle in front of him.
Maro glanced over his shoulder and frowned. "I know that kid. He interrupted Amon's rally."
Mako ignored the two men sitting in the booth by the window, just wanting to be left alone and in peace.
"Three days have passed since the chaotic events that interrupted the meeting of nations, and citizens are still fearful of what the Agni Kais will do next. Across the city, crime has been allowed to flourish while the Police dedicate their resources to extinguishing the last of the fires raging across our beloved city, having successfully put out fires across the majority of the bouroughs in an astounding show of efficiency and dedication."
He tossed a glance at the nearby bottle and reached for it when his hand slipped, accidentally knocking it hard enough for dark golden liquid contained within to slosh around a little at the disturbance.
"Acting Chief Makei; appointed to the position while Chief Saikhan recovers from his injuries at Shōu Kǒu General Hospital, will be issuing a press statement tomorrow to address the public's concerns."
He opened one dirty golden eye and stared at his hand, noticing that it was shaking a little.
"Republic City's council members have expressed their support for Acting Chief Makei and Commander Beifong - who our reporters have been unable to reach for a interview- as they lead and direct the brave men and woman of the Police Force in restoring a sense of peace to the city."
"I think you've had enough." The old woman tending the bar, her tone almost gravelly and about as deep as a hole could go, eyed him with the weary expression of someone who had seen countless kids like him come into her bar and drink their troubles away.
"On another note reporters have been trying to gain access to Shōu Kǒu's emergency ward, in order to try and get an opinion from Avatar Korra, who it has been reported has been keeping vigil over her mentor, Councilman Tenzin, after the serious injuries he gained during the Agni Kai attack. witnesses have also reported that Commander Lin Beifong has been sighted there as well, although as part of a official capacity or her own personal reasons is not known."
"Ugh, damn tabloid news." The bartender shook her head as she finished wiping out the inside of a glass, bending back down to stow it inside the cabinet just near the tap. "You know, I like to know why my customers are drinking themselves stupid." she said, standing back up and looking at him. "So what's the case? Broke up with a girl? Lost some money?"
His eyebrows furrowed as he rested his cheek on the bar top. "Close. Lost a girl. Lost a lead. Lost a lot."
"Uh huh. Heard it dozens of times." The bartender squinted, realising that she knew the kid from somewhere. She had seen him in dozens of matches at the arena. "You're the Captain of the Fire Ferrets, ain't ya?"
He lifted his hand up and extended his index finger, still resting his head on the bar top. "Actually, I gave up that gig a few months back. My little brother-"He stopped himself for a moment, his thoughts clear enough for him to remember where Bolin was right now. "My little brother is the Captain now. Doesn't really matter since the arena got wrecked." Mako glanced at the bottle and grabbed it by the neck, tipping some of the contents into a little glass. He drank it in one go, ignoring the burning sensation crawling down into his insides. "I'm a cop now. That matters more than some stupid sport."
"Okay." The bartender nodded as she draped the tea-towel over her shoulder. "So if you're Mako, than the girl is-"
"Ancient history."
"Right. I suppose no-one would want to talk about it how they blew it with the Avatar. So I guess life sucks for you right now, doesn't it?"
He turned his head and stared into the depths of the dark golden liquid, vaguely recalling that he had actually tasted it before... His mother had been celebrating after a hard day at the office... she let him have some.
Still had the same taste to it. A bitter burning sensation that was so overwhelming that the only ones who could drink it without vomiting up their insides were firebenders. He still didn't know why that was the case. His eyes narrowed and he tried to pull himself out of the past, but as he struggled he found it more to his liking than the present.
At the sound of the bartender quietly sighing and moving off, he lifted his head just as the bell on the door ringed again. He heard a suprised grunt coming from her as someone stepped in, dripping water on the floor. "Buzz off, Skoochy. You know I can't let you in here."
"Don't get all antsy, Miho. Just here for him."
Mako scowled and turned around in his seat just as a wet and bedraggled Skoochy clambered on top of the stool next to him. The street urchin didn't say anything for a few seconds, looking at him with a smirk. "You look like you never left the streets, Mako."
He growled and turned back to his drink. "Not in the mood, Skoochy."
"Not even for a little message I nicked from a Agni Kai goon about a meetup with Oranis?"
That got his attention. Wiping his lips he looked back at Skoochy, knowing full well that he wasn't doing this out of the kindness of his heart. He wanted something. "In exchange?"
"I'm not a one-trick poodle pony Mako. Call this a courtesy. You and your brother have always done right by me, so I think a chance to bring the crazy ash-breather down is payment enough." A look surfaced in Skoochy's half-hidden eyes. And Mako knew he wasn't kidding.
Not saying another word he left the envelope next to Mako's elbow and got down from the stool, heading back out into the rainy streets.
The door swung shut and the bell rang again.
Drumming his fingers on the bar top he stared down at the little white paper square, seeing the crimson seal in the shape of a stylized flame telling him all he needed to know. Definitely something about the Agni Kais. They emulated the old Fire Nation army of old, most peculiarly their communication system of messenger hawks and signal flares. Notably in the navy, when a hawk reached its destination ship a blast of fire was sent skywards to indicate retrival.
It sounded incredibly incompetent when he first heard it from his mother, but then he remembered that was the time when the Fire Nation Navy ruled the seas and had most of the world under their thumb. It didn't matter to them if the enemy noticed their presence.
Picking up the later he broke the seal and unfolded the paper to reveal its contents.
I know what you're going through.
You must be feeling quite down, knowing that my father's Triad had pulled the wool over everybody's eyes and burnt it off in a glorious show of power. Make no mistake, officer, this is only the beginning of my father's plan for our beloved city.
Who am I kidding?
You're just focused on what happened to your dear baby brother. Aren't you?
Well I'll be brief, here's your chance for revenge. Meet me at warehouse 4 in the Ling-Shan district. I'll only hang around for a half-hour at best.
Oranis.
His mind was made up, he stopped drumming his fingers on the bar top, swiping the envelope and getting off the stool to walk towards the door. He stopped a moment and fished in his pockets for a bit, turning and walking back to place a bag of gold yuans on the bar as payment before stepping outside and leaving the little corner bar.
Thunder rumbled through the dark clouds overhead as he found his motorcycle where he had left it before, leaning against the nearby street lamp. The arrogant words on the letter kept running through his head as he straddled the seat and gripped the handlebars, walking his motorcycle backwards and onto the road.
Without a glance towards the bar he stroked the starter with his foot and raced off, peeling away from the motorcycle through the side-streets and back alleys that honeycombed the city.
Mako would answer the Agni Kai's challenge. For Bolin.
Ling-Shan district wasn't that far away, only a couple of blocks before he reached its perimeter at the most. He barreled around another corner at top speed, weighing on the brakes a little to stop from careening into the buildings hugging the road.
A flash of lightning shot overhead as he spotted a tunnel further down the road. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the small opening, completely pitch black due to being in the shadow of the buildings around it.
He hated tunnels.
Something made a new noise, barely audible above the downpour of rain smashing down on the streets or the thunder that drummed overhead. He could have sworn that a bin being tipped over was the cause, were it not for the thunderclap that rumbled at the same time.
Through the lashing swathes of rain that assaulted him the mouth of the tunnel steadily grew larger and larger, its inner depths still a pitch black unknown to him as he approached.
Something made a noise again, this time without the cover of the thunder to disguise it. His eyes narrowed as he gunned the accelerator. Someone was hiding just off of the road, and he didn't have the time or patience to find out who and dock them.
He caught a brilliant crackling flash on the peripheral of his vision, lighting up the confines of the dark side-alley around it to reveal a small yet dangerous girl as its source. Her golden eyes flashed as she extended her arm and hand with deliberate slowness, her index and middle finger extended with the crackling mass at their tips.
Immediately he cursed, knowing he wouldn't get a charge up in time to react. He hoped he could make it into the tunnel and find some cover before she-
His ears were assaulted with noise as his vision flipped and tumbled, losing control of the motorcycle and slamming into the wet ground several times, each one landing a blow on his sides, back and front.
As his vision flickered and the rain continued to beat down on him, he heard someone approaching. And before he lost the ability to do so, he caught a pair of golden eyes and a feral smile. "Father wants to meet you, Fire Ferret."
Shōu Kǒu Emergency Ward, Room 36.
The windows lining one entire side of the modest hospital room rattled endlessly for the hundredth time, beaten senseless by the raging winds and lashing rain striking the entire city.
Korra couldn't get how Tenzin's chest rose up and down just a fraction, with such a gentle rhythm. A burst of static invaded her thoughts, and she glanced daggers at the nearby radio sitting on the nightstand.
She wouldn't have paid it any more mind until she recognised Commander Makei's gruff tones carrying through the static, somehow managing to be heard over the sound of whumps and a crowd shouting.
"Right. Let's get this over with. First off - yes the rumors are true."
A outstanding amount of noise came through as the crowd managed to get even louder, and the whumps came with more regularity. Someone among the crowd shouted loud enough for Makei to hear clearly.
"Hold your horses, people, I'm not done. Yes. Republic City is undergoing a time of crisis and as such martial law has been put into effect."
The very idea of what was just said over the radio made Korra look up at Lin, who sat amongst a row of chairs against the opposite wall. "That's not how you handle a crowd, Mak." She murmured.
"Pipe down! Nothing will change in your daily routines!"
"But what about the reaction to the non-bender regulations Councilman Tarrlok cracked down on last year? How are we to know if those laws aren't going to be reintroduced?"
"Protecting the people - benders and non benders together - is our only concern. Those laws will not be necessary."
"But this just means there will be a heavier police presence in the streets! People with the license to search homes whenever they want!"
"My men can control themselves, ms Seris, if that is what you're implying. But the decision is final and preparations have already been made: Starting tonight martial law will be enforced and a curfew for both benders and non-benders will be put in place. That is all."
"Hope you know what you're doing, Mak." Lin whispered to herself.
Lightning flashed outside, highlighting the room in a stark shock of white for a brief instant before flaring down and letting the dimness return. "Can't they fix the lights?" Korra whispered, looking for something, anything, to latch onto to take her attention away from the resting man on the bed she faced.
From the other side of the room, one of the wooden chairs squeaked a little as Lin shifted in it, her arms crossed and head tucked against her chest. "Not with the storm outside." Her minty green eyes flitted up for a brief second, settling on the tired features of the man lying under the bed's white covers.
After a while she made a noise, and the chair creaked as she stood up. "I'll be back. They should be here soon." She moved towards the doorway to the room, lit by a candle mounted on the nearby wall. She stopped. "Will you be alright by yourself?"
Automatically Korra nodded, not putting too much thought to it.
She heard Lin talking with someone in the hallway outside the room, only exchanging a few words with them before walking down the hall. Korra saw Kya come into the room from the corner of her eye, but couldn't find it in her to say hello.
Instead her gaze stayed on Tenzin's peaceful features, and occasional strayed to his black beard as Kya's quiet steps came closer. "Still here?" She asked in a small voice, pulling up a chair alongside Korra.
"You've got some bags. Did you catch any sleep at all?" Korra shook her head a little, absent-mindedly rubbing the skin under her eyes with her index finger.
Automatically Korra nodded, again not putting much thought into it. She resumed her staring at her mentor.
She felt like a joke just even being in the room, watching over him. A scowl settled on her. Not even once did Tenzin ever give up on her. He allowed her to stay with him and his family on the Island. He taught her airbending and taught her patience. He taught her a lot. She resisted the urge to chuckle. There was even a lesson to be learned when she had broken down after Amon's ambush, after facing a enemy who stood for everything that she didn't, and could destroy everything she did.
He had been there for her countless times ever since she came to Republic City. Not even once had she taken the chance to repay that. In any way at all.
Each thought swung a hammer blow into her. She was selfish.
"Korra-" She looked down at the floor between her boots, definitely knowing what was going to come next. "Korra. Its not your fault, we-"
"You of all people should be angry at me." Korra hissed, her gaze practically burning a hole in the floor. "I'm the Avatar, right? I'm supposed to protect everyone. That's my duty. Spirits... I was right there, could have done something to stop it. I didn't. I froze up." Her shoulders slumped as memories of her time in Republic City overran her skull, the most vivid among them being when Tenzin was there for her when Amon ambushed her. "I froze up." She repeated with a murmur, shivering a little at the the perceived touch of bloodbending, like that she experienced against Amon. "I froze up facing Amon as well. Mako didn't." She closed her eyes, recalling the primal feeling that surfaced and dominated her mind with a thousand voices. "Froze up at the South Pole when Telei showed up. My predecessors didn't." She find she couldn't stop herself now. "And I froze up when the city was being attacked. Tai didn't."
A long silence followed, broken when Kya snorted in derision. "Stop beating yourself up."
"Can't." A tear escaped down Korra's cheek as she sniffed, unable to think or move or do anything.
Her hand lifted to cover her eyes, to stop Kya from seeing any more. She heard her chair scrape and suddenly Kya was standing in front of her, and Korra could see that her eyes were red as well. Kya didn't say a word as she wrapped the girl in a embrace.
The older woman, who she had looked up to, even saw as something of a big sister, gently stroked Korra's hair, rocking back and forth as her own shoulders shook.
"Lady Kya to Reception Ward." A tired voice on the intercom said tonelessly, making Kya look up and blink twice. "More wounded." The woman finished, her heavy sigh easily carrying over the speaker.
"Damn it." She muttered, rubbing at her eyes and loosing a explosive sigh. "Looks like I've got to get back to it."
Even though Korra didn't want her to, she stood up and rolled her shoulders, readying herself for another onslaught of wounded people to slog through. She looked down at Tenzin, mentally forcing herself to think of him as just another patient to stop herself from staying in the room.
Korra's eyes were downcast as she looked at the floor between her boots again. "You may not want to hear this right now, Korra... but he'll always be proud of you."
She left the room, her footsteps echoing down the hallway going further away from Korra.
Once the door closed, the entire room seemed to darken just a little.
A voice whispered in the room, but in her head at the same time as well. Poor Avatar, forced to sit there and wait. Scared of what will come next.
Korra could have sworn she was seeing things, but there was a woman standing at the far side of the room where there was nothing before, against the wall facing Tenzin's bed. She was pale, deathly pale, and her entire body seemed to shimmer in the half-darkness. But one thing stood out. Her eyes. Golden. Predatory.
"Wh-who are you?" She whispered, getting a cold pit in her stomach just looking at the enchantingly beautiful ghost of a woman.
The strange woman's laugh only chilled her even further. "I? I am just a interested observer. And you are interesting indeed."
"What do you mean?"
"What else can I mean? Ever since you trespassed in my shrine, you caught my attention. Made me want to come out and play."
Korra's eyes widened at the realization. "Y- you were that spirit- the one that took Bolin and Tai-"
"One of my forms. Yes." The spirit seemed to purr, seemed to revel in the fearful tone Korra couldn't help.
"Why are you here?" She fought to keep her voice from trembling any further, even though the re seemed to be a veritable wave of wrong coming from the woman.
"I like to watch." The spirit smiled as it sauntered closer to the foot of Tenzin's bed, placing a demure hand on the sheets. "The waterbender was not lying. He is proud of you, Korra." And before Korra's eyes it started to fade away, only its golden eyes still burning for a few seconds before disappearing as well.
The entire room brightened in a instant.
She looked over as the door opened and Pema rushed in, clutching Rohan. She stopped just inside the doorway, staring wordlessly at Tenzin. "Oh no." She whispered, slowly edging closer as Jinora, Ikki and Meelo came into the room as well.
Lin stepped in after them, leaning against the opposite wall and staying quiet, folding her arms and staring down at the floor.
Ikki held a hand over her mouth and clutched the hem of her mother's robe, while Jinora quietly moved to sit on the chair next to Korra. Meelo took two tentative steps towards the side of the bed, before carefully clambering up the sheets and sitting next to Tenzin's chest. "Daddy's asleep?"
Pema nodded, shifting Rohan on her shoulder. "Yes, honey. He just needs rest. We'll be here when he wakes up."
Korra could only look on in silence, feeling nothing but utter devastation at the listlessness the family displayed.
Soon enough she could take no more, and left the room without a word.
Jinora watched her go, then looked at her mother. "Has anyone seen Tai?"
He chickened out. Plain and simple.
Tai leaned against the wall, his arms folded and eyes dark. He avoided looking through the nearby observation window, especially knowing what must have been going through the minds of the people in there, all of them focused on the old man resting in the bed.
Seeing Korra walk out of the room like that had only steeled his decision to not go in there.
The nearby door swung open, and he barely glanced over to see Kya stop in front of the window, both hands clutching a clipboard tightly. He could see dried blood on her rolled up sleeves.
"Will he live?"
"Tenzin's tougher than he looks, Tai. He will." Tai nodded to himself, hearing Kya's voice grow small. "Although what I had to do to heal his wounds... That will be hard to explain. Geez, especially to mother."
"What's to explain. You healed him. That's it."
The woman hesitated before responding. "Yes." She closed her eyes for a few seconds, before looking at him. "You have a visitor, by the way."
"Tell them to go away. Not interested."
She didn't respond, just looking down at her checkboard and leaving the room.
Tai grimaced and tucked his chin in, looking down at the floor to avoid talking to whoever wanted to speak to him. Wasn't the best time.
Whoever just came into the room had heavy boots on as they moved, soon leaning against the same wall as he did without saying a word.
Finally he glanced at the newcomer, having to know just who it was.
Grey eyes looked back, grey eyes just like his. "Big brother?" Tai whispered. He saw the edges of a smile coming from the depths of the brown hood.
"Was a little busy the past few months. Sorry I couldn't visit."
"That's not funny."
"I know."
"This wasn't how I expected us to meet each other again." Tai muttered, stealing a side-long glance at the room through the window.
"Sorry."
That brought a smirk out of Tai, not a big one, but one nonetheless. He looked at his older brother, noticing that the way he held himself seemed... lighter, than before, like he didn't have a great weight to carry anymore. Tai wish he could say the same about himself.
"I heard about City Hall." Tarrin said.
Tai's gaze slid towards the family in the next room, watching as Meelo settled in on the bed to keep close to his dad. "Oh." he murmured, his gaze tightening.
"I could have been there, to do something - but Telei, he had us cornered and-" His older brother cleared his throat and leveled a regretful look at him. "I had to make a choice between getting Yem out of there and completing the mission." He hung his head. "Wish I could have done both. Might have been able to stop him from getting injured."
He didn't answer immediately, knowing that he would never have been fast enough to deflect or intercept, or even just stand in Telei's way. "You always had a leg up over me." Tai stepped off from the wall and moved a little towards the door, his gaze on the floor the entire time.
"Where are you going?"
"Just for a walk. Kaze needs it."
A little smirk showed underneath Tarrin's hood. "Your Spirit-Wolf? Hm." He stepped off the wall as well, taking a slip of paper out of his pocket. "Listen. If you ever need to talk - about anything at all. Come by at any time."
For reasons he didn't know, he felt reluctant even to take the little slip of paper his older brother held out. But he nodded and took it, placing it in his pocket before leaving the room.
Shōu Kǒu Emergency Ward, Room 40.
Asami hovered at the threshold to the room, her hand raised to use the handle. She glanced down the sterile hallway and the length of rooms connected to it, hoping that maybe he would decide to show up.
Four time she had been to visit, and he still hadn't showed.
She put her thoughts about him to the back of her head and focused on the drab grey door in front of her, a simple rectangular window on its surface with the room number neatly painted on in black paint.
Her hand closed around the handle and pulled downwards, she released it and pushed gently on the door. It swung inwards and she lightly stepped through, careful not to disturb the two patients within.
The room's windows on the other side were fully exposed, showing the multitudes of rain constantly hitting the exterior and running down its surface in thick streams. She noticed with no small amount of worry that the clouds seemed to have darkened heavily since she came there.
Spotting a chair in between the two beds she sat down in it, trying not to make any noise as she shifted a little on the hard uncomfortable seat.
She wrung her hands and breathed a heavy sigh, just as movement came from the bed opposite the window. She turned, a little startled to see Sensha sitting up with a hand to her stomach.
"Asami?"
"Sensha! I- came to visit." She stood up, hovering in front of the bed as the girl screwed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth as she moved the wrong way. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I jumped in front of a bomb." Her voice was hoarse and cracked. "How long have I been..?"
"A day or so."
"And Bolin, has he woken up?"
Asami hesitated, and shook her head. "Not a peep."
Sensha nodded, a concerned look on her as she stared over at Bolin. "I hope he's okay." She turned to look back at Asami. "Has Mako been by yet?"
"I-" Asami stopped herself and shook her head. "No. I don't know why." A thought entered her head and she stood up from the chair. "I'm heading over to his apartment to check up on him. The nurse should be here soon." She didn't know why she had such a steely tone as she said that, but she didn't waste any time on figuring it out. "I'll be back soon."
Under Republic City.
A coughing fit forced him awake, snapping his eyes open and sending dull throbs throughout his chest.
His eyes widened when he couldn't feel the soft fabric of his father's scarf wrapped around his neck.
It was everywhere down... wherever he was.
He shook his head, hoping that it would clear up his headache, but instead his entire body started to sway back and forth a little, making him realize that he wasn't even touching the ground.
"Comfortable?"
He heard someone's footsteps clanging on a metal walkway, going up some kind of ramp that rose out of the steam covering the depths of the dimly lit space. Anger sparked inside of him as he lifted his head and saw Oranis standing there, a hand on her hip and a self-assured look in place. "Y- you..." He growled, immediately trying to spark a flame from his hand, to do something.
"That won't work, handsome." She chuckled, the deranged young woman's eyes lit up and a small smile setted on her crimson lips as she stopped in front of him.
He immediately went to snap his foot up to catch her in the side of the head with a knockout, but he didn't get far. He cursed as he realized they had chained his feet together as well.
The tremor that ran through him as the firebending crazy ran a unwanted hand up and down the side of his chest as all of his thoughts switched to finding a way out of wherever he was. "You know I'm glad you took the bait so easily. My father isn't one to keep waiting after all."
"That is enough, my daughter." a voice spoke, reverberating off the brass pipes throughout the steam-filled room and growing loud and strong as a result.
"Y-yes, father. Immediately." The girl dipped her head and stepped away from where Mako was chained up, turning and walking back down the ramp, heading towards a shadowy blur standing at the far side of the room, barely seeable through all the steam. At unseen signal the level of steam in the room began to lighten, being sucked into the pipes by some kind of mechanism.
A part of him recognized the noise of a pair of industrial fans working to direct the steam throughout the pipe network hidden in the walls to other parts of the complex. The power plant he had worked in for a few weeks before the Equalist's began their revolution used the exact same system.
The snap of a finger brought him back to his current situation, and as the steam in the room settled to a thin layer above the metal flooring in the room he could see that there had been a crowd of Agni Kais there the entire time, motionless and quiet as the man at the end of the room made his way down a series of thin metal steps.
"I have been wanting to meet you for a very long time, Mako."
Mako blinked sweat out of his eyes as he looked down, seeing that there was some kind of 'podium' sitting just underneath him. "Can't say the same for the head honcho of the Agni Kais." he struggled to keep his eyes open as the steam got to him.
Kazon nodded, moving slowly on purpose through the space. He stopped midway between the door and the podium Mako hung above, brushing something he held in his hands. "Is that so?" He looked around the room for a few seconds, then looked up at Mako again. "I have something of yours." He indicated the bundle in his arms.
A naked flame appeared in the palm of his hand, brilliant and strong, lighting up a great portion of the dimly lit floor. The light from its flickers danced along the length of blood red fabric clutched in his other hand.
"Give that back-"
"I find it strange that a scarf like this ended up in the hands of a vagrant such as yourself. How did you get it?"
"That's my fathers-"
"Did you make it?"
"Don't touch it-"
"Did you steal it?"
"GIVE IT BACK!" Mako breathed heavily, his eyes blazing and his thoughts overtaken by anger as he moved his arms, making himself swing back and forth in a bid to get free.
"This was her scarf."
"Shut up! I'll kill you, I'll destroy you!"
"Is that so?" Kazon glanced at his daughter standing at his side, a gentle look on him. "Very well. Release him from the chains. I'll give you what you want, Mako."
Somewhere near the base of the podium he heard a lever being pulled and the metal loops fixing his chains to the ceiling and top of the podium snapped open with a click. He grunted as he landed on his feet, swaying for a second before getting used to standing up again. "Why did you target my brother?" He said, a dangerous look in his eyes as he stared down at Kazon.
"I have my reasons."
He clenched his fist. "Answer me!"
"On one condition. I want to challenge you to a Agni Kai." Saying those two words spurred the assembled triad members to shift away from where the two of them faced one another, standing closer to the edges of the large room so that there was a rough rectangle of clear space around them.
"Wha- why?"
"To determine if you are truly her son." Kazon slowly extended one arm out, keeping his palm pointed forwards and fingers straight while his other hand hung back as a fist. "If you win, you can leave and for your mother's sake I'll tell you anything you want. If you don't... well, it'll function as a message."
"Fine." A growl settled on Mako's features even though he felt beyond exhausted. He knew he was in a bad situation, and there was definitely no way Kazon was letting him go without a fight. He needed to get out of here. And this Agni Kai seemed to be the quickest way to do it.
He used what was instinct to him, keeping arms loose and up in front of his chest with hands raised in fists.
Sparks snapped and crackled in front of Kazon's outstretched hand. "Good. Let us begin."
Mako kept his eyes on Kazon as a blazing mass of fire bloomed to life in the head Agni Kai's palm. Fire suddenly billowed outwards and rushed towards Mako with the speed of a wildfire, almost upon him within seconds of appearing.
He thrust his hand forward, keeping it as a enclosed fist and concentrating on redirecting the flames around him. The heat only made him sweat even more as the firestorm raged, blotting out any hope of seeing what was outside of the angry orange blaze trying to consume him, nothing but a constant roar in his ears.
It took all of his concentration and strength just to stop it from touching him, and only then he could keep it at a arms reach at best.
His concentration slipped and the firestorm bulged inwards. Gritting his teeth he dropped low to the ground, pushing the mass of flames upwards with all of his might. With a strained yell the firestorm completely changed direction, shooting upwards and slamming into the metal ceiling of the room.
Slowly the roar died away as the column of fire faded away into little wisps left hanging in the air, leaving behind a wide part of the metal roofing glowing a cherry red and ringed by blackened and twisted metal.
He breathed heavily, a lot already taken out of him just by stopping himself from being consumed by the massive inferno. He cursed quietly when a barrage of fire streams, each one thick and powerful, came at him in full force. He held his hands close together and in front of his face, gritting as he ducked and weaved as best he could, still getting hit by each one and knocking him back a few steps from the force alone.
"Haven't even gone on the offensive. Shameful." Mako's eyes narrowed and he roared, running forwards and throwing punches and kicks at Kazon, each one backed up by a powerful blast of fire that would incinerate the man.
But he didn't even look fazed as he easily deflected each blast, his golden eyes calmly tracking each one as it landed elsewhere in the room, watching as one managed to knock a few of his followers of their feet.
Suddenly Mako pitched forward, his fist swinging into nothing but thin air as a hand wrapped around his throat and threw him to the floor. His shoulder cracked and he gasped, gritting his teeth as his vision began to blacken around the edges.
A wide jet of fire hovered inches in front of his face as Kazon stood over him, with a expression like he had already expected this outcome. "You look just like your traitorous mother and dirt-loving street rat of a father did at their moment of peace." Kazon extinguished the flame and straightened. "You couldn't even last a minute against me. You aren't worthy to be her child."
His boot crashed into Mako's cheek.
Air Temple Island, Republic City.
The entire island was thrown in sharp white light by a lightning strike in the dark grey clouds overhead, prompting Tai to look up as the thunder followed immediately after. The boy shook his head and continued to lean on the wooden railing looking out over the island's main pier at a cityscape shrouded behind vast lashing swathes of rain. Whereas before there would be lights shining all across the waters of the bay... now there was next to nothing, just a handful that was barely enough to be visible to the island.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recognized the familiar shape of the air disciple ferry coming across the water and approaching the island. Just above the din of the rain bucketing down he heard a choking sob carry across from behind a rocky face nearby. Despite every fiber of his being telling him not to, he found himself automatically walking towards the nearby wall of stone, looking at a line of bushes hiding the rocky cliffside ledge from view.
His face fell at the sight of seeing Korra, her knees drawn up against her chest and her face buried from view in a similar fashion to when Tarrlok had shook her confidence in herself.
Each time her shoulders shook with each sob stirred something within him, making him approach despite his best wishes not to.
He came to a stop near the edge of the cliff, hands in pockets as he looked up at the dirty dark sky, not caring that the rain was beginning to mat down his hair into a wet mess.
Tai stood like that for a while, frozen in place while listening to each wracking sob coming from the beaten and worn down Water Tribe girl sitting nearby. He didn't know if she knew he was there or not.
Soon, he managed to unfreeze himself and glanced sidelong at her, noticing that she hadn't tried to keep the rain away using bending, resulting in her occasionally shivering and hugging herself for warmth.
Finally he gave in, taking off his coat and holding it out to her, blinking as the rain hit his eyes. She didn't stir, still in the exact same position as before. So he squatted down, not sure how much of a risk he was taking by placing it over her shoulders himself. "You could just bend the rain away."
Her sobbing went away as she looked up, her cheeks stained with tears and blue eyes glistening. She just looked over the dark waters without saying a word, pulling the soft black fabric tighter against the cold.
Tai grimaced as he sat down next to her, his legs crossed.
"Tenzin and my dad put me in the compound."
His eyes widened and his face fell at the barely-there steadiness in her voice.
"My uncle told me back at the south pole. They said it was for my protection." Thinking about Amon and his Equalists, Rorik and his bloodbenders, Telei, and the spirits that had attacked her at every turn made her shake her head. "It's weird... but I believe them. I guess I knew it'd be something Tenzin would do."
"Korra, hey-"
"He was always there for me. Even when I was being a jerk he-" His eyes tightened at the sound of her barely-there words, that were almost like pained breaths. "-He never stopped helping me. Not just him too. But Bolin as well. And now they're both-" She jammed her palm into her eye, gritting her teeth and shaking her head with a sharp intake of breath.
Not knowing what else to do, much less what to say, he gently placed his hand on her back, doing the same thing his mother did to comfort him when he was a kid. "I could have done something- If I had just been faster or stronger then I could have-"
He sighed at her words, each one a punch to the gut and confirming what he was already thinking about himself. "Everything's falling apart." She whispered, sniffing and raising her hand to wipe at her cheek, her face downcast. "First Mako, now Bolin. And Tenzin. And you." Korra didn't look at him, didn't see the hurt expression he had just seeing her like this. "You could have left the city by now. You could be out there, finding your brother."
Tai shook his head. "He can wait. I'm not going anywhere."
For the first time since being there, she nodded. Just a little. "Thank you."
"Its nothing-" He began to say automatically when she shifted to face him, looking at him for a second before leaning into him and wrapping her arms around him. A grunt of surprise came out of him. "Korra-"
He fell quiet, closing his eyes and doing the same, his fingers brushing against her hair a bit. Neither of them talked, something he was comfortable with.
Suddenly she looked up, and when he noticed her eyes, noticed the strange look in them she lifted her head and looked at him. Suddenly she shifted forwards, pushing him back a little as her lips brushed against his and her hand touched his. And immediately his thoughts slowed to a crawl.
His eyes widened for a moment, his brain trying to process what was going on when she fully committed. Inwardly he marveled at soft her lips were, a small part of him wondering how this could be the same girl that had thrown criminals around like nothing and never backed down from anything, but here she was. Here. Doing this.
Tai didn't want a reason why, or a explanation as he carefully cupped her cheek, holding her still long enough to return the favor she gave him. He pressed against her as gently as he could, not wanting to do anything sudden or something to break the moment and snap her out of whatever had her. He snaked a arm around her waist, bringing her in closer so that she couldn't do anything else.
It felt like forever that he was caught in that moment, finally able to see her up close with nothing to obscure her. He didn't realise how badly he had wanted something like this-
A tear rolled down her cheek, invading his mouth with a salty taste. And he blinked as if snapped out of a idealized dream.
What was that, why did she- these questions overtook him, compelling him to immediately shuffle away from her to get some distance. He had nothing but questions now, even as the girl not a foot away from him had tears rolling down her cheeks. "I- I need to go. I-" Tai shook his head and growled, standing up and turning his back on her, not seeing the look of bewilderment on her.
Silk Road, Republic City Outskirts.
Thunder rumbled with a distant series of deep thuds in the sky, coming from the road he had just been travelling down for the past few hooded man calmly stalked down the empty dirt track, watching his surroundings with constant alertness but never finding a need to reach for the sword on his back.
The unconscious bundle on his shoulder shifted a little as he stopped in his tracks, hand twitching slightly as he noticed the man standing in the middle of the road up ahead.
He kept moving forward, already counting at least fourteen more of them in the grey rock and crags around him.
"I have been looking for you, Airbending master."
"Shadowing me for quite some time, have you? Why?"
"I'm looking to do a trade." The man took a few steps forward, the deep sleeves on his sage green traveling coat flapping in the heavy wind. He bowed. "The Dai Li have something you have been searching for."
"Yes, the room had been emptied beforehand. I suspected that you had a hand in that. If Tenzin hadn't delayed me I would have it in my possession, and no reason for keeping you alive."
"Then listen to my terms. I have a interest in acquiring your former student. Bring him to me and I'll give you what you seek."
Telei's eyes narrowed in suspicion at the Dai Li Director's words.
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