Oh hai reader, welcome to the next chapter of Avatar: Duality.I hope your all going to enjoy this chapter and now on to the reviews.
Gerden360: She really shouldn't, but it was not in Republic City and it was their first outing. Happy you think so.
Girlbook: Yes, it was Khan. eh, maybe.
Lelouch of Zero: Maybe, and it's going to be very interesting when Soshi finally meets his parent's killer again. Thanks!
Now story time.
Khan and Ghazan where standing in a room filled with cabinets, boxes full of folders, blue prints of different buildings or something about a machine to infuse spirits into human bodies.
To the far side, there was a desk filled with books, stacks and stacks of rolled up scrolls and a black banner hanging on the wall, depicting a red lotus.
"Man, I knew Qipian had a secret library." Ghazan said looking around, "But this is insane."
"We don't have much time." Khan snarled, already started opening drawers and going through their contents, "Look for anything that might look like a diary or a journal."
The two quickly began to search around the room, opening draws and throwing files around if it wasn't what they needed.
"Deluminator... No. Granny Goodness Potato salad?... Who leaves something like that here?" Ghazan said, throwing the files over his shoulder, "Found it!"
"Are you sure?" Khan snarled, holding a file that read 'Dragon's Breath'.
"It says 'Qipian's Secret Journal'." the earthbender said, throwing the journal towards her.
Catching it out of the air, Khan skimmed through the first few pages, "This is it. The answers I have been searching for." she said, walking to the exit, "Now Qipian Shuang has no choice but to reveal his deepest secret."
A few hours later, Khan, Ghazan, Ming-Hua, and P'Li's hideout in a vine-infested Republic City apartment. Khan was sitting in the blinds covered window, reading Qipian's journal. P'Li stood watch at a nearby window as Ming-Hua was using her water tendrils to carve what appeared to be a dragon out of a piece of wood near Ghazan was doing sit-ups while they waited for Zaheer to return from the Air Temple with information on the whereabouts of Avatar Korra.
But it was only when she reached nearly the end of the entire journal, when she reached the bottom of the page that she found the confession she was looking for.
Suddenly throwing the journal to the ground in a rage Khan roared, "That bastard!"
Ghazan, Ming-Hua, and P'Li looked up from what they where doing, looking a little alarmed by her expression and sudden outburst.
"Hey K." Ming-Hua began.
But Khan shook her head and began to pace around the room, until stopping at a wall, slamming her fist into it.
"My dear." P'Li began, walking over to the girl she had come to see as a daughter of sorts, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Listen to me. It doesn't make very nice reading..."
"Yeah, you could say that..." Khan snarled, she did not want to let her anger spill out at P'Li, but it was hard to keep her voice steady, "I always saw him as the monster tormenting me in my sleep. But this... This takes his atrocities to a whole new level."
"New level?..." Ghazan asked, "Like a super monster?" trying to cheer her up but instead P'Li shoot a glare at him.
"Not now, big guy." Ming-Hua said, walking up next to him.
"I thought the anger would go away when I had killed him, that I could let it go and move past it." she mumbled, placing a hand on her forehead, "But the anger, the rage... It is still there. Like a poison coursing through my veins... and it sickens me that he still has some sort of hold on me."
Just then a door opened, revealing a bald and clean shaven Zaheer.
"We have a problem." he said, striding into the room after closing the door, "I have been discovered at the Air Temple. The cops are swarming the city looking for us."
"Well that's great..." Ghazan said, turning to Khan, "You still want to try to take out the president?"
"He will have to wait. We will have to leave today..." Khan snarled, composing herself and walking to the window, spotting something that peaked her interest, "There's our ticket out of here." she added with a devious smile.
Meanwhile, across the globe in an open field, where Naga jumps and catches a ball with her mouth before making her way to Korra and Soshi. As Naga drops the ball in front of Korra, she airbends the ball away from the airship, getting Naga to fetch it back.
"Moment's like these..." Soshi began when Korra rested her head on his shoulder, "Is what makes those long nights worth it."
"I know." she said softly.
It was then that Beifong emerged from the airship, "While you're playing fetch, four of the most dangerous criminals are hunting you down." she said, "We should get moving."
"Relax, we just got here." Korra said as Naga returns and drops the ball, "Besides, no one knows where I am except us."
Soshi pats Naga, "I think she wants you to throw it for her." he said to the head of police, who looks down on the saliva and grass coated ball.
"No she doesn't." Beifong said.
"I know what my daughter wants." Soshi said, making Korra chuckle that he would still remember that, before Asami emerged from the airship as well.
"We just got a call from the radio about another airbender." she said, walking over to them, "A city called Zaofu, the home of the Metal Clan."
Out of the corner of his eye, Soshi noticed that Beifong seemed visibly uneasy and uncomfortable at the sound of that city.
"You know the place?" Soshi asked.
"...Never been there." she said uneasily and looking off to the side with her arms crossed, "But I don't want Korra going there. I would rest a lot easier if she was back at Republic City."
"Oh, but we are going back to Republic City." Soshi said with a smile, wrapping his arm around Korra's waist, "After we got the airbender in Zaofu."
Beifong glares to the side and puts her head down in disappointment.
Over at a bridge in Republic City, a metalbending officer goes up to a truck, "Good afternoon. Where are you off to today?"
"I, uh, got a delivery to make at Bao Yu." the driver said, handing the officer papers, "I should be back later today."
"You all right?" the officer asked.
The driver glances behind him nervously, Ming-Hua is behind his seat, threatening him with a ice dagger. "Yeah, just a little tired. One more pick-up, then I'm clocking out."
"I thought you said you had a delivery?" the officer pointed out, as the driver began to sweat, "...I'm going to need you to step out of the vehicle and open the back of the truck."
The driver steps out and runs away screaming, while another cop chases after him. The interrogating cop opens the back of the truck, and is blasted backward with powerful blue fireblast from Khan.
Ming-Hua drives the truck away, while police stay hard on its tail. P'Li blows up one of them with combustion, but the rest are able to avoid it, and keep chasing the truck. Ghazan stops two of them with lava, giving the group enough time to make their escape.
As the clouds past, a huge gleaming city made entirely out of metal in the shape of a lotus flower is below the airship, there are smaller metal flowers around the city too.
Korra, Soshi, Mako, Bolin, and Asami look amazed out of the window. "Look at that! An entire city made of metal!" Bolin said excitedly, turning to look at Beifong, who was sitting behind them on a bench far away from the windows with her arms crossed, "You should feel right at home, Beifong."
But the police chief seemed more than a little unhappy to be here. Metalbenders below bends strings of cable out of the crane and it loops itself around a hook under the airship to connect the metal cable to the airship.
Two other metalbenders subsequently bend and build an intricate stairway for the airship's passengers. Bolin runs out excitedly, while the rest of Team Avatar and Mitsuzo walks out calmly. Beifong is slumped on the seat and still uninterested.
"Chief Beifong, aren't you coming?" Mitsuzo asked.
"What's there to see?" Beifong said, "It's metal. Big whoop. Just find the airbender and let's get moving. Don't tell anyone I'm here."
"Why not?" Soshi asked.
"I don't need to explain myself to you, rich kid." Beifong said, pointing at the team, "Just do what I say."
"You got it, Chief Crankypants." Korra said annoyed.
Team Avatar and Mitsuzo exits the airship, where they are greeted by a man in green and yellow robes and two Metal Clan escorts.
"Avatar Korra. It is an honor to meet you." the man in green said, bowing with his hands clasped, "My name is Aiwei."
"Thanks for having us." Korra said, bowing back.
"Is this everyone?" Aiwei asked, gestures his hand to the group.
"This is it." Soshi said, as Korra looks behind her, "Just us. So, can we meet the new airbender?"
"Of course." Aiwei speaking a little stiffly, gesturing his palm out, "Right this way."
The group boarded a tram, and as they ride it through the metal city, Bolin looks excitedly out of the window as Aiwei remarked on the land marks they passed.
"That statue honors the first metalbender, Toph Beifong." Aiwei explained as the tram passes a statue of Toph, "Who expanded the possibilities of what benders were capable of. Here, everyone is encouraged to reach his, or her, highest potential."
"Does Toph live here?" Bolin said excitedly, "Are we going to get to meet her?"
"I'm afraid not." Aiwei said, much to Bolin's disappointment, "She would visit from time to time, but years ago she left to wander the world, in search of enlightenment. No one has seen her since."
Bolin looks a little downcast and the tram is shrouded in darkness as it enters a tunnel. The tram continues its path and heads for the edge of Zaofu, stopping at the terminal.
"Before you meet the airbender." Aiwei said, "Her mother wants to meet you first."
Following him into a building, where eight dancers are rehearsing on a flattened metal lotus flower. They fire metal cables to the ceiling, and four of them swing upward before landing, while the four bottom dancers bend the petals for their team-mates to land on.
The dancers bounce from petal to petal, before jumping to the middle, where the flower closes. The dancers open the flower, where the inside dancers pose with graceful poise.
"Is this some kind of combat training?" Korra whispered to Mitsuzo.
"...Soshi really need to take you to the theater more." he whispered back, "This is obviously a dance rehearsal. Soshi used to do balley himself."
"I always knew he had weird interests." Mako teased.
"Hey, I was the only guy in a room with twenty girls." Soshi said back, "Twenty... Very lean... girls..." and he was off day dreaming until Korra punched his shoulder.
"Allow me to introduce the matriarch of the Metal Clan, Suyin." Aiwei introduced her.
"Please call me Su." Suyin said, presses a fist into her palm as a greeting, "Great to finally meet you, Avatar Korra. And this must be Soshi Shuang, Mitsuzo Soroi, Mako, Bolin, and Asami Sato."
"You've done your research." Mako said.
"I make it my business to know who's visiting my city." Suyin.
"So, you're a dancer." Korra asked.
"Dancer. Leader. Wife. Mother. Collector of rare meteorites. You'll find people here have many skills and interests." she said pulling out a finger with every stated profession. Aiwei leans into Suyin's ear and whispers to her, causing her eyes to widen and she glances at him.
After Aiwei moves away from Suyin, she turns and narrows her eyes with suspicion on the group unhappily. "Soshi, why did you lie when Aiwei asked if there was anyone else with you?"
Soshi raised an eyebrow, while Korra looked surprised, and behind him Bolin claps a hand over his mouth nervously.
"What makes you think I am lying?" Soshi asked.
"I'm a truth seer. When people lie, their heart rate and breathing increase." Aiwei explained, "And while you remained unreadable, your companions gave off subtle signels, which I could sense."
"Thanks to Aiwei, there are no secrets in our city." Suyin said, a hint of pride.
"Except the secrets he keeps." Mitsuzo pointed out.
"But yes, we came with Republic City's Chief of Police." Soshi said, "She didn't want anyone to know she was here."
"I'm sorry we didn't tell you." Korra said remorsefully.
"Lin's here?" Suyin said surprised and excitedly, "Well, I would love to say hello."
"Wait, you two know each other?" Asami asked.
"You're joking, right?" Suyin said, but there's silence from the teens as they stare at each other awkwardly. A hurt Suyin sighs and looks to the side sadly, "Lin never told you about me. I'm Lin's sister."
The group listens to the news with surprise and disbelief.
"Say what now?" Soshi said.
Back at the airship, where Beifong looks at Zaofu, when behind her Korra's voice said, "I found out why you're so against coming here.", making the police chief turn back in alarm to see Team Avatar and Suyin, now in her Zaofu attire, on the ship.
"Why didn't you ever tell me you had a sister?" Korra asked.
"Half-sister." Beifong corrected.
"Same mom, different dads, so what?" Suyin said, putting her hand over her heart, "We're blood, Lin, and after thirty years, the least you could do is say 'hello'."
"I have nothing to say to you." Beifong told her sister bitterly.
"You two haven't spoken in thirty years?" Soshi said, turning to Suyin, "How come?"
"Ask her, I've tried." Suyin said.
"Oh, don't put that on me." Beifong said, pointing a finger to Suyin and her sister crosses her arms, "You're the one who tore our family apart."
"And you've done a bang up job keeping it that way." Suyin said smugly and sarcastically.
"You haven't changed one bit, have you?" Beifong said.
"Look, we can stay here arguing about the past all day, but that's not reason the Avatar came here." Suyin said, turning to Korra, "My daughter is thrilled to meet you."
At a playing field with metal columns, where a metal disc ricochets between, with a player on each side.
"Those are my two youngest, Wei and Wing." Suyin explained to the rest, "They're playing a game called Power Disc. They invented it all on their own."
Wing shoots the disc to Wei, who redirects it, ricocheting it between multiple columns. Wei fires the disc back, ricocheting against a column. Wing leaps to intercept the disc, but fails to catch it, which slams onto a net.
"Oh, nice power, Wei." Suyin said.
As Wing pounds his hands and grumbles at his defeat his brother said, "Wing goes down!"
"I'm so proud of those two." Suyin said as she led the group to a gallery filled with metal sculptures, where a sculptor works on one with metalbending.
"Huan, I'd like you to meet the Avatar and her friends." Suyin said to her other son, "And your Aunt Lin."
"Nice to meet you." Korra said.
Without looking back, Huan said, "Hey."
"That's a really nice... banana?" Bolin said, looking at the sculpture, "Yes, very, very lifelike."
"It's not a banana!" Huan spoke irritably, turning to Bolin, "It was inspired by Harmonic Convergence; represents the dawning of a New Age!"
"Obviously." Soshi said, leaning to Bolin, "Still looks more like a banana."
"I know right!?" Bolin whispered back.
Mako and Asami look amused as they start walking off. They followed Suyin down to a slightly younger lady is reading a book on a bench.
"And this is my daughter, Opal." Suyin said at last.
Opal turns toward the guests, "Wow, Avatar Korra." she stands up, putting her book away, "I can't believe you're here. You are so amazing."
"She really is." Soshi teased his girlfriend, earning him a playful push.
"Opal... That's a beautiful name." Bolin mumbled dreamily.
"Thanks." Opal said softly, blushes and pushes some hair behind her ear.
"I'm Bolin." he said, extends a hand out.
"Opal." she said, shaking Bolin's hand, "But, uh, you already knew that."
Soshi glances back and forth between the two with amused curiosity as Bolin looks off awkwardly while Beifong storms toward them. "Great. We've found the airbender." Beifong said, "Let's take her back to the airship and get out of here."
"The woman trying to abduct you is your aunt." Soshi said, "Just wanted to inform you of that fact."
"Really? I've always wanted to meet you." Opal said, turning to Beifong, "My mom has told so many stories about you."
"I'm sure she has." Beifong said annoyed and coldly, making her niece looks confused by her aunts behavior.
"So I've set all of you up in the guesthouses while Korra trains Opal." Suyin said, turning to them.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Korra said, "But I was hoping she could train with the rest of the airbenders at the Northern Temple."
"That sounds amazing." Opal said.
"Nonsense." Suyin said immediately, "This is where Opal's home and family are. You can train her here."
"Absolutely not!" Beifong cut her sister off, "We're leaving."
"She's just a little worried because there's a bunch of crazy criminals after me." Korra said, "Nothing too strange really."
"If you're concerned about security, don't be. Thanks to Akahasu Inc. This is the safest city in the world." Suyin reassured them as her sister rolled her eyes in annoyance, "Now I'll see you all at dinner. And come hungry. My chef will blow the taste buds right out of your mouth."
"Why do you have such a problem with your sister?" Soshi said, turning to Beifong, "I would have been glad to have had a sibling."
Beifong seethes while looking to the side and growling as she looked away.
On another airship drifting among the clouds, Khan is looking out of the window, as Ghazan, Ming-Hua and P'Li where sitting on the couches while Zaheer was sitting on a pillow on the floor, meditating.
"We should've grabbed one of those cops." Ming-Hua said, "Maybe they know something about where the Light Avatar is hiding."
"The police isn't very close to the Light Avatar." P'Li pointed out, "We should count ourselves lucky we didn't run into the Dark Avatar."
"She could be anywhere." Ghazan said, turning to Khan, "But man, a fight between you and the Dark Avatar would be a sight to see."
"I am a bit disappointed, I was looking forward to our conversation." Khan said, turning from the window, "I have my agents look all over the world for her. We'll find her. It's just a matter of time."
Zaheer opens his eyes wide before speaking, "She's with the Metal Clan in Zaofu."
During the night at Zaofu at night, where the metal panels surrounding the city close. They where sitting in the large dining area of Suyin's family, where they where served their food by the Chef.
"Tonight, for your dining pleasure, I present a seared wild Kyoshi elephant koi, paired with a ginger-infused pea tendril and hibiscus root salad."
The chef bows before walking off, where he bows to a man, as they cross paths.
"Sorry, dear, I'm going to have to take dinner to my office." the man said, as a young man who looked like him but a younger walks past him with a stack of paperwork, "I just had a major breakthrough on the tram station remodel."
"Well, don't let me stand away an inspiration." Suyin said lovingly to her husband.
"That was my brilliant architect of a husband, Baatar, and our oldest son, Baatar jr." she explained to Korra and Soshi, "He engineers all my husband's projects."
"Five kids." Beifong said, "What a nightmare."
"No, no." her sister said back, quite happily, "My children are a blessing."
"Yeah, mom used to say that too." she said, "But she never meant it..."
"Wonder if we are going to be like that." Soshi whispered to Korra.
"You mean like Suyin and Baatar?" Korra whispered amused, "Dear, I'm going to have to take dinner on the go. I have to drive my tank around the city and beat up criminals all night."
"Yeah, kinda like that." he laughed softly, turning to Bolin and Opal, who where having a conversation.
"...I don't think I've ever had a bad meal in my life." she said.
"Oh. I had plenty when Mako and I were living in the streets." Bolin said, "I mean, you'd be surprised how bad food from a dumpster can be."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know." the young airbending girl looks at him sympathetically.
"No, no, it's okay, that's all in the past." Bolin said quickly, "Things are great now. I got to be a pro-bender, fought against a dangerous revolution, became a mover star, I'm helping the Avatar rebuild a whole nation and I got to meet my hero!"
"Who?" she asked.
"You might know him as the Dark Avatar or before that the Vigilante." he explained, "But I call him Vigil. We are close like that, I even got to give his car it's name."
"The Dark Avatar?" Opal said envious, "Your life sounds so exciting."
"He's real?" Suyin said surprised, "Anyway, how's your search for the new airbenders going?"
"Honestly, not great." Korra admitted, "We had to rescue a whole group of them from the Earth Queen."
"Oh, she's horrible. She thinks she can just do whatever she wants." Suyin agreed, "I mean, the idea of even having a queen is so outdated. Don't you agree, Korra?"
"I...I haven't really thought about it too much." Korra said.
"Well a president isn't much of an improvement either." Soshi added, "At least not Raiko."
"Raiko is such an annoying prick. The world is evolving and the Earth Queen can evolve with it or step aside." Suyin said, "Perhaps you should become President of Republic City, Soshi."
"Sitting in an office all day? Sounds very boring." he chuckled, pointing at Mako, "But if I did run, I at least already have Mako's vote."
"Hey, everyone." Beifong said sarcastically, with her arms crossed, "My little sister is an expert on world affairs now."
"You want to talk about what's really bugging you?" Suyin said to her older sister, "Because I'm right here!"
Beifong glares bitterly at her sister before turning away, just as a familiar voice spoke.
"Sorry we're late, everyone."
Turning to the entrance of the dining room, they saw that it was Varrick and Zhu Li.
"Varrick!" Bolin gasps, excitedly.
"What are you doing here?" Asami asked.
"Great question, Asami. I mean, what are any of us doing here? Wow, food for thought." Varrick said turning to the raven haired girl, "So how's my company doing?"
"You mean my company." Soshi said, making him turn to look in his direction, "Varrick Global Industries has been absorbed into Shuang Corp after you plotted to abduct the President."
"Allegedly plotted to abduct the President." Varrick corrected him, raising a finger, "Never convicted."
"That's because you escaped prison." Mako pointed out.
"No, the universe decided to set me free." Varrick said, "So, I looked up my old friend Suyin here, pitched her a few ideas, and bam! We're in business together."
"Varrick's heading up my new technology division." Suyin said.
"I've seen the future, and the future is, magnets!" Varrick said dramatically, "I'm working on a high speed rail that would revolutionize transportation and shipping as we know it. But that's not all, I'm..."
"All right, enough!" Beifong snapped, standing up, "I'm trying to keep the Avatar safe and you're harboring a criminal?"
"Ease out, Lin." Suyin said, "Sure Varrick's made a few mistakes in his past, but that doesn't mean he should pay for it for the rest of his life. My chef was a pirate, but now he's a culinary master. People change."
"You haven't." Beifong said, pointing at her sister before walking away.
Later in the bathroom of Mako and Bolin's room, Soshi came in while Mako is styling his hair and Bolin is brushing his teeth.
"Mind if I hang here for a while?" Soshi asked, "Korra and Asami are doing some girly stuff, and I don't want any part in it."
"Sure!" Bolin said, "You can stay as long as you want."
"Your a real upstanding guy, Bolin. Thanks." he said, taking a seat on one of the beds, "So you and Opal seemed to hit it off dinner. I think she's really into you."
"Yeah, I know." Bolin said, spits out his toothpaste, "She's sweet and pretty and super nice. Too bad she's not my type."
"Right." Mako said amused, "Your type is dumb mover star or psycho ice princess."
"You know, that really hurts a little bit. Right..." Bolin said presses a fist to his chest as Soshi and Mako laughed, "Here... But I also like intimidating white haired CEO's."
"White haired CEO?" Soshi said surprised, "You mean Korosu Satsujin? You like Korosu?"
"I... Maybe!" Bolin said, a hint of red on his cheeks, "Come on! She is smart, has this allure about her and she is very beautiful! She is best girl material!"
"She is best girl material." Mako pointed out, "But best girl is Asami."
"Asami is best girl?" Soshi said, with a raised eyebrow, "That's a very weird way of saying Korra is best girl."
"But maybe you're right... I might never see Korosu again." Bolin said, looking in the mirror, "Maybe Opal is Bolin material." and he leaves the room.
"Was he still talking?" Mako asked.
Soshi shrugged his shoulders, "Want to go into town and get something to drink?" he said.
"Sure, I have read about this bar in Zaofu." Mako said throwing his scarf over his shoulder, "But your buying first round."
"Fair enough." Soshi said and the two walked out of the room, "Better bring your wallet, because I am going to drink you under the table."
"Bring it, rich boy." the firebender said.
There ya go, another chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.
Many thanks to everyone who reads, reviews, favorite or follows this story, you beauties!
If you liked what you read, don't forget to leave a review, for now I wish you all a fantastic day and I hope to see you ladies and gents, next time!
