Asami checked herself in the a small mirror in her office, she'd dressed for the occasion, reporters were always keen to photograph her outfits. She'd gone for the look of an adventurer, she wanted to appear as if she was ready to explore the world. Which in fact she was, wearing her trademark leather jacket and a pair of black cargo pants. She'd also taken care to have the cuffs of her flight gloves peaking out of the top of the pockets. Dad always said half of creating good press is showmanship. Asami picked up a short one page speech from her desk, turned and headed out the door. It was a short trip down a well appointed carpeted hallway to the elevator that would take her down to a lobby full of reporters. Not turning to face the doors Asami hit the button with her fist and took a deep breath. Future industries is proud to announce it's newest advancement for the human race…the Future industries Lightning. The elevator dinged causing her heart to race which she quickly calmed by taking a deep breath before turning around into a barrage of flash bulbs. The reporters were all familiar with Future industries and didn't dare do more than take pictures as Asami moved commandingly to her podium. The podium was on a small raised stage she had used for all her press conferences. In front of her were dozens of reporters seated in folding chairs, behind her was a curtained wall hiding the photos of her creation. As she looked up from the podium she looked for her Kyoshi security team disguised in the crowd before giving a fake smile and beginning her speech.
"Good Morning to you all, I've brought you all here today to announce a revolutionary step in the world of travel," She gave a short pause to make the obligatory eye contact with the reporters. "Years ago my father gave us the streamline airship, then soon after the air plane, today Future industries moves that bar even higher with the Future Industries Lightning!" She thumbed a hidden switch on the podium causing the curtains to retract. The reporters let out an audible gasp as they took in the wall sized glossy photo of Asami's creation. The metallic skin wrapping around the fuselage and engines gleamed in the photo making it look even more futuristic than it was. "With this step forward we are happy to announce a new air speed world record of five hundred and fifty nine miles an hour, allowing the Lightning to fly from the northern to southern water tribes in as little as forty eight hours. with a stop for refueling in between. Future Industries plans on using the Lightning prototypes to make advancements in scientific research as well as participating in humanitarian efforts by providing same day medical support and medicine supply across the globe. While our passenger carrying variants are being developed Future Industries will use one of two prototypes to break the world record for a pole to pole flight." She continued to speak as the flash bulbs picked up pace. "Tomorrow morning myself and a co-pilot will leave from the Future Industries air strip outside of Republic City and fly to Zao Fu where I'll host a expo of our new creation and it's possibilities. We will also rendezvous with a resupply team and begin prep for our record breaking flight from Water Tribe to Water Tribe. With this endeavor Future Industries hopes to inspire many and show the benefits of travel by Future Industries Lightning Air…Questions?" She smiled as nearly every reporter's hand shot up, Asami picked a reporter she recognized. "Lee, go ahead."
"Who will be your co-pilot?"
"A former member of Republic City's finest, Lin Beifong."
I
Ren flailed awake, her heart trying to beat its way out of her chest, as she caught her breath and realized she was in her bed. Fuck's sake. Ren collapsed back in her spot groaning as her bruises protested. Slowly her breath slowed and she fought off the urge to go back to sleep. Ren rolled to her side frowning when she realized Mako had already left for work, she half rolled half slumped face down into the pillow and sighed. The sheets had a sweet stench to them that made her grin thinking of the hours they'd spent making them that way before collapsing into a coma like sleep. Ren rolled again, this time to look at the clock, normally she'd be at work before nine and the rest of her day would be DAGR's. With a whole day in front of her she didn't know where to even begin. Relax, doctors orders…take everything as it comes…you can do whatever comes to mind…especially with the DAGR pay check…first thing's first, shower and get dressed. It took her a few minutes to finally muster up the energy to slide out of bed ignoring her screaming bruises and shuffle to the bathroom. As she wiped the sleep out of her eyes she turned on the shower and turned on the lights immediately regretting it as her eyes burned. Ren blinked rapidly waiting for her eyes to adjust to the light and the shower to heat up. For once she ignored the mirror knowing she'd be hard to recognize and simply used it to look at her bruises. Looking over her shoulder she could see her whole back had become a deep purple with yellowing splotches. The things I do for the Kyoshi. She sighed and entered the shower letting the hot water sting and holding herself under. Okay, shower in progress… Ren rolled her eyes at herself and let the water pour over her neck as she turned up the temperature. Maybe vacation won't be so bad. Letting all the sore muscles in her body soak in the hot water she continued with her shower quickly washing the soap off herself and out of her hair. She played with a length of it realizing how badly the original brown was slowing fighting off the blonde Varrick-Moon industries dye. Leaving the shower she quickly toweled off and went back to her bedroom.
The temptation to fall back into bed was harder to resist than she thought but she shook it off and went to her small dresser. She reached out a hand but hesitated, she could hardly remember the last time she wore something that wasn't armor or a uniform. The clothes she bought for her undercover missions she almost never kept, blood was a hard stain to remove. Pulling open the top drawer she raised an eyebrow, amongst a few white undershirts and tank tops was a a stack of black t shirts with a small Kyoshi logo. I bought those after graduation… the memory came flooding back immediately making her feel old. She pulled one out and opened the next drawer knowing she'd find at least one good pair of cargo pants. Her empty stomach panged as she searched for her least muddy pair of black combat boots. Food first, shop for clothes so I don't stick out like a sore thumb second. Ren found a mostly clean pair of boots and pulled them on, get my hair done third, she thought as she pulled the laces tight. fourth…she stood grabbed the keys on her nightstand fourth. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it… She turned and began to leave swinging the keys in her hands briefly wondering how long it would take her to get to the dumpling stand. Not like I've got anywhere else to be… Ren thought as she exited her apartment and locked the heavy deadbolts into place one after the other. Her mind drifted as she went down the hallway, I could probably go see how Shin is doing…if I knew where she lived, orrrrr anything about her besides how she does at work. Ren shrugged to herself as she mashed the down button on the elevator. I could go bother Mako…I wonder if he has his own office yet. Smirking she entered the elevator and waited for it to complete its short trip down. Oh! I could go see Asami! She mulled over the idea as she walked out into the small hallway and exited out the front door of her apartment. Ren didn't even make it off the top of the stairs before stopping with her eyes wide. The crowds were filling the sidewalk bustling back and forth completely oblivious to each other. Ren turned back without a moment's thought and rushed back into the elevator impatiently waiting for it to bring her back up to her floor. A few moments later she was back in her apartment her boots thunking as she made her way to her bedroom to grab the short sword off her nightstand. Already feeling more at ease she turned and left her apartment.
I
Mako waited off to the side of the mediation circle as the group of Air Nomads guided a gentle gust of air around them perfectly in sync. He tried to remember the last time he'd been in the temple part of Air Temple Island but couldn't. Either way the building itself was always something that made him stop and look. The inside of the massive stone tower was supported by thick wooden beams with stone inlays each ornately showing some form of Air Nomad culture. The incense drifting through the air reminded Mako of his appointments with Guru Arjan but in a much denser concentration. He adjusted the file in his arms as Tenzin took over control of the gust of incense infused air sending it up into to the tower itself.
"Go in peace, Tenzin instructed before bringing his hands together and giving a slight bow to his gathered students.
Mako waited for the students to stream out in a sea of orange and red robes. "Tenzin,"
"Mako how have you been?" Tenzin asked motioning him over to the center of the temple where he was still sitting.
He sighed. "Well work has been a little crazy lately and unfortunately I didn't come with any good news either." He motioned with the folder as he sat down across from Tenzin. "Somehow a reporter found out about Korra."
"What?" Tenzin's eyes immediately saddened as he took the folder and opened it to the first page reading "The blood bending Avatar". "How?"
"I have no idea." He scratched his head. "It had to have been one of the Kyoshi…the only people that know what she did that day were in the room and none of us would've spoken of it." He let his frustration leak into his words.
The Airbending Master pulled at his beard as he read the article, flipping through to the last page. "The article still says that she died that day…"
Mako nodded. "That eliminates some of the Kyoshi, and us…"
"Either that or that reporter's source doesn't know Korra's alive, or doesn't want people to know." Tenzin let go of his beard. "We still never found out who leaked Korra's death to the press?"
The detective shook his head. "All the major news outlets said they received a recorded message in the mail that day…no prints no clues as to who sent them."
Tenzin swore. "When does this reporter plan to publish the story?"
"She says she won't till she has all the facts…"
Tenzin glanced at the article again skimming a few sentences. "She's got most of them already."
"I know, I'm running out of time, I could ask the Kyoshi…but Ren would never even consider a leak there." Mako let his shoulders drop.
"The only other people there were Kyoshi and Red Lotus." Tenzin answered. "The Kyoshi made sure no Red Lotus were left alive…so it has to be a Kyoshi."
Mako sighed. "Ren's not going to want to hear that."
Tenzin raised his eyebrows. "Wellllll, she's not the only Kyoshi you know…"
"I can't go behind her back like that…"
"What choice do we have?"
The detective sighed. "Yeah…I suppose your right." Mako stood. "Before I go, do you know of any Waterbender training schools in town? Or healing parlors?"
Tenzin stood to walk Mako out of the temple. "I don't know of any particular ones, they aren't as big as the Earth bending gyms, why?"
"Just another case without any leads…"
I
"She looks like she's starving," Hebi commented staring down at the Avatar restrained in the hospital bed in front of her.
"She is."
"Can we force feed her?" Hebi asked Dr. Hato.
Kirā raised an eyebrow. "You want to force feed the master of all four elements and possibly the most powerful blood bender in the world?"
"N-No one is f-force feeding me." Korra forced her lips to move as the shirshu toxin's slowly drained from her body replaced by the soreness that was becoming how she normally felt. Finally she was able to blink and shield her eyes from the blinding lights spotlighting her hospital bed and keeping the rest of the room in the shadows.
"Will you start feeding yourself then?" Kirā asked towering over Korra watching her limbs come back under her control. The spot light cast shadows in on her face that looked like the warpaint she hadn't worn in months.
Korra didn't answer, she was too busy concentrating on moving her toes. "Why am I still here? Usually I wake up in my room." my cell.
Dr. Hato walked into the light warming a stethoscope up with her breath. "You won't remember it but there was another incident. You didn't wake up but you were thrashing around a lot while you were under."
Korra cringed as the frozen stethoscope touched her chest. "What?"
"Could've been a bad dream." Hebi shrugged only partially in the light.
It's not a relapse if I kill her with my bare fucking hands!
Dr. Hato noticed the increase in heart rate through her stethoscope. "No one dreams on those sedatives," She removed the stethoscope from under Korra's shirt and pulled out a note pad to jot her notes into. "We should have the low dosage medicine ready later today, that will help."
"Feeling better already." Korra replied dryly flexing her hands and testing out the rest of her limbs. "I think I'm ready now."
Kirā waited for Dr. Hato to give the okay before undoing the restraint on Korra's wrists one at a time, latching them into the shackles as soon as they were free. "I can talk to the kitchen see if they can cook up something more appetizing, what would you like?"
Gritting her teeth to get through the soreness Korra sat up and slowly moved her legs off the side of the hospital bed flexing her leg muscles to shake some feeling back into them. She had hardly thought of eating let alone enjoying a meal. "Some soup will be fine." She pushed her self off the bed letting her feet take over slowly as Kirā grabbed her by the arm to guide her out of the room. Exiting the room was a blinding experience, the sunlight coming through the windows of the hallway almost made her want to go back into the darkened room. "How long do I have?"
"Around eight hours, the moon is growing so expect that to be more like seven."
The Avatar turned her head and looked up at the giant Kyoshi holding her by the arm as she shuffled down the hallway. Somehow even on an island Kirā hadn't begun to tan. "Are you from the fire nation?"
"Originally." The Kyoshi answered hesitantly.
She could tell her guard had debated answering before actually doing it. "Look, I'm not going to blood bend you, I just…besides you the only other people I talk to are Dr. Hato and," That bitch. "And Hebi."
"I understand Avatar."
"You can call me Korra." She offered taking the steps one by one her sore body making it difficult to do much more.
"I'll work on it."
Before they could say much more they had made it to Korra's cell. She waited for Kirā to unlock the door before walking in and sitting down on the bed with a groan. "Do you really think the kitchen can make some soup?"
The Kyoshi hesitated again, instead of answering she simply shrugged and locked the door behind her.
Great…
I
"Sato one to tower, request clearance for take off." Asami checked the gauges once more as she waited for the tower to answer, the engines were at a dull roar underneath the wings much to the amazement of the crowd and reporters gathered along side the run way to witness the beginning of Asami and Lin's record breaking flight.
"You own the damn place, why do you need to request clearance?" Lin asked from a hastily installed seat crammed directly behind Asami's. She was practically shaking with nervousness but she was coming across pissed off. Stay calm. It's Asami she knows what she's doing.
"It's standard procedure Lin, flying is all about procedure." Asami was buzzing with excitement, she'd woken up early to prep the plane herself and double check her equipment. She hadn't thought about Korra all morning.
"Sato one, this is Tower, clear for take off, good luck Mrs. Sato"
"Ready Lin?"
"Wait, Ready for what?" Lin clenched her duffle bag in her lap.
"We're breaking the record for fastest flight from the south to north pole. My PR team suggest while we're at it we set the record for fastest flight from Republic City to Zao Fu." Asami glanced out the cockpit's glass at the flash bulbs going off and the waiting crowd and grinned. "Just put your head back and relax. We'll be there before you know it."
I should've just waited for a train I should've just waited for a train. Lin forced her head back against the jump seat's headrest.
Asami pulled back on the joy stick and shoved the throttles forward, it took only a second for the engines to obey and shove both passengers back in their seats. The reporters' cameras captured the plane at a stand still then a blur with blue exhaust shooting out of it's engines as the plane took off. Asami let out an excited yell as Lin swore loudly completely drowned out by the roar of the plane. They were going to set an exceptional record.
I
Ren steadied her breath as she negotiated her way through the throng of people. In her mind she'd made a mistake going to the Ba Sing Se shopping mall. Twice already saleswomen from carts had tried to lunged at her trying to sell her make up, Ren had stopped a third with a glare and an instinctive grab to her sword. Calm the fuck down. You're not on a mission. Just get some clothes and leave. The trouble was she had no idea where to shop or even begin, the uniform clothes she wore were bought from Kyoshi HQ. The few dresses she had for formal occasions were bought at an equally formal store near her apartment. The middle ground of clothes not for missions or a date had her at a complete loss.
"Try some perfume miss!"
Ren recoiled as her nostrils filled with a pungent concentrated odor of flowers, before she could expel the rage building in her clenched shoulders, she darted into the nearest shop nearly knocking over an old lady and a large bald man in the process. Taking a deep breath still tainted with the concentrated flower stench she tried to let go of her frustration.
"Can help you find anything?"
Ren looked up from her boots at the store's assistant, a woman dressed in a shirt and tie with swanky pants to match. She was the same height as Ren but with silver rimmed glasses and short black hair. "Uh, actually probably not,"
The assistant smiled. "We have the latest in Future Industries Woman's line if you're interested, just let me know."
Ren looked around the store as the assistant walked back to her counter, the wood floors and high ceiling didn't match the hustle and bustle of the mall. The clothes on the neatly organized racks encircled high podiums with mannequins wearing the various clothes for sale. In the back of the store highlighted by yellow lighting was the Future Industries logo. Ren sighed. Might as well see what she's cooked up. "Excuse me," Ren walked over to the counter.
"Yes?" The assistant looked up from a magazine.
"I…I don't know what I'm looking for, I just need something casual, but something I can still run in, or fight in." Ren waited for the assistant to give her a weird look, but it never came, instead she noticed the assistant glance at the small Kyoshi logo on her shirt She raised her eyebrows then nodded as if to say 'Ohhhhhh' with her face.
"I've got just the thing." The assistant motioned for her to follow as she walked towards the Future Industries area of the store. "We get Kyoshi in here every once in a while, usually looking for boots or uniform pants. Always interesting to cater to their, unusual, needs. Anything you want to rule out from the get go? Skirts I presume."
"Yeah skirts are a no." Ren looked at the mannequin above the racks of clothing and felt a twinge of disappointment. I could never pull that off. The mannequin was dressed in a pinstriped black vest and pants with a dress shirt that hung open one or two buttons more than Ren would consider.
"If I've guessed your sizes correctly this should fit perfectly." The assistant pulled the same outfit out of the various spots on the rack.
"Oh, Uhh…"
"Trust me, you'll love it, and it even has a spot for that sword of yours." The assistant held out the outfit for Ren to take. "Dressing rooms over there."
…why not. Ren took the outfit and went off to the dressing room.
I
Kirā held the tray steady as she could as she negotiated the stone steps, but frustratingly the soup just barely dripped over the side as she topped the stairs. I swear if she doesn't eat this. She paused at the door to the Avatar's cell and stopped herself from knocking as she heard sobbing coming from within. "Av—…Korra?"
In the cell Korra forced herself to stop sobbing and wipe the tears off her face. "I'm shackled, you can come in."
Kirā held the tray with one hand and unlocked the door, she walked in and spotted Korra wrapped in her blankets on the floor sitting against the bed. "Is everything okay?"
A sob escaped as she held up her shaky shackled hands in response, with a small flick of her wrists a small quickly dying flame ignited in her hands. "I could bend better as a kid…"
Fuck… The Kyoshi knelt to put the tray on the floor. "I'll go get Dr. Hato."
Korra's hands shook causing the shackles to clatter as the door locked back into place and she was left alone. She'd already been trying for thirty minutes to ignite a bigger flame with nothing but tears to show for it. Why didn't they just let me die. Korra considered trying air but she already knew how bad that would be. As she sniffled still recovering from crying her nose picked up the scent of the soup Kirā had left. It actually smelled delicious. For the first time in ages she felt her stomach rumble for more than just a precursor to pain. Leaning over she barely reached the bowl and brought it towards her. It was warm in her hands and filled her nose with the smell of broth and celery. Carefully she steeled her stomach and took a cautious sip of the soup waiting for her stomach to get ready to convulse it back up. To her surprise the warmth of the soup traveled all the way down with not so much as a tremor. Her hesitance was replaced immediately with a ravenous hunger. She guzzled the soup stopping only to breathe and chew the bits of pig chicken and celery that came through. Before she could finish the bowl there was a hard knock on the door. Korra caught her breath savoring the taste of the broth in her mouth carefully putting what was left of the soup down as Kirā, Dr. Hato, and Hebi entered the cell.
"Hebi." Dr. Hato nodded.
Korra held up her shackled hands. "I'm not going to blood bend any of you just wa—" Korra recoiled as Hebi lunged and her fists made contact with her body each blow feeling like an earth bent rock colliding with her spine and sides. As she tensed and felt the control leave her body a scream of rage stopped in a unintelligible screeching gurgle as she collapsed on the floor shattering the bowl of soup as she did. The chi block prevented her from shaking with rage as Dr. Hato kneeled down and checked her pulse. "Kirā informs me you're bending has degraded."
The taller Kyoshi cocked her head watching Korra's enraged eyes boring into Hebi's stone cold face. She wanted to say something but she kept her mouth shut, Hebi needed to treat the Avatar better, and Kirā was not about to get in a feud between her teacher and her Avatar. "I've seen something similar once, we had a fire bender on my first squad that couldn't bend after a mission went south…really south."
Dr. Hato hung her hands on her stethoscope thinking for a long minute while Korra desperately tried to regain control of her shackled arms. "It is likely psychosomatic, being under our care isn't easy that I'm sure of Avatar. Our low dosage sedatives will be ready later today I'll be sure to bring you them personally."
"Perhaps I could take her out onto the beach, we could even let her use the training facilities if she's up for it." Kirā offered. "I'll keep a close eye on her."
"I don't like the idea…but if it'll help maintain her bending, I might allow it." The doctor placing both hands in her medical coat rolling the idea over in her head.
"Her hands are shaking again." Hebi noted already cracking her knuckles.
Come on, you bitch.
"I don't think that's—" Kirā began but stopped as Hebi rushed Korra
Korra waited till the last possible moment, because she was lying on the floor Hebi had to cross the room and attack at a downward angle. Because she was lying on the floor Hebi didn't notice the shattered remnants of ceramic bowl underneath Korra. She leaned to the left just enough for Hebi's lightning fast fist to miss, before Hebi could do anything Korra brought the largest shard of ceramic bowl driving up into Hebi's throat. For a moment she wished she could feel the last panicked throbs of Hebi's heart in her hands, but she settled for watching the look of disbelief as Hebi froze and grabbed the shard of ceramic now embedded deep in her neck. It was already coated in a growing stream of blood before she stumbled back landing on her bottom.
"KORRA! NO!" Kirā yelled immediately rushing to grab Hebi under the arms and begun to drag her outside the cell. "Doc! A little help!"
snapped out of the shock induced trance, she hadn't realized she'd been staring at the puddle of blood on the floor. "Get her to the operating room!" Dr. Hato grabbed Hebi's legs and the pair lifted her out of the room.
The cell door slammed leaving Korra alone still laying in the puddle of blood.
I
Ren walked out of the store never having felt so happy to have spent so much money. The assistant at the store had been right and she did pull it off exceptionally well. Though she'd opted not to leave the shirt as open as the mannequin had. She'd bought a few other outfits that weighed down the bag under her shoulder as well as a pair of canvas boots that were the perfect mix of combat boots and sneakers. The shopping mall had died down a little but there still was a constant stream of shoppers all concentrated on their own destination. The rumble in Ren's stomach decided her's and she set off to find a dumpling stand. The short sword holstered in her vest pressing against the small of her back provided a good amount of reassurance even as she snaked her way through the crowd following her nose. Before she realized it she had entered a small food court which was lined with carts and filled with small tables in the center of the square. Most of the tables were full, some with families others with couples all enjoying their lunches. She quickly scanned the area, no obvious threats, and the added reassurance of two RCPD metal benders eating their lunch at one of the tables. Ren spotted a dumpling stand and quickly crossed over to it. The cart seemed almost identical to the Wang's dumpling stand down to the impossibly old cart attendant hunched over the slow cooking pan of dumplings. The line was short but she was starving, finally it was her turn to order. "Two orders of dumplings and an iced tea please." Ren raised an eyebrow as the old man simply nodded and set to work flipping the quickly cooking dumplings with a pair of chop sticks.
Ren turned and waited off to the side of the line smiling for once, she was content and not on a mission.
"Tea?"
Ren froze as a waitress from one of the small tea stands offered her a tiny porcelain cup with a sample of tea. On autopilot she took the cup in her hand already feeling the hairs on her neck stand up. Her mind immediately flashed with the memories of driving her short sword into her target's neck right after she'd offered him tea.
"Miss?"
She looked up and the once crowded food court was empty except for three bodies of the men she'd killed in Ba Sing Se. Stop. That's not real, you're freaking out just relax.
"Miss?" The dumpling maker hobbled around his stand with Ren's order in a paper bag.
Just calm down.
The dumpling maker reached up and tapped Ren on the shoulder.
Before she could stop herself she reacted to a stranger touching her shoulder from behind. The tea cup dropped from her hands as she spun driving her elbow out in a wide ark catching the dumpling maker in the shoulder sending him flying into his cart. She'd drawn her short sword before she realized what she'd done. Shit! "I—I'm so sorry!"
"Help!" The tea girl shouted. "This lady's attacking him!
Ren turned. "No! I didn't mean to!" Before she could get another word out the police officers rushed over one of them with his cables at the ready.
"Ma'am, put the sword down!" The female officer commanded.
She hadn't even realized she was still holding on to it and immediately let it clatter to the ground. "Look I didn't mean to hurt him, it was an accident!" Ren was beginning to panic, she realized how bad it looked. An old man still moaning in pain clutching his shoulder and a Kyoshi with her sword drawn.
"Slowly turn around and get down on the ground." The male officer raised his hand keeping the other near the cable spooled on his hip.
"Please, I'm a Kyoshi, I didn't mean to hurt him." Ren pleaded wishing her hands held out in surrender. She was debating how far she'd make it if she turned and ran when she heard the cables. They wrapped around her wrists and spun around her so fast she fell to her knees the other officer yanked her hands behind her back and shoved a knee into her back flattening her to the ground pressing painfully on her bruises.
"Kyoshi or not you're under arrest."
I
President Tsusamo dialed the tenth phone on the large conference table in his marble floored conference room. Normally this room was reserved for Republic City board meetings and visiting dignitaries and their entourage to meet and debate policy. However it had been empty for quiet sometime and the President's assistance had become to obedient to question why he'd needed ten telephones delivered to the conference room. The voice on the other end answered and the President responded. "Counter sign: Jade." He placed the hand set on the table and turned the volume knob to full, it joined nine other phones placed around the table with Red Lotus operatives on the other end of their lines. "Good Afternoon, I hope you can all hear me, I've called this meeting to provide reassurance." He began to pace around the table.
"I'd have settled for new recruits."
President Tsusamo stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the phone where the comment had come from. Now is not the time for discipline, its the time for reassurance. He reminded himself. "You will have your recruits trust me colonel." The operative he was referring to wasn't a colonel in the Red Lotus, they had no use for a rank system, but the United Forces did. "Even with the Kyoshi bent on exterminating us where they find us we've managed to kill the Avatar, and secure the Presidency. The Red Lotus is exactly as it should be, powerful, and in the shadows. The more successful the Kyoshi are the harder their task becomes and the more of an advantage we have against them."
"If we hadn't wasted camp Laghima we'd be able to fight the Kyoshi." One of the voices on the phones chimed in.
"CAMP LAGHIMA KILLED THE AVATAR!" President Tsusamo snapped. "Without her we can finally flourish, we will deal with the Kyoshi when the time is right. More than that with the entire city under my command we'll have the means to secure power we've always dreamed of. The power to realize or goal of bringing back the natural order!"
"What are you planning?" A suspicious voice asked from the phone on the end of the table.
"I have Republic City and the United Forces at my disposal, I can start a world war if I wanted to…but that'll have to wait, let me explain Operation P'li to you all."
I
Mako sighed as he read the arrest record in his hands, normally his hands would be tied but Ren was a Kyoshi and each member was classified as diplomats of Kyoshi Island. The rookie cops who brought her in hadn't known she had immunity, if it hadn't been an assault on an old man Mako would've chewed them out over it. With a quick movement he tore the report in half and burnt it into nothingness. He took a long look at the metal bender officers in front of him, trying his best to imitate the look Lin gave him when he screwed up. "Don't let it happen again, Kyoshi aren't citizens, they're highly trained and armed to the teeth. You're lucky this one likes cops." When another detective told him his girlfriend was down in holding Mako didn't want to believe it but he'd headed down to the small cell block for processing criminals and found the two officers working on their report. He hadn't been down to holding for a long time but he was almost happy to see that the bare concrete walls and metal bar door separating the cell block from the small office hadn't gotten any new stains. Mako hit the buzzer unlocking the door and let himself in closing it behind him and nodding to the guard sitting on a wooden stool reading a book. The concrete wall to his right eventually turned into a floor to ceiling set of bars running the length of the room. He raised an eyebrow the cell was an open one, with a narrow metal bench along the wall. Various criminals sat, stood, and a brave one even slept on the floor. He spotted Ren as the only female in the cell, and the only one with her head in her hands "Ren, come to the bars."
She looked up at him from her spot on the bench with red eyes. "Fancy seeing you here."
"What the fuck happened?" He asked as she slipped her forearms through the bars to lean on.
"I…I don't know Mako, one second I was fine having a good time…next second I was back in Ba Sing Se on a mission…I freaked out okay?" She had been bottling it up since she'd been arrested and had little energy left to keep held back. "Get me out of here will you?"
"Not until you promise me you'll go see Guru Arjan."
The steel in Mako's voice struck a nerve in Ren's heart, He's genuinely mad at me…did I mess 'us' up? "Fine. I'll see if he's available tomorrow."
Mako stood back from the bars he really thought she'd fight him over going to Guru Arjan for help. He cleared his throat to get the guard's attention and waved him over to the cell door. He waited for the guard to unlock the door and let Ren out. "Come on, we'll get some dumplings…and maybe you can tell me about Ba Sing Se." He placed a gentle arm around her and led her out of the holding cell.
I
Korra held the white tablet with her thumb and forefinger inspecting it in the sinking sunlight. "I kind of expected you to freak out that I killed Hebi…"
Kirā sat next to Korra on her cot holding Korra's brown pill bottle, she thumbed the label smoothing it over and over staring at her polished boots. "She's not dead…not for lack of trying. They were talking about restraining you, but considering I'm now the only able chi blocker on the island they took my advice."
Korra raised an eyebrow as she placed the pill on her tongue. "I'm not a big fan of face masks and chains so thank you." She held out her hand to watch for the slight twitches she'd been having since they'd cleaned up Hebi's blood from her cell. They stopped as soon as the pill dissolved from her tongue. "I'm sorry about Hebi." She felt the cot shake with her guard's laughter. Her raspy laugh stopped and she became instantly serious.
"I've fought with you, I've seen you kill a dozen Red Lotus in one swipe of your hand. I've killed before…probably as much as you have. Me? For the ones I felt sorry for or shouldn't have killed, I felt remorse as soon as I drove my sword into their skulls…when I saw you shove that shard into Hebi's throat I didn't see a remorseful person looking into her eyes."
Korra blinked slowly as the pill began to take a tighter hold on her, it felt like her whole body was lighter than it was a second ago and a pulsating warmth began to flood her body. "She did kind of have it coming…"
"I didn't like her much, she was very hands on in her training. I'm not proud of my new skill but I'll use it to help you get better. How are the meds taking hold?"
Korra shook her head, her vision seemed to lag behind the movement of her head. "I think it's working."
"Do you think you can make it to the room without a chi block?"
Kirā's voice had it's own raspy echo now to Korra's ears. "I'm good." She leaned forward to stand but it felt like she was falling forward, she swayed to catch herself only to realize she hadn't yet stood. "Might need a little help." Her words came out slowly, her mind was moving even slower eventually she realized Kirā had taken her by the arm and was leading her down a hallway. She blinked away the orange sunlight streaming through the windows and was suddenly in her sedation room. The bed was lit by the round medical floodlights with Dr. Hato standing behind it in her white lab coat.
"I see the sedatives are working great."
Korra slowly smiled and laughed only realizing she'd laid down when Kirā began to fasten the restraints to her legs and arms. "So I won't freak out this time?" Through the haze of her medicine she felt a stab in her arm. With her senses so far out of wack already the wave she'd come to expect came more like she fell into deep water instantly smothering her with a blanket like warmth. I'll take that as a n—
Dr. Hato pulled away her stethoscope as Korra's heart settled into a steady comatose thudding. "You'll take first watch, I'll relieve you in an hour, if she flips out again or if her vitals crash stab her with this, then come get me." Dr. Hato held up a hand sized syringe prepped and full of adrenaline.
Kirā simply nodded and pulled up a chair to the side of the Avatar's floodlit hospital bed. She hadn't expected to continue her mission after she'd rescued Korra, training with Hebi had been an unenjoyable few weeks, but soon she was sure she'd end up with DAGR. She rarely missed anyone, but she would be glad to be back in republic city and be glad to work with Ren again. But for now…don't die on me Korra.
I
Mako sat with Ren, the couple leaning against each other and fast asleep on the couch in her living room. Mako had been sure to make Ren call Guru Arjan's office and leave a message asking for an appointment. After dumplings and enough of Ren's whisky she'd began to talk about Ba Sing Se, she kept it vague but was clear about what kept tormenting her. Mako thought about asking her to quit but knew better than that, instead he sat and listened as her mind began to wander with the whisky helping let go of the stress tied to the memories. He had made sure not to let her fall asleep with the glass in her hand, as soon as he had he let the heaviness in his eyes and shoulder take him and he nodded off.
The phone rang loudly painfully jarring both of them awake, Ren mumbled something as Mako tried to blink the sleep out of his eyes. She stood and carefully walked a half buzzed half asleep stride to the phone on the kitchen counter. "It's for you, its work."
Mako groaned forcing himself off the couch he'd almost sunk back into after Ren had gotten up to get the phone. He shook his head to try and wake himself up enough for a call from work. "Detective Mako."
"We've got another one."
Fuck.
I
WELLLLL my dearest readers, sorry for the long wait i'm just a mess these days nearly fell asleep editing this one, but hey almost 20k views which is insane! Thank you so so much, my next chapter will be a flash back I've been dying to do a Young Kya/Young Izumi blurb but that'll be in celebration of reaching 20k views! The next chapter chapter will hopefully be up sooner rather than later but such is life. Peace love and frisbees! Please review and subscribe!
